By Zephyria “R-R-Really Ryu Seong-hee came?! Hah… Hey, you crazy bastard! You should have gotten her autograph!”
“Is she that famous?”
“Why are you even in this industry?”
“Hic, that’s too harsh…”
“But are you seriously quitting?”
“Hmph.”
Among the children sitting around the table and talking noisily, a large pot was placed along with several side dishes. The red soup bubbled and a spicy smell spread.
“Wow, that looks delicious!”
“I’m going to eat it and stir-fry rice.”
“Aunt, thank you for the food.”
“Let’s eat, except for the sinner who didn’t recognize Ryu Seong-hee.”
“Not only will I be kicked out of the industry…!!”
“Oh… this is the chicken that Jae-eon hyung personally bought… I’m seriously going to pass down the chicken bones to my descendants.”
“Ugh, uh, wait, wait~! Just a moment, staaap!”
Auntie, stopping the children who were about to pick up their spoons, took out a bowl and began scooping up some meat from the bubbling spicy braised chicken.
“Are you giving that to Ki Jae-eon, Hyung-nim?”
“Yeah~.”
“Auntie, use this.”
Ahn Seo-myeong, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly picked up a delicious-looking chicken leg and put it in the bowl.
“Will one be enough?”
Someone else put a chicken leg in the bowl.
There were only four, and already two were gone? Auntie’s eyes widened. What’s gotten into these kids? Usually, they’d be fighting over who gets to eat them, raising their voices?
“Hmm, Jae-eon Oppa doesn’t eat much anyway… Should we just give him all of them? He’ll at least eat the chicken legs.”
“Should we? Kids, is that okay?”
When someone shouted, the children agreed without hesitation.
“Auntie, give it to me. I’ll put them in.”
Ahn Seo-myeong received the bowl.
“Oh? Uh… but if we give Jae-eon Student all of them, what will you guys eat?”
“We’re okay.”
“If Jae-eon-nim eats them, I can totally just eat potatoes.”
“I can even eat what’s left over.”
“Ah… that’s a bit…”
“Are you saying Jae-eon-nim is dirty right now?”
“I’m drooling. Please refrain from speculation.”
“Ah, but shouldn’t we leave some for Ju-won Hyung?”
“That’s right, that’s right. We have to take care of our Oppa too.”
While they were sharing their opinions, Kim Ju-won appeared in the distance, wearing a loose white t-shirt and black cargo pants. He said in a cynical tone.
“Forget it. Give him all of it.”
“Hyung, hi.”
“Yeah.”
He must have just taken a shower, as he had a damp towel on his head.
He casually accepted the greetings and sat down, offering a polite greeting only to Auntie, “Auntie, I’ll enjoy the meal.”
“Hyung, are you really giving Jae-eon Hyung all of them?”
“Yeah-.”
“Eh.”
Instead of replying, Kim Ju-won took a steaming potato, dipped it, and swallowed it in one gulp.
Ahn Seo-myeong, who had been quietly watching, tilted his head. Then, he shrugged his shoulders and swept all four chicken legs into the bowl without hesitation. He had permission, so it was fine.
“Ah, and the potatoes too.”
“Hey, you…”
Kim Ju-won’s second target, the potato, was also quickly taken.
‘That Hyung instinctively finds the sweetest and most delicious things.’
Ahn Seo-myeong handed the full bowl to Auntie, imagining Ki Jae-eon taking out the food in a few hours. He could already picture the bewildered look on his face when he saw the bowl full of only chicken legs.
‘He’ll eat it all by himself, mumbling?’
…Hmm, that would be cute.
Ahn Seo-myeong smirked.
And the next day.
Auntie, who had come to work early in the morning, found a bowl that had been washed clean.
[I enjoyed the meal. Thank you.]
Along with a note written in neat handwriting.
“Oh my.”
The food waste container she glanced into was the same as she had left it yesterday.
“He ate it all?”
He always left a little bit.
“Persistence pays off, they say…”
Auntie smiled happily. She was pleased that the children’s feelings had been conveyed, even if only a little.
I hope we can all sit around the table together and eat soon. Auntie hummed a tune as she prepared breakfast.
Ki Jae-eon kept glancing at the clock, pacing around the small room.
Haa… A deep shadow fell over his sighing face. His unstable gaze repeatedly reached the door and disappeared, and he finally covered his face and sat down.
“Ugh…”
If you asked why he was doing this, the answer was simple. It was because today was the day he was scheduled to receive his first psychological counseling.
He, who had been quite negative about psychiatric counseling, had decided to receive treatment, and you could find out why by going back a few days.
Yes, that’s right.
The day his mother, Ryu Seong-hee, had visited.
After that day, Ki Jae-eon, who had been tormented by Kim Yeong and Ryu Seong-hee’s persistent ‘Let’s go to the hospital,’ finally surrendered. No, to be exact, he couldn’t resist his mother’s earnest request, which he had received for the first time in his life, but anyway.
‘Let’s just get it once.’
Thinking that he would be satisfied if he received it once, he reluctantly agreed… but when the day came, he was suddenly overwhelmed by fears such as ‘What if I really get cured?’
He didn’t want to meet ‘it’ with a sound mind. Just thinking about it made his whole body tingle. No. Stop… Please! Ki Jae-eon began to bite his nails due to extreme stress and anxiety.
Crunch, crunch.
Blood was already dripping from his half-torn nails, but he didn’t stop even as he felt the stinging pain. He didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping in the first place.
It was then.
“Exorcist Ki Jae-eon-nim, are you there?”
A man’s voice with a strange accent was heard from outside the door.
Flustered.
Ki Jae-eon was startled and looked at the door. Knock, knock, knock. As if to let him know that it wasn’t a hallucination, a knock followed.
A-Already…?
He grabbed the doorknob, trembling, his face pale. Ah, ah… His fingers, unable to do anything, twitched repeatedly.
“Are you not there?”
A demand flew in. Clunk, clunk! He also turned the doorknob roughly.
“Exorcist-nim?”
Knock, knock, knock!
Clunk, clunk!
Ki Jae-eon, who had become impatient, reluctantly turned the doorknob, stammering, “O-Op, open, open.”
…Creak. A hand suddenly grabbed the slowly opening door.
“You were here.”
Then he threw it open. A ray of light stretched out long through the darkness, and an unfamiliar face suddenly appeared.
“Hello. I’m counselor Park Ki-cheol. Are you Exorcist Ki Jae-eon-nim? Wow, you’re much more handsome than I heard?”
The man who spewed out words seemed very ordinary on the outside. He even spoke to him in a friendly way, so his personality seemed quite good.
“Ah, ah…”
“Shall I come in?”
Ki Jae-eon, pushed by the momentum, stepped back and forcibly allowed the man’s intrusion. A subtle scent of skin lotion brushed past the tip of his nose.
“Hmm- the room is small. What are you doing, sit down.”
Who was the owner of the room? The man who introduced himself as Park Ki-cheol had already taken a seat and was beckoning Ki Jae-eon with his finger. He had a strangely overbearing attitude for a psychological counselor.
“…Yes.”
Ki Jae-eon knelt down on the opposite side of him. His cloudy face clearly showed that he was not very happy with the current situation. Nevertheless, Park Ki-cheol did not feel intimidated, but began to scan Ki Jae-eon’s entire body with a very persistent gaze.
A white turtleneck, a black V-neck knit, gloomy semi-curly hair and dark circles under his eyes, a body that twitched every time his gaze reached it, chapped lips in various places, and an atmosphere that seemed precarious.
Park Ki-cheol’s gaze as he scanned Ki Jae-eon was quite blatant.
To put it nicely, it was meticulous, and to put it badly, it was sticky.
“Your lips must hurt.”
Ki Jae-eon flinched away from the hand that unconsciously reached out.
A moment of silence fell between the two.
“Ah? Aah-. Ugh, no-.”
Park Ki-cheol rolled his eyes and stared blankly at his rejected hand. His black pupils gradually narrowed, and then he smirked.
“Don’t touch me without permission? Yes, I understand.”
“……”
“You’re like a cat. I like cats.”
Park Ki-cheol, who had been muttering to himself, suddenly smiled and asked.
“But why is someone who looks so normal mentally ill?”
Huh? It was a kind voice.
But.
‘Woah, is this what it’s usually like….’
It was quite aggressive somewhere.
It felt like well-honed blades were embedded in the softness?
It was strangely uncomfortable and subtly unpleasant.
Ki Jae-eon lowered his head at the sharp words that seemed to be pushing him.
He just wanted to get this man out of the room quickly. He didn’t want to stay in the same space. It was a rare feeling for Ki Jae-eon, who had very few likes and dislikes about people.
So, what should I say to make this man go back quickly… Just as he was thinking about it.
“Ah…!”
Suddenly, a large hand grabbed his cheek.
Squeeze!
“Ke, ugh…”
A hand that exerted force as if trying to force his mouth open.
“Our Exorcist Ki Jae-eon-nim doesn’t tend to make eye contact when talking to people.”