By Zephyria 
Haon said he would think about it. Until tomorrow morning.
The man told him he could take a bit more time to consider, but Haon felt that by morning, he would be able to reach a decision. In truth, he could have answered right then and there, but he pushed it to the next day so he could speak with a clearer mind.
As always, Haon fell fast asleep the moment he hit the bed and woke up early the next morning. Thanks to the bright sunlight filling the room through the wide window, he was able to wake up early without even hearing his alarm.
He enjoyed the leisure of a Sunday afternoon, watching the sunlight seep through the window. It was a luxury he had never experienced while living in the goshiwon. There, it was as dark as night even during the day unless the lights were on. Because of that, he could only wake up by hearing his alarm.
Haon had always been a heavy sleeper. In the countryside, where there wasn’t even a computer, the young Haon spent most of his time taking naps. When he wasn’t feeling well, he slept even more.
During his waking hours, he would follow Seong-gu hyung to clean the livestock sheds or run small errands for the village elders. In the rural village where Haon lived, a modest and peaceful daily routine always repeated itself. It was a place where nothing special happened, but no major problems occurred either.
Unlike children these days, Haon had nothing he wanted and nothing he longed to do; he had never once felt that the small village was suffocating. He felt as though he could be happy living in the countryside for the rest of his life. He certainly thought so until his grandmother passed away.
Vrrr—.
Haon, who had been clinging to the bed like a water-soaked blanket, bolted upright at the vibration of his phone. Wondering if it was a call from the man, he hurriedly picked up the phone from the nightstand. However, the call was from the owner of the pub.
“Yes, Boss.”
I’m not opening today. I heard Hyung-cheol’s father passed away.
“Hyung-cheol hyung’s father?”
Hyung-cheol was the longest-serving kitchen staff member at the shop. The boss informed him of the situation, stating that since the shop wouldn’t run without Hyung-cheol anyway, he decided not to do business today.
See you next week. Make sure you show up.
After hanging up, Haon just sat there blankly for a moment. He wasn’t close with Hyung-cheol, but upon hearing the news of his father’s passing, his mood sank deeply.
“It must be so hard…”
Knowing all too well what it was like to send away a beloved family member, he felt even more concerned. How sad must they be? As he worried, he found himself becoming sadder.
Haon’s grandmother had passed away in her sleep. After several days of not being able to eat properly, one day she suddenly wouldn’t open her eyes even when Haon tried to wake her.
The day he sent his grandmother away, Haon cried a great deal. The villagers’ worry doubled as the child, who hadn’t even cried when his mother abandoned him, wailed uncontrollably. Seong-gu had been anxious, fearing that Haon might fall ill from crying so much. He had poured out tears like a torrential rain.
After crying and crying like that, he had fled to Seoul.
He felt as though he would lose his mind from crying if he stayed in a house filled with his grandmother’s scent and belongings. The sadness was unbearable. That was why he stubbornly continued his life in Seoul, even after manifesting as an Omega, even though the work was hard and his living conditions were poor. After all, returning to his hometown would be just as difficult.
He believed that after three years, the scent and memories of his grandmother, whom he could no longer see, would fade slightly. Even when his mother left, the pain had subsided after three years.
The reason he chose Seoul among so many regions was because of his mother. The goshiwon where Haon lived was in the neighborhood closest to the address in the note his mother had left behind. Haon had left his hometown to forget his grandmother, and he chose Seoul because he missed the mother who had faded from his memories.
Was it the right choice? He didn’t know.
Haon buried his face in the white duvet and curled his body up. Although it was only September, it already felt as if winter was approaching.
* * *
In the spacious kitchen, the sound of something boiling accompanied a savory aroma. The person standing before the pot, which gave off a sweet scent, was In-ho.
He was in the middle of making a new porridge with the sweet pumpkin he had ordered in advance yesterday. He could have bought it, but he wanted to make it for Haon himself.
Staring intently at the pot, he stirred the yellow pumpkin liquid carefully so it wouldn’t stick to the bottom. Even though he hadn’t formally learned to cook, he was good at bringing out the flavor of any dish. He was proficient in everything, from Korean and Western to Chinese cuisine. Perhaps influenced by the amount of Chinese food he ate while living in the US, he actually cooked Chinese dishes more often than Korean ones.
He’ll probably wake up late today, too.
Thinking of Haon, who must have fallen asleep after two in the morning, In-ho looked toward the distant guest room. Originally, it was a room where he had never let anyone stay for more than two days. Even when someone did stay, In-ho had never cared about that room this much.
“Is it too much…?”
The porridge boiling vigorously in the pot was about to overflow. In-ho immediately lowered the heat, admitting his failure in portion control. In his desire to feed him plenty, even if it was just porridge, he had made an amount that Haon couldn’t possibly finish.
In the end, he scooped out about half and poured it down the sink. He feared that if Haon saw the pot, he would try to force himself to eat it all.
He had now pretty much figured out Haon’s personality.
That was why he hadn’t dragged things out and had brought it up yesterday. He wanted to persuade Haon to stay in this house before he looked for a new goshiwon. He thought that if he kept asking, Haon would reluctantly agree. But once he actually spoke, the reaction was worse than expected.
Does he hate this house? Or does he hate me?
If it was simply a matter of discomfort, he would do whatever it took to make him feel at ease, but he had no confidence in changing a heart that disliked him. In-ho believed that once you were hated, it was the end.
“Are you awake?”
At the sound of the door opening, In-ho quickly turned around and smiled warmly as he saw Haon walking toward him from a distance. Haon, meeting his eyes, smiled back. Fortunately, his expression looked much brighter than when he had gone to bed.
“Did you sleep well?”
Haon, approaching with a bright face, had neat hair. In-ho had hoped to see his hair sticking up like yesterday. Swallowing his disappointment, In-ho exchanged morning greetings with Haon.
“You’re probably not hungry yet. Do you want to eat in a little bit?”
“No, I’ll eat now.”
Approaching In-ho, Haon peered around as if trying to help with the meal preparation. His actions were strangely proactive, matching his bright expression. Watching this with pleasure, a negative thought suddenly crossed In-ho’s mind.
Why is he so bright? Is he trying to reject yesterday’s proposal?
“Shall I do it?”
The corners of Haon’s mouth curled higher as he watched the pot. It seemed he was acting even brighter on purpose because he felt sorry.
“…No, just set the utensils.”
Managing his expression, In-ho took out a small bowl and filled it with the hot porridge. Knowing that Haon would force himself to eat it all, he intentionally didn’t serve too much.
“Am I the only one eating?”
Haon looked up at In-ho while grabbing the spoon. Only the porridge for Haon was boiling on the induction stove. No other food was prepared.
“I don’t usually eat breakfast.”
Ah, I see. Nodding, Haon took only his spoon and went to the table. When In-ho placed the sweet-smelling bowl in front of him, Haon gave an exaggerated reaction.
“Wow, is this sweet pumpkin?”
He was indeed too bright. While his original expression wasn’t typically dark, it wasn’t usually this intense.
“Do you like sweet pumpkin?”
“Uh, yes. I love it.”
Smiling clearly, Haon took a large spoonful of porridge, blew on it, and ate. Returning to the sink, In-ho slowly brewed a cup of coffee and sat opposite Haon. Haon, who ate slowly, took a long time to finish the porridge.
Perhaps because he was eating it with air, a hap, hap sound occurred every time Haon put the spoon in his mouth. If In-ho’s mind had been at ease, he would have smiled at the sight, but right now, he couldn’t bring himself to laugh.
In fact, seeing Haon bring a large backpack, In-ho had thought he would stay at his house for a long time. He had harbored expectations on his own, not knowing that the bag contained boxes of soy milk rather than clothes.
It would be great if he could stay for just another year and a half.
In-ho swallowed a sigh as he looked at Haon’s wrist, which looked as if it might snap. His sigh deepened as he thought of the thin body hidden inside the oversized clothes.
“Thank you for the meal.”
Having finished every last bit of the porridge, Haon put down his spoon.
“Thank you for making it for me.”
For some reason, it sounded like a farewell. In-ho merely gave a crescent-eyed smile and took a sip of his coffee. Today, the coffee tasted exceptionally bitter.
“Um… about what you mentioned yesterday.”
As if finally getting to the main point, Haon wiped his mouth and smiled even more brightly. In-ho, setting the bitter coffee back on the table, smiled more softly. The expressions of the two facing each other were strangely similar.