Kiss Me if You Can Novel Completed - Chapter 88

Josh, sitting on a bench eating ice cream, checked his wristwatch. This should be enough. He had given them almost 30 minutes, so they should have built some rapport.

If not, then it can’t be helped.

He stood up and walked towards Chase and Pete, recalling his thoughts. Even if nothing had changed, he would tell him everything now. There was no longer any reason to delay. All he needed was his courage.

Josh, who had sighed briefly, suddenly realized that the hurried movements of people coming and going seemed somewhat strange. He spotted one of Chase’s bodyguards among them and approached him, asking.

“Why are you like this? Did something happen?”

The bodyguard, who recognized his face, froze in embarrassment. Something was wrong. An ominous premonition flashed through Josh’s mind.

Haa, haa.

Chase was out of breath, his shoulders heaving. The sound of people calling for Pete echoed from all directions. The child had gone somewhere, and there was no trace of him.

Of course, he’s so small.

Chase barely managed to think through his complicated mind. Thinking of the dog kennel was good, but the tall fence was locked, making it impossible to enter. Pete would be the same.

With the constant barking of dogs, Chase couldn’t even get close to the area. All he had was reports from the bodyguards. Chase avoided that area and searched for Pete, calling his name, but still had no success.

Joshua.

Josh’s and Pete’s faces kept coming and going in his mind. Self-loathing rose within him, but now was not the time to wallow in self-pity. He stood up again and began to scan his surroundings.

How could he be so invisible?

Chase couldn’t believe it. While frantically searching for the child, he suddenly realized that he had strayed from the bodyguards and was near the dog kennel. It was a different location from the fence area the bodyguards had checked. Chase, who had climbed a low hill, stopped in surprise, seeing the endlessly long fence below and the vast kennel grounds beyond it.

If it’s that big, a quick glance around won’t be enough to check it. I should have ordered the facility staff to open the gate and search inside, but I got scared by the dog’s barking and avoided it. Chase’s face distorted.

How cowardly I am.

Again, a dog barked somewhere. As soon as he heard the sound, Chase flinched and froze. His feet wouldn’t move. He took a deep breath and counted.

It’s okay, there’s a fence. I’m safe, nothing will happen.

He repeated the same words over and over, trying to calm himself, but his pulse wouldn’t settle easily. His memory quickly returned to that day.

Grayson, who was smiling brightly, the peaceful sound of leaves, himself clinging to the wall, screaming for help like a madman, the sweet scent of pheromones that kept swirling in his head, and finally, when the Rottweiler’s bared teeth and strong scent came back to him, he miraculously found the child he was looking for.

“What do you mean Pete is missing?”

Josh ran over, his face pale. The security team leader spoke with difficulty, his face equally pale.

“I’m sorry. Mr. Miller’s condition worsened, and while our attention was momentarily drawn to him, he suddenly disappeared… We’re looking for him now, he should appear soon.”

“Mr. Miller’s condition worsened, no, you haven’t found Pete yet? No, wait a minute.”

Josh was in a panic and couldn’t think straight. He quickly looked around, but all he saw were bodyguards.

“…Where is Chase?”

At Josh’s question, the team leader paused. His face pale, he turned his head, but what he saw was no different from what Josh saw. Belatedly, the team leader urgently gave orders.

“Teams 1 and 2, find Mr. Miller! Teams 3 and 4, find the child!”

Josh endured the urge to collapse and gritted his teeth. Snap out of it, this isn’t the time to be spaced out. He shook his head vigorously and focused his eyes. He had no idea where either of them had gone, but he couldn’t just wait.

He immediately began searching the surroundings, calling out Pete’s and Chase’s names.

Chase stared blankly at the child, his face pale.

How did he get in there?

His mind blank, he recalled his thoughts. Right, he’s so small, he could easily crawl through a gap in the fence. It was foolish to just turn back because the gate was locked.

It was a perfectly valid deduction, but now was not the time for analysis. It was time to think about how to get Pete out.

Beyond the fence, lush grass and trees grew. He had clearly heard it was a dog kennel, but it didn’t seem to be a place where dogs were shown to visitors or boarded. As evidence, weeds grew everywhere, completely unmanaged, and there was no trace of anyone having passed through, making it seem like a completely neglected area.

Pete was precariously clinging to a large pond surrounded by overgrown weeds. He was holding onto the long grass and leaning against the sloping ground, trying to hold on, but it was only a matter of time. Seeing the child, whose face was pale and trembling, whimpering, Chase had no time to waste.

Unable to call anyone, Chase approached the fence. Again, the sound of a dog barking was heard. His hands, gripping the fence, visibly trembled. He wanted to run away immediately.

But if I do, Pete will…

As if he saw the child sinking into the water before his eyes, he hastily shook his head. Fortunately, Pete was still holding on. Chase bit and released his lip, then shouted.

“Pete!”

The crying child was startled and looked up. He saw Chase and his eyes widened in surprise.

“Ah?”

The child, mouth agape in a daze, suddenly swayed as if his tension had released. At the crisis of him falling into the pond, Chase’s fear instantly vanished.

“Pete!”

Chase frantically shook the fence. But it only swayed, showing no gaps anywhere. Eung-eong, Pete burst into tears. If he kept doing that, his energy would quickly deplete. Chase hastily composed himself, as if he kept seeing illusions.

It was then that he found a small hole, barely big enough to crouch through. Chase unhesitatingly bent down.

“…Ugh.”

The protruding wire mesh cut a long gash across his shoulder. He felt a sharp pain, but Chase ignored it and continued to crawl on the ground. Dust rose and covered his nose and face, making him hold his breath. His eyes felt gritty, and he constantly furrowed his brow, gritting his teeth. The child continued to cry.

Only after being completely covered in dirt and dust could he finally pass through. Mud was on his face, and sand got into his mouth, making his tongue feel rough. He wanted to spit, but even that was difficult. He gasped for breath with a dry mouth and quickly stood up. There was no time to hesitate. Chase ran towards Pete.

“Pete!”

When he shouted urgently, Pete cried even louder. Soon, he would hold the child in his arms. He would be able to save Pete. Only that filled Chase’s mind.

At that moment, a dog’s growl was heard nearby. Chase, who had stopped running reflexively, turned his head. Not far away, a large dog was baring its teeth and glaring at him. Chase’s whole body froze.

Jason.

Only then did he understand the meaning of Pete’s words. A dog of the same breed as the doll Pete carried was facing him. This must be the owner of the barking he kept hearing. However, unlike the doll, this one was a full-grown adult.

A chill ran down his spine. Pete was between the dog and Chase. If Chase tried to save Pete, the dog would immediately pounce on him. Perhaps the target was Pete. It was natural for Pete, smaller and weaker than Chase, to be the target. As evidence, the dog, while wary of Chase, also kept an eye on Pete.

It would only take a moment. With just a little courage, he could save Pete. If only his legs would move.

He tried to move his trembling legs somehow, but it was only a thought. Chase simply couldn’t approach Pete.

Like that time.

Suddenly, he recalled the past. The man who was covered in blood for him. His broad back protecting him, his smiling face, his blood-soaked body.

Joshua.

His breathing became ragged, and cold sweat ran down his back. What would happen to him if he lost that child? The smiling face, full of affection, looking at Pete, filled his retina. He couldn’t even imagine the man who always seemed strong collapsing.

Then, Josh’s words came to mind.

“If I die, will you cry?”

“Yes. I’ll cry a lot.”

At that moment, Chase threw himself towards Pete. As the enraged dog rushed forward and Chase embraced the terrified Pete, a loud gunshot suddenly rang out.

Bang!

The startled dog stopped abruptly and whimpered, backing away. But that wasn’t the end. Again, a gunshot rang out, and a bullet struck the ground at the feet of the dog, which was pacing in confusion, shattering.

The frightened dog could no longer be stubborn and hastily ran away. Then, silence fell.

“Chase, Pete!”

An urgent shout was heard. Chase belatedly realized it was Josh’s voice.

“Ah.”

His legs slipped as if his tension had released. He almost fell into the pond, but the long, overgrown weeds saved him. Chase hastily reached out and grabbed the lush grass, letting out a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Josh, who had run to where they were, urgently reached out his hand.

“Grab on, Chase!”

Chase looked up. As always, the man who came to save him was there.

Chase, with a faint smile, pushed the child up first. Pete, who had been whimpering, recognized Josh and sobbed, reaching out his arms. Josh hastily took Pete, safely placed the child behind him, and then quickly reached out his hand to Chase. Chase, with a faint smile, held out his hand, and Josh immediately grabbed it and pulled with all his might.

“…!”

Chase, who had barely climbed up, collapsed onto the ground. Josh also panted heavily, as if his tension had released.

“Daddy, Daddy.”

“Yes, Pete. You’re safe now.”

“Jason, I lost him.”

Come to think of it, his hand was empty. As Josh looked in confusion, Chase said with a tired face.

“The doll fell into the pond, I couldn’t get it.”