DHG Ch 21

“Heewoo, you’re here. The boss just left a while ago, didn’t he?”

Only the Head Chef, who had arrived early, acknowledged him. Heewoo simply returned the greeting without a word. Soon, the rest of the kitchen staff began to arrive one by one. Heewoo reheated the hot bar and placed it in a prominent spot.

Hot bar? It’s really delicious. The snacks sold out in an instant. Jang Seungyung had described it as being snatched away, but Heewoo felt good about it. Some of the cooks even awkwardly acknowledged him with a glance.

Throughout the opening preparations, Heewoo was conscious of a familiar yet strange sensation around his neck.

It’s just that he got his own thing back… Was it perhaps the pheromones the man had left behind in abundance that were taking effect late? Heewoo stumbled as he carried a basket of ingredients over the threshold, and the Head Chef, looking at him strangely, asked, 

“Are you sick again?”

And then, that dawn.

Returning to his quarters with his weary body, Heewoo discovered several shopping bags neatly placed in his room. Inside the luxurious packaging were thick winter clothes and a message card.

—Wear these instead of those stretched-out shirts.

It was obvious who the owner of the scribbled handwriting was.

As if a low chuckle resonated in his ears, Heewoo tightened his grip. The clothes were warm with residual heat. Like the necklace that had carried the man’s body temperature. There were no more thresholds to cross, yet Heewoo closed his eyes, feeling unsteady.

✮⋆˙

During the second week of November, as autumn deepened and began to fade, a disturbing story circulated among the Benny hosts. It was a rumor about the omega Sunsoo, Idaol, who had recently returned after working at another establishment.

“I heard he was dating a client.”

Rumors had frequently circulated at the previous establishment that Idaol had been involved in a messy situation.

At times, problems would arise in the establishments when clients and hosts wished for each other to become someone special. However, Idaol’s case was unusually mutual, and this, in turn, transformed into a different kind of problem.

The wealthy and handsome client had a serious flaw.

“I heard he completely shattered Idaol.”

The alpha partner had a bad habit of being physically abusive.

Unable to endure the dating violence, Idaol had tried to break up, but he was then subjected to stalking. The owner of Idaol’s previous establishment had not intervened because the alpha was a VIP. The owner turned a blind eye because the client only requested Idaol and generously paid several times over for drinks and after-hours services.

In the end, Idaol was assaulted to the point of fracturing two ribs. The hidden story was that last summer, he had desperately contacted Madam Won and returned to Benny as if fleeing in the middle of the night…

“He hasn’t learned his lesson. I heard he didn’t go on vacation, but to see that abusive guy again.”

Now, the situation had escalated into a different problem. Were the fractured ribs not enough? Idaol couldn’t let go of his attachment to the troublesome boyfriend.

“He’s lucky he wasn’t sued. If he hadn’t paid a settlement, he’d have a criminal record by now.”

“He’s crazy, truly.”

“He accepts that kind of trashy love? Please. Even if the debt is cleared, you don’t keep trash around. You throw it away!”

And Idaol was hurt by the consensus of his colleagues.

Using his hurt as an excuse, Idaol refused to listen to others. The fact that what he had confided in one trusted colleague had spread throughout the establishment to the point where everyone knew contributed to his closing off his eyes and ears.

Having shut out all interventions, Idaol, strangely, started frequenting the kitchen. This was because the kitchen’s youngest, Kwon Heewoo, didn’t express disapproval with a frown like the other employees.

“Heewoo, do you really think I’m mistaken?”

Idaol would either seek out Heewoo in the kitchen or whisper to him to come to his room. In the latter case, there was always a feast of delivered tteokbokki laid out.

Normally, Idaol would be extremely restrictive with his diet, but he had a habit of binge eating when stressed. In fact, Heewoo initially became acquainted with Idaol because of this bulimia. Idaol had overeaten before entering a room, rushed out mid-service, and vomited in the client’s restroom.

Heewoo happened to hear the sound, blocked the door, and helped him clean up, and from then on, they became acquainted.

“Some of the Sunsoo have issues with me. I’m being honest with you because you wouldn’t speak carelessly.”

Every time he talked about his boyfriend, Idaol would scoop up tteokbokki with a plastic spoon. He would stuff his mouth with three or four pieces at a time, cheeks puffed out. Compulsively, not only when the tteokbokki was warm and delicious, but also when it had cooled down, becoming swollen and hard.

“Even though Doohyuk can be hot-tempered, he’s not someone to speak empty words…”

Heewoo knew Idaol was like this when stressed. If he were certain about his boyfriend, he wouldn’t be acting this way. Did Idaol realize that his bulimia had resurfaced since the troublemaker’s contact began?

But it was difficult to tell him the truth.

“You’re the only one I can be this honest with. Even Madam Won has something to say about it.”

Because Idaol said this with a faint smile while gasping for breath from overeating.

“You saw all the messages he sent me.”

Due to the above circumstances, Heewoo was the only person in Benny who had seen all the messages sent by the troublemaker. To summarize their content:

[I went with cash ready to take our little one away, but I was rejected. You weren’t there.]

[(Photo)]

[What’s the use of all this money? I can’t see you. I was wrong. I’ll listen to you from now on.]

[I’ll kneel if you tell me to kneel, and I’ll wait if you tell me to wait.]

[I can’t live without you.]

[I miss you.]

[Baby. Little one.]

And so, one Friday, nearing mid-November, Idaol once again came down to the bustling kitchen during opening preparations to share new news with his sole confidant.

“We decided to see each other again this weekend. He’s coming nearby!”

Idaol whispered amidst the whirring sound of the juice blender. An excited voice. A shy smile. He clearly cherished only the good memories, burying the violence his boyfriend had inflicted.

Silently watching the blindly sparkling eyes, Heewoo spoke up for the first time about this matter.

“Hyung.”

Unlike the cloud-like excitement of Idaol, his heart was heavy, like soaked cotton. It was his limit. He felt that if he just kept listening, something terrible would happen.

Even if it made him the bad guy, even if it meant Idaol would eat six servings of tteokbokki by himself, he had to stop him.

“Yes?”

Idaol blinked his round eyes.

“Don’t go.”

“What?”

“Don’t meet that person.”

Heewoo couldn’t say everything he wanted to say. Seeing Idaol’s owl-like, wide-eyed surprise, as if his trust had been betrayed, his courage dwindled.

Idaol’s demeanor, which had been precariously buoyant as if clutching at clouds, subsided. His round eyes sank. Idaol bit his lip with a hardened gaze.

After a moment, he spoke.

“Last week, or was it the week before? The manager brought a bunch of shopping bags to your room.”

His voice was strained with tension.

“I have just one piece of clothing from that brand.”

Idaol finished speaking. With his back to the sounds of chopping, sizzling, and grilling from the kitchen staff, Heewoo slowly understood what he meant. Only then did he realize how the winter clothes Jang Seungyung had given him ended up in his room, but that wasn’t the important point.

“Is it okay for you, but not for me?”

Idaol said.

“You… smell like flowers lately.”

Hardened eyes slowly scanned Heewoo’s ears, neck, and shoulders. Idaol was an omega.

There was no time to react. The man who had been drenching Heewoo in flowery pheromones lately happened to be striding through the kitchen doorway in a long coat.

“Wow, the juice shop is busy.”

Jang Seungyung said, referring to Idaol as if he were the only one present. Idaol chewed on his lip as he watched the owner enter as if it were his own home.

This wasn’t the first time he had encountered the owner. Last Monday, Idaol had come to buy fruit juice and met the owner here.

‘What’s going on?’

The owner had asked, looking at Heewoo, who was cleaning the finished green juice and the blender.

It was a question Idaol wanted to ask. Idaol looked back and forth between Heewoo and the owner, the subject of the rumors. The new owner had an even more intimidating presence than the grim rumors suggested. While Idaol was frozen in place by the oppressive atmosphere, the Head Chef intervened.

‘Heewoo is in charge of our Benny juice. The taste is amazing.’

The Head Chef pulled out his wallet, suggesting he try a refreshing glass.

‘He makes juice too? Totally multi-talented.’

The owner scanned Heewoo with an intrigued look. His gaze, blatantly curious, as if he’d just heard that a kindergartener was good at doing dishes, was fixed on Heewoo’s face. The Head Chef replied.

‘Oh, of course. He’s our kitchen’s special foreign talent. What would you like? Vitamin boost?’

‘Anything.’

The owner returned the 10,000 won bill the Head Chef offered and handed over a 50,000 won bill, placing his order.

Heewoo made an energy juice, and Idaol, who was still there, clearly saw Heewoo add more nuts than usual. He also saw the owner smile, take a sip of the juice, and leave without even looking at the change, saying, “Keep the change.”