Kiss Me if You Can Novel Completed - Chapter 27

Haaah.

Josh let out a sigh that rose from deep within him. The cheers continued without a break. Wasn’t it time for everyone to go home?

He checked his watch and saw that only a couple of hours had passed since he arrived at the party. More importantly, his shift wouldn’t end unless Chase decided to leave.

Even so.

He pulled another sigh from the depths of his throat. The garden was so vast it made him want to curse. He felt like he could spend all night just scanning it. Chase’s garden, which he patrolled daily, came to mind, but this one was even larger.

Why don’t you just build a house in a national park?

Muttering inwardly, he moved along the route he had memorized, but fortunately, nothing particularly noteworthy had caught his eye yet. He saw a group of bodyguards gathered, chatting, and as he moved away, a call came through on his comm from Henry.

[Everything alright?]

“Well, so far.”

He answered briefly, and Henry disconnected after a few trivial words. The party seemed to be proceeding smoothly. Josh thought he should ask for food to be prepared so they could eat something simple after he finished his round. He could give food to Henry and Isaac and send them off, while Mark and he guarded Chase.

As he thought that far, Josh spotted a human shadow crouched beneath a tree.

He almost instinctively drew his gun. His body tensed, and he quickly assessed the situation. After a moment, as he identified the figure, the tension in his shoulders relaxed. The person was no threat at all. The man, leaning against the tree and gasping for breath, seemed unwell at first glance, completely unaware of Josh’s presence.

Is he sick somewhere?

Josh approached him, still maintaining his guard. With each step closer, concern outweighed the thought of danger. The man was clearly not in a normal state. His shallow, rising and falling shoulders and crouched body even evoked a sense of crisis.

I might need to call an ambulance. Josh quickly ran through the necessary actions in his mind. Is he a guest at the party? Or staff?

He stopped right in front of the man, but the other still hadn’t noticed his presence. Seeing him sitting against the tree, breathing heavily as if completely unconscious, Josh didn’t hesitate to reach out.

“Hey, are you alright?”

As he spoke, Josh was suddenly surprised by the thin shoulder he grasped. But what surprised him even more was what followed. The man slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Josh. The moment his hazy gaze, as if half-conscious, met Josh’s, Josh instinctively held his breath.

A hint of a wet tongue showed between slightly parted lips. An omega? He carefully checked for a scent but felt nothing. He might have taken suppressants, or perhaps he was like Josh, with a faint scent.

But pheromones meant nothing. Even a beta would find few who could refuse eyes like those.

The man’s face, as he looked at Josh, was… well, if Josh had a hobby of being with men, he would have unhesitatingly picked him up and rushed to a bed. No, he probably wouldn’t even have the leisure to search for a bed, Josh thought. Hadn’t humanity made love perfectly well even without beds?

Of course, that was assuming the other person agreed.

“You don’t look well. Should I call 911 for you?”

Josh asked calmly. His basic stance was not to interfere in others’ affairs, but helping someone in distress was different. Anyway, if he didn’t move this man to a safe place, he wouldn’t be able to sleep from worry.

Wait, is he a man?

He quickly scanned his entire body again. Although quite thin, the firm touch he felt on his hand and the angular lines of his body, unlike a woman’s, certainly seemed masculine.

“…No, I’m… fine.”

When the man barely managed to collect himself and thanked him, Josh reconfirmed that the other was indeed a man. To his surprise, a mix of regret and relief washed over him simultaneously.

Hastily clearing his throat to shake off the feeling, Josh helped him up and shared his water. After gulping down more than half of the cold water, the man somewhat regained his composure. His voice was still small, but he even offered thanks. Only then did Josh also feel a little relieved.

However, that wasn’t enough to leave him alone and depart. This man was truly like a deer, exhausted from fleeing, resigned to its fate, offering its neck to the hunter.

Wait, a deer?

Emma’s face suddenly came to mind. Come to think of it, he was exactly her type, as if conjured by a spell. It was truly fortunate his sister wasn’t here.

If she saw this man, she’d make a fool of herself again.

Josh felt another wave of relief at the clearly imagined scenario, even without seeing it, and began to talk with him. As they conversed, the man seemed to recover quite a bit. He even offered to get some simple food for his colleagues. Since that was exactly what Josh had wanted, he intended to go back inside with him. At the same time, he resolved to safely escort this man indoors.

Until someone suddenly interrupted them.

“What are you doing here?”

Turning his head at the sudden, chilling voice, an unexpected face came into view. A tall man with purple eyes was looking at them. It was, surprisingly, Keith Knight Pittman.

The man standing with Josh muttered in surprise.

“Mr. Pittman.”

Josh looked back and forth between the two. Many questions suddenly flooded his mind at once.

I assumed he was staff, but was he Pittman’s secretary? Why did Pittman come all the way here? Is there a problem with the party? He looks upset.

Josh, having thought that far, looked down at the pale-faced man.

He still doesn’t look well. Should I tell him?

But the man in front of him was an adult, and it wasn’t his place to interfere that much. The crisis had passed, so he had done what he could. The man also seemed to think the same, speaking first.

“Thank you for your help. You must be busy, so I’ll just…”

He wanted Josh to leave. Josh readily accepted the man’s cue, pretending not to notice the uneasy feeling.

“Yes, well then… take care.”

As he was about to say goodbye, he belatedly realized they hadn’t introduced themselves. As Josh hesitated, the man smiled and said,

“It’s Yeonwoo, Seo Yeonwoo.”

“I’m Joshua, everyone calls me Josh. Nice to meet you, Yeonwoo.”

After a brief farewell, Josh also gave Pittman a quick nod. Of course, Pittman ignored him.

A somewhat unusual atmosphere hung between the two, but it was none of Josh’s business. He was more worried about his colleagues. He’d have to go to the kitchen himself and ask them to pack some sandwiches. Or perhaps they had already sorted it out? He didn’t know about anyone else, but Henry must be furious by now. He often became violent, but there were times when it was particularly excessive, and being hungry was one of them.

Should I tell them I’ll bring it soon?

As he thought that far, Josh suddenly paused.

“…Uh.”

A surprised exclamation escaped him without his knowledge. But that was all. He hastily closed his mouth and stepped back.

A few steps away, an unexpected man stood smoking a cigarette.

It was Chase.