Haram rubbed his forehead against Tae-yi’s shoulder, his silver-gray tail swaying gently. Seeing that innocent appearance, Tae-yi sighed and reluctantly moved his feet toward the brightly lit kitchen. Haram, clad only in his underwear, was endlessly being affectionate—was this the time to be mixing up food in Dallae-jang instead of eating? Hiding the confusion in his heart, he carefully set Haram down, who was struggling to get off, his feet awkwardly flailing.
“You just need to heat the soup and bulgogi.”
The other side dishes were already set on the table. Haram, eager to feed Tae-yi as quickly as possible, began moving busily. The time spent waiting for the soup to warm felt like torture. He couldn’t even sit still, constantly following Tae-yi around.
Finally, Haram carefully placed the last of the heated miso soup on the long island table, which was modestly filled with dishes. He hesitated before choosing to sit next to Tae-yi rather than across from him, placing the rice bowl beside him.
“Have you ever tried Dallae? I bet you haven’t.”
Tae-yi, who had been quietly gazing at Haram without picking up his spoon, shook his head with a soft laugh, the sound escaping as he smiled. He hadn’t expected to find Dallae in this house’s refrigerator. But after hearing Haram’s words about how delicious Dallae-jang was, it seemed like a good decision to have bought some.
Haram, having mixed the rice with a bit of Dallae soy sauce, placed a portion on a piece of roasted seaweed and carefully brought it to Tae-yi’s lips. However, he wasn’t expecting Tae-yi to feed it to himself. Instead, Tae-yi grabbed Haram’s hand and placed it in his own mouth, who took the food with a slight part of his lips that revealed a soft, pink tongue.
Haram, a little stunned after unknowingly feeding himself, paused for a moment before he started chewing the fragrant Dallae-flavored rice, the pleasant taste spreading through his mouth. It wasn’t as delicious as when he had eaten at the fishing gear shop, but it was still quite tasty.
“You should try it too, it’s really good.”
Haram had initially planned to feed Tae-yi, but since he was busy putting side dishes on his rice, he abandoned that idea. Soon, he started filling his own stomach with the side dishes Tae-yi gave him. In the midst of it all, he kept an eye on what food was going into Tae-yi’s mouth. As expected, Tae-yi seemed to like the meat.
“You really like seaweed.”
While he struggled with the unfamiliar texture of seafood, the sound of Haram happily munching on the crispy seaweed never stopped. Haram, cheeks slightly flushed, nodded subtly with a small smile, the black bits of seaweed sticking to his lips.
“…Why are you smiling?”
Seeing Tae-yi suddenly shake with soft laughter, Haram blinked his large eyes in confusion. That laugh was unmistakable. The kind that came whenever he teased Haram. It seemed like Tae-yi was having a great time alone, which only made Haram more anxious.
“Did you eat well?”
“Why, why are you laughing? Hmm?”
Tae-yi didn’t answer, his smile still lingering. He collected the empty dishes and stood up, and Haram followed suit, his head turning to follow his movements.
“Come here.”
Tae-yi, holding Haram’s hand, gave him a sideways glance, his sharp eyes glinting with a mischievous shine, almost making him burst out laughing again. They passed through the dim living room and headed back to the bedroom.
“Are you working tomorrow?”
Sitting close beside Tae-yi on the bed, Haram pulled his tail carefully around him as he asked quietly.
“I need to go to the office for a bit. I’ll be back before dinner.”
Seeing Haram’s face fall, Tae-yi sighed, a wry smile crossing his face. He gently rubbed his sagging mouth corners before he replied. Haram, who had been nervously watching, finally spoke in a small voice.
“Can’t you tell me too…?”
He wanted to know as much as others did, at least. He wanted to understand and help him in any way he could. His voice was timid, but his eyes sparkled brightly, even in the darkened room illuminated only by a single lamp. Tae-yi hesitated, then sighed heavily before speaking.
“My father has been bedridden for a long time. His condition has been getting worse. But if he passes away now…”
He immediately fell silent, swallowing his words. Even to him, it seemed like an irrational thought. The idea that his father hadn’t made any arrangements yet and that if he passed away, it would complicate things for Kang Tae-jin was something too difficult to say out loud.
It was strange, though—he hadn’t cared about others’ opinions until now. He had even wondered if he should just say it all out loud, but no matter how he thought about it, he wanted to seem nothing but kind and gentle when it came to Haram.
Like himself, Haram hadn’t received the love of his parents, but it was different for him. His parents hadn’t been neglectful, they had just passed away early due to an accident. Unlike Tae-yi, Haram had been raised with the love of his grandmother and the warm affection and attention from the elderly in their small village. He couldn’t truly empathize with something he hadn’t experienced himself.
Tae-yi, gently massaging Haram’s pale hand, spoke in a calm voice.
“I’ll finish this as soon as possible.”
It was a relief that they didn’t need to be apart, but it seemed he still wasn’t ready to explain everything in detail. Haram held back a heavy sigh, glancing up at him before asking carefully.
“…Are you not telling me because you think I’ll treat you differently?”
Today, Haram was unusually perceptive. If he found out about his family situation and what he was planning, it would be a miracle if he still treated him kindly. The thought of him suddenly flying away one day was something Tae-yi could never bear. Without a word, Tae-yi pressed his lips gently against Haram’s round nose, and Haram’s tension seemed to melt away, causing him to start chattering away once more.
“I don’t think it’s strange, whatever you do. I don’t think it’s bad either… to me, you’re just the same.”
Other than the new discovery that Tae-yi had a perverse side, he hadn’t changed at all since the first time they met. He was always kind to him, treating him as if he were something precious.
Just like how Haram was a farmer growing peanuts to survive, Tae-yi was just working to survive in the world he belonged to. Of course, there were moments when things outside his understanding left him flustered, but now he just wanted to accept the fact that these things were normal and familiar to him. That way, he could stay by his side.
A heavy silence fell in the room. Haram, now quiet, watched Tae-yi, who was gazing at him, and struggled to break the silence.
“Da Haram.”
“Hmm?”
After a long pause, Tae-yi gently stroked Haram’s cheek. The sound of his own heart beating loudly in his ears filled the quiet room. As Haram waited with a tense expression for Tae-yi’s next words, a loud clatter from the stairs interrupted them. Haram’s squirrel-like ears perked up, and Tae-yi turned his head in response.
“Hey! Why aren’t you answering your phone?”
Yoon Ji-seok, who had fled the house earlier to avoid the overwhelming pheromones, burst into the room and switched on the light, yelling. His sharp voice made Haram’s sky-squirrel ears twitch. The sudden brightness of the room made Haram squint as he looked at both Yoon Ji-seok and Tae-yi.
“What’s going on?”
“I got a call from Secretary Kim,” Yoon Ji-seok said, stepping aside to let in Yoon Min-ho, dressed casually, who followed him into the room. The mention of Secretary Kim could only mean Kang Tae-jin’s secretary—the same man who had threatened Haram to sell the peanut fields earlier… Why was he involved now?
“Ah… so it’s about…”
Yoon Min-ho’s attempt to explain faltered when he noticed Haram sitting so close to Tae-yi, his eyes widening, and his mouth snapping shut. The look on Haram’s face grew gloomy, and he nervously grabbed at his shirt, glancing up at Tae-yi. It was probably best he step aside. As much as he wanted to crawl into the blankets and eavesdrop, he knew it would look ridiculous. He sighed deeply and started to rise, but then Tae-yi wrapped his arm around his waist.
“Sit still. You’re not even wearing pants, where do you think you’re going?”
“Ah…”
Seeing Tae-yi pull the blanket over him, Haram mouthed a small thank-you, realizing he was allowed to stay. It seemed like he was being included in the conversation. Yoon Min-ho, seeing Tae-yi’s actions, finally spoke up.
“I just got a call from Secretary Kim. He said he’s under suspicion, so he can’t leave his post.”
“Kang Tae-jin must have gotten paranoid again.”
Yoon Ji-seok, stretching his neck against the wall, added, “Where is Kang Tae-jin now?”
“He didn’t give many details, but it seems like he’s outside of Seoul. Secretary Kim says it’s difficult to approach him.”
“Locked up in his room, probably scheming. Or maybe he’s holding some kind of ritual to hurry up his father’s death. Before he tries anything else, we need to act first.”
Haram, wrapped tightly in the blanket, held his breath as the conversation grew more serious. Kang Tae-jin… wasn’t that his brother? Why was there talk of rituals to kill his father? It was another strange thing that didn’t fit into Haram’s understanding.
