#54
“Ha. I’m going crazy because there’s no way to contact him.”
The sedan Shin Taeon was in arrived in front of the hospital where he had encountered Yeoul last time. Until now, Yeoul had contacted him first so they managed to meet somehow, but currently there was no way to contact him.
“Ah, this is really fucking annoying.”
He tapped the steering wheel impatiently. Then he got out of the sedan and surveyed the hospital. He wandered around for several hours, but Yeoul was nowhere to be seen. Where was he hiding? But since it was such a large hospital and he didn’t know which room, he was just wasting time and energy. Eventually he gave up searching the hospital, returned to the sedan, and left the hospital.
First, he had work to do so he couldn’t spend more time at the hospital. Since the deadline to kill Eun Sajun was tomorrow, he expected Yeoul would show himself if he waited.
“Geum Yeoul. If you run away like this, I won’t let it slide.”
Shin Taeon’s pupils became menacing like an axe.
* * *
Kang Hyeok finished his examination and left the hospital room. And Eun Sajun also followed behind him. It seemed he wanted to hear an accurate opinion.
What if Eun Sajun found out his real trait… Fear spread like fire. At the same time, fatigue also rushed over him. It seemed worse because troublesome things kept happening one after another. For a moment, he felt like he would collapse and lose consciousness.
How much time had passed?
Yeoul slowly opened his eyes. And with a hazy mind, he raised his upper body. He looked around. Eun Sajun hadn’t come in yet.
“Haah…”
He let out a complicated sigh and got down from the bed. His stomach, which had been uncomfortable earlier, seemed better now. But the worries he was holding onto showed no sign of being resolved.
All of this situation was caused by Shin Taeon.
Yeoul’s round pupils gradually became tinged with blood red.
“Now there’s really no choice…”
Yeoul, whose eyes had become firmly resolved, clenched his small fist. At that moment, the door opened. Eun Sajun came in.
“Oh? You’re awake.”
“Yes…”
Yeoul frantically watched his reaction. Had he noticed his real trait? Or not?
“How’s your body?”
He gently stroked Yeoul’s head.
“I think it’s better. My stomach feels comfortable too.”
“You look like it. That’s a relief.”
“Um… What did the doctor say? I don’t have some serious illness, do I?”
“Ah, he said the exact results will come out tomorrow. But he said it’s not a serious illness, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Yes.”
It seemed he hadn’t been caught with his trait yet. But he would find out when the results came out. It was troublesome.
Growl
Unlike this troubled mind, Yeoul’s stomach suddenly announced its hunger. His cheeks turned red with embarrassment. It was a moment when he really resented his body. Eun Sajun also looked flustered.
“You must have been hungry.”
“Ah… Not very much.”
“Since it’s come to this, let’s go out to eat.”
“No. I can eat hospital food… Is your shoulder okay, CEO-nim?”
She looked at his shoulder, wondering if there was really a need to go out.
“It’s much better. They said it’s almost fully recovered now.”
“Ah…”
Indeed, being an extremely dominant alpha, his recovery speed seemed incredibly fast.
“I’m also feeling stuffy just being in the hospital room. Let’s go out to get some air. Is there anything you want to eat?”
“……”
Suddenly he craved something spicy. And at the same time, he wanted something greasy. It wasn’t a situation to crave food, but he didn’t know why he felt this way.
“It looks like you want to eat something, so tell me.”
At Eun Sajun’s urging, Yeoul hesitated for a moment then opened his mouth.
“I want to eat tteokbokki.”
“Tteokbokki?”
“Yes…”
At Yeoul’s answer, Eun Sajun picked up his phone. Then he went out briefly, finished a call with someone, and came in.
“Then let’s go eat now.”
“Yes? Now?”
“Yes. I know a good restaurant.”
Eun Sajun softly curved his lips.
* * *
A sign reading “Somang Market” sparkled in the winter sunlight. The place the two people arrived at was a traditional market located on the outskirts of Seoul.
“This is the good restaurant?”
Yeoul looked at the sign with bewildered eyes.
“Yes. According to Secretary Kim, there’s a snack food restaurant in this market.”
At Eun Sajun’s explanation, Yeoul’s eyes lit up.
“Oh? Is it by chance Grandma’s Snack Bar?”
“Huh? How did you know?”
“It’s a place I used to eat at often. Their tteok-twi-sun is really delicious.”
“Huh? What’s tteok-twi-sun?”
He seemed to not know the word tteok-twi-sun itself. Actually, considering his age and position, it was understandable that he might not know.
“It means tteokbokki, fried food, and sundae.”
“Ahh…”
He finally looked like he understood.
“I didn’t know CEO-nim would know places like this.”
“Actually… I’ve never eaten it before.”
“Yes?”
What kind of talk was this? He’d never eaten the combination of tteokbokki, sundae, and fried food? Was that possible? It was such a shocking fact that he was astounded.
“I’ve seen employees eating it, but I never had the chance to eat it.”
“Then how did you know about this place?”
“I heard Secretary Kim talking with employees before about there being a delicious snack bar.”
“Ah… I see. Then try it this time. It’s really delicious here. But it’s popular so I always had to wait in line to eat.”
“That makes me even more curious.”
Eun Sajun smiled.
The two people entered the market. Perhaps because it was the weekend, there were many people. Fruit shops, rice mills, and butcher shops were lined up in a row.
Eun Sajun’s presence in a stylish suit was out of place in such a space. He caught the attention of passersby. Because of that, those gazes extended to Yeoul as well. He wondered if they shouldn’t have come, but soon the sign for Grandma’s Snack Bar came into view and his steps quickened.
“Wow. It’s still popular.”
There was already a waiting line. It was because it was such a famous restaurant. Yeoul, whose heart had become urgent, quickly got in line. Naturally, people’s gazes were also fixed on Eun Sajun.
But Eun Sajun didn’t seem conscious of it at all and looked at the price list, appearing surprised.
“It’s incredibly cheap. Can’t we just pay more money and go in quickly?”
“Yes? You can’t cut in line. The turnover rate is high here, but if it’s uncomfortable, we can go somewhere else.”
Yeoul hid his disappointment and wondered if he was being selfish. But Eun Sajun shook his head.
“No. Our baby wants to eat it and I’m curious too. It looks like it’ll be delicious.”
He smiled. At the same time, Yeoul felt his heart grow warm.
How long did they wait?
Finally, it was their turn to go in. They took seats at the innermost table.
Yeoul ordered tteok-twi-sun and also ordered Coolpis. And when he was about to set up the spoons and chopsticks, Eun Sajun opened the utensil container first and beat him to it.
“Uh uh…? I’ll do it.”
“No.”
He neatly placed spoons and chopsticks in front of Yeoul. And he also poured water into the water glass. Yeoul felt good receiving his kindness.
Soon tteokbokki, sundae, and assorted fried food came out on green plates. It was a snack bar he had happened to visit after work before, and it had been so delicious that he received great comfort – the memory came flooding back.
Yeoul began eating the tteokbokki to feel that emotion once more.
“Wow! It’s really delicious.”
Yeoul’s round pupils were full of emotion. Eun Sajun also ate. For a moment, his brow twitched.
“Try this too.”
Yeoul offered sundae. Eun Sajun picked it up and ate it. His expression relaxed much more than before. Then he also ate squid tempura. He had a quite satisfied face. But when he swallowed tteokbokki again, his expression wasn’t very good.
He immediately began gulping down the glass of Coolpis. His breathing was also getting rapid. Yeoul’s eyes widened with a “no way” feeling.
“Um, by any chance… is the tteokbokki too spicy for you?”
Honestly, he couldn’t believe it. Because this tteokbokki was mild and even elementary school students were eating it well. How could a special forces soldier be like this? It couldn’t be. No way…
“Yes.”
But the answer that came from his mouth was too shocking for Yeoul.
“Huh, really?”
“I can’t handle spicy food well.”
“But this isn’t that spicy…”
Yeoul couldn’t believe it. Instead of answering, Eun Sajun kept drinking Coolpis. Yeoul felt sorry, wondering if he shouldn’t have said he wanted to eat tteokbokki.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen…”
Eun Sajun looked at Yeoul’s expression for a moment, then picked up his chopsticks.
“No. It was just for a moment at first…”
He began eating tteokbokki again.
“No, please stop eating it…”
Panicked, Yeoul waved his hands. But Eun Sajun had a calm expression.
“I’m getting used to it as I eat. It’s okay.”
He had a clearly improved expression. Relieved, Yeoul finished eating the tteokbokki again. Gradually the bowls were emptied.
Perhaps because he hadn’t eaten it in so long, he felt very satisfied.
“I’ll pay for this.”
Since he was the one who said he wanted to eat, it was natural.
“I already paid.”
“Yes? When?”
He was confused about when the payment was made since they had been eating together the whole time.
“Secretary Kim did it while we were eating.”
“Ah…”
When did he come and go?
“Next time I’ll buy…”
Suddenly Yeoul wondered if there would even be a next time with him, considering the knife had been discovered.
“That’s right. Buy it next time.”
Eun Sajun cut off Yeoul’s words. Yeoul felt flustered and hesitant. Saying to buy it next time was promising to continue being together. It seemed like a fantasy and his heart felt bitter. In the midst of this, he picked up a tissue and wiped around Yeoul’s mouth.
“Uh uh?”
“There was a little sauce on it.”
A strange tenderness circulated in Eun Sajun’s gaze. Yeoul felt his heart beating. Thinking this would lead to big trouble, he got up from his seat.
“I’ll go to the bathroom for a moment.”
“Yes.”
Yeoul quickly left his seat. Eun Sajun, thinking this was the time, quickly approached the owner.
“Excuse me, do you have milk?”
“Yes. Why milk?”
“It’s too spicy.”
“Yes? That’s spicy?”
The owner was very dumbfounded.
“Yes. It’s spicy. Very much.”
Eun Sajun fanned himself with his hand and breathed heavily. The owner gave him a 1-liter pack of milk from the refrigerator. He urgently drank it all. And when Yeoul was about to come out of the bathroom, he wiped his mouth with a tissue and composed his expression to act like nothing happened.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
