Kiss Me if You Can Novel Completed - Chapter 115

Opening the door to the room at the end of the hallway, Josh said,

“This is Pete’s room.”

Chase cautiously stepped into the wide-open door. Pete, who had been riding on Josh’s shoulders until then, felt secure upon entering his own room and began to wiggle his bottom as usual.

“Sit.”

Josh offered Chase the chair next to the bed, then began rummaging through the children’s bookshelf. Soon, he pulled out an album.

“This is a picture from when he was just born. This is the hospital.”

Josh explained, turning the pages one by one. The first time he held Pete, when they went to the park together, when Pete first started crawling—every record was there. Chase listened to Josh’s words one by one, staring intently at the turning photos as if engraving them onto his retina. He didn’t even breathe, as if afraid to miss a single word from Josh.

“Jason.”

Pete, who was sitting on Josh’s shoulder and looking at his own pictures with him, suddenly pointed to one. It showed a younger Pete holding his cherished puppy doll. Josh paused his hand for a moment, then replied, “Yes.”

“That’s Jason.”

Pete was silent for a while. He didn’t wiggle his bottom either. Seeing the child quietly staring at the photo, Chase felt a heaviness in his chest. As if knowing Chase’s feelings, Josh said casually,

“It’s not your fault.”

Soon after, he turned the page of the album. Pete flinched but didn’t throw a tantrum. Josh continued to speak.

“We can buy a new puppy doll next time. I forgot about it too, should we get a tiger doll this time?”

Josh pulled Pete’s small body closer and kissed his cheek, asking. Pete, still fixated on the album, replied,

“Dog, I like dogs.”

“…”

“Pete likes dogs.”

The child emphasized it once more, but neither Josh nor Chase could react to his words.

“Ahem.”

After a few seconds of silence, Josh cleared his throat.

“Pete, I have something to tell you. It’s very important.”

“Huh?”

Pete then turned his attention to Josh’s face. Josh picked him up and set him on the floor. Chase vaguely guessed what he was about to say, but it was too early to judge. So, instead of speaking, he pretended to be nonchalant about his subtle excitement and waited for Josh to speak. Josh looked into Pete’s eyes and opened his mouth.

“Pete, you met this person before, didn’t you? Do you remember?”

As Josh cautiously began, Pete turned his head as he was told. Chase, who was secretly nervous, met the child’s gaze. Chase realized his expression had frozen for a moment, but it was already too late. The child flinched and suddenly jumped into Josh’s arms.

It’s okay.

Before Chase could be disappointed, Josh mouthed the words first.

He likes you.

The first time he met Pete, Josh had said the same thing. Then too, Pete had buried himself in Josh’s arms, busy avoiding Chase. Of course, Josh knew Pete well, but does he really like me? Chase lost his confidence.

Seeing Chase’s disheartened expression, Josh turned his attention back to the child.

“Pete, you met him before. Don’t you remember? He saved you.”

Josh reluctantly played his last card.

“The day you lost Jason.”

At those words, Pete reacted for the first time. Pete, who had only lifted his head from Josh’s arms, blinked.

“Yes.”

Josh nodded.

“That’s him, Pete. The hero who saved you.”

At the word “hero,” Chase felt embarrassed and quickly cleared his throat. The child looked back at Chase with a confused expression. After blinking a few times, he turned his face back to Josh and suddenly pouted.

“Lie.”

“It’s not a lie.”

“It’s a lie, his hair color is different.”

Only then did Josh realize why Pete had been so shy. Chase had dyed his hair black for filming at the time, but now that filming was over, he had returned to his original blonde. This naturally caused confusion for the child, and as a result, Pete didn’t recognize Chase.

For a moment, Chase and Josh were speechless. They didn’t know how to persuade the child. Who would have thought there would be such an unexpected obstacle? They had barely broken down the barrier with the child, only to be back at square one.

“…I should have kept dyeing it.”

“No, I like your blonde hair.”

Josh immediately refuted Chase’s lament. Chase gave a wry smile, but his gaze returned to Pete. Josh pondered for a moment how to overcome this situation. Even if he didn’t think of him as the same person as the hero from that day, it was clear that Pete had a favorable impression of Chase. Josh knew better than anyone. Above all, this reaction of constantly burrowing into Josh was proof. Pete had shown the same reaction when he met Yeon-woo before, and when he first met Chase at the amusement park.

Right.

Thinking that far, Josh pulled Pete away from his embrace. He held the child, who was squirming to be hugged again, looked into his eyes, and asked,

“Pete, be honest. Do you like Chase?”

“…”

“Him, I mean.”

Josh briefly gestured with his chin, and Pete also turned his head. Their eyes met again, and suddenly Pete began to squirm.

“Waaah, kwaaah.”

“Okay, okay.”

This time, it was certain. Josh held Pete and spoke to Chase.

“It’s true, he likes you because you’re pretty.”

“Huh.”

To a dumbfounded Chase, Josh added seriously,

“He always acts like this when he meets someone whose looks he likes. You’ve seen it a few times before, trust me.”

Josh, emphasizing it again, then asked Pete,

“Am I right, Pete? Be honest.”

“…”

“Pete.”

When he called his name once more, the child finally turned his head to look at Chase. Perhaps because he had squirmed so much, or for some other reason, the child’s face was flushed red.

“…Pretty.”

After a long pause, Pete mumbled. And then he buried his face in Josh’s shoulder again. Josh looked at Chase with a triumphant expression. Chase still asked, half-doubting,

“Does that mean… he likes me?”

Josh turned his attention to Pete instead of answering.

“Pete, you have to answer.”

“…”

“Pete.”

Again, only after calling his name repeatedly did Pete finally react. But both Josh and Chase could clearly see it. The small nod of his head. Only then did Chase let out a sigh of relief. Josh smiled at Chase as if to say, ‘See?’, and stroked the child’s round head. Chase just watched them silently. Seeing Chase’s unfiltered bitter expression, Josh pondered for a moment before looking up.

“Chase.”

Just as he was about to speak, there was a knock, and then the door opened. Emma poked her head in, scanned the room once, then fixed her gaze on Josh.

“What are you doing? Come down and have some tea.”

Josh stood up, holding the child, and Chase also rose. His mother, who was waiting in the living room, exclaimed “Oh my!” when she saw them appear with the child.

“What a lovely sight. Don’t you think so, Emma?”

At his mother’s words, Josh merely gave an embarrassed smile. He didn’t check Chase’s expression. Emma, who appeared behind them, walked past Chase and Josh, sat in her seat, and replied indifferently,

“Well, the three of you don’t look bad together.”

“I should have taken a picture.”

His mother said regretfully as she sat down. As Josh, holding Pete, and then Chase, sat down, his mother, who had been waiting, opened her mouth.

“Pete is so cute, isn’t he?”

Her eyes never leaving the back of the child’s head, she continued, unable to hide her affection.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am because of that child. He’s so lovable, and his heart is so beautiful. Josh often goes to work and can’t meet him much, but he endures it so well.”

Stroking the child with pride, she muttered to herself,

“I wish I could have seen Pete grow up.”

“…Yes.”

Chase paused before replying.

“I wish I could have too.”

At those words, everyone’s gaze turned to him. Chase was simply looking at the child. As if wanting to touch Pete, he restlessly tapped his fingers on his thigh, but couldn’t bring himself to reach out. Seeing that, even Emma felt a small pang of sympathy. His mother hastily drank her coffee and looked away. Clearing her throat with an “ahem,” she broke the silence and spoke to Chase.

“How did you and Josh meet? Honestly, we were so surprised when Josh suddenly said he was bringing Pete’s papa. Weren’t we?”

“That’s right.”

Emma nodded to her mother, who sought agreement.

“And we really never imagined it would be you.”

She deliberately drew out the word, emphasizing it sarcastically, but no one paid her any attention. His mother chuckled, waiting for Chase’s reaction. It was Josh who answered.

“I told you before, we met while I was working security.”

“Hold on, isn’t what you’re saying different?”

“It’s the same.”

As Chase interjected a word, she immediately responded with “Oh, I see.”

What is this idiotic conversation?

Emma looked back and forth between the three with a distorted face, but she was still an outsider. His mother continued to speak.

“So what happened? Did you fall in love with Josh at first sight, and then fall in love again when you met him later?”

His mother’s eyes sparkled, as if she wanted a romantic answer. But Chase denied her words again this time.

“I didn’t remember him at first.”

Another awkward silence fell. Josh thought he was unnecessarily honest. Perhaps it was due to a lack of social skills. Anyway, it was impossible to learn now, so Josh supplemented the explanation instead.

“But you still recognized me, didn’t you? That means you remembered me.”

Chase thought for a moment, then nodded as if agreeing with that statement.

“Your looks were too good for a security guard, so you stuck in my memory.”

“Indeed, that’s what it was.”

His mother smiled brightly and continued.

“Josh takes after his father completely. We fell in love at first sight. Don’t they say soulmates recognize each other at a glance?”

She looked between the two with an infinitely tender expression.

“It’s the same for you two. You recognized each other, but the timing wasn’t right. But eventually, you’re together like this.”

“Happy ending.”

Emma concluded, but her tone was utterly boring. She continued to dislike her mother’s sudden change of attitude. Josh and Pete being weak to good looks is all Mom’s genes, she thought, and subtly brought up the topic.

“There’s been a huge fuss everywhere, what happened with that paparazzi incident?”

“Hey.”

“Emma.”

His mother and Josh simultaneously stopped her, but Chase’s expression didn’t change much. Emma lifted her chin, meeting his direct gaze. But Chase was thinking something completely different from her expectations.

Recalling his misunderstanding of Emma and Josh, he felt absurd again. He understood why Josh had reacted with such exasperation.

They really do resemble each other.