Kiss Me if You Can-Chapter 8Vol. 2

“Are you tired? Shocked?”

“Huh? Ah... no, just a little.”

Josh tried to deny it, but his words came out stammering. Mark, clearly expecting this, furrowed his brow even deeper and spoke.

“To see you reacting this way, I guess Chase was really impressive earlier. Laura mentioned some people were crying? She even said some might need trauma treatment.”

It wasn’t common for ordinary people to witness someone collapsing and bleeding like that outside of a movie. Plus, the blood had come out of nowhere, and it made sense that people might talk about trauma.

But Josh was different. Before becoming a bodyguard, he had been a soldier and had seen his fair share of gruesome and tragic sights. While he might feel pity, being startled or panicking just because there was blood overflowing in front of him was unthinkable. In any situation, Josh had been trained to keep a cool head. He didn’t have to force himself to remain calm—his body was conditioned to act without emotion in such circumstances.

But...

Josh looked down at his hands again. At first glance, they seemed perfectly fine, but upon focusing, he could see a slight trembling. The realization sent a chill down his spine.

“Is he still unconscious?”

Instead of answering, Mark glanced at the door to the room and nodded.

“Yeah, probably. If there was any change, we’d have known by now.”

As he said, there was no sign of any change from inside the room. If Chase had at least opened his eyes, Laura would have called the medical staff immediately. The fact that it was still quiet meant that his condition hadn’t changed.

Josh sighed deeply. In the heavy silence, the closed door of the hospital room showed no signs of opening, and time continued to pass.

It was more than half a day before Chase regained consciousness. In the meantime, the bodyguards either rested or slept at a hotel nearby that Laura had arranged. Because of the shift change, Josh had to leave for a while, only to fall into a light sleep. He was woken up by a phone call in the early morning and rushed to the hospital.

“Josh.”

Laura, looking tired as if she had just received the call, greeted Josh.

“I’m sorry to bother you during your rest. Mr. Miller asked for you... even after I told him it was his day off. It seems like Mr. Miller relies on you a lot.”

“It’s okay.”

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Josh replied simply to her embarrassed words, but right now, he just wanted to see Chase.

Luckily, it seemed Laura had already guessed why Chase was asking for Josh. The conversation they had alone in the steward’s office had become a turning point. After that, she didn’t question when they spent time together or when Chase called for Josh. She had started stepping aside without suspicion. Josh didn’t correct her assumptions because, honestly, it was a relief.

Quickly walking ahead, Laura led him to the room. As she stopped at the door, she spoke.

“I contacted the steward, but there are only a few doctors who can consult on his symptoms... He said it would be best if we could get him checked as soon as possible. Mr. Miller said he’d decide after seeing you first.”

Josh raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He raised his hand and knocked twice on the door. As he opened it, Laura silently watched him. Before Josh stepped inside, she whispered just before the door closed.

“I’ll get ready for the hospital trip.”

“At this time?”

Josh was surprised, considering it was already past midnight. While this was good for him, he felt a bit uneasy. Laura casually replied.

“The steward often works through the night in his lab. Other people, not just Mr. Miller, sometimes need emergency consultations.”

He must be talking about the Extreme Alphas.

Josh reluctantly nodded and closed the door. Before turning around, the scent met him. The sweet, enveloping smell of pheromones. As he slowly turned, he saw Chase lying in bed.

The moonlight pouring through the large window illuminated Chase’s face, pale as ever. Josh’s heart sank in an instant, filling his vision with the memory of Chase, drenched in blood.

Had he ever been this scared?

Josh stood there, unable to move, not even when passing through a danger zone filled with mines. He had never felt the fear of losing someone before, and in that moment, he understood what Chase meant to him.

Lost in this unfamiliar sensation, he didn’t react at first, but then Chase moved.

Ah.

Chase’s eyelids slowly rose, revealing the purple eyes underneath, now darker and almost black. Josh watched in silence as Chase blinked a few times, struggling to focus.

“Joshua.”

Chase’s voice, lower than usual, cracked as it passed his dry lips. The roughness in his voice sent a shiver through Josh’s heart. Clearing his throat, Josh finally moved closer to the bed. Chase just lay there, staring at him.

When Josh finally stopped beside the bed, he looked down at Chase. His face was as pale as ever, but it seemed lifeless, devoid of color. Josh felt his mouth go dry and swallowed painfully, raising his hand to touch Chase’s cheek as he spoke.

“Chase.”

“What were you doing with Laura?”

The words Josh had wanted to say, “Are you alright?”, were stopped by Chase’s harsh tone. Josh only then noticed the bloodshot eyes in Chase’s glare.

"...What do you mean, what?"

“You talked, didn’t you? I saw everything, don’t lie.”

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Before Josh could respond, Chase began coughing violently. Shocked, Josh hurriedly looked around. As he moved to get water, Chase suddenly grabbed his wrist with unbelievable strength. Even through the violent coughing, Chase’s grip on Josh’s wrist didn’t loosen.

“I was just getting you water.”

Josh tried to explain, but Chase couldn’t respond because of his coughing. The answer was clear in the strength of Chase’s grip. He squeezed so tightly that Josh’s hand lost all sensation, cutting off circulation. Reluctantly, Josh pulled away and sat on the edge of the bed. Once he confirmed that Chase wasn’t letting go of him, Chase relaxed his grip. But he still didn’t let go entirely. The intense glare softened a little.

Josh smiled wryly at this.

“That hurts.”

Josh lightly scolded, then leaned down and kissed Chase’s lips. The sweet pheromone scent lingered with a faint medicinal smell. Still holding the kiss, Josh asked, his voice filled with concern.

“Are you okay? What happened all of a sudden?”

Then, in a playful tone, he added.

“You weren’t jealous of Laura and me, and that’s why you threw up blood, right?”

“...”

Chase didn’t answer. Instead, he gripped Josh’s wrist again. Josh, slightly annoyed, pulled back, saying it was just a joke.

“It’s just work stuff. …If you keep throwing up blood out of jealousy, you’ll end up dead soon.”

Josh kissed the back of Chase’s hand, which was still gripping him, then lowered his gaze as he continued to tease.

“If you die, you won’t be able to sabotage us anymore, you know. Pete will get a new daddy or mommy, though.”

Seeing Chase’s face pale and his eyes widen in horror, Josh quickly corrected himself.

“Just kidding, I’m telling you not to get hurt.”

Chase stared at Josh with wide, unbelieving eyes, still as pale as ever. If this continued, he seemed like he might faint and throw up blood again.

But still, it didn’t make sense that he was doing this because of jealousy.

“Did you hear me? We need to see the steward.”

Josh quickly changed the subject, speaking seriously.

“If you don’t want to see me talking to anyone else, you need to get better fast. We need to figure out what’s wrong.”

“...It’s nothing.”

Chase stubbornly muttered, but his voice was raspy and weak. His face looked even paler than before. It felt like something bad might happen soon.

“If you don’t know the cause, then meet with the steward. That’s the only way.”

Josh, despite being uncomfortable with the idea, knew from Laura’s words that the steward was the only one who could help with Chase’s condition. Chase, seeing he had no other option, fell silent. Josh gently brushed his hair back from his forehead. As he gazed down at Chase’s smooth forehead, he impulsively kissed it.

“It’ll be okay. We’re going to check it out.”

After Josh’s reassurance, Chase, without saying anything, pulled Josh’s head to his chest. When their lips met, Josh realized that Chase was tense.

“I’ll stay by your side, Chase.”

Josh kissed his lips with a soft "smack," then placed his forehead against Chase’s.

“I’ll never leave. So don’t worry.”

Yet, Chase’s expression didn’t change. If Josh left the hospital now, Chase would be alone again. Nervous, restless, imagining countless scenarios in his mind, overwhelmed with anxiety.

Josh, who had been quietly watching, spoke.

“Chase, want me to mark you?”

At those words, Chase’s eyes widened in shock. Josh felt both sympathy and affection, unsure what expression to wear. He continued softly.

“If I mark you, I won’t be able to mark anyone else for the rest of my life. Not until one of us dies.”

After a brief pause, Josh mischievously added.

“How about it? Does that make you feel better?”

Chase, who had been silent until then, finally spoke.

“…Is that really possible?”

With an incredulous expression, Josh smiled wryly.

“I was planning to do it after we got married, but… I guess there’s no choice. There are plenty of ways to hide it, like with makeup or prosthetics. You know, actors with marks like ours do it when filming, right? We can schedule a wedding later… but I guess it’s better to do it after filming’s over. Work comes first.”

With a stunned expression, Chase asked.

“But, are the marks really okay?”

Josh shrugged one shoulder.

“Every time I talk to someone else, and you throw up blood, it’ll be a big problem.”

For a while, Chase didn’t speak. He just stared at Josh without blinking. But Josh clearly saw the purple in Chase’s eyes darken. Chase opened his mouth but couldn’t speak. After several more attempts to speak, he finally managed to say something.

“…I love you, Joshua.”

Chase, with a hoarse, cracked voice, whispered those words before falling silent. But that was enough. Josh tilted his head and kissed him.

“I love you too, Chase Miller.”

His heart pounded, and he wanted to jump on top of Chase right there, but he clenched his fist and held back. Instead, he pulled away and smiled softly.

“After we meet with the steward, let’s do it right away.”

What would happen if he marked Chase’s ear? Josh briefly thought about the reactions from the other members and the staff, but he could think about that later. It felt like he was about to make a public declaration, so he suddenly felt embarrassed.

First, I’ll tell Laura and Mark. They need to know.

As Josh stood up from the bed, Chase tightened his grip on Josh’s wrist. But this time, he released it right away. Just then, a knock sounded. Laura was announcing that they were ready.

Josh bent down and kissed Chase’s lips once more. As Chase let go of his wrist, he silently watched Josh leave the room. Just before Josh exited, he turned around and smiled. Chase smiled back, but his expression was still dazed. Feeling an overwhelming sense of affection, Josh quickly left the room. He thought to himself that if he hesitated any longer, he might have ended up on top of Chase in the hospital bed.