Vol 1 Ch 19

A hand that reached out from behind took Kim Jinkyung’s wallet as it was. Startled, Kim Jinkyung turned around and saw Mok Seongha putting the wallet back into his own pocket with a blank expression.

 

“That’s mine.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Give it back.”

 

“I’ll hold onto it for a bit. And you.”

 

Mok Seongha pointed at Seo Sang-il and gestured with his eyes.

 

“Me? Are you talking to me right now?”

 

Seo Sang-il pointed at himself and asked back, as if he couldn’t believe it.

 

“Yeah, you. Come with me.”

 

Kim Jinkyung was horrified.

 

“Why are you doing this? Why him all of a sudden….”

 

“I just want to talk for a bit.”

 

“What are you going to talk about?”

 

Seo Sang-il laughed and retorted. As someone who exercised, he never refused a fight that came his way.

 

“If you have something to say, say it to me. I’ll pass it on.”

 

Kim Jinkyung desperately tried to stop Mok Seongha.

 

“Is that so?”

 

Mok Seongha surprisingly followed Kim Jinkyung’s words obediently. That was a relief. He was still a teacher, after all….

 

“Then ask him why that son of a bitch is extorting your money.”

 

“Yes, what? Extorting money?”

 

Kim Jinkyung asked back in horror.

 

“Yeah. What are you doing to a penniless beggar?”

 

“A penniless beggar? Me?”

 

Kim Jinkyung was mentally disoriented by the question, unsure whether he was trying to take his side or pick a fight.

 

“You don’t have any money.”

 

“…It’s not like I have absolutely none.”

 

“That’s practically none.”

 

From your perspective, almost everyone has practically nothing.

 

Kim Jinkyung rubbed his throbbing forehead with one hand.

 

“First, let’s get out of here….”

 

Kim Jinkyung calmly continued, trying to appease Mok Seongha.

 

“What? A penniless beggar?”

 

But the spark flew in an unexpected direction.

 

“Did you just call him a beggar?”

 

Seo Sang-il’s face turned fierce. Kim Jinkyung, sweating profusely inside, turned around to stop his friend this time.

 

“No, that’s not what I meant. That person is….”

 

“Does everyone look like a beggar to a Young Master from a rich family?”

 

…Friend. At least I’m not a dog or a cow.

 

“Dogs and cows are beggars. Do dogs and cows have money?”

 

It was a battlefield of ignorance that was beyond childish. People around them started whispering while looking in their direction. The bodyguards also sensed something was wrong and were watching them. It was clear that they would intervene if Mok Seongha caused a disturbance. Kim Jinkyung decided that it would be better to stop Seo Sang-il, who was at least a year older.

 

“Seo Sang-il. Let’s talk later. Okay?”

 

“You’re being treated like this while tutoring? You’re listening to that kind of talk for a few extra bucks?”

 

It wasn’t just a few extra bucks. But this wasn’t the time to discuss that.

 

“Why are you being like this? To him.”

 

“Him? He’s bigger than you by a head, how is he a kid? Quit right now. If you have nowhere to go, you can stay in our house’s entryway. If you’re short on money, I’ll even take out a loan to help you.”

 

Seo Sang-il’s strength was his loyalty. He basically took good care of his people. But in this situation, that strength wasn’t helpful at all.

 

“What loan? No, let’s talk later. Okay? Later. I’ll explain everything to you.”

 

Kim Jinkyung grabbed Seo Sang-il’s arm and earnestly tried to persuade him. Mok Seongha’s cold gaze swept over the two of them.

 

“Hey. Come here. You’ll get his smell on you.”

 

He pulled Kim Jinkyung’s arm.

 

“What? Smell?”

 

I told you not to talk about smell!

 

Kim Jinkyung turned to Mok Seongha in horror.

 

“Why are you being so nice to someone who’s trying to extort money from you?”

 

Even as he spoke to Kim Jinkyung, Mok Seongha glared at Seo Sang-il.

 

“He’s not extorting money, he’s borrowing it. He’s my friend. A high school classmate.”

 

“What money is he borrowing from you? He’d be squeezing water from a stone.”

 

“…Not water, but blood….” (actual quote was ‘He might as well sell a flea’s spleen<liver>’ which has the same meaning as the idiom I changed it to)

 

He’d have to reschedule his Korean tutoring session as soon as he got back.

 

“Kim Jinkyung. You really should quit right now. Write your resignation.”

 

“Even if he gives me his resignation, I won’t accept it. He’s going to teach me until he dies.”

 

Until I die? Does that mean I’m dying after the college entrance exam?

 

Kim Jinkyung really wanted to cry.

 

“Who are you to tell someone else’s friend what to do?”

 

“Friend, my ass. Hey, are you really his friend?”

 

“Yes, I am.”

 

Kim Jinkyung shouted as if he felt wronged.

 

“He looks at least ten years older than you?”

 

“He just looks a bit old.”

 

“Not a friend, but doing that thing with you….”

 

“Aaaagh!”

 

Kim Jinkyung screamed and covered Mok Seongha’s mouth with both hands. It wasn’t just Seo Sang-il who was surprised by his sudden action. Mok Seongha also raised his eyebrows and looked down at Kim Jinkyung.

 

“……?”

 

“Don’t say it.”

 

It was the first time. It was the first time Kim Jinkyung had spoken informally to Mok Seongha.

 

“Absolutely. Absolutely. Don’t say it.”

 

Mok Seongha nodded his head in a daze. Kim Jinkyung turned around and shouted to Seo Sang-il.

 

“Seo Sang-il, let’s talk later. Buy the coffee yourself.”

 

“Hey. Kim Jinkyung.”

 

“Later!”

 

Kim Jinkyung dragged Mok Seongha out of the cafe. After taking him to a corner of the deserted parking lot, Kim Jinkyung let go of the hand that had been covering Mok Seongha’s mouth.

 

“What on earth are you doing? Are you crazy?”

 

“What?”

 

Mok Seongha asked with a face that really didn’t understand.

 

“…Why are you telling him that I like men?”

 

Kim Jinkyung lowered his voice as much as possible, afraid someone would hear, and criticized Mok Seongha.

 

“Why shouldn’t I tell him?”

 

“Who goes around telling other people that kind of thing?”

 

“You told me the first day we met.”

 

“…….”

 

He did. Several times, in fact. He repeatedly emphasized that he liked him very much.

 

“Am I not someone?”

 

“…You’re a complete stranger.”

 

“Then why?”

 

Mok Seongha continued.

 

“Why can’t you tell him something you told a complete stranger, if he’s your friend like you claim?”

 

Where should he start explaining?

 

Kim Jinkyung sighed.

 

“…There are some things that are harder to talk about with people you’re close to.”

 

“What’s so hard about it? Are you going to get shot if you say you like men?”

 

“What are you even talking about….”

 

Kim Jinkyung was about to retort, but he stopped himself. It wasn’t a question meant to tease or ridicule him. He was genuinely curious. This person, who had lived alone at home for almost his entire life, severely lacked “social norms.”

 

“…It’s not like that, but.”

 

“Then, why.”

 

Kim Jinkyung had no intention of telling anyone that he liked men. At first because he was scared, and later because he was afraid.

 

Kim Jinkyung hunched his shoulders and barely managed to answer.

 

“…I thought he’d be disappointed in me.”

 

“I’m not disappointed in you.”

 

Kim Jinkyung smiled awkwardly and said thank you. He wasn’t thankful at all, actually. Because if you don’t have expectations, you can’t be disappointed.

 

“As long as you don’t do that disgusting thing in front of me.”

 

“…I won’t.”

 

“Then that’s fine.”

 

“…….”

 

He felt strangely complicated.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“But you really didn’t get extorted, did you?”

 

Mok Seongha lowered his head, met his eyes, and asked. A hint of worry flashed in his fierce eyes, which were slightly upturned.

 

…Why is this dead cat acting so kind?

 

Kim Jinkyung avoided his gaze and answered no.

 

“He really is a high school friend. …Here, a picture.”

 

Kim Jinkyung found a picture he had taken in high school on his phone and showed it to Mok Seongha. Mok Seongha stared silently at Kim Jinkyung in his school uniform before opening his mouth.

 

“Why do you look the same?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“You and the one in the school uniform.”

 

“What’s the same? I even went to the army.”

 

“It’s the same.”

 

Mok Seongha snatched the phone from Kim Jinkyung’s hand and swiped through the pictures. There were several pictures of a boy in a school uniform. Then a picture of Seo Sang-il sleeping on his desk came up. Kim Jinkyung reached out and quickly grabbed the phone back.

 

“It’s my personal life, so stop looking.”

 

…I took that a while ago and forgot about it. I need to delete it right away.

 

As Kim Jinkyung turned around to delete the picture, Mok Seongha tilted his head.

 

“It’s just a picture of him sleeping. It’s not a lewd picture, so why?”

 

Kim Jinkyung turned to Mok Seongha in horror.

 

“…Did you see it?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Mok Seongha pointed to his eyes.

 

“I can see things that move really well.”

 

“…….”

 

Of course, you’re a leopard.

 

Kim Jinkyung felt like his head was about to explode. Fortunately, that big cat, who didn’t know anything about romantic feelings, wouldn’t know the meaning of that picture….

 

“But that’s unexpected.”

 

“Yes? What is?”

 

“That you’d have that kind of taste.”

 

“…….”

 

Kim Jinkyung’s face turned pale. Mok Seongha looked down at Kim Jinkyung as if he didn’t understand and drove the nail in.

 

“You have low standards.”