Page 31 of My Demon Teacher

“The only reason I ever wanted that was to keep you safe. To keep abreast of any threats. I’ve already failed that, so I don’t care if they find out.”

Yu-jin licks his lips and exhales.

“I thought…I thought you were embarrassed by me.”

What?

“Embarrassed? My darling boy, what on earth are you talking about? I could never—you could never embarrass me. Ever!”

His chest rises and falls once, twice, and the third time, he falls on me, wrapping both arms around me and squeezing.

“Oh, Lucian. I love you. I love you so much. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

I hug him back. Pin him to my body. Breathe him in. I never want to let him go. If I could attach myself to him for the rest of eternity, I would.

“Does that mean you will marry me? I know it’s soon?—”

“Soon? You’ve known each other for days,” Jace says.

Yu-jin lets go and grimaces at his friend.

“I don’t care about that. I love him. There’s no one else for me.” He turns to me. “Only you, Lucian.”

I take both his hands in mine and squeeze them.

“And there’s no one else for me ever. You…you’re my mate.”

“Yes, I know, silly. You’ve told me like a hundred times.”

“But I haven’t told you what that means.” I rise from the floor, and he cranes his neck to keep his eyes glued to mine.

“Wh-what does it mean?”

I tug him closer, brush my lips over his, and kiss his cheek all the way to his ear.

“Our lives are bound. You’re my soulmate. Your life and mine, our fate is tied. You’ll live as long as I live, and I shall live as long as you.”

His eyes go even wider, if that’s even possible.

“That means…if I die, you die too?”

I nod.

“Marrying me will seal the deal,” I tell him.

It’s only a little white lie.

He doesn’t need to know how close we both came to dying. Because if those dickheads had killed me, they would have killed my Yu-jin too. That’s why I hate myself for getting caught in their little scheme. Because until I came in, Yu-jin was safe. As long as he could provide them with a blood sacrifice and access to endless eldritch creatures, he was safe. Trapped but safe.

But I put his life at risk by adding myself to the equation.

“Lucian…I want nothing…” he starts, and all the oxygen escapes my body. I can’t breathe. “I want nothing more than to bind my life with yours. Forever and ever.”

I allow myself to fill my lungs and kiss him, squeezing him in my arms, lifting him from the floor. I just want him all for me. Always for me.

“You hear that?” I ask all those watching. Yu-jin grimaces and lets go. “Do you hear it? Yu-jin Jung is mine, and if anyone ever dares to hurt him, they’ll end up like them.” I point to the dead bodies around us.

No one responds. They all just stare. In shock, fear, or awe, I don’t know. And it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. Only Yu-jin.

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