MIM 43

“Ugh…”

Not wanting to show his crying face, Jae-seung quickly turned his body sideways and rubbed his cheeks. No matter how much he wiped, tears kept falling with each blink, staining the hood. As suppressed sobs escaped, an irritated Jae-seung breathed heavily. He pounded the innocent ground with his fist that was as large as a baby’s head.

He’s just a kid with an adult’s body. A child suffering unthinkable abuse.

How should he comfort him? Shin-woo kept licking his increasingly dry mouth. He had never made friends in Mangwol District and never felt the need to. So while his skills in threats and negotiations improved daily, he had no idea how to console a crying child.

If he had known, he would have brought something to eat. What could cheer him up…

“Let’s go on a trip when you’re better.”

Let’s just try something. Shin-woo cleared his throat and patted Jae-seung’s back. He hadn’t noticed because Jae-seung was suppressing his cries, but now he saw that the hoodie sleeve was wet from tears. Despite this, Jae-seung’s ears perked up at the mention of a trip.

“Where?”

“Anywhere. Is there nowhere you want to go?”

Being confined, he probably wanted to go everywhere. That’s why he ran away alone to Mangwol District at such a young age.

Jae-seung pondered with his bloodshot eyes blinking, then shook his head, saying he couldn’t think of anywhere.

“I don’t know what’s out there. Have you traveled a lot?”

“There’s nowhere I haven’t been.”

Shin-woo shrugged and smiled mischievously. It was all bluff- he had never even left the city. But wanting to boost Jae-seung’s spirits, he was saying whatever came to mind.

It doesn’t matter, does it? He knew enough from hearsay to entertain for a while. As if seeing through Shin-woo’s blatant lie, Jae-seung narrowed his eyes and mumbled,

“Liar. People from Mangwol District can’t travel like that.”

“Why not?”

“They have no money, and they stand out everywhere so people don’t accept them.”

Absurdly, instead of the insightful perception Shin-woo expected, Jae-seung just repeated nonsense he must have heard somewhere. It was the result of a terribly misspent youth, absorbing the words of those around him like a sponge. Shin-woo clicked his tongue and retorted confidently,

“What are you talking about? I traveled the whole world with the 500 million won I got from you.”

Though he realized his own words and actions might not be the best influence on Jae-seung either.

“Really?”

“Yeah. What else would I have done with all that money?”

Jae-seung finally nodded, seeming to accept this. His cheeks flushed, either from excitement or from rubbing away tears, as he asked,

“Which place was the best?”

“Australia.”

Of course, he had never actually been there. He just remembered a fool in a bar who had talked his ear off about his Australian trip during a fight. The guy had talked so much that most of it went in one ear and out the other, but Shin-woo remembered bits and pieces.

What was it again? Shin-woo tried hard to recall his incomplete memories.

“Just like people walk around here, kangaroos and koalas walk around on the streets there.”

“Really? Don’t they get hit by cars?”

From here on, it was all nonsense.

“Of course they get hit, there are so many. So when a kangaroo crosses the road, all the drivers stop and wait.”

“Even if the kangaroo doesn’t obey the traffic signals?”

“You think kangaroos would obey signals? Aren’t animals colorblind or something?”

“Really? Is it a crime if you hit a kangaroo with your car?”

Shin-woo, who had been spouting improvised tales, suddenly fell silent. That was a more realistic question than he expected. He had wanted to spin an exciting adventure story from an exotic land like a novel, but it wasn’t going as planned. Shin-woo fabricated a plausible story based on his common sense.

“It’s not a crime, but you have to pay a fine. Similar to speeding?”

“Humans are too selfish! They wouldn’t let it slide if an animal caused harm.”

“Oh, right. In Australia, there’s a terrifying animal called the drop bear that supposedly kills 2,000 people every year.”

“What? Really?”

Jae-seung’s eyes sparkled as he moved closer to sit near Shin-woo. Drop bear. Shin-woo suddenly remembered searching about it on his way home after hearing the story from someone at the bar, wondering if such a creature really existed. Upon closer research, he had found that the drop bear was a mythical creature, one of the common jokes Australians play on tourists.

Still, it was entertaining to hear about, so this kid might enjoy it too. Shin-woo began vividly describing the drop bear’s bizarre appearance and ferocious nature. Having experienced all sorts of things in Mangwol District, it wasn’t difficult for him to spin a plausible tale mixing a bit of reality with urban legends. Throughout the story of a family encountering a drop bear in the mountains, Jae-seung couldn’t close his mouth.

His eyes, now dry of tears, sparkled brightly. As the morning sunlight fell across the boy’s face, now close enough for their shoulders to touch, the sky reflected in his pale green eyes.

Momentarily captivated, Shin-woo quickly regained his composure and cleared his throat. It was time to wrap up the story.

“…So they say it’s not illegal even if you happen to kill a drop bear. It’s self-defense.”

“Wow, that’s harsh! A drop bear is still a living creature.”

“Well? Does this make you not want to go to Australia?”

“No? I want to see everything.”

Jae-seung smiled, his eyes curving, as if he had never cried.

“I like cities. Places with lots of people.”

He probably wants to meet people other than the employees. Though humans become more disgusting the more you meet them, this boy’s fantasies, after years of confinement, would be solid and beautiful. He only has disappointments ahead. Feeling sorry for him, Shin-woo clicked his tongue.

“If you want high population density, an amusement park would be good.”

“I’ve seen them in videos.”

“Do you want to ride the attractions? Aren’t you afraid of heights?”

“Why would that be scary? If I were scared of such things, I’d have died long ago.”

Jae-seung smirked, his words unexpectedly fierce. For a moment, the boy who had seemed childlike in everything he did appeared his actual age. Well, it wasn’t just talk. Jae-seung must have faced countless near-death experiences. Of course he wouldn’t be afraid of mere amusement park rides. Shin-woo’s eyes slowly traced Jae-seung’s straight eyebrows.

“You have to wait in line for an hour to ride one thing. Well, you can skip the line if you pay.”

“Waiting in line is fine. I like being around lots of people too.”

Shin-woo hesitated, a phrase lingering on his lips for a long moment. He was about to swallow it, thinking it might be irresponsible, but faced with those earnest eyes, his throat opened involuntarily. In the end, he voiced the words he had been hesitating over.

“Maybe you can go someday.”

“Someday?”

“Yeah. When you’re all better.”

To complete the Alpha trait transformation perfectly, one must experience a rut. Once he safely goes through the rut around adulthood, Ma Jin-seong will likely let Jae-seung go. When he becomes an adult and goes to college, there will be no reason for Jae-seung to remain tied to the mansion.

But not wanting to promise such a distant future, Shin-woo added the vague condition “when you’re all better.” Jae-seung, who Shin-woo expected to be overjoyed, merely grinned once. Having had his hopes dashed countless times, he didn’t get his hopes up much to begin with. Compared to when they first met, Jae-seung was noticeably withering.

“You know,”

Jae-seung spoke, fiddling with his large hands. He gently caressed the spaces between his fingers and the protruding joints, as if touching something unfamiliar rather than his own body.

“Shin-woo… I think the baby doesn’t recognize me anymore.”

The “baby” referred to the small puppy Jae-seung used to hug and shower with kisses. Given how rapidly his body was changing and his hormones were fluctuating, it was understandable that the puppy he was raising might start to be wary of him one day. Jae-seung hesitated, then showed his bandaged hand.

“It bit me. I guess it’s because my smell has changed and my body keeps changing.”

Not knowing what to say, Shin-woo awkwardly nodded. He stared at the top of the dejected boy’s head, then hesitantly and carefully placed a hand on his back. He had only intended to pat him briefly, but Jae-seung curled his shoulders and leaned in. Feeling it would be odd to suddenly pull his arm away, Shin-woo maintained the awkward posture.

Ironically, although Jae-seung was in such a state that he sought warmth even from Shin-woo, his high body temperature made his whole embrace feel warm.