# Chapter 11
Jaei’s parents were talking in the living room with the housekeeper who had been taking care of household chores for the past four years. The woman, whom Jaei called “Aunt,” was currently pregnant. Drinking chocolate milk in the kitchen, Jaei perked up his large ears and listened attentively to the adults’ conversation coming from the living room.
She was expecting her second child this year, but a few months ago, her husband’s store had closed down after accumulating significant debt due to malicious rumors spreading around the neighborhood following a dispute with a customer. They had moved to a smaller place, but it was too cramped for three people to sleep together, and the poor living conditions made her feel sorry for her first child who would be starting school this year.
After hearing her difficult situation, Jaei’s parents suggested that she move in with her first child. They offered to provide room and board and increase her salary accordingly. With tears in her eyes, the aunt replied, “If you do that for us, I’ll send the second baby to its father as soon as it’s born. He’ll take care of it somehow.”
Jaei liked the aunt, so he agreed with his parents’ decision. Not that he had any real say in the matter. The house was spacious with many spare rooms, so adding two more family members wouldn’t be a problem at all. He’d even heard that the aunt’s son, who was the same age as him, was supposedly very cute.
The aunt’s husband had brought their son near the house a few times, and when Jaei’s parents ran into them, they passed along the valuable information that the child was really adorable. His parents described the boy as having a good personality, well-mannered, and as white and round as a rice cake dumpling in red bean soup. Jaei had high expectations for his new friend. After all, liking round and cute things is human instinct.
Three days later, the round and cute child rolled into Jaei’s house holding his mother’s hand. Jaei, who had been running around the house imagining exciting days with his new friend, immediately hid behind his mother with just his face peeking out when the friend appeared. Though he wasn’t particularly shy, he became self-conscious when actually facing his friend. He wasn’t confident that the boy would like him.
In daycare and kindergarten, quite a few kids didn’t like Jaei. Being sensitive in all aspects, he was picky with food and couldn’t fall asleep during nap time, which gave him the image of being “princely and somewhat unlikable” among his peers. Not that he was bullied. It was a bit sad, but he was happy more often because there were still many friends who liked him.
The new friend named “Ryu Doha” was truly pretty and cute, just as his parents had rumored. Doha was wearing a gray coat and blinking his round eyes while smiling brightly, looking like a kind baby polar bear. Feeling unnecessarily shy, Jaei twisted his body and greeted him. “Hewwo, I’m Jaei, nice to meetchu.”
His mother tilted her head at Jaei’s greeting where every syllable had become round and cute.
“My goodness, why is he talking like that? Jaei, you’re already cute enough without doing that. Speak properly to your friend. How much cuter are you trying to be?”
It wasn’t at all that he was pretending to be cute on purpose. He just felt a bit embarrassed when his eyes met the handsome Doha’s, and naturally, both his body and tongue became twisted. Unlike Jaei, Doha waved his plump hands like white cotton balls and greeted him clearly.
“Hello. I’m Ryu Doha.”
Hiding his eyes behind his mother, Jaei suddenly extended his hand and waved it up and down.
Doha thought his first impression of Jaei was just okay. He’d heard more than a hundred times that Jaei was pretty enough to be a child actor, but seeing him in person, he was so strikingly beautiful that Doha’s already large eyes grew even bigger when looking at him. He worried that Jaei might think he was a kid with excessively large eyes.
But the reason his first impression wasn’t entirely positive was because Jaei seemed difficult to befriend. Whether it was because his mother had long described him as “pretty but difficult to raise,” or because of Jaei’s somewhat sharp appearance, he wasn’t sure.
Most naturally, Doha’s first impressions of Jaei’s family members were almost entirely formed by the information his mother had conveyed over the past four years. Jaei’s father was playful with a loud voice but gentle, and Jaei’s mother was simple and easygoing. Since his mother usually described her as “like an older sister,” she must truly be a good adult.
And regarding Jaei, she had said, “I don’t understand how such a sensitive child was born between two such easygoing people.”
Before packing up and coming to this house, he had received several warnings from his mother. She said that Jaei was lovely and kind but picky and sensitive, so while living in the same house, he should be careful not to upset him. However, Doha didn’t believe that “loveliness” and “pickiness” could coexist in the same sentence. He thought one of them must be his mother’s lie.
After Jaei’s father left for work, the four of them ate lunch together at the table. For Doha’s quick adaptation, Doha sat beside Jaei’s mother, and Jaei sat beside Doha’s mother, with Doha and Jaei facing each other.
“This child was practically raised for free. From when he was a newborn, he didn’t discriminate between breast milk and formula, just drank whatever was given. He rarely cried, just blinked his eyes on his own, smiled, and then fell asleep. He’s grown up just like that. He’s still the same now.”
“I guess temperament really is innate. Oh my, look at this. He doesn’t have any food preferences at all. Doha, how can you eat eggplant so well? Then do you also eat carrots well?”
The mother of the picky eater looked at Doha, who was munching on eggplant namul, with surprised eyes as if she had discovered a mysterious life form. The eggplant namul was made by Doha’s mother for him today. Jaei didn’t touch the eggplant and was eating his favorite shrimp side dish.
Doha was very puzzled by the situation of being praised for eating delicious food, but since being praised was a joyful thing, he responded to Jaei’s mother, who had become his “Aunt” as of today, with shockingly cute behavior.
“I also eat carrots, cucumbers, and beans.”
He answered with his hands gathered at chest level, smiling brightly. At that moment, Jaei’s mother, captivated by Doha’s kind eye-smile, designated him as “co-number one cutest human in Seoul.” She didn’t make Doha uncomfortable at all, so Doha could act comfortably without being self-conscious.
The source of his confidence was indeed his innate positivity, dullness, and cuteness. Even though his family’s fortunes had declined and they had to live in someone else’s home, simply because he himself was so cute, it seemed that Ryu Doha’s very existence could repay Jaei’s family.
Meanwhile, Jaei, who had been the sole number one but was now co-number one, was holding a fork and blinking his large eyes, eyeing Ryu Doha’s eggplant namul. Although the praise for Doha’s gentle and easygoing nature continued throughout the meal, it didn’t evoke feelings of inferiority or jealousy in Jaei.
It was just that his curiosity and fondness for Doha, who had what he himself didn’t possess, was increasing. Although Lee Jaei had a fatal weakness, he had the great advantage of having no inferiority or jealousy and not comparing himself to others. He was a child with a rare personality who, when another child was praised, would also like that aspect and try to emulate it.
The mothers, also well aware of this characteristic of Jaei’s, unhesitatingly applauded Doha in front of Jaei. Soon, the spotlight shifted to Jaei, who had received positive stimulation. Doha’s mother, sitting next to Jaei, tickled his cheek and asked:
“Pretty one, is it delicious?”
“Yes, it’s super delicious.”
When Jaei nodded with a lovely eye-smile, Doha also watched Jaei with interest for the first time. Jaei became a little nervous as Doha’s attention focused on him and swallowed hard. His small hands holding the fork were sweating. This was his opportunity to gain Doha’s favor.
“I want to eat that too.”
“This?”
Both mothers asked questioningly at the same time. Jaei, having made up his mind, took the bold step of stabbing the eggplant namul in front of Doha with his fork and putting it in his mouth.
Although he usually didn’t like the mushy texture of eggplant, today he wanted to endure it, win the battle against the eggplant, make his mom and aunt happy, and also show Doha his cool side. However, that determination didn’t last long. After chewing the eggplant about three times, he gagged.
“Ugh.”
“Jaei, if you feel like throwing up, don’t force yourself to eat it. Spit it out.”
Doha’s mother hugged Jaei and familiarly put her hand in front of his mouth. Jaei spat the eggplant into the aunt’s hand, and Jaei’s mother, who quickly moved to change places, cleaned up the food with a tissue.
“Why did you catch it with your hand again?”
“It’s just what a child spat out, what’s wrong with that?”
“He’s already eight years old.”
Doha watched this whole situation with a very displeased expression. It was because the vast narrative that his mother must have experienced while taking care of Jaei in this house unfolded in his mind like a fairy tale.
After washing Doha’s mother’s hands, Jaei’s mother apologized to Doha.
“Doha, I’m sorry. Jaei is sensitive to the feeling of food when chewing, so there are many things he can’t eat.”
Jaei, who had tried to gain Doha’s favor but ended up doing something unnecessary, had tears welling up in his eyes as he grasped his cup with both hands and gulped down water. He could tell that Doha was very displeased. And understandably so. How upset must he be after seeing someone gag while eating food his mother made, and even spit it out into her hand? He had shown the worst possible impression at their first meeting.
