He’d ask naturally. If Kang Jihyeok said “you should go home. I’ll drop you off,” he was going to grab onto his pant leg and refuse to let go. On the other hand, if he said “you’re coming to my place,” he’d quietly nod and cheer on the inside.
But once again, Kang Jihyeok was faster.
“Kid.”
“Yes!”
He’d been so tense that he’d answered almost like a shout without realizing it. Yeonwoo smiled sheepishly and looked at Kang Jihyeok.
“D, did you call me?”
“Just wondering if there’s anything you want to do after breakfast.”
There was. He wanted to go to Kang Jihyeok’s place. He wanted to latch onto him like a leech and never let go. If he tried to shake him off, he’d press himself flat to the ground and shake his head, begging with tears and snot running down his face. He’d be fine sleeping in a storage room! He could make do with one meal every two days, and he’d keep the place sparkling clean — that was what he wanted to pitch. But right now, rather than revealing that, he needed to wait for the right moment.
For now, he’d go to breakfast, wait on him impeccably, and then bring it up carefully.
“I’m… fine with anything.”
“Then shall we go shopping after eating?”
“Sh, shopping?”
“What do kids your age like these days?”
Yeonwoo’s eyes drifted around for a moment, then he smiled softly.
“I like whatever Mister buys for me.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes.”
“What a good kid.”
Yeonwoo felt a tickle in his chest. If no one was watching, he’d have wanted to scratch at it — it itched that much.
“Let’s get you a few other things you need too.”
“…B, but Mister. You don’t have to buy me more clothes. You already bought me some.”
“I need to get you more. You didn’t bring any clothes with you, did you?”
That was true. At first, he hadn’t brought any because he was afraid of upsetting you fucking disgusting pervert. If he’d known Kang Jihyeok was this warm and kind…?
He still wouldn’t have brought anything. There wasn’t a single thing in that house he’d wanted to take with him.
“Yes, you’re right.”
“Happy about it?”
If it was a question of happy or not happy, it leaned closer to happy — but strictly speaking, it leaned more toward I’m not sure. Back when he’d lived at the orphanage, the line between what was his and what wasn’t had always been blurry.
After being adopted by Assemblyman Cha, he’d never once had something that was truly, completely his. So the word his — applied to clothes — felt strange to Yeonwoo.
“If you’re tired, we can go another time.”
“Oh, no. I’d love that. Let’s go, together.”
Yeonwoo pressed down firmly on his chest, which was thumping with anticipation. Every time he got another glimpse of Kang Jihyeok’s warmth, hope and happiness quietly lifted their heads somewhere in his chest. It was the hope that he might get to go to his place. And with it, the relief that he wouldn’t have to go back to Assemblyman Cha’s house.
“Thank you.”
“Sure.”
He’d half expected him to pull the car over right then and there and say I’ve done this and that for you — so what are you going to do for me? But no. With that one playful answer, the car didn’t stop — it glided smoothly forward.
After a long drive, the place they arrived at was nothing like what Yeonwoo had pictured. He realized that the moment he stepped out of the car. A belated realization.
“Huh?”
“I found it in a hurry, so I hope it’s to your liking.”
It was a grand place. One look was enough to see that the gap between what Kang Jihyeok meant by meat and what he’d meant by meat was enormous. The meat he’d had in mind was the kind that sizzled on a grill in front of you.
This was not that kind of place. This was the kind of place where they carved your meat with elegance.
Yeonwoo’s heart thudded rapidly as he felt his carefully laid plan for waiting on him fall apart. How was he supposed to attend to him here? All he’d be able to do was cut his meat for him and feed him. But that felt far too little. What should he do? What else could he do? Maybe refill his glass before it ran empty…? No matter how hard he racked his brain, nothing useful came to him.
“Sit.”
Yeonwoo, who had been lost in his thoughts, sat down in the chair Kang Jihyeok pulled out for him. Only after Kang Jihyeok dropped into the seat across from him did he snap back to himself. He should have pulled out his chair for him.
“Will one plate be enough?”
“Sorry?”
“You wanted to eat meat.”
He was right that he’d wanted meat — but how did he know?
Yeonwoo bit down on his lip. The hoodie, and now this. He was curious how Kang Jihyeok had figured out both what he’d wanted to wear and what he’d wanted to eat.
Could he possibly… no, surely not — was he reading his mind?
“I’m fine with anything.”
“Well, if it’s not enough we can always order more.”
Kang Jihyeok immediately raised a hand and called the server over.
“One sirloin steak, two tenderloin steaks. And a cream pasta. Kid, is there anything else you want?”
Yeonwoo had been listening to his voice in a daze when the sudden shift of attention onto him made him swallow hard.
“Oh, no.”
“Then that’ll be all.”
From the way Kang Jihyeok was acting, Yeonwoo could say with certainty — he seemed to intend to eat together with him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have pulled the chair out for him, and he wouldn’t have asked what else he wanted. The moment that certainty settled in, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. Steak and pasta. Just imagining how good it would look made his mouth fill with saliva.
“Kid.”
“Yes?”
“Eat a lot. That’s how you’ll grow up fast.”
…I’m already fully grown. Was he roundabout teasing him for being small? If he ate a lot now, he wouldn’t grow up — he’d grow out.
I’m not that short.
Back at Assemblyman Cha’s house, everyone had been below eye level with him. That had been all the more reason they’d tormented him for it. Of course compared to Kang Jihyeok, he was shorter. His head came up to around his shoulder. If he stood on his tiptoes, maybe around his chin…?
But Yeonwoo didn’t bother saying any of that. If Kang Jihyeok said to grow taller, then he’d grow taller….
“Yes.”
“So I can eat you up.”
Hm? I think I just heard something strange. Eat him up? Hadn’t he already eaten him up last night?
Yeonwoo tilted his head. He had been eaten up by him. That much was clear from the situation this morning. Both Kang Jihyeok and he himself had their clothes off. On top of that, there had only been one bed in the room. The implication was obvious.
But from what Kang Jihyeok was saying now, it sounded as if he hadn’t eaten him up yet. Um, uh…. Questions crowded his head, but Yeonwoo pressed them down the way he always did.
“Your answer?”
“Yes, I’ll eat a lot and….”
Yeonwoo snuck a glance at Kang Jihyeok. His expression looked like he was urging him to hurry up and answer — or maybe like he found him endearing. The latter was of course impossible, the former far more likely. There was no reason for him to find him endearing.
“I’ll grow up fast.”
“That’s the spirit.”
Before long, the food began arriving one plate after another. The steak, steaming and fragrant, was so mouthwatering that just looking at it made him swallow. He knew he shouldn’t stare — but Yeonwoo couldn’t tear his eyes away.
