Kiss Me if You Can Novel Completed - Chapter 122

A faint ringing in his ears. The irritating sound grew higher and longer, and Chase groaned softly, his brows furrowed. Then, someone grabbed his arm and shook him.

“Chase, are you awake? Chase!”

The urgent voice calling his name was definitely familiar. And the moment he realized who it was, the tinnitus magically disappeared.

“……”

He slowly lifted his eyelids, but it took more effort to clear his vision. Only after his heavy eyelids rose and fell a few more times did Chase finally realize where he was. As he slowly shifted his gaze from the monotonous ceiling with its regular lines, he saw a familiar face looking at him. Chase felt a smile form on his own lips and opened his mouth.

Joshua.

He wanted to call his name, but no sound came out. When Chase unconsciously furrowed his brows, Josh gently patted his arm as if to say it was okay.

“You just woke up. Want some water?”

When Chase nodded, he readily got up and headed to a small refrigerator in the corner. A moment later, Josh returned with a cup of water.

“……What?”

After drinking the entire cup of water, Chase turned his head to see Josh giving him a strange smile. When Chase asked suspiciously, Josh simply replied, “Just.”

“You wouldn’t even let me get water before, remember? It just suddenly came to mind.”

Chase remembered that incident too. While embarrassed, he knew that he could always doubt and hold Josh back again.

Josh took the empty cup from Chase and asked, “Another cup?” Chase shook his head.

“Where is this?”

To Chase’s tired question, Josh gave the expected answer.

“The shopping mall’s infirmary. They said you just fainted, so they brought you here for now.”

Chase paused before asking.

“How did you know it was coming?”

“The security team leader called me.”

Josh added in a calm tone.

“I specifically told them to contact me first if anything happened to you. The team leader was quick-witted. He must have figured it out roughly when you came to our house.”

Having said that, Josh turned the subject. “Now it’s your turn, isn’t it? I’ve explained everything.”

He began to ask in a stiff tone, unlike before.

“Why did you force yourself to go in there? You didn’t have to, the manager even told you to wait in the lounge separately.”

“……”

“Chase, speak.”

As he urged him repeatedly, Chase reluctantly opened his mouth. But what came out first was a long sigh.

“Where’s Pitt?”

To Chase’s deflated voice, different from a moment ago, Josh readily answered.

“He’s playing in the next room. Want me to call him?”

“No,” Chase shook his head. He didn’t continue speaking immediately. Josh waited silently, unsure if he was thinking something or had nothing to say. Finally, he opened his mouth. His voice emerged after a little more silence.

“I wanted to do anything Pitt wanted. That’s all.”

“Pitt wanted you to be surrounded by dogs and faint?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Josh’s teasing words didn’t make Chase smile at all.

“Pitt likes dogs, so I wanted to buy him one.”

“But you don’t like them.”

At Josh’s point, Chase continued, “Still.”

“I have to do everything Pitt wants.”

Josh gazed at him silently as he trailed off and closed his mouth.

“Chase.”

He began in a quiet voice.

“You can’t give everything they wish for. No one in this world gets everything they want. Nor can they give it.”

“But.”

“You can give them something in its place.”

Josh interrupted Chase.

“Learning what you lack is also a lesson. Gaining something through your own strength is also a lesson. Chase, there’s no guarantee that someone will like you just because you do everything they want. The opposite is also true. So there’s no need to force yourself to do what you can’t.”

“But.”

Chase protested again.

“I have to overcome my trauma.”

“You don’t have to overcome it.”

Josh said firmly.

“People can be perfectly happy without dogs. Pitt is the same. He can learn happiness through other things. Similarly, Chase, it’s okay if you continue to be afraid of dogs. You don’t have to push yourself to the extreme, to the point of losing consciousness.”

“Why?”

Josh’s answer to Chase’s genuinely curious question was simple.

“You have bodyguards, don’t you?”

“Huh.”

Chase was so dumbfounded that he let out a deflated sound. But Josh was serious.

“Your bodyguards will protect you, so why do you need to overcome something you dislike? You can just leave it to them. That’s what bodyguards are for.”

Josh’s words were utterly fundamental, leaving no room for rebuttal. To Chase, who remained silent, Josh added, “And.”

“He’ll love you even if you’re not perfect. Because I love you.”

He could finally confess what he had once tried to tell Chase. Smiling, Josh brushed Chase’s hair back from his forehead, then leaned in and kissed his exposed forehead. Their eyes met, and as Josh’s lips descended to touch Chase’s,

Knock, knock.

Suddenly, there was a knock, and a startled Josh turned around. Beyond the open door stood Pitt with the security team leader.

“Pitt.”

Josh called his name, spreading his arms wide, and the child immediately ran and nestled into his embrace. Josh gently patted the child’s back and opened his mouth.

“How did you get here? Were you worried about Chase?”

Pitt nodded, his face buried in Josh’s chest. After giving him a moment, Josh spoke.

“Then you should see for yourself. Come on, check. Is Chase okay?”

“……”

“Hmm?”

Josh gently urged, kissing Pitt’s head. Only then did Pitt timidly turn his head. His gaze immediately met Chase’s, who was looking at him. Chase tried to smile at him instead of saying “don’t worry.” He guessed that might reassure the child more.

However, before Chase’s smile could fully form, Pitt suddenly blurted out something unexpected.

“I don’t need a dog.”

Chase, and even Josh, blinked in surprise at his firm declaration, unlike anything before.

“Really, Pitt?”

“Yes.”

Josh asked Pitt, who was still nodding, one more time.

“But you like dogs, don’t you?”

At that, Pitt hesitated, as if contemplating for a moment. Even though there wasn’t a puppy right in front of him, he furrowed his brows with a serious expression and finally sighed.

“If Papa doesn’t like it, I don’t like it either.”

“……”

At first, Josh thought he had misheard. But he wasn’t the only one who heard it.

“What did you just say?”

At Chase’s sudden outburst, Josh unconsciously turned his head. There was Chase’s face, staring at Pitt with wide, disbelieving eyes. He was so surprised that the hand gripping the bedside table was trembling faintly.

Josh was just as curious. Did Pitt even realize what he had just said?

“I know.”

Pitt answered Josh’s question.

“Grandma told me. That I have a Papa instead of a Mama. And that he would come to meet me.”

“……But how did you know it was Chase?”

Josh asked, still bewildered. Chase was just as curious. Pitt furrowed his brows in thought, making “hmm, hmm” sounds, then opened his mouth.

“Because he’s like me.”

“Like you? How?”

For Josh, who had only ever heard that Pitt resembled him, this was a fresh shock. Could it be that the thought of me, who thought he resembled Chase, aligns with his? He secretly waited for the answer with anticipation, but Pitt patted his own head.

“Our hair color is the same.”

Ah.

Only after hearing that did Josh also realize. Pitt was right. His bright blonde hair was exactly like Chase’s. Just like Chase back when he was taking pictures of the chocolate bar.

Finally, Josh thought. He had found proof that Pitt and he hadn’t reproduced asexually.

Suddenly, laughter burst out, and he ended up laughing out loud. Seeing the bewildered Chase and Pitt made him laugh even harder.

“Good job, Pitt. I should give you a reward, what would be good?”

Josh asked, his voice full of laughter. Pitt hesitated, as if about to say something. Seeing him open his mouth but unable to make a sound, Josh realized what Pitt wanted.

“Pitt, instead of a dog, how about a sibling?”

“What?”

“Really?”

At Josh’s words, Chase was the first to exclaim in surprise. Josh shook his head at Chase’s face, which seemed to guess something, as if saying, No way.

“No, Chase. I’m not pregnant yet.”

“Ah…”

Chase visibly deflated, letting out a sigh. Josh could tell what he was thinking. After spending a week together during the rut, and barely remembering anything, Chase could easily have thought Josh might be pregnant.

But he was wrong. Josh had thought the same thing and even taken a pregnancy test, but there was nothing.

“Steward said it’s possible it was due to your pheromone imbalance at the time, but the exact cause needs more research.”

“So?”

“I said no.”

Josh answered readily. And then he changed the subject, as if to say that was enough about that.

“Let’s have a second one.”

Josh demanded, as if there was no need to think further. Now was the perfect opportunity. With all the team members talking about taking a year off.

“Really, Josh?”

Chase blinked in disbelief. His voice trembled violently, unable to control his emotions.

“Really, are you serious?”

“Yes.”

Josh nodded and continued.

“But before that, there’s something we need to do.”

“What is it?”

Chase asked impatiently. Josh replied with a mischievous smile.

“We have to get married.”

At that, Chase let out a short laugh. Josh, holding Pitt, leaned down and kissed him. With their lips gently pressed together, Josh asked,

“How about a honeymoon baby for the second one?”

<The End>

One day

For several days now, Mother had been bustling about, tidying up the garage. After Father’s sudden passing, Mother, who had become listless in everything, had simply repeated her fixed routine for several years, as if she had given up on everything. Of course, Emma and I enthusiastically welcomed it with open arms.