Chapter 16

At Se-heon’s signal that it was okay to go in, Tae-seo went inside. The neat room, which had only one bed, had a dressing room and a small bathroom attached to it. With just a few bottles of water, he could live in the room without leaving. As Tae-seo looked around the room, he suddenly became curious about Se-heon’s room and asked.

“Where is your room?”

“…”

Se-heon’s answer came a little late, but he pointed somewhere with three fingers. Since he was leaning against the door, Tae-seo had to pass through the narrow space to go out and check. After a moment of hesitation, Tae-seo poked his head out of the door and looked where Se-heon was pointing. There was a distance between the living room and the rooms. Since there was a distance, he wouldn’t even have to worry about disturbing the homeowner with minor living noises.

Tae-seo put his head back in and looked around the room again. He thought that since the house was big, there would be  one spare room. But it was better than he thought. Tae-seo stroked the bed gently and enjoyed the soft feeling.

“What room is this?”

“There are a lot of things you’re curious about even though you said you’d act like you’re not here.”

“I won’t ask.”

It was best to just say thank you for what you’re given and move on. Tae-seo, who seemed like he wouldn’t ask any more questions, suddenly frowned as  if he was embarrassed. Wondering  if it was a physiological phenomenon because he was holding his stomach and looking at the bathroom, Se-heon turned to leave.

“By the way.”

Tae-seo said, checking Se-heon’s expression as he turned back.

“This is my first time in this neighborhood, and you might change your mind and not let me in while I’m out.”

“Are you trying to make me sound like a weirdo?”

“No, I’m not saying you’re a weirdo. To be honest, who would let a stranger stay over? It wouldn’t be strange at all if you changed your mind halfway through.”

“So what do you want to say?”

“I think I need to eat dinner, but could I just have that? As you know, all I had was a burger in the afternoon.”

Se-heon’s face was a mix of bewilderment and amusement. So that’s why he was holding his stomach. Se-heon’s forehead wrinkled as he considered whether to just turn around and say he didn’t know. He had watched Tae-seo eat lunch earlier, feeling a bit sorry for him.

“Come here.”

At Se-heon’s nod, Tae-seo got up from the bed with a bright smile. He followed him into the kitchen and looked around, slipping into a seat at the table. He didn’t have anything to do anyway, so he might as well sit up.

“You can eat anything?”

“Yes.”

He had spent a long time wondering what to eat at the hotel earlier, but now he really didn’t care. As he thought about his situation, did he have nothing to lose? He shrugged as  if to say, “Why not?” Se-heon, checking to see  if Tae-seo was serious, opened the refrigerator.

Tae-seo leaned forward at the table and glanced at the refrigerator. Would someone who lived alone in this big house have a maid? Would they take out prepared food and heat it up for him? Then, Tae-seo’s eyes widened as Se-heon’s hand reached for an onion.

“Are you going to cook?”

“Otherwise I’ll have to go out and buy something.”

Se-heon took a few vegetables and headed for the sink. Tae-seo watched him curiously as he rolled up his sleeves and prepared the vegetables.

“I thought you didn’t care much about food, you eat out, and you eat whatever the person who works for you gives you.”

“Live like that.”

Se-heon said nonchalantly and put the prepared vegetables on the cutting board and cut them one by one. He quickly drained the water from the vegetables took out a frying pan and put oil in it. It was quick after that, taking out two small portions of frozen rice that he could eat one at a time and an egg.

Tae-seo stared at the fried rice in front of him, feeling the warm heat coming from it.

“I get tired of eating out, so I sometimes make this. I also eat what my worker makes for me, but he hasn’t been able to come home lately, so I told him not to leave me any food. Aren’t you going to eat?”

Se-heon, who put his fried rice down with just kimchi between them, gestured at Tae-seo’s spoon.

“Or do you only eat fancy stuff? If you answer that you need soup, stew, and five side dishes, I’ll be in trouble?”

“I told you I eat everything well. I was just surprised. Wow, I thought you were big, but your hands are big too. There’s too much.”

“Eat it all. You need to eat well during your growing period.”

“I’m past my growing period.”

Tae-seo said his age again while picking up his spoon. However, Se-heon patted his head as  if to say he was cute instead of responding. Tae-seo touched his head and scooped up some fried rice to eat.

The individual grains of rice were fluffy, and the vegetables, which were oily but not at all greasy, and the savory egg were all in harmony. Because it was just made, it was still hot enough to warm his stomach even as he chewed and swallowed.

Once he tasted it, there was no room for hesitation. Seeing Tae-seo diligently moving his spoon, Se-heon belatedly picked up his own spoon as well.

“School?”

“I go. Four times a week.”

“You have a lot of free time.”

“Is that so?”

Tae-seo didn’t know because he didn’t make his own schedule. Come to think of it, I guess it is. He didn’t have more than three classes a day, and his major and general education courses were mixed appropriately.

“But I don’t have much of that time left. Midterms are coming up soon.”

“Do you study too?”

“…Didn’t you just ask me  if I go to school?”

Tae-seo pouted at Se-heon’s surprised expression. It’s obvious that you study  if you go to school. Tae-seo stared at the fried rice as if it were Se-heon and swallowed it whole. He had to chew it all up.

“What do you think of me?”

“I’ve been feeling uncomfortable with the way you’ve been calling me since earlier.”

There was a reason why Se-heon’s reaction was getting slower every time Tae-seo called him “that person.” Tae-seo didn’t mean anything by calling him “that person,” he just couldn’t think of another way to call him. And if Se-heon didn’t like it, he would change it.

“…How about ‘landlord’?”

Tae-seo quickly added a word after seeing Se-heon raise an eyebrow.

“Since you’re the landlord, ‘landlord’. Or maybe ‘lord’?”

“Just call me Hyung.”

“Is that okay? You seemed to dislike it earlier, so I thought about calling you ‘landlord’.”

“Only call me that while you’re staying here. Call me by my title when you go outside.”

Why should I call you by your title when I’m not your employee? Tae-seo forced a smile, wanting to argue. So, is the title the problem? I’ve heard people call their bosses “president” outside of work, and in dramas, they all call each other “executive vice president” and “director,” so what’s so great about those common titles?

“Yes, Se-heon-hyung.”

I have to do as I’m told for now.

Se-heon’s eyes, which were playing with the tie, glanced sideways. He was curious about the whereabouts of the person who had been silent since he went into his room after dinner last night. He said he would be quiet, and he kept his word.

But even with this level of quietness, he couldn’t help but worry. He wondered  if he would feel better  if he didn’t see him at all. Once he started to be conscious of it, it wasn’t easy to let it go. So Se-heon’s body was in front of the door of the room, not the front door.

Se-heon looked at the firmly closed door and then raised his hand and knocked. If he was thinking of staying in the room until I left, he could just tell me it was okay to come out now. Tae-seo didn’t come out even when I waited. Se-heon knocked again and took a step back.

There was still no response as  if he hadn’t heard the knock. Se-heon was about to turn around and just leave, but then he looked at the door again. Could there be a problem  if he’s not responding this much?

“I won’t let you get away with it if you make me work late at my own house.”

Se-heon lowered the doorknob with a mutter. Se-heon opened the door, which moved smoothly because it wasn’t locked, and found Tae-seo sleeping. When he got closer, he saw that Tae-seo was lying on his back with his body curled up. I called him a kid yesterday, but it was half a joke, he looked like a kid when he saw him rolling around and sleeping.

“Even in this situation, you can sleep so peacefully?”

Se-heon crossed his arms in disbelief and looked down at Tae-seo. Now that he confirmed that he was safe, he should turn around, but a strange anger welled up inside him.

“Tae-seo, wake up. Hyung is going to work.”

“Ugh.”

So he woke up Tae-seo, who was sleeping soundly. Yesterday he called me all kinds of names, from landlord to lord, and now he’s back to calling me “hyung”. Tae-seo rubbed his eyes with his hands and turned over at the sound of Se-heon’s voice. Even though he knew Se-heon had woken him up, Tae-seo couldn’t get up easily, rubbing his body on the bed. Then, Tae-seo, who had barely raised his upper body, looked up at Se-heon with half-closed eyes.

“I’m so sleepy.”

Even with his face still full of sleepiness, he was still whining like a magpie’s nest. Is he the type who has a hard time waking up in the morning? Se-heon ruffled that hair.

“Have a good day.”

“Honey.”

Tae-seo called out to Se-heon. When he looked back, Tae-seo said, burrowing back into the covers. Did he just call me “honey”?

“I’m having sushi for dinner.”

“…”

Se-heon looked at Tae-seo with a dumbfounded expression.

Is this kid crazy? He slept so well.

He didn’t think at all that it was his fault for waking up a kid who was sleeping well.

TN: I have made myself clear to correct me  if u have seen error I saw ch 14 it was Yun Tae-seo when it was supposed to be Yoon not Yun, glad that I read it again today.