* * *
Creak.
“Saewoo, this jujube tea isn’t even bitter, and it’s seriously delicious! Huh? Saewoo, are you feeling unwell?”
As Saewoo stepped in through the balcony door after finishing his call, Minho looked up in surprise, carefully scanning his face.
His small face was flushed all the way to his forehead, as if he had a fever.
“Huh? Oh, no. I think I just got a little too much cold air….”
“Cold air? You’re completely cooked, though?”
“…….”
The moment Saewoo tried to explain, Minho blinked at him, looking utterly puzzled.
His eyes, clearer than a lake, were so filled with curiosity that Saewoo found himself at a loss for words.
Ahem!
“Now that the contract’s all wrapped up, let’s let the landlord get some rest and get moving.”
Unexpectedly, it was Heungwon who stepped in, acting as if he understood the whole situation.
“Oh, you can stay a little longer if you’d like….”
Saewoo, snapping back to his senses, tried to stop them, but Minho shook his head.
“No, it’s okay, Saewoo. I need to check out some cleaning services with my boyfriend today.”
“Oh… I see….”
After that, even the mouse family quickly got ready to leave.
As they were about to go, Saewoo hurried to the kitchen and brought out the dried jujubes he had set aside earlier.
“Take care on your way back. If anything comes up with the house, don’t hesitate to reach out…!”
“Of course! Thanks for the tea!”
“Had a nice stay.”
“Squeak!”
Clunk.
“…….”
The once lively house fell silent as the heavy sound of the door closing echoed through the space.
Saewoo stood there for a moment, then slowly placed his palm against his chest.
Thump, thump….
His heart had been racing nonstop since earlier.
Not enough to be alarming, like during his heat, but… it was as if he had been warmed by a cozy fireplace.
But I’ve never felt this kind of drowsy warmth before….
[Can you let me stay over tonight?]
“……!”
Saewoo jolted in shock.
For a moment, he thought he had just imagined hearing Jibeom’s voice.
His feet moved on their own as he rushed straight to the bathroom.
The instant he saw his reflection in the mirror, his face fell.
“What… what is this….”
Now he understood why Minho had been so concerned.
His face wasn’t just flushed from heat, like during his heat cycle.
No, this was an expression he had never seen on himself before.
Even his eyes looked strange—wet and glistening, as if he were on the verge of tears.
The sight was so unfamiliar that he immediately turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his face.
Water splattered against the sink, dampening his chest.
He washed his face over and over, trying to clear his head, before cautiously looking back into the mirror.
“…Ah.”
Nothing had changed.
If anything, he now looked like he had just finished crying.
In the end, he gave up and patted his face dry with a towel.
Even as he changed out of his damp clothes in his bedroom, Jibeom’s voice lingered in his ears, refusing to fade.
What if he hadn’t heard those words over the phone?
He would’ve been caught red-handed with that ridiculous expression.
And Jibeom would’ve laughed, teasing him about how he looked like a burst kimchi dumpling or something….
[I’ll come by when it gets dark.]
Still, it was a relief.
At least he didn’t have to face Jibeom right this second.
Though, on the other hand… he found himself wishing night would fall a little faster.
Plop.
Feeling oddly restless, Saewoo plopped onto the couch and wiggled his toes absentmindedly.
Maybe because of the cold water, his throat felt dry and ticklish.
After a moment, he jumped up and stepped out onto the balcony.
Crouching down, he gathered the rosemary leaves he had picked earlier, a small smile tugging at his lips.
‘Hmm-hmm~’
Before he knew it, he was humming the same tune Jibeom always did.
He had no idea what the song was, but… it didn’t really matter.
Nothing really seemed to matter anymore.
❀°•❀°•❀
‘Whew….’
After nearly two hours of deep cleaning, Saewoo was completely wiped out.
He must’ve pushed himself too hard—his body ached, and chills ran down his spine.
He thought about taking some medicine but hesitated.
He was sensitive to meds, and if he took one, he’d probably knock out instantly.
‘And then I might miss Jibeom’s call….’
Clutching his phone, Saewoo made his way to the balcony.
Instead of medicine, he figured he’d brew some peppermint tea to help with the body aches.
Just as he reached out to pluck a leaf from the lush herb pots, there was a sudden tap, tap, tap against the window.
“Piit—!”
(Sparrow, my friend!)
“Huh…!”
It was the old sparrow.
Saewoo shot up and hurriedly opened the window.
‘Flutter.’
The sparrow elder landed on the branch that Saewoo often perched on when he took his breaks in his bird form.
“Tweet! Piit! Twee—et.”
(It’s been a while, my friend. Phew… I can finally talk to you again.)
“Oh my god…. I’m so sorry. I should’ve reached out first after what happened….”
“Piit, Piit.”
(It’s fine. You were busy.)
Feeling guilty, Saewoo quickly filled the little water dish beside the branch.
The old sparrow drank eagerly, fluffing up his chest feathers in satisfaction.
“So… what brings you here?”
As Saewoo hesitantly asked about the reason for the visit, the sparrow elder suddenly let out a sharp Piit, as if he had just remembered.
“Piit, Piit… twee—et.”
(It’s nothing major, but… mind telling me exactly what kind of relationship you have with that black panther beastman?)
“…Huh?”
It was an unexpected question.
Saewoo hesitated, unsure of what to say.
He and Jibeom weren’t rice partners anymore.
Did that mean they were in a serious relationship now?
But neither of them had clearly defined what they were to each other yet.
Saying something too hastily felt… premature.
“Hm, Piit.”
(Hm, I see.)
The elder sparrow nodded as if he had interpreted Saewoo’s hesitation in his own way.
“Piit, Piit-Piit.”
(I told you before—I have some news. Want to take a look?)
“…What is it?”
The elder sparrow extended one of his legs from beneath his feathers, revealing a small note tied to it.
“Piit-Piit. Piit, Piit.”
(Just read it. Everything’s written there.)
Explaining everything verbally seemed difficult, so the elder sparrow urged Saewoo to read it himself.
After a brief hesitation, Saewoo unfolded the note—and immediately froze.
※ Caution: Dangerous Beast ※
- Species: Black Panther Beastman
- Age: Mid-20s
- Appearance: Black hair, yellow eyes, nearly 190 cm tall, broad build.
- Charges: Fraud. A notorious player who exploits his partners.
This notice is posted in the interest of public safety to prevent further victims.*
The note looked like a public warning—something meant to be plastered on walls, exposing the accused for all to see.
It detailed the physical traits of a particular beastman… one that unmistakably pointed to Jibeom.
“Piit, Piit…”
(Found it posted in some alleyway. It startled me, so I took it down.)
The elder sparrow explained that black panthers weren’t common, so as soon as he saw the notice, he was reminded of that day.
That was why he had come straight to Saewoo.
But even after hearing the explanation, Saewoo remained silent, staring at the note.
The elder sparrow hesitated before speaking again.
“Piit?”
(That guy you were with… He was a panther, right?)
“…What?”
“Piit, Piit-Piit.”
(I heard from the police that it’s rare for panthers to fight each other. They found it strange.)
That alone was enough for Saewoo to understand what the elder sparrow was implying.
He was suggesting that the entire incident had been staged—a scam from the very beginning.
“…A scam?”
Saewoo shook his head firmly.
“No… That’s impossible. If that were true…”
He recalled the moment Jibeom’s hand had been slashed by the knife—the way his bright red blood had dripped down, the way he had chased after them with such desperation…
Saewoo might have been gullible. He had been tricked before.
But not by Jibeom.
Jibeom was hot-tempered, sly, and shamelessly reckless, but the sincerity he had shown Saewoo was real.
“No,” Saewoo declared with certainty.
“Jibeom isn’t the kind of beastman this note describes.”
The elder sparrow seemed taken aback by Saewoo’s resolute stance.
He blinked in surprise and fluttered his wings awkwardly.
“Piit, Piit… Piit, Piit.”
(Ah… I see. Well, if you say so… Maybe I shouldn’t have taken that scrap of paper so seriously. Haha… I’ll be going now.)
“I’m really sorry. You came all this way…”
“Piit, Piit-Piit.”
(Don’t be. I was just worried about my little sparrow friend, that’s all. Don’t mind me. Take care!)
With that, the elder sparrow told Saewoo he could discard the note if he wanted, then swiftly flew out the open window.
“Take care…!”
Saewoo waved after him, then glanced down at the note in his hand.
He was about to crumple it and throw it away but hesitated.
Instead of discarding it, wouldn’t it be better to show it to Jibeom first?
After a moment of deliberation, he folded the note and slipped it into his pocket.
* * *
