RACA 69

“Why are you so surprised? Didn’t you, already have a rough idea about it?”

“W-What? What do you mean?”

“My body weight.”

Lee Eunsol, who had wondered what that could possibly mean, suddenly found himself at a loss for words as memories came flooding back to him. The moments he had shared with Pyo Jaebeom on the bed in recent times flashed through his mind.

“Ha….”

Eunsol covered his face with both hands. He had wanted to pretend he didn’t know, but of all the times, why did those scenes have to resurface right at this moment?

A wave of embarrassment rose to his cheeks.

“You eat well. That way, the twins can grow big and strong and come out soon.”

“You must be eager to see them quickly?”

It was unexpected from Pyo Jaebeom, who had seemed to have no particular affection for the twins until now. However, there was something off about Pyo Jaebeom’s reaction.

“The babies will come when it’s time for them to come.”

Eunsol had assumed that Pyo Jaebeom’s advice to eat well was naturally meant for the children in his belly, but this unexpected response caught him off guard.

“Then why?”

Eunsol tilted his head and asked.

“Why are you nitpicking over nothing? Do you want to eat something else instead?”

“No, I don’t. Rather than me, what about you… CEO? Should I boil some ramen for you?”

Somehow, Eunsol had ended up using the title“CEO” for Pyo Jaebeom, but he consoled himself that it was still better than calling him “Actor.” With that excuse in his mind, Eunsol waited for his response.

Bulgom did the same, waiting quietly until Pyo Jaebeom would open his mouth.

“Then, naengmyeon that’s not spicy.”

Finally, after what seemed like a long moment of contemplation under their gaze, Pyo Jaebeom voiced his desire.

“Um, excuse me, just in case, but are you perhaps someone who can’t handle spicy food originally?”

“Hm?”

“No, I mean… because you said naengmyeon that’s not spicy….”

Pyo Jaebeom quickly realized what misunderstanding Eunsol had jumped to and raised one eyebrow as he spoke.

“We’ve eaten plenty of spicy foods together so far, so why act surprised now? It’s just that I’m craving a light, plain broth today, so don’t worry about it.”

Now that he thought about it, Eunsol realized that was true. Until now, whenever Eunsol had said he wanted to eat something, Pyo Jaebeom had rarely refused.

Eunsol let out a sigh of relief once more and nodded his head. But then, another craving suddenly came to mind.

It wasn’t a meal, but a cool and sweet snack.

It was exactly vanilla ice cream.

“Bulgom-ssi, by any chance, is the ice cream we bought at the mart earlier… still fine?”

As Eunsol was speaking, he belatedly grew concerned about whether the frozen foods had melted due to the earlier incident.

“Yes, it’s fine. What kind would you like?”

Fortunately, Bulgom gave a positive response. At that moment, Pyo Jaebeom, who was sitting across from him, easily noticed the sparkle that lit up in Eunsol’s eyes.

‘He’s not a child or anything.’

Unaware that Pyo Jaebeom was chuckling to himself, Eunsol quickly replied.

“Vanilla ice cream, please. Could I maybe have an affogato too?”

“Affogato with espresso, order received.”

Watching the two of them coordinate so seamlessly, like old friends, Pyo Jaebeom felt a twinge of irritation and shifted the direction of his crossed legs.

It was Bulgom, who was facing him directly, who immediately picked up on his mood.

“Please wait just a moment. I’ll prepare the naengmyeon first and then bring it over.”

“Yes, take your time. I’m not in a hurry.”

It was right then, as Bulgom turned to go after hearing Eunsol’s response.

“That’s fine. Bring the affogato first. I can eat anytime, so it doesn’t matter to me.”

Just then, Pyo Jaebeom’s cell phone, which had been placed on the dining table, vibrated. He pressed the call button and naturally stepped away from the table.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Bulgom headed toward the refrigerator, and Eunsol’s gaze shifted to Pyo Jaebeom, who was now on the phone.

“Yeah, speak.”

The content of the conversation wasn’t clearly audible. However, judging from the tone of his responses, Eunsol guessed it was probably one of his subordinates.

Naturally, his thoughts turned to Lee Daebak, whom they had encountered at the officetel.

‘If I ask what Lee Daebak came for, would he tell me?’

For Eunsol, who had only been a minor actor in that situation, the information was lacking, but as the lead actor, Pyo Jaebeom would surely know the reason for Lee Daebak’s appearance.

Earlier, they had been talking about family matters and missed the timing to ask, but now seemed like a good moment to inquire. However, seeing Pyo Jaebeom’s expression gradually furrowing, it didn’t seem like the right time after all.

‘Come to think of it, the actor’s way of speaking is different when he’s with me compared to when he’s with others.’

With that sudden realization, Eunsol looked at him again.

‘Well, to me, he’s Actor Pyo Jaebeom, but here, he’s the former gangster turned bank president….’

So, of course, he would differentiate his behavior. Reaching that conclusion somehow made Eunsol feel a little thrilled, even though he knew it wasn’t the same kind of emotion Pyo Jaebeom felt toward him. Meanwhile, as Eunsol lost himself in these various thoughts, Pyo Jaebeom’s call continued.

“Interesting? So, you’re saying they’re doing that on purpose over there right now? We’ve figured out the intention?”

It seemed like there was some trouble at work.

‘Since it’s a bank, it must be something related to money. Well, if it’s a money issue, it’s no wonder he’s taking it so seriously.’

If you had to pick the most sensitive issue in the world, wouldn’t it be funds?

Of course, for the actor that Pyo Jaebeom was, bank affairs weren’t something he needed to worry about, but after all, right now, he was the bank president. However, contrary to Eunsol’s assumption, what Pyo Jaebeom was hearing wasn’t about company matters.

-We’re looking into it. However, the circumstances confirm that Kim’s side located Lee Daebak and sent him to Lee Eunsol.

“How can you be so sure?”

-The colleague I met when I went to find Lee Daebak said it. He mentioned that his son has been eating well and living comfortably these days, and that he went off all excited, saying he’d bring back the money.

At that instant, his honed gaze pierced toward the person sitting across from him. The wide, round eyes that seemed to question why he was staring like that looked almost innocent.

“Look into it more. There must be a reason for sure. He’s pretty smart, so make sure he doesn’t get suspicious.”

-Yes, understood. But, in this situation, wouldn’t it be better to keep him from going out for a while?

“Well….”

This time, he narrowed his eyes. Pyo Jaebeom recalled how Eunsol had chattered away endlessly to him all the way home.

If he had his way, he would want to tell Eunsol to just stay home in case of any unforeseen circumstances. But even now, Eunsol only went for walks around the apartment complex or short trips to the nearby mart, and Pyo Jaebeom didn’t want to restrict even that.

“Forget that. Just keep a proper watch on him. Make sure nothing like this happens again.”

-Understood.

As expected from Kwak Sang, who never repeated himself, the response came quickly. Pyo Jaebeom ended the call without even saying goodbye. By then, Eunsol had become completely absorbed in the affogato that Bulgom had prepared for him.

Watching him happily scoop up the ice cream with a spoon, seemingly having forgotten about checking Pyo Jaebeom’s mood just moments ago, Pyo Jaebeom thought that keeping him cooped up at home really wouldn’t do.

“What do you plan to do after lunch?”

In that case, wouldn’t it be better if he just stuck by Eunsol’s side and accompanied him wherever he went? Without even realizing that he wanted Eunsol by his side, Pyo Jaebeom met his eyes as he waited for a response.

For a brief moment, the thought that his face, with the small spoon in his mouth, resembled a pet cat and was adorable, crossed his mind.

“I was thinking of resting for a bit first.”

“Resting?”

“Yes, after going to the mart and dealing with that unexpected situation, it seems like it drained my energy, so I’m feeling a little tired.”

Pyo Jaebeom’s eyebrows subtly furrowed at the words that sounded like his energy was sapped. Seeing that expression, Eunsol wondered if he had said something wrong and quickly opened his mouth again.

“But why? Do you have some other schedule?”

“No. Nothing. Just rest.”

His tone sounded somewhat displeased. Eunsol scanned Pyo Jaebeom’s face this way and that, trying to read his inner thoughts, but he soon gave up in the face of that impassive expression.

He had always thought he was good at picking up on people’s feelings, but Pyo Jaebeom’s thoughts were unreadable.

“There’s really nothing, so you don’t have to be so cautious about it.”

Eunsol, who had ended up showing he was overthinking it unnecessarily, put the remaining ice cream in his mouth to soothe his embarrassment. The cold, sweet taste brushed against the tip of his tongue, and he licked the ice cream that had stuck to the corner of his mouth.

Suddenly, he felt a gaze on him.

“Why are you doing that?”

Sensing the frank stare, he asked, thinking there might be some matter at hand. But the response was a furrowed brow.

‘What is that dissatisfied look again?’

He shouldn’t have asked. Eunsol, furrowing his own brow in annoyance, grumbled as he picked up the empty bowl and stood up.

“Where are you going?”

Now, was even his movement cause for picking a fight? He gave him a displeased look, and Pyo Jaebeom pouted his lips slightly as he asked.

“That’s too much. You’re getting up first just because you’ve finished eating your share?”

“That’s not it, I thought you meant for me to leave, so I got up!”

Why was he grabbing at a living person like this? The more he got to know him, the more he realized what a truly mischievous person he was.

“Well, if you’re tired, you can go rest first. I was just saying something casually. I didn’t mean for you to stay here the whole time.”

With him speaking like that, it was impossible to tell exactly what he wanted.

In the end, Eunsol sat back down in his seat. Right on cue, Bulgom appeared carrying a bowl of naengmyeon.

“Please enjoy your meal.”

Eunsol greeted him contentedly, looking at the naengmyeon bowl filled to the brim with just as much as he had eaten. Pyo Jaebeom, who had just been about to pick up his chopsticks, paused for a moment and said in an indifferent tone.

“Yeah. I’ll eat well.”

They had shared meals together more than once or twice. The reason those words sounded unusually affectionate this time was probably just his imagination.