Swallow Hunting - Chapter 44.1
Lee Kang-ju did not end up touching the food Hae-jun had prepared. Because he could not bring himself to tell Lee Kang-ju to eat it just for the sake of his sincerity, Hae-jun also remained quiet.
“Um, then where is the vacuum cleaner?”
Deciding to challenge the food part next time, Hae-jun asked if he could at least do some cleaning. Lee Kang-ju, who was reading the newspaper, glanced up.
“Why.”
“I want to do some cleaning. It feels a bit odd to stay here and not do anything.”
“I didn’t bring you here for that. A housekeeper comes regularly, so don’t worry about it, Cha Hae-jun.”
“I’ll take care of my own room at least…”
“That place is also a part of my house.”
He cut Hae-jun off with a faint smile. Since any further answer would be nothing more than talking back, Hae-jun covered his pouting lips with a piece of toast.
***
Although the first day ended in failure, Hae-jun did not give up.
The fact that Lee Kang-ju did not eat breakfast was likely the biggest reason for his defeat, but Hae-jun didn’t doubt for a second that about ten percent of the reason was that the food he made was terrible. He believed that if he made it more wonderfully—if his skills became superior—Lee Kang-ju wouldn’t be able to resist eating.
He even clenched his fists and devoted himself to Lee Kang-ju’s breakfast. Even after seeing Hae-jun blatantly ignore his words, Lee Kang-ju didn’t say much. To be precise, he wasn’t interested.
Whether he served half-burnt French toast, gave him a salad drenched in dressing, or proudly presented a perfectly successful fried egg, Lee Kang-ju never touched them. There was no praise. From the beginning, he treated it as an empty dining table. He seemed to think that Hae-jun would eventually stop on his own once he got tired.
The plates were always left as they were, and the only thing that became empty was the cup. Hae-jun took comfort in the fact that he at least accepted a cup of tea. Though it always started with Lee Kang-ju moving the cup, which was placed on the edge, to the center.
Hae-jun had clearly placed it in the center, so he didn’t know why it was always on the edge whenever he looked later. It wasn’t as if the cup had legs.
Just as even the dullest person’s skills improve with repetition, Hae-jun’s cooking also developed day by day until he finally moved past burnt toast. Chewing on the corner of a well-cooked piece of bread that was as golden as wood grain, Hae-jun glanced at Lee Kang-ju.
Lee Kang-ju turned the pages of the newspaper with an indifferent face. His gaze and head moved leisurely along the letters. Hae-jun’s stare was enough to feel a sting, yet Lee Kang-ju did not spare him a look.
The one who lost to the long silence was Hae-jun. Brushing the crumbs from his mouth with his thumb, he cautiously spoke up.
“Are you free tomorrow?”
Since serving breakfast seemed far from succeeding, Hae-jun subtly threw out a suggestion to carve a different path. If he said he was free, Hae-jun planned to go to the movie theater. It wasn’t because he wanted to go, but rather to find a hobby that would add a bit of salt to Lee Kang-ju’s dry life. He had even picked out a movie. It wasn’t a romance.
Lee Kang-ju finally took his eyes off the newspaper. Looking at those expressionless eyes, Hae-jun swallowed hard. His throat felt prickly. He was anxious, fearing he might be rejected.
“In the afternoon.”
“Then, would you like to go see a movie with me?”
That was it. Hae-jun asked as if he had been waiting. Lee Kang-ju tilted his head to the side, lost in thought. He seemed to be checking his schedule or perhaps looking for a reason to refuse.
“There’s a movie I want to see, but it’s a bit awkward to go alone. I thought it would be nice to go with you, CEO. It’s absolutely not because I have other intentions. It weighed on my mind when you said you didn’t have a hobby last time. Since there are many interesting things in the world, it’s with a very pure intention of trying one out.”
“Hmm.”
“Actually, I got free movie tickets. A friend gave them to me because something urgent came up. It would be a waste to throw them away. If I try to sell them, time is too tight, so I don’t think they’ll sell. Yes?”
Hae-jun rambled on with his explanation. It might have seemed pathetic, but Hae-jun didn’t want to miss this opportunity.
Saying he was finding a hobby for Lee Kang-ju might have been a shameless excuse. In truth, he just wanted to watch a movie with Lee Kang-ju. He wanted to spend time outside, drink coffee just as he did with Yohan, and walk along a scenic path.
Please say yes, Hae-jun thought as he even clasped his hands together and looked at Lee Kang-ju desperately. His eyes shone so brightly that Lee Kang-ju had no choice but to give in.
“What time?”
“8 PM!”
“It should be possible then.”
“Really! You promised me!”
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