“Chiik…?”
Why…?
Seeing the Sky Squirrel tilt his head in confusion, Tae-yi let out a short laugh and spoke.
“Why are you sleeping out here?”
“Chii, chyaek.”
This is normal for me.
He wasn’t lying. It might seem eccentric, but whenever it was time to dry peanuts in the yard, Haram always slept nearby. It was his way of guarding them from birds while they dried in the sun. If you let the birds get away with just a few, soon enough the mat would be swarming with more birds than peanuts. So he had to chase them off firmly from the start, or they’d keep coming back.
Not that he used violent methods—whenever sparrows or magpies showed up, he’d simply raise both arms, spread his patagium wide, and scare them off. Peanut farming demanded vigilance to the very end.
Watching Haram flail his limbs and chirp passionately to explain all this, Tae-yi smiled, then let out a soft sigh. Clearly, Haram intended to stay right here until every last peanut was dry. Tae-yi couldn’t exactly criticize the passion of a dedicated farmer. When he gave a nod of understanding, Haram wiggled the corners of his mouth, looking quite pleased with himself.
“Chyaek, chyaek?”
You’re heading to work?
“Yeah, I’ll probably be late tonight, so go ahead and eat dinner first.”
Haram slowly nodded, a faint look of disappointment on his face. Noticing it, Tae-yi chuckled.
“Want to eat together later?”
“……Chiiik.”
…Fine, whatever.
Haram awkwardly avoided Tae-yi’s gaze, pretending to groom his fur. It was an obvious yes. Smirking, Tae-yi murmured under his breath.
“Since when did this squirrel get so sweet?”
“Chya, chyaek…!”
What did I do!?
Flustered, Haram let out an indignant squeak and rushed over to push Tae-yi’s calf. Of course, no matter how much he pushed, that big body didn’t budge—but Tae-yi, playing along with the squirrel’s wish, swayed slightly and burst out laughing.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Haram gave a small, wordless nod. As Tae-yi walked away, Haram kept sneaking glances at his retreating back before finally turning to inspect the peanuts spread out on the mat.
***
“Da Haram’s passport is supposed to be ready tomorrow. Should I take him down to pick it up?”
Sitting on the sofa in the center of the office, Tae-yi closed his tired eyes for a moment at Chief Yoon’s words, then let out a quiet breath.
So it’s already time for that.
Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since they returned from the countryside. Just that morning, Haram had said the peanuts had all dried and he was going to start sorting out the bad ones. His soft voice had echoed in Tae-yi’s ears, shyly asking if it was okay to take some for seed.
“I’ll escort him and bring him back safely.”
Seeing Tae-yi hesitate, Chief Yoon quickly added the offer. Tae-yi didn’t have the courage to say he wanted to go too, so for now, he just nodded in agreement.
As he reached for the documents again, a thought suddenly occurred to him, and he looked directly at Chief Yoon seated across from him.
“Stay with Haram at the countryside house for two days.”
“Huh? Why the countryside…?”
“It’s almost time for my rut cycle.”
Tae-yi answered calmly, eyes back on the papers.
“You’ve got a business trip next week. Are you sure it’s okay? If you try to endure it with suppressants, your condition might crash. You should consider cancelling—”
“If I cancel, I’ll have to start all over again.”
There was no bigger risk than backing out after committing to attend. He couldn’t ruin such a hard-won opportunity by breaking that trust now.
“Just stay with him for two days. Bring all the staff.”
It would be perfect if his rut kicked in during that time, but if not, he could just extend Haram’s stay out there. Haram would probably enjoy it, anyway.
“Should I reschedule the meetings so you can work from home?”
“We don’t know when the rut will start. Just keep the schedule as is.”
Faced with his boss’s utterly composed response, Yoon Min-ho clamped his mouth shut. He hadn’t been chief for long and didn’t know how Kang Tae-yi handled his ruts. As a Dominant Alpha, there was no way it would pass easily, but Tae-yi’s cool demeanor only added to the confusion.
“What about Da Haram?”
“He hasn’t left the property. Seems like he’s just been in the garden.”
Chief Yoon smiled awkwardly, seeing the faint smile on Tae-yi’s face. Even after bloody fistfights, the moment someone mentioned Haram, that man would break into a grin.
Judging by how Tae-yi had just set down the documents and picked up his phone, he was probably texting Haram. Knowing there was no chance of getting any more work talk in, Chief Yoon quietly got up.
“…I’ll leave you to it, then.”
***
In the wide garden where manicured landscaping met towering pines, high-pitched chirps echoed nonstop. Haram hardly ever made such noises, maybe once or twice a year—but lately, even when alone, he couldn’t stop chattering.
He had definitely changed. Before, he would’ve kept everything bottled up. Now, even on the most uneventful days, there was someone who asked him about every little thing, and maybe that’s why.
Rubbing the corners of his mouth with a paw to flatten his ever-curved lips, Haram busied himself again, hopping across the mat to sort peanuts.
“Chya, chyaek.”
These’ll be for roasting.
These, I’ll give to Tae-yi and the others. And these, I’ll eat!
Scampering among the sea of peanuts, Haram hugged a fat pod to his chest and tossed it into the stainless steel bowl he’d set next to the mat.
“Chii, chyaek!”
These are for seed!
Grinning at the Post-it note stuck on the bowl that read For Seeds!, Haram resumed his work. He’d even picked out next year’s seed stock with care, and the excitement bubbled over—he started jumping all around the mat.
He was glad he’d asked Tae-yi this morning. Tae-yi had said Haram could take all the peanuts, but getting explicit confirmation, one by one, felt much more reassuring.
After a while of running around, Haram spotted a pile of rotten and empty pods and let out a deep sigh. Even when washing off the dirt, he’d noticed there were quite a few bad ones. It couldn’t be helped—he’d ripped seedlings from a thriving farm, crammed them into his own field, and left them unattended for a while.
Plopping down on the mat, Haram gathered a handful of peanuts into his arms and murmured softly.
“Chiiik.”
Poor things.
They’d suffered hardships they never should have. Just like him.
Looking at the pods in his arms with pity, he tossed them into a basket marked with a Post-it reading For Today’s Meal!. They were too small to be used as seeds.
While picking out the best ones, Haram mentally ran through the recipe for tonight’s braised peanuts. But just then, a presence behind him made him flinch.
“……Chyaek.”
…It’s here.
The Sky Squirrel turned with a grim expression, locking eyes with a sparrow that had already claimed a corner of the mat. Looked like the one from a few days ago. Back then, it had only sniffed the damp peanuts and left—but now that they were fully dried, it had returned. Guess he should have taught it a lesson then.
Tap—tap—
The bird pecked at a shell with its tiny beak. The noise set Haram’s nerves on edge. With the look of someone facing a mortal enemy, he darted forward at lightning speed.
“Chiiiiik!”
Get lost!
He raised his arms high and spread his patagium. Startled by the sheer size difference, the sparrow immediately flew off.
“Chii, chiiik!”
These are mine!
He pointed and shouted at the sparrow perched just a few branches away. Still glaring at the bird, Haram stayed alert—only to sense another presence behind him. He whipped around.
“……!”
Two more sparrows had appeared and were hopping around on the mat.
“Chya, chyaek?”
Oh, you wanna go?
Do city sparrows not respect country squirrels?
He was clearly standing guard, the rightful owner of the peanuts, and they dared to steal? Unbelievable.
“Chik!”
Rolling up his metaphorical sleeves, Haram charged and flung open his patagium. Sparrow cries rang from all directions. As soon as he chased one off, two more came back. Swinging his tiny fists like mad, he ran all over the mat.
***
Meanwhile, one of Tae-yi’s subordinates—who had been patrolling outside the mansion—paused to answer his phone after receiving a call from his boss.
“Yes, Director. I’ve just entered the living room.”
—He’s probably in the garden. Go check.
From the low tone of voice, the subordinate could guess his superior’s mood. He hurried toward the garden.
“Huh…?”
Chirp-chirp-chirp—!
The moment he stepped outside, a deafening chorus of chirps hit him. It was impossible to tell whether it was the Sky Squirrel or the sparrows. The chaotic noise left him blinking blankly. He seemed almost spellbound by the bizarre scene in front of him.
—Say something useful.
“Ah, um… I think he’s playing?”
—You think? With who?
Annoyed by his subordinate’s dazed mumbling, Tae-yi pressed him.
“There are sparrows. Four—no, five. He’s playing with five sparrows in the garden.”
Reporting exactly what he saw, the subordinate fell silent as the other end of the call did too. He glanced down at his phone.
The call was still connected.
“D-Director?”
—…Put him on.
“Now? But he’s kinda…”
He was having such a good time, it felt wrong to interrupt.
But the next moment, Tae-yi’s voice came like a whip, and the subordinate bolted over, dropped to his knees beside the mat, and held out the phone to the Sky Squirrel who stood tall with both arms raised.
