LFG 58

“……”

Ki Jae-eon had a strong feeling that he shouldn’t be swayed like this. He didn’t know why, but he definitely felt that way.

“Hyung?”

“……”

So, instead of answering, he picked up the Korean exfoliating mitt in the basket. It was a silent request to switch places. Fortunately, Ahn Seo-myeong was quick to catch on. He shrugged once, accepting Ki Jae-eon’s request.

“Wet it with water first, then soap…”

“Ah, uh-huh.”

“Hyung, is this your first time?”

Pause.

Ki Jae-eon’s hand, which had been diligently lathering soap on the Korean exfoliating mitt, stopped abruptly. He thought to himself, Again, his words and actions are a bit… should I say something? Just as he was pondering, Ahn Seo-myeong stretched out his arm, saying he had to scrub before his body cooled down. In the end, he was once again caught up in his pace and couldn’t even open his mouth.

“You can scrub hard for me.”

Ki Jae-eon grabbed his surprisingly sturdy forearm and started scrubbing. But it was more difficult to control his strength than he thought. He kept scrubbing gently, afraid of causing injury. Could it be that Ahn Seo-myeong had scrubbed so ticklishly for the same reason?

I’m afraid of hurting him.

In the end, not knowing how much force to use, he did as Ahn Seo-myeong had done, and before long, he heard a playful voice say, “Ah.” Had he been too gentle? He glanced up slightly and saw the corners of his eyes curved in a smile. Ahn Seo-myeong licked his wet lips.

“So that’s what my touch was like.”

He seemed to have realized something anew.

Then, for some reason, the corners of his mouth slowly rose, revealing his white teeth.

Sparkling.

Perhaps because they were wet, they shone several times brighter than usual today.

A child made by splitting the sun.

Ahn Seo-myeong always gave that kind of feeling.

Just as Ki Jae-eon’s gaze, which had been blankly staring, gradually shifted to the slightly indented dimples, he heard a teasing voice say, “Oh, you’re peeking.” Startled, he raised his gaze and met his dark eyes. Eyes that were steadily gazing at him with goodwill. Ahn Seo-myeong winked at Ki Jae-eon while staring intently at him.

“You’re mean.”

Ahn Seo-myeong had the face of someone who found teasing Ki Jae-eon the most fun thing in the world.

But it was strange.

He didn’t dislike this child’s teasing.

Sometimes it was troublesome, but it didn’t feel unpleasant. He just hoped that Ahn Seo-myeong would smile brighter.

Even after several years, still.

“What, did we rent out the entire jjimjilbang!”

The jjimjilbang they went up to after finishing their baths was truly quiet. It wasn’t just because it was early in the morning; there was literally no one there. They had really lucked out.

In fact, wasn’t it said that the highlight of a bathhouse was the jjimjilbang?

The children got excited and started exploring every nook and cranny. For some reason, the snack bar was open until late. It seemed they hadn’t made any sales today. So, they were probably staying put with the intention of targeting the late-night customers’ wallets. Sure enough, the snack bar owner, who had been propping up his chin and watching meaningless soccer broadcasts, noticed the children and quietly got up from his seat. He could be seen filling the empty egg container and turning on another light. Well, it was a win-win situation for both sides.

“Let’s get sikhye!”

“I want cup noodles and a hot bar!”

“Who wants eggs~?”

“I was hungry, so this is perfect.”

Buzzing. Everyone rushed towards the snack bar.

Ki Jae-eon, who was wearing a loose set of khaki short-sleeved shirt and shorts, was also dragged along in a daze. It was almost as if he had been swept away by a human wave.

Is it possible to have a meal here?

He was currently quite shocked by this new culture. The bathhouse was one thing… but the jjimjilbang was a truly exotic experience in itself. Salt room, sauna, amethyst, etc.—the names were also fascinating. There were even oxygen rooms and ice rooms over there. And it didn’t stop there; on one side, there were three or four massage chairs and dozens of comic books densely packed.

Hmm, it was quite a meticulous place. An attractive space where people of all ages and genders could enjoy relaxation without any preferences!

…This is fun.

Honestly, his heart was pounding.

If possible, he wanted to experience everything.

“Jae-eon hyung-nim!”

“Uh, uh-huh!”

Just then, the children called out to Ki Jae-eon.

He, who had been standing awkwardly at the back, was grabbed by a hand that suddenly appeared and pulled forward. Uh-oh-oh, when he came to his senses, he was proudly occupying the front row.

“Oppa, are you going to eat this?”

“Uh, uh…”

“Hyung, cup noodles, small? Large?”

“Ah, no. I’m…”

“Jae-eon, sikhye or soda?”

“I, just wa, want to drink water…”

“Who said they were going to eat eggs? Ah, whatever. Hey, I’ll just buy a whole tray!”

“……”

“Ugh, it’s cramped to pay! Okay, let’s go!”

Whoosh.

He was thrown back. But then.

…What is all this?

His arms were full of various snacks.

What should he do? As he stood there like a totem pole, Kim Ju-won, who had approached unnoticed, snatched the hot bar and cola from his arms. Ah, I don’t like cheese flavor. He muttered, peeled off the hot bar wrapper, and swallowed more than half of it in one bite. It was a rare spectacle to see every time. As he watched the various foods in his arms disappear in real time… Ki Jae-eon suddenly realized that his and Kim Ju-won’s clothes were different colors.

Only I’m different.

Everyone else was wearing khaki, but only Kim Ju-won was wearing black.

Why? Was there a standard? Ki Jae-eon’s curiosity peeked out.

“But…”

“Uh-huh.”

“Why are o, our clothes different colors?”

Kim Ju-won, who was about to grab a snack, asked back, “Clothes?” His gaze naturally went downwards. He looked back and forth between himself and Ki Jae-eon, then nodded as if he understood, “Ah.” Then, he rolled up his sleeves, revealing his bulging biceps, and tore open the snack bag with a “Buk-” sound, nonchalantly replying, “It’s a size difference.”

“Size?”

“Yeah, you and that little brat over there are wearing those M-size yellowish clothes.”

Kim Ju-won’s finger blatantly pointed at Ahn Seo-myeong at the “little brat” part.

“If you have a physique like hyung, it’s L size.”

Kim Ju-won chuckled.

“You’re just a twig, so.”

“……”

Unlike Ahn Seo-myeong, Kim Ju-won’s smiling face was quite annoying. He kept calling him a twig… Okay, he admitted he wasn’t muscular. But if you only looked at his height and shoulder size, he thought he could wear an L size too. No, that seemed right. Ki Jae-eon kept glancing at Kim Ju-won’s clothes. For some reason, the clothes that he had thought were loose now seemed a bit tight. Th, they seem a bit small. Ki Jae-eon made a silent vow in his heart that if he ever came to this jjimjilbang again, he would definitely ask for an L size.

It was at that moment.

“Ack!”

Kim Ju-won staggered forward. He barely managed to right himself, who was about to fall, and snapped, “Yeesh!”

The one who had kicked him was none other than Ahn Seo-myeong. Despite having a face as soft as mochi, his eyes were as fierce as a carnivore.

However, even after seeing those fierce eyes, Kim Ju-won’s attention was solely on the tray that Ahn Seo-myeong was holding.

“Oh yeah, cup noodles.”

Kim Ju-won’s face lit up when he saw the cup noodles. Then, Ahn Seo-myeong turned the tray away as if hiding it. His touch was aloof to the point of being firm.

“These are for me and Jae-eon hyung.”

“Hey, I’m disappointed. What about hyung’s?”

“Stop being disappointed. Hyung, you don’t eat small cups anyway. The big cup is boiling water over there.”

“Okay, I’ll get it. Wait.”

“Lots of pickled radish.”

“Got it.”

Kim Ju-won hummed as he walked towards where the children were gathered, and before long, he returned with a large cup of noodles in each hand.

“Alright, let’s eat!”

And so, he was forcibly invited to the ramen party. Ki Jae-eon rolled his eyes around and stared blankly at the cup of noodles placed in front of him. Really… eat it? At this late hour, and ramen at that!

It’s going to be so bad for my body…

He was sure that the next day, he would suffer from a bloated stomach. But everyone looked so happy as they slurped it down, he didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere, so he awkwardly picked up his chopsticks. He only planned to eat a bite or two.

But then.

“I’ve never seen such a quiet mukbang before.”

“If a nobleman did a food challenge, that’s exactly what it would look like.”

Before he knew it, he had devoured it all like a goblin.

“You’ve learned the taste of cup noodles eaten at dawn. You can no longer return to your former body.”

“Hehe… Ki Jae-eon, he has finally fallen.”

In fact, the most embarrassed one was Ki Jae-eon.

Wa, was ramen such a delicious food?

The greasy yet savory noodles and the spicy and salty broth! Especially the umami that popped up at the end was amazing. It was ridiculous. This food, which was nothing more than a bundle of stimulants, was more delicious than any delicacy…!

“Hyung, do you know why it’s so delicious?”

Ahn Seo-myeong, who was watching Ki Jae-eon staring intently at the empty cup of noodles, asked as he gave him some of his own ramen. Ki Jae-eon refused, saying it was okay, but as soon as the noodles and broth were offered, he picked up his chopsticks as if possessed again.

“I, I don’t know… Do, do they add a separate seasoning…”

“No. It’s because you’ve suffered so much.”

“……!”

Ki Jae-eon realized a new truth.