“He’s sleeping in his beast form?”
“Yes.”
Except for the times he’d passed out after sex, Tae-yi has never seen Haram sleep in his beast form before. An uncomfortable feeling began to spread through him, growing far too fast to control.
Still staring out the window, his expression unmoved, Kang Tae-yi said nothing. Chief Yoon, noticing the shift in atmosphere, nervously stepped on the gas. Was it really so strange for Da Haram, a Sky Squirrel Beastfolk, to be sleeping in his transformed state? It didn’t seem odd to him at all, but Tae-yi clearly found something about it unsettling.
***
“Squeak, squee!”
Nice! Nailed it!
Praising himself silently, Haram scurried deeper into the forest. The moment he entered, the crisp scent of grass and the chorus of birds chirping all around lifted his spirits. Energized, he started hopping about like a rabbit Beastfolk, giddy with excitement.
The nausea from earlier had faded, and his body felt light and strong. He really wasn’t meant for the city—this was where he belonged. He didn’t even feel like flying. Without caring about the dull ache in his legs, Haram ran over the soft, earthy ground, climbing higher into the mountains.
Breathing heavily, Haram exhaled sharp puffs of air but had no intention of resting. He immediately took off again.
If he stopped to catch his breath, he knew the only thing that would fill his head was thoughts of Tae-yi. And then he’d start crying again. Once the tears came, he’d collapse from exhaustion and never make it home before sunset.
After running around for a while, Haram lifted his head and scanned his surroundings. He gauged the spacing between the trees and checked the direction of his house. Then, gripping the trunk of a nearby tree, he began to climb. Settling on a sturdy branch, he confirmed his bearings once more and launched himself into the air.
Spreading his limbs wide, Haram glided effortlessly through the wind and landed squarely on the tree he’d scouted on the opposite side.
“Squee, squeak!”
How could he do that…?
He had tried not to think about it, just focusing on getting home—but the shock of everything that had happened today kept surfacing, unrelenting. The thoughts he’d been trying so hard to ignore now buzzed in his head like flies. Just as he was about to leap to the next tree, Haram sank down on the branch instead, his legs folding beneath him.
If it weren’t for that bespectacled man who’d appeared out of nowhere, he would’ve stayed by Tae-yi’s side like a complete fool, never knowing the truth. He probably would’ve sold off every bit of the inheritance his grandmother had left him, thinking he was doing the right thing. He had no clue that all those sweet gestures were just part of Tae-yi’s scheme to manipulate him.
“Director Kang Tae-yi is an Alpha. There’s no way a Director at Changi Construction would be a Beta. He even lied about his designation just to deceive you.”
Tae-yi was an Alpha. He wasn’t someone like Haram who’d gone through manifestation—he’d been born that way. He had lied about being a Beta.
“The resort development project? That was Director Kang’s idea. It’s a high-risk venture, so the higher-ups opposed it. But he pushed it through anyway.”
“…Why are you telling me all this?”
“Vice Chairman Kang Tae-jin hasn’t officially been named as the successor yet. He’s not keen on taking on a risky project like the resort. So I’m warning you, Da Haram—don’t let Director Kang deceive and manipulate you for his own ends.”
“Then… why did you come to me and try to buy the land?”
“We wanted to act before Director Kang could carry out his plans. I’m sorry we didn’t explain sooner.”
It was Tae-yi. He was the one trying to push the resort project through the village. That’s why the secretary from Kang Tae-jin’s side had shown up asking to buy the land. When Haram had thought the secretary looked familiar, it was because he was from the same company.
The more he thought about it, the more infuriated he became. He remembered how he’d bitten his tongue about Tae-yi’s complicated family situation. All those times he could’ve asked—he didn’t. And now it was obvious: if he had, he would’ve just been lied to again.
The anger boiled in his gut. He’d been a naïve idiot. No, worse—he’d been a complete fool.
Snorting hard through his tiny nostrils, Haram tried to breathe in the scent of fresh greenery to calm himself down.
With every breath of the clean mountain air, he felt a little more grounded. Being back in his hometown helped. Settling into the shade, Haram sat there in a daze, gazing out into the forest as he tried to untangle the mess in his head.
“…Squeak, squeak.”
…But how did he find me?
Could he trust everything that bespectacled man had said? But it wasn’t like he could trust Tae-yi either. He didn’t know how much of it to believe, but the fact that Tae-yi was an Alpha and a Director at Changi Construction—he had already looked that up himself and confirmed it with his own eyes. So really, nothing had changed.
And yet he felt so empty. So… pathetic. He had never once thought of himself as pitiful, but now? He’d clung to an Alpha, not even realizing that’s what he was, like some clueless little Omega. What had Tae-yi thought when he found out about his manifestation? Had he been pleased? Probably. It would’ve made it easier to control someone like him—an ignorant Omega who didn’t know any better.
“Squeak, squeak.”
That was close. If he’d stayed with Tae-yi even a little longer, he really might’ve sold everything—his land, his house, everything. Just to stay by his side.
He’d thought they were in a relationship… thought they meant something to each other…
Haram burst into tears, sobbing in frustration. He reached out, plucked a tiny leaf from the branch, and wiped the tears from his wide, round eyes.
Should he punch him if he shows up? The thought that he was the only one hurting made his chest ache even more.
Grinding his teeth in fury at that lying bastard Kang Tae-yi, Haram shredded the poor leaf he’d just used to wipe his tears.
Then, like scattering flower petals, he flung the shredded pieces into the air before leaping off the branch. He needed to get home—fast. He’d hole up there, fortify the place. Make it into a goddamn fortress so Tae-yi couldn’t even come near. He’d make sure the atmosphere was so tense and hostile that the man wouldn’t dare to approach.
“Squeak!”
Just wait and see!
***
He hadn’t planned to spend his precious day off like this. He should’ve told Da Haram the truth ages ago—that Kang Tae-yi was an Alpha. Maybe then the guilt wouldn’t be eating him alive. But it was too late now. Haram had already left Seoul, and here he was, lying in someone else’s bed after trespassing into a stranger’s home.
Back in his own beast form for the first time in ages, Da In-ho lay sprawled out on what he assumed was Haram’s bed. When that terrifying, muscle-bound guy had come by earlier to check on him, In-ho had nearly had a heart attack. Thankfully, the guy seemed convinced and had left, so the act must’ve worked.
But now… it was the Alpha’s turn to show up. Could he fool Kang Tae-yi? The fur color was similar enough to Haram’s, but still…
“Squeak, squeak.”
He’d done all he could. It didn’t matter if he got caught. His job was to buy Haram a little more time—just enough for him to get to the countryside safely.
He wouldn’t kill me, right? He didn’t seem that unhinged…
With a nervous sigh, In-ho curled his tiny paws together, worry pressing down on him. This morning had been total chaos. When he’d stumbled across Haram crying alone, he never imagined it would lead to this—breaking into someone else’s house and pretending to be them.
What if Tae-yi filed a trespassing charge?
Just as that thought crossed his mind, the front door creaked open in the distance. Multiple footsteps echoed in.
In-ho sucked in a deep breath and faced the wall, squeezing his eyes shut.
He had to pretend to be sound asleep. But his body was so tense it felt like he might snap in two. The bedroom door burst open moments later, and he felt the presence of someone entering.
“Da Haram.”
The name left Tae-yi’s mouth as he approached the small silhouette on the bed—but then he suddenly stopped.
Tae-yi stared silently at the tiny Sky Squirrel curled up on the bed, face buried deep in the blanket like he was dead to the world.
“It looks like he’s sleeping. I’ll let the hospital know not to check the CCTV,” Chief Yoon said, peering in from the doorway.
Nothing was out of place. The trip to Seoul had clearly worn Tae-yi out, judging by how hard Chief Yoon had to drive to keep up with him. Yawning discreetly, Yoon waited for a response, but Tae-yi didn’t move an inch.
“…Director?”
Sensing something was off, Chief Yoon stepped inside and studied Tae-yi’s expression. Had he ever seen him look at Da Haram like that before? His face was completely unreadable—emotionless.
Then Tae-yi reached down and grabbed the thick, gray tail.
The Sky Squirrel, now dangling upside down, tensed and doubled down on pretending to sleep. Tae-yi’s lips curled up into a smile.
This little rat…
“You shed again that fast?”
He’d dried Haram’s tail himself just this morning—he could never mistake it. Besides, Haram always left his tail exposed, and Tae-yi had memorized every inch of it. Smirking at the utterly motionless body, Tae-yi gave the tail a good shake and asked,
“Where’s Da Haram?”
“…Squeak.”
…Please spare me.
In-ho opened his eyes, trembling as he pressed his little paws together in a desperate plea. Being sued for trespassing suddenly didn’t sound so bad. At least he’d survive that. The murderous aura radiating off this Alpha made him feel like he’d piss himself on the spot.
“Wait… who—who is that? Isn’t that Da Haram?” Chief Yoon stammered, clearly panicking.
“I said, where is Da Haram?”
Lifting In-ho onto the windowsill, Tae-yi locked eyes with him and repeated the question.
Shaking like a leaf, In-ho slowly raised one paw and pointed outside the window. Tae-yi followed his paw to the bright sky beyond the glass and scowled.
“Check the CCTV in the garage and inside the house. The garden too.”
