Kiss the Scumbag-Chapter 85

Winston did not answer immediately. He just stared blankly at Yujin’s face. But Yujin thought he had already anticipated it. There was no sign of surprise or discomfort at all.

After sitting silently for a while, Winston slowly moved. He put the glass he was holding down on the table, rested his elbows on his widely spread legs, and leaned his upper body forward, focusing on Yujin. Yujin watched him intently.

“What I’m curious about, darling.”

At the slowly spoken words, Yujin tensed reflexively. Winston continued speaking, moving his lips unusually slowly.

“What happened after you left Delight. How did things come to that state.”

The phrase ‘that state’ contained countless meanings. Yujin felt a tight pressure in his throat as if it was clogged and took a trembling breath in and out. When he actually tried to speak, it was surprisingly nothing much. Somehow, he lost his energy. After all, they wouldn’t believe me anyway, so why bother trying.

Recalling past memories, Yujin gave a sip of the wine he had been holding. The only reason he was doing such a pointless thing was because of what Sam had said. For the sake of himself who might regret it someday. Thinking that way, his heart felt lighter.

“After I was kicked out of the mansion, I felt utterly hopeless. With the money I had, I barely could last a few days.”

Perhaps half resigned, the words flowed out smoothly. After taking another sip of wine, Yujin continued.

“I hitchhiked to the train station. I wanted to get as far away as possible. Got off and hitchhiked again, caught another ride...”

Remembering forgotten memories, he laughed for no reason. Yujin chuckled and joked.

“One time, I got on a truck, and they said if I didn’t mind the cargo bed because there was no seat, I could ride there. What choice did I have? I thanked them and got on, but it was full of chickens.”

Yujin groaned and shook his head.

“I still vividly remember that smell.”

Yujin rambled freely while Winston silently listened.

“Then the last place I arrived was the city where Sam was. The city was nice, people gave you coins when you sat on the street, and sometimes threw away untouched hamburgers in trash cans...”

“Wait a minute.”

For the first time, Winston interrupted Yujin’s story. With a strangely pale face, he spoke.

“You rummaged through trash cans? You mean you ate discarded food?”

“What else could I do? There was nothing to eat.”

Yujin said casually. Winston seemed shocked, but even seeing his expression, Yujin felt nothing special. Isn’t that a natural reaction? He must have lived without imagining such poverty existed in the world.

“Trash cans are great. They’re treasure troves. Let me tell you something good. If you collect cans or plastic bottles and bring them, they give you money. When you become a beggar later, check the trash cans first. You’re big, so no one will dare try to snatch from you.”

Yujin chuckled, but Winston did not smile.

“That means...”

Winston hesitantly spoke.

“You got even that taken away? By other guys?”

It was an unusually harsh tone, but Yujin just shrugged.

“What could I do? One punch and they’d fly away. To avoid getting hit, I had to give it up before they raised their hands.”

Yujin made a swooshing sound with his mouth, drawing an arc with his finger, then laughed again. Winston just stared at him. The way Winston looked as if he was chewing over every word to try to understand it, Yujin continued without particular feelings.

“That day, I was especially hungry. Had I starved for five days? I really thought I was going to die. All the cans I had painstakingly collected were taken, and there was no discarded food in the trash cans either. Eventually, unable to bear it, I hung around near a gas station. I was going to beg anyone who got out of their car for some money.”

That memory revived vividly like it was yesterday, but strangely, Yujin’s heart was calm. Maybe because it was all over now. Yujin continued indifferently.

“I was too scared to ask a few times, but I couldn’t hold it anymore, so I talked to one guy. He was a big man. When I asked him for help, he looked me over like this.”

He took a breath in and slowly exhaled. Fortunately, his voice didn’t tremble.

“He asked if I was an Omega, and I said yes. That man misunderstood me as a whore. He asked how much.”

Yujin didn’t bother looking toward Winston, fixing his gaze on the wine glass. It felt like he had gone back to that day. Even though it was impossible.

“It wasn’t the first time. I had always run away scared, but that day, I couldn’t. Yeah, the body will rot after death anyway, right? I was about to starve to death; what couldn’t I do? That’s how I thought that day. Really, I was so, so hungry...”

His face seemed to reflect in the deep red and clear wine. Yujin put down the glass and continued.

“That man’s car took me to a cheap motel. I just thought... I just needed to sleep, but once inside the room...”

Until now, his calm breath became rough. Yujin couldn’t hold back and covered his face with both hands. His long, thin fingers trembled helplessly.

“He hit my cheek.”

For a moment, the flow of air seemed to stop. Yujin didn’t realize it, but Winston looked at him with a pale face. Still burying his face in his hands, Yujin kept speaking in a trembling voice.

“At first, I didn’t know what was happening. I fell on the floor, dazed, but he lifted me up and kept hitting me, again and again...”

The terror of that day vividly revived. Yujin’s whole body trembled uncontrollably. Panting heavily, Winston hurriedly stood up.

“Okay, stop now.”

“That man was a sadist.”

Yujin didn’t stop even though Winston tried to restrain him. Winston just stood frozen, looking down at Yujin.

“The more he hit, the more excited he got. I was hit so much I thought I would pass out. Maybe I did pass out. Anyway, that man strangled my neck, and I tried to get away...”

Taking a harsh breath like sobbing, Yujin finally confessed.

“I grabbed an ashtray and hit his head with it.”

His trembling didn’t stop. Winston wanted to tell him to stop, but was too shocked to speak. Yujin repeated short breaths and finally continued.

“I barely got free, but he was furious and scared me a lot. He grabbed a chair and hit with all his might. I don’t know how many times. Anyway, when I came to my senses, the man was collapsed.”

Yujin’s trembling had somewhat subsided. He forced himself to relax the tension in his shoulders and exhaled a shaky breath.

“I tried to run away, but there was a wallet on the table.”

That day repeated before his eyes. The man bleeding and collapsed, and Yujin running away holding his wallet.

“Why did that catch my eye then...? I wasn’t supposed to take that, but was I possessed by something at that moment? Was I out of my mind...? Anyway, when ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ I came to, I was already outside holding it...”

What was that feeling? Not relief, not guilt, but something else. After barely hiding in an alley and confirming his safety, the tears that poured out were still vivid. Yujin calmed himself and added in a low voice.

“And that man reported me to the police. I was arrested for prostitution and robbery. After that, you know how it went.”

The story was over. Yujin leaned back on the sofa, feeling as if he were about to collapse. His mind went blank, no thoughts at all. Winston stood there and just looked down at him.

Yujin saw Winston hesitate, raise his hand, then lower it again. Winston looked like he was in enormous shock. Well, he probably didn’t expect to hear such a harsh story. Yujin recalled it self-deprecatingly and blinked. Thud, a dull sound was heard. Winston sat back down on the sofa. Yujin just let him be as he rubbed his face several times with one hand. Winston opened his mouth to say something but stopped, then wiped his face with both hands.