Bossam, jokbal, makguksu, jajangmyeon, japchae rice, sweet and sour pork, assorted sushi, tteokbokki, fried food, sundae, dumplings, gimbap, pork cutlet, even chicken.
As the delivery food kept arriving one after another, Hyowoo let out a chuckle.
‘It’s not even a 60th birthday celebration, what is this…’
An amount that twenty grown men could eat their fill and still have leftovers. Just looking at it made him feel stuffed.
‘Can they really eat all of this?’
Hyowoo hated waste. The same went for leaving food uneaten.
If it were just three people eating, he would have stopped them right away, but the two people here were individuals who were far removed from ordinary standards.
Gyeonwoo had been a big eater since childhood, eating several times more than adults.
Lee Seohee too—just two days ago, Hyowoo had witnessed with his own two eyes him easily polish off 16 servings of Korean beef by himself.
‘Right. If it’s those two, they really can eat all of this. They’ll eat everything and even order dessert…’
They decided to eat in the spacious living room instead of at the dining table, but less than half the food fit on the coffee table. In the end, they decided to bring out the large foldable gyojasang they kept for holiday guests.
“Gyeonwoo-ya, let’s bring the table first before opening the packages. I can’t lift that table by myself.”
“That 10-person one in the kitchen utility room? Okay, let’s go.”
Even his brother, who usually found things bothersome and dumped all errands on his hyung, moved without complaint at times like this.
“I’ll go. Gyeonwoo-ssi’s hand is injured too.”
Seeing the bandaged hand, Lee Seohee got up from his seat, but the brothers spoke simultaneously.
“Oh, it’s fine. It’s not as serious as it looks.”
“That’s right. Seohee-ssi, please just stay here. You’re our guest.”
No matter how many more times he tried to step forward, facing brothers who held their ground with identical faces and voices, Lee Seohee ultimately had no choice but to back down.
Leaving him in the living room, Hyowoo and Gyeonwoo headed to the utility room. As they entered the kitchen, a cheerful bouquet of flowers on the dining table caught their eye.
“Did Seohee-ssi bring these flowers?”
Even though it was a suddenly arranged visit, he’d brought gifts for their parents without missing a beat. Moreover, he’d paid for all the delivery food too.
‘If we’d met outside, I wouldn’t have had to burden him like this…’
It felt uncomfortable, as if he’d unnecessarily made him worry.
Unlike Hyowoo, Gyeonwoo looked at the bouquet with interest.
“Well, red ginseng is something you commonly give to adults, so that’s fine. But how did he know to buy the flowers and cake?”
“Huh?”
“The flowers are for Mom, and the cake is for Dad.”
When he’d asked what the family said about the bouquet Lee Seohee sent for his birthday, he’d answered that his mother had actually been happy about it. He’d also added that his father had eaten almost all of the whipped cream cake by himself.
Last March, at the airport, it had been something he’d casually mentioned while chatting about this and that.
‘It was just something I said in passing, but he remembered…’
When he carefully confessed that he had told him, Gyeonwoo looked at him as if surprised.
“You told other people stories like that?”
“Yeah.”
When he asked what was so surprising about that, the guy’s expression became even more intrigued.
“You don’t usually talk about personal stuff. Especially not about family.”
He himself was surprised by that point too.
Though he was usually quiet, with him, he easily shared stories he wouldn’t tell others.
Was it simply because he felt comfortable?
By that logic, Taeseo was also someone he felt comfortable with. They’d been best friends for three and a half years, but he’d almost never brought up detailed family matters.
‘Could it be that Dominant Alphas have some ability to break down people’s guard?’
There was no way to explain to his brother behavior he himself had trouble understanding. As he hesitated with words stuck in his throat, Gyeonwoo patted Hyowoo’s shoulder.
“Why are you being so flustered? If it’s difficult, you don’t have to say anything.”
“It’s not that it’s difficult…”
“I know. You don’t really know why either, right?”
Gyeonwoo smiled, telling him not to try to find an answer right away. He was grateful for his brother who understood his feelings without him having to say anything.
“But, what are we going to explain to Mom and Dad about this?”
“Don’t worry about that. I sent a message to noona. By now, she’s probably contacted both of them.”
Their noona living in Finland often sent gifts even when it wasn’t a special occasion. If they said noona sent them, both parents wouldn’t suspect anything at all, so he could relax.
They pulled out the gyojasang that had been shoved in the corner of the utility room and carried it to the living room. While Hyowoo wiped down the table, Lee Seohee opened the food packages one by one with Gyeonwoo.
“Um, about the gifts for my parents… thank you. You didn’t have to…”
“Still, I couldn’t come empty-handed. I came in a rush so I couldn’t prepare much, but next time I’ll come properly prepared.”
“Ah, then when will you come ne—mmph!”
At the word ‘next,’ Gyeonwoo reacted like a ghost. If left alone, he’d definitely set up the next appointment too.
Before Gyeonwoo could finish speaking, Hyowoo shoved two pieces of gimbap into his cunning brother’s mouth.
He glared at his choking brother with his eyes, warning ‘if you say weird things, you’re really dead.’
At the silent threat, Gyeonwoo reluctantly swallowed the gimbap and grumbled while opening packages. Fortunately, he didn’t bring up anything more like ‘when will you come next?’
Before long, the table was filled with mouth-watering food.
“Lee Seohee player, we’ll eat well!”
“Thank you. I’ll eat well.”
“Not at all. I’m the one who’s grateful you invited me.”
Everything looked so delicious that it was hard to decide what to eat first. After hesitating for a moment, he sneakily checked the two people’s plates.
As expected, both of them had piled food mountain-high on their plates and were eating diligently.
‘Seohee-ssi really eats food deliciously.’
It was a thought he had every time they ate together. The expression ‘blessed’ that adults used fit perfectly. Yet perhaps because he ate neatly, no matter how much he ate, there wasn’t the slightest feeling of gluttony.
Gyeonwoo too was making the happiest expression in the world as he rolled up jokbal and makguksu with his fork and put it in his mouth.
‘Right. As expected, this guy is quiet when he has something in his mouth…’
Hoping he wouldn’t say anything weird anymore, Hyowoo finally picked up his chopsticks.
He’d taken a bite of tteokbokki and was tasting various foods little by little when it happened. Gyeonwoo, who had been eating diligently, suddenly stopped his hands and stared intently at Hyowoo.
“What’s gotten into you to eat so much today?”
“Huh?”
“Hyung, you barely eat anything.”
Hyowoo suffered from chronic loss of appetite and couldn’t eat properly. With his weakened body and the side effects of strong suppressants piling on, his daily food intake was merely about two chicken wings and one can of cola. At most, what went down well were things like chocolate or coffee.
For his hyung, who couldn’t even finish one roll of gimbap alone, to still be holding chopsticks—from Gyeonwoo’s perspective, it was quite an unfamiliar sight.
“Does Hyowoo-ssi usually not eat much?”
“Yes. It’s not that he doesn’t eat on purpose, but he has no appetite so he can’t eat well. Sometimes he goes all day without eating. So Lee Seohee player, please look after my hyung’s meals too. Buy him lots of delicious things.”
“I really should. Hyowoo-ssi, whenever you want to eat something, tell me then and there.”
Just how little must he have been eating for such words to come from his brother’s mouth? It was embarrassing. Yet when Lee Seohee readily accepted that request, his face burned with awkwardness.
Pretending not to hear, he subtly turned his gaze toward the TV. Then, seizing that gap, Gyeonwoo, who had been watching for an opportunity, quickly struck.
“But Lee Seohee player, what do you like about our hyung?”
Hyowoo’s chopsticks, which had been reaching for gimbap, stopped in midair.
‘I wondered why he was so quiet…’
As if about to start asking questions in earnest, Gyeonwoo subtly positioned himself.
If Lee Seohee answered, it was obvious the next question would immediately follow.
He couldn’t give Gyeonwoo, who once he bit down wouldn’t let go until the end, that opportunity.
Before Lee Seohee could answer anything, Hyowoo threw out a comment first.
“Why are you asking that?”
“Because I’m curious.”
“You have so much you want to eat and so much you’re curious about. Please stop saying weird things and just eat your meal properly.”
“It’s normal to be curious. A celebrity I only saw on TV likes our hyung…”
Just as he was about to put salmon sushi into Gyeonwoo’s mouth, who showed no sign of giving up on his questions, Lee Seohee, having just swallowed his food, quietly opened his mouth.
“Because he’s small and cute, I like him.”
In that instant, the sushi fell from Hyowoo’s hand along with the chopsticks onto the table. Gyeonwoo’s eyes also widened.
“Small and cute, who? Our hyung?”
Hyowoo’s height was 181cm. Though he was petite compared to Lee Seohee, he was much taller than the average Korean male. By the time he graduated elementary school, his height had already exceeded 170cm, so he’d never once in his life heard the word ‘small.’
“S-Seohee-ssi, that kind of joke isn’t funny. Don’t tease me in front of my brother…”
“It’s not a joke. I’m very serious.”
Not caring about the twins who were briefly stunned in shock, he nonchalantly continued his bombshell statements.
“How should I put it, Hyowoo-ssi is like a pretty rabbit. His eyes are round, he’s very shy. Especially when he’s surprised, he really resembles a rabbit.”
Saying he’s small and cute was already absurd, but now a rabbit. Moreover, in front of his identical twin brother who was dying to tease his hyung.
His embarrassment had already exceeded its limit and his brain refused to function normally anymore.
Having said everything he wanted to say and smiling innocently, Hyowoo could only stare at Lee Seohee wordlessly with an dumbfounded expression.
‘He’s really a strange person. What’s cute about someone like me… He must be teasing me again…’
But… something was strange.
At this point, his brother should be laughing his head off, but he was suspiciously quiet.
With an uneasy feeling, he slowly turned his head to find Gyeonwoo with a calm face, diligently typing something into his phone.
“You… what are you doing?”
“Before I forget, I’m sending a message to noona. That hyung’s boyfriend likes him because he’s small, cute, pretty, and like a rabbit~”
“Hey, are you crazy?! Don’t!”
Because he was so desperate, the somewhat harsh words “are you crazy” burst out in front of him. But right now, he didn’t have the luxury to worry about such trivial things.
This would be teasing material for life. Gyeonwoo alone was already unmanageable, but if noona joined in, it would be the end.
He put down his plate and reached out to snatch his brother’s phone.
But Gyeonwoo wasn’t one to be taken from so easily. Dodging skillfully this way and that, he continued to type the message.
Forgetting the fact that they were in front of a guest, Lee Seohee, who had been quietly watching the twin brothers squabble, calmly put down his plate.
“Hyowoo-ssi, can I ask you just one question?”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
With his mind completely focused on snatching the phone, Hyowoo answered without seeing what kind of expression he had.
“When did I get promoted to being Hyowoo-ssi’s ‘boyfriend’?”
