PIA 38

He wondered if he had ever worried about someone’s meal in his life. Was this even possible?

Knock knock. Jeong Hee-seo lifted his head at the sound of the knocking on the door. Without waiting for a response, the door swung open wide.

Jeong Hee-yeong entered the room with a master key in hand. His niece, Ye-seo, ran up and leaped into Hee-seo’s arms.

“Uncle, uncle!”

“Yes, yes, what did you eat today, Ye-seo? Why do you smell so sweet? Did you fill your stomach with jelly again? Didn’t your mom give you food?”

Jeong Hee-seo raised the four-year-old child, caught her, and swung her around, eliciting giggles.

“Because you keep playing like that, Ye-seo asks your brother-in-law and me to do the same. We’re not fit anymore.”

Jeong Hee-young sat down on a chair and grumbled. Anyway, Jeong Hee-seo threw Ye-seo a few more times, catching her each time. The laughter gets louder.

“What are you doing in this spacious suite by yourself?”

When Jeong Hee-young immediately revealed the purpose of her visit, Jeong Hee-seo smiled menacingly.

“Grandma sent me to spy on you.”

“What does briquette¹ mean?”

He massaged the cheeks of the child, who was eager to join the conversation placed her on one arm. Jeong Hee-young narrowed her eyes and began questioning.

“Who announced to the whole world from the hotel lobby that they’re dating someone? Then why are you sitting here alone? Did you just get dumped? It’s embarrassing.”

“I wasn’t dating him. I was just making excuses to get away from someone.”

“Oh. That’s even more suspicious. You’re telling me you did that in front of our grandmother when you weren’t even dating him? This is something grandmother might be curious about.”

Jeong Hee-seo’s somewhat evasive response ignited Hee-yeong’s curiosity.

“What is it? What did he do? I heard he’s young. Is he an intern? No way.”

“No way, what?”

“You’re not the only one who likes him, are you? What kind of kid is it that our Hee-seo is risking everything for?”

“Noona, you and Han-joo tend to ask too many questions.”

“Oh well, just answer me.”

What kind of kid is he? Jeong Hee-seo narrowed his eyes. Then his gaze fell on Ye-seo. His cheeks were chubby and looked like glutinous rice cakes, just like Ji-an’s.

“He’s just a cute and funny kid. It just so happened that I had something to help with.”

Jeong Hee-seo was so focused on Ye-seo that he didn’t see Jeong Hee-young scratching her arm frantically. Cute? Hee-yeong wondered what nonsense she was hearing.

“He had some circumstances, so I had to protect him. At that time, I couldn’t empathize with the fact that the kid was anxious, but seeing Noona barging in without any respect for privacy, I get it now. I should do the same.”

“Do what?”

“Be independent. I should buy a house and move out.”

“You? What’s going on? I guess what grandmother said is true. It’s true that you’re dating. You only fooling the ghost.”

Jeong Hee-seo chuckled at Hee-yeong’s confident words without even listening to his response.

“No, it’s not like that.”

“Really? Didn’t Jeong Han-joo get an apartment and move out just because he was dating? Are you going to do the same? Get an apartment? There’s one near the JM C&T building, where our Ye-seo’s apartment is. Do you want to move there?”

Jeong Hee-seo shook his head at Jeong Hee-young’s suggestion.

“I’d rather live in a better place than an apartment.”

At least a place where three or four people could comfortably live. A spacious house with a sunny yard. The surroundings should be quiet with good security, and it would be nice if there were hospitals nearby.

It should also be in the downtown area where Ji-an’s favorite delivery service bustling…

He already ordered Secretary Yoon and a real estate agent to buy the house he had carefully chosen, so suggesting a cramped apartment was simply absurd.

Jeong Hee-seo smiled back at Jeong Hee-young, who was staring at him with a puzzled expression.

* * *

Jeong Han-joo and Seo Ji-hyuk were driving to the suburbs for the first time in a while for a date. The open view of the Namhan River, sunny weather, and a clean meal at a fine dining restaurant made Seo Ji-hyuk excited. He looked satisfied as he praised himself for making a reservation despite fierce competition.

“Han-joo-ssi. All the garnishes are delicious too. Eat it all without leaving anything behind.”

Jeong Han-joo, who had been absentmindedly gazing outside, suddenly raised his head in response to Seo Ji-hyuk’s call. He dipped the grilled eggplant as Seo Ji-hyuk pointed and put it into his mouth, but he still had no idea what it tasted like. Seo Ji-hyuk’s expression gradually dimmed.

“Why? Is it not tasty? Does it not suit your palate, Han-joo-ssi?”

Jeong Han-joo just chewed without answering.

“…”

Even after trying the food on his plate again, his reaction was still bland. Seo Ji-hyuk wondered if this was not enough for his lover who enjoys all kinds of delicacies.

“This place was very popular on social media, so it was difficult to make a reservation… Is it not good enough for you, Han-joo-ssi?”

“Huh? Oh… the meat is a bit tough. How can I expect everything to suit my taste? It’s okay, it’s still quite delicious. Don’t worry about me, just eat quickly.”

Jeong Han-joo quickly mumbled an excuse and reluctantly brought the food on his plate to his mouth. It made Seo Ji-hyuk more disappointed that he was giving it a thumbs up without sincerity.

Originally, Jeong Han-joo was an easy-going lover who enjoyed eating convenience store ramen and triangular gimbap with him, saying that it was delicious. The people at the hobby club they both attended couldn’t even guess about his background.

The reason they could continue their relationship without caring about high-end restaurants or luxury clothes was that they didn’t pay attention to superficial appearances. Han-joo might have been a crane while Ji-hyuk was a crow, but he was always a compassionate person who matched his pace.

But things have changed a lot these days. Seo Ji-hyuk knew very well that although the lover sitting across from him was smiling, his thoughts were elsewhere.

He couldn’t help but feel paranoid, wondering why Han-joo seemed so distracted and unable to focus on him.

Seo Ji-hyuk forced a smile to lighten the mood.

“Han-joo. Let’s finish eating and rent a bicycle.”

“Sure. Sounds delicious.”

“No, let’s ride a bicycle along the riverside.”

Seo Ji-hyuk raised his eyes at the half-hearted answer while lost in other thoughts. When he made eye contact and emphasized the word again, Jeong Han-joo hurriedly matched his words.

“Uh, yeah… right, bicycles. Let’s ride bicycles.”

“…”

“…”

Jeong Han-joo, who was looking at Seo Ji-hyuk as he wondered if he had caught on to his mistake, added hesitantly.

“It’s because I have something on my mind… sorry. I couldn’t concentrate.”

Seo Ji-hyuk narrowed his eyes and stared at him, wondering if Seo Ji-an’s name would come out of Jeong Han-joo’s mouth.

“Ji-hyuk-ssi. Speaking of which…”

“Yeah. What’s up? Let’s hear what’s bothering you.”

Seo Ji-hyuk tried to hide his anxiety as he looked at the way Jeong Han-joo spoke. He was sure Han-joo was not the kind of person who would come all this way and say things like breaking up.

However, Jeong Han-joo paused for a while and suddenly blurted out something unexpected.

“Shall we get married?”

“…What?”

It was reasonable to hope for Jeong Han-joo to focus on him like before. But Seo Ji-hyuk hadn’t expected such an extreme response.

Seo Ji-hyuk looked at his lover with a face full of confusion. He wondered what he had just heard. He wondered if this person was Jeong Han-joo, who was his lover.

“What… Why would you say something like that in this situation?”

Their date had turned sour, and he had completely lost his appetite.

* * *

It was an early morning with a gentle blue light streaming in through the window. The cool breeze seeped in through the slightly open window, rustling the thin curtains.

The smooth fabric rubbed against Ji-an’s nose, emitting a scent. Ji-an unconsciously took a deep breath. The rich, refreshing scent resembled Hee-seo’s pheromones. His simple body began to react, involuntarily conjuring thoughts of him.

His fluttering eyelashes trembled faintly. Ji-an suppressed the itching sensation in his heart and gently opened his eyes.

‘…’

A male silhouette flickered behind the translucent curtain. When Ji-an reached out his hand, the hand he was holding intertwined their fingers.  When the curtain was finally opened, Hee-seo’s face appeared.

‘Ji-an-ah.’

The calling voice was low and soft. Ji-an trembled, feeling as if he had become half aroused just by hearing his voice.

A face that was satisfying just to look at slowly approached him. With intertwined fingers, he firmly pressed both hands onto the mattress. Jeong Hee-seo raised his arms like pillars and trapped Ji-an inside them.

Seo Ji-an. The whispering voice once again felt like it was soaking his ear canal. Their faces were so close. Their noses brushed, and pheromones filled the air. At the same time, Ji-an’s lower body became wet and his waist tightened.

Just as their lips were about to touch, Jeong Hee-seo pulled back slightly, teasing Ji-an. Ji-an extended his tongue in frustration.

“Ugh.”

Puff. Ji-an woke up and brushed away the dust stuck to his tongue. He sat up nervously with a swollen face, running his hand roughly through his freshly washed hair. Not only was his mouth filled with a gritty sensation from sucking on the pillow in his sleep, but his wet underwear added to Ji-an’s displeasure.

“Am I sexually frustrated?”

If asked whether he was sexually frustrated due to pheromones, Ji-an couldn’t deny it. He sighed and changed his underwear.