TSG 2

To cut to the chase, Main-Shou rejected Sub-Gong’s dinner invitation. The steaming king crab was on full display, with its glistening red shell contrasting with the white, tender flesh. He expected it to be cold because it had been boiled and then trimmed before being served, but this place was different.

It must have been dismantled so quickly that it was still steaming. He was looking at it because it was so amazing, but Shin Tae-oh rested his chin and expressed his dissatisfaction.

“How can he refuse this?”

The king crab had done nothing wrong. Shin Tae-oh was wrong to insist on contacting Yoo Jin-ha and telling him to come all the time.

‘Furthermore, Yoo Jin-ha went to meet Ha Min-hyuk.’

Thanks to this, Shin Tae-oh was left to enjoy the king crab on his own.

“Tsk.”

‘You shouldn’t act like that when you have food in front of you. Don’t rest your chin on your hand.’

Even that was still not enough respect in front of the precious king crab.

And then there was Jin-ha this, Jin-ha that. It seemed like his voice was going to get stuck in Se-hyun’s ears.

“Would you like to go home?”

He hid his true feelings as usual and took out his cell phone to call the driver. Since Yoo Jin-ha hadn’t shown up, Shin Tae-oh probably wouldn’t be concerned about how the king crab was being served.

Since he wasn’t going to eat alone, Se-hyun wanted to send him home quickly and then go home to cook some instant noodles.

‘I should eat seafood ramen.’

The fishy smell would likely linger in his nose until he got home.

“It’s fine. I’ll have to cook separately if I go home.”

Se-hyun nodded and prepared to go out alone when Shin Tae-oh said he would eat here. He picked up his bag, thinking he would return when the meal was over.

“Please call me when you’re done eating.”

He bowed and turned to leave before opening the sliding door.

“Wait a moment.”

“Is there something you need?”

Shin Tae-oh chuckled as Se-hyun turned around and asked the question while holding the doorknob.

“You want me to eat this by myself now? Don’t you think it’s going to be quite awkward?”

“Ah…”

“Sit down. Let’s eat together.”

“But…”

“Why? You usually eat well, so what’s the problem now?”

Perhaps because of the rejection, Shin Tae-oh’s tone became sharper.

Se-hyun thought about rejecting it again but then changed his mind. Now was the time not to go against Shin Tae-oh’s mood.

“Well, it looked like the portion would be too small for both of us.”

Instead, he honestly revealed the reason why he could not accept it right away.

“Ah.”

Perhaps because it was an unexpected answer, Shin Tae-oh looked at the king crab and then pressed the call button. As the sliding door opened, Se-hyun let go of the door handle somewhat awkwardly.

“Order another one,” Shin Tae-oh said to Se-hyun.

He didn’t bother to talk to the employee, even though there was one in front of him. Se-hyun sent a look to the employee.

‘You heard that too, right?’

“I’ll get it ready.”

When the employee withdrew after answering, Se-hyun, who was now standing alone, went to sit across from Shin Tae-oh.

“It seemed like this wouldn’t be enough for two people.”

Ignoring Shin Tae-oh’s muttering, Se-hyun picked up the familiar tool and peeled off the flesh. The crab had already been prepared, so all he had to do was scrape out the meat, but he worked hard nonetheless.

“I ordered the best food to eat with Jin-ha…”

‘I know. I ordered it.’

Se-hyun even checked the condition of the king crab before steaming it.

“I can’t believe I’m eating it with Secretary Ahn. Do I look very pitiful?”

“Next time, a better place will be arranged.”

Se-hyun said something he didn’t even mean to say. Because he couldn’t say out loud why Jin-ha didn’t want to eat with him.

“Would Jin-ha want to eat with me? Can we eat while looking into each other’s eyes like this? If the distance is just right, he’d be able to see how handsome I am.”

Se-hyun placed the bowl of sliced crab meat in front of him, listening to what he could not tell, whether he was regretting not being able to eat with Jin-ha or bragging about his handsome face.

Shin Tae-oh looked at the bowl in front of him, then raised his head and made eye contact. What. He can’t eat even when it’s prepared for him?

“Please eat.”

Se-hyun gently reminded him that this was for him to eat. Shin Tae-oh, seemingly realizing he should eat, belatedly picked up his chopsticks.

“Sure…”

He took a piece of unbroken crab meat and held it with his chopsticks. After an awkward pause, he made eye contact with Se-hyun and placed it in his mouth.

“Why this reaction?”

“Isn’t this our first time eating this?”

Se-hyun nodded, not sure of the meaning behind his question. It did seem like their first time trying king crab or a similar type of crab.

“Does it taste good?”

“If anyone heard this, they would think Secretary Ahn boiled it.”

“I picked it out.”

“… It’s delicious.”

After hearing the answer, Se-hyun continued to spread the crab meat. While the presentation of the dish resembled sushi with the crab meat on top, it didn’t take away from the pride he felt. Se-hyun maintained his composure, especially since he was sitting across from Shin Tae-oh.

“Secretary Ahn, you should eat too…”

“Thank you for the food.”

Se-hyun finally picked up a piece of crab meat and placed it in his mouth after leaving enough for his boss to eat.

‘Wow…’

It’s really delicious.

Absolutely fantastic.

Se-hyun only took one bite, but he was so taken with the flavor that his toes curled without him realizing it, and he could not help but savor every moment of this exquisite flavor.

“Looking at your expression, it doesn’t seem that good.”

It’s incredibly delicious!

“No, it’s not like that.”

To Shin Tae-oh’s question, Se-hyun calmly replied that it was not bad and continued using his utensils to extract the meat. He skillfully handled his chopsticks, taking his time to savor each bite, all while maintaining a composed demeanor. Shin Tae-oh, started enjoying the king crab once again.

With both men eating, the king crab was devoured in no time. Even the time spent waiting for the next dish seemed like a waste to Se-hyun. As Se-hyun was eating sweet potato fries, Shin Tae-oh suddenly smiled while drinking water.

“Secretary Ahn was right. This wasn’t nearly enough.”

Se-hyun scanned the table in response to Shin Tae-oh’s words. A few side dishes that were served seemed almost negligible. Even if the king crab was big, there wasn’t much left after the shells were removed. So, he thought it was only natural that it seemed insufficient.

“Jin-ha always eats a bit of everything.”

Only then did Se-hyun grasp the meaning of Shin Tae-oh’s words.

Yoo Jin-ha was Shin Tae Oh’s friend’s younger brother. As a result, there was enough of a narrative to build up feelings from seeing him since childhood.

Yet, it was still a one-sided crush.

“He eats as much as a bird. Well, that’s why he’s small.”

Jin-ha was 179 centimeters tall, which was not considered short. However, compared to Shin Tae-oh, who was 190 centimeters, or 189.9 centimeters to be exact, he was 10 centimeters shorter.

“It would have been nice if he were just as big as Secretary Ann.”

Se-hyun, who was 183 centimeters tall, responded with an indifferent tone, “Is that so?”

“Your ordered dishes are here.”

There was a knock on the door at that time, and an employee came in and cleaned up the eaten food before placing a new one. It was awkward when Shin Tae-oh spoke to him, but it turned out well.

Se-hyun picked up his utensils once again, breaking the king crab’s shell and enjoying the succulent meat.

His plan to go home and have seafood ramen for dinner was canceled.

“What were you planning to do for dinner if you had just left earlier?”
He never thought Shin Tae-oh would suddenly ask about his dinner plan. Se-hyun made an effort not to show his surprise and replied in a composed voice.

“I would have cooked ramen.”

“Ramen?”

Shin Tae-oh’s reaction to Se-hyun’s answer was unexpected. He wanted to reject this for ramen?

“Would you like some more?”

Before Shin Tae-oh could say anything, Se-hyun had already placed a generous portion of the crab meat on his plate.

For now, eat.

⍣⍣⍣

After a satisfying meal, Se-hyun and Shin Tae-oh left the restaurant. Se-hyun noticed that Shin Tae-oh was standing still outside.

“Why are you here…”

“Shh.”

Se-hyun instinctively quieted his voice when Shin Tae-oh gestured for him to be quiet. Then he followed Shin Tae-oh’s gaze and found two familiar people.

They were Ha Min-hyuk and Yoo Jin-ha, the main characters of this novel.

Se-hyun wondered why these two were here. Their expressions were hard to miss.

“Jin-ha, just hear me out.”

“No. I don’t want to hear anything else.”

“Why not? We need to clear up all these misunderstandings.”

It seemed they were having an argument. Judging by the way they were squabbling in the street, Yoo Jin-ha wanted to leave, but Ha Min-hyuk was holding him back.

“What do you think when you see them?” Shin Tae-oh asked as they watched the two characters argue.

Se-hyun pretended to be deep in thought and kept his lips sealed.

‘I think Taenyang will be happy that he got the opportunity.’

It was Se-hyun’s secret nickname for him by shortening ‘Shin Tae-oh Seung-nyang’ to Taenyang-i.

“I have no particular thoughts. I’m sorry.”

As soon as he came up with a plausible answer, Shin Tae-oh let out a chuckle.

“Really? I think I’ve seized an opportunity. I’m well-fed, saw some good scenes, and my mood is at its best today.”

Shin Tae-oh turned around with a big smile on his face. Se-hyun followed him and cast a fleeting glance at the main characters.

‘If those two are fighting like that, have they already reached that point?’

Before their relationship developed beyond mere liking, the two main characters had collided emotionally. It was due to interference by someone else, but the two, unaware of this, had been filled with frustration and resentment.

The conclusion was that they quickly resolved their misunderstanding and grew closer as a result. And Shin Tae-oh, the sub-Gong, played an important role in these moments.

Se-hyun looked at Shin Tae-oh’s back with a somewhat wistful look.

“Do your best, Taenyang.”

I’ll be watching.

…And I’m sure it will be amusing.