More than anything, Kang Tae-jin was a man drunk on the superiority that came with being an Alpha. Even now, the storage shed where Da Haram was being held was far removed from the main villa.
If he really didn’t trust others and was so anxious, he could’ve just kept Haram inside the villa and monitored him there. But this setup came entirely from Kang Tae-jin’s refusal to share space with what he called a “rat” like Haram. The only downside was that it made things more inconvenient—for himself.
Secretary Kim, who had been silently watching Tae-jin guzzle down an entire bottle of wine, gave a polite bow and quietly left the room.
***
Was this the countryside? Or a city?
Haram tried to deduce where he might be. In movies or dramas, whenever the protagonist was kidnapped, they were always tied up in some remote warehouse or abandoned factory. A few such scenes came to mind. He was stuck in a cage instead of tied up, but it felt similar.
Judging by the complete absence of passing cars or distant chatter, it did seem like a remote area.
“Jjit, jjik.”
Anywhere would do, as long as it wasn’t an open field. If there was a tree outside the vent, that would be perfect. Even a utility pole would do. He was willing to take that much risk for a shot at escape.
I’ll get out of the cage, humanize, tear out the ventilation fan, and slip through in my Sky Squirrel form.
No matter how much he thought about it, that was the only plan. It felt flimsy, sure, but the more he imagined it in his head, the more it seemed… doable.
Crunch, crunch—
Chewing almonds like he was enjoying a last supper, Haram stared at the half-finished pile. If he ate more, he might get sluggish and slow his escape. But if he left them, who knew when he’d get to eat again? It was a tough call.
Finally, holding almond pieces in both hands, he set the rest down on the floor and started climbing the cage. He slipped his head through the bars and eased his body out like flowing water. He seemed to be getting the hang of it now.
Gently lowering himself to the floor, Haram immediately de-transformed into his human form and crouched low. He rose slowly to his feet, heels lifted off the ground, and tiptoed toward the wall where the ventilation fan was. Looking up at the dust-caked, cobweb-covered vent, he swallowed hard. As much as he didn’t want to touch it, the bigger problem was that it looked sturdier than expected.
Can I pull it off?
It was old and unused, sure, but up close, it didn’t look like it would pop off so easily. Maybe the plan really was half-baked. Unable to stamp his foot for fear of making noise, Haram chewed anxiously on his lower lip before climbing onto a pile of junk boxes with his knees. There was no going back to the cage now.
As the boxes creaked and crumpled slightly, Haram sucked in a breath and reached out to the vent. Grabbing one of the blades, now so dusty he couldn’t even guess its original color, he began yanking with all his might. Rather than removing the whole unit, it seemed more plausible to just snap the blade and slip through in Beastfolk form. Clenching his teeth, he pressed down hard with his thumbs to snap it off.
Thunk, thunk—
The sound of footsteps on stairs echoed faintly from afar. He couldn’t be sure about people going down, but footsteps coming up only meant one thing.
Ears twitching between his silver strands, Haram stiffened as the unmistakable sound of someone approaching reached him. No time to worry about making noise now—he had to act.
“Agh…!”
With a sharp snap, the blade broke off—and Haram nearly lost his balance. He could hear multiple footsteps rushing up toward him.
Why?! The noise hadn’t been that loud. Had there been a CCTV camera in the warehouse?
Panicked, Haram threw the broken blade aside and instantly shifted to his animal form. In his Sky Squirrel body, he squeezed through the broken gap in the fan and peered out through the grill at the darkness outside. How long had it been since he’d last smelled the night air?
“Jjit!”
Jamming his head through the slats, Haram squirmed and kicked, trying to push his whole body through.
Then—slam! The door burst open.
Startled, Haram sucked in a huge breath and yanked the rest of his body out through the grill.
“Jjiiik!”
Without even a second to survey his surroundings, he flung himself into the air, spreading his patagium wide as he sliced through the cool night wind. His heart thundered in his chest with every beat. It always pounded like this whenever he pulled something reckless.
After gliding for as long as he could, Haram landed on a tree branch and immediately began scrambling upward. Reaching the highest branch, he launched himself once more into the air. Adrenaline surged through him, causing his silvery-gray fur to bristle all over.
Just as he thought—this wasn’t a city. The trees were dense, making it clear the building had been nestled deep in the mountains.
Haram kept flying nonstop, dodging through branches until he finally tucked himself behind a leafy bough and panted softly. As much as he wanted to breathe heavily and calm himself down, he couldn’t relax just yet. He hadn’t gotten far enough.
Cautiously scanning his surroundings, he swallowed dryly.
But I escaped!
He nearly squeaked out loud, barely managing to cover his mouth with his paw. The joy of a successful escape was overwhelming. In all his life, this was definitely one of the most reckless things he’d ever done.
Actually, he didn’t even need five fingers to count them—just two. Running away from Tae-yi, and now fleeing from Kang Tae-jin. That was it.
Somehow, he’d ended up escaping from both brothers. What a cruel twist of fate for a Sky Squirrel caught in the middle of a sibling feud.
Inhaling the fresh scent of grass and earth instead of musty mold and stale dust, Haram crept to the edge of the branch. He needed a hiding place. Maybe a hollow in a tree, or if he found a road, he’d follow it.
Fweee—
Slicing through the wind, he searched for shelter and spotted a tree hollow just the right size. The entrance was small and inconspicuous, but the inside was spacious enough to hide his entire body.
“Jjik…!”
Letting out an involuntary squeak of joy at finding a safe spot on the first try, Haram quickly covered his mouth. Too late. The sound had already escaped.
Still holding his mouth shut with his front paw, he scooted to the back of the hollow and sat down. Just a short rest—then he’d move again.
There was another Sky Squirrel Beastfolk on their side. If that man came flying after him, he’d be in serious trouble. Even in human form, that guy was massive. In Beastfolk form, he was bound to be even bigger than Haram. Not only did Haram lack the strength to win in a fight, but he’d never fought anyone before. Hiding was the only option.
Pulling his silvery tail into his arms, Haram stared intently at the hollow’s entrance. At the first hint of movement, he planned to bolt.
Where exactly am I? He had fled so frantically, he hadn’t even gotten a good look at the building’s surroundings. Was there a road?
Pondering deeply, Haram eventually sighed when he couldn’t recall anything.
If I find a road or a village, should I humanize?
Maybe someone would report a naked Beastfolk with a tail standing in the middle of the road. It could end up being the most humiliating moment of his life.
No, what if Kang Tae-jin’s men spot me first? If they caught him, he’d be dragged back and beaten all over. Just the thought made his whole body ache. Absentmindedly stroking his tail, Haram clenched his jaw as thoughts of Tae-yi surfaced.
Whether his ass was blistered or his fever had hit 104°F, he should’ve just gone with him on that damn business trip. He didn’t want to blame Tae-yi for the kidnapping—this was Kang Tae-jin’s doing. Tae-yi didn’t belong in the category of people to resent.
He’d never wanted to be treated like a child just because he was younger than Tae-yi—but now, all he wanted was to be babied by him. Once he got back, he wasn’t leaving Tae-yi’s house for a while.
And he was going to whine until Tae-yi agreed to skip work for a day and stay in with him. That much selfishness felt justifiable. He’d hold onto him all day, rolling around in a fluffy bed, eating hot food, and strolling through quiet streets.
As Haram gently played with the soft fur of his tail, imagining that peaceful life, tears suddenly welled up and threatened to spill. But he couldn’t cry—not after making it this far. Gritting his teeth, he forced the tears back and jumped to his feet.
He scrambled up the tree once more, reaching the highest branch, and twitched his little nose. All he could smell was fresh greenery and soil. No signs of people nearby. Maybe it was just too late at night?
After a long pause, debating which direction to go, Haram picked a side—and leapt.
