“Just to confirm, is that something Director Jang prepared and you’re just reheating it?”
“No. I made it myself.”
“You, hyung?”
“Yes.”
“…Why?”
“Because I wanted to eat it.”
Jaehyuk countered by asking what other reason there could be, and Junghyun nodded.
If you want to eat something, you should make it.
But…
“I’ll go out and buy something to eat.”
The smell was appealing, but Junghyun wasn’t about to eat food made by a man who had likely never stepped into a kitchen in his life.
No matter how carelessly he might live, life was precious, and especially now with a child already with a beating heart inside, he couldn’t eat food of unknown origin.
So Junghyun rejected the meal even before Jaehyuk could offer it. In response, Jaehyuk smiled as if to say “suit yourself” and lifted a rib with tongs.
At that moment, the magnificent sight of the king-sized ribs captured Junghyun’s attention, and before he knew it, he had moved closer.
Like a moth drawn to a flame.
“What is that?”
Junghyun asked, swallowing his saliva, and Jaehyuk answered as if it were obvious.
“Ribs.”
“Do they sell ribs this big?”
“Nothing’s impossible if you order it.”
These weren’t ordinary ribs but ones so large that even an adult man would need two hands to hold them. Junghyun approached and peered into the steamer.
Having woken up hungry only to find giant ribs dripping with oil and emitting a delicious aroma right in front of him, he felt like he was going to lose his mind.
Seeing Junghyun’s crazed look, Jaehyuk quickly closed the lid. Then he immediately lowered the heat, which made Junghyun open his eyes wide.
In response to Junghyun’s face, which seemed to protest how Jaehyuk could do this to him, Jaehyuk averted his gaze, pretending not to notice.
“Go out and buy something.”
“Just let me taste it.”
“No.”
“How can I trust your cooking skills? I should taste it first to decide whether to eat it or not.”
“Who said I’d let you eat it?”
“I’ll go camping with you.”
At Junghyun’s offer to “go with him,” Jaehyuk narrowed his eyes and smiled.
“That’s not your choice to make.”
“I’m better at physical labor than I look.”
“Not just better than you look—anyone would think so.”
“I’m good at chopping firewood.”
At Junghyun’s continued self-promotion, Jaehyuk laughed incredulously.
For someone who worked at a PR firm, his promotional skills and vocabulary were severely lacking.
“Not necessary. Firewood can be bought.”
“But you still have to split it.”
“How would you know that?”
“Seojun’s uncle loves camping, so I was dragged along a few times. I just chopped firewood and grilled meat there.”
At Junghyun’s insistence that he was definitely good at chopping firewood, Jaehyuk made an overtly displeased expression.
Just when he was starting to forget, Choi Seojun makes an appearance.
This was becoming creepy.
“Did you live at their house?”
“I practically grew up as their son until high school. That’s how I was able to graduate.”
As Junghyun changed the subject, saying otherwise how could someone like him who couldn’t wake up in the morning have attended school, he surreptitiously reached to open the steamer lid. Jaehyuk mercilessly swatted his hand away.
“Don’t touch it. It’s not done yet.”
“I’m just going to look.”
“The steam will escape.”
“Just a moment. I’ll only look.”
Swallowing his saliva, Junghyun gazed at the steamer with a desperate look in his eyes that Jaehyuk had never seen before.
Faced with that unexpectedly touching expression, Jaehyuk felt a prick in his heart and couldn’t bring himself to refuse any longer.
If Junghyun had simply insisted stubbornly, he could have kicked him away, but when he looked so pitiful, it weakened his resolve.
Really, just like a dog.
There was a reason he had the nickname “Chihuahua.”
Because he was infinitely strong against people but weak against dogs, Jaehyuk finally sighed and opened the lid.
At that moment, as white steam and the appetizing soy sauce aroma burst out, Junghyun leaned his face in as if he wanted to climb right into the steamer.
Startled by this, Jaehyuk pushed up Junghyun’s forehead to stop him.
“Dangerous!”
Jaehyuk warned that even steam could cause burns, but Junghyun’s eyes were already fixed only on the meat.
“I’m hungry.”
“It needs to cook about 20 more minutes.”
“Just the edge of the meat.”
“No. The rice isn’t even—”
As he was about to say it wasn’t ready, a hungry growl came from Junghyun’s stomach.
Hearing that sound, which one rarely hears in real life, Jaehyuk was startled but laughed at Junghyun, who looked ready to dive right into the steamer.
This was Junghyun at his most focused that Jaehyuk had ever seen.
In other words, he had the face of someone who might set the kitchen on fire if not given what he wanted.
Like when the Hanju Elephants lost the wild card second game.
“…I’ll cut you a piece. Sit down.”
At Jaehyuk’s scolding to act like a human and not a dog, Junghyun immediately sat down at the island table.
For the first time since they met, he was obediently following instructions. Jaehyuk laughed ruefully but immediately took out a cutting board. He placed one rib on it, cut off the edge, and transferred it to a plate.
“Eat this first and—”
Before he could finish saying to wait a little, Junghyun took the plate and instantly devoured the meat on it.
Actually, he really just inhaled it. Without chopsticks, straight from the plate.
Jaehyuk wasn’t surprised at all by this voracious behavior.
He had seen him inhale five servings of ribs yesterday, but he wasn’t surprised because Junghyun was acting too much like a dog.
“…The rice will be ready in a bit.”
Judging that something terrible might happen if he let Junghyun go hungry, Jaehyuk tried to appease him. Junghyun put down the empty plate and sincerely exclaimed in admiration.
“Hyung, you’re a good cook.”
Junghyun lavished praise, saying it was more delicious than any famous restaurant.
In response to his excitement, clearly entranced by the taste of the ribs, Jaehyuk arrogantly answered with his chin raised.
“Of course.”
“No, no. This isn’t just good—it’s exceptional. This isn’t just some marinade Director Jang prepared before leaving, is it?”
At the suggestion that he might have used store-bought marinade, Jaehyuk frowned as if his pride was hurt.
“The recipe is Director Jang’s, but I did the cooking myself.”
“Then you have real talent. Let’s go into business together. A rib restaurant. I’ll handle the serving and calculations. I can drive away all the difficult customers by being even more difficult.”
“I bet you could.”
Not surprised at all, Jaehyuk imagined Junghyun becoming an internet star as an infamous restaurant owner on social media and laughed. Junghyun leaned forward and promoted himself even more enthusiastically.
“So let’s open one together.”
“Motion denied. I’m afraid you’ll eat everything while serving. That won’t work.”
Jaehyuk was certain that if Junghyun were in charge of serving, five ribs would be put on a plate, but only three would reach the customer’s table.
Looking at Junghyun now, this wasn’t just an unfounded concern.
Junghyun readily acknowledged Jaehyuk’s quite realistic worry.
“Well, that could happen. Or ordering a bottle of soju but only half a bottle arrives.”
“That’s the most dangerous part. It’s a violation of sanitation laws.”
“Then forget the restaurant and just give me a little more ribs.”
Jaehyuk wanted to refuse, but once again, he couldn’t ignore Junghyun sitting at the island table with a face like a hungry puppy.
Strangely, today Junghyun looked cute to him.
“If you eat now, you won’t have an appetite at mealtime.”
“Don’t worry.”
Junghyun was confident that even if he ate until he was stuffed now, he could eat until he was stuffed again at mealtime, and Jaehyuk didn’t argue with that.
He simply took out another rib, cut off the edge, and handed it over without a word.
“At this rate, we’ll run out of ribs before the rice is done.”
“That’s okay. Then I can just mix rice with the broth.”
“That won’t do. The broth has too much oil.”
At Jaehyuk’s continued nagging, Junghyun, who was now using chopsticks to pick up meat, blinked and exclaimed again in admiration.
“Wow. Hyung, you’re just like a mom.”
“…Shut up.”
“It’s a compliment. Why did Yeonwoo hyung break up with such a domestic person?”
Perhaps because he was in a good mood from eating something delicious, Junghyun was casually jabbing at a painful spot.
With his rude and self-centered responses, just like when they first met, Jaehyuk smiled faintly.
“I don’t know why either, but I definitely understand why you were dumped.”
When Jaehyuk emphasized that it was because of Junghyun’s mouth, Junghyun laughed.
“Everyone says that. They say my mouth is a disaster.”
“If you know, why don’t you fix it?”
“Because I don’t feel the need to.”
“No, you should fix it. From now on.”
“If you give me more meat, I’ll consider it.”
“No more. Go wash your face and change your clothes first.”
“But… I’m hungry…”
“Wash up first.”
At Jaehyuk’s motherly discipline, Junghyun decided to back down at that point.
One step back to take one step forward.
Promising himself a meal, Junghyun stood up and slowly left the kitchen. But still unable to let go of his lingering attachment, he kept glancing back at the steamer, which made Jaehyuk gesture with his chin as if to tell him to get out.
At that harsh gesture that seemed to threaten to kick his backside if he didn’t leave now, Junghyun finally dragged his feet out of the kitchen.
Then, walking slowly down the hallway and entering the bedroom, he was met with the sight of bright sunlight pouring in.
Today, the sunshine was even better than yesterday.
It was an exceptionally pleasant, sunny Saturday morning.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
