Swallow Hunting - Chapter 43.2
“What I want from Cha Hae-jun is not that big. You just need to provide a very small amount of fun to a life that is boring as hell.”
Of course, he knew that he was woefully inadequate to provide such enjoyment to Lee Kang-ju. However, while he was here, since he was being allowed to stay in such a nice house, he wanted to do his best to breathe even a faint bit of vitality into Lee Kang-ju’s life.
Though he was usually busy sleeping in, that day, Hae-jun set dozens of alarms and woke up early. Since Lee Kang-ju had gone out to exercise, it was the time when the house was empty.
He washed his face with cold water and slapped his cheeks to snap himself awake. He went out to the living room and opened the tightly closed curtains. Since it was early winter, it was still pitch black outside without a hint of dawn light. Looking at the scenery that was no different from night, Hae-jun stretched lazily.
With his eyes shining resolutely, he headed to the kitchen. There was something he had bought on his way home last night. Hae-jun opened the cupboard and took out bread. He also took out eggs from the refrigerator, found a pan at the bottom of the sink that looked as if it had never been used, and placed it on the induction stove.
He had already received permission from Lee Kang-ju regarding this. When he saw that there was nothing in the refrigerator except for beer, his mouth fell open, and he asked what on earth the man lived on; Lee Kang-ju simply shrugged and replied that most of his meals were handled outside.
“What do you do when you’re hungry at night? You don’t even have ramen.”
“I don’t eat.”
“Good heavens.”
Hae-jun could not hide his shock. Even at dawn when he came home plastered, he never forgot to snack while chatting with Yohan. But this man, just like his appearance that seemed to lack blood or tears, apparently had no appetite at all.
Was it because he was excessively horrified? Lee Kang-ju merely tilted his head and looked at Hae-jun with wonder.
“Don’t you even have pots?”
“The cooking utensils are in the bottom cabinet. Use them if you need to.”
“Is it okay if I cook and eat? I’ll clean up properly afterward.”
“As you wish.”
He truly had a face that didn’t care. Hae-jun also handled lunch outside, but because prices had risen so steeply lately, it was difficult to eat both meals out. Thinking he could save money, Hae-jun cheered inwardly.
“If you happen to come home without having dinner, please let me know. I’ll make something for you.”
“That’s quite alright.”
Lee Kang-ju gave a soft smile and turned his gaze back down to the newspaper. That attitude seemed to mean he shouldn’t be bothered anymore, so Hae-jun shut his mouth tight.
Ending his recollection, Hae-jun swallowed dryly and prepared the ingredients. He had to hurry to finish the preparations before Lee Kang-ju returned.
He prepared toast browned on both sides, a soft-boiled fried egg with the yolk intact, and warm water to steep tea. He even found a coaster in a drawer and placed it under the cup. A fairly decent spread was set.
Hae-jun looked at the table he had made with pride. It wasn’t fancy, but it was worth looking at in its own way. While tilting his head this way and that to check, he noticed one side of the toast seemed excessively burnt, so he quickly flipped it over. Hae-jun secretly vowed that he must be the one to eat this piece.
Not long after, Lee Kang-ju returned without a second’s error. Hae-jun brightened and trotted toward the entrance. A refreshing scent wafted from him, suggesting he had washed up at the fitness center.
“Welcome back.”
He had an expression that showed he hadn’t expected Hae-jun’s appearance. Feeling as if his plan was already a success, Hae-jun grinned.
“My eyes just opened early. It felt a bit odd to just lie there, so I tried making some breakfast.”
“Breakfast?”
“Yes. It’s nothing special. Since you always leave on an empty stomach, I thought you should have a little something to eat today before you go.”
Hae-jun extended both arms toward the kitchen as if treating a VIP. His eyes were shining brightly. Lee Kang-ju gave a light sigh and headed toward the dining table. Seeing the newspaper, the food, the warm water, and the tea bag next to it, he let out a hollow laugh.
“I don’t eat breakfast.”
“Oh.”
“So don’t do things like this.”
Hae-jun’s shoulders slumped dejectedly. He had put effort into something that wasn’t even rewarding. Still, he sat at the dining table with a glimmer of hope.
Whether he did or not, Lee Kang-ju sat in his usual designated spot and picked up the newspaper. After staring quietly at the cup filled with warm water, he picked it up and moved it to the center of the coaster.
Seeing that, Hae-jun bit his fingertip, thinking, “Ah.” Whether it was because he was sleepy or his clumsy personality was the problem, looking at it again, the table setting was a mess.
The water cup had been placed precariously on the edge of the coaster, the edges of the fried egg were burnt to a dark brown, and the white on top was pale and half-cooked like semen. Toast crumbs were scattered like grains of sand on the plate and around it.
It had definitely looked fine earlier.
To think he wanted to hear a compliment after putting on such a display. With his earlobes turning bright red from the rushing embarrassment, Hae-jun picked up his portion of toast. When he took a bite, crumbs fell in a flurry from the blackened toast. He swallowed the bitter, burnt taste along with the water.
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