The sunlight was blinding. Kim Min-seok blinked dumbly, unable to shake off the lingering traces of his dream. Then, he let out a few chuckles. What Seo Ha-yoon had said in his dream was just too funny. Not only had he spoken informally to Choi Sang-hyuk, but he had even called him a gullible fool to his face. That was seriously bold.
“What kind of dream did you have to be laughing like that?”
Choi Sang-hyuk asked.
“Ah… A pushover…”
Kim Min-seok answered absentmindedly before his eyes suddenly snapped open. Choi Sang-hyuk was standing next to the bed, arms crossed, looking at him with a slightly tilted posture. He quickly glanced around, but Ha Jun-seo was nowhere to be seen.
“A pushover?”
Choi Sang-hyuk raised an eyebrow. Realizing his mistake, Kim Min-seok hastily covered his mouth with his hand.
“No, no, I misspoke. But… wait, don’t tell me you stayed up all night working and just got back? You look exhausted.”
Kim Min-seok scanned Choi Sang-hyuk from head to toe. The man, usually impeccable in appearance, was slightly disheveled. His dress shirt had its top buttons undone, the sleeves were rolled up, and his neatly styled hair was a little messy. The fatigue was evident on his face.
“There were some things I had to take care of.”
“Ah… What about Ha Jun-seo…?”
As soon as Kim Min-seok mentioned Ha Jun-seo, Choi Sang-hyuk abruptly turned and walked out of the room. Kim Min-seok glanced beside him. His neatly folded pajamas and underwear were placed there. When he pulled back the blanket, his vision was filled with swollen nipples and kiss marks scattered all over his body.
Hurriedly, he put on his underwear and pajamas. He went into the master bathroom, washed his face, brushed his teeth, and stepped outside.
The moment he left the master bedroom, the savory scent of soybean paste stew wafted through the air.
“Oh, you’re awake?”
Standing by the kitchen sink, Ha Jun-seo greeted him cheerfully.
“You’re still here?”
Kim Min-seok asked, glancing at the bright sky beyond the living room window.
“I have to make sure our Ha-yoon eats before I go.”
Ha Jun-seo replied as he diced tofu on the cutting board and tossed it into the pot.
Growl—
A loud sound rumbled from his stomach. The delicious aroma of the stew had triggered an unavoidable biological response. Feeling embarrassed, he rubbed his belly.
Seated at the dining table with one leg crossed over the other, Choi Sang-hyuk let out a sigh and pulled out the chair beside him. It seemed like he was telling him to sit.
Kim Min-seok took a seat at the table and watched Ha Jun-seo move busily in the kitchen. He looked very skilled at cooking. Though his eyes were on Ha Jun-seo, his mind was entirely preoccupied with Choi Sang-hyuk.
When exactly had he come back? How much had he seen? He was dying to know.
Had he really seen him tangled up naked with Ha Jun-seo in bed? If so… that was just… Kim Min-seok could only sigh.
He kept stealing glances, gauging Choi Sang-hyuk’s reaction, but at some point, their eyes met directly.
Hiccup—
He was so startled that a hiccup escaped.
Hiccup— Hiccup—
Once it started, it wouldn’t stop. Covering his mouth with both hands, he wore an embarrassed expression. Choi Sang-hyuk clicked his tongue lightly, then unscrewed the cap of a water bottle and handed it over. Kim Min-seok took it and gulped it down. After finishing the entire bottle, his hiccups finally ceased.
“If you’re going to be so damn wary of me, then why the hell did you crawl into bed with that bastard in the first place?”
Choi Sang-hyuk spoke with clear disdain. It seemed he had unconsciously gotten caught up in Ha Jun-seo’s frequent remarks about “the wife” and “the concubine.” Feeling like a husband caught cheating, Kim Min-seok shrank back, lowering his head in nervous guilt. When he cautiously peeked up, Choi Sang-hyuk, with one leg crossed over the other, was glaring at him with eyes full of silent curses.
“S-sorry… No, I mean… I apologize…”
Kim Min-seok mumbled awkwardly. Just then, Ha Jun-seo placed the bubbling pot of soybean paste stew in the center of the table.
“Stop scowling so much. You’re making Ha-yoon uncomfortable. You left knowing damn well that if you put us together all night, we’d end up fooling around. You even set the stage for it, so how is it fair to scold him now just because we had fun?”
“I never set up anything. Why the hell am I being blamed for his loose-ass tendencies?”
Just like that, Kim Min-seok was suddenly labeled as someone with a “loose ass” and was left speechless. Ha Jun-seo, amused by the remark, let out a small chuckle as he began serving rice. The meal was simple—kimchi, seaweed, pan-fried tofu, and soybean paste stew—but to Kim Min-seok, it felt like a feast.
“Don’t mind Choi Sang-hyuk and just eat. After rolling around all night, you must be starving. You need to replenish your energy.”
“Ha Jun-seo…!”
Kim Min-seok shot him a betrayed glare. “Rolling around all night”? That was absolutely not something to say in front of Choi Sang-hyuk.
“You’ve gotten so easily flustered lately. It makes you even cuter.”
Ha Jun-seo playfully pinched Kim Min-seok’s cheek before taking his own seat. Then, he scooped some stew into a bowl for him.
“Hurry up and eat.”
He urged. Kim Min-seok hesitated for a moment, sneaking another glance at Choi Sang-hyuk sitting beside him, before finally picking up his spoon.
The moment he took a sip of the steaming soybean paste stew, his eyes widened in shock.
“This is so good!”
Completely forgetting his earlier caution, Kim Min-seok blurted out his admiration, full of emotion.
“I’m glad you like it. There’s more rice, so eat as much as you want.”
Ha Jun-seo said, dipping a piece of tofu into soy sauce and placing it on Kim Min-seok’s rice. Nodding, Kim Min-seok began devouring his meal with newfound determination.
In the end, he finished two whole bowls of rice. The soybean paste stew was incredible, but even the simple pan-fried tofu tasted unbelievably good. Being able to eat such a lovingly made homemade meal to his heart’s content—it was truly moving.
“Thank you for the meal.”
Kim Min-seok let out a satisfied sigh as he patted his full stomach, breathing lightly.
“Let me see. Ah, you ate so much your belly looks like a tadpole’s.”
Ha Jun-seo reached out and rubbed the upper part of Kim Min-seok’s stomach before bursting into laughter. Curious, Kim Min-seok placed a hand over his belly. It really was sticking out, round and firm, just like a tadpole’s belly.
“Stop teasing me.”
Feeling a little embarrassed, he tugged at the hem of his pajama top, trying to hide his bloated stomach.
Next to him, Choi Sang-hyuk had been eating absentmindedly, barely touching his food. Finally, he put his spoon down.
“You’re not eating anymore?”
Kim Min-seok glanced at the half-full bowl of rice and cautiously asked.
“I’m going to shower and get some sleep.”
Choi Sang-hyuk said, exhaustion evident in his face as he got up. As he walked toward the bedroom, he suddenly stopped and turned back, gripping Kim Min-seok’s chin and tilting his face up.
“Don’t go wandering around. Stay holed up in the house.”
“Okay.”
He had no idea why, but since he didn’t have anywhere else to go anyway, he nodded obediently. Choi Sang-hyuk disappeared into the master bedroom.
Kim Min-seok stared at the closed door, then recalled the dream he had earlier.
In the dream, Seo Ha-yoon had been just as rude as ever. He had casually called Choi Sang-hyuk by his name despite the age difference, and without hesitation, had called him a gullible fool right to his face. It was absolutely absurd. But… despite that, the two had seemed incredibly close.
That deep familiarity between them—Kim Min-seok envied it. And, if he was being honest… it made him a little jealous.
Seo Ha-yoon had asked for more money and then questioned why Choi Sang-hyuk wasn’t even asking him why he needed it. Maybe, deep down, he had wanted him to figure it out. That he was being threatened by Seo Chang-seop. That he was being forced to hand over money against his will.
Now, Kim Min-seok thought he could understand it a little. The conflicting feelings of not wanting him to know, yet at the same time wishing he would realize it and help.
“What’s got you so deep in thought? You even sighed.”
Ha Jun-seo approached him, ruffling his hair playfully with both hands.
Since he had fallen asleep without drying his hair after showering last night, it was now an absolute bird’s nest.
“I was just thinking… Choi Sang-hyuk’s been acting a bit strange today. Actually, even yesterday, he was acting a little off.”
“Oh? You mean how he’s just letting me be around you?”
Ha Jun-seo asked.
That had been bothering Kim Min-seok the most, so he nodded.
“Yeah. Yesterday, he basically told us to stay together. And today, he hasn’t even told you to leave… It just feels strange that the two of you are in the same space like this.”
“Well, we’re not total strangers. And in a way, we’re like brother-in-laws, so maybe he’s just getting used to it.”
“B-Brother-in-laws…?! Don’t say weird things like that! And seriously, how can someone with a face like yours talk so recklessly?”
Kim Min-seok grimaced in disgust.
Ha Jun-seo chuckled.
“I’ve been a pervert for a long time. And the way you react every time I say something just makes me want to tease you more.”
“Ugh, seriously. I can’t live like this.”
Kim Min-seok shook his head in exasperation as the two bickered.Â
