RACA 29

“Dinner’s ready. Come eat!”

Bulgom’s loud voice echoed from the kitchen without a hint of tact. Jaebeom, who had been about to speak, clamped his mouth shut and glanced at Eunsol.

His back, walking toward the kitchen without even looking this way, seemed forlorn, and for some reason, it bothered him.

‎

‎

“Finished eating?”

“Yes!”

Eunsol nodded vigorously, having polished off a bowl of rice and devoured all the side dishes. He stuck out his tongue and fanned himself with his hand.

“Ugh…”

His lips were on fire, likely from the spicy octopus rice bowl. It tasted good, but it was spicy. But eating something fiery seemed to clear his stomach a bit.

“Here, drink this.”

Pyo Jaebeom, who had been watching him flushed, smile with a look of pity, slid over the untouched apple juice.

“Uh…”

Eunsol tried to refuse, saying he could drink his own, but belatedly realized his cup was empty. With an awkward smile, he took Jaebeom’s cup and gulped it down.

“Why won’t you drink what I gave you?”

He was smart as ever. He shook his head at his immediately sullen question. He tried to quickly avert his gaze, but Pyo Jaebeom’s question stopped him.

“Finished?”

Still holding the cup to his lips, Eunsol could only nod his chin up and down.

“Then get up.”

“Huh?”

His dazed response made Pyo Jaebeom raise his eyebrows in surprise. Why did even his most ridiculous expressions look handsome? That guy really was born to be an actor.

Or maybe a model?

Anyway.

“Why…?”

Even as he asked, Eunsol slowly rose from his chair, having gulped down the apple juice to soothe his numb tongue.

Why did he have to say it with that loan shark-like glare, making people tense up?

‘He really is a former loan shark.’

He wore the respectable mask of a savings bank now, but who knew what illegal, underhanded tricks he’d pulled in the past?

“Finished eating? Time to walk it off.”

“Huh?”

What was that supposed to mean? Eunsol stared at Pyo Jaebeom, who had tossed out that random remark and then walked out the door.

“Go on, go, sister… Eunsol-nim.”

Bulgom, who had almost slipped and called him “sister-in-law,” quickly corrected himself under Eunsol’s piercing gaze.

“I think he meant to invite you for a walk.”

“A walk?”

Out of nowhere?

“Lee Eunsol, if you’re not coming, I’m leaving you behind.”

Pyo Jaebeom urged him, as if he’d come back inside to drag him out if he hesitated.

“I’m coming! I’m coming!”

Just as Eunsol answered and stepped out of the kitchen, something suddenly ran past him. It was a cat with a thick, fluffy coat. The creature charged straight ahead, its head colliding squarely with Pyo Jaebeom’s shin.

Thud!

At the impact sound, Pyo Jaebeom raised one eyebrow. His exasperated gaze fell on his own pet cat.

“What are you doing?”

Meow!

The cat kept nudging Jaebeom’s shin while meowing. After observing Jongjong’s behavior closely, Jaebeom ruffled his fur.

The cat usually expressed affection this way, but now it clearly seemed more like protest.

“Beom Jongjong. Are you giving me this treatment because I bullied Eunsol?”

“Huh?”

Eunsol, who had just been approaching them, froze with a puzzled expression, wondering what this was all about.

‘Why is my name coming up here?’

As he pondered this, Jongjong approached him, rubbing his body against his legs, begging for praise. Whatever the reason, it just seemed adorable. Eunsol crouched down, about to stroke the cat’s head.

“Ah?”

Just as he bent his knees, his body suddenly lifted off the ground. Eunsol looked up in surprise. Jaebeom, seemingly exerting no effort at all, met his gaze with a perfectly calm expression.

“What? Are you worried my back might give out from your weight?”

He spoke playfully as usual, but Jaebeom was just as flustered. It was because of his own reflexive action, lifting Eunsol as he instinctively crouched down.

All because of that doctor’s useless advice.

‘During early pregnancy, avoid prolonged cross-legged sitting or positions that compress the abdomen. Have him sit on the floor instead.’

Why did that advice suddenly pop into his head?

“No, wait, why, why, why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

Why did he suddenly pick him up? But once again, there was no reply. Instead, both legs landed back on the floor.

Honestly, it would be nice if he’d at least say something. Once again, Pyo Jaebeom started walking somewhere without any explanation.

He was heading toward the front door. Eunsol followed him hesitantly, doubting his own thoughts. Before he knew it, Pyo Jaebeom had passed through the inner door and entered the foyer, pulling out a pair of black dress shoes from the shoe rack.

“Am I really going too?”

“If you just eat like that and lounge around at home, you’ll gain weight.”

He’d only intended to confirm if he could just leave. But why did he have to listen to him!

“My basal metabolic rate is high, so I don’t gain weight, okay? And I haven’t been lazy either!”

He’d worked hard moving around the house! His eyes widened in indignation as he argued back. His pupils darted around, trying to confirm if he’d heard correctly.

He took in Jaebeom, already lacing up his shoes ready to leave, the door behind him, and his own position. Realizing his intention, Eunsol’s heart fluttered with anticipation as he pulled sneakers from the shoe rack.

“What the hell? Those cheap shoes?”

He fidgeted with his toes at Jaebeom’s scolding and looked down at his shoes. They weren’t exactly branded. Simple design, plain black.

Even these were bought in a rush at the supermarket by Bulgom when he needed to go to the hospital.

“Why? They look clean enough.”

“They look like they’ve been worn for ten years!”

“No, I haven’t! Since buying them at the mart, I haven’t been able to go out, so I haven’t worn them once!”

This is all because you locked me up! Eunsol gave him a look that screamed accusation.

“Huh? Decided to ditch the timid act now?”

Pyo Jaebeom stared at him with an amused expression. Eunsol didn’t back down, meeting his gaze.

“I’m carrying your precious child. Surely you wouldn’t hit me?”

“Oh?”

Pyo Jaebeom wasn’t the type to miss a direct protest aimed at him. He knew that, but his twisted mind couldn’t form polite words.

‘He treats people like tools for bearing children.’

True, that was part of the contract.

But!

Hearing that to his face? He’s no saint, who just lets that slide?

No matter how hard he tried to see the positive in everything, feeling bad was feeling bad.

“Watch your mouth.”

What gave him confidence above all else was that while Pyo Jaebeom spoke harshly, he’d never actually threatened him physically.

Even if it wasn’t out of consideration for him.

‘What’s done is done.’

Eunsol felt a surge of emotion and blurted it out, but his mood cleared just as quickly. He’d said something a bit irritating, but that wasn’t the most important thing right now?

He was letting him walk out on his own two feet!

“Let’s go.”

The front door, locked tight like a fortress, openend. Pyo Jaebeom even held the door, waiting for Eunsol to step out first.

His heart pounding, he slipped past him and out into the hallway. Not a single guard was stationed there. The elevator doors opened perfectly timed.

Eunsol stepped inside first, Pyo Jaebeom following behind. He pressed the button for the first floor and waited briefly. Within seconds, the doors slid open again.

“So, where are we going?”

“Just to the park.”

“Oh, okay.”

Of course. Eunsol’s face, which had briefly looked deflated, brightened instantly as they neared the communal entrance.

‘Anywhere is fine!’

Getting out was what mattered! His eyes sparkled just as the glass doors swung open. The outside air held a hint of warmth and humidity, carrying an inexplicably sweet scent.

“Oh…”

He thought it was his imagination, but there on the bench beside the stairs sat a grandmother and granddaughter side by side, eating cotton candy.

“I told you not to touch it, it’s sticky. Eat it with your mouth.”

“Mmm. But it’s hard to eat.”

“Give it to Grandma.”

Seeming to find it too fiddly, the grandmother gently pulled off a pink puff and guided it to his granddaughter’s lips. The cotton candy slipped into the tiny mouth and melted away.

“Hehe…”

“Is it tasty?”

“Yeees….”

Seeing her giggle so hard her feet were bouncing up and down, she must be in a pretty good mood. Watching her like that, thoughts of his own grandmother surfaced, making his nose sting.

“Do you want some too? Should I buy you some?”

Startled by the sudden question, Eunsol turned his head around.