UR Chapter 48

Chapter 48

“How many blind dates have you been on?”

“Why?”

“You… you talk so… smoothly and, and skillfully, it’s almost ticklish.”

I-bom pressed the back of his hand to his cheek. His face was heating up, surely because the man kept saying things that made him squirm. Otherwise, there was no reason his cheeks would keep turning red, no reason for this unknown warmth to bubble up inside him. They were just words, yet they tossed him around so easily—it felt awkward and unfamiliar.

“Really? My way of speaking tickles you?”

“…Yes.”

Honestly, he had never met someone like this before. Somi, or the customers at the restaurant, sometimes said nice things, but his grandmother, his older brother, and even his late father had always ignored him when they saw him. They never once called him pretty or cute. They only ever criticized him—calling him ugly, slow, or stupid.

“This is the first time I’ve heard that.”

The man answered calmly, looking genuinely puzzled.

“People around me are all afraid of me.”

“Not at all.”

I-bom shook his head quickly, his expression firm. Between the pink flush on his cheeks, he stared straight at the man, catching the faint curl of his lips. He couldn’t agree with that statement.

“What part of you is scary? Among all the men I’ve seen…”

“Among them?”

“You’re really the least scary, and you speak so nicely.”

“My secretary would laugh if they heard that.”

Unlike the cool night air, a warm smile stayed on the man’s face. Still, I-bom couldn’t agree—how could anyone be afraid of such a well-mannered man?

“…Anyway… you seem like you’ve been on a lot of blind dates or in relationships.”

“This is my first. First blind date, and I’ve never dated.”

Hmm… The man drew out his tone, leaning back loosely in his chair. I-bom blurted a quick denial.

“…Lies.”

“I can’t lie.”

The man casually swept his hair back. From this angle, the sharp line of his nose and the clean cut of his jaw did hint at a certain intimidation. But the graceful air woven into his movements was far from ordinary.

“Have you heard of ‘conscience fever’? Pureblood beastmen have this unique trait—it’s like a safety mechanism. If we act against our conscience or tell a lie, we heat up and feel pain.”

“…That exists?”

“If I had lied, I’d have felt conscience fever immediately. Do dog beastmen not have that?”

“Well… I’m a half-beastman, so I don’t have anything like that.”

I-bom’s face flushed crimson. The man surely already knew, but saying outright to a pureblood beastman that he was only half felt shameful.

“Really? Not having it is cute too.”

His words rang out clearly, calm yet distinct, cutting through the soft classical music. As if on cue, people seated nearby turned their gaze to I-bom. Unable to bear the embarrassment, he covered his face with his hands.

“Ah, stop it.”

“…”

“I’m really not cute… My grandmother says I’m not cute, just chubby-cheeked, like a steamed bun…”

I-bom mumbled so quietly it was barely audible.

The heated gazes around them flickered toward their table. At the end of every fixed glance sat one person—the man. Even sitting silently, the aura he gave off was overwhelming, and the things he said melted over the edge of embarrassment.

What do I do…

I-bom’s eyesight was sharper than most. He could clearly see people around them smiling warmly at the sight, even from the corner of his vision.

If someone he knew were here, he’d be teased about this for the next ten years.

“Sounds like your grandmother’s eyesight must be bad.”

“And my brother calls me ugly every day too. My face is swollen every morning.”

“Then it seems both your grandmother and brother need glasses. Should we get them fitted together?”

The man looked straight at him, speaking so shamelessly with such a pleasant smile.

The sweet words swirling inside his mouth felt like they could pop I-bom’s flushed face wide open.

That honeyed tone didn’t match the refined face—it was confusing. This man was definitely an outrageous flirt. Someone who could wag his tongue so effortlessly with a stranger surely wasn’t a terrifying predator. What kind of feline was he? The rumor about him being a predator must have been exaggerated. He seemed more like a Ragdoll or a Maine Coon—an affectionate house cat overflowing with charm.

Maybe he was such a flirt that fooling around with two people wasn’t enough—he got caught juggling so many that he earned a bad reputation in pureblood circles. That must be why he ended up being pestered from all sides, finally being pushed into something as lousy as a blind date with a half-beastman.

Haah.

I-bom fanned his face with his hand and sighed.

“Your course meal has arrived.”

As if to change the mood, a server approached the table carrying a tray.

“Here it is. Set it all out.”

The man seemed to think for a moment, then tapped his fingers on the table. The server nodded politely and began placing plates in front of them.

One, two, three, four…

Watching the endless stream of dishes, I-bom raised his voice.

“…What is all this?”

* * *

He hadn’t known.

Ordering three different courses meant there would be an enormous amount of food. I-bom, who had never eaten a full course meal before, didn’t realize this, and his mouth hung open at the endless stream of trays being brought out.

“We’ll serve the appetizers in the order of Diamond, Gold, and Silver courses.”

On elegant plates, stylish dishes were presented.

They were closer to works of art than food—soup topped with round beads, green abalone porridge, tiny bread rolls in a dainty basket, sparkling water with fruit skewers. Plate after plate appeared, each with ingredients and names he didn’t recognize.

“Why… is there so much?”

“Didn’t you yourself say you eat a lot, Soo-hyun? You even said you could finish a whole sack of dog food in one sitting. This is only about two sacks’ worth.”

Before he could catch his breath, main dishes, sauces, and side plates kept arriving until the large marble table was so full that there was barely any space left.

He had refused a proper meal earlier, saying shaved ice would be enough because course meals with their tiny, expensive plates would be too costly. But now, just by eye, the main dish plates alone were over ten. No, he wanted to get out of here quickly… I-bom bit his lip in frustration.

“I ordered everything because your stomach growled.”

“Ah…”

“Judging by the drool, you should probably eat.”

I-bom instinctively raised his hand. When had he opened his mouth and drooled? Without realizing, he wiped his lips roughly with the back of his hand. Damn reflex. It was in his nature—dog beastmen couldn’t help but drool at the sight or mention of delicious food.

“T-this is just a… a dog’s natural reflex.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, and I told you I was fine after the shaved ice.”

The man lifted his wrist and glanced at his watch. Through the shiny glass, the clock hands were clear—it wasn’t even nine yet.

“You’ll be hungry when you get home, so eat first.”

“No, I think I should study when I get home. Coming to this blind date, I… cou—cough—lost study time.”

He didn’t even know exactly what school or department “Soo-hyun” attended, but excuses spilled from his mouth. Just barely past twenty, I-bom’s world was so narrow that even far-fetched excuses didn’t come easily.

“Studying is good, but eating first will help your brain work better.”

“D-don’t you know the saying time is money?”

He stammered, looking for something to nitpick.

“Can’t we just get a refund?”

From his years of part-time work, he knew food couldn’t be refunded once served. He knew it was unreasonable to ask.

But he felt he had a duty to ruin this meeting.

Unlike his life, which was based on resignation and giving up, the man seemed to live in a world full of goodwill and special treatment. I-bom subtly tugged on the man’s shirt hem. The smooth fabric carried his scent.

“…If we hurry now…”

The man shook his head firmly.

“Specialty hotels don’t refund once food is ordered.”

“Ah…”

He’d expected that, but it was still a relief. If the man had smiled while saying something negative to the staff, and they stood there flustered, he’d be the one holding his breath in nervousness.

“You said time is money, so there’s a way—eat quickly.”

“Quickly?”

“Yes, quickly. This place closes at ten.”

The man smiled and picked up the fork and knife set beside his plate. Gently, he cut into a steak roasted with the bone still in. Following the smooth glide of the knife, juicy red meat was revealed.

The fragrant, savory aroma of steak wafted toward I-bom’s nose. He inhaled deeply, catching the rich scent.

The man neatly sliced a portion and placed it carefully on I-bom’s plate. Watching the glossy meat glisten with juice, I-bom glanced at it and swallowed. The man gave him a brief look and sighed.

“You can at least eat with me, right? If you refuse that too, I’ll be left to eat all of this alone, feeling very ‘lonely’ and ‘miserable’.”

He didn’t look the slightest bit pitiful, yet when he made that watery-eyed expression, I-bom’s resolve weakened. And with the delicious smells clouding his judgment, his resistance began to falter.