By Zephyria 
“Please eat well. Winter is coming, so you need to eat hearty meals to stay healthy.”
Haon said to In-ho. Of all people, Haon was saying this to In-ho.
Sitting at the table, In-ho omitted the words that came to mind and simply nodded with a smile. He also suppressed the laughter that threatened to burst out as he looked at the food laid out on the table.
“You’re a good cook, Haon.”
Rubbing the corner of his mouth, he spoke with a look of surprise. It was a mix of a joke and sincerity.
“I’m not. I only made simple things…”
“This is plenty good. There are many people who can’t even make simple dishes.”
As soon as In-ho took a sip of the soup, he marveled at how delicious it was.
At In-ho’s continuous praise, Haon couldn’t hide his smile, though he felt shy. He knew his skills weren’t worthy of such praise, so he felt flustered that In-ho kept saying it was delicious.
It seemed like he had made a lot, but looking closely, the dishes were all very similar. Egg fried rice, egg soup, and rolled omelets with finely chopped green onions and carrots. If it weren’t for the eggs, the table would have been very empty.
Haon sat opposite In-ho, who was eating heartily, and quietly drank only water. He found In-ho’s neat way of eating—hardly making any chewing sounds—so pleasant that he found himself staring blankly again.
Accustomed to that gaze, In-ho focused only on the food so that Haon could look at him comfortably.
The food Haon had prepared tasted like the person who made it. Even the texture felt similar. It was moderately warm and so soft that it was almost a shame how easily it broke apart. It was a very interesting taste.
Gurgle.
The moment In-ho picked up a fluffy piece of rolled omelet, a sound that didn’t often occur echoed from Haon’s stomach.
At the same time, In-ho stopped his chopsticks and looked at Haon. Had it been anyone else’s stomach, he would have pretended not to hear it, but because it came from Haon, he couldn’t ignore it.
“Are you hungry, Haon?”
In-ho asked, observing Haon’s expression.
Haon froze for a moment, his hand resting on his stomach. Despite it being a common sound in daily life, his expression was quite panicked.
“Haon.”
Seeing the stunned look on his face—which would make anyone who didn’t know the situation laugh—In-ho put down his chopsticks and called him. Then, he approached Haon and placed his hand over Haon’s white hand to calm him down.
“Even if you’re used to starving, it’s only natural to be hungry if you don’t eat for a long time.”
Continuing in a calm voice, he guided Haon to put down the water glass he was gripping tightly. Haon had been squeezing the glass so hard he wasn’t even aware of it.
“Even if heat symptoms appear, I’m here with you.”
In-ho smiled with a relaxed expression, as if there were no problem at all. As if there was nothing to worry about as long as he was with him.
Looking at In-ho, Haon felt a deep sense of relief. The infinitely kind words and smile instantly put his tense heart at ease.
“Do you want some thin rice porridge? Or I can make a thicker porridge quickly.”
At In-ho’s question, Haon gently shook his head and gestured toward the food he had made.
“I’ll eat this.”
“Will you be okay?”
When Haon nodded again, In-ho smiled brightly and returned to his seat. Then, very naturally, he placed a small piece of rolled omelet into Haon’s mouth.
Haon tried to say he would eat it himself, but he ended up just chewing and swallowing the food In-ho fed him bit by bit. As if it were his natural role, In-ho waited for Haon to swallow before filling his mouth again.
“Eat slowly.”
“Yes…”
Haon couldn’t bring himself to refuse this series of actions. Along with his stomach filling up, he felt as if something else was being filled within him.
Unlike what In-ho had marveled at, the taste of the food wasn’t special at all. In fact, it was on the poorly-made side.
Some parts were too salty, and others were bland. Because he had been in such a rush to make it, he hadn’t even seasoned it properly.
Nevertheless, In-ho told him it was delicious.
After chewing the soft rolled omelet for a while, Haon scratched his chest, which felt perfectly fine. He just liked it too much.
His feelings for In-ho continued to grow uncontrollably today. It was a problem that he felt he might like him even more tomorrow.
Click—.
After pressing the button on the dishwasher, In-ho smiled at Haon, who was following him around like a shadow.
“You could have just stayed seated.”
“No, this is something I should be doing.”
Haon, who had been forbidden from doing the dishes, looked distressed. He had said he would clean up, but In-ho wouldn’t let him touch a single dish.
“Since you cooked for me, I should be the one to clean up.”
But it’s my job… Haon muttered timidly and continued to follow In-ho until he finished tidying the kitchen. Finding his appearance like a baby duck amusing, In-ho didn’t stop him further.
“Shall we watch a movie?”
After tidying his rolled-up sleeves, In-ho faced Haon. Haon nodded quickly and answered “Yes!” immediately. Anything was fine as long as he could be with In-ho.
With his eyes curved into a soft smile, In-ho started to lead Haon toward the living room but stopped for a moment. His gaze turned toward the window where the sunlight was streaming in.
After days of gloomy weather, the sky was finally clear. It was the kind of weather that could make one feel better just by staring at the sky.
“Haon.”
As if he had a good idea, he called Haon, the corners of his mouth curling up softly. Since he had eaten a hearty meal, he thought it would be better for Haon’s health to move around a bit.
“Have you ever been to the Han River?”
Returning to his room, Haon immediately took off his clothes to change into outing wear. The thought of going to the Han River Park, a place he had only heard about, made his hands and feet move faster.
“What should I wear…?”
He considered wearing the clothes In-ho had bought him, but he chose the comfortable clothes he usually wore. No matter how much of an outing with In-ho it was, he couldn’t wear such expensive clothes to go exercise.
A smile didn’t leave his face as he put on stretchy elastic pants and a sweatshirt with a collar that wasn’t too stretched out. Humming and tilting his head from side to side, he looked like a young child excited for their first picnic.
“Han River— Han River—”
He hummed along, adding lyrics to the tune that naturally flowed out.
Today marked his third outing with In-ho. He felt even more excited going to a park than going to a department store. In the first place, Haon preferred lush nature far more than stores filled with flashy items.
“Haon, can I come in?”
Just then, In-ho knocked on Haon’s door. Haon answered “Yes!” and ran toward the door. He had been about to leave anyway.
“Wow…”
A short exclamation escaped Haon’s lips as he flung the door open. Looking at his dazed expression, it seemed he wasn’t even aware he was making such a sound.
“Are you all ready?”
Because he was so busy taking in In-ho’s appearance, the question didn’t even reach his ears. He simply stood there with his mouth slightly agape, scanning In-ho from head to toe.
He wasn’t wearing anything extraordinary, so In-ho wondered why he was so impressed. Normally, he would have welcomed Haon’s gaze with familiarity, but to the current In-ho, it was a bit puzzling.
He was wearing a black windbreaker and shorts that he often wore for outdoor running. In In-ho’s eyes, it was a completely ordinary outfit.
“Do you want to wear something like this too, Haon?”
He asked, wondering if Haon wanted clothes with this kind of vibe. Since he often bought athletic wear, he had some that still had the tags on.
“Since it’s for exercising, it’ll be okay even if it’s a bit big.”
“No, I… I just thought you looked cool. You look like someone in a commercial…”
Haon waved his hand in denial, but he couldn’t take his eyes off In-ho. If he usually looked like someone in a coffee CF, right now he looked like a model in a famous sports brand advertisement. Naturally, he was cool either way.
“A windbreaker will be comfortable. You can take it off if it’s hot, and it’s light, so it’s good for running.”
In-ho pointed to his own clothes and said he had many similar ones. Therefore, he could give him as many as he wanted.
It’s not because the clothes are cool that I’m staring.
Swallowing his inner thoughts, Haon shook his head ambiguously and looked at In-ho’s clothes. In that moment, an image of himself running in clothes similar to In-ho’s flashed through his mind.
“If you lend them to me… I’ll wash them cleanly and give them back.”
“You don’t have to give them back.”
In-ho answered with a joyful smile. Even though he was the one giving, he looked happier than the person receiving.
“Instead, you buy me a meal next time. Does that sound fair?”
Haon nodded vigorously, agreeing. Seeing this, the corners of In-ho’s mouth curved even more beautifully.
“I’ll go get the clothes, so wait just a moment.”
Before heading up to his room, In-ho stopped abruptly and turned back. He had come with a purpose, but he had almost forgotten.
“Haon, give me your hand.”