TAKE #13
13th SCENE
-It's pretty wild-
''What do you want to eat?''
While Yeonjun, wearing glasses, searched for his apron, I sat at the table, resting my chin on my hand and watching him. Yeonjun's raised arms, his fine muscles flexing with litheness as he expertly tied the ribbon behind his back, were flexing with a slick of muscle.
Without realizing it, I just continued to watch in a daze.
'' ...the Fed ''
I was blankly admiring Yeonjun when, without realizing it, I blurted out something nonsensical. Yeonjun looked at me with a flushed, bewildered expression, and I looked at him with an even more bewildered expression.
This was an irreparable slip of the tongue.
'' Uh... what... ''
'' Ah, no!!! Th, salmon...!!!!! Yes, I want to eat salmon!!!!! Ah, I really want to eat salmon!!!! ''
The situation was beyond repair. Yeonjun covered his eyes, lowered his head, and laughed, shaking his shoulders. I felt a pang of shame as I looked at his reddened ears.
'' Ha... no... that... ''
''Food, not me''
''Hey, salmon...''
''I don't want to eat anything else.''
I secretly thanked him for his consideration and thought deeply about what I wanted to eat.
'' Noodles... I want to eat noodles ''
No matter how much I thought about it, the only thing that came to mind was noodles. I didn't particularly like it, and it wasn't something I was craving right now, but it was so deeply ingrained in my mind that I couldn't get it out, so I just let it go.
''I'm confident about that''
Yeonjun muttered quietly enough that only he could hear. He then deftly took out various ingredients. He meticulously checked the expiration date and washed his hands thoroughly.
''Can you help me?''
Yeonjun answered my question with a smile.
''Nothing in particular? Just love me.''
He had his back to me, so I couldn't see his expression. It was a pity. I wanted to run to him right away, grab his shoulder, turn him to me, and see his expression.
"Choi Yeonjun."
" huh? "
When I called out, Yeonjun turned around. He held a carrot dripping with water, probably washed, in one hand, and wore thick-rimmed glasses that I'd never worn before. His forearms, raised above the elbows, were clearly visible, with fine muscles and veins.
"You're fucking... no, pretty wild right now."
"H, what...???? Why, why are you suddenly like that!!"
"I just wanted to tease you when I got home."
Embarrassed even as I spoke, I turned my gaze to the calendar hanging on the dining table wall. It was December. It had already been three months since Doha left, and two weeks since I sent him off.
"Is it all because you want to tease me? Really?"
"Then what else is there?"
"I'm ready today"
"Hey, hey!! Get ready!!! Are you crazy... Are you crazy!!!! "
"You mean you're getting ready to watch a movie? Why? What were you thinking that made your face turn red? Did you have some dirty thoughts or something?"
When I stammered with a flustered expression, Yeonjun chuckled and gave me a winner's smile.
"I'm being sarcastic"
"Okay!! Just cook some food!!!!!"
"Yes! Let's do as headquarters says."
Yeonjun turned back and continued cooking. For some reason, I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of his excited expression.
Our last conversation was about divorce, over cold coffee. At the time, neither I nor Yeonjun would have known we'd be giggling like this.
'' after... ''
I sighed and lowered my head. When I lowered my head, my protruding belly became visible. Maybe it was because Yeonjun had been cooking for me lately, so I was eating more, but I felt like I'd gained weight.
''Why are you sighing again?''
''I just think I've gained weight, my stomach is sticking out''
''Hey, where are you looking with your belly sticking out??? And you need to gain some weight, sis.''
''It's because of you! It's because you make the food so delicious!!!''
Yeonjun chuckled and turned on the gas stove.
"You should eat a lot. What did you eat when I didn't take care of you?"
After hesitating for a while, afraid of being scolded by Yeonjun, he opened his mouth.
''Uh... that... I didn't eat...''
'' why! ''
''Well, it's just... I have no appetite, no taste, and I feel nauseous and vomited.''
Hearing that, Yeonjun tilted his head with a serious expression. Then, he folded his fingers as if counting seriously, then shook his head.
'' why? ''
At my question, Yeonjun seemed flustered and stammered as he hurriedly began to boil the noodles.
'' And I forgot when to take out the noodles!! ''
I chuckled at Yeonjun's words and shifted my gaze to Doha's broken toy. Well, it had been a while since I'd made him noodles, so it was only natural I'd forgotten.
''I want to see a movie''
'' movie? ''
''Huh! Are you lying when you say you're ready?''
"No, that's true."
"I just suddenly remembered what you said last time and I wanted to see you."
Yeonjun looked at me with an expression full of anticipation and asked.
"What did I say?"
I hesitated, opening and closing my mouth repeatedly. Then, with a deep sigh and a messy ruffle of my hair, I continued speaking.
"I want to see a movie... a pretty and sweet romance or melodrama, not an action, horror, or mystery movie."
"There was more."
"Haha... Do I need to say more? Really?"
Yeonjun nodded and answered.
"I want to hear more."
"Let's make our own secret base and stick together and watch it. When there's a sexy scene, let's cover each other's eyes. When there's a food scene, let's bring beer and snacks and eat."
''Maybe, beer...?''
When the word beer came up, Yeonjun hesitated for a while and then eventually didn't open his mouth.
''You don't like beer...?''
'' No! J, that's good... ''
Yeonjun, his head bowed, hesitated for a moment. His appearance was so puppy-like that I unconsciously reached out to his head. Before I could touch his head, I briefly considered pulling my hand away, but I reached out a little further.
Yeonjun, who had been looking down the whole time, looked up at me and opened his mouth.
''Do you know what I'll do to you when I'm drunk?''
'' uh? ''
''No, I'm crazy... "
I slowly returned my hand to its original position. Yeonjun shook his head and continued speaking.
"Forget it. I can't eat it because I'm managing it."
''Why can't I just eat it?''
''Oh no!!''
'' why? '
'' That... that.... ''
Yeonjun turned around and looked at me with a tearful expression. After mumbling for a moment, he quickly turned his head away and muttered an answer.
''It's fatal if you eat it alone.''
"What is that?"
"Oh, promise!! Got it???"
"Think about it..."
The sudden smell of anchovies made my stomach churn. I felt something welling up inside me.
'' Ugh, ''
I quickly covered my mouth, feeling like I was going to vomit. Yeonjun and I locked eyes at the same time. We both froze in place.
"Sister...?"
I should have told him it was okay, but I felt a disgusting fishy smell filling my mouth, so I quickly ran to the bathroom.
''Sister!!''