“… Da Haram.”
A low, locked voice echoed through the office. There were no further words. Yoon Ji-seok and Yoon Min-ho began to glance at Tae-yi for a reaction.
“Hey, if Da Haram were dead or close to dying, Secretary Kim would have risked his life to escape. He wouldn’t have bothered contacting you to stick around.”
At Yoon Ji-seok’s words, Yoon Min-ho vigorously nodded and looked closely at Tae-yi’s expression. His cold, expressionless face had long since lost its vitality. It looked even more gaunt than his father, who was lying in a hospital bed. Ever since Da Haram was kidnapped, Tae-yi probably hadn’t eaten or slept properly. Swallowing a sigh, Yoon Min-ho placed his phone on the table and spoke.
“There will definitely be another contact with Secretary Kim. He’s afraid of Director Kang’s retaliation, so if we calm him down and get him talking, it should work.”
Tracking the phone was pointless. The number that called had already been disconnected, and whoever it was had a sharper mind than Kang Tae-jin. In this life-or-death situation, they wouldn’t make any mistakes.
“After that, all we need is this.”
Yoon Min-ho proudly pulled out a small white packet filled with powder and placed it beside his phone.
“Let’s have Secretary Kim feed this to Kang Tae-jin. Then we lock him in a cell or a mental hospital. If we can’t kill him, at least we can do that.”
“Why would Kang Tae-jin take this in his current situation? Do you really think he’d take it?” Yoon Ji-seok looked at the packet with disdain. Yoon Min-ho, clearly repulsed by the idea, flicked the packet away with a finger as if it were dirty.
“He’ll probably do something insane. If we leave him to it, there won’t even be a need to report it. Let him get himself caught, and you just make sure he can’t escape.”
Yoon Ji-seok continued, glancing at Kang Tae-yi.
“We need to find Da Haram first and move him somewhere safe.”
Tae-yi, who had been staring blankly at the phone on the table, finally opened his tightly shut mouth.
“… When I was on the phone with Secretary Kim, I think I heard the sound of waves.”
Yoon Min-ho furrowed his brows, retracing his memory.
“He must be at some seaside resort or something. This country is surrounded by the ocean, so we’ll be able to find him after a few months of searching.”
Stuffing the powder packet into his pocket, Yoon Ji-seok grumbled in a curt voice.
Suddenly, Tae-yi stood up, grabbing his jacket.
“Hey, where are you going?”
With no answer, Tae-yi hurriedly left the office, and Yoon Ji-seok, flustered, grabbed his phone and rushed after him. There was definitely a place where Kang Tae-jin would be, and they had to figure it out.
***
“Chii, chiiik…”
Haram was regretting not asking the Sky Squirrel Beastfolk for his name earlier. After thinking about it carefully, the man seemed to know the area well. He had mentioned being wary of outsiders and had suggested asking for help at a fishing supply store, which seemed odd unless he had some connection with it. If only he had used the man’s name to ask for help, it would have been easier. But now it was too late, and he couldn’t help but feel regret.
Standing awkwardly in front of the tiny fishing store, Haram steeled himself and dashed through the half-open door.
“Chii, chikk!”
Hello!
As soon as he entered, Haram bowed his head eagerly. When he didn’t sense anyone’s gaze, he slowly raised his head. The empty store welcomed him, and upon entering, he could tell it wasn’t in business. The shelves were nearly empty, and dust covered the floor, suggesting it hadn’t been cleaned in a long time.
“… Chikk?”
Completely flustered, Haram looked around, unsure of what to do. At that moment, he heard a loud noise coming from behind the counter. It sounded like a television. Cautiously moving toward the source of the noise, he stopped in front of a small room attached to the store and stared at the yellow mat inside.
Though no one was moving, the television was on, indicating there might be someone inside. Haram swallowed nervously and carefully stood at the threshold of the room, peering inside. He could see the back of an elderly man’s head, his hair completely white.
The old man hadn’t noticed Haram entering, still fixated on the loud television. Haram hesitated for a moment but then quickly wiped his dirt-covered hands on his furry belly. His belly would get dirty, but he needed to clean his hands, which would be touching the floor. After shaking his back feet in the air, he stepped onto the yellow mat.
“Chii, chikk!”
Hello!
Haram approached the elderly man and bowed again, but still, there was no sign of anyone noticing him. He cautiously raised his head. The old man was still staring at the aging television. It seemed like he had trouble hearing. Haram, with his hands clasped awkwardly in front of him, tried to think of what to do next. Then, he climbed up onto the shelf next to the television.
“… Chii, chikk!”
… Hello!
This time, he didn’t bow but flapped his arms in the air, trying to get the old man’s attention.
“Chikk…!”
Finally, when their eyes met, Haram was so startled that he jumped back, but then he quickly bowed his head again.
“… Chan-woo?”
The elderly man stared at Haram, eyes wide in surprise, then spoke with a confused look.
Haram, taken aback by the unfamiliar name, awkwardly shook his head and jumped off the shelf. He missed his landing and slid across the yellow mat with a thud.
Groaning as he lay on the floor, Haram quickly bounced back up and looked up at the old man, softly crying out.
“Chii, chiiik.”
I’m Haram.
The old man eyed him carefully before slowly getting up with difficulty. Haram, flustered by the old man’s sudden movement, hesitated and then stood still, stamping his feet in place.
The old man didn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon, so Haram waited nervously, wondering if he was going to report him.
But, to Haram’s relief, the old man soon returned with clothes in hand. Haram blinked in surprise as the old man placed the clothes down in front of him, then went back into the room with his hands behind his back.
“Chikk…”
Haram hesitated, touching the gray T-shirt placed before him. After a moment’s thought, he bit the shirt and dashed to a corner. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into his human form and quickly put on the T-shirt and pants, tucking his silver tail in. Nervously, he stood by the door, waiting. Soon, the old man appeared again.
The gray T-shirt and black pants the old man had given him smelled musty, as if they had been in a closet for a long time, but they were very comfortable.
“Ah, hello… I’m Da Haram.”
It felt like the hundredth time he’d said this. Still, he bowed deeply each time. He glanced at the old man, managing to pull a small smile. Thankfully, the only other person in the house was the elderly man, so it wasn’t too hard for Haram to be at ease. While he was naturally wary of strangers, he was unusually comfortable with older people due to his upbringing.
He pondered how best to introduce himself. He didn’t want to ask for help so abruptly, as it might burden the old man too much. Biting his lower lip in thought, he suddenly glanced up, meeting the old man’s gaze.
“I’m a Sky Squirrel Beastfolk… and… I’m being chased. If you could lend me your phone, Tae-yi will come…”
But what was Tae-yi’s phone number?
His mind went blank, like a white sheet of paper. Had it been from all the hits on his head from the Sky Squirrel Beastfolk he met in the forest? Or had it been from the sleepless night spent running?
Haram tugged at his silver hair, trying to remember. But all he could recall were the first three digits everyone knew.
“The number is, uh, 010…”
He hadn’t bothered memorizing Tae-yi’s number since he only ever used the phone Tae-yi had given him to contact him.
Haram’s pale face turned even whiter, as if he had seen a corpse. The old man, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a flip phone.
“Ah, thank you.”
Haram took the flip phone, which fit neatly in his hand, and bowed gratefully. The old man gave him a long, careful look before turning his back.
***
“Come sit.”
A short while later, the old man entered the room carrying a small food tray. He looked at Haram, who was still standing by the door, and gestured for him to sit.
On the tray was a simple meal: roasted seaweed, seasoned spring onions, and a golden-brown fish. It was a modest spread, but it looked filling.
