Bread and milk aside, but eggs. It was the first time I’d seen food items other than liquids in the refrigerator when it wasn’t right before cooking. Until now, even when Jukyung prepared dinner, he always bought only prepared, portioned ingredients and ate them all at once, so food ingredients never remained.
But as if being surprised by that much was pointless, Jukyung said something surprising during breakfast.
“I’ll teach you a few simple cooking methods over the weekend, so let’s go grocery shopping after eating.”
Teaching me how to cook? Me? Plus, let’s go grocery shopping?
There wasn’t just one or two surprising points.
Teaching cooking methods meant he’d be using the kitchen in earnest. Also, teaching me meant I could use the kitchen too. So what? Kwon Jukyung had never made me do kitchen work beyond washing water cups until now. Of course, not out of consideration, but simply because he couldn’t stand foreign substances like me messing up his territory. Because he couldn’t trust that I’d cleaned it properly.
Moreover, saying let’s go grocery shopping meant filling up the refrigerator that was practically empty. According to Kwon Jukyung’s standards, that meant food that was teeming with germs, would quickly rot, and was prone to spreading bacteria and mold throughout the entire refrigerator.
Whether I was staring at him with my mouth hanging open or not, Jukyung continued saying what he wanted to say.
“So you should save at least on lunch and coffee money. You’re only doing morning classes for the time being anyway. Come home for lunch. I’ll buy you a tumbler so you can make coffee and take it with you.”
My face automatically scrunched up. I’d never cooked anything at home, so what was I supposed to do? I might turn the house into a disaster zone, or in the worst case, blow it up.
“……”
To be more honest, it was annoying. Because in my 23 years of life, I’d never prepared a meal myself. Either someone made it for me or I bought it. That was all. Plus, Jukyung’s house didn’t have an espresso machine. Jukyung occasionally drank tea types but didn’t particularly enjoy coffee.
“I only drink lattes. Sometimes cappuccino. I don’t drink capsule coffee.”
In other words, I needed an espresso machine with a frother. Of course, actually using it myself would also be annoying. If I had something like that at home, I’d have to order coffee myself, buy milk, clean the machine. Naturally, the dishes to wash would increase too.
“I’ll buy a machine.”
He said simply and took a bite of toast with egg yolk on it. The crisp sound was cheerful, but my mood wasn’t so cheerful.
“No, isn’t that the tail wagging the dog? Isn’t the machine expensive?”
It might not be expensive. Then what?
“And you don’t drink much coffee. When it’s just me drinking two cups a day at most, there’s no need to bring in a machine…”
“I drink it too. I just didn’t drink it at home because I’m at the office, and I was planning to buy one anyway. I already ordered it, and there’s no need to pay money outside when you can drink it at home. I won’t charge you for the machine cost, so don’t worry.”
“……”
When you put it that way, I had nothing to say, but occasionally drinking at a cafe or taking it on a walk was its own enjoyment, you heartless creditor bastard.
When I didn’t answer with a sullen face, Jukyung drove the point home.
“So don’t waste money eating and drinking meeting this person and that person unnecessarily.”
Damn bastard.
I had a face full of complaints throughout breakfast, but Jukyung blithely ignored it.
After we finished eating breakfast, he told me to try doing the dishes. From now on I’d have to gradually do kitchen work, so he’d watch from the side and teach me directly. I mean, does dishwashing require such tremendously delicate skills that you need to teach it step by step?
We stood in front of the sink that couldn’t really be called spacious for two adult men to stand at. Wearing rubber gloves and even aprons, standing side by side, I thought it was kind of funny. We’re not newlyweds, so what the hell are we doing?
Anyway, I started washing dishes following Jukyung’s instructions, which had their own steps and methods he insisted on. When I soaped things up, Jukyung rinsed the dishes squeaky clean and placed them on the drying rack. There was a built-in dishwasher, but he said he didn’t trust it so he rarely used it. He did use it when there were a lot of dishes, but he still had to go through the process of rinsing by hand again. Sure, whatever you say.
Only after wiping down the sink until it shone, and after the water had drained from the dishes somewhat, wiping them clean with kitchen towels and putting them in the cupboard, were the dishes done. Not a drop of water remained around where the dishes were done. Honestly, thinking that I’d have to do this every day while in this house, even just to clean up what I ate, was horrifying. I renewed my resolve that a quick escape was the only way to survive.
We left the car and walked to go grocery shopping. It was a nice day. Sunlight and wind smelling quite like autumn billowed through the streets. Flowers bloomed along the edges of the road, making the world much more colorful.
When the large supermarket at the intersection came into view, my heart pounded a little, wondering if we were going there. I’d passed by the front of the mart, but I’d never actually gone inside. I’d thought about going to look around for fun sometime, but it was always just a thought.
But disappointingly, Jukyung passed the large supermarket and entered a small store in an alley. The neatly decorated interior was clean and overflowing with all kinds of food. I realized while walking around looking at the items that it was an organic specialty store.
Jukyung purchased premium Korean beef as well as other meats, seafood, fruits, grains, vegetables, and so on in amounts for a week’s worth of meals. I, who had been lazily following behind, was looking at price tags without much thought at first, then suddenly realized one fact.
“Isn’t this place kind of expensive? If we make a meal with this, it seems like it would cost much more money than eating out?”
At my words, Jukyung’s hand, which had been picking up items while wearing white gloves, hesitated. He must have been hit right on the mark. That bastard. He acted like he was smart all by himself but must have overlooked that fact.
“No.”
After a long while, Jukyung’s hand moved again. A rebuttal flowed from him.
“It’s not like we’re throwing all the ingredients in at once to make something. If we divide them up and use them, it’s not that expensive. And I’m not buying this just for you to eat. It’s annoying to carry dinner ingredients every time I come home from work, so I’m buying everything at once. It’s going into my body, so I should use good ingredients.”
Ah, of course. I agreed lukewarmly.
Well, the dinners Jukyung prepared, whether he made them himself or bought them from outside, were basically all fresh ingredients. Starting from when we made and ate spaghetti not long ago, Jukyung generally made dinner at home and ate with me. He wanted to eat good things, but buying them from outside every time seemed to be economically burdensome after all. He told me to save money spent on eating, but in fact, he himself might have been feeling a sense of alarm too.
Well, I think it’s not a bad lifestyle. It seems like a principle of using only what’s necessary but in high quality. I’m also in a position where I can’t return to my previous extravagant lifestyle. Even after paying back the money I borrowed from Jukyung, I’ll have to tighten my belt for a while. But someday, I hoped that at least the things I use could be good choices.
“……”
Would such a day come? I secretly sighed while watching Jukyung’s back as he took out his card and paid at the register. Anyway, there wasn’t a day that passed without spending money, so my debt kept increasing day by day.
***
After that, a routine that could be called daily life to some extent was established in our lives. We wake up together in the morning, eat toast, and go to work. After finishing morning lectures, I return home and make simple lunch.
What I mainly made was simple pasta, salads, or sandwich types. At first I made things exactly as Jukyung taught me, but once I got somewhat used to it, I became able to make various things by changing ingredients or dressings here and there. When I first learned from Jukyung, I was quite scolded for not knowing anything, but perhaps I had unexpected cooking sense and talent hidden inside me. I just hadn’t had the opportunity to express it until now.
For dinner, Jukyung, who went to work early and came home early, made it himself with ingredients he’d bought in advance. Since I had free time in the afternoon, I asked out of consideration if I should prepare dinner, but Jukyung just looked at me with an incredulous expression. When he asked in a merciless tone if I planned to make him my experiment subject, I just quietly shut my mouth.
After eating lunch, I took a walk and prepared for the next day’s lecture. Since I wasn’t used to it yet and it was the beginning, it took quite a lot of time to even do simulations. Then Jukyung would return and after preparing and eating dinner, we’d watch TV together or each read books or draw.
In front of Jukyung, I drew babies, puppies, or small wildflowers I saw while walking during the day, and colored them with colored pencils, pastels, crayons, and such that I ordered from the bookstore. When I was absorbed in it, my head would empty and time would pass well, which was nice.
I stopped drawing Kwon Jukyung in front of Kwon Jukyung. But somehow, even without taking photos, when a specific certain appearance was imprinted in my mind, it wouldn’t erase for a long time, so now I often drew pictures alone by tracing those memories.
As I did that, I came to realize that surprisingly, Jukyung had various expressions. I’d thought he only had indifferent expressions, cold expressions, or expressions frowning with some dissatisfaction. Even those sulky expressions, when I drew them repeatedly, somehow felt cute and endearing.
Many things became routine and familiar, but the only thing that was still uncomfortable was the bed. Since the morning we woke up and discovered each other’s erections, the problem was becoming needlessly conscious of it. I don’t really know since Kwon Jukyung has no change in expression, but I was honestly uncomfortable. After all, even if Jukyung isn’t actually an Alpha, I have a history of sleeping with a man.
But anyway, Kwon Jukyung is a Beta and there was nothing I could do separately just because I alone felt uncomfortable, so I just pretended not to know and lived like that. While not forgetting to occasionally drain it in the shower before it built up too much.
***
10
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