Siyeon paused for a moment, then sat down between the two of them as if it were nothing. Without intending to, they ended up eating in a triangular arrangement. As if that had always been the natural way of things.
Why is there so much food laid out.
Pushing past the slightly awkward atmosphere to look at the table, he found it already set with a full spread.
“What do you think? I asked the lady of the house earlier to prepare things you’d specifically like.”
So that was why he’d been drilling him with questions about what foods he liked during the house tour… Siyeon nodded, his attention captured by the lavish spread.
“Yeah, it looks deli — it’s great.”
A thin curl of warm steam rose from the rice bowl whose lid had just been lifted. Lentil beans were dotted throughout the glossy white rice — Siyeon only knew they were lentil beans because Chae Yuno told him so. Something about beans being good for your health, and how mixing grains into white rice was better for blood sugar. That sort of explanation. Honestly, it wasn’t registering. The rice was fine either way. What Siyeon had his eye on was the thick-cut galbi sitting right beside it.
Is that beef short ribs?
No, that could only be beef short ribs. Even before he touched it with his chopsticks, the heavy scent of soy sauce and garlic hit the tip of his nose. Not greasy at all — just exactly right.
And a whole plate of golden-grilled fish. The skin had cracked thin and looked perfectly crispy, and the glistening white flesh underneath looked so moist it seemed like it would flake apart at the touch of chopsticks. A row of small dishes held various side dishes, all neatly arranged.
“The doenjang jjigae has shepherd’s purse in it.”
“That’s unexpected. You didn’t seem like the type to eat that kind of thing.”
“Why? What did you think we ate? Morning dew?”
Well — they looked more like wine drinkers than soju types, honestly. Siyeon turned his gaze away from Chae Yuno’s exaggerated wink and toward the doenjang jjigae bubbling away in the pot. It looked incredibly hot and savory. He’d never had shepherd’s purse doenjang jjigae before, but the smell alone made him feel it had to taste good.
Siyeon stared blankly at the table for a moment. It was almost funny — the two people sitting in front of him looked like the type who’d get by on nothing but coffee or protein shakes under the excuse of being busy, and yet the table was so heavily laden it might buckle.
These guys who used to sip whiskey all day long — what’s gotten into them.
In the novel it was always Evian this, whiskey on the rocks that — the kind of characters you’d wonder if they ever actually ate. He’d given up on expecting decent meals, but it turned out they were eating well enough when no one was looking. Just as he was thinking that there were some upsides to this being different from the original, a sharp wave of hunger hit him.
Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t eaten properly since last night. The night before that, same thing. He’d been ill for days on end and had done nothing but eat watery rice porridge. As Siyeon swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth, the corner of Chae Yuno’s lips curved upward. Beom Yisu, without a word, lowered his gaze and was the first to invite him.
“Please, eat. Hong Siyeon.”
“Enjoy your meal, babe. Our lady of the house is quite skilled.”
Watching the couple urge him to eat, Siyeon picked up his water glass as if it were nothing. At that, Chae Yuno pulled Siyeon’s small plate toward himself and dropped a piece of galbi onto it.
“Ah, thank you.”
Just as Siyeon was about to lift his chopsticks, Beom Yisu slightly rotated the pot. The doenjang jjigae moved closer to Siyeon’s side.
“Oh…”
Did he have to choose again — galbi first or jjigae first? Slightly worn out by the decision, Siyeon sidestepped it and went for the rice first. As it hit his mouth, the natural sweetness of the rice spread slowly, and the lentil beans Chae Yuno had praised gave a satisfying bite, adding a nutty fragrance. It was nothing particularly special — just one spoonful — and yet his eyes lit up.
Eat first, think later.
Siyeon then reached for the galbi. The moment his chopsticks touched it, the meat fell away cleanly. The sweet-and-salty marinade flooded his mouth with juice as he chewed, slow and full.
…This is insane.
Insane short ribs. He could chew this forever — and it was already gone. The hunger now painfully vivid, Siyeon immediately ladled a spoonful of doenjang jjigae over his rice. The rich, savory broth slid down his throat, and from somewhere deep inside, the tension in his stomach loosened all at once.
“Ha… it’s hot.”
The zucchini had cooked to a soft translucency, and the tofu held its edges without crumbling. A thin layer of red chili oil floated on the surface, giving it a light kick of heat.
Meanwhile, Chae Yuno kept refilling Siyeon’s small plate without pause. Namul, pan-fried tofu, flaked fish. The attentiveness was so natural it was almost a little overwhelming. Beom Yisu, by contrast, said very little — though Siyeon could feel that his attention was directed at him.
Only after his stomach was stuffed did Siyeon feel a twinge of embarrassment at having eaten so heartily in a situation like this.
“Ahem.”
Siyeon drank from the cup of green tea that had been poured to the brim. The cool, clean taste cleared his palate. When he looked up, both pairs of eyes landed on him at the same time. The couple had apparently finished eating some time ago.
“…About the contract terms you mentioned earlier.”
Siyeon set down his spoon and slid his phone to the center of the table. The screen glowed softly against the surface. Against a black background, the long list of clauses scrolled down.
“Babe. The contract before we’ve even finished eating?”
Chae Yuno asked with a laugh, and Siyeon answered directly.
“It’s the most important thing. And I’m done eating.”
He’d already demolished two bowls of rice like a man starved. Beom Yisu said nothing and pulled the phone Siyeon had pushed toward him closer. A finger scrolled slowly down the screen.
“You mentioned there were additional clauses.”
“Just three. I’ll tell you now, and then please have your side send them over in document form later.”
Siyeon brought up the first item right away.
“First. Any medication administration or medical procedures related to pregnancy — including heat inducers — are all prohibited without prior consent.”
Chae Yuno’s eyes flickered for just a moment. Beom Yisu asked without looking up.
“Is this because of what happened at the hospital?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll stipulate a consent procedure.”
After that brief confirmation, Beom Yisu nodded. Relieved that it had been accepted easily, Siyeon moved on to the second condition without pause.
“Second. Please have your side take over Manager Kang’s debt claim. He is prohibited from contacting me directly. If he approaches me for any reason whatsoever, that will be treated as a breach of contract.”
This time, Beom Yisu’s finger stopped. It hovered over the screen for a moment before he gave a quiet nod.
“That matter is something I was already planning to handle. I’ll share the details with you once it’s resolved.”
Fortunately, the Manager Kang matter was also accepted without difficulty. Just as Siyeon was thinking this was going more smoothly than he’d feared, Beom Yisu attached a condition of his own.
“In exchange, we will also take responsibility for Hong Siyeon’s whereabouts and safety for the entire duration of the contract, including the pregnancy preparation period. The rules will be strict.”
“…For example?”
“Location sharing. Adhering to the adjustment period schedule. Prior reporting of any external contact. In particular, the moment Hong Siyeon leaves the estate without the company of one of us — for any reason — that will also be considered a breach of contract on your part. There will be penalties accordingly.”
Surveillance and protection — two sides of the same thin sheet of paper. He had no alternative right now, so there was nothing to be done. Silently conceding, Siyeon exhaled the breath he’d been holding and drew in another.
“Lastly. I’d prefer to keep unnecessary physical contact to a minimum. Since the goal is a child, after all.”
Siyeon continued. At that, Chae Yuno laughed as though he found it hard to accept.
“What counts as unnecessary?”
“Holding hands should be fine.”
“What? So kissing and hugging are out?”
“What would any of that have to do with having a child?”
He didn’t exactly know how two men were supposed to conceive — but it was obvious that that kind of skinship wouldn’t make a baby happen. If he had to endure it anyway, it seemed better to define the scope and duration in advance and at least mentally prepare himself. But his ambitious plan was shot down in an instant.
“That one I’m afraid I can’t accommodate.”
Of course, he had no intention of immediately caving — so Siyeon glanced up carefully and asked again.
“…Is there a particular reason?”
“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to have a stranger’s child? That was your proposal, if I recall correctly.”
What does that have to do with— Oh.
‘Just because I have debt doesn’t mean I want to carry a stranger’s baby. We only just met today.’
‘Oh, this is really troubling. I’ve never even… done it before…’
The little scheme he’d pulled in the moment flashed through his mind.
“Since we agreed to start as pheromone partners, we’ll follow a gradual process.”
He knew that what Beom Yisu was calling “pheromones” referred to the distinctive scent that emanated naturally from second-gender types. He’d caught a whiff of Chae Yuno’s scent before — so yes, he was well aware of that much. But unfortunately, that was the extent of Siyeon’s knowledge.
“So… what exactly does being a partner involve?”
When Siyeon asked carefully, Beom Yisu’s expression shifted into one that seemed to wonder why he was even asking. It was subtle — but Chae Yuno, too, wore a puzzled look — which made it fairly clear that what Siyeon was curious about was considered basic knowledge among second-gender types. Fortunately, Beom Yisu steadied his flickering gaze and continued his explanation.
“When pheromone partners are bonded, it’s standard practice to spend each other’s heat cycles together. As a means of managing rut and heat.”
