Cherry Cake Chapter 6.2

“I used to drive a cultivator sometimes. And a motorcycle. So, it wasn’t that difficult.”

He could drive a cultivator without a license, but he only learned that a separate license was required for motorcycles when he got his driver’s license.

“Oh, really? You even drove a cultivator?”

“I learned from the grandfather in my village. I don’t farm on a large scale like them, so I didn’t use it much, but he said it’s good to learn anything.”

He occasionally rode a motorcycle also because of the elders’ teachings.

Perhaps thanks to driving things since he was young, he easily obtained his license. He didn’t even go to a driving school. He learned from the uncles in his village who drove trucks and got his license right away. He and his grandmother didn’t have many occasions to drive, so they didn’t own a car, but he sometimes drove a truck to help with work.

“Really? Give me a ride sometime.”

“What? On the cultivator?”

“Yes.”

The man drawled as he got out of the car.

I don’t have a cultivator, how can I give him a ride…? Seo Soohyun followed Gi Taeyeon out of the car. As if waiting for him, men in black got out of the black cars lined up behind them. Soohyun glanced at them and followed Gi Taeyeon, who headed towards the store as if he owned the place.

“Director.”

“What.”

“Can’t we go inside alone?”

“Why.”

“The house is small. It will be hard to move around if all the uncles come in.”

The men in black were the “uncles” Gi Taeyeon had brought to help move the belongings. He wasn’t scared of them, but the house would be packed if several large men entered. Moreover, there weren’t many belongings to move. He had come not so much to pack as to check on the house since he would be away for a long time, so he didn’t need much help.

When the man said people would come to move his things, he thought there would be one or two at most, not three cars.

“That’s true.”

The man, his gaze measuring the size of the house, casually waved his hand, and the uncles got back into their cars. It was amazing how they understood him without him saying much.

Seo Soohyun passed the store and entered the house. The cold air that greeted him, evidence of the house being empty for a few days, made his nose sting. He felt a pang of sadness returning alone to the path he had taken while holding Bokshil, but he clenched his jaw and didn’t cry. He had promised to be brave, so he had to manage his emotions.

Gi Taeyeon, after observing Soohyun’s noticeably thinner face for a moment, opened the door leading to the living room and stepped inside.

“Need any help?”

“It’s okay. You stay put, Director. I’ll do it.”

He had already planned what to do first when he arrived.

Seo Soohyun went into the bedroom and unplugged the outlets. He had been worried about the electric mat being left on for so long, but thankfully, the youngest grandmother must have turned it off after his call, as there were no signs of overheating.

After unplugging the outlets, he rummaged through the old closet and found a large plastic bag. After grabbing several of them, he headed straight to the kitchen.

“Mostly dried side dishes. That’s good.”

He had been worried about the food spoiling, but thankfully, there weren’t many dishes that could easily go bad. He took out the containers from the refrigerator and stacked them neatly in the plastic bag, then moved to the kimchi refrigerator. He planned to take the entire kimchi containers and the pre-made broth powder in the plastic bags.

“You’re taking them?”

“Yes. It’s a waste to throw away edible food. They say if you waste food, you have to eat all the wasted food in hell.”

He didn’t fully believe that, but there was no need to throw away perfectly good food. Besides, he always transferred the side dishes to separate bowls, so they were clean.

“And these are good for making broth, so I should take them all. There’s nothing at your place, Director, so I bought a broth package at the supermarket last time, but it was too salty. It’s better to make it myself, even if it takes more effort.”

He had expected there wouldn’t be much to pack, but now it seemed there was quite a bit. Seo Soohyun looked at Gi Taeyeon after checking the kimchi refrigerator.

“Please tell the uncles to move everything in here.”

“Alright.”

Now, what should I do?

He suddenly remembered he hadn’t checked the freezer. Seo Soohyun squatted down and opened the freezer door. As he checked the contents, dried persimmons caught his eye. They were the persimmons he had planned to give to the Director.

As he fiddled with the ziplock bag containing the persimmons, he sensed someone behind him.

“What are you looking at so intently? Are there snacks?”

“Want some dried persimmons?”

Seo Soohyun took out the ziplock bag and stood up from his squatting position. Gi Taeyeon’s gaze, which had been on the persimmons, slowly followed his movement.

“I dried these myself from persimmons I picked. I was going to give them to you, Director, but I kept forgetting.”

He had planned to give them to the man the day he visited, but he had been too preoccupied with providing dinner and a place to sleep because of the unexpected heavy snow.

There had been a few other opportunities after that, but he kept forgetting since he had stored them in the freezer to prevent them from spoiling.

“You were going to give them to me?”

“Yes. But if you don’t like dried persimmons, you don’t have to eat them. I’ll eat them alone. Or should I give them to the uncles?”

He was going to take them with him since they could be stored in the freezer for a long time.

“Why would you eat them alone when you were going to give them to me? And why would I give them to those guys?”

The man took a dried persimmon from the ziplock bag and put it in his mouth. He’s eating it. That’s good. Nothing was more satisfying than seeing someone enjoy the food he had prepared.

“By the way, there are seeds since they’re homemade. Just spit the seeds out in the backyard.”

Gi Taeyeon chuckled as if he found the remark about spitting the seeds in the backyard funny and opened the door leading to the garden. Seo Soohyun focused on packing instead of watching him. Since he seemed to be taking most of the things in the kitchen, he figured it was best to ask the uncles to take everything.

He left the plastic bag with various bottles in the kitchen and went into the bedroom. The youngest grandmother must have turned off the boiler as well, because the cold floor made his toes wiggle, and he naturally thought of Bokshil.

“…”

The blanket and the floor mat were just as they were when he held Bokshil’s small body.

His gaze wandered around the room, lingering on the spots where Bokshil used to lie.

“Sniff.”

Seo Soohyun sniffled. After his grandmother passed away, he had stayed in the master bedroom instead of his own room, tracing his grandmother’s presence. Now, he was tracing Bokshil’s.

‘It’s a shame I couldn’t bury him in the ground. But I gave him a proper funeral…’

After much deliberation, he had moved Bokshil’s urn to a charnel house.

The funeral home also had a charnel house. He wanted to keep the urn in his bedroom, but he thought Bokshil would be less lonely surrounded by his dog friends. He was also worried that the urn might accidentally break.

He felt a bit lonely, but he could bear it thanks to the many photos he had taken of Bokshil. Moreover, since the charnel house was open 24 hours, he could visit Bokshil anytime.

Seo Soohyun squatted near the blanket and gently stroked the spot where Bokshil used to curl up. Perhaps it was a good thing that he was living in Seoul.

After his grandmother passed away, he had endured by holding Bokshil, but now he had to endure the reality of Bokshil’s absence. Every corner of the house held traces of Bokshil, so staying here would constantly remind him of Bokshil, making it difficult to be brave as he had promised.

“I should bring the photo albums.”

Seo Soohyun slowly stood up and went to his mother’s room. The man was nowhere to be seen. He figured Gi Taeyeon was either smoking in the garden or giving instructions to the uncles.

“Just in case…”

Seo Soohyun stepped into the empty room, unlike his own, and started gathering things from the dresser. They weren’t things he necessarily needed to take right now. He still had time before the house was demolished. Besides, since he didn’t know how long he would be staying at the man’s house, the lighter his luggage, the better.

But he figured it was best to pack things he would be upset about losing or damaging. Especially photos, which were difficult to recover once lost.

Seo Soohyun spent a long time in his mother’s room.

When he came out, the uncles were moving the things from the refrigerator. Despite their tough appearances, their hands were delicate. The man, who had been smoking instead of helping, glanced down at the bag in Soohyun’s hand.

“Did you get everything?”

“Yes, I think I got most of the important things. I’ll look around again before we leave.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang. Seo Soohyun quickly checked the caller. It was Kang Yiseon.

“Hello.”

— Soohyun, are you home by any chance?

“Yes. How did you know?”

— The youngest grandmother is here, and she said she saw cars lined up in front of the store.

He had told them he would be coming to pack today.

“Are the others there too?”

— Yes. Want to come over now?

“Yes, I’ll be right there.”

He had to see the grandmothers since he had come all the way here.

Since Gi Taeyeon had lent him a car, he could visit anytime, but the grandmothers weren’t always free, so it was best to see them when he could. Besides, they would be disappointed if he left without seeing them after coming to pack. That’s why he had contacted them in advance.

After hanging up, Seo Soohyun immediately looked for Gi Taeyeon.

“Director, I’m going to see the grandmothers.”

“When will you be back?”

“I don’t think it will take long. Please wait for me.”

“Don’t fall and come back safely.”

He didn’t mind the man’s patronizing tone.

“Yes.”

He simply replied calmly as if it was natural, and walked away, ignoring Gi Taeyeon’s exasperated expression.

Soohyun rubbed his slightly reddened eyes and headed towards the garden. In his pocket was the allowance wallet he had received from the grandmothers. Despite his repeated refusals, they had given him a lot of allowance, perhaps thinking he was going through unnecessary hardship working for the man.

‘It’s not difficult work. You don’t have to give me anything. I get paid one hundred thousand won a day…’

‘You should accept it gratefully when your elders give you something.’

‘Sigh. At his age, working as a cook at someone else’s house… That guy too. How can he make a kid so much younger than him do such work?’

‘I feel so bad for our puppy.’

The grandmothers didn’t seem to like the work he was doing for the man. He felt a bit awkward because he considered it an important job, as important as eating well, not just some menial task. However, he didn’t want to add to their worries since he was there to greet them, so he chose to listen quietly.

‘If anything happens, be sure to call.’

‘Yes, Grandma. I’ll call often even if nothing happens.’

In the end, Seo Soohyun accepted the allowance wallet. The wallet, made of beautiful fabric, fit perfectly in his pocket.

‘I don’t know when I’ll see you again.’

‘I’ll come visit you, hyung. Be sure to let me know when you move.’

‘Okay, I will. And if there’s anything you can’t tell the teacher or the elders, tell me. Alright?’

‘Yes. I’m doing really well, so don’t worry too much. You, the grandmothers, and Grandma in Seoul are all worrying for nothing.’

He also said goodbye to Kang Yiseon.

He thought he would be fine since they weren’t parting forever and he had bid them farewell with a smile, but his eyes reddened on his way to the store. Perhaps it was because of the grandmothers’ reactions. They seemed to feel as if they were marrying off a late-born grandchild to a much older man, which made him feel strange.

“Were you crying again?”

“I wasn’t crying.”

The man was smoking in the garden behind the house. He had simply answered that he wasn’t crying because he wasn’t, but Gi Taeyeon chuckled as if he didn’t believe him.

“Sure. Did you say goodbye to the old ladies?”

“The word ‘old ladies’ is rude… Anyway, I said goodbye properly. And I checked the house earlier. The uncles moved everything well.”

It seemed they had loaded the things he had packed separately into the car he had driven.

“Let’s go if you’re done.”

Gi Taeyeon threw his cigarette on the ground and stubbed it out with his shoe. Seo Soohyun, about to pick up the butt with a slight frown, suddenly stopped.

“Ah, the earthenware jars.”

He wanted to take them with him, but it seemed impossible, which was a shame. The jars buried in the ground were mostly empty since it was spring, but the ones he had carefully stored were full of sauces like soy sauce. He clenched his jaw in frustration.

“Did you sneak some walnuts or something? What’s with that expression?”

“I have sauces in the earthenware jars… I want to take them, but it would be difficult, right? I think I’ll just give them to the grandmothers.”

“Why bother? They’ll all be sold anyway.”

He frowned at the ignorant remark.

“Store-bought soy sauce and homemade soy sauce taste different.”

“Oh, is that so?”

He had spoken sharply in a moment of frustration, but the man seemed unfazed and indifferent.

“Homemade is much better.”

“Are you that upset?”

“Yes. It’s the last batch my grandmother made before she passed away…”

His voice trailed off, overcome with emotion.

Gi Taeyeon, who had been staring intently at the earthenware jars, picked up his phone. It seemed he was making a call.

“There’s another empty house near the one you’re staying at now. A house with a yard.”

His dark pupils shifted downwards, momentarily obscuring the whites of his eyes. Seo Soohyun stared blankly at the man as he continued his call.

“Let’s move the earthenware jars there?”

“Wow, that’s great…”

An exclamation escaped his lips involuntarily. He had thought Seoul was full of dense buildings, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

The house, surrounded by a high wall, had an equally large yard. It was more like a garden than a yard.

‘It would be great to have a garden there.’

Seo Soohyun looked at the lush green lawn and assessed the condition of the soil. Right now, except for the flagstones from the gate to the house, the ground was covered in grass, but if he removed the grass and added topsoil, it would make a decent garden.

It wouldn’t be as good as his garden back home, but since it was sunny, it seemed like a great place to grow crops.

However, Seo Soohyun didn’t voice his thoughts. He and the man were simply employer and employee. They weren’t close enough for him to suggest turning the lawn into a garden.

‘That’s a shame.’

It would be perfect to maintain the garden as it was and turn a corner into a vegetable patch, but for the first time, he felt regretful that it wasn’t his house.

“We need to do some work to properly place the earthenware jars.”

One of the uncles, who had been looking for a place to put the jars, approached him.

Gi Taeyeon, who had been watching the Alphas carefully moving the jars with disinterest, replied indifferently, as if he didn’t understand.

“What.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to have a flat surface with cement or something rather than just grass? These days, people lay flagstones instead of just cement to make it look nice.”

“Then call someone. Start working today.”

“Today, sir? The guys with free time will go… but I heard skilled workers usually have a waiting list.”

“Offer them extra money. The kid’s anxious, you know.”

Seo Soohyun, who had been listening quietly, realized that the “kid” the man was referring to was him and spoke up in surprise.

“I wasn’t thinking about anything. And you don’t have to go this far…”

Of course, flat ground would be better than grass, but earthenware jars didn’t tip over easily. They were heavy because they were full.

“You said homemade tastes much better, right? I have to do this much to get delicious food.”

“Homemade is definitely better than factory-made soy sauce. Then I’ll look into it right away.”

Seo Soohyun glanced at the Alpha with the crew cut, who shared his sentiment, and thanked Gi Taeyeon.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, Director, I even moved the earthenware jars, so I’ll make you more delicious food.”

He hadn’t expected the man to listen to his casual remark. Much less that he would have the jars moved here today.

It wasn’t like there were rows and rows of jars like in the ancestral homes on TV. There were only three or four, but moving full jars wasn’t an easy task. So, when the man said to move the jars, he had been excited, but he thought it would take a few days. Contrary to his expectations, things progressed very quickly.

‘I didn’t think he was the impatient type…’

Seo Soohyun recalled Gi Taeyeon’s usual demeanor.

He had been leisurely smoking in front of the store while the other uncles were running around doing errands, and he had calmly said he would just sleep over when they were stranded by the unexpected snow. He seemed rather laid-back, so it was surprising that he handled this matter so quickly.

Perhaps his usual personality and his work style were different.

“Yes, I look forward to it.”

Gi Taeyeon put a cigarette in his mouth and smiled faintly, amused by Soohyun’s words about making him delicious food.

I’m serious…

Seo Soohyun looked away from the man and looked around the spacious area again. The lush green grass was pretty, but it would definitely be better to create a garden over there.

‘When I move later, I should definitely find a place with a garden.’

Since he planned to move to the countryside, not Seoul or a city, he figured he could find a house with a garden if he had the money. But first, the man had to find Seo Jeonggyun and retrieve the stolen items.

By the way, is the Director okay with the land being like that? Seo Soohyun discreetly observed Gi Taeyeon.

He wasn’t worried because he wasn’t the owner, and he had extinguished the immediate fire by getting a job with the man, but the land issue was still a pressing matter for Gi Taeyeon. It was strange that the man seemed so relaxed despite the situation.

Come to think of it, he had heard that redevelopment was possible with the consent of a certain percentage of residents… Or was it? He couldn’t remember clearly.

Soohyun shook his head slightly, cutting off his train of thought. The man would manage fine even if he didn’t worry, so it was best not to overthink things.

“Director, I have a question. Is it okay for me to use the car I drove today?”

“Want a different car?”

“No, it’s okay. I was just checking.”

“Where are you going to drive around?”

The places Seo Soohyun could go were limited.

“To the supermarket, to visit Bokshil, to see the grandmothers sometimes… And to come back here. Things like sauces last a long time once you get them, so I won’t come often, but I can’t keep asking the uncles for favors. I feel bad, and the jars need to be handled carefully. It’s better for me to take them out myself instead of worrying about them breaking and spoiling.”

Other than that, there weren’t many places he would go.

Lee Chanseo had said there were many things to do in Seoul, but he didn’t feel like doing anything yet. He needed time to adjust to the sudden change in environment, even if it wasn’t difficult.

‘Come to think of it, I should contact Chanseo-hyung too.’

He had received a message a few days ago, but he had been too busy to reply. He should tell him beforehand that he was in Seoul, in case Lee Chanseo heard it from someone else and felt bad.

“Alright then. Have you finished looking around?”

Seo Soohyun came to his senses at the voice above him. He had finished looking around since he had confirmed the safe arrival of the earthenware jars. He didn’t need to look inside the house since he wouldn’t be living here, just visiting occasionally.

The man seemed to think similarly.

“Yes, I think we can go now.”

He kept thinking about how nice it would be to have a garden, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Seo Soohyun tugged on Gi Taeyeon’s finger like a child holding onto their father’s fingertip. It was an unconscious action.

The Director’s house is too barren. Soohyun stared at the empty balcony, lost in thought. He had heard that people could grow gardens or do hydroponics in apartments, but he wasn’t sure if the man would allow it.

Considering how little attention he paid to the house, it seemed like he might readily agree, but he kept going back and forth, wondering if the man would dislike bringing soil inside.

Soohyun, who had been staring at the empty balcony for a while, finally noticed the color of the sky beyond it and realized he had something to do.

“I should make dinner.”

“Make what.”

When did he come out? He turned around and saw the man sitting with his ankle resting on his thigh, in a relaxed posture.

“I didn’t realize it was this late already. I should make dinner… I have the side dishes I brought, so I’ll make it quickly.”

“Just sit here quietly. We should order jjajangmyeon on moving day.”

“What’s jjajangmyeon?”

“Black bean noodles.”

He didn’t know since he had never moved before. Strictly speaking, he had moved to his grandmother’s house holding his mother’s hand, so that day could be considered moving day, but he was too young to remember clearly. Moreover, it was the first time he heard of eating jjajangmyeon on moving day.

“Tell me now if you don’t want to eat it.”

“No, I want to eat it. I like jjajangmyeon.”

It was a dish he could only eat if he drove out of his village since there weren’t any restaurants there.

Even though he preferred Korean food, his mouth watered at the thought of jjajangmyeon after so long. Perhaps sensing his excitement, Gi Taeyeon looked for his phone with an amused expression.

“Order some jjajangmyeon here. And other things for the kid to eat.”

He thought the man would call the restaurant directly, but it seemed he was asking someone else to do it.

Why isn’t he calling himself and asking someone else? Does he not know any good jjajangmyeon places? His curiosity was short-lived. Seo Soohyun hurriedly sat next to Gi Taeyeon and tugged on his sleeve. The man, who was on the phone, looked at him.

Is it okay to say this? At the man’s look that seemed to encourage him to speak, Seo Soohyun hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.

“I want to have jjajangmyeon with extra noodles…”

The man’s eyes narrowed slightly as if gauging his words, then he chuckled. He wondered if it was a shameless request since he was being treated, but Soohyun didn’t retract his words despite Gi Taeyeon’s laughter. He needed extra noodles to feel full.

“I’m so full.”

Seo Soohyun entered his room, rubbing his slightly protruding belly. He had just rinsed and put away the leftover sauce in the dishes despite Gi Taeyeon’s words to leave them and someone would come to clean up. He didn’t like leaving dirty dishes, and he wanted to move around a bit since he was full.

They hadn’t just ordered jjajangmyeon. Sweet and sour pork, kung pao chicken, fried eggplant, and stir-fried pork with peppers followed. I should have ordered extra noodles. Seo Soohyun, who usually ate a lot but didn’t overeat, carefully portioned and thoroughly chewed the jjajangmyeon and the various dishes.

When his stomach felt heavy from the oily Chinese food, he ate some of the accompanying jjamppong broth or the chili peppers from the kung pao chicken. It helped to settle his stomach and stimulate his appetite.

“It’s good that we didn’t have any leftovers even though there was a lot.”

It was fortunate that Gi Taeyeon was also a big eater. It was natural for an Alpha of his size to eat a lot, but he had been worried if they could finish everything since they had ordered so much. Thankfully, they didn’t waste any food.

Instead of lying down on the bed, Seo Soohyun went straight to the bathroom connected to his room. At first, he had been surprised that the guest room had its own bathroom, but now he naturally used it.

As he squeezed toothpaste onto his toothbrush and brushed his teeth, his face was reflected in the bathroom mirror. His cheeks were strangely flushed.

Why are my cheeks so red? His skin was fair, but it was rare for his cheeks to flush so red. It was strange.

As he pondered the reason while brushing his teeth, he recalled the sorghum liquor he had shared with the man during dinner.

Unlike makgeolli, it had a strange, pungent taste, so he had only had one small glass, but it must have been strong and made him feel warm.

Seo Soohyun brushed his teeth diligently, dismissing it as nothing. But then he felt a warmth spreading through his entire body. Am I really running a fever? He tilted his head and examined his face carefully.

But his cheeks looked the same as before, despite the feeling of warmth spreading. It must have been his imagination that his body felt hot.

“Maybe I’m feeling chills instead of a fever…”

He had eaten jjajangmyeon as an excuse for moving, but he hadn’t carried any luggage or done anything strenuous, so he didn’t understand why he suddenly felt this way.

After calmly checking his condition, Soohyun concluded that it was probably because of the sorghum liquor.

It must be the effects of the alcohol, so he would be fine after washing up with hot water and getting a good night’s sleep.

🍑

It must have been body aches, not just the effects of the alcohol. His body felt heavier than usual. Judging by the chills despite his warm cheeks, it seemed he had definitely caught a cold.

“Ugh.”

Seo Soohyun groaned like an old man and sat up. He hadn’t had a bad night’s sleep since getting used to the bed, but he felt like he hadn’t slept well because of his poor condition. Moreover, his skin felt sore as if he had a bad cold.

“I should take some medicine beforehand.”

Seo Soohyun got out of bed and reached for the bookshelf in the corner of the room. He opened the drawer and saw the various over-the-counter medicines he had brought from home yesterday. He was about to grab the cold medicine, but his fingers bumped against the unexpected heat suppressants.

It’s not a heat, is it?

He took out the calendar and checked his heat schedule. He was a recessive Omega, so his symptoms were barely noticeable, but he had made it a habit to record his schedule because of his mother and grandmother’s worries. Thanks to this, he easily found the circled date.

“A little over a month left…”

When he had last checked, there were still several months left, but now it was a little over a month and a half away.

He flipped the calendar to March and left it standing, then found and grabbed the cold medicine. It was better to take it at the onset of a cold rather than when he was already suffering.

He popped out a pill, placed it on his palm, and headed to the kitchen. The kitchen, as always, was empty.

Seo Soohyun poured himself a glass of water and took the medicine. Even though he felt achy, it wasn’t debilitating. He had to make something simple for breakfast since both he and the man had to eat.

He opened the refrigerator and saw the containers of side dishes he had brought from home and the ingredients the uncles had bought. Unlike the first time he opened the refrigerator, the sight of the somewhat filled interior made him feel a sense of accomplishment. As expected, a house felt more lived-in with a full refrigerator.

“What time is it?”

Seo Soohyun, who was about to check the time, stopped when he noticed a memo placed on the dining table.

Work

The memo contained a single word written in a familiar handwriting. It was Gi Taeyeon’s memo. Contrary to his expectations of messy handwriting, the man’s writing was surprisingly neat.

He went to work. But why so early? Did I oversleep? Seo Soohyun hurriedly checked the time. He didn’t think the man would mind him missing breakfast, but it would be a problem if he was considered lazy when he was being paid to work.

“He went to work early today.”

He checked the time and breathed a small sigh of relief. Fortunately, he hadn’t overslept; it seemed the man had left for work early.

Gi Taeyeon leaving for work at dawn wasn’t entirely strange. It had happened a few days prior.

The only difference was that the man had sent a text message then, not a memo.

‘He probably left a memo today because I didn’t see the text last time and waited for a long time.’

He wasn’t in the habit of checking his phone often, so he had missed the man’s message. Because of that, Seo Soohyun had waited for Gi Taeyeon for about two hours, and only after much deliberation, he knocked on the man’s door and realized he had already left for work. He had vaguely waited, thinking the man might be sleeping because he was tired, and two hours had passed quickly.

Even then, Seo Soohyun hadn’t felt annoyed or upset. He had simply thought, ‘He went to work.’ He had been a little hungry from waiting for someone to eat with, but he dismissed it as something that would be resolved by eating.

He had mentioned it to Gi Taeyeon during dinner because he thought it was just a simple incident.

He had thought the man didn’t care since he had teased him for being foolish, but seeing the memo today, it seemed that wasn’t entirely true.

“Maybe he has a lot of work today because he went home yesterday…”

Seo Soohyun muttered to himself while cracking eggs, not intending to eat something simple just because he was alone. He planned to have breakfast with the side dishes he had brought from home and some scallion rolled omelet.

He quickly finished the omelet, made a simple jangguk with potatoes, and sat alone at the spacious dining table to eat. Perhaps because he didn’t have anyone to talk to like last night, his thoughts wandered.

‘By the way, why did I suddenly get body aches? Is it really because of moving yesterday?’

Even though others had done the hard work, not him, it might have taken a toll on his stamina since he couldn’t help but be concerned. He had also held back his tears while saying goodbye to Kang Yiseon and the grandmothers.

Or maybe it was because he had driven for the first time in a while.

It didn’t apply to him, but he had heard that new drivers often suffered from muscle aches the day after driving because of the tension and stiffness.

He had driven for several hours to his hometown, sorted through his belongings, and said a sad farewell to good people. Even after that, he had driven for several more hours, worrying about the earthenware jars. He might have been exhausted from all the stress.

“The Director looked perfectly fine…”

As soon as he spoke, he realized there was no reason for the man to be suffering like him.

Unlike the other uncles, the man hadn’t moved any luggage and had just stood there watching, so there was no way he would be physically strained. Moreover, judging by the fact that he had gone to work early in the morning, he must be fine.

I should get better soon too.

Seo Soohyun diligently chewed the scallion rolled omelet, making a determined resolution. He had already taken medicine, so he figured the body aches would subside if he ate well and rested properly.

‘I should rest today and visit Bokshil tomorrow.’

He had planned to visit Bokshil today since he had started driving again, but since he wasn’t feeling well, it seemed better to rest. It was better to nip things in the bud than to push himself and get sicker. That way, he could avoid suffering for days.

At least he was fortunate to have a strong constitution. Although he occasionally caught colds like this, he had never been seriously ill, and even when he felt unwell, he usually recovered after a good night’s sleep. He would be fine after resting well today.

Seo Soohyun ate diligently. It was a bit lonely eating alone without anyone to talk to, but at least he could savor his food slowly.

This is strange. It’s usually not this bad…

Soohyun crawled into bed as soon as he finished brushing his teeth. It was important to eat well when he was sick, so he had prepared a proper lunch, put the dishes in the dishwasher, and came to his room.

He considered taking another pill, but decided against it since taking too much medicine wasn’t good. Sleep was the best medicine, so he might feel better after a nap.

He knew that lying down right after eating could cause acid reflux, but since he felt so sluggish, he decided it was better to lie down quickly rather than being stubborn.

“Should I tell the Director to eat dinner out?”

Seo Soohyun buried his face in the soft pillow and pondered. He had prepared various main dishes for lunch, so they could be heated up in the microwave, but considering his condition, it seemed better to eat separately for the time being. Alpha’s rarely got sick, but the fact that he, who was usually healthy, felt this sluggish meant it wasn’t an ordinary cold, and he might infect the man.

Besides, if he asked the man to eat out, Gi Taeyeon would probably eat with others and come home. He had said that eating alone was lonely, so he didn’t want to make the man feel that way, even at home where there was someone to eat with.

‘He’ll probably eat lunch with others, so one meal should be okay.’

Seo Soohyun mainly ate breakfast and dinner with Gi Taeyeon. They occasionally had lunch together if the man didn’t go to work, like yesterday, but it was rare.

And Seo Soohyun didn’t feel particularly bad if Gi Taeyeon ate lunch out. It was natural for an office worker. Besides, he was too busy adjusting to his new environment to feel bad.

But today, he felt subtly down.

Is it because I’m sick? He hadn’t been seriously ill since his grandmother passed away, and Bokshil had kept him company, but now that Bokshil was gone and he was sick, he seemed to be getting more whiny.

“If I tell him to eat out, he’ll ask why…”

Gi Taeyeon was generous when it came to spending money. When the man had mentioned one hundred thousand won a day, he had thought it was fifty thousand won per meal, but the man consistently gave him one hundred thousand won even on days when they ate out or ordered food. So, even if he told the man to eat out, Gi Taeyeon would probably be fine with it, but he would still ask why.

But for some reason, he didn’t want to say he was sick.

Seo Soohyun blinked slowly.

“He’ll figure it out.”

He might feel better after a nap, and even if he didn’t, he could just tell the man to heat up the food since he had already prepared it. The dishes weren’t a problem since there was a dishwasher.

His blinking gradually slowed, and his eyelids closed completely. Seo Soohyun slowly exhaled.

Perhaps because he was feeling down, he felt a warmth spreading through him instead of chills.

I’m thirsty…

Seo Soohyun instinctively reached out. He usually kept a glass of water by his bedside, so he should have felt the bottle, but he only felt a soft texture.

He barely managed to wake up and realized he was at the man’s house, not his country home.

I should get some water. He tried to sit up because he was thirsty, but he couldn’t muster any strength.

“Huh…”

What’s wrong with my body? Soohyun let out a small moan. He had been feeling chills like he had body aches, but now he felt feverish, even in his toes. Moreover, his senses were heightened to an alarming degree. He was wearing long clothes, so barely any skin was exposed, but every time his hands and feet touched the blanket, he felt a strange sensation, and his body trembled.

Is it because I’m sick? But it felt too embarrassing to be just pain. His legs involuntarily intertwined.

“Uh…”

Seo Soohyun barely managed to open his eyes. Contrary to his expectations of being alone, someone was staring down at him. He blinked his blurry eyes a few times before realizing it was Gi Taeyeon.

“Oh, Director…”

He called out to the man instinctively, his voice sounding breathless.

Perhaps noticing his strange voice, the man’s eyes crinkled at the corners. As his eyes narrowed, his dark pupils seemed to pierce through Seo Soohyun.

“My body, uh, feels strange… I think I’m sick.”

The man’s tightly closed lips finally parted. A voice as smooth as his lips escaped.

“I don’t think you’re sick.”

His voice was laced with amusement and a hint of mockery.

“Baby.”

Seo Soohyun just blinked. Gi Taeyeon’s voice made him feel even more feverish. His breathing quickened, and his lips parted weakly.

As he lay there limply, panting, the man tilted his head slightly. A low chuckle followed.

“You’ve slept with me before, haven’t you?”