RACA 31

“If you don’t mind, I’ll prepare dinner today.”

“Ey, sister… Eunsol-nim, you should rest. I’ll handle it!”

“No. I’ve only received meals every time. I feel apologetic, so I’ll demonstrate my abilities today.”

Bulgom scratched his head. He had heard words from Pyo Jaebeom advising not to make him exert effort, but he expressed desire so eagerly with his eyes even sparkling, and he thought refusing wouldn’t be appropriate.

“I understand. Then I’ll assist nearby, so tell me if you need anything.”

“I’ll do so.”

Eunsol, who had finally obtained what he desired, immediately went to the kitchen and checked whether they had eggplants. Finding the desired item among various ingredients that filled the refrigerator posed no difficulty.

He decided sliced and boiled eggplants suited best for preserving the soft texture in a seasoned dish. He confirmed the eggplants had softened to a certain degree, and while he tore them into pieces by hand, Bulgom looked with intrigued eyes.

“What dish is that?”

“It is eggplant seasoning that my grandmother… no, my father enjoyed most.”

He mixed it thoroughly with soy sauce, and when he added sesame oil, a savory aroma wafted gently.

“Oh! It appears delicious.”

When he sprinkled sesame salt on top, an appetizing side dish formed instantly. Eunsol added several more items such as eggplant rice and eggplant cold salad besides that.

Bulgom observed that sight with enigmatic gazes, but he ignored it and moved past. Now he only needed to wait for Pyo Jaebeom to return.

“You are back?”

Jaebeom gazed at Lee Eunsol, who had come out to greet him with the cat attached closely like gum, and his stares held peculiar intensity. The way he stood with hands behind his back felt exactly as if he harbored some scheme.

“Why are you here?”

“I heard the sound that you had arrived.”

He nodded as to acknowledge that, and while he attempted to pass by Lee Eunsol, the cat cried out from behind as if protesting because something displeased him.

‘Who owns that one?’

Jaebeom, who clicked his tongue, headed toward the room to change clothes, but he paused at the savory scent that permeated the house. It differed from Lee Eunsol’s pheromone, and although it resembled food aroma, he couldn’t grasp what had been prepared.

“I’ve set the meal.”

Lee Eunsol spoke quickly as if he had noticed his inner thoughts. Jaebeom’s glances shifted toward Eunsol.

“You did?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Didn’t you hear the doctor’s words that one must exercise caution during early pregnancy?”

“It wasn’t a statement to remain completely still. I prepared it myself because I craved something after a long time.”

Now he had truly abandoned the timid persona, and at the bold stares that met his eyes directly, Jaebeom eventually chuckled. It pleased him somehow.

He preferred someone transparent like Lee Eunsol rather than a person who awkwardly observed surroundings and harbored other intentions, because such transparency caused less fatigue.

His conjecture proved correct. Eunsol had decided to cease pretending timidity. He needed to live with Jaebeom for at least ten months minimum. Therefore, he judged that revealing his usual self would be better than continuing an unsustainable act and displaying awkwardness.

“Wait.”

He tossed the words bluntly before entering the room and turned away. Lee Eunsol halted precisely while he held Jongjong at his side. His actions appeared amusing and endearing.

•••

While Jaebeom disappeared to change clothes, Eunsol swiftly examined the dinner menu arranged on the table. His pupils sparkled as he confirmed several eggplant dishes placed like traps among the appetizing foods.

“Why did you prepare so much?”

Eunsol, who had felt proud, quickly turned his head at Pyo Jaebeom’s voice that resounded from behind.

“Have you arrived? Sit over here!”

The direction where Eunsol gestured concentrated eggplant dishes particularly. However, Pyo Jaebeom somehow stood still and showed no intention to move his steps.

‘Why doesn’t he move? Could he have noticed something odd?’

He fidgeted his toes unnecessarily due to a guilty conscience, and he directed displeased stares toward Bulgom.

“Did you allow that one to prepare?”

Eunsol’s eyes widened roundly at the unexpected remark.

“I apologize!”

Moreover, Bulgom apologized immediately, so he wondered what situation this was.

“Ey, don’t get angry. I said I wanted to do it. I prepared foods that the CEO might like today.”

Nevertheless, Eunsol, who knew the atmosphere would become stranger if he remained silent here, quickly interjected.

“Hmm……”

“Come, sit quickly. The foods will cool after I went through the trouble to prepare them.”

He deliberately bustled by pulling the chair and urged Pyo Jaebeom, because he wondered whether suspicion mixed in the gazes fixed on him. Fortunately, his steps lifted from the floor this time. Soon after he confirmed he sat, Eunsol served eggplant rice and soybean paste stew and placed them in front of Pyo Jaebeom.

He felt Pyo Jaebeom, who had been inspecting his portion, pause momentarily.

“Why do you react that way?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you like eggplant?”

Pyo Jaebeom didn’t answer immediately and directed his sights to the rice piled high with eggplant.

“I dislike the act of mixing anything into rice.”

While he said that, he skillfully picked only the parts without eggplant and put them in his mouth.

‘He really dislikes it.’

Eunsol observed that sight with sparkling eyes. Next, Pyo Jaebeom reached for the eggplant cold salad where ice floated. The cold soup contained eggplant, onion, carrot, and spicily sliced Cheongyang peppers, and it could refresh the insides and stimulate appetite, so his grandmother had favored the dish.

“I prepared it because the days seem to grow warmer gradually.”

Of course, if he disliked eggplant, he couldn’t eat it. Anyway, it qualified as a dish one might consider as summer approached, right?

“You ate only spicy things for a while, but now it appears different?”

“Well……”

He probably didn’t know yet that the peppers included were Cheongyang peppers. Eunsol vaguely evaded and sent glances urging him to eat quickly.

Pyo Jaebeom scooped the broth without particular hesitation, as if his remark held no other meaning. However, he didn’t touch the eggplant this time either. Eunsol, who had been monitoring Pyo Jaebeom’s state, swallowed saliva. One instance could count as coincidence, so he needed to observe further.

Throughout the meal, Eunsol’s attention directed entirely toward the side dishes that Pyo Jaebeom’s spoon touched. He had planted eggplant in various places and mixed it with meat and vegetables unobtrusively.

‘Wow…… He avoids only eggplant.’

Even if one overlooked the soup, he showed no inclination to touch dishes containing eggplant at all. Of course, this alone didn’t confirm definitively that he hated eggplant.

“Try this as well.”

Eunsol subtly pushed the plate containing eggplant seasoning toward Pyo Jaebeom. Although an especially savory smell wafted due to the added sesame oil, he didn’t glance at it.

“It is something I like, and it tastes delicious.”

“You like this kind?”

“Yes.”

Why is he staring with such eyes?

“You have quite a palate.”

“Rustic, you mean?”

Since he softened it on his own, Pyo Jaebeom met his eyes and soon let out a laugh. He laughs quite freely, although he isn’t an entertainer.

‘Perhaps he should appear on variety shows at this rate.’

It would prove impossible anyway due to his lack of eloquence. Moreover, variety programs wouldn’t cast unknown minor roles.

“You who like it should eat.”

Indeed, the one before him was the actor Pyo Jaebeom. Eunsol’s mere conjecture transformed into certainty. After that day, he examined his food preferences several more times.

Each time, Pyo Jaebeom unconsciously avoided foods he didn’t prefer.

“Is he unaware, or is he dull?”

While he repeated similar antics for the fifth time, Pyo Jaebeom still showed no returning reaction. Eunsol slumped limply in the chair out of dejection.

Pyo Jaebeom, who had just finished the meal moments ago, left the seat first to answer an incoming call. It came from a subordinate named Kwak Sang, and since it mentioned something about President Kim, it seemed work-related.

“Huh? What did you say?”

“No. Actually, you know.”

Eunsol, who had been waving his hand, suddenly called him due to a thought that arose. Bulgom, who had just donned rubber gloves to wash dishes, turned around with puzzled expressions.

“What is the CEO’s hobby?”

Bulgom blinked. The question he received somehow resembled one he had heard days ago. Since peculiar situations had repeated afterward, he wondered suspiciously whether something existed between his boss and the madam.

Judging by his boss’s behavior, it didn’t seem so.

“Well? Golf? Shooting?”

“Oh… Does he like shooting?”

“Rather than liking it, for business.”

Sports among the upper class don’t constitute mere social activities. They build networks while conversing across wide venues.

In that regard, golf or shooting served as quite decent means, so Pyo Jaebeom engaged in them frequently. However, since they didn’t qualify as hobbies, Bulgom tilted his head.

“Hmm… Indeed, right?”

As he saw Eunsol who appeared deep in thought, questions arose again in Bulgom’s pupils. He seemed to witness such appearances often lately……

“Are you still here?”

At that moment, Pyo Jaebeom, who had finished the call, appeared in the kitchen.

“I intended to rise now. Has the call ended?”

“Yes, it has ended.”

Eunsol, who had waited for him to come, quickly stood up and walked to the entrance. The cat followed behind him very naturally now.