#79
“Aaah!”
Startled, Idam dropped the cucumber he was holding onto the floor. The cucumber rolled between Taemin’s legs.
“What? Why are you so surprised?”
Taemin picked up the cucumber with a bewildered look and scanned the kitchen. The sink and countertops were cluttered with various seasoning bottles and vegetables.
“What have you been doing?”
“Oh, I was trying to make lunch.”
“You were?”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
Taemin tilted his head, unable to understand.
“Well… I wanted to make something delicious for you, CEO.”
Idam’s cheeks turned red, feeling shy even though it wasn’t something he needed to hide.
“The baby knows how to cook?”
“Of course! I can make pretty much anything!”
Idam spoke firmly, wanting to emphasize that he wasn’t a baby.
“That’s impressive.”
Taemin smiled and took the cucumber to the sink to wash it.
“Then let’s prepare together. I’ll help you.”
“Yes. Oh, no, it’s okay.”
Idam was perplexed by the offer of help, as he had only mentioned being good at cooking. The flow of conversation felt off.
“I… I just wanted to serve you. It’s fine.”
“I’ve finished all my work now. Let’s do it together.”
Taemin took out a cutting board and knife.
“I’m good at cutting.”
Taemin started julienning the cucumber. His hands moved incredibly fast. Moreover, the cut cucumber pieces were all exactly the same size without any deviation. His skill exuded expertise. Idam’s eyes widened in amazement.
“Wow! Have you worked in a restaurant before, CEO?”
“No. I just had many occasions to handle knives since I was young. Especially when processing ‘meat’.”
Idam sensed that the ‘meat’ Taemin referred to wasn’t ordinary, giving off an eerie feeling. He decided not to inquire further, fearing he might learn things he didn’t need to know.
“Should I cut this carrot too?”
Taemin held up a carrot. For a moment, Idam saw it as a severed human arm.
“Ah!”
Startled, he quickly rubbed his eyes and looked again, seeing it as a normal carrot. He must have been seeing things. Relieved, Idam calmed his racing heart and answered.
“Yes. I’ve already washed and peeled them.”
“Alright.”
Taemin julienned the carrot as well and prepared other vegetables. Idam started moving to finish making the bibim-guksu (spicy cold noodles).
He peeled the boiled eggs he had prepared earlier and cut them in half with a fruit knife. Then he put somyeon noodles in two white bowls, put on plastic gloves, and mixed them with the cut vegetables and sauce. He added thinly sliced green chili peppers to Taemin’s bowl. Finally, he placed the boiled egg halves on top, completing the bibim-guksu. He drizzled some sesame oil and sprinkled sesame seeds, making it look even more appetizing.
“Wow, it’s all done.”
Taemin exclaimed, looking at the bibim-guksu.
“Ah, just a moment.”
Idam walked over and lifted the lid off a pot on the gas stove.
“What’s this?”
Taemin, who had suddenly appeared next to Idam, asked while peering into the pot.
“It’s clam soup. It tastes better when you have it with the noodles.”
“When did you prepare this?”
Taemin’s eyes showed even more appreciation. Idam’s cheeks blushed prettily from embarrassment.
“I made it before boiling the noodles. It’s nothing special. It doesn’t take long to make.”
“It seems like you put in a lot of effort… You’re amazing, Idam.”
“No, not really.”
“Don’t say that… I think you have more talent than Lady An.”
Taemin continued showering Idam with compliments. This continued even while they were eating the bibim-guksu. Idam felt proud, thinking that cooking today was indeed a great choice.
* * *
After enjoying the delicious bibim-guksu, the two went out to the terrace. A vast ocean stretched out before them, and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. The gentle breeze felt affectionate.
On the table were tropical fruits and strawberry juice prepared by the employees. Even in this situation, Taemin insisted on having a hot Americano.
Idam eagerly ate mango with a fork. Although the other fruits were delicious too, this one was especially sweet and tangy, perfectly suiting his taste. Taemin looked at Idam and smiled.
“You eat just like a fairy.”
Caught off guard by his sudden remark, Idam felt the mango he was eating get stuck in his throat. He quickly sipped some strawberry juice to swallow it and calm down. However, his already flushed cheeks didn’t subside easily.
“Why are you suddenly calling me a fairy?”
“Why? It’s just the two of us here anyway, right?”
Taemin answered, treating Idam as if he were being overly sensitive. Idam looked aggrieved.
“You… you said you’d only say that on special days.”
“Isn’t today special? It’s the first day you’ve cooked for me. Where else would you find such a memorable day?”
He even made the crazy statement that he wanted to preserve the kitchen exactly as it was after Idam cooked today.
“I just made you a bowl of bibim-guksu…”
While grateful for Taemin’s better-than-expected reaction, Idam was also perplexed by its intensity. At that moment, Taemin kissed Idam. Perhaps because it was a surprise peck, the smacking sound was quite loud.
“What… what was that for?”
Idam’s face turned as red as a ripe apple, extremely surprised.
“It’s a reward for making something delicious. I feel like I’ve received a great gift.”
“Ah…”
“It tasted exactly like what my late mother used to make, so it meant even more.”
“Oh, really?”
Come to think of it, Taemin had mentioned that his mother passed away a long time ago. It was amazing that Idam’s cooking tasted the same as his mother’s.
“Yes. Thanks to you, memories of my mother came flooding back.”
In truth, Taemin’s mother had passed away shortly after he was born. Therefore, there was no way he could have eaten bibim-guksu made by his mother. He was simply lying smoothly, giving it an emotional meaning to make Idam more submissive.
“I’ll make other things for you in the future.”
Idam, feeling elated, spoke excitedly as if encouraged.
“I’m also good at making soft tofu stew and hand-pulled dough soup.”
“Those are all my favorites.”
Taemin smiled. In reality, he didn’t particularly like soft tofu stew or hand-pulled dough soup, but he quickly agreed because Idam offered to make them.
“Then, for tomorrow’s breakfast, I’ll make soft tofu stew and stir-fried beef brisket with bean sprouts. I saw the ingredients in the fridge.”
“You’re going to cook again tomorrow?”
“Yes!”
“No, it’s okay. Don’t trouble yourself.”
Taemin held Idam’s hand tightly.
“Just relax. That’s what you should do.”
“Ah… But cooking doesn’t tire me at all.”
“Then make something delicious occasionally. I’m happy just with that much from you, honey.”
Idam’s heart pounded at his kindness.
It had already been ten days since they arrived here. But he didn’t want to bring up returning to Korea, as he was enjoying this moment so much. It felt almost as if they had become lovers. Did Taemin feel the same way?
Idam looked at him with moist eyes. Taemin also gazed at Idam with a heated look and leaned in for a kiss. Idam gently closed his eyes, ready to respond to the kiss.
“Excuse me, CEO.”
The terrace door opened, and an employee’s voice was heard. The sweet, rosy mood was shattered, and Taemin’s brow furrowed.
“What is it?”
Taemin’s eyes turned extremely sharp as he roughly brushed up his bangs. Idam, who had opened his eyes, also looked startled.
“Ah…”
The employee finally realized he had done something tactless.
“Ah, it’s nothing. I’ll come back later.”
“Is there something urgent?”
The mood was already ruined, and leaving like this would only leave an uncomfortable feeling.
“No… Secretary Kang has just arrived. He’s in the reception room now.”
“Oh, I see.”
Taemin responded as if faced with a bothersome task. At the same time, Idam looked at Taemin with a surprised expression.
“Was Secretary Kang supposed to come?”
“Yes. I told him to stop by for some business matters.”
Taemin, who had been like an angry tiger to the employee, was incredibly gentle to Idam.
“I’ll go see that bas… I mean, Secretary Kang for a moment. You rest here.”
Taemin, after giving this affectionate order, kissed Idam’s lips once more. He seemed completely unperturbed by the employee watching, displaying a confident attitude.
* * *
“Your face looks much better.”
This was Secretary Kang’s assessment upon seeing Taemin after nearly ten days. Taemin responded with silence as he took a seat across from him.
“Are you enjoying your honeymoon?”
Although it wasn’t a real honeymoon, Secretary Kang asked sarcastically. Taemin’s eyes, which had been stiff for a moment, soon turned sly.
“Of course. Every day is a festival. You have no idea how well he moans in bed day and night. It drives me crazy with desire. And today, the fairy cooked for me. It was bibim-guksu, and it was delicious. Jealous?”
“Ah… yes…”
Secretary Kang felt nauseous at Taemin’s excessive sharing and regretted asking the question. He also felt disturbed by the thought of trapping a young person on the island. His usually non-existent ethical principles seemed to waver. Feeling that continuing this topic would lead nowhere good, he decided to shift the conversation to business matters.
“There’s been an incident at Factory 4.”
Secretary Kang held out a tablet to Taemin. Taemin also adopted a serious expression and continued the business-related conversation. As they were wrapping up, Secretary Kang retrieved the tablet.
“I’ll instruct Manager Kim to handle that matter.”
“Alright.”
“Also, Lady An mentioned that they’re a bit short on kitchen staff, so I brought a new employee with me.”
“I see.”
Taemin responded indifferently, as if it didn’t matter to him who came.
“And one more thing.”
Secretary Kang cautiously continued, observing Taemin’s reaction.
“I was thinking of scheduling a meeting. When do you plan to return to Korea, CEO?”
“Hmm… I’m thinking of staying a bit longer.”
“Why? Shouldn’t you be leaving here as scheduled?”
Secretary Kang wondered why this usually work-obsessed alpha was being so lax.
“Ah…”
Gradually, Taemin’s eyes became moist, and he raised the corners of his mouth.
“Our baby’s birthday is coming up soon.”
