Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 98

Yoo Taewoo’s doubt was the same one Sa Muheon had. Why had Ryu Beomju gone to such lengths to live as an ordinary human rather than as a shifter? Sa Muheon had thought that Yoo Taewoo, who had taken him in, would know the reason, but contrary to his expectations, President Yoo seemed to know nothing at all.

“So from that point on, I started watching his every move. There wasn’t anything particularly suspicious, but that in itself was enough to drive me insane.”

He took a drink, laughing at himself. Sa Muheon said nothing, but he wasn’t entirely unable to understand Yoo Taewoo’s feelings. Among shifters, one could either intimidate or be intimidated depending on their true form. Ryu Beomju was a tiger shifter, positioned at the very peak of the pyramid. In that sense, it was only natural that President Yoo, an ordinary human, would fear him.

“At some point, I started thinking that he might suddenly turn on me and tear my throat out. Once that thought crossed my mind, it became impossible to treat him as casually as before. So…”

“So you tamed him with violence?”

Sa Muheon cut in, and Yoo Taewoo lifted his head to look at him. Then, he let out a short chuckle.

“That’s right. I do feel sorry for the kid. But I have no intention of apologizing. Back then, and even now, I still believe that was the only way.”

In the end, that was the limit of Yoo Taewoo as a person. He knew that what he had done was wrong, but he simply justified it by saying there had been no other option.

Should he then pity Ryu Beomju for being betrayed by him? The thought was so ridiculous that Sa Muheon let out a dry laugh. Yoo Taewoo looked at him with a puzzled expression, but instead of satisfying his curiosity, Sa Muheon simply composed his expression again and took another drink.

A long silence settled over the table as their conversation came to a halt. Eventually, it was Sa Muheon who spoke first.

“I’ll be blunt. I want to get rid of Director Hong.”

Yoo Taewoo had definitely heard him, but he gave no response. Sa Muheon waited patiently. It wasn’t as if he needed the man’s permission. He was simply informing him, and if he could secure his cooperation, things would proceed a bit more smoothly.

“May I ask why?”

“Does it matter?”

“I doubt you came here seeking my approval. But even so, this offers no benefit to me. You could at least provide an explanation.”

“Hm…”

He had a point. There was no particular reason he couldn’t explain. Besides, Yoo Taewoo seemed well aware that Sa Muheon wasn’t here to ask for permission, so there was no harm in telling him this much.

“You might not understand, since you’re not a shifter.”

“Huh?”

“Well, not all shifters are the same, but… At the very least, I despise having my territory invaded.”

Hearing the calm reply, Yoo Taewoo smirked as if finding it interesting.

“So that bastard encroached on your territory?”

“Are you going to pretend you don’t know anything?”

Sa Muheon shrugged. That alone was enough to show that Yoo Taewoo wasn’t entirely unaware of what had transpired between him and Ryu Beomju.

“If I knew nothing, what would that say about my competence? Of course, I know something, but I just didn’t think it was worth my concern.”

“I don’t care. As long as you have a general idea of what happened, I won’t have to explain at length.”

Sa Muheon handed him a document. It was something he had received from Chief Han before coming here.

“Did you know Director Hong has been embezzling money behind your back?”

“How could I not? That’s just part of our business.”

“The amount he’s taken is larger than expected. Are you interested?”

“Ha… Director Sa, let me tell you something.”

Yoo Taewoo let out a chuckle and pushed the document back toward Sa Muheon. His brow furrowed slightly.

“Do you think I’d lend a hand in getting rid of him just for a bit of money? If you want to get me involved, you need to offer something more enticing.”

“Oh, so that’s the issue?”

Sa Muheon let out a dry laugh as if he found it absurd.

“It seems you’re the one misunderstanding something here.”

“What?”

“Do you really think money is all there is to it?”

For a moment, Yoo Taewoo’s expression brightened as if he was expecting something. But as soon as he heard Sa Muheon’s next words, his face darkened instantly.

“There’s something far more important than that paltry sum. Your life, President Yoo.”

“Hah…”

“How long do you think Director Hong will continue playing the part of a toothless tiger? Even if he wags his tail like some obedient dog under you, he’s still a tiger at heart. And a very young one at that.”

“……”

“Who do you think is really in control here? Just because you hold the title of president, do you really believe you can keep him in check?”

Yoo Taewoo remained silent, unable to refute him. It was as if Sa Muheon had struck a nerve. Smirking, he continued.

“The only reason things are as they are is because he’s choosing to endure it, not because of your authority.”

“……”

“You should never forget—he can tear your throat out whenever he wants.”

With a sneering tone, Sa Muheon finished speaking. Yoo Taewoo trembled but kept his mouth shut. He probably wanted to argue, but there was nothing to dispute. In fact, Sa Muheon’s words had reminded him of something he had been trying to forget. If anything, he should have been thanking him for it.

“…Ha. I see. I really was mistaken.”

Fortunately, Yoo Taewoo seemed to be a man capable of more rational thought than Sa Muheon had expected, as he soon began muttering to himself.

“This must be why they say you shouldn’t take in black-haired beasts. But this one is a real beast, too… Ah, I don’t mean to insult you, Director Sa. I’m just talking about him.”

Sa Muheon’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. It was obvious that Yoo Taewoo had said that to provoke him, but there was no way he would fall for such a low-level provocation. When Sa Muheon showed no reaction, Yoo Taewoo clicked his tongue in disappointment and refilled his glass.

“I’ll cooperate, but could you promise me just one thing?”

Sa Muheon felt a flicker of irritation at Yoo Taewoo’s greed, even after he had essentially named his life as the price. Still, he kept his voice as composed as possible as he replied.

“I’ll hear it first and then decide.”

“If you leave the final disposal of that bastard to me, I’ll help with anything.”

It was an unexpected offer from Yoo Taewoo. But for Sa Muheon, it wasn’t necessarily a bad one. However, there was something he needed to confirm first.

“Can you actually go through with it?”

Sa Muheon didn’t think Yoo Taewoo had any lingering affection for the man, but human emotions were unpredictable. It would be troublesome if he ruined everything at the last moment due to some misplaced sympathy.

“Haha! Don’t you think that’s a ridiculous question?”

“……”

Yoo Taewoo burst into laughter as if he had just heard the funniest thing in the world. Seeing that reaction, Sa Muheon felt reassured that his concerns were unnecessary. Just as Sa Muheon was solidifying his decision, Yoo Taewoo added one last comment.

“I’m the one who practically created that bastard, so shouldn’t I be the one to take responsibility for his end as well?”

What a truly despicable man, right to the very end. The way he dressed up his words to make it sound like anything other than his own sense of control was impressive. But at least his statement made Sa Muheon’s decision final.

“As long as you take care of it properly, that’s all that matters. As long as he never appears before me again, I don’t care what method you use.”

“Hmm…”

Now that he had permission, Yoo Taewoo gave a meaningful smile and began speaking again.

“I’ve been hearing some rumors lately.”

“……”

Sa Muheon’s gaze sharpened. However, Yoo Taewoo met his stare head-on, unfazed, and continued speaking in a relaxed manner.

“I hear Director Sa has been keeping a certain shifter close lately… Is that why you’re trying to get rid of him?”

A small chuckle escaped before he could stop it. The way Yoo Taewoo was trying to probe him as if he had caught some major weakness was almost laughable. Sa Muheon set down his glass and rose from his seat. Yoo Taewoo’s gaze followed him.

“I’m fairly certain I just said this a moment ago.”

“What…?”

Retrieving his jacket, Sa Muheon looked down at Yoo Taewoo with cold, emotionless eyes.

“You were right, President Yoo. Beasts tend to be highly possessive of what’s theirs.”

At his words, Yoo Taewoo subtly averted his gaze, as if realizing he had crossed a line.

“So you’d best be careful, President Yoo. Who knows? If you trespass into my territory, you might be next.”

“Hrm…”

“If you need anything, you can contact me through Chief Han. Goodbye.”

With those final words, Sa Muheon exited the room. He could feel Yoo Taewoo’s persistent gaze trailing after him, but he didn’t spare it a single glance as he shut the door behind him, severing the connection.

“Hah…”

It was a short sigh, but anyone could tell from its weight just how irritated he was. The long corridor leading to the exit felt especially endless today. As he walked, his pace quickened.

Dealing with filth had left his mind in disarray. He just wanted to go home and see Garam, who was waiting for him.