When Calevik didn't answer, Rudin spoke again.
"I wanted to discuss the date to go buy materials for the clothes."
Come to think of it, he had forgotten that they had decided to go buy materials together. He had been trying to erase the memory of the terrible body measurements, and the thought of the project itself had flown to Andromeda.
"Where are we going?"
At Calevik's words, Rudin's face brightened. Unlike Calevik, who was always expressionless, his expressions were very diverse.
"I've looked up a few places. There's a general market on the outskirts of Cairn…"
"Market?"
"Yeah. It's far away, so I haven't been there yet, but when I looked at the reviews online, the fabric prices seemed cheap and there were many kinds. There are also various subsidiary materials and you can touch the fabric directly…"
Rudin, who was explaining excitedly, felt that something was wrong when he saw Calevik's cold face. He bit his lip with an uneasy face and said honestly.
"Um, the market… is it too… low-class…?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, okay…"
Was it, after all, the limit of someone who was born a commoner and had lived as a commoner for a quarter of a century? Rudin's cat ears slowly drooped down. His tail, which had been excited, also lost its strength and fell to the floor. Calevik watched the scene for a moment, then glanced at the smart watch on his wrist.
"What are you doing tonight?"
"Tonight? I don't have any plans."
"Then let's go now."
Calevik suddenly got up from his seat. Rudin, startled, got up as well and said.
"Now? Right away? We have to clean up here first. I'll do the dishes."
"It's okay. Leave it and wipe your mouth."
"No, still, I feel too bad to just leave it like this…"
Calevik, who was about to head to the dressing room to change, frowned.
"The staff will clean it up. They don't like it when you interfere with their work."
"Ah, I see! Okay. Then I'll go upstairs and get my bag."
Calevik went somewhere without answering. He seemed to be getting ready to go out.
Rudin wiped his mouth with a soft napkin. Perhaps because he had rested well and eaten a lot of delicious food, he felt energized and not dizzy, and his condition felt quite stable. Of course, the mental shock hadn't completely subsided yet, but since Calevik had agreed to cooperate on the team project for once, he didn't want to think about it right now.
Rudin slowly came out of the kitchen and walked towards the stairs. It was such a large and desolate house. It was clean, but it lacked the feeling of being lived in, like a model home.
As Rudin walked, looking at the living room, he suddenly noticed something on the wide table.
"Hmm? What's that…"
Rudin's eyes widened. The only thing boasting vivid colors in the otherwise black and white background was, at a glance, the blue Alice dress he had made.
The very one he had secretly made in the practice room during his FDS cleaning service days and had been taken away by Calevik.
Rudin's heart pounded. He felt like he had seen something he shouldn't have. He turned around and went upstairs to get his bag, but he couldn't calm down.
He had definitely thought it had been thrown away, but why was it dressed on a torso and displayed on the table in his house like that? As if it were a precious work of art.
Did he like that dress so much? Was it perhaps Calevik's taste? Could there be a room decorated with fancy dresses somewhere in this large house?
He didn't want to jump to conclusions, so he tried to rationalize it from Calevik's perspective, but he couldn't find an answer. The most plausible explanation was that it was kept as "a token of tough love shown to a Pussycat who misused the practice room," but he didn't like it very much.
When Rudin came down from the second floor with his bag, Calevik was already in the living room. He was wearing a silk suit with a wine-colored background and black leopard print, which was, as expected, the epitome of dislike. Rudin felt like crying because it was such a waste of the best clothes hanger on earth to be covered in such clothes.
At that moment, something lightly hit the center of Rudin's chest. He instinctively caught what was falling and saw that it was a new pair of ankle socks wrapped in plastic.
"I'll kill you if you wash them and return them."
Calevik muttered threateningly, and walked towards the entrance with his hands in his pockets. It was truly a talent to make consideration sound like a threat. After being momentarily stunned, Rudin quickly tore open the package and squatted down to put on the socks one by one. His feet were already a bit cold because the house was so big and chilly, but putting on the cozy socks seemed to warm his heart as well.
Calevik's socks, which were obviously for someone with large hands and feet, were a bit loose on Rudin, but they were much better than nothing. Rudin was simply amazed that Calevik had noticed he was barefoot and thought of giving him socks. No, thinking about it, he was grateful for everything.
"You know, thank you so much for everything. I will never, ever forget your kindness."
Rudin said with sincerity. He could have just ignored him, but he saved him from danger, brought him to a safe place to rest, gave him good food, and even gave him socks.
He even began to think that Calevik might be a very delicate and kind person, contrary to his appearance. But he was sure that if he said that to him, he would never speak to him again, so Rudin decided to shut his mouth at this point. As expected, Calevik just turned his head silently with his usual sullen face. Rudin smiled bashfully, feeling like he was awkwardly embarrassed.
As Rudin headed towards the entrance, he suddenly looked at the living room table and noticed that the blue doll dress he had seen earlier was nowhere to be found. Had Calevik cleaned it up in the meantime? Rudin tilted his head slightly, and a low voice echoed in his ear.
"Hey. Did you happen to see something over there?"
Calevik was glaring at him, as if he had noticed Rudin's gaze. A chill ran down his spine at the sight of the cold pair of sea-colored eyes.
Feeling like he would be bitten if he said he had already seen it, Rudin quickly shook his head vigorously.
"No? Was there something there? I didn't steal anything! You can even search me!"
Rudin made an exaggeratedly wronged expression and spread his arms wide, causing Calevik to turn his head away.
"Whatever."
Following Calevik to the entrance, Rudin secretly sighed in relief.
Rudin firmly resolved to remember that it would be good for his well-being to forget everything he had seen and heard here today, or at least pretend to forget.
After leaving the house, Rudin followed Calevik into the elevator.
Unlike ordinary elevators, there were only two buttons indicating floors, P and B. Rudin speculated that this might be the penthouse-only elevator he had only heard about.
When the door opened, it was the underground parking lot. As expected, there was a separate exit, and Calevik's car was parked in the wide area right in front.
The apartment in Cairn City, especially in the southern part of the Tenus River, far exceeded ten times the average house price in Rudin's hometown of Plemil. He couldn't even guess how much the duplex penthouse at the top of that building would cost.
After confirming that Calevik was completely in the driver's seat, Rudin carefully sat in the passenger seat. He was nervous because he didn't know where he was taking him. It was partly because Rudin was timid, but Snicats were generally much more nervous than ordinary people when they went to new places.
"I have a question about the habits of the superior species, can I ask you?"
Rudin opened his mouth, unable to bear the awkward silence. Calevik didn't answer, but if he didn't like it, he would have said so without hesitation. Rudin, who had become quite familiar with Calevik's way of speaking, interpreted his silence as affirmation.
"Um… I don't know if stroking the head is a big deal for the superior species."
"What are you talking about."
"For Pussycats, stroking the forehead is only possible between really close people, like family or lovers. Here, the forehead means when we're in cat form, around here between the ears…"
Rudin pointed to the area between his crown and forehead. Calevik glanced at him sideways and seemed to know what Rudin was worried about. He must have been thinking about Leon stroking him in front of the gym earlier.
"Do superior species stroke here even if they're not very close, just acquaintances?"
"I don't know."
Rudin thought, "Of course," at Calevik's blunt answer. It was wrong to ask someone who was introduced on the internet as having extreme misanthropy about physical contact that takes place between close people. Rudin quietly fidgeted with his fingers.
"If you're talking about Leon Kruger, he's not someone who does things without thinking."
Rudin was surprised by Calevik's sudden words and turned to look at him. He was staring straight ahead with an indifferent face.
"Did you see?"
Again, silence. Rudin parted his lips a few times and said,
"I was a little embarrassed… But I should probably think it didn't mean anything, right?"
"I don't know."
Of course he doesn't know. Rudin clicked his tongue, but he thought that Calevik was quite honest after all. He always immediately expressed what he didn't know and what he didn't like. However, he only did so for negative opinions, and he usually remained silent when he should have reacted with something good, okay, or agreeing.
Why is that? Isn't it usually the opposite? It's usually harder to say you don't like something or you don't know. Rudin didn't understand it well, but as long as he had to communicate with Calevik, it was better to quickly acknowledge and accept his tendencies.
"Um… I don't think I've ever been to this neighborhood before. Where is this?"
Rudin looked out the window and around. Luxury stores with names that would make your eyes widen were lined up on the wide avenue.
"7th Avenue."
"Ah…"
That was the luxury street he had only heard about, Cairn Central 7th Avenue. Even if it was the same brand, it was known that only VIP customers were allowed to enter the 7th Avenue branch. In Feladia, the standard for the upper class was judged by whether or not they had free passage to the 7th Avenue store.
He never thought he would come here one day.
Rudin pressed his face close to the car window. Security guards in black suits stood guard at the entrances of all the stores. The late afternoon sunlight was reflected in the dust-free glass windows, making it dazzling.
"You're not planning to buy fabric at a luxury store, are you? I don't think I can even get in with what I'm wearing now…"
Rudin, who had been looking out the car window for a long time, looked at Calevik with a worried expression.
Unlike Calevik, who was covered in luxury goods from head to toe, no matter how terrible the design was, Rudin's clothes were a sweatshirt and training pants he bought online. He was wearing even more comfortable clothes than usual because of his yoga class, so he looked sloppy no matter how you looked at it.
Calevik didn't answer. With a heavy heart, Rudin looked out the window again and recalled how his sister Perry had diligently looked at luxury jewelry sites and regularly went to exhibitions since she was a student. When his dad asked her why she looked so hard even though she didn't have the money to buy such expensive jewelry, Perry had answered like this.
'These luxury goods are leading the trend. Jewelry isn't a necessity, so it's very trendy, and people who are more financially well-off buy it. Even if I can't afford to buy it myself, I have to look at a lot of luxurious designs so I can meet the standards of upper-class customers.'
Rudin didn't forget his sister's words and kept them in mind. So, while studying design as a cyber university course, he steadily looked for articles on luxury fashion shows and bought magazines and pictorials to pay attention to. When he saw clothes that said 'price not determined,' he wondered how much the actual price would be.
But when he actually came to this luxury street, he was scared even though he hadn't entered the store.
He was the only commoner among the FDS students. Unlike his superior species classmates who had grown up wearing and using luxury goods since they were young, luxury goods were something that people from another world bought for Rudin. Someone who grew up in a wealthy family like Calevik, who wore luxury goods as commonly as clothes on sale at the neighborhood mart, was bound to have a different dimension in their eye for clothes.
It was the same this time. If it hadn't been for Calevik, the materials for the men's clothing production assignment would have been different from those of his classmates, and he would have been ridiculed by everyone. Calevik's words to Rudin before, 'Are you planning to make doll clothes?' were not ridicule, but truly heartfelt advice.
He had transferred with the vague idea of wanting to study design, but was it too reckless?
by misacchi
"Who would stop you? I'm here."
Rudin snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Calevik muttering to himself.
Calevik usually used a way of speaking that lacked modifiers, so it was easy for others to misunderstand. However, Rudin knew that his words were not like the lines of a romance drama protagonist, such as 'I won't let anyone treat you badly.'
He was just saying what he had to say as the youngest son of a top-tier chaebol family who had never been restricted from entering any place. It was just a manifestation of his infinite pride that Rudin would not be treated that way because he was accompanying him.
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Even so, Rudin's face flushed for no reason, and he patted his cheeks with his palms to clear his head. His cat ears fluttered in embarrassment, and the tip of his tail, which had also risen, curved into a question mark shape.
"Th- that's right. I'm really glad you're here."
This time, the tips of Calevik's ears turned red. He had no memory of hearing the words 'I'm glad you're here' from anyone other than his mother.
'I'm so glad you're here. Calevik is Mom's breath.'
'What's breath?'
'Breathing. Inhaling and exhaling, whoosh whoosh.'
'Then am I Mom's breath?'
'Yes. So Mom can only be alive if Calevik is here. Nothing is more important to Mom than Calevik in the world.'
She was also Calevik's breath. So Calevik believed that it was only natural to feel suffocated every day since she left.
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Ah. Calevik's brow furrowed as he naturally continued his thoughts. Was this because Rudin was a Snicat like his mother?
In any case, Rudin's words were not romantic at all, given the circumstances. He didn't know how he had ended up being a luxury store pass for such a small Snicat. He felt agitated at the thought that all of this was because of that damn Kwangbeom.
"Oh, that's…"
Rudin, who had caught a glimpse of a beautiful building that looked like an ancient temple, muttered in a surprised voice.
Adelaide Boutique. Commonly referred to as AB, it was a large mall with dozens of boutiques exclusively for the upper class. There were shops that handled clothing for all genders and age groups, as well as suits, casual wear, all kinds of sportswear, and even party dresses. All of the shops there provided custom-made clothing, and the prices ranged from several to dozens of times that of ready-made clothing.
In order to be admitted to AB, strict conditions and its own evaluation criteria had to be met. Just being in this building was a selling point, so no separate promotion was needed. Despite having a closed distribution channel where new customers could only visit with the recommendation of existing customers, all stores were always booming.
As Calevik's car glided along the road that cut through the large garden with a fountain, Rudin's big eyes widened even more. He never thought he would come here in his life. Perry, who had always dreamed of looking around the jewelry shops in AB, would be shocked if she knew.
"Get out."
Calevik said, stopping the car in front of the ornate entrance with large pillars. As Rudin unbuckled his seatbelt, a valet parking attendant opened the car door from the outside. After politely greeting the two, he got into the driver's seat and drove the car away.
Another employee standing at the entrance bowed deeply to them. Rudin inadvertently bowed deeply to him as well, but Calevik didn't even acknowledge the employee and went inside. Rudin quickly followed him, not wanting to lose him.
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Rudin's cat ears perked up, and the tip of his tail, which had also risen, curved into a question mark shape. He was anxious about being in an unfamiliar place, but more than that, he was filled with excitement and joy as a design major.
A moment later, shops decorated with various concepts unfolded before Rudin's eyes. The stores were not lined up like in a typical department store or shopping mall, but were sparsely located in a spacious area, with the spaces in between decorated for rest or exhibition.
Rudin's head turned from side to side incessantly. Everything he looked at was unique and attractive. He had heard that FDS alumni who had not joined large companies ran luxurious boutiques targeting the upper class like this.
"Oh! I think you'll like the clothes here."
Rudin pointed to a store. The store was flashy in a rock cafe style, and the clothes on display were all flashy and confusing patterns or very unique designs that seemed difficult to pull off. Calevik replied with a nonchalant expression to Rudin's words, which were half sincere and half joking.
"I go sometimes."
He actually acknowledged it. Rudin chuckled secretly at Calevik. It was truly amazing that even those strange and crude patterned clothes had fabrics and subsidiary materials that were all so high-quality that they were admirable.
Rudin, who was walking diligently after Calevik, suddenly stopped in front of a store. It was a place where banquet dresses were displayed.
"Wow, pretty…"
The clothes displayed throughout the store were as full of decorations and as fancy as the doll clothes Rudin often made. The interior, which resembled a banquet hall in a palace, even gave the illusion that princes and princesses dressed in party attire would come out in droves at any moment.
"It's around that corner…"
Calevik, who was about to say that they were almost at their destination, suddenly realized that Rudin was not by his side and turned around. Rudin, who was standing still without moving, was staring as if possessed at a baroque-style women's dress richly decorated with lace, shirring, and ribbons.
Looking at the noisy and bustling party venue, Rudin wondered why a young cat with curiosity sparkling in his eyes came to mind.
"What's that? A Pussycat!"
"It's true. How did he get in?"
"Judging by his appearance, is he an employee of a supplier? He's not supposed to be allowed inside the store."
"I know, right? It's unpleasant. We should report it to the security office."
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Calevik's eyes narrowed as he heard someone whispering from behind.
Did his mother always receive this kind of treatment when she lived in Feladia?
The country where Calevik lived with her had half of its residents as foreigners, and numerous beastmen species lived mixed together. Calevik was too young, but perhaps because so many different races coexisted, he had no memory of his mother being discriminated against.
But Feladia was different. Until now, he hadn't felt the discrimination so keenly because he hadn't been close to any Pussycats, but just spending a little time with Rudin made him realize that this kind of insult was nothing special in his daily life.
Rudin hadn't done anything wrong. He was just born a Pussycat. Calevik himself, who was always welcomed and praised wherever he went, had never made any effort to be born as a superior species. Moreover, the mask of 'the Alstadt Family's heir' that he always wore was even fake.
The irritation with this damned country welled up, and Calevik's temples throbbed. He returned to Rudin, who was standing like a statue in front of the dress.
"Tell me if you're going to buy it."
"Huh?"
Rudin looked up at Calevik, startled. He seemed to be in a terrible mood, which made Rudin's heart sink.
"Tell the owner to wrap it up for you."
Rudin, flustered by Calevik's blunt words, quickly stepped back from the mannequin wearing the dress. He was anxious, wondering if there was a rule here that you had to buy something if you looked at it for too long. Rudin quickly waved his hands.
"No! No! Why would I buy this? I was just looking because it's so pretty. I came to buy materials for my assignment, sorry for getting distracted."
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Suddenly, Calevik took out his wallet from his back pocket. He pulled something out with his long fingers and held it out to Rudin. A thin, square object fell into Rudin's palm, which he unfolded without thinking. It was a black card with a transparent jewel, like a diamond, embedded in the center.
Rudin casually read the letters engraved in silver on the card's surface.
「Alstadt Prestigious Black, Calevik Roshaf Alstadt」
"Gasp…!"
Rudin gasped, his mouth wide open. Among the Alstadt credit card tiers divided into several colors, the highest level, the Black card, was commonly called the 'endgame of card rankings' on social media, issued only to the top 1% of the wealthy.
It was natural for Calevik, the youngest son of the Alstadt Group's chairman, to have such a card, but Rudin couldn't understand why he had suddenly thrown it at him. It was such a burdensome object to even hold, so Rudin quickly put the card in his pants pocket.
"Let's go together, Calevik!"
Calevik was already walking far ahead. Rudin hurried past the two superior species men and women who were staring blankly at him with dazed expressions, chasing after Calevik. He felt their gazes following him from behind, but he didn't care, as it was a common occurrence even in FDS.
Calevik, who had stopped briefly as if waiting for Rudin, started walking briskly again as he approached. Rudin was very disappointed because there were many things he wanted to see, but he didn't have enough time. He felt like he could stay in this building all day from morning to night without getting bored.
"Wow…"
Rudin let out a soft exclamation as he saw a store that appeared as soon as he turned the corner. Countless fabrics and samples were neatly arranged in a spacious store with a classic atmosphere. Rudin raised his head, and the store's sign caught his eye.
「Mille Bleu」
The store's name meant 'A Thousand Blues.' It meant that there was no same blue under the sky, a saying that everyone with a job dealing with colors would nod in agreement with.
"Welcome."
The employees dressed in neat suits bowed politely towards Calevik and Rudin as they entered the entrance. Among them, an elderly gentleman who appeared to be the manager approached them.
"Thank you for visiting Mille Bleu. How may I assist you?"
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Rudin, with his cat ears slightly lowered due to nervousness, reflexively looked at Calevik. However, Calevik was just looking away with a sulky face. Unable to help it, Rudin swallowed hard and said.
"Um… we're fashion design students, and we came to choose fabric because we have to make menswear for an assignment."
"I see. Do you perhaps have any photos or illustrations that might be helpful?"
"Yes! I do!"
Rudin quickly took out his sketchbook from his crossbody bag and opened it to the page with the fashion illustrations he would make for the assignment, handing it to the manager.
"I'm trying to make clothes in this style. I'm going to embroider this pattern directly with gold thread."
"Oh ho. It's a very nice design. Then shall we start by choosing the fabric to be used for this evening coat? Please come this way."
Rudin, with anticipation and tension written all over his face, followed the manager's guidance and moved inside the store. Calevik was about to follow them indifferently when his jacket pocket vibrated. He took out his phone and saw Bernard's name on the screen.
"What."
"This is Bernard, young master. The current location shows that you are at Adelie Boutique, is it true that you went alone without any bodyguards?"
Irritation crossed Calevik's handsome face. How idle must this guy be to be tracking other people's locations all day long.
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But in fact, he was doing his job faithfully. From the beginning, he was a man hired by his stepmother, Charlotte, to monitor Calevik and take care of his affairs.
The CCTV cameras installed at the front door of Calevik's house and the penthouse's private elevator were monitored around the clock by security guards.
The location tracking device built into Calevik's phone was very powerful and could pinpoint his coordinates much more precisely than other apps on the market. So, as long as Calevik had his phone with him, he wouldn't be followed.
If he left his phone behind, he would almost certainly be followed. When he got angry and asked why they were doing this, his stepmother, Charlotte, said coldly.
'It's for your safety. People from wealthy families are easily targeted in many ways.'
'Then why don't you monitor my brothers and sister?'
'They are purebred Tigercats with noble blood. You are obviously not. I don't know what dirty tricks you might pull to tarnish the name of Alstadt, so I'm just taking the minimum precautions.'
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In Calevik's case, it wasn't so much about worrying about what harm he might suffer, but about monitoring him in case he did 'dirty tricks' like drugs or prostitution.
The insult didn't end there.
'Are you done?'
'No. You're stupid and have a poor understanding, so I'll be more direct. If I don't take good care of you like this, who knows if you, born of dirty tricks, will do dirty tricks and create another dirty little bastard like you.'
'....'
'Don't even think about whoring around and showing off your cheapness, and live quietly until you marry a modest young lady that I choose for you. If you do that, your children's children will be able to live luxuriously for generations, so even you, with your low intelligence, can weigh the pros and cons of how to act.'
In other words, it was a warning to 'not randomly spread your seed and live like a puppet obedient to her words.'
A dirty child born of dirty tricks. That was all Charlotte defined Calevik as.
by misacchi
"I clearly said I didn't need bodyguards."
Calevik's voice was low like cold air. Calevik wasn't a very cultured employer, but at least he knew how to use minimal honorifics, so speaking so casually meant that he was in a very bad mood. Bernard, who was very nervous, quickly replied as if making an excuse.
"The world is so dangerous that the Madam is very worried. I will send a bodyguard right now."
"Don't."
At times like this, Bernard realized that even human voices had a temperature. To try to restore his seemingly lowered body temperature, he held a mug of warm Americano tightly in his hands.
"Understood. Please be careful. By the way, did you go to Adelie to shop? If you're thinking of getting a suit made for the Alstadt Corporation's 100th anniversary event, the family has decided to do it all at Kelhmes."
"..."
The youngest master, knowing that it was unlikely, chose the familiar silence to the words he had thrown out. Bernard laughed awkwardly.
"Ah, haha… If you change your mind, please let me know right away. Oh, and what should we do with the CCTV cameras in front of your elevator and front door, young master? Should we turn them off a little longer, or turn them back on?"
At those words, Calevik slightly relaxed the frown on his face. He had forgotten that he had said he would call when everything was done.
"…Turn them on."
"Yes, sir. Thank you. You'll be home before it gets too late, right?"
"I don't know."
Calevik hung up the phone without waiting for Bernard's answer.
He wasn't a minor, he didn't need protection, and he wasn't sick, but the only reason why he got calls like this as soon as he deviated even a little from his usual route was to remind him of his stepmother's intentions: 'Wherever you go, you're in the palm of my hand, so don't even think about causing trouble and live as quietly as possible.'
When he was young, he had obediently complied with her so as not to displease her. He thought that if he listened well and did as he was told, she might let him see his mother again. After he realized that it was a futile dream that only exhausted and tired people, he began to rebel.
Some might say that he should be grateful just for the fact that she fed him, clothed him, and raised him. Even more so because he had received the best education under the best conditions as a member of a wealthy family. But that was just the idea of someone who didn't know the essence of abuse at all.
Calevik wanted to abandon the Alstadt surname if he could. He didn't care if he had to give up everything he had enjoyed so far, the rich, luxurious, extravagant, and comfortable life, and start from zero.
How wonderful would it be if he could start his life again in a place where no one knew him or even cared about him.
What meaning could he find in a life where even a scar on his body wasn't his own? He was sick and tired of the fact that the front door of his house and the private elevator were being monitored in real time by CCTV, and that his secretary and bodyguards were looking at him every moment with tracking devices, wherever he went and whatever he did.
But he couldn't completely tarnish the damned name of Alstadt either. Calevik, the youngest son of the nation's top conglomerate and a superior species that people looked up to, was living, ridiculously, at the bottom corner of the huge and solid pyramid that the people of the Alstadt Family had built over the years. Wearing clothes with only a rustic and unsightly design and neglecting his studies was all the rebellion he could do.
He had no desire to live his life to the fullest, and no reason to do so. He was pathetic himself.
"Calevik, can you take a look at this?"
Then, at Rudin's voice, Calevik turned his head. Rudin, holding several fabric samples in his hands, had a troubled expression on his face. As Calevik approached, he neatly spread out the similar-looking fabric samples on the table.
"Which one do you like the most?"
After looking down for a moment, Calevik immediately pointed to the deep blue fabric with an elegant sheen without hesitation. It was a sophisticated color reminiscent of the waves of the night sea.
"Ah, I knew it…"
Rudin wore a faint smile. Calevik asked the manager.
"What's the problem?"
"He also liked the same fabric, but he seems to be worried about the price. Since it's an imported fabric that's only available in very small quantities, the unit price is inevitably high."
Calevik replied with a nonchalant face to the manager, who was speaking carefully as if he was embarrassed.
"Give it to me."
"Calevik! This is really incredibly expensive! There are many other good fabrics, so take a look around…"
"It's okay."
Rudin couldn't say anything more because Calevik turned around and walked away without listening any further.
In fact, there was no reason to object. The young master of a conglomerate wanted to use the highest quality fabric for his assignment, and even said he would pay with his own card, so how could he stop him?
Calevik chose the best quality fabrics for the gown, vest, and pants, as well as the gold thread for the embroidery. He didn't listen to the manager's explanations at all, and just loafed around. When Rudin called him, he would come over and pick out the most expensive items without even looking at the price tags. He wondered if this was the eye of the upper class, and eventually he was even impressed.
Rudin, who had chosen all the subsidiary materials such as buttons and zippers, handed over Calevik's black card at the checkout counter with trembling hands.
He wondered if it was normal to spend such a large amount of money on a school assignment that he could potentially ruin. But the fact that he was already thinking about making a tailcoat for a doll with the leftover scraps of fabric made it clear that he was an inevitable commoner.
"Since you have purchased a lot of expensive fabrics, we would like to give you a complimentary gift as a token of our appreciation. Would you like to choose one?"
The manager guided Rudin and Calevik to the center of the store. Beautiful accessories such as brooches, tie pins, and cufflinks were emitting a radiant light inside the glass display case. Calevik spat out indifferently as if he had no interest.
"I don't need it. You choose."
"Huh? Me? I don't have a suit, so I have no use for these things. And you paid for it, so you should take the complimentary gift."
"I already have a lot."
With those words, Calevik turned his back and left the store completely. Rudin, left alone, had no choice but to look into the display case. They were all cool and fancy, but that made it seem even more like he would never use them in his life.
"Ah… Could I see this one up close?"
Rudin's eyes lit up as he discovered a boutonniere brooch to decorate the lapel of a suit. It was a brooch in the shape of a cat with large ears and a sleek tail sitting with its front paws together. The sparkling gemstones were densely set, and the eyes were made of amber topaz, making it look cute yet sophisticated.
"This is a delicately made handmade brooch. It looks like it would suit you well, sir."
The manager, wearing white gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints, took out the brooch and showed it to Rudin, placing it on the palm of his hand. Rudin lowered his voice and whispered.
"Is this, by any chance, very expensive?"
"It's a product that we have prepared for customer service, so it's not for sale, but even if we were to set a price, it wouldn't be that high."
That was only the case 'by the standards here,' but Rudin's mind was a little more at ease.
"I'll take this one. Thank you so much."
He picked something that looked just like himself.
That was Calevik's impression of the brooch that Rudin proudly showed off with a face full of joy.
Before he knew it, the sun was setting. Calevik, who didn't even pretend to listen to Rudin's request to be dropped off at the nearest subway station, was driving the car to the neighborhood where Rudin lived. Rudin, who was in charge of the production, would take all the materials he bought today.
"I never imagined that I would be able to go inside Adelie Boutique. I really enjoyed it today. I think I learned a lot while looking at the various designs."
Rudin's voice was noticeably excited. When Calevik didn't answer, he continued.
"Um… thank you so much for saving me and letting me eat delicious food. I would have been in big trouble if you hadn't been there. I've received so much kindness that I don't know how to repay you."
Calevik, who had inadvertently glanced sideways, saw that Rudin's hands were visibly trembling. It seemed that what had happened earlier had come to mind inevitably.
Calevik, who stopped the car at a traffic light, let out a short sigh. He pulled something out of the black box on the ceiling between himself and Rudin.
"Take it."
A small chip was placed on Calevik's palm, which was suddenly held out in front of Rudin. Rudin, with his eyes wide open, looked at him and perked up his cat ears.
"What is this?"
"The black box memory card."
"Why are you giving me this?"
Was there even a photo file related to men's clothing production in this? Rudin tilted his head and picked up the memory card. Cale said bluntly.
"You passed by my car when you were being dragged away earlier. Use it as evidence when you report it."
Mikhail and Cresus were cunning bastards. Cale had rarely spoken to them directly, but according to what he'd occasionally heard, their reputation was terrible. If they both insisted that nothing of the sort had happened, it would be difficult to prove the crime based solely on Rudin's claim, and he could even be counterattacked with a false accusation charge.
"Report…?"
Rudin murmured blankly. Cale's brow furrowed slightly. What was he planning to do if he didn't report it? He was already trembling just recalling what had happened earlier, was he planning to laugh and study with them in the same classroom every day from now on?
"Yeah, that's right…. You have to. Re, report…."
Rudin clenched his fist tightly. Fortunately, thanks to Cale's unexpected appearance, it had ended in an attempt, but a crime was a crime. A truly horrific sex crime at that.
Rudin had passed by Cale's car while being dragged away, and he had even dropped his bag while struggling on the ground in front of the car, so there was a high possibility that the video footage remained on the black box. If so, it would be possible to definitively prove the intention of the crime.
To think he'd even considered that far. Rudin's nose tingled at Cale's unexpected thoughtfulness.
"Thank you so much. You're incredibly smart and capable. I, the person involved, didn't even think of it…"
Cale frowned. Because he was so clueless, it was hard to believe he was twenty-six years old.
In his eyes, Rudin was too soft. Just how safe had he lived, so carefree, to be in this state? If he was aware that he was a Snicat, shouldn't he live more defensively? Not trust people, be more wary, and be more sharp.
"Buy some self-defense equipment or something."
Rudin, who was carefully putting the memory card away, as if afraid of losing it, smiled at Cale's words. It was amazing that he had such a subtly delicate side, even though he didn't seem like he would.
"Like pepper spray? I didn't think I needed it much until now, but I should order it today."
The traffic light turned green. Cale, who took his foot off the brake, said as if suddenly remembering something.
"Hey. I'm telling you in advance."
"Huh? What is it?"
"I don't like sweets."
"Huh? Sweets?"
"…Like snacks."
Rudin's brain was working diligently at the sudden confession of his preferences. He was throwing out the conclusion without any context, so he couldn't figure out where to start inferring.
Then, a familiar store with a shining sign outside the car window caught his eye. It was the very bakery where Rudin had stood in line for an hour in the morning to buy handmade langue de chat cookies for Leon Mathias Krueger. Even now, people were lined up outside the store.
Ah, could it be? A light bulb went off in Rudin's head. Was he thinking that because he kept saying thank you, thank you, he would buy him cookies as a reward, like he did for Leon? And that's why he was telling him in advance not to.
Rudin couldn't help but burst out laughing. Seeing the bewilderment on Cale's sculpted face as he glanced at him, he couldn't stop laughing even more.
"What's so funny?"
Cale's sulky expression had a youthful air about it. It didn't suit him, but considering he was twenty-three, it wasn't that awkward.
"It's nothing. You don't like snacks, right? Then tell me what you do like."
"Nothing."
He had plenty of things he disliked, but he didn't know what he liked. Cale didn't want anything except for no one to bother him, talk to him, contact him, and just leave him alone.
"I owe you too much, I feel uncomfortable like this."
"Forget about it."
"Does that make sense? Then I'd be an ungrateful person."
"So what if you are?"
"I don't want to be such a bad person!"
"If it's for the purpose of making you feel better, I don't need it even more."
Rudin was speechless. Why was this person so twisted? That wasn't it at all. He was just so grateful for what he had done for him that he wanted to do something for him. It was strange and difficult to logically convince him of such basic human nature.
"It's natural to want to do something for you because I'm grateful."
"It's your business to be grateful, but don't give me anything."
"Why?"
"It's burdensome."
"I don't want anything from you?"
"You want me to accept your repayment."
Rudin was speechless again. Even such a small token of appreciation was heavy and overwhelming to him, it made him genuinely curious about what kind of life Cale had lived.
He was incredibly indifferent, but sometimes surprisingly delicate, and he seemed to be considerate, but then suddenly put up a wall like this.
He must have lived a life without any shortcomings, so what had made this man like this? He was curious, but it seemed that he wouldn't be given the qualification or reason to get to know Cale deeply.
Even so, he felt uncomfortable just passing it over, so Rudin could only say this.
"Still… I'm really grateful. Even if you don't receive anything, I hope my sincerity is conveyed. Whatever the others say, I… I feel like, you're a very… good person."
Cale was speechless at the clumsy and transparent sincerity that was not mixed with any vulgar intentions.
A good person.
It was the first time Cale had ever heard that word used to define him since he was born.
To be continued in Volume 2.
by misacchi
○Search Term: Calevik Roshaff Alstadt
○Related Search Terms: Alstadt Family, Conglomerate, Tigercat, White Tigercat, White Tiger, FDS, Top Tier, Upper Class, Conglomerate Hottie, Fashion Terrorist, Copying Calevik's Style, Worst Dressed, Ranking of Handsome Non-Celebrities, Conglomerate Brat, Unique Hottie, Crazy Conglomerate
○Latest Popular Posts
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-「Psychology Scholar Professor Nasmed, Mentions Calevik Alstadt by Name Inappropriately…, Issues Official Apology」
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⋮
Calevik never enjoyed looking up information about himself online. Who would like having their name bandied about by strangers without their consent?
Moreover, the posts and articles circulating online often used sensational titles to increase traffic, so in Calevik's case, a significant portion of the content was less than desirable.
The articles that caught his eye today were no different. 'Substitute Man', or 'Subman' for short, was a fashion CatTuber who identified the brands and purchase locations of clothes, shoes, and accessories that had become popular after being worn by famous celebrities, and then bought and wore the exact same items.
Recently, he had received a tip about Calevik's outfit and copied his world map print pants, red Kelhmes new sneakers, and black and white checkered crew neck knit. However, sharp-eyed netizens quickly discovered that every single item was a fake. Subman quickly admitted to the fact, explaining that they were too expensive and limited edition to buy the real thing, and issued an official apology to his viewers.
The case of the world-renowned psychology scholar and famous psychiatry professor was as follows. He was on a program explaining 'what kind of peculiar behaviors people who have suffered great emotional wounds during their formative years might exhibit.' He then gave an example, saying, 'Like that young man named Calevik who's been a hot topic among young people these days, they might choose to wear strange and eccentric clothes that anyone can see are odd, as if rebelling against the world.'
As soon as the broadcast ended, the Alstadt Family's exclusive legal team contacted the professor in a flurry, and he immediately issued an official apology via social media, stating that his remarks had been inappropriate. The broadcasting station took full responsibility for not editing out the segment and removed it from the replay board. However, Calevik thought that if he ever needed psychological counseling in the future, he would definitely go to that professor.
Articles about actresses at the Golden Dragon Film Festival or nonsensical polls were not worth clicking on. Shasha Ira had been a senior in the same department when Calevik entered FDS, but both Calevik and she had such low attendance rates that they had only passed each other a few times. Yet, the fact that such an article was ranked high in viewership on the country's largest portal site suggested that there were a lot of people with nothing better to do.
Calevik put his phone down on the table, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes. Despite going to the trouble of doing something he never usually did, he couldn't find the word that lingered in his mind anywhere, whether in articles, related search terms, or posts written by anyone on the bulletin board.
A good person.
What exactly is a good person? Even on the way back after dropping Rudin off in front of his house, that phrase kept swirling in his head.
Well, from Rudin Greenwood's perspective, who had almost been assaulted, it was understandable that he would feel that way. What Calevik was curious about was why he had acted in a way that would make Rudin perceive him as a 'good person.'
In his own opinion, he possessed not a single virtue among heroism, a sense of justice, consideration, altruism, philanthropy, or a democratic spirit. He had plenty of time and money, but there was no particular reason to spend it on Rudin.
He had helped Rudin simply because the situation had unfolded that way and the timing had happened to be right, nothing more and nothing less. Perhaps that was why Rudin's words, 'a good person,' felt so awkward.
Or perhaps the fact that Rudin was a Snicat like his mother had moved Calevik's heart. It was hard to deny that he had been thinking about his mother more often since Rudin had entered his life.
Calevik opened his eyes and unconsciously raised his hand, spreading his palm wide.
Rudin's body as a cat, to exaggerate slightly, was only a little bigger than this palm. The soft, warm body that fit perfectly in his arms, the incredibly soft texture of his fur, was still vivid in his memory. Honestly, he felt a strong urge to adopt a cat.
Sometimes, when he felt lonely and depressed, he wanted to bring in a 'real pet' that wasn't a beastman. However, there were two reasons why Calevik had not yet acted on that thought.
One was that he was afraid of forming attachments. Unless it was a long-lived tortoise that could live up to 150 years, the lifespan of dogs or cats, the animals Calevik wanted most, was usually much shorter than that of humans. No matter how well he took care of them and fed them all sorts of good things, it would be difficult for them to live beyond 20 years.
Calevik had already experienced firsthand how difficult it was to endure the rest of his life longing for a being that had left his side. That pain was still ongoing, and he couldn't bear to add new pain to it.
The other was that he lacked confidence in his ability to care for a life. He was often listless and found it difficult enough to take care of himself. He felt too inadequate and flawed to be responsible for someone else.
For that reason, he was content to watch cute pet videos on CatTube. But even though the real form was a beastman, touching a real, living cat, even though he couldn't properly pet it because of the situation, was incomparably more satisfying than watching it on screen.
If Calevik had shown his animalized form, a weak-hearted human like Rudin might have fainted from shock. Even he himself thought his animalized form was a ferocious beast. The huge body, the terrifying eyes, the powerful teeth and claws were enough to inspire fear in other species.
But he thought that if they were a Pussycat family, they could show each other their animalized forms and just find it cute and fun. Besides, since they were beastmen and lived long lives, there would be no worry of them leaving soon.
In any case, he had to admit that the common saying that 'Snicats are pretty' also applied to their animalized cat forms. This was not Calevik's own opinion, but rather a purely objective one.
Now that he thought about it, it was the weekend. He planned to stay home all weekend without going anywhere. He would fill the two days with watching movies, playing games, napping, exercising, and reading.
By the time the weekend was over, the uncomfortable phrase 'a good person' would have faded away.
"Hmm…, at this point, it certainly looks like they forcibly dragged him away."
The Leopardcat detective, a beastman, who was watching the monitor, rubbed his chin with his finger.
Rudin, who watched the video with the detective, bit his lower lip tightly. Mikhail, who had instantly slung Rudin over his shoulder as Rudin lay on the parking lot floor, struggling with all his might, was now leaving the dashcam screen with Cresus.
"Don't get me wrong. Are you sure you weren't in heat?"
Rudin felt a momentary tightness in his chest at the detective's words. However, Garnet's reaction, who was standing next to Rudin, was even faster.
"Detective. Are you saying that Rudin provoked this?"
Garnet's tone was polite, but his voice was filled with undisguised anger. The detective quickly waved his hand.
"I'm just confirming a routine fact."
"You said not to misunderstand, but you made a statement that was very prone to misunderstanding."
"Well, cases involving Snicats often have such things."
The detective shrugged as if to say, what else could he do? Having met so many victims of terrible crimes, he didn't seem to feel much sympathy for Rudin, who had only been the victim of an 'attempt.' Rudin, who had been fidgeting with his hands, spoke in a small but clear voice.
"I wasn't in heat. My cycle is usually regular. And I always take pheromone suppressants."
It was Rudin's first time at a police station, so he was very unfamiliar and nervous, but he tried to remain as calm as possible. He didn't know how much strength he drew from the fact that his brother, whom he loved and trusted most in the world, had come with him.
Garnet followed Rudin with a refined tone.
"I heard that those students often bullied my brother. By making insulting remarks or suddenly throwing him into the water during swimming lessons. Rudin has a weak heart and had surgery when he was young, so it could have been a big problem."
"I see. By the way, was there CCTV at that school guardhouse?"
At the detective's question, Rudin shook his head with a dark expression.
"I don't think there was. The guardhouse looked very old and unused."
"Then it will be difficult to prove what happened inside. You should keep in mind that these two people may vehemently deny that anything happened. They may even countersue you for false accusation."
"Even though there's video footage of them forcibly dragging him away?"
At Garnet's question, which was tinged with frustration, the detective replied indifferently.
"Yes, but there are no external or internal injuries, and you weren't actually 'harmed.' It's unfortunate, but that's how the law is. In the future, make sure to carry self-defense items with you. There's no better solution than prevention. Snicats should be especially careful, shouldn't they?"
His words sounded like a reproach to Rudin for not carrying self-defense items.
While talking with Garnet before coming to report the incident, he had thought that the police might react this way. But Rudin's sense of humiliation and fear was still vivid, so was he supposed to be relieved that he 'wasn't actually harmed'?
"What if there's a witness?"
Now Garnet's voice sounded distorted, as if it had been suppressed by anger. The detective widened his eyes in surprise.
"There's a witness? Who is it?"
"A classmate happened to come and…, chased those kids away."
Rudin testified with a dark face. The detective frowned and asked.
"They 'happened' to come to an old guardhouse in a secluded place? Why?"
"My classmate parked his car in the parking lot near the guardhouse to get his car, and he heard a strange noise, so he came to the guardhouse. The dashcam footage you saw earlier was taken from that classmate's car."
The detective looked even more suspicious after hearing Rudin's explanation.
"About how far apart were the guardhouse and the car?"
"About 50 meters…, I think."
"Huh, is it reasonable to believe that they heard a noise from that far away and came to check it out?"
Garnet glared at the detective with cold eyes.
"It's not your job to prove whether the witness really has that kind of hearing, it's the job of the perpetrator's lawyer."
Garnet continued, addressing the detective, who was clearing his throat awkwardly.
"I asked if the crime could be proven if there was a witness."
"Ahem, well, it would be better than nothing. But depending on the testimony, it could end up being just a prank."
The detective quickly scanned Garnet and Rudin's faces. He could see disillusionment in Garnet and despair in Rudin. The detective sighed briefly and said.
"I may sound like I'm only saying negative things, but being in this position, I come across all sorts of cases. The victim expects that if they file a complaint with the police, their grievances will be immediately resolved and they will be compensated for the damage, but the reality is not like that."
"..."
"The perpetrator will immediately refute it, and after that, a legal battle ensues that is much more difficult than ordinary people think. It costs a lot of money in the process, and I've seen many cases where the victim's condition worsens because they're mentally exhausted. Some people have even said that it would have been better to just think of it as stepping in dog poop and let it go. So please think carefully about it."
Garnet was dumbfounded. This detective was just being realistically honest, and he wasn't a particularly unkind or incompetent person. Nevertheless, he felt frustrated and angry.
"How about it, should I proceed with the complaint?"
The detective asked with an indifferent face. Garnet opened his mouth without hesitation.
"Of course…"
"Let's think about it some more and come back."
Garnet, surprised by Rudin's words that had stopped him, turned his head sharply to look at Rudin. Rudin had a very sad and helpless face. His large, clear eyes looked like they would fill with tears at any moment.
"Rudin! What are you talking about!"
"I'll talk about it when we get home, brother…"
Because Rudin forced a faint smile, Garnet couldn't push him any further. As he escorted them out, the detective added cheerfully.
"Looking at the big picture, your brother may have made a wise decision."
by misacchi
Monday morning, Calevik Roshaff Alstadt woke up before five in the morning.
The past weekend was not as enjoyable as he had expected.
He was alone as usual. He didn't meet or contact anyone. He spent the two days punctuated by movies, games, naps, exercise, and a bit of reading. He watched about a hundred videos and shorts featuring cats.
He was bored, so he cooked. On Saturday, he made black tea jam that he had seen on social media sometime.
He put the finest tea leaves that Bernard had brought in milk and boiled it for a long time, then added premium sugar appropriately. After a while, he cleanly removed the tea leaves, and from then on, he mechanically kept stirring. If he stopped in the middle, it would harden and form a film, and if it stuck to the bottom, the jam would have a burnt smell, so he couldn't rest.
It was a lot of work, but it was good because it didn't make him think about unnecessary things. When he spread the finished jam on bread, the aroma was quite deep.
On Sunday, he made dim sum with rice paper. He minced the meat and vegetables himself and added plenty of expensive shrimp. When he steamed it and ate it, it tasted so good that he wondered if he could open a store and succeed. He used expensive ingredients, but he flattered himself, thinking that cooking wasn't just about the ingredients.
He rested so much and ate so many delicious things, but somehow, a corner of his heart felt empty all the time. While eating, his gaze kept unconsciously reaching the empty seat across from him.
'I've never eaten anything this delicious before.'
'Your chef is the best in the world.'
'If the food at home is this delicious, I don't think I'd want to eat anywhere else.'
'The chef who made this must have a warm heart and a lot of affection. It's amazing that they can make so much delicious food. I can feel the warmth in the food.'
'I bet he's a chubby guy with a loud laugh. You know, someone who laughs well at anything you say, like, 'Hahaha! Is that so!''
'I really, really, really want to tell him that I was so touched because it was so delicious.'
Rudin's figure, stuffing endless amounts of food into that small mouth and chattering whenever he had the chance, gradually became transparent and disappeared like smoke. If he fed him homemade black tea jam and shrimp dim sum, would he praise it so embarrassingly this time too? Not much, but he was a tiny bit curious.
Calevik had much more than Rudin, but he couldn't find the ability to be purely moved by small things like Rudin, even if he searched with his eyes wide open.
During the short time he spent with Rudin, he felt that Rudin's emotions were like clean water that was full and sloshing in a large lake. He seemed to have words like thank you, delicious, pretty, cool, great, and amazing on his lips.
In comparison, his own emotions were no different from a puddle in a desolate desert. While Rudin was leisurely swimming in a clear and cool lake of emotions, he was just putting his mouth to a puddle with a meager amount of water and barely quenching his thirst. After experiencing the existence of the unknown lake, the palm-sized puddle felt even more pathetic.
Suddenly, the warning lights in Calevik's head flashed red.
Rudin Greenwood was dangerous.
It was difficult to become more deeply involved with someone who made him feel that the sturdy inner castle he had painstakingly built was, in fact, no different from a prison without bars. He had to keep Rudin away.
But without even trying to distance himself, Rudin didn't contact Calevik all weekend. It was only natural. Originally, they were just people who had nothing to say to each other outside of assignments, and even then, Calevik had made it clear that he didn't want to be friendly, drawing a firm, invisible line.
Even so, Calevik felt uncomfortable with Rudin's presence, as he kept crossing the safety line that Calevik had firmly drawn around himself and the world.
Should he just stop going to school from now on? Should he go to his villa in Austen, or on a trip abroad, and disappear until the vacation? He had already chosen the assignment design and bought the materials, so Rudin could do it alone from now on. He could just get anyone to be the model, or dress a mannequin.
He fell asleep thinking all sorts of things, only to wake up at five in the morning… that was the ending.
Feeling like he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, Calevik jumped out of bed and washed his face. He pulled a hat low over his messy hair and put on a black tracksuit. Tying his running shoes tightly, he left the house and headed for the Tenus River.
It was early dawn, before sunrise, so there were hardly any people around. Calevik ran along the jogging course that had been set up along the riverbank. Even as he gasped for breath and his heart pounded as if it would burst, he didn't stop his legs.
Whether it was frustration or pent-up anger, whenever the unknown symptoms that had been clinging to him like fate ever since he was forcibly affiliated with the Alstadt Family worsened, he simply ran like this. There was nothing else he could do.
As he repeated running and walking, the sky gradually brightened. People jogging, riding bicycles, or walking their dogs began to appear one by one. Calevik took a black mask out of his pocket, put it on his face, and walked heavily back home.
After a refreshing shower and drying his hair with a towel, Calevik picked up the phone he had left at home. He had received two messages.
「Bernard :Young Master, did you have a good jog?」
「Bernard: I am asking if you are planning to go to school today.」
Calevik didn't jog regularly. He would do it whenever he felt like it, or he would just curl up in bed endlessly. There were also frequent cases like today when he left his phone at home.
Yet Bernard could say "Did you have a good jog?" so naturally, as if he knew everything, thanks to the 24-hour surveillance system. Just now, a watchdog in the name of a bodyguard must have secretly followed him.
Calevik didn't reply to Bernard's message. The moment he stepped out of the front door of his house, his phone's location tracking would begin anyway. There was no need to reply, as the red dot on the map would enter FDS and they would know that he had gone to school.
Calevik put two slices of bread in the toaster, placed a cup under the coffee machine, and pressed the Americano button. He spread the black tea jam he had made yesterday on the well-toasted bread and ate it with the coffee.
Just last night, he had wanted to disappear to avoid Rudin, but his thoughts changed while jogging.
The reason why Rudin was uncomfortable was probably because being with him kept reminding him of his mother. And that was because Calevik was interacting with a Pussycat, a Snicat at that, for the first time.
Then, wouldn't it be better to get used to Rudin's presence? Anything becomes boring once you get used to it. Once Rudin could be around him without bothering him, wouldn't he be able to treat him indifferently as just one of many other people?
Besides, if he didn't skip classes, he would hear less nagging from Kwangbeom, which was a win-win. Kwangbeom sometimes looked at Calevik with pitiful eyes, as if he were looking at a disobedient child, which was unsettling.
He had been like that since Calevik first entered the school. He heard that he was unmarried, so maybe he thought of the students as his own children. In any case, Calevik found his attention cumbersome and uncomfortable. He didn't want to be personally called by him if possible.
For these reasons, Calevik decided to attend the first class on Monday. It was a draping class or something, and if he went today, it would be the first time he had attended in four weeks since the start of the semester. Since he was a failing student anyway and couldn't keep up with any class properly, he felt little burden about his past absences.
After finishing his meal, Calevik put the dishes and cup in the dishwasher and came out of the kitchen. It was not even seven thirty yet. Even considering the traffic jam on the way to work, it would take only 30 minutes to get to school, so he had an hour to kill.
After brushing his teeth, he decided to finish reading the novel he had been reading yesterday and sat on the sofa to open the book.
How nice would it be if he could go back to the past with all his current memories, like in the novel? Then he would prevent his five-year-old self from being hit by a truck.
If that hadn't happened, he probably wouldn't have been separated from his mother, and she would be smiling by his side at this moment. As an adult, he would be running a cafe or restaurant with his mother, living a happy life even if it wasn't affluent.
Why couldn't it be? Why was regression, which was so easy and common in movies and books, not even remotely possible in reality? If it could be solved with money, he would embezzle the entire fortune of the damned Alstadt Family and try it, but why was reality so cold?
How long would he have to live like this? Calevik envied the people who pointed fingers at him and cursed him for being pathetic. At least they wouldn't have the same cursed shackles of having their every move watched and having to live an unwanted life.
After learning that their luxurious and extravagant life, which they so desperately desired, was exchanged for the most precious being in the world, would they still desperately desire this position?
If so, please take it all without leaving anything behind.
And allow him only the survival of one person.