“What are you doing?”
For a brief moment, the expression on Tae-yi’s face, which had been tired, flashed with confusion.
“Ch-chik!”
Haram, who had been waving both hands wildly in the air toward Yoon Ji-seok, immediately stopped his actions upon hearing Tae-yi’s voice. He lowered his eyes with a look of sorrow. Seeing his drooping shoulders and downturned eyes, Yoon Ji-seok let out a sigh, as if exasperated, and glared at the Sky Squirrel with disapproval.
“Such a little thing with such a temper. What’s with that look? Is this because Kang Tae-yi came?”
With both a temper and a boldness to match. The longer Haram spent with Tae-yi, the more it became clear that Haram’s personality was completely different from what had been relayed to him.
“Haram.”
At Tae-yi’s soft voice, Haram trudged across the table and climbed onto his palm, immediately flopping down. Tae-yi, who had been looking at the motionless Sky Squirrel on his palm with concern, shot a sharp look at Yoon Ji-seok, who was lazily half-lying on the chair. He hadn’t answered his phone, and now, it seemed like the 21-year-old squirrel was on the same level as Yoon Ji-seok.
“What exactly did he do?”
As Tae-yi gently stroked Haram’s soft fur, he asked, and in response, Haram’s tiny shoulders trembled as if expressing sadness. Yoon Ji-seok, with an expression of mock indignation, answered.
“Oh, I didn’t say anything. But didn’t you see? He swung a fist at me! It’s like a wild animal.”
The one throwing the punches was Haram, yet it was Yoon Ji-seok who was getting all the blame. Since he had started taking the suppressants, he had been treated like less than human, but now, even a squirrel was looking down on him. It was humiliating.
“I’m going back now.”
Yoon Min-ho, who had been listening to Yoon Ji-seok complain, stood up and, after calming down Haram, spoke to Tae-yi before heading swiftly toward the front door.
Haram, who had been watching Yoon Ji-seok being dragged away with a sideways glance, sat up as soon as he heard the sound of the door closing.
The moment the door clicked shut, Haram immediately transformed back into his human form and threw himself into Tae-yi’s arms. The gloomy expression disappeared, and he rubbed his forehead against the shirt Tae-yi was wearing, his silvery-gray tail swishing gently. Tae-yi, who had been quietly watching the tail that seemed to be flirting, reached out and softly patted his slender back, carefully avoiding the bruises.
“Did Yoon Ji-seok bully you?”
Haram, still holding onto Tae-yi, raised his head slightly to look at him. He shook his head, but his voice was cautious.
“…Where did you go?”
Tae-yi seemed to be dressed for work, which suggested he had gone to the office. However, after hearing from Yoon Ji-seok that Tae-yi hadn’t been to the office, Haram still didn’t know where he had gone.
“I had something to do. Put your clothes on.”
Tae-yi answered briefly, not offering further explanation. After giving Haram’s cheek a gentle caress, he headed toward the dressing room.
Haram, slightly startled by Tae-yi’s response, covered his lower half with his tail before transforming back into his animal form.
“Why are you a squirrel again?”
“Ch-chik….”
Haram, with an indifferent shake of his head, trudged slowly toward the bed. Whining, he grabbed the blanket, crawled onto the bed, and flopped down. It felt like a secret that only he didn’t know. Everyone knew where Tae-yi had gone, but he hadn’t been told. It seemed Tae-yi wasn’t planning to tell him.
“Come back to your human form. I need to check your bruise.”
Haram, who had transformed back into his squirrel form, lay flat in the middle of the bed, unmoving. Tae-yi, who had brought over the clothes, tapped his finger gently on Haram’s shoulder. After a long silence, Haram finally made a small sound.
“Chik, ch-chik?”
Are you going out again tomorrow?
When they had bathed together the previous night, he had assumed they would spend the day together, just the two of them. He had imagined holding onto Tae-yi all day, just resting and being close, but when he woke up, the spot beside him was empty, and only the half-conscious man was there waiting for him.
“Chik.”
…I’m upset.
He knew it sounded like childish whining, but it was still a genuine feeling of upset. He had escaped all the hardships to be with him, only to find that Tae-yi seemed to prioritize his work. Haram tried to understand, but unlike Tae-yi, who had experienced society, he had never even gone outside, so he couldn’t relate.
Seeing the pouty expression on Haram’s face, Tae-yi smiled faintly as he lay next to him and whispered gently.
“I promise I won’t go out tomorrow. I’ll be right here by your side.”
“Chik, ch-chik…”
I don’t believe you…
“It’s a promise.”
Even though he knew that trusting Tae-yi might make him look foolish, Haram no longer cared. After all, there was no more to be taken from him. As he watched Haram quickly change back into his human form, Tae-yi smiled faintly before picking up the medication from the table. It was medicine that would help the bruises heal faster.
“Lie down.”
Haram’s back, which was so thin that his shoulder blades stood out, bore the dark blue bruise that Tae-yi had been trying to avoid. Sighing deeply, Tae-yi began to apply the medicine carefully. With each brush of his fingers, the pain was replaced with a slight itching sensation. Haram squirmed, trying to hold back from scratching, but when Tae-yi said he was done, he slowly sat up.
Still in his underwear, he looked over at Tae-yi, but Tae-yi didn’t glance back. Something felt off. He wasn’t ignoring him, nor was he avoiding contact, but it was strange. Tae-yi had been concerned for him, but the frequency of their skinship was noticeably lower, something Haram hadn’t noticed before. Why was Tae-yi acting like this?
After silently applying the medicine and taking care of a few things, Tae-yi finally handed Haram a t-shirt when the ointment had dried. Haram, who had inadvertently grabbed the shirt, looked up at him, but received no further attention.
Even though it was evening, Haram still wasn’t ready to sleep. Before he could say anything, Tae-yi turned off the light. With a soft click, the room was engulfed in darkness.
Knowing that he was too tired to speak and too worn out to argue, Haram quietly laid down. As soon as he did, he reached out for Tae-yi, pulling him close. As always, Tae-yi carefully patted his back, avoiding the bruises. After a moment, Haram hesitated, then whispered softly.
“Should we kiss?”
Although his voice was small and shy, they were so close that Tae-yi had to have heard him. Yet, there was no answer, which made Haram’s face flush with embarrassment. Had he already fallen asleep? Without answering, Tae-yi kissed the back of his head.
Confused and embarrassed, Haram didn’t understand why Tae-yi had kissed the back of his head instead of answering him. His self-esteem made him hesitate to speak up again. Swallowing his feelings, Haram eventually closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
***
Deep in the night.
The sound of the door opening gently woke Haram. He stared at the empty spot beside him before quickly transforming into his animal form. Leaping from the bed, he slipped through the slightly open door, silently sneaking out into the hallway.
Haram, keeping his distance from Tae-yi’s study, crouched low, listening intently at the door. The muffled voices inside made it hard to hear clearly.
“Secretary… when… Father…?”
What was that about? Despite pressing his ear to the door, he could only catch fragments of words. It seemed like Tae-yi wasn’t alone in the study.
“Chik…”
Yoon Ji-seok’s voice came through as well. Once again, it seemed like he had been left out of something, like a child excluded from an adults-only meeting. His shoulders slumped as he trudged down the hallway.
“Chik…”
At least he kept his promise…
The promise not to leave hadn’t been broken, so that was enough for now. Returning to his room, Haram lay down exhausted, crawling onto the bed, and fell into a restless sleep.
***
Later that night.
“It seems like Kang Tae-jin has just arrived in Seoul. He didn’t go to the hospital where Chairman Kang is, so it seems like he’s planning to hide for now.”
Yoon Min-ho, who had brought the news about Kang Tae-jin, observed Tae-yi, who was staring blankly out the window.
“If Chairman Kang passes away, only Kang Tae-jin benefits. It only makes things more complicated for you, Tae-yi. You need to act now if you want to follow through with the plan I told you about.”
As if they were brothers, their words mirrored each other perfectly.
Tae-yi let out a sigh, his gaze fixed on the dimly lit garden below. In one corner of the garden, he noticed the withered tomato seedling he had forgotten to tend to. He hadn’t even managed to keep the little plant alive, and now he had no face to show Haram.
