SLC 10

“Teacher. Do you know what a boiling point is? You must know. Since you are a brilliant person with a good head who attends a fine university.”

Sarcasm toward the other party filled every single word. The bodyguards who had tried to stop Mok Seongha and ended up getting beaten that day and requiring hospital care numbered two alone. Mok Seongha stopped only after he had swung the chair until his anger was fully vented.

“…Yes. I know.”

“Every person has a boiling point, right? Usually, people with a lot of anger have a low one. They suddenly explode in rage. They get angry frequently too. There are many such people around.”

The two thugs who had picked a fight that day were also taken to the hospital. As expected, to the hospital owned by this family’s foundation.

Secretary Kang, upon hearing the news, resolved the issue calmly as if such an incident was not surprising.

“People each have an innate boiling point.”

Kim Jinkyung placed both hands on his knees and quietly listened to Secretary Kang’s anger-laced scolding.

“What do you think our young master’s boiling point is in degrees? Since you are a fine teacher who attends a good university, you will naturally guess it correctly.”

Every time the phrase “fine teacher who attends a good university” came out, cold sweat trickled from Kim Jinkyung’s forehead. After pondering for a long while, Kim Jinkyung said, “Well,” and continued with an awkward smile.

“About 10 degrees…?”

It was a temperature he had generously raised. In Kim Jinkyung’s view, Mok Seongha’s boiling point was below 0 degrees. It was a level where he could not exist as a liquid at room temperature.

“Wrong.”

“……”

“The young master has no boiling point. He boils arbitrarily. No one knows at what point or when he boils. Probably even he himself does not know.”

Is it that why you have confined me in one room with a human without a boiling point, no, a beast, …a being mixed of the two?

“Do you know the reason why you were hired, teacher?” Secretary Kang asked while glaring into Kim Jinkyung’s eyes.

“…Studying?”

“Teacher. In our country, there are many people with better academic credentials than you and who teach well. Above all, this house has enough money to gather all those good teachers and hire them as tutors.”

“You’re right.”

Kim Jinkyung muttered as if he had gained enlightenment.

You’re right. Why did they choose me? There must have been many people who teach better and have more experience than me.

“Why did you select me?”

“Because you are very timid and you have no scent.”

“Pardon? What did you say?”

Kim Jinkyung doubted his own ears at the two mismatched combinations. To say he was selected because he is very timid and has no scent. It was not like some world’s best rabbit contest…

“As I mentioned before, the young master is sensitive to scents. Of course, he is also sensitive in terms of hearing, touch, and sight.”

Kim Jinkyung recalled the day he first came to this mansion. Mok Seongha had brought his face close to him, who was deathly pale and frozen, and inhaled his scent. At the time, he had thought it was just the mad act of a madman.

“When the young master first meets someone, if an unpleasant scent comes from them, he does not hire them regardless of the reason. He also dislikes noisy people. He must have interviewed over a hundred tutoring candidates.”

Kim Jinkyung recalled the employment conditions that had followed like a joke. Non-smoker, quiet, and clean person.

“But, being timid, …why?”

He could understand up to the point that being clean means no scent, but he could not comprehend at all why a timid personality was an essential element.

“That is the condition I set.”

Secretary Kang continued while propping his chin with his interlocked hands.

“Because those bastards without fear end up constantly provoking the young master’s boiling point. Like the bastard you saw on the day you first came.”

Jinkyung recalled the man who had been dragged out covered in blood.

“In that regard, you were perfect, teacher. Ah, of course, excluding the part about liking men. Anyway, since you are a tutor we hardly found, the young master even went along by putting gloves on his forepaws.”

The image of the black panther waiting for him while wearing large gloves on his forepaws came to mind. …That was kind of cute.

“But why does the teacher, who is a coward, keep provoking the young master’s boiling point.”

“I-I did not provoke it.”

His voice trembled with grievance. What had provoked the boiling point that day were the men who had picked on the woman.

“It is an unfortunate incident that would not have happened if you had not gone outside in the first place.”

“That is true, but…”

Kim Jinkyung took a small sip of the water placed on the table. His heart pounded heavily. He wanted to run away immediately out of fear, but he calmly continued with what he wanted to say.

“…Even so, confining him only in the house…”

“Who?”

“Pardon?”

“Who dares to confine the young master? Do you think that is even possible?”

Kim Jinkyung swallowed dryly.

“I heard he did not even attend… elementary school.”

“Yes. At that time, there was no choice but to be that way.”

“But wouldn’t at least minimal experiences… have been necessary for a child.”

“They probably would be.”

Secretary Kang downed a full cup of water in one gulp. He set the cup down with a loud sound.

“If that child is prepared to go outside.”

“When will that preparation be done?”

In that manner, it would never be prepared for a lifetime. It was not something that could be learned by reading books alone in the vast mansion, watching television, or viewing movies. At least Kim Jinkyung believed so.

“Teacher.”

When Secretary Kang called Kim Jinkyung “teacher” with his mood twisted, there was a distinctive intonation. Kim Jinkyung clasped his two hands together and replied dutifully with “Yes.”

“Why are you concerned about that preparation, teacher?”

“……”

“I am asking why the person who was called to prepare for the university entrance exam is concerned about that.”

It meant to know your place. Kim Jinkyung trailed off with “That’s,” at the end of his words.

“Teacher. Do you perhaps like our young master?”

“Pardon?”

Kim Jinkyung asked back in horror.

“You said you like men. And very much at that.”

He had not known that the reason he had desperately squeezed out on the first day to get fired would hold him back like this.

“No. So, I do like men, but I do not like the young master.”

“Why? How can you not like him?”

Secretary Kang asked. The scar running from his eyebrow down under his eye twitched.

The red mask ghost story came to Kim Jinkyung’s mind. The horrific tale of a woman with a torn mouth approaching and asking if she is pretty, then if answered pretty, tearing your mouth to make it the same, and if answered not pretty, getting angry and just killing.

The answer is predetermined, so just go die, is that it?

“I’m scared of him!”

Kim Jinkyung shouted out loudly. He could not side with the red mask for now.

“What is scary about him? He is cute.”

It was the human who had just been going on about having no boiling point or whatever.

“I-I find him scary. I don’t see the cuteness, …his teeth are too sharp, his claws too… and his mouth is too red and big.”

“That is prejudice. If you look closely, he is very cute.”

Although Secretary Kang retorted indignantly, regardless of that, Kim Jinkyung deliberately inflated his fear to vent his grievance and insisted.

“The time I got scratched once, actually I was so scared then. I went home that day and cried. Look, do you see the scar that remained here? And his eyes, his eyes too…”

Kim Jinkyung liked looking at Mok Seongha’s eyes. The golden threads encircling the irises looked like flames blooming, so sometimes he would secretly steal glances despite the fear. Especially when meeting those eyes at night, it felt like two moons had risen in the sky, making his heart race. It gave the sensation of standing on an unknown planet, not Earth.

“Teacher? Um…”

Secretary Kang suddenly cleared his throat and signaled to Kim Jinkyung with his eyes. Thinking he was urging him to hurry with the reason, Kim Jinkyung immediately continued with the next words.

“His eyes… are too yellow. They’re scary at night, and even scarier during the day. So how could I like the young master…”

“Yeah. The teacher doesn’t like me.”

He heard a cold voice. It felt like his blood chilled and his heart stopped beating. Kim Jinkyung could not even turn his head toward the direction from which the voice came, to see who was there.

“I haven’t been kind to you even once, and my eyes are yellow too.”

Mok Seongha tapped around his eyes with his hand and thrust his face right in front of Kim Jinkyung. Kim Jinkyung drew in a short breath. Tears started pooling in his eyes.

Why are you glaring so frighteningly? No, you said not to like you. You said if I liked you, you’d end my short life. I just want to live a mundane and tenacious long life…

Kim Jinkyung, terrified, trembled uncontrollably with his eyes cast downward. Mok Seongha let out a chuckle and picked up an apple placed on the table.

“The hospital called. They want you to contact them.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Secretary Kang, whose expression hardened at the mention of the hospital, replied briefly.

Mok Seongha bit into the apple once. His unusually sharp and white teeth became visible. A chill ran down Kim Jinkyung’s nape, so he hunched his shoulders.

While crunching the apple, Mok Seongha brought his face close to the area near Kim Jinkyung’s nape. Even knowing it was an act to sniff his scent, Kim Jinkyung could not breathe due to the terror that his nape might be bitten.

“Do you know what scent comes from you, teacher?”

“Huh? Ah, no. It doesn’t come from me.”

Kim Jinkyung covered his nape with his hand.

“It’s true. I didn’t apply perfume.”

He felt wronged. He had showered right after waking up this morning, and also before going to bed yesterday.

“Apple scent.”

Mok Seongha continued while tossing the core-remaining apple into the trash can.

“If it had been pear scent, I would have fired you on the spot that day.”

…Father, Mother. Why did you farm apples?

“Hey.”

The address downgraded immediately from teacher to hey. Kim Jinkyung replied with “Yes,” while straightening his back.

“Wait outside for a bit.”

Kim Jinkyung nodded vigorously. For now, the priority was not to get bitten by the cat without a boiling point.

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‘You earn the beating.’

When he had saved Kim Jinkyung about three times after he got beaten for meddling unnecessarily, Seo Sangil had said that.

‘Me?’

‘Yeah. You have this weird way of pissing people off. You seem like you’d listen well, but in the end, you don’t listen at all and do whatever you want.’

‘When did I?’

‘Even now, right? No, a guy who normally can’t even make eye contact with thugs, why the hell do you butt in there? You tremble and say everything you have to say, so you earn the beating.’

Seo Sangil had said that while looking at his friend who got beaten for trying to stop high schoolers mocking and spitting on a homeless old man.

‘Then what do I do? Just pass by?’

‘Pass by!!!!’

The furious roar from Seo Sangil that day remained unforgettable.

…Should I have passed by?

Kim Jinkyung reflected on memories from the past in this dilemma of being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

“It is as I have explained up to now.”

After reading through the long contract contents, Secretary Kang presented it in front of Kim Jinkyung.

“You just need to sign here. And here, here, and here again.”

Kim Jinkyung held the pen and only wore an awkward smile.

“Why? Isn’t this the wish you desired?”

“Rather than a wish, I wanted to help…”

A sneer hung on Secretary Kang’s lips.

What help could a guy like you provide?

After what happened at the Han River, Kim Jinkyung had expected Mok Seongha to refuse going out. Moreover, he had spouted nonsense right behind him about being scary, teeth being sharp, and even his eyes being too yellow and scary.

When Mok Seongha told him to wait outside for a bit, Kim Jinkyung thought it was all over now. Far from tutoring outside, he thought this time he would really get fired.

Maybe it’s for the best. Yeah. There was a time when he tried all sorts of methods to get fired.

It’s natural to end up like this for not knowing his place and acting out.

…But why does he feel bad? He shouldn’t have lied. What’s scary about yellow eyes? He’s never seen such pretty eyes in his life.

…I should have honestly said the teeth and his insane mentality are scary.

While sitting gloomily on the sofa waiting, Kim Jinkyung suddenly realized it was not the time to worry about getting fired.

Wait. This time, am I really going to die? Are those people choosing the sea right now? No, they said to let me choose the sea.

Secretary Kang was the one who pulled up Kim Jinkyung, who was terrified while imagining the surging black sea.

‘Here, this is the contract. Read it and sign.’

‘What kind of contract? Why? Why do I…’

When Kim Jinkyung hesitated and refused to sign, Secretary Kang picked up the paper and began reading it aloud line by line.

In summary, the content pertained to guaranteeing university admission during outdoor tutoring sessions and guidelines for behavior outside.

…He’s really continuing? Does he need university admission that badly? Even though he won’t attend?

Kim Jinkyung held the pen in his hand while only drawing question marks in his mind.

“Well, do you have any questions?”

“Um, this is a question outside the contract content.”

“Then don’t ask.”

Secretary Kang cut him off. Kim Jinkyung shook his head and said no.

“I think I need to know this to decide whether to sign the contract or not.”

“What do you mean?”

Secretary Kang continued with a scoff.

“It is not for you to decide whether to sign the contract or not, teacher.”

“……”

Ah, right. That’s how it was.

“For questions outside the contract, ask the party involved, the young master, directly.”

“…I’m scared.”

At the words Kim Jinkyung muttered like a sigh, Secretary Kang raised his eyebrows.

“No, if he’s that scary, why do you take the kid out, no, accompany the young master outside. Moreover, you said if you do tutoring outside, you’ll take responsibility and get him into university.”

Kim Jinkyung heard Secretary Kang mutter under his breath in a small voice, “Crazy bastard.” Kim Jinkyung could not even think of arguing about that and quietly agreed by saying, “You’re right.”

Since Mok Seongha said from childhood he couldn’t go outside and has been alone in the house all along, Kim Jinkyung wanted to take him out somehow.

“…In the unlikely event I can’t get him into university, what happens?”

“What do you mean what happens? You’ll just die.”

“Where is the law that kills someone for not getting into university?”

When Kim Jinkyung protested with a tearful face, Secretary Kang sighed.

“Do you know how many years it has been since the young master voluntarily went outside for something not absolutely necessary?”

“Well. …Two years?”

Kim Jinkyung thought that even so, he must have gone out once or twice.

“Twelve years.”

“……”

The weight of twelve years pressed on his chest, and for a moment his breath caught in his throat.

“This is also the first time he’s receiving proper tutoring, teacher. The young master believes that you will get him into university.”

“……”

“So take responsibility and get him into university.”

Secretary Kang said that while glaring at Kim Jinkyung with his arms crossed. The latter swallowed his tears and signed the contract.