By Zephyria 
I found out that when expensive foreign cars like this get damaged, the repair period is usually long due to the need to import parts. But thanks to Yeom Cheon-ho’s influence, I was able to get it repaired so quickly and see it again. As I was polishing it with all my heart and soul, Choi Hwan appeared, sauntering through the gate. Lee Yeon-rok said triumphantly,
“Look at this. It’s like new, right?”
Choi Hwan knew very well that even if the exterior of an accident car was shiny, its value would plummet, but he liked seeing Lee Yeon-rok cherishing his gift, so he chimed in.
“It looks like it was just pulled out of the factory. The repair went well?”
“Yeah, I’ll have to cherish it even more from now on.”
Lee Yeon-rok meticulously wiped the logo part with the horse engraving, making it gleam. While glancing at that, Choi Hwan anxiously rubbed one foot firmly on the ground. He swallowed dryly, about to suggest a drive to commemorate the repair. That’s when an unwelcome voice came from behind.
“Were you washing the car?”
Moon Kyeon-woo, who had just gotten out of the car, spoke kindly. Choi Hwan turned his head sharply to look at him at that tone. Lee Yeon-rok tilted his head, unaware that Choi Hwan was instinctively on edge.
“What brings you home early?”
“I haven’t made much progress in my research lately, so I thought I’d take some time off.”
Then he handed Lee Yeon-rok a paper bag. Lee Yeon-rok, who had become accustomed to the snacks Moon Kyeon-woo gave him every time he came home from work, politely held out both hands to receive it. He was already swallowing hard.
“What did you buy today? It smells delicious…”
Choi Hwan turned his head sharply again to look at how soft Lee Yeon-rok’s voice was as he asked that. He seemed too focused on the snack to even realize it himself.
“Hodu gwaja. These days, they put sweet bean paste filling like custard cream or cream cheese in them instead of red bean paste.”
“Wow!”
Lee Yeon-rok was delighted and quickly took out what was in the paper bag. Moon Kyeon-woo said in a friendly voice to Lee Yeon-rok, who was opening the box,
“There’s Matcha flavor too.”
“I like Matcha flavor.”
“I know.”
Lee Yeon-rok was puzzled by the immediate answer, full of certainty, and asked,
“How do you know that?”
“Why wouldn’t I know when it’s so obvious? You eat Matcha flavor ice cream often.”
At that, Lee Yeon-rok recalled past events. Watering his Cherished plant pencil or decorating the Cherished doll he had snatched away. Considering that he showed such aspects even before they became this close, his meticulousness must be innate. Moon Kyeon-woo nudged Lee Yeon-rok’s back affectionately.
“It’s still chilly, so stop washing the car and come inside to eat.”
“Should I…?”
“I’ll brew some tea in advance. It’ll be delicious if we eat together.”
After Moon Kyeon-woo went inside, Lee Yeon-rok asked Choi Hwan, who had been silent since earlier,
“Do you want to eat together too?”
“No!”
Choi Hwan, who had been glaring at Moon Kyeon-woo and Lee Yeon-rok’s friendly conversation with wide eyes, answered as if screaming. Lee Yeon-rok answered awkwardly, thinking he hated it that much.
“Oh, okay… If you don’t want to, then don’t.”
“No, it’s not that I don’t want to! What! You two, you two have gotten so close since when?!”
Choi Hwan wasn’t particularly perceptive. However, having dated Moon Kyeon-woo in the past, he had a certain understanding of him. He was definitely not the kind of person who was kind to someone who wasn’t his Darling. More than anything, Choi Hwan’s own feelings were what they were, so he could see things. Only Lee Yeon-rok couldn’t understand why Choi Hwan was so agitated and replied,
“It’s not like we’ve gotten particularly close. He said he’s repaying the favor after I helped him last time.”
“Repaying the favor? Anyone can see he’s hitting on you!”
Lee Yeon-rok was even more puzzled by Choi Hwan’s outburst. Moon Kyeon-woo was hitting on him?
“Eh, no way…”
Lee Yeon-rok never thought that Moon Kyeon-woo and Choi Hwan would see him as a romantic interest, let alone Yeom Cheon-ho. Considering their history of treating him consistently, he didn’t suspect anything even if they suddenly became nicer recently. He just thought they were being nice because they owed him.
“Are you worried because he’s your ex?”
Lee Yeon-rok asked cautiously. Even when they were dating, Choi Hwan didn’t seem to have any particular romantic feelings for Moon Kyeon-woo, but you never knew what people were thinking. At that, Choi Hwan strongly denied it, even becoming serious.
“No! I’m not worried at all! Not even a little bit, not even this much, not even that much!”
“Okay, I get it… So, are you going to eat hodu gwaja together or not?”
Lee Yeon-rok asked awkwardly. He was only worried about the freshly baked hodu gwaja getting cold. Choi Hwan answered solemnly as if it was a big question.
“I’ll eat. I’m going to eat.”
When they came into the house together, Moon Kyeon-woo had brewed green tea in the living room. Choi Hwan quickly went and sat on the sofa as if to show off and demanded,
“Give me green tea too. I’m going to eat hodu gwaja with you.”
“I don’t want to.”
“…!”
After answering coldly, Moon Kyeon-woo soon smiled as if nothing had happened.
“I’m just kidding. I can give you as much green tea as you want. There’s still boiled water left.”
He went to the kitchen and brought a teacup filled with green tea. Only Choi Hwan was wondering why Moon Kyeon-woo was listening so obediently.
What he didn’t know was that Moon Kyeon-woo basically hated everyone except his Darling, and he hated his exes even more. More than anything, he hated even more someone who was not only unfaithful and went to clubs while they were dating, but was now trying to sabotage him and even dumped him over a mere position dispute.
Choi Hwan, who was putting down the teacup, glared at Moon Kyeon-woo with wide eyes.
“Oh, sorry.”
Moon Kyeon-woo was firmly stepping on Choi Hwan’s toes. It didn’t hurt much because of the slippers, but it was enough to make him feel bad. It was clear that he didn’t like him joining their tea time.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing, Yeon-rok. Eat quickly. It’ll get cold.”
Moon Kyeon-woo also didn’t know that Choi Hwan was more childish than he thought. Choi Hwan stretched his leg out from under the table and stepped on Moon Kyeon-woo’s foot even harder. The gazes of the two people passing over the table were cold.
“This is really delicious. Thank you for buying it for me.”
Even though he said he was buying snacks to repay his kindness, Lee Yeon-rok was grateful for the care. Moon Kyeon-woo’s eyes softened at Lee Yeon-rok’s expression of gratitude. He stomped on Choi Hwan’s foot with his heel and offered Lee Yeon-rok a different flavor of hodu gwaja.
“This one has sausage in it.”
Then isn’t it not hodu gwaja anymore? Anyway, it was delicious. As he was diligently eating hodu gwaja, Lee Yeon-rok tilted his head in confusion when he saw the table shaking with a dull noise. He looked at the two of them, but they were just eating hodu gwaja peacefully.
‘Did someone bump their leg against the table?’
He tilted his head, unaware that the two of them were grinding their teeth and stepping on and kicking each other’s legs and feet under the table. It was when he bit into what looked like takoyaki disguised as hodu gwaja, with octopus inside.
“Ah!”
Lee Yeon-rok dropped the hodu gwaja without even being able to eat it properly and screamed. It was because he had stretched his leg out without thinking and had been stepped on and kicked hard by Moon Kyeon-woo and Choi Hwan.
“Yeon-rok!”
“Ugh! Are you okay?!”
Lee Yeon-rok screamed once more. The two people who were taken aback suddenly stood up, and this time, the hot green tea on the table spilled onto his thigh.
Was this just bad luck, or was it the result of intentional actions?
Lee Yeon-rok looked at his leg gloomily. Fortunately, the spilled green tea wasn’t hot enough to cause severe burns. His skin was just a little red. The problem was his ankle and instep. The bruising and swelling didn’t look good at all. Yeom Cheon-ho, who had witnessed this mess after rarely leaving work early, put a cold towel on Lee Yeon-rok’s thigh and asked,
“How did this happen?”
“Those two did it.”
Lee Yeon-rok, hurt in both body and mind, pointed at Moon Kyeon-woo and Choi Hwan and openly tattled. The two people who were fidgeting made excuses.
“It’s a misunderstanding, Yeon-rok. I didn’t mean to kick you.”
“Me neither. Really, I didn’t.”
“Well, I don’t know…”
Lee Yeon-rok’s gaze was cold as he glared at the two of them. Judging from their reactions, it didn’t seem like they had intentionally made his leg like this. However, because of his past experiences of being treated coldly and poorly, he couldn’t see them in a good light. No matter how he looked at it, it was like repaying kindness with malice. After seeing Lee Yeon-rok, who was full of anger, Yeom Cheon-ho’s gaze towards the two of them was also stern.