Chapter 137
I gritted my teeth as I looked at the stained carpet and table. The coffee stains sprayed from Jeff’s mouth felt like his traces, making me feel unpleasant.
“Hey, you bastard.”
When Mitchell expressed his displeasure, Jeff finally gave a short apology, saying “Sorry.” Jeff raised his hand to signal for calm, then pulled out a bunch of tissues to clean up around him.
“But what do you mean by asking if yesterday was fun? What’s that about suddenly?”
“You came to our house yesterday, didn’t you?”
“…Who said that? That I came here?”
Judging by Jeff’s stiff expression, it seemed he had indeed come here. Even I, who didn’t know the truth, could tell right away.
“A younger friend of mine said he saw you. Entering the private road to our house.”
“Ah… So?”
Brazenly, Jeff asked a question instead of explaining. Perhaps because of this, Mitchell also closed his mouth and just stared at Jeff.
I couldn’t hold back and pulled Mitchell’s arm to draw his attention. I didn’t know exactly what the situation was, but I disliked both the fact that the two were exchanging words I didn’t understand and that they were facing each other while doing so.
Watching their gazing eyes made me feel like my eyes were rolling back and my blood was draining. Even if Jeff wasn’t Mitchell’s ex-lover, he had been a partner who had mixed bodies with him, so I couldn’t let my guard down.
Of course, I trusted Mitchell. But Jeff, who even entered the house as he pleased, was absolutely untrustworthy.
“Are you done talking?”
This time, I asked Mitchell. Mitchell, who had been blinking, smiled slightly and tilted his head towards me.
“Why?”
“I have something to say too.”
“To Jeff?”
“Yeah.”
If this was really going to be the last meeting, I had something to say to Jeff separately.
“I want to talk to him alone.”
This time, Mitchell frowned as if surprised. Seeing his reaction that seemed like he was about to refuse, I quickly added:
“It’ll just be for a moment, Mitchell.”
Since Mitchell, who had said he would take care of Jeff on his own, hadn’t properly carried out the task, I had to step in. Of course, I wasn’t doubting Mitchell. He must have clearly told Jeff not to meet anymore, but Jeff had come barging in like this anyway. I intended to completely uproot this problem.
Mitchell stared at me intently for a while. His eyes narrowed slightly. He seemed interested in what I might do.
“…Alright.”
Mitchell got up from his seat. After confirming that he had disappeared, I turned my gaze back to Jeff.
It was better that Mitchell didn’t hear this.
Because I hadn’t shown my true self to Mitchell yet.
Because I needed to lose my temper right now with this bastard Jeff!
“You said you had something to say to me?”
Jeff leaned back on the sofa and spread his legs wide. He sneered at me with a sarcastic expression, his mouth corner raised crookedly. As soon as Mitchell disappeared, the real Jeff came out. He was indeed a bastard. Of course, I intended to show him the real ‘me’ as well.
“Yeah. I have something to say to you. You bastard.”
I immediately threw out a curse. Showing my foul-mouthed side and taking the initiative, Jeff’s face contorted.
He had a vicious expression as if he might pounce on me at any moment and punch me in the face. It seemed clear at a glance what kind of person Jeff was. He was a man who took violence for granted.
Still, I was confident. This was Mitchell’s house, and if anything happened to me, Mitchell would come running from outside at any time. So in short, my confidence was because of Mitchell. I was showing off, trusting in my strong backup.
“Why do you keep following Mitchell around?”
I asked straightforwardly.
“Mitchell must have told you he doesn’t want to contact you anymore. Are you a stalker or something? Why do you cling to someone who says they don’t want you?”
The first round of glaring was over. The second round was with our three-inch tongues. Having to face my nasty personality alone, I intended to show it without holding back.
“This is really ridiculous…”
But Jeff moved his tongue first.
“Hey! It’s not that he dislikes me, he’s just staying apart for a while because of you. And while Mitchell’s lovers have changed over time, I’ve always remained the same. When he breaks up with you, Mitchell will definitely come back to me. You’re just showing off without knowing anything properly. Do I have to explain everything for you to understand, you fucking bastard!”
As expected, the guy who had been wearing a mask in front of Mitchell finally spat out curses. He half-rose as if about to pounce on me, and even showed his clenched fist with bulging veins. If Mitchell hadn’t been outside the door, he seemed like he would have really hit me.
But I wasn’t one to be intimidated.
“Has Mitchell ever dated a man?”
Jeff knows about my relationship with Mitchell as lovers. Thanks to Mitchell’s initial lie, the conversation was going smoothly.
“What?”
“I’m asking if there was a man among the people Mitchell has been with? Am I the first?”
“…”
“Therefore, I’m special. Right?”
“What the hell are you saying?”
“I’m saying I’m a special existence to Mitchell. You know that too, that’s why you’re so anxious and came all the way here.”
“…No matter how much you try to act smart…”
“I’m prepared. Are you?”
I know.
That the name of the feeling I now have for Mitchell has become twisted.
The ‘passion towards the subject’ that I’ve used as an escape route all my life has completely deviated from the path I expected.
I don’t deny Director McKenney’s words, but I can’t readily accept and affirm them either. I need a little time.
I intended to go through a verification process to see if the direction I thought was true. I wanted to understand not only my feelings but Mitchell’s heart as well.
Whether I truly love Mitchell.
And in addition,
Whether Mitchell can love me wholly.
“Are you prepared for your preferences to be revealed to the world without crumbling?”
It was a priority to cut off those who coveted Mitchell with a light heart, so I couldn’t leave Jeff like this. I rushed at Jeff, prepared to take a hit.
“I’m asking if you’re okay with the world knowing that you like men.”
“…”
See?
You can’t say anything.
You’ve been following Mitchell with only that level of determination. You pathetic guy. You don’t deserve to be by Mitchell’s side.
“If you don’t like that, then get out of here now.”
“You son of a bitch…”
Curses flowed through his gritted teeth. He was spouting whatever came to mind, unable to contain his anger, but it was an empty shell without substance. His cursing voice lacked strength, making it less threatening than before.
“Y-you…”
Jeff ultimately couldn’t answer my question. He seemed to hate the idea of his sexual preferences being exposed terribly. Well, to be honest, I don’t like it either. But I can endure anything to have Mitchell. That was the difference between me and Jeff.
“Mitchell will be outside, so I’ll let you say goodbye. Let’s not see each other again.”
Jeff removed his gaze from me and looked down at the coffee cup in front of him. His clenched fist twitched, and then he suddenly struck the coffee cup. Whether intentional or not, the flying cup didn’t reach me.
“Set your sights on someone you can actually have. I’ve got Mitchell.”
By the time the spilled coffee had completely soaked into the carpet, Jeff stood up abruptly and went outside. Just before the door slammed shut, I added:
“He’s mine forever.”
***
The sound of the front door closing was particularly loud. Jeff glared at Mitchell, who was standing right next to the front door.
He wanted to spit out something, but no words came to mind. While he was disgusted with Geon-woo, this time his opponent was Mitchell. Remembering that Mitchell knew about his visit last night made his legs feel weak.
Jeff swallowed dryly. Unlike the tense Jeff, Mitchell spoke casually.
“Geon-woo is like that originally. He’s not easy to deal with.”
It sounded as if he had heard all the conversation inside the house. Whether Mitchell had eavesdropped or not didn’t matter much to Jeff. What was more important was how much Mitchell knew about what he had done yesterday.
“I did come here yesterday, but…”
As Jeff tried to start the conversation, Mitchell moved. As Mitchell walked towards Jeff’s car, Jeff followed with heavy legs.
“You came, but what?”
The conversation started right in front of the downhill slope. As Jeff rubbed his face and hesitated for a moment, Mitchell opened his mouth again.
“Did you meet someone here?”
His tone clearly suggested he knew everything, but he didn’t touch on the core issue. As Mitchell kept probing without getting to the point, Jeff found it difficult to speak up carelessly.
Just then, Jeff’s phone vibrated in his pocket. Jeff frowned at the caller ID. The blonde wouldn’t call him first unless it was something important. With a bad feeling, he excused himself to Mitchell and answered the phone.
“What?”
– Um, um… Did you take that man with you by any chance?
As soon as he heard the words ‘that man’, Jeff’s face turned pale. A chilling sensation crept up his spine. Unconsciously glancing at Mitchell, Jeff asked urgently.
“What? No. He’s there, isn’t he?”
– No… He’s not here.
