Vol 1 Ch 15

“You get called an idiot a lot, don’t you?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“A pushover, a moron, things like that.”

 

“…Ahaha.”

 

Inside the restroom, Kim Jinkyung unbuttoned his coffee-stained shirt and laughed feebly.

 

He hadn’t expected a thank you, but to be called an ‘idiot, pushover, moron’ after taking a coffee for him…

 

“Why did you take the coffee for me there? Are you a half-wit?”

 

Mok Seongha, leaning against the door outside, chided him again.

 

Right, why did I do that? Why did I make a fuss about tutoring outside in the first place?

 

Kim Jinkyung grumbled inwardly and took off his shirt. A white t-shirt was passed over the top of the stall door. He had immediately contacted the bodyguards who were waiting nearby and had them bring a change of clothes.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Kim Jinkyung buried his face in the new clothes, which still had crisp fold lines.

 

“You don’t need to sue her?”

 

Mok Seongha had already repeated the same question three times. He said that if he wanted, he would find out her name, resident registration number, and even where she lived, and assign a lawyer to sue her.

 

“It’s fine. I think she just made a mistake in the heat of the moment.”

 

The fact that the woman had thrown the coffee at an awkward spot rather than at his face also suggested that. She had looked quite flustered herself after realizing it was hot coffee.

 

“It was because of the perfume, wasn’t it?”

 

“……”

 

“You probably don’t eat tangerines or oranges at all, then.”

 

It was a joke meant to lighten the mood. Only a cold silence returned from outside the door.

 

“Still, you shouldn’t say things like that from now on.”

 

Did he have to teach him every little thing like this? Kim Jinkyung let out a small sigh and undid the buckle to take off his pants. As he pulled them down, a stinging pain spread.

 

“Ngh…”

 

He checked below and saw the red burn mark was still there. The coffee, thrown at an awkward angle, had soaked his pants and burned him.

 

“Does it still hurt?”

 

He had been holding ice on it until he received the new clothes and came straight to the restroom. Kim Jinkyung looked down at his red thigh and frowned slightly.

 

This is going to last a few days.

 

“Hey.”

 

Mok Seongha slapped the door with his palm.

 

“Yes?”

 

Kim Jinkyung answered, startled.

 

“Does it hurt?”

 

“Ah, it stings a little. But it’s okay. This much, if I put some ointment on it for a few days…”

 

Will it blister a little?

 

Kim Jinkyung slowly took off his pants, which were damp with water and coffee.

 

“…Why did you do it?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Why did you take the hit there? It wouldn’t have mattered if I got hurt, anyway.”

 

Kim Jinkyung was so dumbfounded he let out a short laugh.

 

“Why wouldn’t it matter?”

 

“……”

 

“Just because the wound disappears doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt you.”

 

Kim Jinkyung continued as he took off his coffee-stained white sneakers.

 

“It hurts just the same whether it’s me or you, Seongha-ssi. Besides, if by some chance an accident happened…”

 

Just imagining a black panther suddenly appearing in front of all those people gave him the chills. In this day and age, a video spreading on social media couldn’t be contained no matter how much money you threw at it.

 

“I wouldn’t have transformed from just that. You know that.”

 

He had said he had to be soaked from head to toe. He knew.

 

“But you never know. And I’m your teacher, in name at least, so it’s better than the student getting hurt. Haha.”

 

Kim Jinkyung placed his wet pants over the top of the door. He thought he would be handed new pants right away, but a long time passed with no news.

 

“Excuse me, the pants…”

 

“Open the door.”

 

“Pardon? Open what door…”

 

“Open this door.”

 

Mok Seongha slapped the restroom door again with his hand. Kim Jinkyung was horrified.

 

“Why would I open this?”

 

“Open it.”

 

Kim Jinkyung grabbed the latch on the stall door. It seemed the big, black cat in a man’s body, who was not yet fully socialized, didn’t know how bizarre it was for two men to be in a cramped restroom stall.

 

“If you have something to say, just say it from out…”

 

Bang! The stall door shook. The latch broke with an unbelievable snap. Kim Jinkyung was so shocked he froze on the spot.

 

“What on earth are you…”

 

Instead of answering, Mok Seongha pushed Kim Jinkyung into the stall. Then he closed the door and strode inside.

 

“Why, why. Suddenly…”

 

“Which side is it?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Where the coffee was spilled. Which side?”

 

Mok Seongha’s gaze dropped. Only then did Kim Jinkyung remember that he was pantless.

 

“Huk.”

 

Horrified, Kim Jinkyung tried to cover himself with his t-shirt, but it was no use.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Mok Seongha looked down at Kim Jinkyung with an expression that said, what the hell.

 

“No, just a moment. Why did you suddenly come in… Please leave. People will get the wrong idea if they see.”

 

Kim Jinkyung tried to push Mok Seongha away with one hand. But he didn’t budge an inch.

 

“So what? It’s not like I’m into men.”

 

“I am—… Just get out, please.”

 

“Is it the right side?”

 

Mok Seongha reached out and grabbed Kim Jinkyung’s thigh.

 

“Aack!”

 

Kim Jinkyung shrieked, several times more horrified than before.

 

“It’s going to blister.”

 

“Leave it alone. Let it blister.”

 

He had at least the freedom to let it blister.

 

Mok Seongha called out, “Hey,” to Kim Jinkyung.

 

Kim Jinkyung wanted to cry.

 

Seriously, why are you doing this to me?

 

“You keep a secret.”

 

“I don’t want to!”

 

He already had a pile of secrets he was keeping; he didn’t want to add another one.

 

“Don’t tell Secretary Kang either.”

 

“I hate that even more.”

 

Kim Jinkyung shook his head. It was always Secretary Kang who brought the contracts. Being told not to tell him meant this was something truly difficult to handle.

 

“Got it?”

 

“I said I don’t…”

 

Mok Seongha bent one leg and knelt on the floor. Gripping Kim Jinkyung’s thigh in one hand, he made him place his leg on his own thigh.

 

The position left the space between his legs wide open, and Kim Jinkyung felt the blood rush to his head, his vision spinning. Tears welled up in his eyes. But the situation that truly made him want to cry came next.

 

“……!”

 

Mok Seongha brought his mouth to Kim Jinkyung’s thigh. Kim Jinkyung was so shocked he almost fell backward, but Mok Seongha caught and supported him with his other arm.

 

“Stay still.”

 

“Are you, are you cra—”

 

Mok Seongha raised his gaze. His eyes were like blooming golden flowers. It felt like a golden shard was embedding itself in his heart. Kim Jinkyung grabbed his hair and tried to push him away, but he truly didn’t move a single millimeter. Watching Kim Jinkyung tremble as he strained, Mok Seongha let out a smirk. His laugh could be felt on his thigh.

 

Kim Jinkyung wanted to live a long life. Not because he had any grand ambitions, but because his dream was simply to live a quiet life like that. Especially since he didn’t want to be an unfilial son to his parents while they were alive, he absolutely could not die young.

 

But.

 

“……!”

 

…I want to die.

 

For a moment, Kim Jinkyung intensely wished for death. The instant the nose of the man who was holding his leg and laughing brushed against his thigh, he had almost crossed a river of no return.

 

“You can’t. What on earth are you doing?”

 

Regaining his senses, Kim Jinkyung grabbed Mok Seongha’s head with both hands. The thick, soft hair wrapped around his fingers.

 

“You said it’s better for the teacher to get hurt than the student.”

 

Every time he spoke, Mok Seongha’s breath touched his inner thigh. A shiver ran up to the tips of his hair, and Kim Jinkyung held his breath.

 

“But no matter how I think about it, I think it’s better if I’m the one who gets hurt.”

 

“No…”

 

“So I think this is the only way to make it fair.”

 

Having said that, Mok Seongha began to lick Kim Jinkyung’s thigh.