While he was in Seok-ho’s room looking around the bookshelf, the sound of the door lock suddenly opening echoed through the apartment. Remembering a few past experiences, Kang-woo cautiously poked his head out and watched the front door. The tension lingering on his face quickly brightened with delight.
“Hyung.”
Kang-woo greeted the person entering the living room with a radiant face. His gaze flicked briefly toward the digital clock. 4:42 p.m. He’d expected Seok-ho to work late today like usual, but Seok-ho had come home earlier than expected.
“You’re home early.”
Seok-ho nodded with his usual blunt expression.
“The job finished early.”
Just moments ago he had been feeling a little gloomy, but the human heart was fickle. The moment he saw Seok-ho, his mood instantly improved.
***
After making rolled omelet and kimchi stew, they had a simple dinner together. When they finished eating, Seok-ho volunteered to wash the dishes. Wearing tight rubber gloves and holding a scrubber, he stood at the sink, and as always Kang-woo stuck close beside him, chattering nonstop. Once the dishes were finally done, Kang-woo headed into the bathroom early to take a shower.
After washing thoroughly from head to toe in warm water, both his body and mind felt refreshed. He roughly dried his wet hair with a hair dryer, then knocked on the open door of Seok-ho’s room.
Seok-ho, who had been sitting in his desk chair focused on the screen of a tablet, turned around.
“Can I read a book?”
Kang-woo asked for permission while pointing at the bookshelf. Seok-ho nodded.
“Go ahead.”
Then he immediately fixed his gaze back on the tablet. He’d said he came home early because work finished early, but it seemed he still had something left to do. So as not to disturb him, Kang-woo quietly chose a single book to read and returned to his room.
About two hours later, while he was sitting on the bed deeply absorbed in the book, a noise came from the living room.
What is it?
Feeling curious, Kang-woo quietly stepped out of his room. Seok-ho was rummaging through the kitchen cabinet, pulling out a bag of snacks.
“Is there something you want to eat?”
When he checked the time, it was already close to 11 p.m. Thinking Seok-ho might be getting hungry, he asked. Seok-ho glanced at Kang-woo and spoke in a casual tone.
“You’re becoming an adult soon. You should try having a drink too.”
“Ah…”
It looked like he was preparing to have a drink with him. Kang-woo pressed his lips together to stop himself from smiling. The thought that he’d be having his first drink not with someone else but with Seok-ho made his heart flutter.
“How about fruit for snacks? There are strawberries in the fridge—should I prepare those too?”
Kang-woo decided to help enthusiastically. Rolling up his sleeves, he asked. Seok-ho hesitated for a moment, his throat bobbing as if in thought, then answered.
“If you want to eat them.”
“Then I’ll wash them.”
Kang-woo immediately took the strawberries out of the refrigerator. They were bright red, large, and glossy—just by looking at them they seemed incredibly sweet. He carefully washed them under running water, then removed the green tops with a small knife.
Before long, the plate was piled high with strawberries. This should be enough. Saving the rest for later, he put the remaining strawberries back into the fridge.
Meanwhile, Seok-ho found some dried squid buried deep in the freezer and took it out. Kang-woo thought he might be planning to grill it over fire as a snack, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Kang-woo lingered nearby, following Seok-ho as he busily moved around.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll do it. Go sit on the sofa.”
Kang-woo stretched his neck from behind Seok-ho’s back to see what he was doing. It seemed he was trying to soften the squid by boiling it in sugar water. The pot he had just placed on the induction stove was still quiet. Judging that it would take some time, Kang-woo went to the living room and turned on the TV.
A live broadcast of the bell-ringing ceremony had already begun. Before the main event, performances seemed to be underway to build excitement. The lively stage of traditional pungmul music and the crowded Gwanghwamun Square alternated on the TV screen.
“There are really a lot of people.”
Even though today wasn’t a holiday, the crowd was enormous. Everyone must be really diligent, he thought. Some people probably took vacation time since it was the end of the year, but many must have come here straight after finishing work.
“If you’d gone out with friends, Kim Kang-woo might’ve been there too.”
As Kang-woo stared intently at the swarming crowd on the TV, Seok-ho, standing in the kitchen, suddenly spoke.
“No. If I hadn’t spent time like this with you, hyung, I would’ve been home alone.”
He didn’t have friends he could hang out with in the first place. If he did go out, he would inevitably end up with Baek Kyung-wook’s uncomfortable group. In that case, it was better to stay home alone.
On special days like this, the housekeeper, Mrs. Jung, would return home to spend time with her family. His father, needless to say, always had outside appointments and was never home. It had been the same on Christmas and the same at the end of the year.
“And I don’t really like places with that many people.”
Muttering, Kang-woo shook his head. He had never liked crowded places like that. After his trait manifestation, he had naturally started avoiding them even more—just in case something happened.
He turned his head toward the quiet Seok-ho. The way Seok-ho was looking at him felt strangely intense.
Was it because of what he had just said?
“How long do you boil the squid?”
Kang-woo quickly changed the subject.
“I’ll leave it like that for five more minutes.”
Only then did Seok-ho’s gaze drop away. After checking the time on his phone, he moved exactly five minutes later. Kang-woo hurried over to his side.
The squid that had been boiled in water had become fairly soft. Steam rose gently from it as it was placed onto the cutting board. Using a kitchen towel, Seok-ho removed the remaining moisture before lifting a knife and scoring the sides of the squid.
Next, he took butter from the refrigerator, added a spoonful of sugar into a paper cup with it, and melted it in the microwave. The rich smell of butter filled the kitchen.
Soon the microwave beeped and stopped. He took out the melted butter and used a spoon to coat the squid evenly. After that, he placed it in the air fryer and set the timer for eight minutes.
“You’re good at things like this.”
Watching from the side, Kang-woo voiced his honest impression. Even if Seok-ho didn’t usually cook full meals at home, he must have made simple drinking snacks often—the series of movements looked quite familiar.
“I may not look it, but I’ve got several years of experience drinking alone.”
Seok-ho said this with a faintly amused tone as he washed and organized the dishes in the sink.
Before Kang-woo came here, had Seok-ho often drunk alone? From Kang-woo’s perspective, the wine he’d seen Seok-ho drink on Christmas was the first and last time.
Wouldn’t it feel lonely to drink by yourself? The thought suddenly crossed his mind. Though of course, since Seok-ho liked quiet environments, he might actually have enjoyed drinking alone.
After finishing the dishes, Seok-ho took two cans of beer from the refrigerator and sat down on the living room sofa. Then he crooked his finger at Kang-woo and patted the seat beside him.
“Come here.”
Kang-woo walked over and quickly took a seat next to him. A modest spread for drinking had been set on the table—potato chips, mixed nuts, and the strawberries Kang-woo prepared.
Seok-ho carefully wiped the rim of the beer can with a tissue, then popped the tab open with a click and handed it to Kang-woo.
“Here.”
Kang-woo glanced at the clock in the living room.
“It’s not past midnight yet.”
When he muttered that, Seok-ho chuckled.
“You’re so rigid. There’s less than an hour until midnight, and you’re drinking in front of an adult, so it’s fine.”
“Then I’ll gratefully enjoy it.”
He had tried to refuse once just for form’s sake, but he didn’t reject it a second time. This level of getting a head start should be acceptable, right? On Christmas Day he had even resisted the wine Seok-ho offered just for this moment.
Kang-woo respectfully accepted the beer with both hands. The aluminum can touching his palm was extremely cold, holding the chill of the refrigerator. He lightly shook it from side to side. The sloshing liquid inside felt surprisingly heavy.
Lowering his head, he brought his nose close and sniffed. The faint barley scent of beer rose gently. It didn’t feel particularly special.
“Finished your inspection?”
Seok-ho, who had been quietly observing Kang-woo’s behavior, held out his can.
“Cheers.”
“…Cheers.”
Kang-woo cautiously clinked the cans together. The act somehow felt a little embarrassing, so he scratched his cheek before taking a sip.
“How is it?”
Seok-ho stared intently at Kang-woo’s expression as if dissecting every detail.
“…Ugh, it tastes bad.”
A voice of disgust burst out. His brows furrowed reflexively. It was a taste he absolutely couldn’t call good.
It was bitter and fishy. The sharp fizz sliding down his throat also felt completely different from drinking soda or cola. It felt a bit musty too. It was hard to describe.
The smell of alcohol felt strong.
The only advantage he could pick out was that the liquid sliding down gave a cool sensation from his throat to his chest, making him feel suddenly refreshed and alert.
If beer tasted like this, how strange would soju taste?
Busy moving his mouth while focusing on the odd flavor lingering on his tongue, Kang-woo didn’t notice the faint smile that appeared on Seok-ho’s face as he watched him.
“Eat it with snacks.”
Seok-ho pulled the bowl of mixed nuts closer and placed it in front of Kang-woo.
Beep—beep.
Right then the air fryer notification sounded. Kang-woo turned toward the direction of the noise.
“I think the squid is done.”
“I’ll get it. Just sit there quietly and eat the snacks.”
Stopping Kang-woo from standing up, Seok-ho lazily walked toward the kitchen. Watching his broad back as he walked away, Kang-woo followed his instruction and reached for the bowl of nuts.
With just a single sip, his illusions about alcohol had completely disappeared. The bitter taste of alcohol still seemed to linger in his mouth.
Why do people go out of their way to drink something that tastes this bad?
Crunching on a savory almond, Kang-woo thought adults really had strange tastes.
Soon Seok-ho returned, having cut the butter squid into bite-sized pieces and placed them in a wide bowl. A mouthwatering smell accompanied him as he approached.
“Try it.”
After checking the heat with his hand, Seok-ho held out a long piece toward Kang-woo. Kang-woo accepted the squid with an excited heart. In a way, this could be considered the first dish Seok-ho had made for him.
“Careful. It’s hot.”
Keeping Seok-ho’s warning in mind, he carefully bit into it. The moment he chewed, Kang-woo’s eyes widened.
“It’s delicious.”
The rich flavor of butter spread through his mouth. Even though it had been boiled once, dried squid was still dried squid, so the texture couldn’t exactly be called soft. But that actually made it more enjoyable to chew, making him reach for more.
“You could sell this as drinking snacks.”
At Kang-woo’s high praise, Seok-ho grinned and popped a piece into his own mouth. Then he immediately took a sip of beer. The prominent Adam’s apple in his throat moved up and down with a gulping sound.
