KISS THE SCUMBAG Chapter 35

Creeeak. The unpleasant sound echoed as Yujin pushed the door open with his shoulder. He returned to the back room and carefully laid the child he had been holding onto the bed.

While he read a few fairy tales, Angela had started to nod off. Once he finally confirmed that the child was fast asleep, he carefully picked her up and left the reception room.

It was impossible to bathe her, so he just changed her clothes instead. After putting her in worn-out but comfortable pajamas, he felt a sense of satisfaction, as if the day’s work had finally come to an end.

He wanted to fall asleep right there beside his daughter, but reality wouldn’t allow it. The butler, who had followed him, stood outside the door and spoke.

“Mr. Campbell is looking for you.”

It was the third time he had heard that. He couldn’t delay any longer. Yujin stroked his daughter’s hair one more time before standing up.

“I’ll go now. I’m sorry for the repeated delays.”

Perhaps because his emotions had become dulled, the apology came out naturally. Caine only replied, “It is nothing,” as he had before. Yujin carefully closed the door so as not to wake the child and turned around. The sound of the party being held in the hall downstairs immediately began to ring in his ears. It was strange how human senses worked; he hadn’t heard any music or noise when he had come up the stairs earlier.

After changing into the clothes the butler had prepared in advance, Yujin walked toward the central staircase as if it were the natural thing to do. As he descended, his steps gradually slowed, unlike before. It was just a formal wedding, so why was all of this necessary?

He didn’t know the reason, but he stopped thinking about it deeply. It was better to finish unpleasant tasks quickly, provided there was no way to avoid them.

The problem is what comes after.

Suddenly recalling a fact he had been trying to forget, Yujin let out a deep sigh, thinking that he would rather the reception never end.

…Oh.

That was when Yujin spotted Winston. There were so many people attending the reception, but finding him wasn’t very difficult. Winston was much taller than the average person, and thanks to that, Yujin always found him first.

But this time, it wasn’t just for that reason. When he had followed the butler across the hall earlier, the dance floor had been filled with couples dancing in pairs, but now there were significantly fewer. There was only one couple waltzing on the deserted dance floor: Winston and Evelyn.

He didn’t know what the situation was. Whether it was some circumstance or just because they wanted to be like that, it wasn’t Yujin’s business. He was just dumbfounded that the man who had pushed him so hard to come to the reception was doing that.

I should have just stayed and slept with Angela.

Just as he frowned, Winston tilted his head toward Evelyn and whispered something. When Evelyn laughed at his words, Winston smiled as well. After they exchanged glances, Evelyn leaned her head on Winston’s shoulder. They were stuck so close together. The dance they were doing was no longer a waltz.

Just then, Winston turned his head, and suddenly, Yujin’s eyes met his.

∞ ∞ ∞

For a moment, Yujin stepped back without realizing it. He had clearly betrayed his agitation, but there was no way to hide it. He was so flustered he didn’t know what to do, but the corners of Winston’s mouth, who had been staring straight at him, tilted upward. At that smile, which clearly seemed to be mocking him, Yujin’s face turned bright red. He felt a sense of humiliation, as if he were lying naked before him.

What the hell are you trying to do right now?

An inexplicable annoyance boiled up from deep within his chest. To think he had even interrupted his peaceful time alone with his child just to show him such a sight.

Anger flared up belatedly. Looking back, it seemed there was no need for him to be standing guard here like this.

He had just solidified his resolve and turned to leave when the music suddenly stopped and the sound of people’s applause filled the air. He should have just left, but for some reason, he couldn’t. Giving in to an ominous premonition, he reluctantly turned back to see Winston walking straight toward him.

I’m doomed.

Yujin lamented inwardly, but he couldn’t run away now. Instead, he lowered his gaze and offered a smile toward the other side.

“That was a wonderful dance, Evelyn.”

When he offered the compliment to the woman who had followed Winston, she seemed a bit surprised, but soon gave a soft smile and said:

“Thank you, Yujin. The two of you were supposed to dance the first dance… but people kept bothering Winston, asking where his partner was and why he was alone. I happened to have no partner, and I owed him a favor from before, so I took the opportunity to repay the debt.”

She seemed very concerned that Yujin might have been hurt. Yujin felt a strange sensation. Until now, no one had ever cared about his feelings or heart, yet here was a woman he had barely seen a few times—a woman who he wasn’t even sure remembered him properly—showing him such consideration.

Of all people, it had to be her.

Just as he felt a bitter taste in his mouth, Winston spoke.

“It was a pleasure, Evelyn. Enjoy the rest of the party.”

Even though it was a polite, perfunctory statement, it was far more courteous and kind than the criticisms he usually leveled at Yujin. Ignoring Yujin, who was looking at him with a disgusted expression, Winston shared a light cheek-to-cheek greeting with Evelyn before they parted. As he watched her back disappear into the crowd, a voice suddenly came from above his head.

“Where did you go? I haven’t seen you at all.”

It was a tone completely different from a moment ago, as expected. Yujin looked up at him with an unenthusiastic expression and answered.

“It wasn’t a place where I was needed anyway.”

“That’s not for you to decide.”

Winston ruthlessly crushed Yujin’s minor act of defiance. Looking down at Yujin, who had been left speechless, Winston continued.

“Don’t judge things on your own. I decide whether or not you are needed. Acting on your own like that in the future won’t end well for you.”

“What are you going to do? Are you going to hit me?”

Winston gave a mysterious smile in response to Yujin’s final attempt at defiance. When he felt a chill at the sight of those narrowed eyes and crooked mouth, Winston opened his mouth.

“Honey, why would I ever hit you?”

He said it sweetly as he stroked Yujin’s cheek. Then what on earth was he planning to do? Yujin was curious, but he was too afraid to ask. As if pleased by his quieted demeanor, Winston added:

“It’s a relief that you aren’t stupid, isn’t it?”

He laughed, but Yujin couldn’t join him. Someone came over to greet Winston, and the two continued a conversation that only they understood. Yujin just stood there blankly, like a piece of furniture abandoned in the room.

∞ ∞ ∞

Haaaah.

Yujin let out a deep sigh as if exhaling all the breath he had been holding in. Only after he made the excuse of going to the restroom and hid in a corner of the garden did a sense of liberation finally come.

This won’t keep happening, will it?

It was clear Winston was doing this just because he wanted to torment Yujin. Yujin couldn’t be the only one suffering from being with him; had he turned into a masochist while they were apart?

“Haa.”