Chapter 59
The end? That was the last thing he wanted. This made Cha Yoon assign importance to having breakfast with Ki Seo-jung, even if it was “just” that.
Damn it, what should I do? What do I need to do to eat together? Even his pre-planned Plan B had been completely thwarted. Thump, thump, thump. His rapidly beating heart felt like the ticking of a clock counting down the time limit.
As he swallowed dryly while looking into Seo-jung’s eyes, which might leave again at any moment, something flashed in his whirling mind – the house rules he had briefly seen on the first day.
“The rules…!”
Seo-jung frowned at Cha Yoon’s raised voice. His expression showed he had no idea what Cha Yoon was talking about. Cha Yoon hastily added an explanation.
“The rules. You must eat at least one meal a day with other residents. Did you forget the house rules?”
Cha Yoon quickly opened the NAEX application and held it up in front of Seo-jung. Seo-jung examined the screen thrust before his eyes.
“…Ah.”
A small groan escaped from between Seo-jung’s lips as he carefully scanned the text on the screen.
Unfortunately, Cha Yoon’s words were true. Until now, none of the residents had been particularly aware of it, but such a rule existed. The rule that all residents must eat at least one meal a day with other residents.
This rule, born out of the desire to see male and female contestants naturally grow closer while eating together, was thus misused in Cha Yoon’s hands.
Cha Yoon’s face brightened at the sigh that escaped. This is it. Noticing that Seo-jung’s firmly set eyes had begun to waver, Cha Yoon moved in to seal the deal.
“If you’re working the afternoon shift today, you’ll be home around 10 PM. What are you going to do if you don’t eat with me now? Do you think the others will wait without eating until you get off work? Do you think I’m doing this because I want to eat with you? I’m just paying special attention and taking care of you because we’re roommates, even though I could just ignore it.”
“……”
“And just so you know, since you seem unaware, you already broke the rule once yesterday by going to bed early.”
Even the production team, who monitor the contestants in real-time with dozens of cameras, hadn’t noticed this fact, but Cha Yoon knew. It was a natural result. While the production team divides their attention equally among all contestants, Cha Yoon was focusing solely on ‘Ki Seo-jung’. This was something only Cha Yoon, who had memorized every move Ki Seo-jung made, could know.
“……”
“Or is it that you’ve already broken the rule once, so you’re going to go wild from now on?”
“Am I you, Cha Yoon?”
Having gained the upper hand, Cha Yoon gently needled Seo-jung with his characteristic sarcasm that he often showed. When Seo-jung sighed and reflexively spoke up, Cha Yoon quickly changed his tone.
“So, if it’s not like that, let’s just eat.”
“……”
“Honestly, you need to eat breakfast too. Isn’t it silly for both of us to eat separately when neither of us has eaten?”
“……”
“I like cooking. I’m good at it too.”
So eating breakfast with me would be a win for you. With that final appeal, Cha Yoon closed his mouth.
Seo-jung briefly looked over Cha Yoon, who was waiting for his answer. What if it had been another contestant standing in front of him? Would he have avoided them the same way? The answer came quickly. He would have surely finished the meal together, no matter who it was. Only then did he realize that avoiding the situation was actually paying more attention to Cha Yoon.
Objectively speaking, it was just two contestants with matching schedules eating together. So he decided not to assign any more meaning to it than that. With that thought, Seo-jung turned and started walking. It was exactly in the opposite direction of the living room.
When he didn’t feel any presence following him, Seo-jung, who had taken a few steps, looked back.
“What are you doing? I thought we were having breakfast.”
Hurry up. With those final words, Seo-jung went back into the kitchen. Cha Yoon, who had been blinking, soon followed Seo-jung with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
***
“Is there really nothing you want to eat? I’m telling you I’ll make it for you.”
Two pairs of chopsticks and spoons were placed on the large dining table.
“This isn’t an opportunity that comes every day. Don’t regret it later, just tell me quickly, okay?”
What? Tell you what? While Ki Seo-jung was taking out side dishes from the refrigerator and heating up the chicken soup that someone had made the night before, Cha Yoon stuck close behind him, chattering non-stop.
Does that mouth never rest or tire? For someone who hadn’t even eaten yet, he seemed more energetic and lively than usual.
“What’s already here is enough for me. If you want something else, just make it for yourself.”
“If I’m going to eat alone, why would I cook at this hour?”
“……”
“I’m really asking for the last time, so think carefully before you answer.”
3, 2, 1. ……1 and a half, 1 and a quarter. Ah, are you really not going to say anything? Are you stupid? Why can’t you seize the opportunity when it’s given to you?
It was almost at the level of begging, but Cha Yoon was completely unaware of his behavior. It would be more accurate to say he didn’t have the presence of mind to realize it. He was too busy focusing on the one or two responses he got from Seo-jung for every ten words he spoke.
As he moved around following Seo-jung’s movements like that, the microwave soon beeped.
When the microwave was opened, steaming instant rice could be seen. Seo-jung nonchalantly reached in. That’s when it happened. Cha Yoon interfered with Seo-jung’s attempt to take out the rice. As Cha Yoon’s thick arm suddenly appeared in front of him, Seo-jung rolled his eyes to look at Cha Yoon. His face seemed to say, “What now?”
“Why are you just standing there staring? It’s hot, so move over there.”
Cha Yoon nodded, holding the instant rice up above his head. It meant step back if you don’t want to get hurt. Because he acted so naturally, Seo-jung moved aside without thinking, and Cha Yoon quickly placed the instant rice on the table and came back.
“I’ll bring the soup too, so go sit down.”
“No, I’ll bring it. You go and wait first, Cha Yoon.”
“That needs to be boiled hot.”
Is he telling me this because he thinks I might not know? Even though I’m not good at cooking, I’m not so stupid as to not know that soup needs to be heated up hot.
“I know that much.”
“That’s not what I mean. I’m saying it’ll be really, fucking hot after it’s fully boiled.”
Of course it would be hot since it was boiled on the fire. Seo-jung swallowed a sigh, feeling dumbfounded. He couldn’t understand at all what Cha Yoon was trying to say. As he kept his mouth shut, intending to wait for further explanation, Cha Yoon added an explanation as if he found it frustrating.
“How can I make someone who’s not feeling well do such hard work? Do you think I’m trash?”
Seo-jung’s mouth gaped at Cha Yoon’s rapid words. Listening to it, there wasn’t just one or two strange points. Among them, the most astounding one was undoubtedly this.
“Hard work…?”
Ki Seo-jung muttered as if he had misheard something.
“What? It’s hard work if you have to move something dangerous, isn’t it? Am I wrong?”
Cha Yoon reacted sharply, as if Seo-jung had picked an unnecessary fight.
As Cha Yoon said, transporting something dangerous did fall into the category of ‘hard work’. But the problem was this: the dangerous thing he was referring to was none other than ‘the bowl of soup he was going to eat’. It was ridiculous to make such a fuss about something even elementary school kids could do.
However, however Cha Yoon interpreted Seo-jung’s silence, he continued speaking without pause.
“You have nothing to say because it’s so right, don’t you? You even had to be hospitalized. Does it make sense to ask a sick person, not even a healthy one, to do such a dangerous task? What kind of person would do that? So don’t make me out to be trash and just go sit down quickly. You’re in the way.”
It was more and more absurd the more he listened. Seo-jung rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache from the nonsensical talk that he didn’t know where to start correcting.
Although he had had an allergic reaction, he was perfectly fine now, several days later. Not only that, Seo-jung had never been hospitalized. He had just received brief treatment in the emergency room.
And the finale of this sophistry, saying he was in the way. Who had been the one following people around and bothering them since he returned home last night? It was Cha Yoon. At the very least, Cha Yoon had no right to say those words.
“It’s been a while since I recovered… And what does my allergy have to do with moving a soup bowl?”
“So what? Anyway, I’m healthier than you right now, aren’t I?”
