“Do chaebols only eat things like this their whole lives?”
Jaeha admired the braised short ribs, abalone jang, and other extraordinary meat dishes. Another pleasure he felt at Kyungwoo’s house was the food from the ajumma who had been a housekeeper at the Taeryoung main house for 20 years. To be honest, it was more delicious than his mother’s cooking that he ate at his provincial home.
While Kyungwoo ate well, Jaeha’s appetite was also formidable. Because he had a large build and was muscular, he lost weight quickly if he didn’t eat even a little. He took out meat dishes generously. He didn’t cook new rice either.
Kyungwoo, who had just washed up, said something upon seeing the generous table Jaeha had set by rummaging through the refrigerator.
“Why did you set out so much?”
“You say that, but you’ll eat it all.”
At those words, instead of answering, Kyungwoo asked, ‘Rice?’
“It’s almost done. Wait. If you’re really hungry, start with the braised ribs.”
“We should eat together.”
“The seasoning isn’t salty, so you don’t really have to eat together.”
“Not rice—Seo Jaeha, I mean you.”
That guy with a doll-like cold expression suddenly catches people off guard and sometimes surprises them. He told him not to say mushy things, but would words really come from the mouth of the Taeryoung Ice Prince saying he won’t pick up his spoon unless Jaeha sits across from him?
“You know you’re cute, right?”
“Don’t ruin my appetite. Sit down.”
Just as Jaeha was about to sit, the rice cooker beeped and even recited a friendly announcement that the rice was done. As if that was strange, Kyungwoo frowned.
He scooped two generous bowls of freshly cooked rice and placed them on the table. Until Jaeha sat down, Kyungwoo didn’t even pick up his chopsticks.
“Let’s eat.”
Only after Jaeha first reached for the braised ribs with his chopsticks did he slowly begin his meal. Because he ate quietly at a normal pace, at first his portion seemed small. But if you watched, he ate quite substantially, focused on meat.
There was a reason the refrigerator was always full of meat side dishes. Watching him cleanly put even fairly large chunks of meat into his mouth at once and chew well before swallowing, Jaeha admired without realizing it.
“You eat well.”
“Did you make it yourself?”
Kyungwoo looked puzzled while looking at the braised ribs.
“No, it was already there. I’m just saying it’s nice that you eat well. And how do you whip up braised ribs just like that? If you do it properly, it takes half a day.”
“Really? I didn’t know.”
Jaeha also liked braised ribs. His mother, who considered feeding her big-eating son her karma, had once lamented while making braised ribs in an iron pot and recited the entire process of making braised ribs one by one, earnestly requesting that he should marry into a rib restaurant that marinates ribs daily rather than making several people suffer. After that, braised ribs became food to buy and eat.
“Thank your mother for me.”
“What?”
“Preparing food like this isn’t easy.”
“The ajumma gets paid to do it.”
“Still, your mother takes care of it. She came in person before too.”
“Are you going to keep talking about annoying things while eating? And she’s not your mother, so don’t keep saying ‘mother’ at the end of every sentence. It’s uncomfortable to hear.”
“Then what should I say?”
“Ma’am.”
“She’s not my wife though?”
“Then Director.”
“That’s really cold.”
“Isn’t it strange to call someone else’s parents Father and Mother?”
“No. Since she’s the parent of someone I’m dat— I mean, a friend, I could call her that.”
He was about to say ‘someone I’m dating’ but hastily changed it to friend.
“Since when were we friends?”
“Don’t nitpick.”
“Didn’t you say we were partners at some point?”
“That’s what you said.”
Kyungwoo, who had just picked up and swallowed abalone, nodded his head while chewing it. His sleek face with sharp features puffed up only when eating, just like a squirrel. He held back because if he said it was cute, he’d really get hit with chopsticks.
“But I don’t think we’re friends. In Korea, do friends sleep together like this?”
“Not really. Especially between men. They don’t even like sharing blankets.”
Though ‘sleeping together’ meant something other than sleep, Jaeha deflected evasively. What would Kyungwoo think about their relationship?
Kyungwoo had no particular reaction throughout the end of the meal. It was also Jaeha’s job to clean up the dishes after finishing the meal.
That chaebol young master probably wouldn’t wash dishes with his own hands, and yet it was burdensome for Jaeha to leave signs that the two of them had eaten.
He roughly organized the dishes and put them in the built-in dishwasher, and just rinsed the glass containers that had held food with water and placed them on the table. Then Kyungwoo would pass them to Dohyun when he went to work.
After even eating rice, it was quite late at night. Tomorrow was a holiday, but still, he’d never spent the night at Kyungwoo’s house. Jaeha picked up the top he’d taken off and prepared to leave.
“Leaving already?”
Kyungwoo said with his hands in his pockets. After bathing, wearing only a light shirt and slacks, he somehow looked bitter.
“It’s late. I should go and rest too.”
“Isn’t tomorrow a holiday?”
“So?”
After quietly pausing, Kyungwoo briefly avoided Jaeha’s stare before meeting it again.
“Stay over.”
“Hm?”
“It’s late. Tomorrow’s a holiday. You can stay over.”
Since he didn’t expect to receive such an offer, Jaeha was also slightly flustered. He felt good though.
“The sofa seems wide enough to be comfortable, but still a bed is better.”
“We can share my bed. It’s wide enough for two people to lie down comfortably.”
Of course, Jaeha knew that fact too. Kyungwoo didn’t back down, as if he really wanted him to stay over.
“Are you uncomfortable sleeping with me?”
“No. There’s no way. But will you be okay?”
“With what?”
“I don’t sleep in the same house unless we’re friends or dating.”
At those words, Kyungwoo flinched. He gulped. The hand in his pocket could be clearly seen twitching.
“Ah, Jeju Island was a trip so that’s separate. Even then, if we hadn’t kept doing it, I would have slept in a different room. You know, right?”
Before Kyungwoo could bring up Jeju Island first, Jaeha drew the line. The other party continued to remain silent. Delaying further would only make the atmosphere awkward.
After Jungok suddenly barged in, Kyungwoo was uncomfortable at home. Hotel life was even worse.
It was all because of things Seo Jaeha taught him that he didn’t need to know. For example, the pleasure of exchanging silly jokes, the abundance of food eaten together, the refreshing coolness of beer drunk together, or the warmth of touching body temperatures.
After Jeju Island, Kyungwoo found time spent alone boring. After spending grown-up time at home and Jaeha left, his lingering scent changed to bitterness and seeped into Kyungwoo’s skin.
He didn’t want to be alone. He wanted to be with someone. He wished that someone was Seo Jaeha.
It was such a simple and clear fact. But Kyungwoo found it hard to readily reveal that fact. Was it because of the rejection he couldn’t quite shake off? That didn’t seem to be it. If that were the case, he wouldn’t have let Seo Jaeha into his house. Rather, it was fear of a special relationship.
They were definitely not friends. In the American way or the Korean way, the two could never be friends. Defining them as friends itself felt unpleasant, as if it diminished their relationship.
They were definitely going on date-like dates. No matter how inexperienced Kyungwoo was in this area, he wasn’t lacking in common sense. The atmosphere had also softened a lot recently, so fights were rare. If he wanted to date, he wanted to date. Though he didn’t know how that was different from now.
What would dating be like? Kyungwoo intuited that now was the only opportunity to know. It was hard to imagine anyone other than Seo Jaeha, whether man or woman, shaking Kyungwoo like this.
“I’m leaving.”
Jaeha turned around. Beyond confusion, Kyungwoo’s instinct moved first.
“Stay over.”
“I told you.”
Jaeha had just pressed the elevator button.
Jaeha was also troubled by the sudden topic. The two weren’t in a relationship to continue half-heartedly. If they couldn’t cross the line, they should have eliminated the lukewarm gray zone from the beginning.
Nevertheless, Jaeha felt his body temperature gradually cooling at Kyungwoo’s silence. Since it was an emotion he alone was entirely responsible for, he had no intention of blaming the other party or whining. At that moment, the elevator arrived and the door slid open.
“Let’s date.”
About to take a step, Jaeha turned around. Kyungwoo, who had averted his gaze diagonally down before raising it again, looked straight at Jaeha and said again.
“Let’s be in a dating relationship.”
“…Are you serious?”
“What if I am?”
The elevator, unable to detect human movement, slid closed again. Jaeha turned his body and approached Kyungwoo.
The eyes of the person who said let’s date were cold and composed, as if standing at the crossroads of life and death. In contrast, his shoulders were stiffly tense, and his lips were slightly curled inward.
‘What kind of tremendous resolve did he speak with?’
While inwardly smiling gently, Jaeha hid such signs and seriously confirmed.
“Can you handle it?”
“That’s my problem to figure out. What about you—have you thought about the issue of dignity as a public official?”
“As long as it’s not adultery, it’s fine. You don’t have a wife hidden away in America or anything, do you?”
“Bullshit.”
His neat eyes distorted. Jaeha laughed lowly and grabbed both his shoulders. Then, slowly overlapping their lips, he said.
“I’ll stay over.”
After the short kiss ended, Kyungwoo took Jaeha’s hand and returned to the living room. Jaeha didn’t shake off his hand but instead gripped it tightly back.
Just because they’d become a dating couple didn’t mean the world suddenly turned upside down. Of course, while it wasn’t a major event that changed the world, it was at least enough to overturn his insides. Doing some special activity in this state was impossible.
It was similar for Jaeha too. He had no way to resolve the somewhat awkward atmosphere. He fiddled with the top he’d taken off again for no reason and placed it on the end of the sofa. While ignoring his heart that kept repeating pressure and relaxation for no reason, Jaeha casually brought up conversation.
“Should we have a drink?”
“I have whiskey.”
“Good.”
Kyungwoo prepared whiskey, crystal glasses, and ice. Even though it was a monotonous and simple task, his heart was pounding.
Though he wasn’t one to watch his words, strangely the silence continued. This time too, the person who spoke first was Jaeha, who was a bit more socially bright.
“Do you have a favorite genre?”
“I’m not particularly picky. As long as it’s not for children.”
“Then I’ll choose as I like.”
Sitting on the sofa, Jaeha operated the remote while Kyungwoo poured whiskey. Kyungwoo, who didn’t watch TV except for news and sports broadcasts, stayed still while he changed channels.
Come to think of it, don’t dating couples usually go to movie theaters and such? He recalled the plan to go to a drive-in theater before that fell through.
‘We skipped all the theaters and suddenly became the kind who watch movies at home.’
For Kyungwoo, who was sometimes told by Jaeha that he had an impatient personality, it wasn’t a bad pace at all.
