“We ran out of minced garlic, so I’m peeling more. I’ll make breakfast right after this.”
Haram lifted a clove of garlic and held it up toward Tae-yi, who was staring at him in a daze.
Could Da Haram and pheromones even belong in the same sentence?
Tae-yi quietly observed Haram’s silvery-gray tail and small ears.
A Beastfolk… an Omega? No matter how he looked at it, that just didn’t make sense.
***
Two sets of spoons and rice bowls now sat naturally on the small dining table. With stir-fried anchovies and almonds, braised peanuts, egg rolls filled with carrots and onions, seaweed roasted twice in perilla oil, and even dongchimi gifted by the old lady from the blue-gated house, there was barely any space left on the table.
“There’s nothing the squirrel can’t do, huh.”
Tae-yi had somehow slipped over beside him, effortlessly lifted the small round table, and carried it off to the living room, leaving a passing compliment behind.
Haram had been about to correct him with sky squirrel, but the smile tugging at his lips after the compliment blocked the words from coming out.
The dishes were simple, yet Tae-yi always ate without leaving a single bite and took care of the dishes and cleanup too. Sure, a few plates had been broken thanks to his clumsy dishwashing, but even when Haram told him to stop with that injured arm, it was no use.
If he hadn’t treated Tae-yi’s arm himself, he might have suspected he’d faked the injury, given how fine he looked.
Before, when Haram ate alone, he often just picked at a few nuts in beast form to get by. But ever since Tae-yi started staying with him, he’d been cooking warm meals every single day. And strangely, not once did he find it bothersome—in fact, it was almost exciting.
Of course, it did feel like he’d gained a little weight… but that was okay. He’d eat well today and go back to morning workouts with Tae-yi starting tomorrow.
Sitting across from Tae-yi, Haram did what he always did—sneak glances every time he took a bite. Tae-yi sometimes wondered if Haram thought he was part of the side dishes.
Haram might have thought he was being subtle, but with Tae-yi’s sharp senses, it wasn’t subtle at all.
Normally, one compliment—“It’s good”—was all it took to make Haram stop sneaking peeks and light up with a bashful smile.
But for some reason, Tae-yi didn’t feel like giving him that satisfaction today. Instead, he silently kept eating.
Then, after eating a bite of egg roll, he tilted his head just slightly.
Haram’s spoon stopped midair.
A moment later, he hurried to stuff a piece of egg roll into his mouth. His pale cheeks puffed out like a squirrel’s as he chewed, clearly focused on figuring out what was wrong.
Tae-yi had to grit his teeth to keep from laughing. Haram’s puffed-up cheeks twitching like a sky squirrel’s were just too much.
The egg roll was, of course, delicious. Tae-yi just felt like teasing him. And maybe… maybe he wanted Haram to eat better.
Haram kept glancing at him, lips twitching like he wanted to say something, but never finding the right moment.
Still not letting up, Tae-yi reached for the stir-fried anchovies next and furrowed his brow ever so slightly.
This time, Haram panicked and scooped a big bite of anchovies into his mouth. With every chew, the almonds mixed in crunched between his teeth.
When he couldn’t figure out what was wrong with that dish either, he muttered quietly,
“But it tastes good…”
His drooping shoulders and tail said everything.
Maybe I teased him too much.
Fighting back a smile, Tae-yi finally spoke in a casual tone:
“Yeah. It’s good.”
As if nothing had happened, Tae-yi resumed eating with perfect composure. Haram, flustered, stared at him.
“Then why…?”
“Why what?”
Tae-yi’s shameless response made Haram blurt out his frustration.
“You were like, tilting your head and scowling just now…!”
Haram tilted his own head and scrunched his brow in exaggerated mimicry, and every time he did, his bright silver hair swayed along with him.
Watching him copy the expression so precisely, Tae-yi finally burst out laughing.
Haram blinked in surprise, his wide eyes fluttering rapidly as Tae-yi continued laughing without a care.
“…Why are you laughing?”
Haram asked, ears perked high.
Instead of answering, Tae-yi picked up a piece of the very egg roll that started all this, popped it in his mouth, and chewed slowly. Then, with a gentle smile, he said something he’d never once told anyone—let alone another guy.
“Because you’re cute.”
Cute?
Haram had heard that word all his life, but it was usually from adults or old folks. Hearing it from a guy his age—he had no idea how to react.
So he just ended up repeating it.
“…Because I’m cute…”
It had been a simple, honest feeling, but it threw Haram completely off.
Tae-yi lightly took Haram’s spoon-holding hand and guided it back to the rice bowl.
“What’s wrong?”
Tae-yi’s casual question, asked so sincerely, helped calm the storm inside Haram. It didn’t feel like the words had any deeper meaning.
“It’s nothing. Eat.”
Even as they cleaned up after breakfast, Haram kept stealing glances at Tae-yi.
Then it hit him—Tae-yi still hadn’t asked to borrow a phone. It had already been two days since he said he’d need one within a week.
Did he forget? Should I bring it up again?
Haram wrestled with it for a while. When a selfish little voice tried to sneak its way into his heart, he let out a deep sigh.
“What’s wrong?”
Tae-yi immediately caught the sound and asked, which only made Haram more flustered.
“It’s just…”
Haram stalled, wiping the sink with a dishcloth in hand.
Tae-yi, organizing the dishes without rushing him, turned his head toward the sound of a car from outside. Haram looked too.
“Sounds like they’re here.”
Letting out another deep sigh, Haram put down the cloth and said,
“I’ll be back. Stay here.”
But as he turned toward the front door, Tae-yi gently grabbed his wrist and said softly:
“If you’re scared, I’ll come with you.”
Just hearing that made Haram feel reassured. Even just looking at Tae-yi gave him strength.
Feeling much calmer, Haram shook his head.
“I’m not scared. Besides, I’m the landowner.”
Tae-yi let go of his wrist at that. He watched as Haram stepped outside, then moved over to the window that looked out over the yard.
***
“Come on, Haram. The man came all the way out to this countryside dump—let’s just sign today, huh?”
The debtor’s overly familiar tone grated on Haram more than usual. Probably because of the stiff, suited man standing behind him with an uncomfortably cold presence.
Haram, head bowed and even curling his toes, replied in a faint whisper.
“I’ve told you again and again—I’m not selling. Please stop coming here… If you come again, I’ll call the police…”
He’d had enough. His voice was trembling, but he’d finally said it.
As the air around them froze, Haram slowly lifted his head.
The debtor just kept glancing nervously at the man in glasses.
The man, on the other hand, looked icy cold.
Haram wanted to slam the gate shut and run back to Tae-yi. He bit his lip, body taut with fear.
Then the man stepped forward and spoke.
“You don’t really have a choice, so why make it difficult?”
“…Why don’t I have a choice?”
“A resort will be built here. Everyone else is selling and cashing out—what, are you planning to squat on your land and hold us hostage?”
It was blatant intimidation.
At the word resort, Haram’s body trembled. He lowered his head even further.
The debtor kept trying to ease the tension with awkward laughter and coaxing, but Haram couldn’t lift his head.
“Once redevelopment starts, you won’t get more than our offer. That’s a fact.”
The suited man delivered his final line.
“We offered a large sum upfront to save time. Please consider it. We’ll return next week.”
That deadline snapped Haram out of his daze. He hurried to shut the gate, but the debtor shoved a document envelope into his arms before he could.
Caught off guard, Haram reflexively held the envelope tight to his chest, then slammed the gate shut and sprinted across the yard, eyes clenched shut.
***
Was it really just a coincidence?
Tae-yi let out a quiet laugh as he stood watching from the window.
He glanced down at the faint scar on his forearm and ran a hand through his hair. His eyes, fixed on the gate, were sharp and calculating.
The way these people operated—it was all too familiar.
He’d thought no way, but the moment he saw the man in glasses confronting Haram, he was sure.
The one behind this resort project… was Kang Tae-jin.
No one else would’ve sent his secretary here.
Dozens of schemes to screw over Kang Tae-jin instantly flooded Tae-yi’s mind. He couldn’t stop smiling.
And for his plan to work, he needed Da Haram.
More specifically—he needed Da Haram’s land.
He could already picture the look on Kang Tae-jin’s face when the property changed hands from Haram to Tae-yi.
Outside the window, Haram clutched the white envelope and slammed the gate shut before running back inside, eyes filled with fear.
Tae-yi stepped quietly into the living room and rushed forward the moment he saw Haram’s tearful, trembling face.
