chapter 65

Se-hyeon didn't always look up the outcome from the beginning. It was precisely his hobby that arose after becoming a person named Ahn Se-hyeon.

After learning about the content of

the original work and being fascinated by the fun of watching it, I ended up doing the same things to other (movies or books) as well.

"It's exciting when you don't know."

"It's still exciting even when I know."

"Even when you know?"

"Yes. Anticipating and waiting for things that will happen in the future creates excitement."

Shin Tae-oh brushed his hand against his confused face. It seems like what I know is different, but I ignored the nagging thought.

Feeling the conversation going off track, Se-hyeon bit his tongue silently as he sensed Shin Tae-oh's inclination to ask further questions. He would focus on the movie instead. While Shin Tae-oh was looking at him, the protagonist who had lost his lover was screaming in agony.

"There's another reason why I like spoilers."

I didn't plan on saying this...

Se-hyeon put down his phone and pulled the two cups of instant noodles closer. Feeling a bit hungry, he intended to eat one for himself but decided to open Shin Tae-oh's as well, just in case. If Shin Tae-oh didn't eat it, it wouldn't be a problem as Se-hyeon could eat both.

He opened the noodle cups, emptied the soup base and pushed the powder down while tearing open the top.

"No matter what scene comes up, I can watch it with a peaceful mind."

Since Shin Tae-oh didn't immediately grasp the meaning, Se-hyeon thought about how to explain it further.

"I really enjoy stability."

While Se-hyeon hadn't been into spoilers for long, seeking stability was part of his inherent nature.

As he poured hot water into the cups of noodles, Shin Tae-oh got lost in thought. Se-hyeon was waiting with the chopsticks still intact in the cup, and then Shin Tae-oh spoke.

"The desire for stability you mentioned last time?"

"Yes."

"You prefer not being surprised by anything?"

"Yes."

"Then, isn't it boring?"

Is it boring?

Still fixated on the cup of noodles, Se-hyeon only tilted his head slightly.

Upon pondering Shin Tae-oh's words, Se-hyeon realized that his life had been like that.

Being an orphan, it wasn't necessarily sad, but it wasn't particularly good either. Without a family to look after him, he behaved meekly, always mindful of others' reactions. That way, people wouldn't dislike him.

That's how he had lived, suppressing his presence since a very young age. Striving to live inconspicuously, he ended up with a life so dull it was suffocating. The only respite he could find was in books, where he could imagine and escape. But once the imagination ended, the emptiness of reality would come crashing down, leading to days of repetition.

And then he entered the book and became Ahn Se-hyeon.

Knowing he was an extra, he felt relieved but also a hint of disappointment. Once again, he realized that he had to live without a sense of presence. Yet, he quickly brushed off the disappointment, realizing that having a family, like a fence, and the enjoyment of watching

Shin Tae-oh brought him happiness. So, was it boring?

"For now, it's enjoyable."

Upon hearing Se-hyeon's words, Shin Tae-oh let out a breathy laugh.

"Sure. If it's enjoyable, that's all that matters."

With no need for further questions, Shin Tae-oh shifted his focus elsewhere.

"One of them is mine, right?"

Unfortunately, it was for the cup of noodles.

"...Well, I was going to ask anyway."

If Shin Tae-oh had said he didn't want it, Se-hyeon had planned to eat both cups.

"I'm serious."

Mentioning my own injustice in response to Shin Tae-oh's stern gaze, I picked up the

chopsticks. Like splitting a pair of wooden chopsticks in half, I divided them and opened the lid. Shin Tae-oh followed suit beside me.

"Enjoy your meal."

Se-hyeon had nothing else to offer except water, so he pushed it forward in front of the cup of noodles.

He loosened the noodles well, allowing the broth to seep through, and swirled the chopsticks around to mix the noodles. As he did so, about a third of the noodles clung to the chopsticks.

The spicy aroma made his mouth water. While eagerly gazing at the noodles, about to devour them, his eyes met Shin Tae-oh's.

"Why are you staring like that?"

Unable to resist Shin Tae-oh's intense gaze before lighting the fire, he had to ask.

"So that I can enjoy it."

"But you haven't taken a single bite yet."

"I was savouring it with my eyes."

What's wrong with him?

While listening to Shin Tae-oh's unnecessary words, the noodles in the broth plumped up. To quickly scoop them up and eat, So Se-hyeon put the noodles into his mouth and sucked them in. There was a risk of the spicy red broth hitting his throat and causing him to cough, but right now, this was how he wanted to eat.

Taking a big bite, he slightly opened his mouth due to the heat and let out a puff of steam. However, Shin Tae-oh was still looking at him.

"Why are you... like that?"

"I said so that I can enjoy it."

How should I handle this kid repeating the same thing?

As Se-hyeon's expression started to worsen, Shin Tae-oh burst into laughter.

"I've never seen anyone make noise while eating outside. But just now, it was really funny."

Of course, Shin Tae-oh hasn't seen it before. Outside, the priority was whether the broth would splatter or the noodles would be cut and eaten, or whether the fire would be lit.

Seeing Se-hyeon silently playing with the noodles using the chopsticks, Shin Tae-oh also lifted his cup of noodles. Then he followed Se-hyeon's lead, taking a big bite of the noodles, only to spit them out because they were too hot.

"Ptuh."

Messy.

"...Is this your first time eating cup noodles?"

"No."

Se-hyeon looked at Shin Tae-oh touching his slightly burnt lips with his fingers with a cold gaze.

If he wanted to imitate me, he should have imitated the way I looked at the noodles

earlier, while still holding them. That was not just for show; it was to cool them down.

"How did you manage to eat it all at once?"

Seeing Shin Tae-oh shaking his head, Se-hyeon couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Who would have thought that a cup of noodles could make him laugh like this?

"You find this amusing."

Shin Tae-oh smiled in response to Se-hyeon's wide-opened mouth and pleasant laughter.

"Today is really nice."

Unable to take his eyes off Se-hyeon's bright face, he mumbled softly.

***

The blanket at home was a versatile one that could be used in all seasons, suitable for spring and autumn. Since Se-hyeon had placed it on the floor to sit on, there was nothing on the bed.

"Well then, I'll sleep on the bed."

"You're going to sleep... and not leave?"

"You're not trying to kick me out on this eventful night, are you?"

Shin Tae-oh pretended to be pitiful, but it was reaching the point where even a fake laugh couldn't come out.

"Go back to the spacious and nice boss's house. This place is small."

"I'm scared of the way there."

"I'll take you there."

"Do you want to sleep at my house?"

If only I could give this brat a good punch.

As I was shaking my fists and suppressing my excitement, Shin Tae-oh ended up lying down on the bed.

“The guest sleeps in the bed, right?”

"Since you put it that way, it's just..."

Do you want to roll around on the floor?

"Se-hyeon, don't look at me like that."

Lying on the bed, supporting his head with both arms, Shin Tae-oh narrowed one eye.

"We have plenty of time, so let's take it slow."

"What..."

Se-hyeon forced back his overwhelmed emotions and managed to give a forced smile.

"Sure, Tae-oh. Sleep well."

I won't offer the blanket on the floor.

As I sat down on the floor, indicating for him to do as he pleased, I suddenly felt a sense of quietness.

With Shin Tae-oh falling asleep, peace had finally found its way into my space.

"What a noisy human."

Just by keeping his mouth shut, my daily life became this quiet. I enjoyed a moment of tranquility before looking at Shin Tae-oh. He was sitting with folded arms, crouched to the side without a blanket, which didn't evoke much pity but rather irritated me. He could have just gone home and slept.

“It feels like the inside is transparent, but you can’t see it.”

As soon as he lay on the bed, he closed his eyes and sniffed my pheromones. I wondered how to break the perverted brat's habit, but he fell asleep as if saying, "When did I ever do that?" It seemed like he didn't get a proper night's sleep yesterday.

If you think about it, he is now a person whose Rut is over, but he treated himself as usual.

"What should I do with this guy?"

After confessing and not saying anything, I sighed as I watched the persistent brat following me around. He seemed relaxed on the surface, but he didn't take his eyes off me. If I suddenly said something like a rejection, Shin Tae-oh would be taken aback.

"Tae-oh."

I called him in a soft voice.

"I'm sorry."

I honestly apologized for enjoying watching him confess his feelings to Yoo Jin-ha. When he confessed to me...

"I need time to think."

It wasn't that I was ready to accept his confession. While we had been helping each other through our cycles, whether I could immediately accept an alpha was still a separate issue.

The priority was to think of a way to reject him without hurting Shin Tae-oh's feelings. Even though Tae-oh had been rejected by Yoo Jin-ha, Se-hyeon didn't want to do the same to him.

‘For now, let's treat him well.”

Before, he wanted to treat others kindly, and now he just didn't want to be hurt when rejecting someone. That's all there was to it.

***

After sometime (Shin Tae-oh's Pov)

"What should I do with this guy?"

"I'm sorry."

Shin Tae-oh looked at Se-hyeon's sleeping face. The murmured words Se-hyeon said, thinking that Shin Tae-oh had fallen asleep, were a rejection. It hadn't even been a day since the confession.

Perhaps Se-hyeon hadn't intended to accept it from the beginning. He just couldn't bring himself to say it while being aware of the situation.

Se-hyeon's rejection didn't really bother me to the point where my heart sank or it was hard to breathe.

Chronic.

He had always struggled with scarcity and now that he had become unfamiliar with abundance, he continued to suffer from chronic scarcity.

[TL note: A chronic condition is a health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time. The term chronic is often applied when the course of the disease lasts for more than three months. The use of "chronic" in this

instance suggests that Shin Tae-oh has been constantly struggling with scarcity in various aspects of his life which could be related to material resources, emotional fulfillment, or even a sense of belonging. Coz he’s the sub-gong who was destined never to be anyone’s first pick (⁠>⁠▂⁠<⁠) ]

It's nonexistent...

Somehow, my determination to hold onto his heart wavered slightly. I hadn't done my best yet, but I had already been discouraged.

"I don't want to let go like this."

Shin Tae-oh murmured with a sense of regret. He wanted to look into Se-hyeon's eyes and eat cup ramen, just like today.

Even though I appeared foolish, the time spent with Se-hyeon was enjoyable to the point where nothing else mattered. I brushed Se-hyeon's hair aside and brought my hand close to his soft cheek, but I couldn't bring myself to touch it. I was afraid he might wake up. And I was afraid he would tell me to go away when he saw me.

"Hmm~... Taenyang, go to sleep already."

However, Se-hyeon woke up. Shin Tae-oh froze with his hand near Se-hyeon's cheek.

"I'll treat you better starting from tomorrow, so for now... go to sleep."

Was he sleep-talking?

I waved my hand in front of Se-hyeon's eyes. It was different from when he pretended to be asleep this morning...this time he is taking in his sleep.

"You'll... treat me better?"

Is it okay to hope for that?

———————

Sorry for the delay (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)