Eunho felt wronged. When he woke up, Yi-beom was gone. He checked Yi-beom’s bedroom and study, but there was no trace of him anywhere.
“……Is he mad?”
Rubbing his sleepy eyes as he wandered around the house, Eunho muttered to himself.
“I guess he has every reason to be mad…….”
Didn’t I misunderstand him and think he was trying to kill me? Didn’t I run away to my brother’s studio apartment? And as the grand finale, I even fled to the second floor at night to avoid him.
For a long time, Eunho had stayed on edge, wondering if Yi-beom would come after him. Eventually he fell asleep facedown on the bed—and when he woke up, it was already almost ten.
“What am I supposed to do when I’m scared?”
Eunho let out a sigh.
“Isn’t it natural for a rabbit to be scared of a tiger?”
And on top of that, that… that…… Last night flashed through his mind. His own sobbing cries, Yi-beom’s rough breathing, and the hot… pouring against his back—
“Ugh!”
I must be losing it. Just remembering how he pushed him relentlessly until dawn made his face burn red. So flustered that he didn’t even notice his tail popping out, Eunho smacked his own cheeks.
“G-get it together!”
Just because Ahjussi is a pervert doesn’t mean I can turn into one too!
Mumbling to himself, Eunho walked over to the dining table. When he lifted the lid covering the bowl, he found fried rice—fried rice packed full of carrots.
A yellow note was stuck beside it.
[I’m not mad. I went to work, so eat breakfast and call me.]
As if he’d read his mind, the note made Eunho press his lips tightly together.
“Ahjussi, seriously.”
His nose stung. Feeling like he might tear up, Eunho quickly sat down and began chewing the fried rice.
The addictive carrots spread through his mouth, but all his attention stayed fixed on Yi-beom’s note. Sniff. Cheeks puffed as he chewed, Eunho whispered,
“He might be the sweetest thirty-five-year-old in the world…….”
He didn’t know every thirty-five-year-old out there, but Eunho was convinced.
“E-even among tigers.”
Worried someone might hear him, Eunho hurriedly stuffed another bite of fried rice into his mouth.
***
The world turning upside down didn’t last long; Yi-beom’s business quickly returned to normal.
Whether someone became an animal or an alien didn’t matter to the people inside the casino. What mattered more was whether the marble landed on the number they bet on, whether it was odd or even.
Pushing open the casino doors, Yi-beom slowly looked around. The only difference from before was that the people sitting at the machines each had an extra pair of ears on their heads. Some were already fully animalized, staring at the screens in excitement.
“…….What a sight.”
Clicking his tongue at the casino that had practically turned into an animal kingdom, Yi-beom shook his head.
“Hyung-nim!”
Spotting Yi-beom’s group from afar, Younguk ran over. Dressed in a sharp black suit, he looked like he’d been living comfortably—he’d gained a noticeable amount of weight.
Huff, huff. Arriving in front of Yi-beom, Younguk bowed his head as he caught his breath.
“Wh-what brings you here, hyung-nim?”
“What brings me here?”
Yi-beom calmly nudged him aside with his foot.
“The world flipped over. Figured I should check on the business.”
“You have plenty of other businesses… why come to ours?”
“Why? Don’t like it?”
As Yi-beom’s icy gaze turned toward him, all the color drained from Younguk’s face. He quickly bowed again and rushed to add,
“N-no, of course not. How could I dislike it? You trusted me with this, hyung-nim…….”
Younguk swallowed hard. Having worked as Yi-beom’s right hand for years, he’d been put in charge of several casinos under Yi-beom’s umbrella five years ago when he started a family. It was Yi-beom’s way of telling him to stop doing dangerous work.
It was an unusual case in this world. Because of the nature of their jobs—dealing in grudges and revenge—most people couldn’t afford to build families that would become obvious weaknesses. If not for Yi-beom, Younguk would never have had a rabbit-like child and a wife.
He was always grateful—but that was that, and this was this. Sensing an even more intimidating aura than before, Younguk swallowed again.
“But.”
Yi-beom’s eyes swept over him—from his neck to his forearms to his ankles, all the gold accessories hanging off him gleamed brightly. Seeing jewelry that looked worth several don, Yi-beom’s brow furrowed.
“Looks like you’re living well. Blindingly flashy.”
“Ah, well, hyung-nim.”
Younguk scratched his head, lifting it slightly. A single feather poked up through his hair.
“I turned into a crow.”
“What?”
Not a pig? The insult was clear in Yi-beom’s eyes as Younguk chuckled awkwardly and continued.
“So whenever I see something shiny, I lose my mind—like you can see here…….”
Ever since becoming a Beastman, Younguk had been buying up anything that glittered. Breaking into jewelry shops wasn’t even enough—he’d even tried to take his daughter’s magical princess accessory set at home and got his hair nearly ripped out by his wife for it.
“All kinds of things happened. Honestly, I have to wear at least this much, or else my eyes keep drifting to my daughter’s Juju set.”
“……”
“For a toy, it sparkles like crazy. If it weren’t for my little princess, I’d have one on my arm already…….”
Younguk smacked his lips regretfully.
This lunatic. Did he really try to wear his daughter’s toy jewelry? As Yi-beom’s eyes narrowed, Younguk waved his hands defensively.
“I didn’t wear it! Seriously!”
“You’re making a complete spectacle of yourself.”
“Ah, hyung-nim! I said I didn’t! Look—look!”
He thrust his chubby arm forward, but Yi-beom frowned and slapped it away.
“Ow! My wife already beats me up at home!”
Yi-beom raised his hand as if to smack his head again, then paused midair. By age, Yi-beom was the elder—but when it came to relationships, Younguk, who had built a family, was far more experienced.
He said he got hit, not that they broke up. Thinking of his silent phone that hadn’t rung even after breakfast time had passed, Yi-beom spoke.
“……Your wife is doing well?”
“Of course. My wife’s tough as nails—nothing to worry about.”
“…….Is your wife a crow too?”
“Hee-jin’s a sparrow. Why do you ask?”
Yi-beom’s expression twisted instantly. A crow and a sparrow weren’t even comparable to a tiger and a rabbit. At least they weren’t in a predator-prey relationship.
Without another word, Yi-beom walked toward the office. Seeing his irritation-filled back, Younguk shot a glance at Yi-beom’s secretary, Jinwon.
“Hyung-nim in a bad mood today?”
“Same shitty mood as always.”
“Shit. I thought he was in a good mood since he mentioned his wife.” Younguk’s eyes wavered. What they needed in times like this was a vaccine—something to cure that rabid madness.
“Th-that Jung Eunho guy. That pretty student?”
Whispering quickly with just his mouth, Younguk watched Jinwon shake his head.
“No contact.”
That was the worst possible news. The office door creaked open, and to Younguk it looked like the gates of hell.
Why is he out of contact? Younguk desperately called for Eunho in his mind. And he prayed.
Please, please let him call during the meeting.
***
After finishing breakfast, Eunho collapsed face-down on the sofa. Maybe because he’d gone through so much lately, his whole body felt drained.
When he lifted his head slightly, he could see the terrace connected to the living room. Each time the wind blew, the white chiffon curtains fluttered—just like his heart.
“The weather’s nice…….”
Mumbling to himself, Eunho soon lowered his head again.
“I wanted to wake up and talk to Ahjussi again.”
He’d planned to ask how he could stop being afraid of Ahjussi, and what they should do moving forward. It would probably take a long time to find an answer, but like always, Yi-beom would stay by his side.
Huu… As Eunho lay there limply like laundry hung out to dry, a ringtone rang near his ear.
“Huh!”
Gasping without realizing it, Eunho quickly sat up straight. Pulling his phone from his pocket, the caller’s name flashed across the screen.
The liveliness drained from his face. It wasn’t Yi-beom—it was Chanwoo.
“Why are you calling?”
[Come out. Let’s get coffee.]
Judging by the noisy chatter behind him, Chanwoo sounded like he was already outside somewhere. Feeling tired just hearing it, Eunho shook his head.
“I don’t wanna go out…….”
He couldn’t leave when he didn’t know when Ahjussi might come back. As Eunho answered weakly, the other end of the line grew quiet too.
[Did something happen to you?]
Yes. Too many things.
“No, nothing.”
[Nothing, my ass. You sound half dead.]
Chanwoo, who’d been his friend since high school, could tell Eunho’s condition just by hearing his voice now. Let’s see… After a moment of thinking, he asked carefully.
[Don’t tell me…… did you fight with Ahjussi?]
“We didn’t fight.”
[So you didn’t fight—but things got awkward?]
“……”
[And Ahjussi isn’t there right now?]
Kim Chanwoo knew him too well. Even when Eunho spoke clumsily, Chanwoo understood perfectly. So annoying. Eunho pouted his lips.
[Come out. I’ll buy you something good.]
“Nooo…….”
[Hey, I’ll even listen to your dating problems, so just come out!]
At those words, Eunho’s ears perked up. He didn’t answer, but his round tail popped out too, unable to hide his anticipation.
[Come to the school intersection near you. Got it?]
