SLC 82

Getting into university this year would be difficult, but he decided to take the CSAT just for the experience.

“Check the questions you don’t know. Also, mark the parts you solved but didn’t quite understand. We need to review all of those.”

–I know. I marked them just like you told me to..

“You did well.”

–You..

Mok Seongha hesitated for a moment before he continued.

–Do you like the outside better?

“Pardon? The outside?”

Kim Jinkyung asked, then realized what ‘outside’ meant to Mok Seongha. Cats were fundamentally territorial animals. For him, the inside was the mansion, and everywhere else was the outside. This was another thing he had learned from reading books.

“I like both.”

–I see.

Mok Seongha replied briefly.

“Seongha-ssi,” Kim Jinkyung called out to him.

–What?

“I’ll be there by 8:25.”

–Are you crazy? Where do you think you’re going, trying to sneakily add five minutes?

“……”

He didn’t fall for it.

“I’ll be there so I’m not late.”

–Hey.

The moment he was called that, Kim Jinkyung remembered the face of the man who looked down at him right before he left.

‘Hey.’

Back then, Mok Seongha called him like that, then kissed him before he could even answer.

“…Yes.”

He answered as calmly as possible so his voice wouldn’t tremble.

–Is it always like this? We’ve only been apart for a moment, so why do I miss you this much?

“Uh, …well…”

He couldn’t hide his trembling voice anymore. Kim Jinkyung continued rubbing the back of his flushed neck. The moment he heard that Seongha missed him, he realized what he was feeling too.

…I miss him.

He saw his face in the morning, at lunch, yesterday, the day before, for a week…no, he looked at that face every single day lately, but he missed him right this second.

–I have to endure it, right?

Mok Seongha asked.

Kim Jinkyung used every bit of his patience to answer.

“Yes, …I suppose so.”

–What do you mean, “I suppose so.”

The words saying he would come over right now lingered on the tip of his tongue. He held back because he felt like he could never pull Mok Seongha out of his territory if he gave in. Prioritizing the concept of ‘going out’ in Mok Seongha’s daily life was more important than his own romantic feelings.

–Teacher.

“Yes.”

–…Come by 8:15.

Kim Jinkyung gulped when he heard his mumbling voice. If Seongha were right in front of him, he would have hugged him.

“Yes, I will,” Kim Jinkyung replied.

–You’re drinking with just Seo Sangil, right?

Mok Seongha didn’t like Seo Sangil. Sangil was Kim Jinkyung’s past unrequited love, but Seongha also disliked the fact that he was the only high school classmate Jinkyung could open up to. Even when Jinkyung explained that Sangil had a girlfriend he promised to marry, Seongha was on guard, saying it would be nothing for Jinkyung to seduce a guy like that if he put his mind to it. He hated Sangil even more after he found out the man was the main culprit who tried to send Kim Jinkyung to Australia.

“Ah, I ran into Jinyoung-sunbae and we’re sitting together.”

Right. Seongha would probably feel more relieved if three people were there.

–Who’s Jinyoung-sunbae?

“A senior from my department. The sunbae who lent me his house before.”

Mok Seongha was quiet for a moment as if he was thinking, then asked.

–It’s not like he likes you, is it?

“Ahahaha.”

Kim Jinkyung burst into laughter. As far as he knew, there was no way Go Jinyoung would ever like a man, even if the earth split into three pieces.

–Why are you laughing? Is it really not like that? Why else would he let you use an apartment for free?

“I don’t know anyone who likes women as much as Jinyoung-sunbae. You’d know if you came here and talked to him for just five minutes.”

Actually, it wouldn’t even take five minutes. By now, Go Jinyoung was definitely checking if Seo Sangil had an older sister, a younger sister, or even a cousin.

–How can you be so sure? I used to hate people, too.

“Ahaha. It’s really not like that. That would never happen. I can guarantee that much, even if I can’t guarantee anything else.”

–Then maybe you liked him.

“…….”

Kim Jinkyung’s laughter abruptly stopped.

He forgot. He completely forgot about it. It was a crush that ended in exactly one day, so it really didn’t cross his mind.

–…You did?

The low voice turned dark and ominous.

Jinkyung didn’t have the talent to make up a decent lie or skillfully change the subject. He swallowed dryly and finally answered with a trembling voice.

“Seongha-ssi. That, well, it was really a long time ago, just for a tiny moment…”

–Fuck, you really…

Mok Seongha swore, then took a long, slow breath. It felt like Jinkyung could see exactly what shape his pupils were right now.

Just then, the door opened and Seo Sangil came out.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you coming in?”

“I know, I’ll be in soon.”

Kim Jinkyung gestured for him to go in first, then held onto his phone again.

“Hello?”

No answer came from the other side. Kim Jinkyung asked “Hello?” again, then checked the screen. The call was disconnected.

Kim Jinkyung called Mok Seongha back. The signal rang a few times, then the automated message said the call couldn’t be connected. It was the same when he tried again.

 Are you angry? I’ll just go home right now.

 I’m sorry.

He sent the messages, but Mok Seongha didn’t check them.

He might be furious, rushing out into the garden and tearing at the flowering trees with his claws.

It was useless to blame his past reckless crushes. Jinkyung entered the restaurant for now. He felt sorry for the two men, but he had no choice but to make an excuse and leave.

“Jinkyung. Hyung-nim told me to come to Yongpyong this winter to go skiing. He says he has a condo membership.”

“I’ve never been skiing before.”

“You can learn. It’s easy.”

Sangil nodded at Jinyoung’s words.

“You’re supposed to learn by rolling around. We’ll roll with you, so let’s go.”

“Sure. I’ll think about it. But right now I…”

He tried to say he should get going. That is, until someone sat down right next to him.

Jinkyung slowly turned his head.

…Sitting there was something…someone who shouldn’t be there.

“Hello.”

Seongha, wearing a hat pulled low, greeted them in a low voice. Where on earth did he even come from?

Fierce golden eyes stared back and forth at the two men across the table.

“…Seongha-ssi….”

The blood wasn’t reaching Jinkyung’s brain, so he couldn’t even speak properly. He just stared at Seongha sitting beside him.

“Uh, what is this guy? Where did he suddenly pop up from?”

As expected, Sangil, who never had a good memory of their meetings, didn’t hide hostility.

“Wa-wait a second, Sangil. Later, I-I’ll… Seongha-ssi, how on earth are you here….”

Jinkyung stammered, trying to manage the situation.

It hadn’t been three minutes, not even one minute, since he hung up the phone. He couldn’t understand how the man appeared before his eyes.

“I saw you while passing by. Why? Am I not allowed to join?”

Seongha replied brazenly while looking at Jinkyung.

A passage from a paper Jinkyung read recently flashed through his mind.

Leopards enjoyed ambush-style hunting. Their body patterns were also a deception for lurking. They waited silently and then pounced on their prey at the decisive moment.

He probably parked nearby and watched for the perfect timing to enter the shop.

“Ah, so you two are still seeing each other.”

Jinkyung’s hair stood on end at that single comment from across the table.

…Ah, Go Jinyoung.

Seongha looked at Jinyoung with a ‘what are you talking about?’ expression.

“Hyung-nim, I told you earlier. This guy is a total pushover. Do you still do it for him for free?”

Jinyoung’s expression hardened at Sangil’s remark.

“Then… you do it for money?”

At Jinyoung’s question, Sangil took a serious tone this time.

“Of course. You have to take what’s due. Stop acting like a pushover for free. Once or twice is enough. I told you to take a hundred thousand won per hour.”

Since a specific amount was mentioned, Jinkyung really wanted to die. All he could think about was how he just wanted to drop dead right then and there.

“Sangil, well, that’s because….”

The moment a pale Jinkyung tried to make an excuse, Jinyoung cut in.

“Even so, isn’t it wrong to take money in that kind of relationship?”

Jinyoung was very generous to those he dated. He didn’t spare time or money. However, a relationship maintained by giving money was something his view on romance couldn’t tolerate.

“What are you saying, hyung-nim? Then what kind of relationship do you take money in?”

Sangil replied as if to say, ‘look at the flowery garden inside this rich brat’s head.’

To Seo Sangil, Jinkyung and Seongha were a former private tutor and student.

“No, money shouldn’t be involved in that.”

…To Go Jinyoung, Jinkyung and Seongha were just a couple he was grateful for because two men were dating each other.

“No, then are you saying he should keep doing it for him for free?”

“Then you take money for it?”

The conversation continued because the subject wasn’t revealed, but it was a conversation where the subject must never be revealed.

“Excuse me, well, I….”

Pale with fear, Jinkyung stammered while looking back and forth at the two. He had to say something. He had to fix the atmosphere….

“Why? Do you need money?”

Then Seongha poured oil onto the flaming misunderstanding.

…Gasoline, no, premium fuel.

Holding the fuel nozzle with the most handsome face in the world, Seongha continued while looking at Jinkyung.

“If you need money, I’ll give it to you.”

“Take it!”

“You shouldn’t take it!”

The two shouted at the same time. Jinkyung’s breath caught. He buried his face on the table while clutching his head.

I should die. …But I can’t even die because we promised to die together. What do I do?

It was then. The one who extinguished the blazing mess was a completely unexpected person.

“Jinkyung-sunbae…?”

Jinkyung lifted his head at the voice from above. A beauty whose looks could make anyone’s eyes snap open was smiling and waving.

“Hello. It’s been a while. I see you in a place like this.”

It was Jung Seyoung. …The one he hadn’t seen in a very long time, not since that time back then.

“Uh…. Yes…. Hel…lo.”

Jinkyung stood up instinctively and greeted her.

“I don’t know who you are, but please sit here. Sit and say your hellos comfortably.”

Jinyoung quickly stood up and pulled a chair from the next table.

“No, it’s okay. I’m here with friends, so I have to go soon.”

Jung Seyoung smiled and pointed at her friends at another table. Since it was near the school, she seemed to have stopped by with her friends too.

Seongha didn’t even spare her a glance. His guard was set only toward the two men.

“How do you know her? Isn’t she a celebrity?”

Sangil asked, surprised by his friend’s unexpected connection.

“A junior from school.”

Jinkyung made a quick excuse.

It was a bad combination. Two past unrequited loves, one person who confessed to him, and one big cat he was currently dating.

…Even if someone tried to set the stage on purpose, they couldn’t do it like this.

It felt as if a god had fired a hundred arrows of misfortune right into the top of his head.

“I’ve never seen her at our school.”

Jinyoung replied with a very dark and resentful face.

The incident with Jung Seyoung happened Jinyoung went to the military, so there was no way he knew about their relationship. After that, Jinkyung went to the military and Jung Seyoung took a leave of absence. Jinyoung returned to school after that. It was natural that the timelines of the three didn’t match.

“I’m in the Sculpture Department. I attended for a short bit and then took a leave, so you probably wouldn’t know.”

Jung Seyoung replied with a smile.

Jinyoung stared at Jinkyung. The latter could see the reproach in his eyes.

…What were you doing not introducing me to someone like this?

“I-I also only talked to her for a moment, haha…. I should get going now.”

It would look natural to leave now. No, even if it looked unnatural, he had to get up.

Jinkyung rose from his seat with his hands on the table.

“We only talked for a bit, but I got rejected.”

“What?”

“Excuse me?”

“…Pardon…?”

Jung Seyoung continued with a bright smile.

“I asked him to have a meal together if he had time, but he said he was too busy studying. I thought I misheard him, so I asked twice more. I was really hurt back then.”

A ringing sound pierced Jinkyung’s ears, and his spine went stiff. It felt as if someone had poured liquid nitrogen over his head. He froze, unable to even lift a finger.

That was when it happened. With a crack, bloody shards of glass fell from the water glass in Seongha’s hand.

“Seongha-ssi!”

Jinkyung finally snapped out of it and grabbed Mok Seongha’s wrist, his face turning pale.

“Let go of this. You’re bleeding.”

“……”

Mok Seongha didn’t say a word. However, he didn’t let go of the glass in his grip.

“I’ll be going first. I’ll pay for the bill, so …here is my card.”

Jinkyung put the card down and stood up.

“Are you okay? Use this to stop the bleeding.”

Jung Seyoung took a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it over. Then, her eyes met Mok Seongha’s, which were hidden under his low-set hat. As the cold golden eyes glared at her, Jung Seyoung froze in place, startled in more ways than one.

“I’ll contact you later.”

Jinkyung quickly said goodbye and stood up. He couldn’t even see the other people. He quickly wrapped Seongha’s hand with the handkerchief and led him out of the shop.

“Let’s go to the hospital. If there are glass shards stuck inside, we have to get them out.”

Jinkyung tried to lead him toward the main road to catch a taxi. However, Mok Seongha wouldn’t budge.

“Seongha-ssi. If we want to catch a taxi….”

“…Do you?”

“Pardon?”

Jinkyung finally looked at Mok Seongha’s eyes. Pupils that had narrowed into slits were glaring at him.

“Do you like women, too?”

A warning siren went off in Jinkyung’s head. Mok Seongha’s eyes were glowing ominously. One more step here and it would be Airport Season 2.

Jinkyung tightened his grip on the hand holding Seongha and spoke in a serious voice while meeting his eyes.

“No, it’s not like that.”

“It’s not like that, but why did a woman…”

Mok Seongha noticed the handkerchief covering his hand and threw it to the ground. The wound, with blood trickling down, was revealed. Fortunately, he couldn’t see any glass shards stuck in the wound. Jinkyung took off his own jacket for now and wrapped it around Seongha’s hand.

“Come this way.”

He then led Mok Seongha into a deserted alley next to the shop and explained calmly.

“That person spilled coffee on her clothes, so I helped her for a moment. She asked to have a meal to say thank you, but I declined. That was the end of it.”

“That was the end of it?”

“Yes.”

Jinkyung answered firmly. He was confident about this. Even if he heard criticisms later that his standards were sky-high, it was a relationship without a single point of shame. Since that day, he had never run into her at the library or talked to her. The fact that she remembered him until now was surprising.

“You…”

Mok Seongha glared at Kim Jinkyung, then slumped down on the ground. Jinkyung crouched down in front of him.

“…Are you okay?”

“No.”

Mok Seongha answered shortly. He covered his face with his palms. His unstopped bleeding fingers left bloodstains on his face.

“…I didn’t think it through.”

Mok Seongha murmured in a rough, low voice.

When he thought about it, it was only natural.

A height taller than average and a slim body with well-defined, lean muscles. An appearance with features that didn’t hurt the eyes. A smart brain. A good scent and soft skin.

…Even the fact that he was a virgin but had incredible skills in bed.

The fact that Kim Jinkyung liked men was just his own personal business. If anyone had eyes and a brain, regardless of whether they were a woman or a man, it was only natural for anyone to like Kim Jinkyung.

“What do you mean?”

Concern for the other person was evident in the polite voice asking the question.

Even his heart is pretty, damn it.

Mok Seongha felt his stomach churn.

It was a Copernican revolution. He felt like he just moved to a round earth after living on a flat one. When he lived on a flat earth, he only had to be careful in four directions, but on a round earth, he had to think beyond the horizon.

“…Fuck.”

Mok Seongha covered his mouth. Startled, Jinkyung grabbed his shoulders.

“What’s wrong? Do you feel like throwing up? We shouldn’t stay here…”

Mok Seongha hugged Kim Jinkyung and kissed him right there.

“……!”

While sitting on the ground, Mok Seongha continued the kiss, leaning his weight onto Jinkyung’s body, who couldn’t respond properly because he was so shocked. Kim Jinkyung couldn’t even push Mok Seongha away and just kept his mouth open with wide eyes, and by the time he finally came to his senses, their locked lips pulled apart.

“…I feel terrible.”

After saying that, Mok Seongha suddenly transformed into a panther.

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“You’re ba…”

Secretary Kang, who opened the front door, couldn’t finish his sentence. A face covered in blood, an outfit where the top was missing and only the bottoms were barely hanging on, and a pale Kim Jinkyung following behind the young master.

He could guess what happened without even asking.

“Did he transform?”

“Ah, well, he did transform, then he came back right away..”

While Jinkyung made an excuse, Mok Seongha walked right between the two.

“Young Master. Why is your face in that state? Where did you get hurt this time?”

“I fell.”

Mok Seongha said unbelievable nonsense and went inside.

“..Did something happen?”

“Haha….”