MIM 90

90

“Ah, finally done.”

Ma Jae-seung sighed and leaned back against the chair. Shin-woo, sitting on the study’s sofa and looking at his laptop, finally glanced over. He had just finished submitting the assignments delayed due to Ma Jae-seung’s rut this morning, along with a report to substitute for the missed quiz scores. Thanks to Shin-woo, who meticulously managed Ma Jae-seung’s grades while being indifferent to his own failing scores, Ma Jae-seung was able to successfully complete the semester.

What a relentless guy. Ma Jae-seung watched Shin-woo reading articles while dangling his crossed legs. Though he didn’t know what messages Shin-woo had sent, his project teammates had reached out first with greetings. They kindly informed him about extended assignment deadlines, saying the professor was very understanding. Moreover, classes he thought would result in F grades due to multiple absences somehow managed to meet the minimum attendance requirements. When asked about this, Shin-woo casually mentioned he had directly “requested” it from the teaching assistant.

If he worked harder next semester, such measures wouldn’t be necessary. Though it hurt his pride that everyone had made accommodations for him, he didn’t complain in front of Shin-woo. Through various incidents and trial and error, he had come to better understand his physical condition. If he could just control his pheromones well, he should be able to manage school life smoothly from now on. His allergic reactions had decreased significantly, and even during this rut, he had only completely lost control for two days. It was definitely better compared to the beginning of the semester.

He’d study hard and aim for a scholarship next time. After making this resolution, Ma Jae-seung glanced sideways at Shin-woo. The guy had completely abandoned his own classes this semester. While bustling about to protect Ma Jae-seung’s grades, he hadn’t submitted a single assignment himself and was set to receive all F grades.

“Since you’re paying tuition and attending anyway, wouldn’t it be better to manage your grades too? Having a degree wouldn’t hurt.”

When Ma Jae-seung asked with narrowed eyes, Shin-woo tilted his head to one side. His face was full of amusement as if wondering why such a question was even being asked.

“What would I use that for?”

“Why wouldn’t there be a use? Once you have it—”

“Not interested. It’s enough if you graduate.”

Shin-woo cut him off firmly and put down his laptop. The laptop screen showed a series of search results related to “Ma Jae-seung.” Ma Jae-seung noticed his name and picked up the laptop. “Ma Jae-seung getting into car,” “Ma Jin-sung Chairman’s son, impressive height,” “Backpack chosen by Ma Jae-seung sold out nationwide.” Most images attached to these insubstantial articles were paparazzi photos taken near the school.

Does he search like this every day to check public opinion? Or perhaps he’s constantly looking for evidence that might link them to Kim Ye-wook’s disappearance. Even when transporting Kim Ye-wook’s corpse, he had seated Ma Jae-seung in the back to avoid attention. Ma Jae-seung put the laptop down on the table and turned to Shin-woo.

“Where did you dump the body?”

“Why do you need to know?”

“I should know. I’m the one who killed him.”

He didn’t want to pretend it never happened. Whether responsibility or guilt, he should bear his part in this as an accomplice. Conveniently losing his memory and having the people around him bear the burden instead was enough with the Ma Jin-sung incident.

After meeting Ma Jae-seung’s unwavering eyes, Shin-woo sighed. He turned his body toward Ma Jae-seung and comfortably rested his head against the back of the sofa. He smiled with his eyes curved into crescents while fidgeting until his hair raised slightly due to static electricity.

“If I tell you, what would change?”

“It means you don’t need to keep hiding everything from me while coddling me.”

No more. Ma Jae-seung swallowed his unfinished words and glared. Shin-woo traced his knee with his fingertips while scanning Ma Jae-seung’s face with just his gaze. His light brown eyes rippled with a subtle light. The dock. Just as he recalled his mother’s parting words, Shin-woo spoke.

“I sank him in the river. He’ll probably be bloated from the water anyway, but I had to damage the body a bit so that no traces of you would be left.”

Speaking bluntly, Shin-woo stroked his neck. Watching his rough knuckles trace around his prominent Adam’s apple, Ma Jae-seung was reminded of his hands that had gripped Kim Ye-wook’s throat. 

“Want me to tell you in more detail?” 

Shin-woo raised his eyebrows and playfully encouraged. As his voice grew distant, Kim Ye-wook’s final moments became increasingly clear.

The memory of having a rather friendly phone call with Kim Ye-wook flashed through his mind. His head filled with images of Kim Ye-wook eagerly helping with birthday party preparations as if it were his own event. Now overlaid with hatred that had been hidden behind the face that had shown anger on his behalf, the eyes that had looked at him with concern. Finally, he could see it. The deep hatred toward Ma Jin-seong’s son, the suspicion toward the only survivor of the experiment that had claimed his sibling, the reason he had constantly sought to confirm him as a failure.

Ma Jae-seung blinked blankly to clear the afterimages and stood up. With all required assignments submitted, he now had a two-month vacation to look forward to. Until now, he had been busy uncovering forgotten memories, but now that he had grasped the general picture and steeled his resolve, he felt lost about how to spend such a lengthy amount of time.

Should I get training to better control my pheromones? Since I need to inherit Maseong, should I study more about business? Is this obsession with Maseong truly my will, or my father’s?

“Want to go on a trip with me?”

Shin-woo’s sudden proposal instantly pulled Ma Jae-seung from his silent contemplation.

Though he had occasionally suggested that Shin-woo should venture out beyond Janggang-si to see the world, he had never proposed going on a trip together like this before. When Ma Jae-seung just stared blankly, unsure of his intentions, Shin-woo jumped up and stood facing him. Then, with a serious expression, he raised his index finger and whispered.

“Just one month. We’ll go somewhere completely different and have fun without thinking about anything.”

“…Just the two of us?”

“Why? Do you hate it? You said you trust me.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you—”

“I promise I won’t kidnap you.”

He came to kidnap me.

As soon as Shin-woo finished speaking, against the night sky, his playful face bathed in moonlight appeared vividly in Ma Jae-seung’s mind. He suddenly remembered a younger Shin-woo sitting at his bedroom window. The image was so clear that Ma Jae-seung winced and furrowed his brow. Did it actually happen? Did Shin-woo ever sneak in through the window and try to kidnap him? The word kidnapping suited him so well that it even evoked a sense of déjà vu.

No. That couldn’t be. What reason would someone who worked under Ma Jin-sung have to kidnap him? Though he thought it couldn’t be a real memory, his heart strangely fluttered. Shin-woo’s clear face, now close, was bathed in late afternoon sunlight instead of moonlight. As he gazed into those sparkling brown eyes, his heart began to beat faster.

Shin-woo, seemingly determined to convince Ma Jae-seung, sat down at the laptop and began seriously searching for destinations. The screen began to fill with diverse landscapes from various countries.

“I don’t care where, so you choose. You prefer crowded places, right? Like famous cities?”

“No.”

Shin-woo, who had been scrolling through photos confidently as if certain of Ma Jae-seung’s preferred destination, suddenly lifted his head. Ma Jae-seung shrugged his shoulders and plopped down beside Shin-woo. Though they were close enough to feel each other’s body heat from their touching shoulders, Shin-woo didn’t move away.

Ma Jae-seung’s gaze moved from Shin-woo’s eyes to his lips, then briefly away before returning. He turned toward the laptop screen and scrolled through images filled with beautiful scenery.

“Let’s go somewhere quiet.”

“…”

“It’s fine if there’s no one else but us.”

Whether confined in the mansion, outside in the crowded school and city, alone or surrounded by many people, nothing changed. It would be the same anywhere. As long as he was accompanied by this person who had practically grown up with him in this mansion and knew everything about him.

Shin-woo, who had been watching silently as if at a loss for words, pulled his lips into a smile. Then he nodded toward a photo that happened to be on the laptop screen.

“Do you like cabins?”

It seemed he was equally indifferent to the specifics. Ma Jae-seung nodded while pursing his lips.