Page 62 of Out of Nowhere

“I meant it when I said I missed you.” Haru attempted to grasp Seo-jun’s hand, but Seo-jun pulled his out of reach. He’d been wrong to come here. Seeing Haru wasn’t making him feel anything except sick to his stomach. He wanted Dex. He wanted to go home.

Haru was watching him, eyes hooded. “Call me Senpai. Just once, Johnny.”

Something ugly coiled in Seo-jun’s gut. “You must be out of your mind, old man.”

He’d made a direct hit to the ego. Haru’s face fell.

“My age never bothered you before. In fact, you liked that I was older than you.”

“You groomed me,” Seo-jun said.

Haru made a face. “That’s an ugly word.”

“An ugly word for an ugly deed.”

“Come on. Just because I was older didn’t mean I was —doing that. I just happen to be attracted to younger people.”

“Because you can mold them into what you want,” Seo-jun said.

“Johnny—“

“Like that right there. I don’t like it when you call me that. My name’s Seo-jun.”

“I don’t know why you’re acting like this. What we had was special. I look back on it often.”

“Most likely with your dick in your hand,” Seo-jun said.

“Now that’s enough of that,” Haru said sternly, and Seo-jun had to smile because Haru actually seemed to think he could cow Seo-jun.

“Fuck you, Haru,” Seo-jun said, getting to his feet just as the waitress brought their coffee.

“Sit down. You came all the way here to see me. Don’t you want to know what I’ve been doing all these years?”

Seething, Seo-jun gave Haru a laser-sharp glare. “Let’s get something straight. You sought out a sixteen-year-old boy on a chat site and groomed him for two years, then lured him thousands of miles from home to an alien country and made him completely reliant on you. You had sex with him. Dressed him up like a doll. Taught him things he’d never wanted to know andmade him call you Teacher out ofrespect, of all things. And then you left him to fend on his own. And you expect that boy to give a shit about you now that he’s grown? Now that he knows what it really means to be loved? You’ve got to be out of your mind. Don’t ever contact me again, Haru.“ Turning, he left the coffee shop.

“Johnny!” Haru called down the street after him, but Seo-jun continued walking quickly, losing himself in the pedestrians, his mind set on one thing and one thing only: the hotel. That’s where Dex was, and he wanted Dex.

Dex must have been watching from the lobby windows because suddenly he was there, enveloping Seo-jun in a warm hug. Seo-jun breathed him in, so utterly thankful to have him.

Chapter Thirty-seven: Dex

Seo-jun was a wreck. Dex had never seen him like that. He was usually so calm and put together—to see him sobbing was both jolting and heartbreaking. It took over half an hour, lying with him on the hotel bed, for Dex to get him to retell everything that had been said between him and Haru.

“You did so well. You told him exactly what you think of him,” Dex said, stroking Seo-jun’s hair. Seo-jun lay in his lap, all cried out but still taking the occasional shuddering breath. Dex was so angry about the things Seo-jun had told him Haru had said, but he fought to hide it.

How dare Haru act like their relationship had been anything but hell for Seo-jun, or think that Seo-jun could have any positive feelings about him? How dare he ask Seo-jun to call him Teacher?

Seeing red but keeping his voice low and soothing as he continued to tell Seo-jun that he was proud of him, Dex waited until Seo-jun fell asleep before slipping into the other room andpacing the floor. He’d never felt like this before. He didn’t know what to do with all the rage.

A knock on the door stopped him in his tracks.

When he opened it, he stood, momentarily shocked, because he knew who he was looking at.

“Is this Johnny Do’s room?” Haru asked.

“Who wants to know?” Dex asked, voice icy.

Haru tried to see around him, but Dex stood firmly blocking the doorway.

---