Why is it that bad premonitions are never wrong?
Haram stared into the mirror, aghast, his mouth falling slightly open. The left side of his face was beet red. No wonder it itched and burned so badly—he’d gotten thoroughly sunburned. His left cheek and forehead were so roasted that even he had to admit he looked ridiculous.
Sleeping through the heat like that without realizing it? There was no bigger idiot. Haram grabbed a towel from the bathroom wall, soaked it in cold water, and pressed it against his flushed cheek.
“Ugh…”
The moment the chilled towel touched his skin, the stinging and itching made him wince instinctively. Will it go down? It has to… There was no way he could show this face to Tae-yi. That guy was already playful as hell—if he saw this, he’d definitely spend the entire week teasing him.
Just imagining Tae-yi bursting out laughing at his half-burnt face made Haram want to bury himself in a hole.
He didn’t want to be laughed at by him anymore.
Haram lowered the towel cautiously and examined his face in the mirror again, sighing heavily.
“…Didn’t know I could look even stupider than this.”
In his gloomy mood, his face looked even worse than usual. His tail was drooping so low it practically scraped the floor. Even after a long nap, he didn’t feel refreshed—just sluggish. Feeling like he might cry, Haram pouted and stepped out of the bathroom, gently rubbing his cheek.
***
“I really think it would be better if you visited the site with the team, sir…”
Chief Yoon couldn’t bring himself to say it would be a good idea. He trailed off awkwardly and cleared his throat, sneaking a glance into the rearview mirror.
Kang Tae-yi sat silently in the backseat, eyes fixed on his tablet.
It was obvious why he was hesitating. He was worried about leaving Da Haram alone at home. He didn’t show it outwardly, but it was clear as day—Tae-yi had been uneasy ever since leaving for work. In that state, how could he possibly consider traveling overseas?
Unless he took Haram with him. But even that wasn’t guaranteed. Judging from how things were between them, they’d be lucky if Haram stayed quietly in the Seoul house, let alone tagged along abroad.
Still, with the project progressing so smoothly now, it was the perfect time to move boldly.
“If you do leave the country, I’ll look after him until you return.”
Chief Yoon finally forced the words out after some hesitation, but Tae-yi still said nothing. He simply set down his tablet and turned to gaze out the window.
Chief Yoon didn’t press him any further. The conversation, if it could even be called that, ended without resolution as the car pulled into the garage.
“Thanks for today.”
Tae-yi’s brief farewell was met with a nod, but before Chief Yoon could respond, the car door shut with a sharp clack. Yet again, he hadn’t even gotten to say, “Have a good evening.” His lips parted then pressed shut again. Tae-yi had already vanished inside the house.
“…He really must love that Sky Squirrel.”
His boss, who had sworn off love for life, was now wrapped up in some intense, dangerous romance with a palm-sized Sky Squirrel. It stirred a mess of feelings in Chief Yoon.
***
Once again, the lights were on in the living room and kitchen. Tae-yi smiled the moment he stepped inside, immediately setting off to find Da Haram.
“There’s my squirrel.”
He spotted a fuzzy gray ball perched at the dining table and let out a quiet laugh. Haram was holding a piece of peanut—looked like he was in the middle of a meal.
“…Chirp.”
Sky Squirrel, Haram corrected defiantly.
Just when was Tae-yi going to use the right species name? At this point, it had to be some kind of teasing. Haram glanced at Tae-yi’s face, checking for injuries. Seeing none, he calmly broke off another piece of peanut and ate it.
“This is my dinner?”
Tae-yi was eating straight off the table with a lazy pile of mixed nuts, yet Haram’s portion had been arranged neatly in a tiny dish the size of a palm. Grinning, he asked the question, and Haram gave a sheepish little nod.
Tae-yi sat down naturally across from him and started picking at the nuts. The only sounds at the table were the faint crunch crunch of chewing.
After a while, as he watched Haram peel a peanut with both hands, Tae-yi finally spoke up.
“Are you staying in squirrel form because I kissed you yesterday?”
It wasn’t a naive question—it carried a hint of certainty. Haram, caught off guard, quickly chewed and swallowed what was in his mouth, then shook his head so vigorously it looked like he might fling his snack back up.
“Then why are you still like that?”
“…Chirp, chirp.”
…Because I feel like it.
Haram couldn’t bring himself to tell the truth, so he stuffed more peanuts into his mouth. It was a clear don’t ask me any more questions gesture, but Tae-yi had no intention of taking the hint.
“About yesterday’s kiss—”
“Chiiirp!!”
Enough with the kiss talk!
“…You’re telling me to shut up?”
Tae-yi cocked an eyebrow, catching the gist, and Haram nodded with all seriousness. It was a blunt way of putting it, but the message was clear.
“I just want to talk to you. Can’t you de-transform for a bit?”
Tae-yi had been waiting all day for this moment—there was no way he was going to let it go to waste. But no matter how persistently he tried to start a conversation, Haram turned his back and shook his head firmly, outright refusing. He even angled himself away so all Tae-yi could see was fluff.
Tae-yi stared at the fuzzy ball and let out a quiet sigh.
Why even set my food out like that if he’s going to stay in squirrel mode? Dealing with his mountain of paperwork would’ve been easier than this. If it wasn’t about the kiss, then what? His brain hurt trying to figure it out.
“Da Haram.”
Tae-yi called his name softly, but all he got was a flinch. Haram didn’t turn around, just kept shoveling nuts into his mouth. Sky Squirrels didn’t have cheek pouches like regular squirrels, but Haram stuffed his mouth full anyway, puffing his cheeks out.
He was clearly waiting for Tae-yi to leave. Still, Tae-yi didn’t budge, and Haram’s hands moved faster in response.
Seeing that, Tae-yi finally gave in and waited in silence for Haram to finish eating.
“…You’re gonna choke at this rate.”
Haram was clearly hungry—he kept shoving food in without pause. Even from behind, his cheeks looked like they were about to pop. Tae-yi watched him with concern.
At the sound of his worried voice, Haram quickly chewed and swallowed everything, then shot Tae-yi a sidelong glance. Tae-yi, never one to miss a moment, leaned on the table and bent closer to meet his eyes.
“It’s okay if we talk from a distance—just shift back for a bit.”
Tae-yi’s earnestness gave Haram pause. He had that look on his face—the kind that said he had something important to say. But today just… wasn’t the day. His sunburn hadn’t gone down. No way was he showing this face.
“…Chirp, chirp.”
…Not today.
He shook his head slowly, then glanced at the empty dish in front of Tae-yi. Waddling over, he dragged one of the unopened nut bags piled in the center of the table and shoved it onto Tae-yi’s plate.
Too embarrassed to open it for him, Haram dropped it there and scurried back to his spot across the table. Tae-yi stared at the retreating fluff, then gave up and sighed, tearing open the bag.
Guess that was his way of saying: shut up and eat this instead.
So Tae-yi did just that—chewing quietly on the nuts without complaint.
Haram, now full, rubbed his belly and stroked his soft fur. He’d eaten his fill, and so had his host. All that was left was to go upstairs and finish icing his sunburned cheek.
He waited for Tae-yi to head up first, but the man showed no signs of moving. So, discreetly, Haram scooted to the edge of the table.
Tae-yi, watching the little squirrel clearly getting ready to flee, stood up before him.
“…Chirp?”
Haram blinked, startled, and watched blankly as Tae-yi—rather than going upstairs—stepped outside into the garden.
Peeking around the corner, Haram craned his neck to see what he was up to. A few moments later, Tae-yi returned, holding a flowerpot with the cherry tomato seedling inside.
Haram’s eyes widened in confusion as he blinked at Tae-yi’s strange behavior.
Without sparing him a glance, Tae-yi walked into the living room, placed the flowerpot on the table in front of the sofa, and sat down.
“Da Haram. How long are you planning to stay a leafy sprout? Aren’t you gonna bear fruit eventually?”
“…Chirp?”
But I’m right here…
