RACA 80
Bulgom was spending some time inside the house gym before preparing lunch, but he stopped walking when unexpected words reached his ears.
“I really enjoyed the meal. Now that I see, you’re good at grilling meat.”
“Of course. Do you know how much money I’ve poured into cooking?”
“Oh? You actually learned?”
“You thought I taught myself?”
“Yes.”
“I looked that impressive to you?”
“I admit I was a little blinded. But that’s how I saw you, Jaebeom-ssi. You looked like someone who would be good at anything from the start.”
The voices he heard were gentle, with a ticklish warmth. Bulgom blinked, he was unable to move.
He had hoped the two would grow closer. When he felt the current between them before, he had guessed something good might happen soon.
“How did I not realize this sooner again?”
“What do you mean again?”
“I mean, it’s a shame I noticed so late that Lee Eunsol was this interested in me.”
“Wow… how can you say something like that with a straight face?”
Bulgom grew curious about what kind of faces the two were making. And in what situation such talk was happening.
He began walking toward the kitchen again. Even as he moved, Jaebeom and Eunsol’s conversation continued.
“I told you before. You caught my attention from the first time I saw you. I kept looking without even knowing why.”
“Stop it. Seriously.”
When Bulgom stepped into the kitchen entrance, he saw the two of them at the sink after finishing their meal.
From the clatter and the sound of running water, he could tell what they were doing. They were washing dishes together.
“Give me that. I’ll dry it and put it away.”
As Eunsol reached to put away the washed grill pan, Jaebeom’s hand reached toward him.
“Ah, yes. But did you really mean that?”
Jaebeom lifted the heavy grill pan, wiped it with a towel, and turned his body to store it in the lower cabinet. Then he noticed Bulgom standing there watching them.
When Bulgom started to say something, Jaebeom shook his head. It meant, don’t talk, just go.
Bulgom understood the message, bowed his head in silent greeting, and turned away.
“What?”
Jaebeom quickly turned his attention back to Eunsol, concealing that brief moment.
“That, that thing…”
“What thing?”
Eunsol looked at him shyly, and the look was so cute that Jaebeom’s couldn’t stop smiling.
“T-that thing.”
“That thing?”
He pretended not to know, and Eunsol squinted in frustration. Jaebeom couldn’t hold back his laughter, but just then, a meow came from below.
“Ah, Jongjong! When did you get here?”
Jaebeom’s lips fell flat as their private moment was interrupted. He disliked the cat’s timing, but since Eunsol looked delighted, he couldn’t show he was annoyed.
“I’ll feed Jongjong. You finish cleaning up here.”
Jaebeom guessed that the cat had come because its bowl was empty. He lifted it large body.
The cat flicked its tail, unhappy that it wasn’t Eunsol holding it, but it was smart enough not to cry again.
“Would you like tea?”
“No, I’m fine. Just finish that.”
“Yes.”
Unable to let him leave so simply, Jaebeom gently kissed Eunsol’s forehead. After Jaebeom left, Eunsol rubbed the spot with the back of his hand.
“What was that even… if that’s how it was…”
Would anything have been different if it had been like that from the start? Knowing that Jaebeom had noticed him from the beginning made his heart skip a beat.
But even if he had known earlier, it would have been hard to immediately accept him. Jaebeom had only been an unknown for a short time and, being a dominant alpha, he already had solid footing.
But Eunsol, a beta without even a proper agency, was someone others at the set could easily treat carelessly.
In that kind of situation, even if he had realized the way Jaebeom looked at him was different, he would have desperately denied it.
“I want to buy a cake.”
He wiped his wet hands and looked out through the large living room window. Fortunately, the rain seemed lighter now.
Maybe he could stop by the nearby bakery.
But he didn’t know if Jaebeom would agree to that. Eunsol looked around to ask him and spotted a large figure sitting on the sofa.
“Oh? Bulgom-nim, why are you here?”
At the puzzled voice, Bulgom, who had been sitting blankly, stood up from his seat.
“Ah, uh, ah. I was sitting here because I hadn’t fully woken up yet.”
“Ah, you were taking a nap. I’m sorry. I must’ve disturbed your rest…”
“Not at all!”
In truth, he had almost disturbed them, and he was only relieved that he’d slipped away in time after Jaebeom signaled for him to leave. Bulgom fiercely shook his head from side to side.
“How should we handle the meal?”
He spoke whatever came to mind, trying to steer the topic away. Then he realized it was a mistake and his expression turned awkward again.
“Ah… well, Jaebeom-ssi and I already ate first. I’m sorry. We should’ve asked you to join.”
In fact, it had been Jaebeom who refused the idea of calling Bulgom, but Eunsol didn’t bring that up.
“It’s fine! I prefer sleep to food anyway!”
The man who could wake up in the middle of the night to cook five packets of ramen because he was hungry said something no one could believe.
“You must’ve been tired from handling all the housework alone.”
But since Eunsol didn’t notice and only worried for him, Bulgom felt guilty.
“That’s absolutely not the case!”
While he flustered, Jaebeom approached at a calm pace within his view. When that cold gaze turned his way, Bulgom straightened up and spoke again.
“More importantly, did you enjoy your meal?”
“Ah, yes. Right. Bulgom-nim, did you know it’s Jaebeom-ssi’s birthday today?”
“Today?”
Bulgom tilted his head. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d celebrated anyone’s birthday, and Jaebeom had never cared much for such days either, so it didn’t come to mind right away.
“You didn’t know…”
Seeing Eunsol’s disappointed face, Bulgom felt sorry and gave Jaebeom a pleading look, asking for help.
But Jaebeom shook his head. Instead, he stood there, watching quietly, curious to see what Eunsol would say next.
“Um, then… can I ask you for a favor?”
“Yes, please go ahead!”
Because Jaebeom was watching, Bulgom answered with extra energy and straightened his posture. But what came out of Eunsol’s mouth made him freeze.
“Then please hold Jaebeom-ssi for just one hour.”
“Yes?”
Bulgom’s gaze turned to Jaebeom again. Jaebeom, too, raised his brows as if he hadn’t understood what he’d just heard.
Without realizing the confusion between them, Eunsol added more explanation, thinking his words had been unclear.
“What do you mean?”
“Ah, well, it’s raining today, so Jaebeom-ssi said he wouldn’t go to work and would stay with me all day. But I need to go out for a bit without him knowing.”
“You’re going out without telling the CEO?”
Bulgom noticed Jaebeom’s face stiffen and asked in a worried voice. Why would he say something that dangerous?
“Ah, yes. Please keep it between us. The truth is…”
Eunsol’s voice grew softer, not noticing how Jaebeom’s face darkened more by the second. Bulgom tried to cover his mouth, thinking this would end badly, but Jaebeom’s fierce gaze stopped him.
As tension filled the room, with Eunsol the only one unaware, he spoke again.
“I’m just going to buy a cake secretly for Jaebeom-ssi. I want to celebrate, and something like that has to be a surprise.”
“…A cake?”
“Yes. He’ll probably say he doesn’t need any gifts and that it’s unnecessary, but I still want to. It’s a special day for him.”
The cold atmosphere melted with that sentence. Bulgom’s stiff shoulders slumped, and Jaebeom’s stern expression softened.
Unaware of the situation, Eunsol was still smiling brightly.
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