chapter 42

Shin Tae-oh sat in the chair, observing Se-hyeon's actions with curiosity.

"If you're uncomfortable, I'll finish preparing and take it with me."

Therefore, Se-hyeon told Shin Tae-oh that it was fine for him to stay on the couch. Not only was Shin Tae-oh's condition a concern, but the intense gaze directed at him also made him uneasy.

"Is that so? I'll just go lie on the bed then..."

"I'll prepare quickly."

With mention of the couch, and then the bed, Se-hyeon knew exactly what he needed to do.

He moved swiftly to set up the meal. And then, he handed it over to Shin Tae-oh.

With that in mind, Se-hyeon diligently transferred the food onto the plates.

"You're quite thorough in your preparations."

Understanding what Shin Tae-oh meant by his words, Se-hyeon casually responded.

"You mentioned that you've never used them even though you spent a lot of money on them."

Although the dishes brought from home were spotless, Se-hyeon still carefully inspected them just in case.

After confirming that there was nothing wrong, he filled them with the food. The soup, which should be the warmest, was the last thing he served and placed in front of Shin Tae-oh.

"I got a meal voucher and packed the food."

The food was bought from a restaurant.

Shin Tae-oh only looked at the soup in front of him but didn't touch it. It seemed that he wasn't particularly drawn to it, so Se-hyeon sighed halfway through.

"Is your appetite not good? Should I have bought porridge instead?"

"No."

Shin Tae-oh immediately picked up the spoon, and Se-hyeon confirmed that he didn't need to leave and took a seat next to him. He looked at his portion of soup, which he had transferred to the dishes in the house.

He had brought enough dishes for one serving, but since they couldn't split the meal voucher, he bought this serving. It allowed them to eat together.

The fact that he brought the dishes in the first place was absurd. There were leftovers from the previous purchase in his house as well, but Shin Tae-oh didn't give him a chance to dig into it, so se-hyeon had to hastily pack them up.

"Enjoy your meal."

Se-hyeon greeted Shin Tae-oh and picked up his spoon. As he ate his portion of soup, it felt warm, as if it had just been served. The savory aroma stimulated his taste buds, and as it flowed down his throat, it warmed his stomach, making him involuntarily smile.

This restaurant would become the first beloved eatery he would definitely visit again if he had the chance.

Se-hyeon, who had unconsciously lowered his gaze to the soup that revealed the bottom of the bowl, lifted his head with a hint of regret and ran his tongue over his lips.

Shin Tae-oh had been looking at him for who knows how long.

"You're enjoying it."

"Ah... I was also hungry."

Somehow, he ended up waiting to eat with Shin Tae-oh and missed the timing to return to his office while looking at the CEO's room.

"I see."

Shin Tae-oh nodded with a gaze that didn't seem convinced at all.

"I never had any thoughts about bringing takeout... but seeing it today, it's nice."

Shin Tae-oh picked up his spoon. As he looked around, it seemed like he had something to say.

"It tastes even better when you eat it with rice and a spoon. The spoons at the restaurant are a bit small, aren't they?"

At Shin Tae-oh's question, Se-hyeon scanned the dining table. While the plates were somewhat appropriately sized, he had chosen spoons and chopsticks to his liking.

Thanks to that, even if they didn't eat much, they would finish quickly.

Pretending not to notice Shin Tae-oh's murmuring laughter, Se-hyeon pushed the salad aside and brought the pasta in front of him. He wasn't doing it to tease him, of course.

"It might be better if you don't eat the pasta since it might be hard to digest."

He brought it anyway, thinking that he could ask later to remove the pasta when he realized it was included.

"No, I think I can eat it."

As Shin Tae-oh picked up the chopsticks and approached, Se-hyeon raised his hand to stop him.

"It's not good for digestion."

"But it's just one serving of pasta, right?"

"Please have the salad and meat, CEO."

"Wouldn't the meat be harder to digest?"

Shin Tae-oh kept objecting, but Se-hyeon silently rearranged the dishes.

What Shin Tae-oh should eat goes to Shin Tae-oh's side, and the rest goes to Se-hyeon's side.

"Bread and noodles might feel heavy in the stomach."

As Se-hyeon transferred the garlic bread spread with honey to his own plate, he spoke.

"Wow, you're going this far?"

Shin Tae-oh laughed heartily and suddenly looked at the bread as if he was starving.

"If it comes to this, I should at least have a bite, right?"

"Weren't you feeling unwell?"

"If I truly had a serious condition, would I have bought food to eat?"

In response to Shin Tae-oh's words, questioning whether he would act like that if he knew everything, Se-hyeon extended the bread. He kindly cut the bread into pieces that were easier to eat with chopsticks.

"Here you go."

As Se-hyeon obediently offered the bread, Shin Tae-oh grabbed it and ate it with an amused expression.

"Wow, it's delicious."

Seeing Shin Tae-oh satisfied, Se-hyeon also took a bite of the cut bread. It was different from the garlic bread. The bread was soft, and the aroma of honey and garlic blended harmoniously.

While Se-hyeon was focused on the meal, as his stomach started to fill up, he subtly began to gauge Shin Tae-oh's mood.

"If you have something to say, go ahead."

Shin Tae-oh concentrated on the steak that Se-hyeon had cut and spoke, sensing his gaze.

"I like stability as much as recognition. That's what I wanted to say."

Referring back to the three basic desires they had discussed earlier, Se-hyeon looked at Shin Tae-oh's expression. So far, he hadn't shown much of a reaction. It seemed like it was okay to say. So se-hyeon injected further.

"Did I face any disadvantages for calling you a weirdo, a perverted weirdo?"

"Weirdo... perverted weirdo?" Shin tae-oh didn't seem to understand for a moment but then the cunning cat came to his mind. It seems se-hyeon also have other thoughts about him

"..."

“...”

"I apologize."

Se-hyeon made a mistake, thinking that they both knew about it. He shouldn't have mentioned the term "perverted weirdo." Once it slipped out, he couldn't just deny it. So, he wondered how to wrap up the situation, but Shin Tae-oh was quick to respond.

"Well, being a perverted weirdo isn't exactly cute."

"You can forget about it."

Se-hyeon maintained a poker face from start to finish.

If I waver even for a moment, the label

of a perverted weirdo will stick to me like a tail, so I shamelessly denied it.

Se-hyeon calmly accepted Shin Tae-oh's gaze. Even though he knew that his intense pupils lingered on his face, especially his lips, he didn't flinch.

The standoff of who would give in first ended with Shin Tae-oh letting out a breathy laugh.

"Alright then. Let's just move on for now. Since there are many more things I want to ask anyway, it doesn't hurt to leave one more in reserve."

It's fortunate that he's not pressing the issue further for now. Se-hyeon lowered his head to eat the pasta, subtly avoiding his gaze.

This cunning cat, the third desire, the perverted weirdo!!

As Shin Tae-oh's knowledge increased, Se-hyeon's sense of security began to waver. The concern grew stronger—would his secret remain intact? It was during this frustration that he was attacking the pasta with a clumsy heart.

"Do you know why I'm in pain?"

"I don't know."

"Liar."

Shin Tae-oh struck back swiftly. It seemed like he saw through Se-hyeon's act of pretending not to know, but Se-hyeon was genuinely unaware. He could only speculate that it had something to do with Ha Jin-seong's words, but he couldn't pinpoint the exact nature of it.

"If you can enlighten me, I will remember."

Se-hyeon responded calmly, and Shin Tae-oh fell silent. Now, when that mouth opened, Se-hyeon had no control over what would come out. He would listen if Shin Tae-oh spoke, and if not, he would consider his job done, having only brought the food.

"Can you help me a little?"

When they were almost finished with the pasta, Shin Tae-oh finally spoke. Se-hyeon didn't know if it was related to Ha jin-seong, but he listened attentively nonetheless.

"Can you be the only one who looks out for me?"

It was related to Jin-ha...

"Can you do things just for me? Like I'm the protagonist of this world?"

Right...

That was the request conveyed through Shin Tae-oh's gentle voice. Before understanding its true meaning, Ha jin-seong's words came to mind.

"How long do you think you can hold on, clinging to me by your side?"

"Just give up and live as you normally would."

Shin Tae-oh, who said he would come to the hotel with the person he loved. And Shin Tae-oh, who felt awkward in the hotel.

Shin Tae-oh, who could only look at Yoo Jin-ha and never receive any reciprocation.

Why do things connect so naturally like this? Anyway, if it's what Ha jin-seong mentioned...

It was a problem that couldn't be easily accepted, even though I wanted to listen and agree that good things are good.

"I'm sorry, but...I'll let you speak informally."

I tried to refuse, but I found myself speechless at the unexpected proposal.

"Since I am younger than you."

It's not necessarily about being a superior and subordinate, where formal language would be used.

"You know we have a two-year age difference, right?"

But you're asking for informal language, huh?

"If we're close enough, we can surely use informal language, can't we?"

If it's just like an older brother and younger brother, using informal language shouldn't be a big deal. But how can I casually address my superior like that?

"Don't overthink it too much. Just as a form of comfort..."

Shin Tae-oh's expression brightened as he noticed my hesitation. Like a cunning cat seizing an opportunity, his eyes sparkled, but soon his eyebrows furrowed.

It's too late for me to act pitiful now...

"It's not like you are asking me to be your side for a lifetime."

Ah...

I apologize for bringing up Jin-ha’s words in that manner. It can be emotionally unsettling.

"But you never know when someone's feelings might change..." Shin tae-oh still wants more..

"There will be no disadvantages."

"...Even if it makes me feel bad?"

"What could make me feel bad? I'll be fine with anything..."

"Tae-oh."

"..."

"I apologize. I will correct myself and address you as Tae-oh hyung."

Expecting this, Se-hyeon swiftly changed his words, but Shin Tae-oh didn't immediately react.

"Please finish your meal. The food will get cold."

As Se-hyeon gently pushed his glass forward and spoke, Shin Tae-oh suddenly met his gaze.

"Call me that way."

"I apologize. I just wanted to express that it's not easy for me to accept informal language..."

"I prefer it more than being called hyung."

"What do you prefer?"

"Tae-oh, I like it more"

"Let's go with that."

Se-hyeon swallowed a sigh as he looked at Tae-oh's stubbornness.

"Don't overthink it."

He decided to accept it with gratitude, considering it as a way to repay the favor of moving his father to a special room.

"Tae-oh."

Shin tae-oh murmured his eyes flickered at Se-hyeon's call, then quickly turned into a smile. Knowing that his words had been heard, he revealed a pleasant smile.

"Go ahead and eat. Just watching you eat makes me full."

As they continued their conversation, the once appetizing meat on the plate had cooled down considerably. Se-hyeon pushed the plate of meat, which still looked delicious, in front of Tae-oh.

Tae-oh alternated his gaze between the meat and Se-hyeon, then tilted his head as if contemplating their recent conversation.

"Should I get more water? Or would you like something else to eat? Ah...I'm not trying to act like your mom."

Tae-oh let out a satisfied smile.

"Also, isn't it not just about me being full from watching you eat? Aren't you full too?"

Se-hyeon lightly glanced at his empty plate with only sauce remaining and asked Tae-oh.

"Do you dislike this?"

You can pretend to be reluctant cutely, you know.