“Why are you so worried?”
Yoon Ji-seok, who had approached Tae-yi, asked in a somewhat agitated tone, unable to take his eyes off the seedlings.
“If anything goes wrong, the damage will be bigger on our side.”
“Are you already thinking about what could go wrong?”
“We have to consider the worst-case scenario.”
If this situation goes wrong, he couldn’t predict what would happen either. What about Haram? Who would protect Haram?
How long would they continue to fight over the succession position? More than that, whenever he looked at Haram, he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. He feared that because of the things he was involved in, Haram might get hurt or face terrifying consequences.
It wasn’t until the early hours of the morning that Kang Tae-yi returned to the room, momentarily pausing as he entered.
“…Haram?”
Why the heck was Haram sleeping with his butt sticking out?
If he had pulled the blanket up and hugged it, that would have been one thing, but there was no reason for him to sleep with his clothes off while muttering in his sleep. Tae-yi, who had been staring at Haram’s prominent butt and drooping silver tail, sighed softly and began picking up the clothes scattered on the floor.
“Mm…”
Tae-yi had tried to put underwear on Haram, but because the Sky Squirrel had squirmed and burrowed deeper into the blanket, he eventually gave up. As he stared at Haram’s enticing butt, half-covered by the blanket, Tae-yi absentmindedly ran his hand through his hair, wiping away any remnants of guilt that had been there just moments before. His body was instinctively reacting to the sight. Ignoring the stiffness in his lower body, he pulled the blanket over Haram’s smooth back and carefully covered his buttocks before cautiously lying next to him.
***
“There’s still nothing…”
Haram’s voice, barely audible, echoed through the empty room as he groggily sat up, pouting. The emptiness of the spot beside him felt even more pronounced when he noticed his own disheveled state.
Did he leave first because I look like this?
But considering everything he had seen from Tae-yi up until now, that didn’t seem likely. Tae-yi was the type of man who indulged in perverse actions that Haram could never imagine. He must have enjoyed seeing Haram naked. At least, he was the kind of person who would have spent the night playing with Haram—biting his butt or teasing his nipples. Yet, seeing the empty spot beside him, it seemed like Tae-yi was avoiding him after all.
Despite the sunny weather outside, Haram felt like a drenched Sky Squirrel, both his body and heart weighed down. He sighed deeply and quietly stared at the closed door.
They had spent the night together, and when apart, they both longed for each other. But now, it felt as if Tae-yi had put up a thick wall between them. It seemed like it was time for a serious conversation to clarify their relationship. They had been apart for so long that they hadn’t had the chance to talk things through properly.
Then again, in the past few days, they had been too busy engaging in intimate acts, with no real conversations taking place. After that, Tae-yi had gone on a business trip, and in the meantime, Haram had been kidnapped. It had been a time filled with physical closeness, but not a single proper conversation had taken place. If they could just sit down and talk, Haram felt like he could finally understand why Tae-yi was avoiding him and what exactly was going on.
He could make an educated guess about the reason. It was clear that Tae-yi was caught up in something involving Kang Tae-jin, but as an outsider to the family, it felt inappropriate for Haram to pry. Still, he had been involved in the Kang brothers’ conflict more than once, so he couldn’t entirely dismiss his involvement.
At least, if he could know what Yoon Ji-seok knew, that would be something. Haram realized with a blush that he was jealous of the bond between Yoon Ji-seok and Tae-yi. How foolish was he to act like a child, trying to insert himself between them?
“Hah…”
With a heavy sigh, Haram stood up and walked toward the dressing room.
***
After getting dressed, Haram made his way downstairs to the first floor. As he glanced around the cold living room, he spotted Tae-yi standing in the garden and a bright smile spread across his face. It was a relief that Tae-yi hadn’t gone to work, and he had kept his promise to stay home. The thought made Haram smile uncontrollably.
“What are you doing?”
Haram, who had come outside to the garden, asked while gently tapping Tae-yi’s back, trying to hide the smile.
“You’re up early.”
Tae-yi, who had lightly brushed the flushed cheek of Haram, glanced down at the tomato seedling he had been watching all morning.
“The seedling is dead. It seems like no amount of nutrients will help.”
“Ah…”
Haram had completely forgotten about the cherry tomato plant. Of course, it had originally been Tae-yi’s responsibility. Apart from the day they bought the seedling, Haram hadn’t given them any water. But what was all this?
“T-Tae-yi… just doing this won’t bring them back to life.”
Haram stammered as he looked at the pile of nutrient sticks sticking out around the wilted seedling. There were at least ten of them, and the stem, once long and straight, were now all withered. Tae-yi seemed to think that giving them nutrients would be enough to revive them.
He hadn’t imagined Tae-yi, a rather scattered man, standing there seriously, looking at the dead tomato seedling. It was almost too much to hold in his laughter.
As Haram stifled a laugh, Tae-yi, who had been staring at him with a serious expression, touched his lips and apologized.
“I’m sorry. I should have taken better care of it.”
Haram, noticing the subtle change in Tae-yi’s demeanor during their time apart, was taken aback. His apology for something so trivial felt so different from the Tae-yi he knew, to the point that it almost seemed unfamiliar.
“It’s okay. You were busy. No need to apologize.”
Haram, with a calm voice, reassured Tae-yi before gently taking his wrist and leading him inside. Haram was eager to have the conversation they had been avoiding for so long. Tae-yi, who had quietly followed, seemed to tense up a bit at Haram’s excited demeanor, swallowing a dry lump in his throat.
They sat side by side on the couch, the silence stretching out between them. After a while, Haram glanced at him and asked the question that had been on his mind.
“Is there something going on lately?”
“Nothing’s going on.”
Another lie. The response came without a moment’s hesitation, and Haram bit his lip to keep from getting angry. It didn’t make sense for nothing to be going on. Shouldn’t he at least show some hesitation about whether to tell him or not?
“Do you still think it’s your fault that I got kidnapped? Is that why you’re avoiding me?”
Haram spoke firmly, without stuttering or breaking down. Tae-yi was surprised at how calm he sounded. He had expected Haram to be flustered, but instead, he remained completely composed.
“I just… want to be with you…”
Haram, nervously fiddling with his tracksuit pants, gripped them tightly. His simple wish, which he couldn’t even voice aloud, kept swirling in his mind. He didn’t need to think about it—it was clear that he wanted to spend time with Tae-yi. He missed the simple days when they sat at a small table, eating together, laughing, and chatting while pulling weeds in the peanut field. But now, in the present moment, those things seemed impossible.
All he wanted was a life without interference, away from the complicated issues, a life full of small, ordinary moments. But he couldn’t help but feel like a distant, insurmountable wall had formed between them. Their worlds were so different. Reflecting on it now, even if Tae-yi explained everything in detail about the current situation, Haram doubted he would truly understand it.
“Da Haram.”
Tae-yi, who had been quietly watching Haram’s slumped shoulders and drooping silvery-gray tail, finally spoke.
“Your passport’s ready.”
“Huh? Oh… that’s right.”
Haram, caught off guard by the sudden mention of his passport, nodded slowly. He hadn’t even remembered getting his passport photo taken—it had been a while. He had made it to accompany Tae-yi on a business trip, so the passport had been ready for a long time.
But why was Tae-yi suddenly bringing it up now? Haram looked at him curiously, unsure of what he meant. Then Tae-yi gently cupped Haram’s cheek and spoke in a low voice.
“Do you want to go overseas for a while? I’ll come get you once everything’s settled.”
