SLC 26

After parting with Go Jinyoung, Kim Jinkyung went to a bookstore for the first time in a while. He picked out a few problem books, then walked along absentmindedly. When he came back to his senses, he was standing in front of the mansion.

…I just told someone again that I like men?

Recently, he had admitted twice, unintentionally, that he liked men.

Is this really okay?

He had expected to live a long and uneventful life. After meeting Mok Seongha, it felt like he had boarded a runaway locomotive he had never imagined. A road he had been traveling slowly, enjoying the scenery, was now being torn through at insane speed. Furthermore, this runaway train didn’t even tell him where the final stop was. He wanted to jump off, but if he did, it felt like he would break his limbs. But staying on the train didn’t guarantee safety either. If something like yesterday happened one more time, his heart would probably explode into pieces.

Kim Jinkyung covered his burning red face with both hands and squatted where he stood.

Ah, seriously, what do I do?

He had gone out, but now that he was trying to go back in, yesterday’s events resurfaced vividly. He would have to see Mok Seongha’s face again, and if that happened, then….

“What are you doing?”

Someone suddenly grabbed Kim Jinkyung by the back of the neck and yanked him to his feet.

“Eek!”

As Kim Jinkyung panicked and struggled, a laugh rang out.

“Why are you so startled?”

“Uh….”

It was Mok Seongha. Kim Jinkyung’s eyes widened even more.

“How did you come out?”

“How else would I come out? I walked out.”

As if proving his words, Mok Seongha lifted one foot, showing the slipper he was wearing. Kim Jinkyung blinked and looked up at him.

“You came out alone?”

“Yeah.”

Kim Jinkyung looked around. At least for now, there were no guards in sight.

“Why?”

Mok Seongha disliked going out. He said it was noisy, smelly, and chaotic. The reasons sounded like those of an old man, but considering that panther blood ran through his veins, it made sense. A panther’s vision and hearing were 5 times keener than a human’s, and its sense of smell more than 10 times stronger. Naturally, going out was challenging.

Furthermore, it hadn’t even been a full year since Mok Seongha had fully returned to human form. This was the first time Kim Jinkyung had ever seen him outside alone, even if it was just in front of the house.

“Because you didn’t answer.”

“Me?”

Kim Jinkyung pulled his phone out of his bag and checked it. Several missed calls were stacked up.

“I’m sorry. I think I didn’t hear it because it was in my bag.”

“You really….”

Mok Seongha stopped there, gritting his teeth as if he were chewing his anger, then asked, “Where did you go?”

“I met a senior I know for a bit.”

“A man?”

“Huh? Yes.”

He was sure he had said that when he left earlier, but he didn’t understand why Mok Seongha was asking again, so Kim Jinkyung was a bit perplexed.

“You really look like you’re trying to meet every man in the world. I know you’re promiscuous, but keep it reasonable. Don’t you know Secretary Kang reports to the Chairman?”

“What? I just met a senior from school.”

“A school senior is still a man.”

His chest felt like it might explode with the amount of injustice he felt.

“Just because someone’s a man doesn’t mean I like them. I have my own preferences too….”

“So that senior isn’t your type?”

“…!”

He should have said no. He should have said they were just seniors and juniors, just people from the same school. But Kim Jinkyung had always been bad at reacting quickly.

When he missed the timing and soundlessly moved his lips, Mok Seongha’s expression turned cold.

“You’re surrounded on all sides by guys you like.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is true. Fuck, it’s already the second time. Even if you like men a lot, isn’t this too much?”

Kim Jinkyung’s throat constricted at the abrupt accusation.

Hearing that while standing right in front of the guy he liked most passionately out of all those supposed men made him feel awful.

“Do it properly. Even then, I might believe you.”

He had no confidence he could do any better than this. For someone who had never even brushed against the concept of dating in his life, this was already far beyond his limits.

“I….”

Kim Jinkyung looked at Mok Seongha. The brilliant light in his eyes stabbed at his conscience. No matter how much of an adult he looked like, inside he was someone who hadn’t been human for long, like a child. Even if it had been a sudden heat, Kim Jinkyung should have controlled himself.

“If doing it properly means something, I don’t really know what that is, but I don’t think I can do something like yesterday again. Even if it was a sudden heat, if it happens again… I can’t.”

It was something he should never have done.

Since he was the one with feelings for Mok Seongha, he should have come to his senses first and drawn a line.

“Okay.”

“Y-yes?”

He gave in so easily that it was suspicious. Was this some kind of trap?

“You just do what you taught me yesterday. Like this.”

Mok Seongha moved his hand up and down in a suggestive gesture. Kim Jinkyung panicked and grabbed his hand, forcing it down.

“What are you doing?! We’re outside.”

“Why? Everyone does it.”

“No one does this outside.”

Kim Jinkyung lowered his voice as much as he could while scolding him.

“What about inside?”

“Inside, you don’t do it when people are around either.”

“Then where do I do it?”

“When you’re alone. Do it when you’re alone.”

He was definitely going to send a complaint email to the publisher of Puberty and Beautiful Sex. He would tell them to include basic etiquette like this.

While Kim Jinkyung was sighing, Mok Seongha looked down at the hand Kim Jinkyung was holding.

“Teacher.”

“…….”

Kim Jinkyung’s ears burned instantly. It was a title Mok Seongha used from time to time, but since that day, it had started to sound different.

“Are promiscuous people always like this?”

“What are you talking about….”

Kim Jinkyung tried to pull his hand away, but Mok Seongha didn’t let go.

“If you do it a lot, do your hands all turn out like this too?”

Mok Seongha said while rubbing his palm against Kim Jinkyung’s. The latter let out a small sound. Heat spread from where their palms met.

“Your hands feel so promiscuous….”

Mok Seongha stared at Kim Jinkyung’s palm as if he were bewitched. Then he pulled Kim Jinkyung’s hand up and brought it to his own nose.

“What are you doing?”

“I was wondering what you did with that senior who’s your type.”

He buried his nose in the palm and breathed in. His bangs fell forward and brushed against Kim Jinkyung’s wrist.

A tickling feeling spread beneath his skin all the way to his toes.

Mok Seongha looked at Kim Jinkyung. His head spun. The chilly night air blew against his hot cheeks. He had to tell him to let go, but his throat was burning with heat and no sound came out properly.

Had he ever experienced such overwhelming unrequited love?

It was too much. His legs gave out and he dropped down. He wanted to cry.

“What’s wrong?”

Mok Seongha crouched down with him and leaned his face close.

“…It’s nothing.”

“What happened?”

Mok Seongha asked persistently.

They said there were 3 things you could never hide, poverty, sneezing, and love. Kim Jinkyung had never really understood that. Unrequited love had always been part of his everyday life. It was as natural as breathing, so even if he didn’t try to hide it, no one ever noticed. But Mok Seongha wasn’t like that.

“Why are you suddenly like this?”

A hint of concern flickered in those golden eyes.

He had never once thought about confessing his feelings. But whenever Mok Seongha unexpectedly crossed the line and stepped closer, there were moments when his feelings threatened to erupt beyond his control.

At this rate, he would definitely get found out.

“What are you doing over there?”

A familiar voice emerged from behind them. Kim Jinkyung took in a deep breath.

“Why are you sitting like that?”

“Ah, well….”

It was too much to say that he had just fallen. There was no snow or rain, and it wasn’t slippery. Kim Jinkyung made the simplest decision while frantically searching for a convincing reason.

“…My stomach hurts a bit.”

He expected to get yelled at to stop making a fuss over something like that and stand up right away. He had even planned out the awkward laugh he would give as he stood. But the response he got was completely unexpected.

“What are you doing? Bring the car right now!”

Mok Seongha shouted.

“What? Ah, yes.”

Secretary Kang immediately called someone. In the meantime, Mok Seongha lifted Kim Jinkyung up into his arms. Before he could admit that he had just made it up, the car arrived.

“I’m really fine….”

“Go to the hospital.”

As soon as Kim Jinkyung was put into the car, Mok Seongha climbed in right after him.

“No, I really don’t need to go to the hospital….”

“Stay still.”

“I’m really fine.”

“How would you know that!?”

The shout was so fierce that Kim Jinkyung couldn’t bring himself to say anything else. The car sped down the road.

‎

‎

“Everything is normal,” the doctor continued explaining.

“The CT scan and abdominal ultrasound are clear, and the blood tests are also clear. Even the X-ray reveals nothing out of the ordinary, and his blood pressure is normal.”

The doctor looked at Kim Jinkyung lying on the bed. His expression said, “why are you even here?” Kim Jinkyung lowered his head as he was overcome by guilt.

“If there’s nothing wrong, why did his stomach hurt? Are you sure you checked properly?”

Mok Seongha asked with a fierce glare.

He had brought Kim Jinkyung to the hospital run by his family foundation and shoved him into the emergency room. Kim Jinkyung had begged, saying it wasn’t an emergency, but Mok Seongha hadn’t listened. Eventually, even a professor who was off that day had been called in, and every test possible was being run.

“No, I’m really fine now.”

Kim Jinkyung hurriedly interrupted. It was something he had already said about a hundred times on the way here, after arriving, and during the tests.

“But it hurt earlier.”

He had only said his stomach hurt a little, yet he was being treated like a critically ill patient. Mok Seongha turned his gaze back to the doctor.

“Aren’t there any other tests you can do?”

“There is an MRI left, but since we already did an abdominal CT, there’s really no need to….”

“Do it. Anything else.”

“Other tests would be….”

While Mok Seongha pressured the doctor, Secretary Kang glared at Kim Jinkyung . It was a look that asked, “do you know what kind of trouble you caused?” Since it was true that he had misspoken, Kim Jinkyung quietly accepted the rebuke, folding his hands and lowering his head.

“Hey.”

Mok Seongha called him.

“Yes.”

“Wait here. I’m going to talk to that doctor and the hospital director.”

“Why the director?”

“To make sure. I need to ask if that doctor is someone I can trust.”

Without giving Kim Jinkyung a chance to stop him, Mok Seongha left the room. The doctor sighed and followed after him.

Once they were alone, Secretary Kang started interrogating him.

“Are you really sick?”

“Ah, earlier it hurt a little….”

“The Chairman was brought to the hospital with abdominal pain and got diagnosed with cancer the next day. The young master was right beside him then.”

Mok Seongha’s excessive reaction made perfect sense. At the same time, Kim Jinkyung felt even more sorry. Of all things, he had said his stomach hurt.

“He may look grown on the outside, but inside he’s a pure and lovable child.”

“…….”

Pure and lovable might be pushing it.

“I know that the young master follows you in particular. You teach him well, so it can’t be helped.”

“Ah, yes.”

“But keep it appropriate. You’ll leave one day.”

It felt like being hit on the back of the head. He was suddenly reminded that there were less than 2 weeks left on the contract.

“I’m sorry for causing trouble. I’ll say I want to be discharged as soon as Seongha-ssi comes back.”

Secretary Kang clicked his tongue.

“At times like this, you seem obedient enough. So why do you mess things up at the crucial moment?”

“…Me?”

Secretary Kang didn’t answer and left the room. Kim Jinkyung let out a long sigh and took out the clothes he had worn earlier from the cabinet beside the bed. As he was unfastening the buttons of the patient gown, the hospital room door flew open.

“Hey. You still have more tests….”

Their eyes met while he was changing. Kim Jinkyung hurriedly pulled his clothes together. Mok Seongha looked at him for a moment and asked,

“Why are you taking your clothes off? Don’t tell me….”

His golden eyes narrowed.

“You saw a handsome male doctor or something?”

“No. What are you talking about, I was changing to get discharged.”

“Discharged?Why are you getting discharged?”

“The test results are all normal, so I should be discharged. My stomach really doesn’t hurt anymore.”

It hadn’t hurt earlier either.

Mok Seongha walked over. He straightened the hem of Kim Jinkyung’s patient gown and started buttoning it up for him.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re not getting discharged.”

“Why?”

“I scheduled more tests. Get them all.”

“I’m healthy.”

Kim Jinkyung knew why he was acting like this. He continued calmly, trying to reassure him.

“I had a full health check not long ago. I submitted the results with my resume too.”

“You never know with people.”

Mok Seongha finished buttoning the gown and continued.

“If I tell you to get the tests, get them. I’m not getting tutored by a patient.”

“…….”

It felt like he wouldn’t be able to leave this hospital until every possible test came back normal.

Kim Jinkyung eventually nodded.