An Unexpected Breakfast Date

Kim Ajun checked the time, then tilted his head.

“…Hmm?”

His eyebrows drooped, and he spoke with a regretful tone.

“Oh dear. How terrible of me. I completely forgot I had an appointment.”

Just as Seo Dowoon was about to retract his statement about Kim Ajun being useful, Kim Ajun presented an even more enticing offer.

“Please, go without me. It’s right next to the hangover soup place, so it’s close. Gureum, go there, have breakfast, and put it on the tab.”

“Okay.”

“That’s alright, isn’t it?”

He asked, yet the decision had clearly already been made.

Seo Dowoon nodded, assuring him that it was perfectly fine. Not just fine, in fact. The thought of having a meal alone with Han Gureum! With an opportunity to spend time together, free from the interference of others, there was no way he could possibly object.

Seo Dowoon, realizing Kim Ajun’s claim of an appointment was a spur-of-the-moment fabrication, chose not to let on. His visit to the office today had been arranged days ago. Moreover, Kim Ajun himself had set the time, making a sudden, new appointment entirely illogical.

Ordinarily, he would have immediately grown suspicious, wondering about the reason. However, Seo Dowoon, having concluded that Kim Ajun’s assistance was crucial for him to grow closer to the oblivious Han Gureum, decided to actively exploit this opportunity.

In truth, Kim Ajun was indeed intentionally stepping aside, having noticed Seo Dowoon’s profound interest in Han Gureum. Yet, his claim of having an appointment was also genuine.

Though it was an afternoon appointment.

Kim Ajun placed his empty coffee cup in the sink and hastily exited the office.

“I’ll be late. Dowoon-ssi, we’ll see each other again next time. Gureum, take good care of him!”

“Got it. Go.”

“You too.”

He rushed off as if in an extreme hurry.

Suddenly, only the two of them remained in the office. There was no particular conversation flowing between them, yet the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. For Seo Dowoon, merely gazing at Han Gureum made the time fly by.

“I’ll just change my clothes, then we can go.”

Though the place was close, going in pajamas didn’t seem quite right, so he opened the cabinet. Its interior, completely devoid of organization, was laid bare. Inside, only three hangers held clothes, all identical save for their sleeve length: one short-sleeved, the others long-sleeved.

Seo Dowoon recognized the three outfits as the guild uniforms he had seen online.

‘Should I bring him some clothes next time…?’

It wasn’t that he cared what Han Gureum wore, but he found himself wanting to see him in something different. Having only ever seen him in his guild uniform and robe, his current appearance in pajamas felt incredibly unfamiliar and intriguing, making Seo Dowoon want to keep watching.

Han Gureum, sensing Seo Dowoon’s observational gaze, nonetheless pretended not to notice and began unbuttoning his pajamas to change. These pajamas were fine in every way, except for the bother of all those buttons. While the bottoms were elastic-waisted, the top was entirely buttoned. He wished it were just a simple, easy-to-wear round-neck tee. Still, they were cute, so it was acceptable.

As Han Gureum removed his top, Seo Dowoon’s eyes widened.

He had been watching, thinking nothing of it, merely observing Han Gureum change. But then Han Gureum abruptly unbuttoned and shed his upper garment. When a sudden expanse of pale skin was revealed, Seo Dowoon involuntarily drew a sharp breath. He watched Han Gureum change without a single blink.

‘…What is this?’

It wasn’t strange for two men to change clothes in the same space, yet seeing Han Gureum strip so unreservedly gave Seo Dowoon an odd feeling, making him wonder if he wasn’t being considered at all.

Now, even his pants came off with a swish.

‘…Even his underwear.’

Kio.

Kio here. Kio there.

It was a Kio-filled world, but to think even his underwear would be Kio! A Kio emblazoned on wide boxer briefs. Was it at least fortunate that they weren’t briefs?

Observing the spacious boxer briefs, Seo Dowoon felt an illusion, as if he were looking at an elementary school student despite the adult body.

Could that green dinosaur really be so beloved?

‘Something that is already dead and gone from this world…’

Seo Dowoon, who had been staring at the boxer briefs with dry eyes, quickly lifted his gaze at Han Gureum’s voice.

“Is hangover soup alright for you? Their pork backbone soup is quite delicious.”

“Yes, it’s fine.”

In truth, he had never tasted pork backbone soup before, but if he was eating it with Han Gureum, anything would be perfectly acceptable.

True to Han Gureum’s word, a 24-hour hangover soup restaurant was indeed just a block away. The small establishment had a remarkably shabby sign, and there was hardly any proper seating. Only three tables occupied the space. The door was a sliding one, and the window film, all tattered and wrinkled, made the place look incredibly old.

Adding to that,

‘It’s here too.’

He wasn’t sure why there were Kio stickers on the door of the hangover soup place, but there weren’t just one or two.

As Seo Dowoon stood there, blankly watching, Han Gureum gestured for him to come in. Once Han Gureum had settled into a seat, Seo Dowoon sat opposite him. The table felt sticky, and the cutlery, instead of being in a container, was left exposed.

‘Filthy.’

The hygiene was far from Seo Dowoon’s standards. Had it not been for Han Gureum, he would never have set foot in such an establishment.

“I’m going to get the special pork backbone soup. What would you like to eat?”

“I’ll have the same.”

Though Han Gureum suggested he look at the menu before deciding, Seo Dowoon glanced at it once and replied, “The special pork backbone soup.” Since there weren’t many options anyway, Han Gureum didn’t press further and placed the order.

“Owner. Two specials, please.”

“Alright!”

Even though customers had arrived, the owner’s voice emanated from the kitchen area, without them making an appearance.

Seo Dowoon cast his gaze towards that direction, then turned his head back. Sitting so closely opposite Han Gureum, even this unhygienic space felt somewhat tolerable.

Perhaps it was because they were the only two customers?

Seo Dowoon asked with a look of contentment.

“What should I call you? Referring to you as ‘Esper-nim’ in public would surely draw too much attention.”

When he uttered ‘Esper-nim’, Seo Dowoon lowered his voice. Even though the only person who could hear was the owner in the kitchen, he was still being cautious.

No matter how many Awakened individuals there were, they could never outnumber ordinary civilians.

Simply being an Awakened person was enough to attract attention, and those who found this bothersome often concealed their abilities.

Conversely, some Awakened individuals acted like influencers, engaging on social media and communicating with fans. Their popularity was akin to that of celebrities.

While anything acquired from a dungeon had to be shared with the guild, personal activities that fell outside this purview offered no profit sharing. Consequently, some Awakened individuals focused their efforts primarily on broadcast appearances.

Occasionally, they would appear to promote their guilds, but the Herbivore Guild had no interest in such things, and thus, apart from lectures, had not engaged in any public activities until now.

Seo Dowoon had noticed that Han Gureum was reluctant to become widely known, which was why he acted as he did. Perhaps sensing this consideration, Han Gureum transferred some kkakdugi onto a small plate and replied,

“Calling me ‘Gureum-ssi’… would probably be best.”

Han Gureum briefly compared his age with Seo Dowoon’s. Although he hadn’t heard an exact number, Seo Dowoon had mentioned being a university student, which would place him in his early twenties, or at most, mid-twenties. He also looked younger than Han Gureum. Therefore, rather than an ambiguous title, Han Gureum had opted for ‘ssi’, believing it would be more comfortable for both of them.

“Can’t I call you ‘hyung’? ‘Gureum-hyung’ feels much more affectionate than ‘Gureum-ssi’, doesn’t it?”

“I have a conscience, you know.”

Seo Dowoon’s dark eyes blinked, as if asking why a conscience was needed when settling honorifics. Han Gureum took out more kkakdugi from a small container beside him and placed it on his plate. As the pungent scent of kimchi wafted up, his appetite sharpened. Han Gureum swallowed, then explained his reason.

“Our age difference is…”

“It’s not that much. Seven years. That’s enough to call you ‘hyung’, isn’t it? As for me, please just call me by my name. ‘Dowoon-ah’.”

Feeling that was a bit much, Han Gureum declined.

Just then, the pork backbone soup arrived, preventing Seo Dowoon from pressing further and forcing an end to their conversation on the topic.

“New customers, are we? You’re a pretty one. Enjoy your meal.”

“Thank you for the meal.”

“Alright.”

Han Gureum gazed at the pork backbone soup placed before him and picked up his spoon. Looking at the bones piled high in the steaming earthenware pot, his mouth began to water.

“Thank you for the meal. Please eat well.”

Han Gureum then began to separate the meat from the bones using his chopsticks and spoon. He preferred to completely strip the meat first before mixing it with rice, rather than eating it as he went, which meant it took him a little longer to start eating.

Seo Dowoon watched him and began to imitate his actions.

‘Is this how you eat it?’

It was his first time seeing pork backbone soup in person, and his first time eating it. Having roughly learned how to eat it, he took a spoonful of the broth…

“This is delicious.”

The spicy, invigorating flavor felt like a perfect hangover cure, yet simultaneously, it made him crave a drink.

“Right? This place is especially delicious. You won’t find this flavor anywhere else.”

Seo Dowoon simply nodded quietly at his words. Having never tried it elsewhere, he couldn’t truly empathize. He had only intended to taste it, but finding it surprisingly good, and swayed by Han Gureum’s proud expression, his concerns about hygiene vanished, allowing him to eat even more heartily.