* * *

The video showed a group of mice in a solemn posture.

Their tiny ears were adorned with elaborate earrings, and they wore straw-like ropes tied around their heads and waists.

They appeared like a primitive tribe far removed from civilization.

They beat their chests and thighs forcefully, chirping loudly, just like the old man and the mouse family were doing right now.

“Ah, so this is Jikka. No wonder…”

The photographer, watching the video beside Saewoo, nodded in understanding.

He added that it was once a massive trend.

“That must be why we couldn’t understand them. Apparently, it’s the ancient language of the Mouse Tribe.”

“The ancient language of the Mouse Tribe…?”

Saewoo had never delved into the history of the beastman world enough to know something like that.

He had realized long ago that this was no ordinary BL story, but he hadn’t expected the world-building to be this expansive.

As he silently marveled, he watched the rest of the video.

Clap clap clap clap clap.

“Looks like it’s over.”

It seemed the conversation between the old man and the mouse family had also wrapped up.

The old man was sweating profusely, breathing heavily.

Minho hurriedly picked up the cane and wiped the old man’s brow with a leopard-print handkerchief.

“Grandpa, that was so cool!”

“Hoho, you think so?”

“Yes! Really! How can a lion talk to mice? It’s incredible!”

“It’s all thanks to the bond between the lion and the mouse.”

“Bond?”

It was a peculiar tale.

What kind of bond could there be between a lion and a mouse?

Minho, Saewoo, and the photographer all looked on with curiosity.

“A long, long time ago… our ancestors were saved by a Mouse Tribe mouse during a life-or-death moment. It’s a long story, but to sum it up… the mouse saved our ancestor’s life, and ever since, lions and mice have helped each other.”

The old man, having shared a story fit for a fairytale, rubbed his crooked back, clearly exhausted.

“Maybe I overexerted myself after so long… Oh, my aching back…”

“Ah! Grandpa, here! Please sit!”

Minho jumped up and set down his large backpack, offering it as a seat.

The old man, trembling as he leaned on his cane, sat down to rest.

The mouse family, equally exhausted from the intense conversation, gathered together, wiping away sweat.

“So… what now?”

Saewoo still couldn’t make sense of the situation.

How had these mice, who were illegally squatting in the building, come to use the ancient language of the Mouse Tribe?

And how did the old man, a lion beastman, know how to speak it?

“Elder…”

Saewoo approached the old man, hoping he could shed some light.

“Could I ask what you were talking about earlier…?”

When Saewoo carefully inquired, the old man cleared his throat, blinking slowly.

“Curious, are ya?”

“Y-yes… of course…”

“If I tell ya?”

“Yes?”

“If I explain everything, will your curiosity be satisfied?”

“Of… of course.”

Saewoo replied with an awkward smile, feeling that the old man wasn’t likely to give a straightforward answer.

“Turns out… those mice couldn’t find a place to spend the winter.”

The old man’s eyes softened as he glanced at the mouse family with pity.

“They came here out of necessity.”

“Out of necessity…?”

The old man explained that the mice had lost their village to a sudden wildfire, leaving them homeless overnight.

With nowhere else to go, and being unused to city life, they couldn’t even dream of moving into civilization.

In desperation, they sold everything they had and followed a broker who promised them a new home, which led them to this place.

“What? You mean… that mountain…?”

Saewoo’s eyes widened.

“Yes… they had no idea it was the predator’s territory.”

The broker had swindled them, introducing a mountain inhabited by predators as a safe haven, just as he had done with other beastman.

“That… that’s horrible…!”

Saewoo clenched his fists, suppressing the urge to curse.

But he couldn’t, not in front of the elder.

He took a deep breath, calming the rage burning inside him.

“So they had no choice but to come into our building…”

“Yes. They were desperate. Thought it was empty at first… they feel bad about it now.”

An elderly man, who had just shared the troubles of the mouse family, clicked his tongue in disapproval, criticizing the world for having so many heartless people.

‘Ha… What should I do about this…?’

Hearing the plight of the mouse family made Saewoo feel a heavy burden on his heart.

Their situation resonated with his own, making him feel even more shaken.

“Um…”

Saewoo cautiously approached the mouse family, who were gently wiping each other’s sweat.

Sensing his presence, the largest of the mice stepped out of the nest. It appeared to be the father mouse.

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t know about your situation… It must have been terrifying earlier…”

“I… I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have taken photos without thinking…”

As Saewoo apologized, the photographer scratched the back of his head and immediately deleted the photos from his camera.

The mouse family all widened their eyes, sniffing and twitching their long whiskers, as if they understood what was being said.

“Elder, can the mice understand what we’re saying?”

“No idea.”

“Oh…”

Saewoo felt at a loss.

He had not anticipated that the language barrier would make apologizing so difficult.

“Hold on.”

Sensing Saewoo’s concern, the old man, with Minho’s support, began a traditional communication ritual once more.

“…Chup chup! Kua! Cheek, cheep!”

The father mouse conversed with the other mice before calling out to the old man.

“They say they were scared, but don’t worry too much about it. They acknowledge they’ve been illegally squatting… but, uh?”

The old man, translating for the mice, suddenly wore a perplexed expression and looked back at Saewoo.

“They say… well, it’s the wrong season to find a new home, but come spring, they’ll move out immediately. Is that okay with the landlord?”

“Huh? Spring?”

Spring.

Even if it wasn’t immediate, waiting until spring was risky.

Besides, “spring” was a vague term without a specific date, making it all the more uncertain.

“This could be problematic for the landlord… If spring means in two or three months at the earliest…”

The old man seemed to understand what Saewoo was thinking, scratching his chin thoughtfully before nodding.

“Well, that gives me a reason to move in too.”

“A reason…?”

Thump.

Saewoo was puzzled, and the old man struck his cane on the ground firmly.

“As a lion guardian beastman with ties to the mouse tribe, I can move in too!”

“A… lion guardian…? Sir, is your name…?”

“That’s right! Things always work out this way, huh? Now, let’s finalize the contract.”

The old man meant he would live there until the mouse family moved out, providing them company.

“But…”

Was it okay to decide things so suddenly?

Saewoo felt overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events.

“Think about it. Who would move into a house with a mouse family?”

“…”

That was true.

Saewoo couldn’t simply drive the mice out, nor could he create a suitable habitat for wild mice accustomed to life away from civilization.

“Alright, then…”

“Exactly. Stamp it.”

Rustle.

The old man, who seemed prepared, pulled an already-filled-out rental contract and his personal seal from his pocket.

“…”

Seeing this, Saewoo couldn’t shake off the feeling he was being swept into something, but he decided it was better to resolve the issue without more emotional turmoil.

“For now, I’ll take the contract…”

“Ha! Finally done. I’m off now!”

As if everything had been settled, the old man used his cane to stand and walked out of the room.

Despite his earlier trembling, his steps were surprisingly sprightly.

“Oh! Wait, lion elder!”

Contrary to Saewoo’s worries, Minho seemed captivated by the old man’s charisma, giving him an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

“Mr. Sparrow! You made the right choice. Being neighbors with the lion elder will be awesome!”

Minho flashed a bright grin, his golden tooth glinting.

* * *