Ian, who’d pursed his lips, followed behind him like a baby duckling. On the moisture-dampened skin, sculpted muscles and tattoos intertwined and undulated.
“Did you have dinner? I haven’t eaten yet. Want to eat together?”
But his disappointed feelings quickly lost their strength. What took their place was delight. They’d only not seen each other for about two days, but his heart fluttered as if they were reuniting after a very long time.
“Mm. I was actually thinking about clearing out the refrigerator today and mixing everything together to eat bibimbap. With fried eggs and lots of sesame oil.”
While talking, Ian smacked his lips. Seeing Ganghyuk, his hunger surged more intensely than usual. A growling sound came from his stomach, so he rubbed his belly with both hands.
“I got it, so go out.”
Ganghyuk roughly patted the top of Ian’s head, who had somehow followed him all the way into the room, then gestured at the towel wrapped around his waist.
“……You can change in front of me though. We’ve already seen everything anyway.”
With a flushed face, Ian gave a small cough. Knowing how impressive the thing hidden beneath the towel was, his Adam’s apple bobbed on its own.
“Don’t fool around.”
Ganghyuk, who’d let out a hollow laugh, pushed Ian’s back. Ian put strength into his feet and resisted, but he couldn’t overcome Ganghyuk’s strength.
“Tsk.”
Ian made a pouty expression as he looked at the door that had closed right in front of his nose. Even after having sex, Ganghyuk was still like an iron fortress.
When he was pacing in front of the door like a puppy waiting only for its owner, Ganghyuk, who had changed clothes, opened the door and came out. A plain black short-sleeved T-shirt and gray training pants. Despite the simple outfit, his body was so good that Ian’s eyes were drawn to his broad shoulders and thick chest muscles.
Ganghyuk headed straight to the kitchen. He picked up the water bottle on the dining table and gulped down the barley tea inside.
Ian looked at Ganghyuk with curious eyes as he drank without even putting his lips on the bottle, not spilling a single drop of water. If it had been him, the front of his T-shirt would already be soaked with water.
“You said we should eat bibimbap.”
Ganghyuk said as he put down the emptied water bottle. Ian, who had been looking at him as if entranced, came to his senses and nodded his head vigorously.
“Just wait a bit!”
Ian ran to his room, took off only his jumper, and came out. After rolling up his T-shirt sleeves and pushing them above his elbows, he first washed his hands cleanly.
Then he took out a large metal bowl from the cupboard and wiped it. Now that the bowl was ready, he needed contents to fill the inside.
But a problem arose. There was only one bowl’s worth of rice left in the rice cooker. Fortunately, there was instant rice, so he put two packs in the microwave and turned it on.
The amount of bibimbap naturally multiplies infinitely depending on the ingredients that go in. He quickly took out all the side dishes that needed to be eaten soon and placed them on the dining table, then put a frying pan generously coated with cooking oil on the gas stove. He took out all the eggs from the refrigerator and cooked them. With a sizzling sound, they quickly cooked from the edges.
When he also took out a can of spam, sliced it thickly and grilled it, a salty smell spread throughout the kitchen. Even while busily cooking, Ian kept glancing at Ganghyuk.
Ganghyuk was sitting on a dining chair with an indifferent face, looking at his phone. A smile slipped through his lips. No matter how he thought about it, he had it bad. To feel this good just looking at his face. And this was even a person who had left the house for over a day after having sex for the first time.
Since he naturally didn’t know how to hate anyone and quickly forgot negative emotions, Ian felt as good as if he were floating above the clouds just from the fact that he was in the same space with Ganghyuk right now.
The fried eggs and ham were nicely browned. Ian, who turned off the gas stove, held two frying pans in both hands, went to the dining table, and poured all the contents into the metal bowl.
He scraped out the rice that was in the rice cooker and put it in, and gathered even the last grain of rice from the steaming instant rice packs. After adding various side dishes, he brought the spicy gochujang that Okjeong had made and generously scooped it up with a spoon to toss it in.
“Mix it together too, Executive Director.”
Ian handed Ganghyuk a new spoon. When Ganghyuk obediently held the spoon in his hand, he brought a soju bottle containing sesame oil and opened the lid.
When the unique savory scent of sesame oil stung his nose, saliva pooled under his tongue. Eager to eat quickly, he generously sprinkled sesame oil over the ingredients piled high.
“It’s all ready now.”
Ian, who grinned, started mixing the contents with his spoon. Ganghyuk also followed Ian and moved diligently. The ingredients that had been separate soon mixed appetizingly with a reddish tint.
Ian, who took a spoonful and tasted it, looked at Ganghyuk with a beaming smile. His reddened cheeks rose up roundly.
Ganghyuk’s eyes, which had been stiff the whole time, also softened gently. When Ian gestured for him to hurry and try it, Ganghyuk also scooped up a heaping spoonful and put it in his mouth.
The rice mixed with sweet yet spicy gochujang whet his appetite. The bean sprouts were crunchy, the eggs were savory, and the ham was salty. Various other flavors exploded like fireworks in his mouth.
Ian, who had chewed and swallowed all the food that had filled his cheeks to bursting, asked Ganghyuk with shining eyes.
“How is it? It’s delicious, right?”
His eyes waiting for an answer were extremely sparkling. Ganghyuk only nodded curtly, but Ian smiled contentedly as he watched him move his spoon before he had even finished swallowing what was in his mouth. A warm gaze followed Ganghyuk, like a grandfather watching his grandchild eating well.
The bibimbap that had filled the metal bowl quickly disappeared. Ian made a disappointed expression as he looked at the rice that was left with only about one last spoonful.
He thought it would be enough, but he felt a bit unsatisfied. It might be because the bibimbap was delicious, but it seemed more so because he really enjoyed the time eating with Ganghyuk. When he was hesitating with a full stomach but feeling hungry, Ganghyuk got up from his seat.
“Finish eating the rest.”
Before he could even catch him, Ganghyuk left the kitchen. Ian made a slightly gloomy face as he scooped up the last spoonful and ate it. He put both spoons inside the metal bowl and also gathered the emptied side dish containers to bring them to the sink.
It was when he turned on the water to wash the dishes and was spraying it evenly on the tableware. There was a presence behind him. When he turned his head, Ganghyuk put down the bag he was holding in his hand with a thud on the dining table.
“Dessert.”
Ian just blinked his eyes in a dazed mood. Then, when water overflowed outside the metal bowl, he turned off the faucet and faced Ganghyuk.
“You bought this for me?”
When he slightly opened the bag, he could see various desserts packed full inside. Even though they were wrapped in packaging, he could feel the sweet smell.
“They said kids these days like this kind of thing. I’m not sure if you’ll like it though.”
He said it as if it was nothing, but Ian was excited enough for his ears to turn red. None other than Ganghyuk had bought dessert thinking of him.
Even if he didn’t express it, was he bothered by not being able to come home yesterday? Was not replying to the message sent today groundwork to give him this kind of touching surprise?
Even knowing that given Ganghyuk’s personality, it wasn’t an action done with such careful thought, Ian couldn’t hide his fluttering feelings.
“It looks incredibly delicious. Let’s eat together, Executive Director. I can’t eat all of this by myself.”
At a glance, there were more than ten items. Each dessert was quite large. Some were as big as Ian’s face.
Ian picked up the bag and looked at Ganghyuk earnestly. When Ganghyuk sat back down on the chair without a word, Ian excitedly came back with plates, cups, and milk.
“What should we eat first?”
“Whatever you want to eat.”
At the indifferent yet affectionate answer, Ian, whose cheeks dimpled, took out a large chocolate bread. He thought it was bread, but the weight was considerable.
