Lee Tae-rim got it—he really did. Seon Juho was ridiculously handsome. That much, he could fully admit. No, he had no choice but to admit it.
Sure, the kid acted like a child whenever he was around Tae-rim, but still—he was undeniably good-looking. Already unfairly attractive now, and the thought of how much more handsome he’d become as he matured was honestly kind of exciting. But to Tae-rim, that handsome face still belonged to nothing more than a baby. A brat who threw tantrums whenever things didn’t go his way.
Just like right now.
“Cook for me, hyuuung~! Won’t you, please? Hmm?”
Today, he went all out—plopped right down on the floor and clung to Tae-rim’s leg, whining like a toddler. Clearly, he wasn’t giving up without a fight.
The whole struggle had started just as Tae-rim was about to head into the kitchen to make dinner, and there was still no end in sight. Tae-rim sighed. His left leg was completely pinned—there was no moving it with Seon Juho latched on like that. Yeah… he wasn’t going to win this one with strength.
“All right. Just this once. But you have to promise you’ll never ask me to cook again. Deal?”
Seon Juho’s eyes sparkled the moment he heard the word yes. Before Tae-rim had even finished speaking, the kid was nodding like crazy.
“Okay!”
Finally, he let go of Tae-rim’s leg. The kid had gotten taller and broader lately, but the way he acted? Still a total baby.
Tae-rim made his way to the kitchen, with Seon Juho trailing behind like a hopeful puppy, eyes full of anticipation. Tae-rim popped some instant rice into the microwave, then pulled three eggs out of the fridge and fried them with soft yolks.
“Hyung…”
“What now?”
“……”
Tae-rim dumped three servings of rice into a large metal bowl and placed the eggs on top. Then he grabbed a slab of butter from the fridge, sliced off a spoonful, and tossed it in. Seon Juho’s expression shifted—clearly, this wasn’t the kind of “home-cooked meal” he’d been imagining.
But Tae-rim didn’t care. He poured in some soy sauce and began mixing the bowl. The glossy sheen of the perfectly blended soy sauce egg rice was enough to make anyone’s mouth water. He set the bowl on the table and grabbed some kimchi from the fridge.
“Dinner’s served!”
“……”
Tae-rim even laid out the spoons and chopsticks in front of their seats—perfect table setting. Then he sat down, scooped up a big bite of rice, topped it with kimchi, and popped it into his mouth.
“Mmm. This is good. I love this stuff. It’s perfect when I’m not hungry or too lazy to cook anything complicated.”
“……”
As Tae-rim dug in with genuine enjoyment, Seon Juho quietly sat across from him and picked up his spoon. Just like Tae-rim, he scooped up a big bite and took it into his mouth. The moment the flavor hit, the corners of his eyes twitched. His expression shifted in a weird little way. Tae-rim could see him trying so hard not to smile.
“Tastes good, doesn’t it?”
“…Yeah.”
Still pouting, but he couldn’t deny it—he managed to grumble out a reluctant “yeah.” There’s no way soy sauce egg rice wouldn’t taste good. Tae-rim smiled and dropped a piece of kimchi onto Seon Juho’s spoon.
“You’re so mean, hyung.”
“What? I cooked for you.”
“……”
Tae-rim knew exactly what Seon Juho meant, but he pretended not to. Ever since that one drama, the kid had gotten obsessed with this whole “cooking for someone you love” fantasy—and he just wouldn’t let it go.
For some reason, ever since that day, Seon Juho had been fixated on the idea of home-cooked meals. Cooking scenes popped up in pretty much every drama, more often than Tae-rim had realized before. Or maybe it just felt that way now because he couldn’t unsee it, thanks to Seon Juho.
Anyway, Tae-rim was pretty sure the scene that got stuck in Seon Juho’s head was that one—the moment where someone cooked with overflowing affection for the person they loved. It was one of those scenes that made everything look picture-perfect: crisp cuts, dramatic music, full of emotional weight. Of course Seon Juho started daydreaming after watching that.
He probably never even considered how hard it was to fill an entire table with food. Not once. Tae-rim wanted to flick him on the forehead—but watching him eat that simple bowl of soy sauce egg rice so happily… he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He found himself smiling, watching Seon Juho eat with such enthusiasm.
After the two of them polished off the rice, Tae-rim finally started on a proper dinner. He was already full, but that wouldn’t cut it for Seon Juho.
As usual, he reheated a full spread of prepared dishes and laid them all out on the table. Seon Juho ate with a complicated look on his face. Everything tasted good, but something clearly felt lacking. Must’ve been those over-the-top expectations from the drama.
When they were done, Seon Juho neatly put all the empty plates in the dishwasher, then came over and plopped down next to Tae-rim, who was now watching TV.
Technically, soy sauce egg rice did count as cooking, so Seon Juho didn’t complain about it again. But now that Tae-rim thought about it… Seon Juho didn’t have any memories from before he’d been taken, right? Maybe this was actually the first time he’d ever eaten something like soy sauce egg rice. The thought tugged at his heart a little. Made him feel guilty.
Maybe, deep down, Tae-rim had already known. That scene in the drama—where someone cooks with love for the person they cherish—it really had looked happy. The one doing the cooking, the one eating… both had looked so content. Maybe what Seon Juho wanted wasn’t the food itself, but that happiness.
Tae-rim reached out and gently ruffled his hair. If I’d known, I could’ve made him something nicer. Was I being too harsh?
“What’s that dish called, hyung?”
“Soy sauce egg rice.”
“…Make it for me again next time.”
Seon Juho’s body was warm as he wrapped his arms around Tae-rim’s waist and rested his head on his shoulder. Tae-rim reached up and tousled Juho’s hair into a messy, fluffy mop.
“Yeah, okay.”
It had become second nature—the way Seon Juho sat right up against him, nose pressed to the back of his neck. I really shouldn’t be getting used to this, Tae-rim thought, but even so, he couldn’t bring himself to push the kid away. How could anyone reject someone this sweet… this soft?
As they watched the drama, Tae-rim gently patted Juho’s back. Tonight’s episode was a crime procedural, and sure enough, an Esper appeared. Seemed like mental-type Espers were almost always the ones doing the interrogations.
Even minor Esper roles were always played by ridiculously handsome actors. Sometimes, popular celebrities would make surprise cameos just for those parts. Unfortunately, the one in tonight’s episode seemed to be a newcomer rather than a famous face, but still, he was model-level handsome. His acting was a little stiff, but not terrible.
“He’s good-looking.”
“Who?”
“The actor playing the Esper.”
“…More handsome than me?”
“Oh please. No one’s better looking than our Juho.”
Juho couldn’t hide his grin. The corners of his mouth curled up with pure delight.
“Really?”
“Of course. You’re the best-looking guy in the entire Center.”
“Seriously?!”
“Yup. You didn’t know? You’re so handsome, you’ve got fans all over the place.”
“What about you, hyung? What do you think?”
“I think our Juho is the most handsome of all.”
“Hehehe~”
Even his smile was unfairly pretty. Tae-rim could imagine how beautiful he must’ve looked as a kid—like a real-life doll. And to think those bastards used a child like that for experiments… unforgivable. Tae-rim cursed those monsters under his breath and reached out to squish both of Juho’s cheeks. The way he kept giggling—so happy, so innocent—it was enough to make Tae-rim melt. He couldn’t help but laugh along with him.
“Drama’s over. Time to sleep and preserve our Juho’s beautiful face, yeah?”
“Mm-hmm!”
They brushed their teeth and lay down together, just like always. Sleep crept in fast. Juho, still riding high on the compliments, clung to Tae-rim’s back, rubbing against him like an over-affectionate puppy.
“I love you so much, hyung.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.”
Getting this giddy just from being called handsome… yeah, still a kid. Tae-rim smiled softly as he slipped into sleep.
Once Tae-rim’s breathing evened out, Seon Juho tightened his arms around him, pressed his nose into the nape of his neck, and drew in a deep breath.
Like fruit ripened to its peak, releasing a sweetness so rich it filled the air—Tae-rim smelled that good tonight. Sweet to the point of intoxication. And to hear those words—from someone that sweet—made it all the more overwhelming.
Seon Juho never cared about looks. He didn’t really understand what made someone attractive or not. To him, everyone besides Tae-rim looked more or less the same. But he still knew being called handsome was a compliment.
He didn’t think much about his own appearance, but if being good-looking gave him an edge, then he was glad for it. Especially since Guides were known to fall for pretty faces. That meant being handsome was an advantage.
He leaned in and licked the back of Tae-rim’s neck before pressing a kiss there. The taste was so sweet it made his jaw ache. Haa… His breath turned hot.
“You taste so good, hyung…”
His whisper was low, drenched in honey. He felt like he was burning from the inside out. Jaw clenched, Seon Juho let out a soft groan.
He knew he had to wait. He knew. But it was getting harder every day. He wanted Tae-rim. Wanted to have him—completely. To taste every part of him, to be soaked in that sweetness, to lose himself in it.
But he had to be patient. If he wanted to truly claim Tae-rim, he couldn’t rush. Especially not with him. With Tae-rim, everything had to be slow, careful, and precise.
Lately, Juho’s sense of smell had grown more acute. And with it, came a new irritation—the scent of other people on Tae-rim. Every day, he came home carrying traces of others. And the worst ones… were Espers.
Jung Jae-heon. Kwon Hae-beom. Choi Dong-ha.
The three Espers who received Guiding from Tae-rim—he hated their scent instantly. Just the thought of it made his skin crawl. It was so unbearable he wanted to erase it, drown it out with his own.
He wanted Tae-rim to smell like him—only him. Maybe then, he’d feel better. But if he actually went through with it, Tae-rim would notice. He’d know Seon Juho was releasing pheromones.
Still, the desire gnawed at him—an urge to mark Tae-rim like a beast claiming its mate. He bit lightly at the back of Tae-rim’s neck, trying not to leave a mark. It was agonizing, holding back, but he forced his instincts down, doing everything he could to stay in control.
