Chapter 2
Steam still lingered in the air when Dohyun stepped out of the bathroom, towel slung over his shoulders. His hair was damp, shirt sticking a little to his skin.
The apartment was quiet, the kind of quiet that made your thoughts louder.
He rubbed at his hair with the towel, staring absentmindedly at the TV that wasn’t even on.
His mind wandered back to that night.
Jaerim had eaten like someone who hadn’t touched real food in weeks.
There wasn’t even time to say “be careful, it’s hot” before he was already halfway through the bowl. Every bite came with a small, satisfied hum, like it was the first good thing he’d tasted in ages.
And somehow, watching him like that, cheeks puffed, eyes focused, had made Dohyun… weirdly happy.
When they were done, Jaerim had leaned back with a sigh, then pushed a small plastic container toward him. “Here. Take this.”
Dohyun blinked at it. “What’s this?”
“Fruit,” Jaerim said, pointing at the counter. “You can have it.”
Dohyun eyed the grapes. Was it… breathing its last? The poor thing looked like it had already written its will.
“…Thanks?” he said, unsure if he should eat it or call for a moment of silence.
“Don’t mention it. Literally.”
Then he’d stood, announcing he was going to shower, like nothing about the night was strange. “Leave whenever,” he’d said over his shoulder.
At least, Dohyun thought with a small smile, the guy was clean. Messy apartment, questionable diet, but he definitely liked baths. That was something.
He really should’ve gone home after that. No reason to stay. But for some reason, he couldn’t move.
Maybe it was the silence that filled the room once Jaerim disappeared behind the bathroom door, or maybe it was that odd tug in his chest that told him this person shouldn’t be alone.
Before he could stop himself, he’d called out, “Hey,”
There was the faint sound of water running. “What.”
“Can I… come and cook for you again?”
The silence that followed made him instantly regret asking.
The bathroom door creaked open just enough for Jaerim to peek out, damp hair sticking to his forehead. He looked at Dohyun for a moment, like he was trying to figure him out.
“You’re weird,” he finally said. “You got some kind of obsession with cooking for people?”
Dohyun scratched the back of his neck, laughing awkwardly. “No, I just-”
“Am I your type or something?” Jaerim asked casually.
The question caught Dohyun off guard. “What? N-No! It’s not like that-”
He stopped, hands lifting in an awkward half-gesture before he sighed, deciding not to say anything more.
He almost said something to explain himself, to tell Jaerim he didn’t mean anything weird by it, but something about the guy’s blank expression made him think that might just make it worse.
Then Jaerim shrugged. “Whatever. I’m not saying no to food.”
And just like that, he turned around and disappeared back into the bathroom.
Now, standing in his own apartment, Dohyun let out a quiet breath that turned into a soft laugh. “I’ve never been suspected of being gay before,” he muttered, half amused, half embarrassed.
He sat down on the edge of his bed, towel still in his hand, staring at the floor.
“Great job, Seo Dohyun,” he sighed. “You’re probably just making the guy uncomfortable because you can’t mind your own business.”
But even as he said it, a small part of him already wondered what Jaerim would want to eat next time.
The next day, Dohyun woke up earlier than usual, not because he had somewhere important to be, but because his mind refused to shut up.
He stood in his small kitchen, staring at the leftover fruit Jaerim had given him. It sat on the counter in a half-open plastic container, looking exactly as sad and questionable as it had last night.
“I can have it, huh?” he muttered, poking a grape with a chopstick. It was soft. Definitely done.
He sighed, tossed it in the trash, and leaned on the counter. He wasn’t sure why he’d even brought it home.
Maybe because it felt awkward to say no to something someone gave you – even if that someone was a guy who nearly starved himself and accused you of having a cooking fetish.
He rubbed his temples. “What am I even doing…”
But the more he tried not to think about Jaerim, the more his brain replayed that tiny, ridiculous smile.
The one that had made him forget how to talk for a second.
Jaerim’s apartment building looked the same as that night – quiet, clean, a little too polished. The guard at the front desk glanced up and nodded knowingly.
“Back again?”
Dohyun froze halfway through a polite bow. “…That obvious?”
The guard smiled. “He doesn’t get many visitors.”
That alone made Dohyun’s chest tighten. “Right…”
He went up, hands stuffed in his pockets, overthinking the whole way.
What if Jaerim didn’t even remember him?
What if he opened the door and called security?
What if-
The door opened after the second ring.
Jaerim stood there in an oversized shirt and pajama pants, hair sticking out in five different directions. He squinted like Dohyun was the morning sun itself.
“…You,” he said flatly.
“Hey,” Dohyun greeted, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh, I was just around the area, so I thought I’d check if you’ve eaten.”
Jaerim blinked. “It’s eleven.”
“Yeah. Lunch time.”
“I woke up ten minutes ago.”
“Perfect timing, then.”
There was a short pause, long enough for Dohyun to start regretting everything – before Jaerim sighed and stepped aside. “Fine. Shoes off.”
Dohyun blinked. “You’re letting me in?”
“Not in the mood to argue.”
