Kiss Me if You Can Novel Completed - Chapter 121

Chase had already realized how extraordinary Pete’s stamina was at the amusement park. This time, he intended to spend as much time with him as possible until Pete collapsed from exhaustion. He also didn’t forget the fake silicone ear he had decided to wear until the wedding, just in case of a scandal. This would perfectly hide the mark. In fact, he had never forgotten this disguise except when he visited Josh’s house. Considering Josh had to worry about this for several years, a mere month or so was nothing.

“…That’s about it. Is there any brand you’re interested in? Or any specific product you had in mind?”

The manager, having finished all his prepared words, asked. Looking down at his sparkling eyes full of anticipation, Chase opened his mouth.

“I heard there are many places for children to play.”

“Yes?”

To the manager, who paused with a fixed smile, Chase repeated without much emotion.

“Didn’t you hear? I asked you to guide me to a place where a child can play.”

And he glanced back. Pete was currently pressed against the glass, staring intently into a darkened store. The manager, whose gaze followed, belatedly nodded.

“Ah, yes. I understand. Then… there’s a space created for children to play while you shop, shall I guide you there?”

Chase nodded without thinking deeply.

“Good.”

Just as he was about to move, he looked back again. Pete was still standing in the same spot. Chase suddenly wondered.

What is he looking at so intently?

“Mr. Miller?”

The manager, who had been walking ahead, stopped in surprise, seeing Chase suddenly turning back the way he came. Chase ignored him and walked straight towards Pete.

Pete was so focused on something that he remained motionless, pressed against the glass. He didn’t even notice the footsteps approaching him.

“…”

Suddenly, Pete realized that the glass he was looking into had become darker. Someone had cast a shadow behind him. Pete looked up and was startled. Chase was standing with his hands in his pants pockets, looking into the glass just like Pete.

“Hiccup.”

Pete was so startled that he hiccupped. Chase only bent at the waist to look down at him. To Pete, who was frozen and unable to move, Chase asked.

“What’s inside?”

“…”

“What are you looking at so intently? I don’t see anything.”

He tilted his head and looked into the glass again. No matter how he looked, it was just an ordinary clothing store. As he wondered what Pete might be interested in, Pete mumbled in a small voice from below.

“Doggy.”

Chase paused for a moment. Following his words, he looked into the store again and belatedly discovered a dog doll placed among the piles of clothes.

“Do you want that?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a security guard swiftly entered the store. Without hesitation, he found the dog doll that Pete had been staring at intently, and then, just as quickly as he entered, he came out and handed the dog to Chase.

“Here, Pete.”

Chase held out the doll, expecting to see the child’s happy face. But Pete hesitated, hid his hands behind his back, and bowed his head with a troubled expression.

“Pete, what’s wrong? Wasn’t this the doll you wanted?”

To Chase, who asked in confusion, the child was silent for a moment. After a pause, Pete mumbled softly.

“It’s stealing.”

At those words, Chase was flustered. The security guard who had confidently brought the doll was also surprised. Furthermore, Pete added more loudly and clearly this time.

“Taking someone else’s thing is stealing.”

“…”

Chase looked down at Pete without saying a word. Pondering how to persuade the child, he opened his mouth.

“Pete, do you remember when we went to the amusement park before? With Josh, your… hero.”

It was awkward to call himself a hero. He knew Pete would remember immediately if he mentioned Jason, but he didn’t want to do that. Instead, Chase recounted a few things that happened that day.

“We rode the train and a bunch of rides, right? And we ate ice cream? What did I say then? I said we bought the amusement park for the day, so you could eat anything and do anything you wanted, right? It’s the same today. I bought this place, so you can take anything you want.”

Chase calmly finished his explanation and held out the doll again. But Pete still refused to unhide his hands.

“You remember that day, don’t you, Pete?”

Suppressing his impatience, Chase asked again. Pete paused, then said softly, “I remember.”

“Then why…”

Chase, who had gotten that far, suddenly realized. Why Pete’s reaction was different now compared to then.

Josh wasn’t there.

“Ah,” he inadvertently sighed. Without Josh, Pete didn’t trust anyone. That’s why no matter what he said, it would be different from then. In the end, even in the same situation, it became stealing or not, depending on whether Josh was present or not. Chase lost confidence in his ability to persuade Pete.

“…Put it back.”

When he commanded in a quiet voice and held out the doll, the security guard quickly took it and went into the store. Only after seeing the doll back in its place did Pete finally move.

…This is difficult.

Chase let out a long sigh that welled up from deep within his chest. Just then, the manager, who had been standing and watching Chase and Pete approach, spoke to Pete.

“Do you like dogs?”

Looking straight up at the manager’s friendly but by no means handsome face, Pete nodded confidently without hiding behind anyone.

“Yes.”

“Then, that’s good. There’s a pet shop, would you like to go? They have many rare dogs there.”

It was Chase who stiffened at those words. But the manager was focused on Pete and didn’t notice his reaction. The manager’s intention was clear. He was determined to make Chase Miller spend an enormous amount of money here by any means necessary. And with Chase not alone, but with a child, it was as if fate had intervened.

To catch a big fish, you have to bait the hook.

At the manager’s words, Pete’s attitude indeed changed drastically.

“Dogs?”

Seeing the child’s face light up, the manager smiled genuinely.

“Yes, live ones. Or do you prefer dolls?”

At that, Pete shook his head vigorously.

“I like dogs.”

“That’s good. Would you like to go with me?”

Having said that, the manager lifted his head, thinking, ‘That’s it.’

“Mr. Miller, may I take the child to the pet shop while you rest? We have a lounge prepared for you.”

Most people find children who aren’t their own bothersome. They’re not easy to handle. Chase also clearly looked troubled. The manager had no doubt that Chase would gladly accept his offer. He planned to guide him to the lounge, serve him tea and refreshments, and recommend various items while he rested.

Just as the manager quickly finished his calculations in a short moment and added a smile,

“No.”

Chase spoke with a stiff face.

“It’s fine.”

Saying that, he suddenly began to walk. The manager, bewildered, blinked at Chase’s retreating figure, unable to react, then belatedly followed him. Chase, who had walked a few steps ahead, stopped and looked back, but of course, he wasn’t waiting for the manager. When Pete, who had run diligently, stopped a short distance away, Chase finally raised his head and looked at the manager.

“Guide us.”

At the short command, he quickly began to walk ahead. Every now and then, when he glanced back, the manager saw Chase looking at Pete. As if worried the child might trip while walking, he rarely took his eyes off Pete.

Then he should just pick him up and carry him.

The manager thought, but soon dismissed the thought. It wasn’t his business. The most important thing for him today was how much sales he could make.

As he walked down the shopping mall corridor, Chase suppressed his desire to run away several times. Beside him, Pete was diligently following them. His determination to see dogs seemed stronger than anything else.

But Chase was different. If he could, he wanted to turn around right now, get in his car, and drive to the ends of the earth. Trying to force himself to endure it made his palms sweat.

“…”

Suddenly, Chase paused, thinking he heard something. It was probably a hallucination. The animals inside the pet shop, separated by large glass walls, no matter how loudly they howled, their sounds never reached outside. Even if the shopping mall was this quiet.

It’s okay.

Chase repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists, reassuring himself.

It’s okay. All the dogs are trapped inside glass walls. They can never get out. And the dogs sold in places like this are all small breeds. They won’t put big dogs in here.

The problem was that even small dogs were a source of terror for Chase. He disliked and feared all kinds of dogs. Just hearing their barking would make his whole body stiffen. And yet, he was going to a pet shop full of dogs himself; Chase couldn’t believe it.

Should I say I’m quitting?

The lounge the manager mentioned kept tempting him. Ahead was hell. Why should he abandon guaranteed heaven and deliberately walk towards hell?

“Excuse me.”

Just as he was about to call the manager, a faint voice suddenly came from below. Reflexively looking down, Chase’s vision blurred for a moment, and he quickly blinked. Pete’s face, looking up at him, belatedly came into view. With a blush of embarrassment, Pete spoke with difficulty.

“Thank you for bringing me.”

He bowed politely, expressing his utmost gratitude. Chase wanted to savor this moment a little longer, but the rising fear kept interrupting him. As he barely suppressed his quickening breath, Pete continued.

“I wanted to raise a dog, but Daddy and Grandma both said no. So I bought a doll, but Jason left too.”

The child lowered his head sadly. His round head looked infinitely lonely. Chase impulsively reached out and stroked the child’s head.

Surprisingly, Pete wasn’t startled or did he flinch away. Instead, it was Chase who was surprised. To Chase, who had stiffened for a moment, something even more surprising happened. Pete cautiously grabbed Chase’s pant leg. He probably wanted to hold his hand, but considering the height difference between them, that was the limit.

Then Chase remembered Pete often clinging to Josh’s leg or grabbing his pants.

“…”

He heard a hallucination again. Perhaps the distance had shortened, as the sound seemed to come from closer.

But Chase, far from running away, took another step forward. What an opportunity he had gained. He resolved. He couldn’t let Pete’s hand, which was holding onto him, be in vain. Wasn’t this the very moment he had so desperately wanted?

Pete reaches out to Chase with trust.

Chase had waited until now for that. Dogs trapped in glass cages were nothing.

Yes.

“Here it is.”

The manager turned around and pointed to one side with a smile. From the brightly lit pet shop, as expected, no sound could be heard. The manager disappeared inside first, and Chase followed.

Ah.

Pete, who had been holding onto Chase’s leg until then, let go and started running. Before Chase could even grab him, he disappeared into the store. Now it was Chase’s turn.

Hoo, hoo.

To Chase, who was barely suppressing his automatically quickening breaths, the security team leader, who had been watching him until then, spoke.

“Are you alright, Mr. Miller? You don’t have to push yourself…”

“I’m fine.”

Chase gasped between breaths, as if talking to himself.

“I’m fine.”

Haah, haah. Haah, haah.

He tried to force himself to breathe, and he moved forward. Countless hands seemed to rise from beneath his feet, pulling him. A faint smell came from beyond the wide-open door. It wasn’t the familiar pheromone scent, but the unique smell of animals.

Dogs.

Suddenly, Chase stopped dead in his tracks. The pet shop was much larger than he had imagined. Inside the spacious interior, there were indeed many glass cages, varying in size, just like the size of the dogs inside them.

“…”

He heard the dog barking again. It couldn’t be. Not a single dog bared its teeth at him. Get a grip. Chase shook his head vigorously. But his vision only blurred further, and his consciousness refused to clear.

“Mr. Miller, are you alright?”

The security guard asked in an anxious voice. Chase forced saliva into his mouth between gasps and barely managed to raise his head.

And he saw it. Countless dogs baring their teeth at him from all directions.

“Ugh, haah, ha.”

His heart felt like it would burst. Cold sweat poured, and he couldn’t breathe. He had to get out of here. He had to breathe. He had to get all those dogs out of his sight…!

“Mr. Miller…!”

The team leader’s urgent voice seemed to come from far away for some reason. Clutching his suffocating heart, Chase simply collapsed. His knees buckled, and his waist gave way. He hit the floor, but he didn’t even feel the pain.

Ah.

What came into his blurry vision was a much younger Josh’s face. For some reason, with a face so contorted as if he was about to cry, he was running towards him. With that last image, Chase lost consciousness.