Kiss the Scumbag

Thump… Thump… Thump…

Unlike the silence of the room, Yu-jin’s heartbeat was deafening, giving him the illusion that its sound was echoing throughout the study. He didn’t want his agitation to be noticed, but he had no way of knowing if he was successful. He did his best to keep a neutral expression, hoping desperately that Winston wouldn’t catch on.

Since returning to Delight, this was the third time Yu-jin had encountered Winston. However, it was the first time they were facing each other directly under such bright light. The first time had been in darkness, and the second, Yu-jin had deliberately avoided looking at him, too focused on the will. Only now could he take the time to examine Winston’s face carefully, feature by feature.

His thick, voluminous hair was neatly combed back without a single strand out of place. Beneath his dark eyebrows were deep-set eyes framed by long, slanted lashes. As Yu-jin’s gaze traveled down the sharp bridge of Winston’s nose, he saw firmly pressed full lips and a strong, chiseled jaw. Ah. He barely swallowed down a sigh as he realized—standing before him was a fully grown, mature man.

The boy who had once whispered sweetly to him no longer existed. Instead, an unfamiliar man stared at him with an expression of chilling indifference, yet in his eyes was the unmistakable look of someone who had been wounded.

How ridiculous. Yu-jin was the one who had been hurt, yet Winston looked as if he were the injured party.

Winston simply looked at him without saying a word. Yu-jin, too, remained silent. The tense stillness between them felt as though it would stretch on indefinitely. But unexpectedly, Winston was the one to break it first.

“Why don’t you sit?”

Following Winston’s casual nod, Yu-jin hesitated before finally moving. It irritated him, feeling as if he were just obeying an order, but he couldn’t stand there forever. Hadn’t he already resolved to accept whatever proposal came his way? If he couldn’t even manage this much, how was he supposed to deal with everything else that lay ahead? His personal feelings were an insignificant issue compared to his current predicament.

Not again. Never again.

He reminded himself firmly. He had to be rational, stay cold, and adapt to the situation. Winston wouldn’t make any unreasonable demands. After all, they were both in the same difficult position because of the will. At worst, Winston might try to toy with him a little, but Yu-jin could handle that.

Yu-jin sat back down in the wingback chair—the same seat he had occupied when the will was read. He straightened his back and locked eyes with Winston. Winston narrowed his gaze slightly as he watched Yu-jin settle into the very chair where, in his imagination, he had violated him.

The scent of ambient pheromones, usually faint, became noticeably stronger in the air. Winston, keenly aware of it, knew that Yu-jin must have noticed as well. Yet, Yu-jin showed no visible reaction. Suppressing a flicker of irritation, Winston pushed himself away from the desk he had been leaning on and asked,

“Tea is fine, right?”

“Ah… Yeah…”

Even before Yu-jin could answer, Winston was already reaching for the teapot on the desk. Lifting the tea cozy that covered it, he poured the still-hot tea into a cup before picking up the bottle of brandy beside it. Yu-jin instinctively parted his lips to protest but quickly shut them again.

Would drinking be the better option?

Yu-jin knew he needed to keep a clear head, but his nerves were so tightly wound that he could already feel the beginnings of a migraine. If that was the case, perhaps it would be better to ease the tension just a little. A few drops of brandy—surely that wasn’t too much.

He watched as Winston added a spoonful of honey to the tea, stirring it lightly to finish preparing the drink.

Step…

Suddenly, Winston moved. The steady sound of his footsteps echoed across the herringbone-patterned floor. One step, then another. The eerie rhythm of his approaching footsteps filled the otherwise silent study, making Yu-jin instinctively tense. His shoulders hunched slightly, his breath catching as he unconsciously pressed himself back into the chair. Just as he braced himself, Winston stopped.

Ah.

Blocking the only exit, Winston stood towering over him, looking down. The realization that his escape route had been cut off drained the color from Yu-jin’s face. His uneasy gaze darted past Winston toward the door, but Winston pretended not to notice and casually extended a teacup toward him.

“Here.”

His voice was as composed as ever, but Yu-jin’s mouth went completely dry.

“T-Thanks.”

Accepting the teacup and saucer with both hands, Yu-jin parted his lips to speak, only to be startled by how hoarse his voice was. He hurriedly cleared his throat to steady it. Winston silently watched as Yu-jin lowered his gaze and took a sip, wetting his parched lips.

“How’s the scent?”

“…It’s nice.”

Yu-jin answered cautiously. Silence settled between them once more. What was Winston thinking? His expression remained unreadable, making Yu-jin even more anxious.

Slurp…

So focused on Winston, Yu-jin ended up making an audible noise as he sipped his tea. The unexpected sound echoed awkwardly in the quiet room, making him flush with embarrassment. He hastily lowered the cup onto his lap, mortified.

He felt utterly pathetic, fumbling like this. What the hell is wrong with me? He wasn’t a teenager anymore—he needed to get a grip.

How do I expect to protect Angie when I’m like this?

Rebuking himself harshly, Yu-jin took a deep breath before finally speaking, determined to take the lead in the conversation.

“Um—”

“How is it, living here?”

Winston spoke at nearly the exact same moment. Yu-jin faltered, momentarily thrown off before answering reluctantly.

“It’s… fine. But—”

“Good. If anything bothers you, let me know. I’ll do what I can.”

Even as Yu-jin tried to continue, Winston effortlessly took control of the conversation again. Yu-jin, caught off guard, could only stare at him in disbelief as Winston spoke as if it were nothing.

“As long as you’re not saying you want to go back to where you used to live.”

At that, Yu-jin realized that when Winston had mentioned here, he hadn’t been referring to Delight as a whole but specifically to that old annex.

“I haven’t thought about that.”

The place he was currently staying was far from comfortable, but he didn’t particularly care. He hadn’t expected to be here this long in the first place.

When he heard the contents of the will, he had assumed that as soon as he received even a small sum of money, he would leave immediately.

A bitter mix of frustration and unease churned inside him.

“It wasn’t really my home, anyway…”

His voice trailed off as he lowered his head. This was why he hadn’t wanted to come back. There were too many memories here. And it wasn’t the painful or humiliating ones that tormented him the most—it was the happy ones.

Because he had so few of those.

And that made them too precious to let go.

The past crept in without warning, making him feel fragile. After a moment of hesitation, Yu-jin cautiously asked,

“…Who lives there now?”

He couldn’t bring himself to look up as he asked. Winston’s response was flat, emotionless.

“No one.”

Slowly, Yu-jin lifted his gaze.

“No one…?”

He could hear the faint tremor in his own voice. The uncertainty in his words made Winston speak again.

“Yeah. It hasn’t been used in a long time.”

“…I see.”

With nothing else to say, Yu-jin fell silent. The past he had carefully buried resurfaced so easily, triggered by the smallest thing. His head felt light, and for a moment, he could hear the echoes of laughter from that day, drifting faintly through his mind.

Those brilliant days that had, for a fleeting moment, made him believe in a different future.

But it had all been an illusion.

“…So you never went back there either.”

Yu-jin murmured the words as if speaking to himself.

He had spent so many nights in that empty annex, terrified and utterly alone. Then, one day, Winston had found him, and Yu-jin’s life had changed forever.

He had once believed he would live and die alone.

And now, that once desolate annex—where he had been so desperately lonely—was the very place he longed for.

The youthful face of a boy, bright with laughter, overlapped with the image of the grown man standing before him. Lost in distant memories, Yu-jin stared blankly, chasing after fleeting remnants of the past.

Yu-jin.

A cheerful, laughter-tinged voice resurfaced vividly. The warmth of a gentle kiss. The sweetness of whispered words.

I love you.

…Ah.