RACA 51

Eunsol headed for the living room instead of his own room. Since neither Bulgom nor the cat that followed him around every day came near him today, this was the room he chose.

Stretching out on the sofa like before, Eunsol pulled out what he’d tucked away. It was the ultrasound photo of the twins, the ones that had earned the harsh label of “tadpoles” from Pyo Jaebeom.

“So cute…”

He couldn’t bring himself to argue that they didn’t resemble tadpoles, but looking at it again, it suddenly seemed cute all over again.

“You’re Ssangssang, and you’re Ddungddung.”

Eunsol first turned his gaze to the fetus in front, then showed interest in the one behind as well.

They weren’t much different, so next time he went, he wouldn’t be able to tell which one was Ssangssang and which was Ddungddung.

But whatever, who cares.

“Yeah, as long as I had you guys, that’s all that matter.”

For now, he would focus on helping the twins feel at ease while bringing back Pyo Jaebeom’s memories. Eunsol made up his mind and placed the ultrasound photo on his chest.

Whether it was the quiet or the rare outing, his body, already prone to fatigue, called for sleep.

‘I wish I could wake up to something.’

Choosing a magazine related to movies was, of course, because he hoped Pyo Jaebeom would look at it and think about his own profession.

So even if he couldn’t come up with anything immediately, Eunsol closed his eyes, hoping he would at least find a clue.

At the same moment, Jaebeom, left behind in the study, quietly watched the closed door. With his hearing, sight, and sense of smell more developed than most, detecting any movement outside was no trouble.

“What? Already gone?”

He said he liked me? He caught Eunsol red-handed, right? Feeling suddenly hollow, Jaebeom got up from his seat and walked toward the door, just in case.

He quietly opened the door, but no one was there. Only the faint, sweet, and refreshing scent Eunsol had left behind lingered.

“Huh?”

Lee Eunsol is definitely not ordinary. He’s trying to approach things cautiously while still showing his feelings honestly.

“You’re out of luck, Beom Jongjong.”

Amidst all this, Pyo Jaebeom successfully apprehended the cat that was trying to sneak out through the open door.

Meow.

The little guy cried to be let go, but it was impossible. He was so startled when that big, clumsy thing climbed onto Lee Eunsol’s back.

When he saw his skinny frame buckle under the weight and fall, his heart literally skipped a beat.

“What if something happens to the twins because of you, huh?”

It was a relief they seemed to be growing strong and healthy. But regardless, he couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling that he hadn’t checked on Lee Eunsol’s condition.

“Right, we need to see if he’s okay now.”

Jaebeom attached a legitimate reason to his act of leaving the study to meet Eunsol. Though there was no real need for it, the excuse he added felt flimsy.

Unaware of this fact, he locked the cat inside the study and went outside. He could hear Jongjong meowing and crying inside, but he didn’t open the door.

Whether to let the cat in would be decided after checking Lee Eunsol’s condition. Unfortunately, however, Jaebeom did not achieve his intended goal.

“Why is it sleeping like that again?”

Finding Eunsol passed out on the sofa in a crumpled position despite his spacious bed, Jaebeom frowned. He immediately rushed over, intending to lift him up. But something fell at his feet before he could reach him.

Only after picking it up did he realize it was the ultrasound photo the hospital had given them.

“Cute, I guess.”

Jaebeom smiled, imagining Eunsol staring at the twins’ ultrasound photo until he fell asleep. But Jaebeom, however, mistakenly thought he was smiling because of the twins and let it pass.

The footsteps carrying the sleeping person in his arms were lighter than ever before.

After laying Eunsol on the bed, Jaebeom took out the ultrasound photo he had tucked into his pocket.

“You’re such a scatterbrain.”

Scanning the room to find a place to put it, he suddenly felt how empty the room really was. Eunsol had been staying here for over two months already.

But somehow, Eunsol’s room felt even emptier than the hotel room he’d used like his own home. Come to think of it, Eunsol hadn’t asked him to buy him anything special besides the clothes he’d provided at the beginning.

“If you need something, you should just say so right away.”

He’s not the type to be stingy. And from what he’s seen so far, Eunsol doesn’t seem like the type to hesitate and fumble when he wants something.

Besides, even if they couldn’t meet often, he was with Bulgom all day long, so he could have just told him what he wanted.

That’s why he put him there.

‘But why is there absolutely nothing here?’

Things that wouldn’t have bothered him before suddenly caught his eye. Looking around, Jaebeom set the ultrasound photo he was holding down on the bedside shelf.

“Guess I’ll need to buy a frame too.”

Since Eunsol didn’t say anything, he had no choice but to buy it himself. He clicked his tongue in apparent displeasure, then paused briefly as he stepped out into the hallway. Life with Eunsol had become so natural now that being alone left him at a loss for what to do.

“Did he say to read a magazine?”

With nothing much to do, Jaebeom’s hands paused mid-motion as he was gathering his usual drink and simple snacks.

Without thinking, he’d grabbed the roasted pecans and dried figs Eunsol had bought a few days ago, asking if he liked them. He usually preferred snacks that were plain or slightly salty. Yet, since Eunsol had bought these, he found himself reaching for them more often.

“He told me I like these.”

His attitude, acting as if he knew Jaebeom well, was suspicious. But then he remembered what Eunsol thought of him, and he figured, what did it matter? Whatever the case, the important thing was that these snacks suited his taste perfectly.

Jaebeom took the drinks and snacks to the study. Since he’d told him to look, he intended to at least pretend to read.

As he reached for the study door handle, a scratching sound from the other side greeted him.

“Ah.”

Jaebeom belatedly remembered he’d left the cat in the study. He was annoyed at how he kept bothering Lee Eunsol, and this was also a small act of revenge for the accident Jongjong caused earlier when he got startled by the robot vacuum cleaner.

The reason he got the robot vacuum cleaner was because of Bulgom’s suggestion that Eunsol might like it.

They just received the item yesterday, and since Bulgom was away, he tried it out, and that’s when the trouble started.

“Did you reflect on your actions, Beom Jongjong?”

His mistake was underestimating that a big, clumsy cat would be so repulsed by the tiny robot vacuum cleaner.

Muttering incomprehensible scolding, Jaebeom quietly opened the door.

Creak, creak.

The cat, which had been aggressively scratching at the door, was momentarily flustered when its body was pushed backward, but soon attempted to escape through the gap that had opened.

“Hmm, no good.”

That was instantly blocked by Jaebeom’s long legs guarding the front.

Meoww.

The one who cried cutely, like acting cute, when with Lee Eunsol, returned to his original low-pitched cry when alone with Jaebeom.

That sight was so disgusting Jaebeom wrinkled his nose.

“You bastard, you put on all kinds of airs for Lee Eunsol, but you show your true colors in front of me? Huh?”

When he tapped Jongjong’s soft belly, the cat wrinkled his nose and swished his tail back and forth.

“Hey, Beom Jongjong. Get inside.”

Jaebeom pushed the cat’s body back with his leg and entered the study. Since he couldn’t carry him because he was holding a tray, this was the best he could do.

Meow.

The cat bristled in protest, demanding, “Why won’t you let me out?”

“You’re banned from approaching Lee Eunsol for the time being.”

Jaebeom interrupted him, then walked not to the desk but to the sofa Eunsol had been sitting on moments before. He set the tray he’d been carrying down on the small table, picked up the largest magazine from the pile on the desk, and plopped down.

It was on top, and he figured there must be a reason Eunsol specifically told him to read this one first.

Meowww.

Since Jaebeom wasn’t paying attention, the cat quietly hopped onto the sofa and pressed itself against him. It was annoying how Jongjong kept flicking the magazine he was holding with his tail, but he didn’t push it away. He knew the cat was preoccupied with what had happened earlier.

His hand paused as he turned the cover, about to stroke the cat’s fur. Jaebeom’s gaze drifted toward the cat, sitting there so relaxed.

The conversation he’d shared with Lee Eunsol came to mind. Did he remember when he’d started raising him? Or whether it had been purchased or adopted?

He thought about it earlier too, but still nothing comes to mind.

Meow!

While petting the cat’s back, who seemed to have grown impatient waiting and was urging him to pet it quickly, Jaebeom picked up his phone.

-Yes, sir!

The call connected shortly after the signal went through.

“Kwak Sang-ah.”

-Yes, please speak.

“When did I bring Beom Jongjong home?”

-You adopted him five years ago.

“Ah, that’s right.”

Through Kwak Sang, Jaebeom resolved all his questions at once, from the moment he met the cat to the process of bringing it home. After that, memories flooded back into his mind as if to ask how he could have forgotten it all.

“Huh?”