Beomwoo cooking was, quite literally, a picture-perfect sight.
While it was hard to definitively say he was a good person on the inside, his outer shell was flawless.
His appearance was probably a major reason why my resolve to push him away kept crumbling.
Even as I thought he was someone detestable who needed to be kept at a distance.
Seeing such a person being kind to me, claiming to have feelings for me was difficult.
Even if it was likely a lie to achieve his goal.
Now witnessing the unfamiliar sight of him cooking with an apron on made it difficult to hold onto negative emotions.
While I was watching him, mesmerized, the cooking was completed.
Beomwoo plated the steak beautifully on a dish.
He placed it on the table, and spoke with a slightly awkward air.
“You must have waited a long time?”
“The cooking utensils were different from what I’m used to, so it took a bit.”
“Huh?”
“Oh, no.”
“I didn’t wait long at all.”
“It was quick.”
Although Beomwoo spoke somewhat sheepishly, as if embarrassed by his earlier boastful pre-cooking declaration, I hadn’t felt like I waited long at all.
It hadn’t actually taken that long.
Truthfully, I hadn’t even noticed the time passing because I was so absorbed in watching him.
As Haejin frantically waved his hands, saying he really hadn’t thought it was a long wait, Beomwoo smiled a faint smile of relief.
“Would you like to try it?”
“We should adjust the seasoning if it’s not to your taste.”
“Ah, yes…”
It looked delicious at a glance.
He had been so confident before cooking that it seemed fine to just eat it without tasting for seasoning…
Thinking that, Haejin still picked up the utensils Beomwoo handed him.
Under Beomwoo’s gaze, Haejin cut the steak with a knife and speared it with a fork.
He was conscious of the stare, worried he might carve clumsily.
But thanks to his mother-in-law in his past life who had harshly drilled into him that he shouldn’t be looked down upon for marrying a good-for-nothing son, he could manage without fumbling.
After cutting the meat into a bite-sized piece and putting it in his mouth, Haejin’s eyes widened involuntarily as soon as he started chewing.
He had expected it to be tasty just from looking at it.
But that was just a baseline expectation for steak.
He thought it wouldn’t be much different from any other grilled meat, but he was wrong.
Cooked to the medium-rare doneness he liked, it had a subtle, herby aroma from whatever had been sprinkled on it.
The ingredients were undoubtedly high-quality since he had bought them.
But the cooking skill itself was such that it felt like a top-tier dish.
It was worthy of someone who would boast about it.
As Haejin moved his small mouth, savoring the taste, Beomwoo narrowed his eyes and asked.
“How is it…?”
“……”
Before eating, Haejin had wondered why Beomwoo was staring so intently.
After eating, he wondered why Beomwoo was even asking, when it was cooked this deliciously.
It seemed like he was asking the obvious.
But looking at Beomwoo now, it wasn’t so obvious after all.
Literally, he was waiting for Haejin’s evaluation with an anxious face.
He had casually said to taste it in case the seasoning was off.
But now he seemed genuinely worried that the seasoning might not be right after Haejin had tried it.
……If he was going to be like this, why did he speak so confidently earlier?
Feeling inexplicably absurd, Haejin swallowed what was in his mouth and spoke.
“It’s just delicious.”
“I didn’t know… you’re really good at cooking.”
“……That’s a relief.”
“Shall we eat, then?”
There was no exaggeration in the praise.
When Haejin spoke without hiding his surprise at how unexpectedly delicious it was, Beomwoo let out a sigh of relief.
He finally sat down in the seat opposite him.
I was already amazed and somehow excited just that he cooked for me.
The sight of Beomwoo worrying if it would suit my taste was also unfamiliar…
It felt strange to watch.
The better he looked now, the sadder and lonelier I felt.
If only he had treated me like this even a little in my past life, I wouldn’t have been so lonely…
Even if his feelings were false, I would have had the strength to endure.
Haejin smiled bitterly and put the remaining food in his mouth.
****
“Phew……”
Several days had passed since then.
Haejin let out a deep sigh as he exited the police station.
While sharing dinner with Beomwoo every day and working part-time, he felt at ease in the peaceful lull where nothing happened.
But he also wondered, ‘Is anything actually progressing?’
However, ever since the day he got a call from the police station, things had moved quickly.
Just as Beomwoo had said, it wasn’t long before the police station contacted him.
Today Haejin visited in person to give his statement.
Beomwoo had told him not to be scared about going to the police station.
He said that he just needed to give a simple statement.
But honestly, it wasn’t as simple as he made it sound.
It was true that he only had to give a statement.
But he had to recall the memories of being hit by his aunt and uncle and explain everything one by one.
The investigator was kind.
But it was their job to verify there were no lies in his account.
So the feeling of being suspected was unavoidable.
Just having a serious conversation with a stranger in an unfamiliar place was draining enough.
But having to recall the memories of that day left him completely exhausted by the time he finished his statement and left.
Once I get home, I’ll lie down first…
I’ll rest and then figure out eating or whatever.
Thinking this, Haejin trudged homeward.
As he approached the alley entrance, he saw a car parked in front of his house.
It wasn’t Beomwoo’s car…
It could have been temporarily parked.
But it was such an expensive sports car that it naturally caught his eye.
Why would someone park a car like this in front of someone else’s house?
Finding it odd, Haejin walked closer.
As he did, he saw two burly adult men loitering in front of the house.
‘What’s this?”
“It’s not my aunt and uncle…’
People have a basic, animal-like intuition.
He didn’t know who the people standing in front of his house were.
But he had a strong feeling something unusual was happening.
Thinking he might need to call for help, Haejin tightly gripped his phone and cautiously closed the distance.
And when the faces of the men standing in front of the house came into view, his eyes widened.
These people… aren’t they Beomwoo’s brothers?
……Why are they here?
No, how?
He was puzzled why they had come looking for him.
But he was also flustered about how they even knew he lived here.
As Haejin was wondering, they turned to look at him simultaneously, as if sensing his presence.
Under their converging gazes, Haejin reflexively flinched and stopped walking.
They, in turn, strode purposefully toward him.
“Wow… So it was true.”
“I never imagined that bastard was pulling such a brazen stunt behind our backs…”
“You said back then you wouldn’t marry anyone, didn’t you?”
“Would you mind explaining what’s going on here?”
The second brother, who looked cocky, muttered to himself with a face full of utter disbelief.
It was as if he’d been whacked on the back of the head.
The first brother, who appeared more put-together, questioned Haejin pointedly.
He was clearly saying, ‘You said right to our faces you wouldn’t meet or marry anyone, so how are you involved with Beomwoo?’
Haejin could understand their sense of betrayal.
Since he had spoken so decisively back then, making it seem like he would have no further contact with the brothers.
But it wasn’t as they thought.
Misunderstood, Haejin was flustered, his eyes just wide open.
Before he hurriedly tried to explain.
“I-It’s not like what you’re thinking!”
“It’s hard to believe it’s not that kind of relationship when you’re living in Beomwoo’s house.”
“I’m just staying here temporarily because he’s helping me.”
“It’s true this is Beomwoo’s house, but we’re not living together, I’m here alone…”
“And, he doesn’t come by often either.”
“Is that guy the type to help someone without wanting something in return?”
“Besides, the fact that you two were contacting each other separately from the start contradicts what you said back then.”
However, the first brother didn’t believe Haejin’s explanation.
To be fair, the first brother wasn’t wrong.
Beomwoo had also said he’d help on the condition that once Haejin sorted out his troubling situations, he’d be able to see Beomwoo objectively.
Haejin had firmly told Beomwoo that helping him didn’t mean they would get married.
But since Beomwoo was extending favors with that very intention, it was a situation where any explanation would inevitably seem suspicious.
He didn’t know what to say to make them understand.
Should he explain his situation to these people step by step as well?
But he didn’t feel like confiding in them.
He wasn’t the type to go around broadcasting his circumstances in the first place.
Even if he told them, they’d likely just see it as an excuse and not truly understand.
All because of that.
Because they have an inheritance at stake.
It seemed like they would just belittle his situation.
As Haejin agonized over what to say, the first brother, who had been countering each point, looked at him with a frown.
He let out a deep sigh.
“Haa… I’m sorry, but I’d like you to keep your promise.”
“Regardless of your reasons, we brothers cannot be okay with you meeting Beomwoo alone like this.”
“……”
“You may not understand, but the company is at stake.”
“You can understand that, right?”
The first brother spoke seriously, looking at Haejin.
He said that even if it wasn’t a marriage-oriented meeting and even if Haejin was receiving some kind of help, it was unacceptable.
His words politely asked for understanding.
But it felt closer to a strong demand.
Haejin didn’t think his demand was excessive.
After all, he was the one who had initially agreed to it.
But the situation was different now.
Having left that house and with a lawsuit in progress, he couldn’t just cut off contact with Beomwoo immediately.
“I know.”
“I know how important an issue it is…”
“But cutting off contact immediately is difficult.”
“I… I also have a very important matter…”
“Whatever it is, it can’t be more significant than our issue involving Company H.”
“We’ll solve it for you instead, so don’t meet Beomwoo.”
“What’s the problem?”
“That…”
The first brother said they would solve it instead of Beomwoo, so the two of them should stop meeting.
He said they could solve it too, so just tell them what it was.
It would be great if someone else could solve his problem.
He didn’t want to marry Beomwoo.
He felt sorry for receiving help without being able to give anything in return.
So, it would be good to just tell them and hand it over.
But when he tried to speak, the words wouldn’t come out.
There were the reasons he just thought of.
But Haejin had never personally confided in anyone that he had been hit and abused by his aunt and uncle.
This was the same with Beomwoo.
He had found out because he investigated Haejin’s background from the start.
Haejin hadn’t revealed it himself.
Beomwoo’s brothers were complete strangers to Haejin.
Throughout his past life, he had never felt even a speck of positive emotion toward them.
This made it even harder to confide in them.
They hadn’t done anything bad to him in either life.
They only had no connection.
But still… what if they used this as a weakness against him?
He couldn’t let his guard down.
Perhaps because the situation felt like an interrogation, his heart remained closed.
Because Haejin hesitated to speak, the brothers’ suspicious gazes grew heavier.
They seemed increasingly convinced that the ‘help’ was just an excuse.
They thought there was clearly another reason.
That’s really not it…
Hesitating, Haejin gave up on explaining the reason and tried to persuade them again.
“It’s not that I can’t say it because it’s the reason you’re thinking…”
“It’s just that I find it difficult to talk about my circumstances…”
“Beomwoo found out by chance, and that’s why he’s helping.”
“It really has no great significance.”
“Please believe me.”
“So, you’re saying you’ll keep meeting Beomwoo separately?”
Upon hearing Haejin’s explanation, the second brother summarized.
He implied that he intended to keep meeting him.
Haejin had said he couldn’t stop meeting him immediately due to circumstances.
But phrased that way, it did sound bad…
Thinking that, but since it wasn’t untrue, Haejin nodded awkwardly.
The second brother then made a suggestion, as if there was one method left.
“Then how about this?”
“Let’s give everyone a fair chance.”
“……What?”
“Meet all three of us.”
At the second brother’s words, Haejin blinked his eyes slowly.
Right now… what did I just hear?
Telling me to meet all three with marriage as a premise sounds like telling me to date three people at once…
It’s not dating.
Since it’s meeting with that potential premise, it’s not technically cheating.
But how could anyone suggest meeting three people alternately?
It didn’t seem possible.
The suggestion itself felt bizarre.
Flustered by the unexpected proposal, Haejin was further taken aback.
The first brother, hearing it, chimed in as if he thought it was a good idea.
“If cutting it off immediately is difficult, then that might be better.”
“Let’s do as suggested and keep it fair for everyone.”
“……”
No… Him too?
Do these guys have the confidence that they’re better than their own brother?
Beomwoo was also convinced I’d come to like him before.
Maybe this overconfidence is a common trait among these brothers.
They’ve all lived lives of privilege, so it’s possible.
But still… one is a divorced man with an elementary school kid.
The other is a drug addict.
How they could be so confident they could surpass Beomwoo and be chosen was baffling.
While their overflowing confidence was incomprehensible, the bottom line was clear.
Agreeing to meet all three of them, regardless of whether it’s two-timing or cheating, would be no different from saying he would choose one of the three for marriage.
That can’t happen…
As Haejin made a troubled face and bit his lower lip, the first brother looked him seriously in the eye.
He spoke.
“It seems difficult for you to choose right now, so I’ll give you time to think until tomorrow.”
“Choose whether you’ll cut off contact with Beomwoo and not meet us either.”
“Or whether you’ll give us a chance too.”
“……”
He was giving him time to choose: don’t meet any of the three, or meet all three.
One of the two.
Why on earth is this ridiculous thing happening…
He was already exhausted leaving the police station, thinking first of going inside to rest.
Now it felt like a literal storm had passed over him, leaving him ready to collapse.