Kiss Me if You Can Novel Completed - Chapter 14

At the firm refusal, Chase threw the coffee he was holding at the wall. The black coffee in the paper cup tragically splattered against the wall, oxidizing into a dark brown stain. Even after that, Chase, still seemingly unappeased, spun around to look at Josh and gnashed his teeth.

“Why are you so short?”

His colleagues’ gazes simultaneously turned to Josh. The first time they met, Chase had said the exact same thing. Of course, he wouldn’t remember. Before Josh could say anything, Chase snapped violently.

“How pathetic. Why is that bastard even here? Tell me, what can you do? What’s your use? If someone were to shoot me in the head, how would you block it with that height?”

Even if one considered it an unavoidable optical illusion that Josh, barely six feet tall, looked small among the others, who were all well over six feet, including Chase himself, Josh still couldn’t understand then or now why he should have to put his head in the way to protect Chase’s precious head.

“Why don’t you wear a helmet?”

“Josh!”

Mark, who had hastily cut off Josh, who was about to die after his fearless last words, quickly spoke.

“As of now, there’s no other way. If you have an alternative, please tell us.”

He was subtly saying, ‘If you’re so smart, tell us a better way.’ Chase was silent for a moment. Mark glanced at his watch, intending to wait just three minutes and push forward if nothing came, when Chase’s lips slowly parted.

“Helicopter.”

Mark paused, and Josh blinked. While most people froze for a moment, Chase continued.

“The company has a helicopter, right?”

He shifted his gaze to the secretary. She belatedly understood his intention and nodded.

“I’ll check right away.”

“Oh, me too.”

Seeing her leave, Josh didn’t miss the opportunity to try and escape. But his shallow trick didn’t work.

“Stop right there.”

Chase’s chilling voice cut across immediately. Josh instinctively stopped in his tracks. Hesitating, he turned around and saw Chase sitting beyond his colleagues, who had parted like the miracle of Moses.

The gaze that quietly watched him seemed to see right through Josh. There was no escaping this. Josh reluctantly gave up.

“…Yes.”

He answered weakly, then closed the door again and stood as far away from Chase as possible. Seth looked at him with pity.

“Among you.”

Chase spoke. All eyes were on him again. The situation where everyone was on tenterhooks at his every word and gesture was exasperating for Josh. But sadly, he was in the same boat, so he was in no position to pity anyone.

“Who can pilot a helicopter? Can all of you?”

“No.”

Oh, please, Mark. Not that.

Josh inwardly pleaded, but Mark, seemingly unheard of his earnest prayer, replied.

“Josh and Isaac can, but Josh would be better. Right, Josh? You flew helicopters in the military.”

At Mark’s words, Seth quickly retreated. At the same time, Josh was exposed directly in Chase’s line of sight, all for nothing.

This is why I tried to avoid it in the first place.

Josh realized his bad premonition was coming true before his eyes and reluctantly raised a hand.

“…I’ll do it.”

“Good.”

Chase ended the conversation simply. The secretary returned not long after.

“Mr. Miller, there’s only one helicopter currently available for immediate use.”

She spoke quickly, her face pale.

“The other helicopters need maintenance, so it will take time. And the helicopter pilot is currently outside, so it will take at least two hours for them to get here… Plus, it seems difficult for them to get into the building through the crowd.”

“That’s enough.”

Chase immediately rose and looked down at Josh.

“Prepare for immediate departure.”

“Just a moment, I need to check it before we leave.”

Josh hastily stopped him. Even if the helicopter had already been serviced, it was standard procedure for the pilot to check it once more before flight. Mark agreed with him, nodding.

“It won’t take long. Right, Josh?”

“Yes… I’ll be as quick as possible. If you wait a moment…”

Josh seized the opportunity once more and spoke. But all he got was a scoff.

“What did you just say?”

The quick-witted secretary hastily cut him off.

“Let’s go together.”

Turning away first, she subtly whispered.

“Did you forget the precautions in the contract? Never tell Mr. Miller to wait again.”

“You mean the precaution that says not to do anything except breathe?”

Josh, unable to bear it any longer, sneered in a low voice, and the secretary nodded expressionlessly.

“That’s right.”

Josh said nothing more and quickly followed her.

“…!”

As soon as the door to the rooftop where the helicopter was waiting opened, an enormous roar erupted. Enduring the deafening sound, Josh quickly ran towards the waiting helicopter. Breathing in the fresh air outside made him feel alive. He immediately sat in the cockpit and began to inspect the instruments.

Meanwhile, the other members, leaving Seth and Isaac behind to assess the situation, quickly left. Chase leaned against the wall, smoking a cigarette. He wasn’t staring at Josh obsessively like before, but his presence was still palpable. Just his being there conveyed an unspoken threat that if Josh didn’t finish quickly, he wouldn’t be left alone. Thanks to that, Josh moved twice as fast as usual.

But dragging out the time was impossible anyway. The roar was gradually intensifying.

“They’ve breached!”

With a frantic shout, Mark rushed out. As the door opened, the roar sounded several times closer. Goosebumps ran down his spine. Chase, who had been leaning against the wall without moving until then, pushed himself off. At the same time, a scream that sounded like a torn vocal cord painfully assaulted his eardrums.

“Chase…!”

Seeing Mark and the remaining four hastily close the door and block it with their bodies, Josh frantically prepared to take off the helicopter. If Chase were caught in this state, there wouldn’t be a single piece of him left.

Chase, who had been walking towards the helicopter, turned around. He saw his colleagues struggling to hold the rooftop door shut.

“Hurry and get in!”

Josh shouted frantically. Chase was the first to board the helicopter, followed quickly by his secretary and staff. Josh lifted the helicopter slightly off the ground. This was to allow his colleagues to board immediately. Mark, seeing the situation, took his hand off the door and yelled.

“Everyone, run!”

At the same time, everyone turned and started running. Following Mark, who hastily boarded, Isaac got in, and Seth jumped in.

Thump, thump dull sounds continued, and then the rooftop door, which had barely been holding, swung wide open. Beyond the wide-open door behind him, people surged out with a roar, as if they had been waiting.

It was the first time in his life he had seen such a terrifying sight.

“Fuck, hey!”

Henry, who had barely made it to the very bottom, jumped in frantically. Now, all that was left was to leave. Henry grabbed the floor of the just-lifting helicopter with incredible jumping power, but in doing so, the helicopter lost its balance and tilted.

Josh frantically grabbed the controls, and Mark and Isaac quickly pulled Henry up. Just as they managed to regain balance and lift the helicopter, the body tilted again. One of the rushing fans had tried to board the helicopter in the same way as Henry.

“Ugh!”

“Aargh!”

Screams erupted from various parts of the helicopter. Josh tried to pull the helicopter up as it was, but in a short time, the weight had significantly increased. Several more people had clung on. Josh shouted sharply.

“What are you doing, get them off!”

The closest to the entrance was Henry, who had entered last. He immediately stood up and blocked the man trying to climb into the helicopter. It was when he was trying to push him off while holding the still-open door.

Suddenly, Chase seemed to bend his knees, then extended his long leg.

“Ugh!”

Kicked mercilessly behind the knee, Henry’s leg buckled, and he stumbled forward. With him, his body fell onto the people clinging to the helicopter, and the grip on the helicopter vanished instantly. Then, the suddenly lighter helicopter bounced up.

“Henry!”

“Oh my god!”

“Mr. Miller, what are you doing!”

Everyone screamed in surprise and looked at Chase, their expressions clearly showing disbelief.

Josh’s eyes widened in confusion, and he quickly looked down. But Henry was already buried in the surging crowd, not even a trace of him visible.

“What are you doing? Go.”

Chase muttered. Josh, dumbfounded, turned to look at him. But Chase remained utterly shameless.

“I told you to close the door and go.”

There was no choice. But he didn’t even give him a moment to hesitate.

“Alright.”

Chase said, with a cigarette in his mouth.

“I’ll get off.”

“What?”

Not just the secretary, but everyone looked at him in surprise. But Chase was not joking at all.

“Wait for that bastard to get on. I’ll get off.”

“What kind of nonsense…!”