Kiss Me if You Can-Chapter 19Vol. 2 .2

“You rode the train and the rides to your heart’s content, right? You even ate ice cream? What did you say then? I bought the amusement park that day, so you could eat whatever you wanted and do whatever you wanted, right? It’s the same today. I bought this place, so you can have whatever you want.”

After calmly explaining, Chase held out the doll again. But Pete still didn’t release his hands that were hidden behind his back.

“Don’t you remember that day, Pete?”

Chase asked again, holding back his nervousness. Pete paused and said quietly, “I remember.”

“Then why… … .”

Chase, who had been talking up to that point, suddenly realized. Why was Pete’s reaction different then and now?

Josh was gone.

Ah, he sighed absentmindedly. Pete didn’t trust anyone when Josh was gone. That’s why whatever he said would be different than back then. In the end, even in the same situation, depending on whether Josh was there or not, it could be considered theft or not. Chase lost confidence in persuading Pete.

“… … Put it away.”

He quietly ordered and held out the doll, and the security guard quickly took it and went into the store. Pete finally took a step after seeing the doll return to its place.

… … It’s difficult.

Chase let out a long sigh that boiled from the depths of his chest. That’s when the manager, who had been standing still and watching Chase and Pete approaching, spoke to Pete.

“Do you like puppies?”

Looking straight up at the manager’s face, who had a sad face but was definitely not handsome, Pete nodded confidently without hiding behind anyone.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

“Yes.”

“Well, that’s good. There’s a pet shop. Do you want to go? They have a lot of puppies that are hard to find.”

Chase was frozen by those words. However, the manager was so focused on Pete that he didn’t have time to observe his reaction. The manager’s intention was clear. He was going to use every means necessary to make Chase Miller lose a huge amount of money here. And Chase wasn’t alone, and he was with a child, so it was like a godsend.

If you want to live long, you have to shoot a horse.

As expected, Pete’s attitude changed at the manager’s words.

“A puppy?”

The manager smiled brightly, genuinely, at the sight of the child who was delighted.

“Yes, a living one. Or do you prefer a doll?”

At those words, Pete shook his head vigorously.

“I like dogs.”

“Good. Do you want to go with me?”

The manager, who had said that, raised his head, thinking that it was enough.

“Mr. Miller, can the child and I go to the pet shop together… …?”

The manager’s bright voice gradually faded and soon they tangled their tails and dispersed. Chase looked down at them with a hardened face. The manager blinked in bewilderment at the completely unexpected reaction. Why is he like that? Did I make a mistake?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure it out. Chase Miller was single and I’d never heard of him having a child, so it must have been his nephew or an acquaintance’s child. So there was no reason for him to dislike him for getting too close to his child.

Then why on earth?

“Me.”

Pete opened his mouth, breaking the cold, frozen atmosphere. The manager and Chase looked down at him at the same time. Pete looked up at Chase, or rather, he glanced at him and asked cautiously.

“I want to see the puppy… … Can I see it?”

It was a completely different attitude from how he had treated the manager just a moment ago. He couldn’t even look him in the eye and his voice was small. Chase came to his senses belatedly after seeing such a contrasting reaction. The manager, who keenly noticed Chase’s change, immediately changed his attitude and asked again with a smile on his face.

“Mr. Miller, I’m going to take the child to the pet shop, so would you like to take a break while I’m at it? We have a break room prepared for you.”

Most people find children who aren’t their own annoying. It’s because they’re not easy to handle. Chase also looked embarrassed. The manager had no doubt that Chase would gladly accept his suggestion. He should lead him to the break room, serve him tea and snacks, and have him buy various things while he rested.

It was when the manager, who had finished paying quickly, added a smile.

“No.”

Chase opened his mouth with a stiff face.

“It’s okay.”

After saying that, he suddenly started walking. The manager was dumbfounded by Chase’s back as he walked away without even having time to do anything, and then belatedly followed him. Chase, who was walking a few steps ahead, stopped and looked back, but of course he wasn’t waiting for the manager. When Pete, who had been running hard, stopped a short distance away, Chase finally looked up and looked at the manager.

“Guide me.”

At the short command, he quickly started walking ahead. Every time he glanced back, the manager saw Chase looking at Pete. He couldn’t take his eyes off Pete, as if he was worried that the child might fall while walking.

Then I guess I can just carry him and walk.

The manager thought, but soon lost interest. He didn’t care about other people’s circumstances. The most important thing to him was how much sales he could make today.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

While walking down the aisle of the shopping mall, Chase suppressed his desire to run away several times. Pete was walking diligently next to them. His determination to see the puppy seemed stronger than anything else.

But Chase was different. If he could, he would turn around and drive to the ends of the earth. His palms were sweaty as he tried to hold it back.

“… … .”

Chase stopped suddenly as he thought he heard something. It must have been an auditory hallucination. No matter how loudly the animals inside the pet shop, which was blocked by a large glass wall, howled, the sound would not be transmitted to the outside. Even though the inside of the shopping mall was so quiet.

It’s okay.

Chase repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists and made a promise.

It’s okay. All the dogs are trapped inside the glass walls. They can never come out. And all the dogs sold in places like this are small dogs. They won’t bring in such large dogs.

The problem was that even small dogs were a source of fear for Chase. He hated and was afraid of all kinds of dogs. Just hearing them bark made his whole body freeze. But Chase couldn’t believe that he was going to a pet shop where dogs were gathered.

Should I quit?

The break room the manager had mentioned kept tempting him. It was hell ahead. Why should he walk towards hell instead of the guaranteed heaven?

“I.”

Just as he opened his mouth to call the manager, a faint voice suddenly came from below. Chase reflexively looked down, but his eyes suddenly blurred and he quickly blinked. Pete’s face looking up at him came into view belatedly. Pete spoke with difficulty, his face flushed with embarrassment.

“Thank you for bringing me here.”

He greeted him with the utmost courtesy. This was probably the best thanks Pete could give. Chase wanted to enjoy this moment a little longer, but the fear that kept creeping up on him kept him from doing so. Pete continued to speak to Chase, who was barely holding back his rapid breathing.

“I wanted to raise a puppy, but neither Daddy nor Grandma said I could. So I bought a doll, but Jason is gone too.”

The child lowered his head as if he was lonely. The round head looked endlessly lonely. Chase impulsively reached out and patted the child’s head.

Surprisingly, Pete did not get startled or avoid it. Rather, it was Chase who was surprised. Chase, who had frozen for a moment, was even more surprised when something even more surprising happened. Pete carefully grabbed the hem of Chase’s pants. He wanted to hold his hand, but considering the height difference between him and Chase, that was the limit.

Chase then recalled Pete frequently hanging on to Josh’s legs or grabbing his pants.

“… … .”

The hallucination began again. The distance was getting closer, and the sound seemed to be coming closer.

However, Chase did not run away, but rather took another step forward. How did he get this chance? He made up his mind. He couldn’t waste Pete’s hand that was holding him. Wasn’t this the moment he had been waiting for?

Pete reaching out to Chase with trust.

That was what Chase had been waiting for. A dog locked in a glass cage was nothing.

Yes.

“Here it is.”

The manager turned around and pointed to one side with a smile. As expected, no sound could be heard from the pet shop where bright light was streaming out. The manager disappeared inside first, and Chase followed.

Ah.

Pete, who had been holding Chase’s leg until then, let go and started running.

It was small. He disappeared into the store before I could catch him. Now it was Chase’s turn.

Hoo, hoo.

The security team leader who had been watching Chase, who was barely holding back his rapid breathing, opened his mouth.

“Are you okay, Mr. Miller? Don’t push yourself too hard… .”

“I’m okay.”

Chase let out a gasp of breath. As if he was talking to himself.

“I’m okay.”

Haa, haa. Haa, haa.

He walked, trying to force himself to catch his breath. It felt like countless hands were pulling him up from under his feet. A faint smell wafted from beyond the wide-open door. It wasn’t the familiar pheromone scent, but the unique smell of an animal.

A dog.

Chase froze in place for a moment. The pet shop was much bigger than he had imagined. In the spacious room, there were many glass cages, and their sizes varied. Just as the dogs inside them were.

“… … .”

The sound of dogs barking was heard again. There couldn’t be any. There wasn’t a single dog that was staring at him. Come to your senses. Chase shook his head sharply. However, his vision only grew blurrier and his consciousness didn’t clear at all.

“Mr. Miller, are you okay?”

The bodyguard asked in an anxious voice. Chase barely raised his head, forcing himself to swallow saliva between his gasping breaths.

And then he saw. Numerous dogs staring at him from all sides.

“Ugh, haa, ha.”

His heart felt like it was going to burst. He broke out in a cold sweat and couldn’t breathe. He had to get out of here. He had to breathe. He had to get all those dogs out of my sight… … !

“Mr. Miller… … !”

The urgent voice of the team leader could be heard from afar for some reason. Chase collapsed to the ground, clutching his suffocating heart. His knees buckled and his back sank. He hit the floor, but he didn’t even feel pain.

Ah.

What came into his blurry vision was Josh’s face, much younger than before. Chase lost consciousness after seeing him running toward him with a distorted face that looked like he was going to cry for some reason.