TSG 65

Se-hyun didn’t always look up the outcomes from the beginning. It became a hobby that developed after he fully became the character Ahn Se-hyun. He fell into the enjoyment of knowing the original content and observing it unfold, leading him to approach other things the same way.

“Doesn’t not knowing make you anticipate more?”

“I still anticipate even when I know.”

“Even when you know?”

“Yes. Expecting what will happen in the future and waiting for it is anticipation.”

Shin Tae-oh stroked his chin with a confused look on his face.

Even though it seemed different from what he knew, he ignored the nagging feeling in his brain.

Their conversation seemed to be going off-track, and Se-hyun inwardly clicked his tongue sensing Tae-oh was about to ask more questions. He should just focus on the movie. By the time Se-hyun looked at the screen, the protagonist who had lost his lover was wailing in anguish.

“There’s one more reason I like spoilers.”

He hadn’t intended to share this much.

Se-hyun set down his phone and pulled the two cup ramyuns closer. Planning to eat one since he was getting hungry, he opened one for Shin Tae-oh just in case. If Shin Tae-oh didn’t want it, no problem, Se-hyun would eat both.

He shook the ramyuns to settle the powder at the bottom, then tore open the top lid.

“I can watch any scene with a peaceful mind.”

Since Tae-oh didn’t seem to understand right away, Se-hyun thought about how to explain it better.

“I really like stability.”

Even though his enjoyment of spoilers was relatively new, his preference for stability was inherent. While Se-hyun poured water into the cup ramyun, Shin Tae-oh was lost in thought. Se-hyun, not bothering to split the wooden chopsticks, placed them on top of the noodles and waited. Taeo then spoke up.

“The stability thing you mentioned before?”

“Yes.”

“Do you like not being surprised by anything that happens?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t that boring?”

Boring?

Se-hyun kept his gaze fixed on the ramyuns, tilting his head slightly.

As he pondered Shin Tae-oh’s words, he realized his life had been like that. It wasn’t sad that he was an orphan, but it wasn’t particularly good either. Without a family to look out for him, he behaved obediently, watching out for others. That way, people wouldn’t dislike him.

Thus, he lived from a very young age, suppressing his presence. Trying to live an unremarkable life, he ended up with a quiet life that was almost dull. The only way he could find joy was through reading books and imagining it. When those fantasies ended, the emptiness of reality would wash over him, making his body shudder – just a repetition of those kinds of days.

Then he entered the book and became Ahn Se-hyun.

While relieved to know he was just an extra character, he was also a bit disappointed deep down. This time too, he had to live without a presence. But that disappointment quickly faded when he realized his improved circumstances compared to his original self.

He had the safety net of a family and the enjoyment of watching Shin Tae-oh. But was it boring?

“It’s fun for me now.”

After his long contemplation, Shin Tae-oh let out a deflated laugh at Se-hyun’s response.

“Okay. As long as you find it enjoyable.”

There was no need to ask more, so Shin Tae-oh turned his attention.

“One is mine, right?”

Unfortunately, referring to the cup noodles.

“I was just about to ask you.”

Se-hyun’s plan was to ask Tae-oh first, and if he didn’t want it, Se-hyun would eat both.

“I’m telling the truth.”

Se-hyun repeated his earnestness in response to Shin Tae-oh’s piercing gaze, and took out the chopsticks. Se-hyun split the wooden chopsticks in two and opened the lid, and Shin Tae-oh followed suit beside him.

“Enjoy your meal.”

Since all Se-hyun could offer was water, he slid the cup closer to Tae-oh’s cup ramyun.

He stirred the noodles to let the broth soak in, twirled the chopsticks around the noodles, and lifted about a third of the noodles.

His mouth was already watering at the spicy scent. He was looking at the noodles greedily and was about to eat them when he made eye contact with Shin Tae-oh.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

He needed to eat before the noodles got overcooked, but Shin Tae-oh was staring at him so intently that he couldn’t help but ask.

“You were eating it deliciously.”

“I haven’t taken a single bite yet.”

“You were eating deliciously with your eyes.”

What?

While listening to Shin Tae-oh’s unnecessary comment, the noodles in the broth were plumping up. Se-hyun slurped the noodles into his mouth to eat them quickly before they overcooked. He risked the red broth splashing and burning his throat, but that’s how he wanted to eat them right now.

After taking a big mouthful and opening his mouth slightly to release the steam from the heat, Tae-oh was still watching him.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re eating deliciously.”

How should he handle this repetitive guy?

As Se-hyun’s gaze started turning sour, Shin Tae-oh laughed loudly.

“I’ve never seen you eat while making sounds outside. But just now, it was really funny.”

Of course, Shin Tae-oh had never seen it. Outside, Se-hyun had to stop eating noodles for fear of spilling the soup, and work was his priority.

As Se-hyun silently twirled more noodles around his chopsticks, Tae-oh picked up his own cup ramyun. Then he tried taking a big bite like Se-hyun but immediately spit it back out because it was too hot.

“Ahh!”

Gross.

“… Is this your first time eating cup ramyun?”

“No.”

Se-hyun watched in disbelief as Shin Tae-oh touched his tingling lips with his fingers. If he was going to imitate Se-hyun, he should have also copied when Se-hyun briefly gazed at the noodles held up earlier. That wasn’t just admiring, it was blowing to cool them down.

“How did you eat this all at once?”

Se-hyun eventually burst out laughing when he saw Shin Tae-oh shaking his head.

He never expected to laugh so much over a single cup of ramyun.

“You laugh at things like this.”

Shin Tae-oh smiled at Se-hyun’s open mouth and pleasant sound of laughter.

“Today is really nice.”

He murmured softly, unable to take his eyes off Se-hyun’s radiant face.

⍣⍣⍣

The blanket at Se-hyun’s place was a lightweight one suitable for all seasons. It was laid on the floor to cushion against the hard surface, leaving the bed bare.

“Then I’ll sleep on the bed.”

“You’re going to sleep… and not leave?”

“You’re not trying to kick me out this late at night, are you?”

Shin Tae-oh tried his best to act pitifully, but it was so unbelievable that Se-hyun couldn’t even snort.

“Go to your nice, spacious home, sir. This place is cramped.”

“I’m scared to go home alone.”

“I will take you there.”

“Do you want to sleep at my house?”

If only Se-hyun could smack this damned cat just once.

As he clenched his fist to suppress his agitation, Shin Tae-oh plopped down on the bed.

“Isn’t it right for the guest to sleep on the bed?”

“When you put it that way, it really makes me want to…”

Throw you out on the floor?

“Se-hyun-ah, don’t look at me like that.”

Lying on the bed with his head propped up by his arms, Shin Tae-oh winked mischievously.

“We have a lot of time, so let’s take it slow.”

“What…”

Se-hyun forced a strained smile, suppressing the lump in his throat.

“Yeah, Tae-oh-ya. Sleep well.”

He wouldn’t give Tae-oh the blanket on the floor.

Telling him to figure it out himself, Se-hyun sat down on the floor and evened his breathing. At some point, he realized it had become quiet.

As Shin Tae-oh fell asleep, peace returned to Se-hyun’s space.

“Such a noisy person.”

Just having him quiet made Se-hyun’s life feel tranquil.

After briefly enjoying the tranquility, he looked at Shin Tae-oh. Without a blanket to cover himself, he had his arms crossed as he curled up on his side. Rather than evoking pity, it made Se-hyun click his tongue. He should just go home and sleep.

“It’s like he’s transparent yet still hard to see through him.”

As soon as Shin Tae-oh lay down on the bed, he closed his eyes as he sensed and inhaled Se-hyun’s pheromones. Se-hyun was wondering how to get rid of this perverted cat’s habits, but Shin Tae-oh fell asleep as if nothing happened. He must not have gotten proper rest yesterday.

Come to think of it, Se-hyun realized Taeo was coming to the end of his rut period, yet he acted no differently.

“What should I do with him?”

A sigh escaped as Se-hyun watched the Taenyang who had confessed and then clung to him relentlessly when Se-hyun didn’t respond. Outwardly he acted nonchalant, but his eyes never left Se-hyun. Shin Tae-oh might not have realized that Se-hyun noticed how he would flinch whenever he spoke, seemingly afraid that Se-hyun might utter words of rejection

“Tae-oh-ya.”

Se-hyun called out to him in a small voice.

“I’m sorry.”

He sincerely apologized for merely watching in amusement as Shin Tae-oh revealed his heart to Yoo Jin-ha. As for Shin Tae-oh’s confession to him…

‘I need time to think.’

It didn’t mean he would accept Shin Tae-oh’s confession. Although they had helped each other through their cycles, for Se-hyun, it was still a separate issue whether he could accept an alpha right away.

For now, the priority was finding a way to reject Shin Tae-oh without hurting his feelings. Even knowing he had been rejected by Yoo Jin-ha, Se-hyun didn’t want to do the same.

‘Let’s treat him well for now.’

In the past, Se-hyun wanted to treat him well for other reasons, and now it was to prevent Shin Tae-oh from getting hurt if rejected. It was essentially the same thing.

⍣⍣⍣

‘What should I do with him?’

‘I’m sorry.’

Shin Tae-oh looked at Se-hyun’s sleeping face. The mumbled words, thinking Shin Tae-oh was asleep, were a rejection.

Not even a day had passed since his confession.

Perhaps Se-hyun never intended to accept it from the beginning. It was just that he couldn’t say anything while looking at Shin Tae-oh.

Strangely, Se-hyun’s rejection didn’t make Tae-oh’s heart ache or leave him suffocated by the rejection

Chronic.

Having always struggled with chronic emptiness, he was used to the lack and had learned not to expect abundance.

Yet…

His determination to somehow capture Se-hyun’s heart wavered slightly. He hadn’t even tried his best yet, but his spirit was already dampened.

“I don’t want to let you go like this.”

Shin Tae-oh mumbled regretfully. He wanted to watch Se-hyun eat cup ramyuns again while staring into his eyes. Even if Shin Tae-oh looked like a fool, the time spent with Se-hyun was too precious to let go.

Brushing Se-hyun’s hair aside, Tae-oh brought his hand close to his soft cheek but couldn’t bring himself to touch it, afraid of waking Se-hyun up. And afraid Se-hyun would tell him to go away if he did.

“Mmm… Taenyang, go to sleep.”

But Se-hyun woke up. Shin Tae-oh froze with his hand hovering near Se-hyun’s cheek.

“I’ll treat you better starting tomorrow, so today… sleep.”

Was he talking in his sleep?

Shin Tae-oh waved his hand in front of Se-hyun’s face. It seemed different from when he pretended to be asleep this morning…

“Take good care of me…?”

Could this be something to look forward to?