RACA 55

“How did you know we often ran into each other on set?”

As he said, Eunsol visited his filming locations whenever circumstances allowed. It would have been wonderful to work together as actors, but unfortunately, that opportunity never came.

The tasks Eunsol was mainly assigned were miscellaneous chores so menial they barely qualified as staff work. That’s why, even if he had crossed paths with Pyo Jaebeom, he likely wouldn’t have remembered him.

“I won’t tell you.”

“Ah…”

How could he say something like that so coolly? Unlike his beautifully curved eyes, Eunsol let out a low sigh at his denial.

“If you want to know, Lee Eunsol-ssi should speak first.”

“What?”

“When did you start liking me?”

Is that even comparable in weight! Eunsol suppressed his desperate urge to argue. Curiosity-wise, he was no different, and the importance of it was something each person had to judge for themselves.

Regardless, Eunsol found it perplexing why Pyo Jaebeom was curious about it, but at the same time, his own curiosity was piqued.

“Alright, then let’s save that part for later. How about we each get some rest for today?”

“Huh?”

“Lee Eunsol-ssi must be overwhelmed today, and I need some time to think too.”

“Ah…”

It was true, but why did his lack of further insistence bother him? Above all, he had just woken up…

‘Aren’t you hungry?’

How much time had passed? Eunsol, who had been gauging the time, took his phone. It had just passed 4 PM.

But to part ways already? Since he’d been with him whenever he could find a moment, the idea of being apart felt awkward. More than anything, he had no clue what to do with himself alone.

‘If only Bulgom-ssi were here.’

Of all days, he had to be away today. Of course, he said he’d return as soon as possible, though he clearly wasn’t entirely comfortable either.

“Lee Eunsol-ssi? Is there something you want to say?”

“Oh, I was just wondering if you’ve eaten yet.”

“Ah… Come to think of it, I suppose I haven’t.”

Pyo Jaebeom nodded as if he had just realized that fact. It was then, seeing that look, that Eunsol’s eyes sparkled as he opened his mouth.

“I’ll take care of the meal today.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve been shamelessly eating the meals you’ve prepared all this time, Lee Eunsol-ssi. So today, it’s my turn. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

“I, I could do it too.”

It was an offer he’d never heard even from gangster Pyo Jaebeom. But hearing it from his senior made Eunsol feel flustered.

“That’s impossible. I’ve received so much from you. Besides, since you’re pregnant, let me do the cooking.”

The smile spreading across his face was captivating. No wonder he’s ranked number one among Alphas people want to marry.

Watching Eunsol, whose ears were turning red as he had thoughts somewhat out of place for the situation, Pyo Jaebeom concluded plainly.

“I’ll make something I think Eunsol-ssi would like, so just stay here and watch TV for a bit.”

As soon as he stepped out of the living room and into the kitchen, Jaebeom covered his mouth with his fist.

Pfft. Pfft pfft pfft.

But sadly, laughter he couldn’t hold back spilled out in little bursts through his clasped hands. Finally, he leaned on the sink and giggled for a long while.

“I had no idea Eunsol was that cute. Right, Jongjong?”

Jaebeom looked down at his feet. He hadn’t called, but the cat had followed him.

Meow.

At the meow that seemed to agree, he laughed again. His eyes crinkled with pure delight. Eunsol seemed to think he didn’t stand out much, but that wasn’t true at all. When Jaebeom saw him through his motorcycle helmet, he paused, it was the pleasant surprise of, ‘Oh, it’s him again?’

Jaebeom was skilled at recognizing people who liked him. If they were trait bearers, he could read their emotions through pheromones; even if they were betas, it showed in their expressions, eyes, and actions.

No matter how hard one tried to maintain a poker face, emotions inevitably seeped through in the direction of their gaze, their breathing, or small movements.

Eunsol was exactly like that. It wasn’t clear exactly when he first became aware of him. But once he caught his eye, even the slightest attention allowed him to read his thoughts and feelings completely.

“I thought he had no intention of hiding it at all, but I guess I was wrong.”

He wondered when Eunsol would finally tell him he liked him. Jaebeom gently stroked the top of the cat’s head, which was happily swishing its tail without a clue what he was talking about.

He never thought about getting a cat.

“Living with someone else seems pretty nice too. Right?”

Jaebeom had never once considered wanting to be with another person. He was inherently independent, and being alone was more comfortable than rubbing shoulders with someone else.

As a result, he became completely independent while still a student and barely interacted with his family. He had never even considered keeping a pet or a plant.

But this creature, so adorable yet not a bother to him, seemed like it might be okay.

He hummed softly to himself as he walked to the refrigerator. Having lived alone for so long, he was quite confident in his cooking.

Being an actor was surprisingly a decent profession for enjoying leisure time, so he learned various things. One of them was cooking.

“Hmm, should I make it spicy?”

Jaebeom didn’t particularly enjoy spicy food. While he liked seafood, he preferred clear soups and actually enjoyed sashimi or grilled dishes more.

However, since offhand remarks were sometimes interpreted differently than intended, he deliberately avoided mentioning what he disliked, even if he spoke freely about his preferences.

As a result, there were occasionally people like Eunsol who misunderstood him. It was only natural, since he didn’t make any effort to correct those misunderstandings.

“But I should probably rein it in a bit now.”

Even though the twins wanted it, Jaebeom thought he needed to hold back a little on the spicy stuff for Eunsol’s stomach health, and he carefully picked out the ingredients needed for cooking.

“Seeing what he ate last time, he seem to like seafood, so I’ll make a spicy seafood doenjang stew and some bulgogi. For the side dishes, Bulgom has some prepared, so we can just use those.”

He movd here and there with delighted steps. Thinking he’d finally get to show off his skills, Jaebeom found himself getting excited without even realizing it.

“Where did I put that pot?”

Even though he hadn’t cooked since becoming transmigrating in the drama, roughly figuring out where things were kept wasn’t difficult.

He pulled a pot from the lower cabinet, poured in bottled water, and turned on the induction burner. While the water boiled, he washed the vegetables.

“I’ll help you.”

Eunsol spoke up from behind.

“Then would you like to sit there?”

Having sensed someone’s presence long ago, Jaebeom answered without surprise. He had no intention of asking him to do anything. It was simply that he thought it wouldn’t hurt to have him in the same space.

“What should I do?”

“Just someone to talk to.”

“No, not that…

“How important is that? Just keep me entertained while I’m cooking.”

He heard Eunsol laugh from behind. Jaebeom also lifted the corners of his mouth into a smile and moved his hands.

Thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump-thump.

The kitchen knife made a rhythmic sound as it sliced through the vegetables. The cat’s tail wagged cheerfully beneath his feet.

“Jongjong, come here.”

When Eunsol called, Jongjong seemed to glance that way briefly before turning his head back toward Jaebeom. It really was a rather clever creature.

“No, you can’t. If you end up charging at Eunsol-ssi again like you did earlier, it’ll be a problem.”

“That was an accident. Anyway, what are you making?”

Eunsol deliberately changed the subject, he was trying to avoid a difficult topic. Jaebeom gladly decided to go along with him.

“I was thinking of making seafood doenjang stew. Is that okay?”

“Sure.”

The quick reply was so bright that Jaebeom turned his head without thinking. Seeing his face, eyes sparkling too, made Jaebeom feel good too.

“I’ve got some bulgogi marinating, so let’s make that. And let’s add some steamed eggs too. Anything else you’d like to eat?”

“Hmm, no. That should be plenty.”

While they were talking, Jaebeom added sauce to the water that had started bubbling away. Next, he added the prepared vegetables and then dropped in the remaining seafood in order, slowly simmering it to draw out a rich broth.

At the same time, Jaebeom began cooking the bulgogi he had taken out earlier.

After seeing the redness of the bulgogi fade somewhat, he finished it off with tofu and thinly sliced Cheongyang chili peppers in the seafood doenjang stew, leaving it on the induction cooktop for about five more minutes.

While Jaebeom cooked with practiced ease, Eunsol watched the scene with wonder, as if he were watching an entertainment program.

‘I’ve always thought this, but why doesn’t he appear on a cooking show? He’d really suit it.’

A few years ago, Jaebeom Pyo appeared in a refrigerator commercial. There was a scene of him cooking, and he can’t even tell how much everyone raved about his charming vibe.