The Unbelievers

Chapter 44

“Try a bite. If it’s too spicy, you can drink some milk. Oh, or drink the milk first and then eat the tteokbokki.”

Excited about Yoo Siwoon’s first attempt at tteokbokki, which he hadn’t eaten much rather than not being able to handle spicy food, Eunseong poured milk for him and made a fuss.

Facing Eunseong, who was looking at him expectantly, Yoo Siwoon picked up the fork and scooped up some tteokbokki covered in red sauce.

“Drink the milk first.”

“I’m not that bad with spicy food. I just don’t like it much.”

Yoo Siwoon boldly put the tteokbokki in his mouth, saying he didn’t need to drink milk first.

“It’s delicious, right?”

“…”

Yoo Siwoon’s expression suddenly contorted as he quietly chewed the rice cake, and he started coughing at the same time. He stood up in surprise, coughing and covering his mouth. Startled, Eunseong quickly brought tissues and offered them to him.

Yoo Siwoon spat out what was in his mouth into the tissue and kept coughing until his face turned red.

“Quick, drink the milk.”

He gulped down the milk as Eunseong instructed. But the spiciness didn’t subside, and he kept coughing intermittently before getting up and disappearing.

“…Uncle ahjussi was a spice weakling.”

Eunseong muttered to himself while eating tteokbokki, but when Yoo Siwoon didn’t return, he put down his fork and got up. He left the dining room and headed for Yoo Siwoon’s room. He knocked and opened the door.

The faint sound of brushing teeth could be heard from the bathroom. Eunseong walked to the bathroom and asked,

“Are you okay, ahjussi?”

“…I’m fine.”

“But you know, that Yeolpok, when I tried it, it was just beginner level spicy. I guess you really can’t handle spicy food.”

“It’s hard to call that food.”

Yoo Siwoon tilted his head as if disagreeing and rinsed his mouth again. His lips were swollen and red. Yoo Siwoon came out of the bathroom, wiping his wet face with a towel.

“If you’re not used to spicy food and suddenly eat it, that can happen.”

“Is that what you usually eat?”

“It’s delicious, isn’t it?”

“…I couldn’t taste anything.”

Yoo Siwoon touched his swollen lips.

“If you keep touching it with your hand, it’ll sting more.”

Eunseong grabbed his hand and instead pressed the back of his own hand against Yoo Siwoon’s lips. Yoo Siwoon’s lips were hot to the touch.

“…They’ve gotten hot.”

“…”

Yoo Siwoon’s surprised eyes looked down at Eunseong, who had come close and pressed his cold hand against his lips. Eunseong also looked up at him. Eunseong was looking at him with eyes that suggested Director Nam’s words might be true.

“It’s fine now.”

Yoo Siwoon turned his head, avoiding Eunseong’s hand. Eunseong awkwardly lowered his hand and naturally stepped back a couple of paces, even though Yoo Siwoon hadn’t shown any reaction.

“…I’m sorry for suddenly touching you. I forgot about your germaphobia, ahjussi.”

“I have some work piled up…”

“Okay… I’ll eat alone.”

“…”

“Will you be late tomorrow too?”

“I’ll come home early tomorrow, really.”

“So we can really go exercise together tomorrow, right?”

“Yes.”

“You always make promises and don’t keep them, ahjussi. I can’t trust you.”

“I’ll definitely keep my promise tomorrow.”

“If you break your promise tomorrow too, I’ll put Yeolpok broth in your coffee.”

“…Don’t do that.”

He seemed to like him, it looked that way. Even to Yoo Siwoon’s eyes now, it seemed like Eunseong liked him. He was conscious of him and couldn’t take his eyes off him.

“Then I’ll go finish my tteokbokki. You go work, ahjussi. It wasn’t even that spicy. Not being able to eat spicy food, how silly.”

As he watched Eunseong’s back disappear while grumbling, Yoo Siwoon quietly sighed, thinking it couldn’t be, that he must be misunderstanding something. The cold sensation that had touched his lips made him fall into deep thought. Yoo Siwoon raised his hand and placed the back of it against his swollen, hot lips, just as Eunseong had done. His lips were sensitively heated. It was a hot body temperature.

∞ ∞ ∞

Eunseong was sitting on the living room sofa with the TV on, anxiously checking the clock on the wall every minute. Yoo Siwoon had promised yesterday that he would really come home early today. While it was impossible for Eunseong to go out alone, going out together, going exercising together was possible, he had said.

On days when Yoo Siwoon came home early from work, he would change into all-black clothes like a crow after dinner. He wore a black ball cap and black sneakers. His outfit never changed, whether it was raining or sunny.

Dressed in black, he would go running with two bodyguards wearing similar tracksuits. He would return with his face drenched in sweat, wiping it with his shirt pulled up. At those times, one could catch a glimpse of his abdomen and chest, tightly packed with solid muscles.

He was a strong build that couldn’t be compared even to Choi Jung-eon, who was considered big for his age. Yoo Siwoon’s frame felt like a different race altogether. His upper body was thick, but not dull-looking; rather, he appeared agile, and his arms were as thick and large as his big hands, looking like tree trunks.

If he’s a little later than this, there won’t be time to go exercise after dinner.

Is he going to be late again today?

As time kept passing, Eunseong let out an anxious sigh. The variety show on TV wasn’t registering at all. He was just watching the clock hands move forward with an anxious heart when he saw car headlights flashing through the window.

Eunseong, who had been twisting his upper body to look at the door, quickly sat straight on the sofa. He grabbed the remote and turned up the volume. Looking at the TV he hadn’t been watching, he laughed out loud, “Hahaha,” imitating the people on the show. As he was laughing, slapping his palms as if it was hilarious, he heard the sound of the door opening, and shortly after, Yoo Siwoon appeared.

“Oh, really. Daebak. This is so funny. Hahaha.”

The high school senior, who had been laughing while watching TV as if he was one with the sofa, got up when he saw Yoo Siwoon.

“You’re home now?”

“Were you watching TV?”

“Yes, just…”

He glanced at the TV screen as if wondering what was so funny. Eunseong quickly turned off the TV, evading the question. As the loud sound filling the living room disappeared, the surroundings became quiet with a familiar silence.

Yoo Siwoon felt like he was hearing the TV sound in this house for the first time. He couldn’t remember ever sitting on the sofa and watching TV.

“Have you had dinner?”

“Not yet.”

“I haven’t eaten either. Then let’s eat together. You’re going to exercise today, right?”

“I should.”

While he was washing his hands, Eunseong sat at the end of the dining table waiting for Yoo Siwoon. The housekeeper who had been on standby set the table.

As Yoo Siwoon sat down, Director Nam, who had come home with him, approached and whispered something quietly in his ear. Whether it was because he was taking medication for his germaphobia lately or if he had always been fine, he often whispered with Director Nam.

Eunseong tensed up, holding his spoon. He anxiously watched the two whispering, worried that they might say something about having to go out for an urgent matter or not being able to exercise.

“Then shall we meet tomorrow?”

“Let’s do that.”

Whatever it was, it didn’t seem to be an issue that needed to be resolved immediately today. Eunseong, who was letting out a sigh of relief, caught himself. He should have been keeping his distance from Yoo Siwoon. But Eunseong was desperately wanting to do something together with him. If they couldn’t do something together, he felt like he would be more than disappointed; he would be upset.

If he and Yoo Siwoon weren’t related by blood, he wouldn’t have felt this guilt. Eunseong stared blankly at his cousin uncle with an uncomfortable feeling.

Yoo Siwoon, who was about to start eating, felt the gaze and looked up, meeting Eunseong’s eyes.

“Is the food not good? If you don’t like it, should I buy you that… spicy tteokbokki you like?”

“Yeolpok?”

“Yeah, Yeolpok. But eating too much spicy food isn’t good for your body. There’s a limit to spiciness too.”

He said this as if he didn’t even want to remember the name.

“…Sigh.”

Eunseong let out a deep sigh. Yesterday, Yoo Siwoon had started coughing violently after just one bite of Yeolpok.

What’s so good about an ahjussi like this… Why do I…, Eunseong thought to himself, but he couldn’t take his eyes off his cousin uncle.

He was the owner of a handsome appearance that didn’t match his old-fashioned way of speaking, and he was also capable. It was perhaps natural that Yoo Siwoon’s competence and social status, which didn’t bow to anyone, stood out particularly to Eunseong, who had lived his whole life disappointed by the image of his powerless and self-loathing father.

Above all, what made Eunseong most nervous were the awkward words Yoo Siwoon would say after struggling with how to treat him. Awkward, boring, and ahjussi-like… but somehow, his unskilled demeanor, not knowing how to treat him, made Eunseong’s heart flutter strangely.

“Is the food not good? Should I ask them to make something else?”

“No, it’s delicious.”

As if explaining that he hadn’t sighed because of the food, Eunseong ate enthusiastically. Nothing was more precious to Eunseong than the dinner time he spent with him.

“It’s your vacation, why don’t you meet your friends and such?”

“Friends? Can I go out?”

“It should be fine if it’s a place approved by Director Nam. Don’t just stay cooped up at home, go out and meet your friends. It’s not confinement, after all.”

He said this as if the earlier mention of confinement had bothered him.

“Later.”

“That… who was it? Choi Jung-eon? Your friend.”

“Jung-eon?”

“Yeah, him.”

“He did ask to meet up. So, can I meet Jung-eon?”

“Is he a friend you like?”