Vol 1 Ch 4

When a problem arose, Kim Jinkyung’s specialty was to research, delve into, and find a solution. Following the advice of his friend’s sister, who owned a cat, he diligently investigated the characteristics and behaviors of cats. He assumed that since black panthers were also felines, their characteristics wouldn’t be significantly different.

 

Cats hated strong citrus scents, territorial invasion, sudden and forceful physical contact, loud noises, chocolate, and so on.

 

“This should be enough.”

 

Kim Jinkyung adjusted his bag in front of the imposing gate. He had put on perfume for the first time in his life and had even prepared chocolate in his bag. Knowing that Mok Seongha hated loud noises, he had set his phone’s ringtone to the maximum volume and set several alarms.

 

He had to be unlikeable, naturally, as if it were a mistake.

 

Kim Jinkyung took a deep breath and rang the bell. He heard the sound of the intercom camera turning on, and this time, the door immediately clicked open.

 

Kim Jinkyung checked his watch. It was ten minutes before the appointed time. He had wanted to arrive exactly on time, but he couldn’t overcome his ingrained diligence.

 

“Hello.”

 

He recognized the secretary who had taken him home last time, or rather, had taken him home while delivering a lengthy threat, and greeted him. The secretary briefly bowed his head and then stared at Kim Jinkyung with narrowed eyes.

 

“……”

 

“…What’s wrong?”

 

Don’t tremble. I haven’t done anything wrong.

 

Kim Jinkyung asked as naturally as possible.

 

“Nothing. Well, you’ll have to experience it to understand. Let’s go.”

 

The secretary led Kim Jinkyung inside. Mok Seongha was sitting and waiting in the study.

 

“Hello… sir.”

 

Kim Jinkyung greeted him, and Mok Seongha acknowledged him briefly. Kim Jinkyung put down his bag and rummaged through it to take out the printouts he had prepared. Even though this tutoring job was terrible, work was work, so he had stayed up all night preparing materials.

 

“Um, before we start the tutoring, I’ve prepared some problems to assess your academic achievement level. This is…”

 

Before he could finish speaking, Mok Seongha frowned.

 

“Hey.”

 

Because of the cold, low voice, Mok Seongha’s call felt like throwing a solid snowball.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Go wash up.”

 

“What?”

 

Kim Jinkyung was startled by the sudden words.

 

“Take off all your clothes, too.”

 

“What? What? What?!”

 

Mok Seongha put the pen down on the table with a frustrated expression.

 

“Go wash up!”

 

“Yes!”

 

Kim Jinkyung jumped up and went outside. Outside the door, the secretary was waiting with clothes and a towel, as if he had expected it.

 

“If it were someone else, they would be dead. He didn’t kill you because you’re a teacher, out of respect for his mentor.”

 

It was a consolation that didn’t help even a tiny bit.

 

“That much fragrance is violence to the young master.”

 

Kim Jinkyung felt a little sorry at those words.

 

“Wash three times.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

I should wash four times.

 

Kim Jinkyung answered weakly. When he returned after showering, Mok Seongha was reading the printouts Kim Jinkyung had prepared.

 

“I’ve washed up.”

 

“Sit.”

 

“Yes.”

 

It felt like the teacher and student roles had been reversed. Mok Seongha flipped through the printouts and asked.

 

“Is this a test?”

 

Mok Seongha’s hand pointed to the printouts Kim Jinkyung had put down.

 

“Ah, yes. Please think of it as a test and solve it.”

 

“How long do I have?”

 

“Twenty minutes. Let’s just do a simple math test today.”

 

Mok Seongha took the printouts with an extremely serious expression. His hand holding the pencil moved diligently. Kim Jinkyung sat quietly and waited for Mok Seongha to solve the problems. While solving the problems, Mok Seongha concentrated without any distraction.

 

I guess the perfume smell is gone now.

 

Feeling guilty about the expression “violence,” Kim Jinkyung brought his wrist to his nose and checked the scent.

 

“Don’t worry. There’s no smell.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I mean, I don’t smell anything but your smell.”

 

“…Oh. …Yes.”

 

So he can smell my scent. …What kind of scent does he smell?

 

Kim Jinkyung secretly put his nose to his shoulder and smelled it, but he couldn’t smell anything.

 

“Why?”

 

Mok Seongha asked without looking up.

 

“Ah, it’s nothing. Fifteen minutes left.”

 

Mok Seongha started moving the pencil again.

 

“I’m done.”

 

He handed over the paper. The handwriting was unexpectedly neat.

 

Kim Jinkyung quickly matched it with the answers. After checking the results, he was momentarily speechless.

 

“Why?”

 

“Ah, well. …I think it would be good to go through the high school curriculum from the basics.”

 

Frankly, he needed to start over from the middle school curriculum. The problems Kim Jinkyung had brought today were the most basic problems in the unit, the kind of 2-point questions that were placed on the first page of mock exams.

 

“The exam is only a few months away, and you want me to study three years’ worth of material?”

 

…You need to do six years’ worth.

 

“It depends on which university you want to go to.”

 

It would be a different story if he was aiming for a university where you could get in with a waitlist number of 700, or one where everyone asks three times when you mention the name, or one where you could submit your application after the deadline and still get accepted.

 

“Seoul National University?”

 

“……”

 

This madman.

 

Kim Jinkyung held back the words he wanted to say.

 

“Just kidding.”

 

“Ahaha… haha.”

 

Kim Jinkyung gave an awkward laugh. However, realizing that it wasn’t a laughing matter, he immediately closed his mouth.

 

“What’s the next best university? Hangkuk University since we’re in Korea?”

 

“…There’s no such university.”

 

“Well, I haven’t really thought about which university to go to. It’s not like I want to go anyway. As long as it’s a four-year university in Seoul, it’s fine.”

 

“Then who wanted you to go?”

 

“The Chairman.”

 

Kim Jinkyung suddenly remembered that Mok Seongha was called “Young Master.”

 

He didn’t look like a ‘young master’ at all. Anyway, ‘Young Master.’ Does that mean there’s an older ‘Master’ too? Does that Chairman turn into a black panther when he touches water too? Is the whole family animals?!

 

No, that can’t be. I must have seen it wrong. Turning into a black panther when you touch water is something that only happens in fantasy novels. Maybe I should accidentally spill some water to check…

 

Kim Jinkyung glanced at the water glass. Mok Seongha put down the pencil. As if he had realized what he was thinking, he chuckled briefly.

 

“That much water won’t do. You have to get your hair completely wet.”

 

“Yes? Wh-what are you talking about?”

 

“Weren’t you going to spill it? You kept looking back and forth between the water glass and me.”

 

“No. Absolutely not.”

 

Kim Jinkyung’s pupils shook violently. He scolded himself severely in his mind for having such a wild thought, but it was already too late.

 

“I’m just thirsty.”

 

Kim Jinkyung made an excuse and gulped down the water.

 

“You get thirsty when you see me?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Why?”

 

Mok Seongha asked, tilting his head slightly.

 

…Can’t you just let it go?

 

This was the third time Kim Jinkyung had seen Mok Seongha, but he was convinced that his personality was persistent and not good.

 

“Ah, well, um…”

 

He tried to explain the correlation between thirst and fear, but his mouth froze, and he couldn’t get the words out properly. In the end, Kim Jinkyung chose the easy and cowardly path based on his survival instincts.

 

“…I, um, I like men so much that I get like this… I’m sorry.”

 

Kim Jinkyung swore to the heavens that he had never drooled over Mok Seongha or seen him as a sexual object. Even his crushes had just remained as mere feelings in his head. But in order to live, he had no choice but to take this path.

 

Mok Seongha inhaled slightly. Then he tilted his head and pushed the water glass in front of him forward.

 

“Drink.”

 

“Yes. Thank you…”

 

Kim Jinkyung quenched his parched throat, feeling like he was being waterboarded.

 

“Drink.”

 

Mok Seongha refilled the water glass again.

 

“No, I’m okay…”

 

“You’re thirsty, right? You said you like men.”

 

…I dug my own grave.

 

Kim Jinkyung emptied the water glass again.

 

“Here, drink some more.”

 

“……”

 

Kim Jinkyung silently emptied the next water glass. Mok Seongha finally emptied the entire water jug and then spoke with a smile.

 

“Well, now that you’ve quenched your thirst, shall we continue our conversation?”