It’s his own house but he doesn’t know what’s in it? Even if there’s someone who cooks for him, isn’t this a serious level?
“Seoun.”
“Yes?”
“Is there kimchi in there?”
“Just a moment.”
Without time to think further, I carefully looked inside the refrigerator. It was so well-organized that I was almost scared to touch anything. I looked in every corner, trying my best to leave things in place and not mess anything up, then said:
“I don’t think there’s any kimchi.”
“Then there must not be any.”
How can there be no kimchi? I closed the refrigerator door and thought for a moment before asking:
“Do you happen to have a kimchi refrigerator?”
“Ah, is it in there? Come here.”
I followed Lee Jiwoo through a door next to the sink. It was a place like an auxiliary kitchen, and as expected, there was a kimchi refrigerator.
“Give me some disposable vinyl gloves.”
I said that because I’d need to take it out whole and cut it, but Lee Jiwoo just stared at me blankly like a foreigner who couldn’t understand Korean.
Based on his behavior so far, it wasn’t that he didn’t know what vinyl gloves were, but rather there was a high probability he didn’t know where they were. Leaving behind Lee Jiwoo who wasn’t helpful at all, I eventually started searching through the entire kitchen.
Like the inside of the refrigerator, everything was so well-organized, and the dishes and kitchen utensils were each stored by type, so I could find them without difficulty.
Until I found and took out the ingredients, cut and stir-fried them, Lee Jiwoo just lingered beside me like a hungry dog.
“Please eat.”
“I’ll eat well.”
Lee Jiwoo picked up his spoon with a flushed face. He must have been very hungry. Lee Jiwoo, who ate well even when he came to my house and I roughly threw together whatever, naturally ate this well too.
It would be delicious since I put in three large chunks of steak meat.
The house was so quiet that only the sounds of eating and the refrigerator running could be heard. I wasn’t one to talk much while eating either, but I felt like I’d get indigestion, so I asked:
“Do you live alone?”
“Yeah.”
“But you have so many refrigerators and so many diverse food ingredients. I think you said before that you mainly ate raw food.”
There were vegetables and quite a lot of ingredients with short expiration dates. When I muttered as if to myself, Lee Jiwoo answered:
“When you cooked for me before, it was delicious, so after that I’ve been trying various things. I tried making things myself too, but that was a bit difficult.”
“Yourself? What did you try to make?”
Lee Jiwoo cooking. It didn’t suit him at all.
“Pasta. They say that’s super easy to make. Have you tried it?”
“Yes, I’ve tried it. It’s easier than boiling ramen.”
I was about to ask again what kind of pasta he made when I suddenly realized Lee Jiwoo’s expression was sullen. Just looking at that face, I could tell it hadn’t gone smoothly.
“Did it taste a bit strange?”
“No, I couldn’t make it.”
“Why?”
“I was trying to boil the noodles and the noodles caught fire…”
I was confused by the unexpected words. How on earth do you boil noodles and have them catch fire? Unless he lit them with a lighter, it was a hard picture to understand.
“But when I looked it up, there’s this long pot-like thing. It’s a pot specifically for boiling noodles. So I ordered one. When I succeed later, I’ll make it for you too.”
Is it okay to eat food Lee Jiwoo makes? I felt uneasy somehow, but I didn’t say anything and just smiled.
Then my phone vibrated. Seogong’s name appeared on the screen. Even if I wanted to go outside for a moment to take the call, I didn’t know where to go inside this fortress-like huge house.
“Aren’t you answering?”
“Ah, yes. Then excuse me for a moment…”
I had no choice but to answer the phone right there, and as soon as I did, I quickly pressed the volume down button with my thumb like crazy.
“Hello.”
-Hyung! Are you coming?
“No, I’m today… that, what is it. Something came up so I think I’ll be late. Did you eat dinner? I’ll come back after eating dinner.”
-I ate ages ago. I’m at the ajumma’s house now. Ah, yes. Seoun hyung said he’s late because he’s on a date today.
I could hear Seogong muttering, probably with the ajumma next to him. I unconsciously looked at Lee Jiwoo and smiled through gritted teeth.
“It’s not like that.”
-What time will you come?
“Ah, around…”
If I finish eating and even finish the dishes, at most it would take about an hour or two. I was about to answer that when Lee Jiwoo casually placed his hand over my hand that was resting on the table.
“Tell him you’re sleeping over.”
And he moved his lips as if whispering. I suddenly felt like my breath was completely blocked.
-What? Hello?
“Uh… today… uh, well…”
“Sleep over, sleep over. Tell him you’re sleeping over.”
As I trailed off, Lee Jiwoo kept urging me from the side. I wanted to run away, but I couldn’t miss this sudden event that could bring us closer.
My mouth was completely dry, so I moved my lips a few times before finally muttering awkwardly:
“I don’t think I can come home today…”
-Are you with someone right now?
“Huh? No, it’s not that…”
-Got it! I’m hanging up, bye!
“Wa-wait. Seogong. Hey, Heo Seogong, Seogong…”
As if being chased, Seogong hung up unnaturally and hastily. I just stared blankly at the screen before putting my phone down on the table. Unlike me who was tense, Lee Jiwoo’s expression was brighter than ever.
“Did you tell Seogong you’re dating me?”
“No. He’s misunderstanding.”
It felt like I’d been caught stealing. When I shook my head and even waved my hands in hasty denial, Lee Jiwoo’s excited expression began to rapidly sink.
“Misunderstanding?”
Why is he asking back so scarily? Of course it’s a misunderstanding, when did we ever say we were dating? And even though I got swept up here without realizing it because he was suddenly crying earlier, there hadn’t been a single call during all that time.
“But we kissed earlier.”
Though it was a somewhat strange and unusual situation rather than a lovers’ kiss…
Besides, Lee Jiwoo fucking sucked at kissing. It’s not like someone who kisses well is my ideal type, and of course someone can be a bit bad at it, but Lee Jiwoo… how should I put it, his image had been that of such a promiscuous sex machine that it wasn’t just surprising but even bewildering.
“If we kissed, doesn’t that mean we’re dating now? You said you don’t kiss friends.”
“That’s true.”
“Then do you want to make today Day 1?”
It was a tone like a middle school boy dating a girl for the first time. I should be happy since it was the situation I wanted, but somehow I felt complicated.
“Yes, Day 1… Day 1 is good. Starting today…”
At my muttering, Lee Jiwoo’s expression brightened again. Seeing him take a deep breath as if about to say something, I cut him off.
“Before that, there’s something I want to ask.”
“Huh? What kind of thing? I don’t have any STDs.”
“…What? No… what?”
Did I shoot myself in the foot? I was momentarily dazed by Lee Jiwoo’s bombshell declaration. Of course, that was also an important thing to confirm… No, thinking about it, that really was something I should have checked? Why didn’t my thoughts reach that far?
“That’s… fortunate. Anyway, what I’m curious about isn’t that.”
“Then what? The size of my assets?”
What kind of world did this bastard live in and what kind of life did he live? My throat was blocked again, but I quickly came to my senses.
“What was the reason you were crying earlier? Do you really know that celebrity? Park Saebyeol.”
Even if Lee Jiwoo still had feelings for his ex-girlfriend, I actually had no choice. Still, I needed to know the situation to some extent so I could create a persona for dealing with Lee Jiwoo.
Depending on Lee Jiwoo’s answer, I could become someone who believed in free love and didn’t care about such things at all, or I could become a frustrating person who was sad like a tragic protagonist but couldn’t let go. Since once I decided I couldn’t change it without some kind of trigger, I had to be careful.
“Park Saebyeol? I don’t know that person.”
“What?”
I tried not to be flustered no matter what answer came from that mouth, but I failed. Could he be lying? Because he doesn’t want to answer?
“Did you ask earlier if she was an ex-girlfriend? No, I’ve never even met her. I didn’t even know she was a celebrity.”
“……”
“But didn’t you say before that you didn’t care about this kind of thing?”
The excitement I’d glimpsed disappeared and Lee Jiwoo’s face hardened indifferently as usual.
