“What happened?”
—Sirius finally broke the pattern yesterday.
Seo Eunwoo’s voice trembled with barely contained excitement as he brought up Sirius, the android.
“He broke the pattern?”
—He got mad at me, Yiseo. He’s never done that before. He’s never gotten angry. But I’ve been overworking lately, and when I passed out for a bit…
“You passed out? Wait—what? Are you okay?”
Yiseo interrupted, alarmed, but Eunwoo casually brushed it off, saying it wasn’t a big deal. Passing out from exhaustion didn’t sound minor, but clearly something else had taken priority in Eunwoo’s mind. He continued speaking, almost breathlessly.
—Listen to this, Yiseo. He got mad at me. That’s huge. God, I’ve waited so long for this moment. This means the operating system that governs his thought patterns is finally reacting in a chain—he’s starting to develop emotions. For me. He’s beginning to feel things. I didn’t have anyone else I could tell, so I called you… but then I thought, it’s too late, I shouldn’t, and I hung up.
Eunwoo’s words poured out like a rapid-fire monologue, leaving Yiseo momentarily speechless. Now it made sense why he’d called at that hour. He’d been so overjoyed, he hadn’t even noticed the time. That alone showed just how monumental the moment had been for him.
“I see… Wow, that’s incredible. Really.”
—I wish we could talk face-to-face. There’s still stuff I haven’t told you. But the problem is, I’m not done with the project yet… it’s almost over, though. Once it is, let’s meet. Promise me.
Yiseo smiled at the determined tone in Eunwoo’s voice and promised.
—Ah, right… I’ve just been talking about myself this whole time. Are you okay? Nothing going on?
Realizing too late that he hadn’t asked, Eunwoo added the question cautiously, sounding a little sheepish. Yiseo chuckled without thinking.
“Nothing big. We’ll talk more when we meet.”
It felt wrong to dump his own stories on someone who’d passed out from overwork. He figured there was no rush—as soon as Eunwoo wrapped up his project and had some breathing room, they could talk properly. With that, their short call ended, and Yiseo found himself relieved that Eunwoo hadn’t called to share bad news.
Of course, the fact that he’d collapsed was still concerning—but that was a separate issue.
I wonder if Alexander made it home okay.
As his gaze drifted toward the suit hanging by the wall, the memory of Alexander’s expression when Yiseo had said he was going home resurfaced.
Was he really that disappointed they didn’t go back together?
The way Alexander had assumed—so naturally—that they’d go home together felt oddly cute. And the moment his plan had been thrown off, the look of quiet dismay on his face had been surprisingly raw.
If that was how much he’d been looking forward to it… Yiseo’s heart squirmed at the thought. He felt guilty, but couldn’t help laughing quietly to himself as the image of Alexander’s slumped shoulders kept popping into his head.
“…Heh.”
As the chuckle slipped out, Yiseo’s eyes widened. He tried to remember—when was the last time he’d smiled like this, thinking of someone while alone? Maybe… never. The realization left him with a strange, indescribable feeling.
It wasn’t exactly a pleasant one.
That sense of becoming aware of something he hadn’t realized before—it hit a little too hard. Staring blankly at the floor, Yiseo eventually stood up to clear his thoughts.
Even though he’d gotten used to being alone, there were times when it still felt unbearable. The sudden wave of loneliness made him rub his arms.
I shouldn’t get used to being with someone.
Especially not a particular someone. Everything has an end. What would he do if the day came when they could no longer be together? How would he fill that void? It was better to stay cautious, to not make a habit of it.
Maybe he was just being paranoid—but still, nothing lasts forever. Bracing himself in advance so it wouldn’t hurt too much when the end came… wasn’t that smart? Everyone fears getting hurt. Some just fear it more than others.
“……”
Yiseo gulped down a glass of cold water. The sound of the cup hitting the table echoed loudly through the house.
It was only then that he realized how silent the place had been. It was so quiet he hadn’t even noticed.
Maybe it’d be best to go to bed early tonight. Staying up would just lead to more pointless thoughts.
But despite his resolution not to get used to Alexander, the very next evening found Yiseo seated at his dinner table again.
The reason was simple: he couldn’t bring himself to say he was going home when Alexander’s face had looked so crestfallen. When he finally said, Let’s go together, that smile Alexander gave him had completely undone his earlier resolve.
To be honest, Yiseo truly enjoyed being with him. It felt sweet and warm—too comforting to resist.
“You don’t need to worry about tomorrow’s work outfit. I already had your suit cleaned from last time.”
He’d only intended to stay for dinner. But seeing the delight in Alexander’s face as he spoke, Yiseo couldn’t get a single word of refusal out. He simply nodded.
“Do you need anything else? You didn’t eat much tonight.”
“No, I’m full. That was more than enough.”
Glancing at his empty plate, Yiseo responded politely. Tonight’s dinner had been Caprese salad and salmon steak with basil cream sauce. Even the asparagus and onions served as garnish had been delicious.
He’d assumed a thick salmon steak might be dry—but to his surprise, it was perfectly moist.
As Yiseo savored the satisfying meal, Alexander smiled.
“Then I think it’s time for dessert.”
“Dessert?”
Alexander pulled brownies from the oven and took vanilla ice cream out of the fridge. So that’s what had been baking all throughout dinner.
He plated the brownie in a delicately cut crystal dessert glass and scooped a ball of ice cream on top, setting it down in front of Yiseo.
Each motion was so smooth and practiced that Yiseo found himself staring blankly, then alternating between the dessert and Alexander.
“Give it a try.”
“Ah, sure… Where’s yours, Alex?”
“After you eat.”
It seemed this dessert had been prepared just for Yiseo. Clearly, Alexander had thought of his love for sweets.
“Then, thank you for the treat.”
It was a little awkward eating under Alexander’s gaze, but Yiseo picked up the dessert spoon. He scooped some of the warm brownie with the slightly melted ice cream and took a bite.
The taste was heavenly—so much so that his eyes widened.
The brownie’s surface was crisp, while the inside was dense and gooey. The rich chocolate flavor filled his mouth, perfectly offset by the cold, sweet vanilla ice cream. It was an incredible match.
“Wow… this is amazing.”
The words slipped out before he realized, and Alexander beamed.
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“How did you make this? It couldn’t have been easy.”
Yiseo’s genuine surprise made Alexander smile wryly.
“I want to say I made the batter myself, but honestly? I bought the mix. I just did the baking.”
“I see. Still, I’m impressed. Even baking requires temperature control. It’s really good.”
“Thanks for saying that. Makes all those handwritten notes on the recipe worth it.”
Alexander’s eyes curved softly as he leaned his chin on his hand, watching Yiseo eat. Yiseo didn’t have the courage to meet his gaze, so he focused on his dessert, spooning up another bite. The ice cream had melted more, soaking into the brownie and making it even sweeter.
He was already full, but somehow, he could still eat the brownie. He ended up scraping the bottom of the glass clean.
“You finished? Want more?”
“No, I’m good. But… shouldn’t you eat too?”
Yiseo shook his head gently. It looked like Alexander had barely touched his own meal, probably distracted watching him. Still, there was food left on his plate. Alexander smiled and picked up his fork, starting on the remaining Caprese salad.
But something didn’t sit right. Yiseo caught the slight wrinkle between Alexander’s brows.
It wasn’t the portion—he usually ate plenty, so it wasn’t that.
“Is there something wrong with the food?”
When Yiseo asked, Alexander paused and looked at him for a moment, as if surprised by the question.
“…That’s the first time someone’s ever asked me that.”
“I must’ve misunderstood, then. Sorry.”
He had a point—why would someone like Alexander dislike anything? Caprese salad was pretty standard—just mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and balsamic sauce.
But then Alexander popped the last bite into his mouth and said,
“You’re right. I hate cheese.”
