PAID

A conversation I once overheard in the classroom resurfaced in my mind.

"Doesn't it look kinda cool when a friend confidently punches in the door code at another friend's house?"

What kind of bullshit was that?

"No, seriously. Like, when I asked where to throw my trash, and he just took it and tossed it in the bin without a word—it looked kinda badass. Like someone who’s mastered something."

Back then, I thought it was the dumbest thing I’d ever heard. But now… I kind of understood. That subtle feeling. So this was what they meant.

I pressed my palm against my chest without thinking.@@novelbin@@

Go Yohan led me to the dining room and pulled out a chair.

“Sit here.”

“Oh, uh, okay.”

I awkwardly moved my stiff body and sat down.

Naturally, I expected him to sit across from me—but instead, he walked into the kitchen without hesitation.

Was he going to ask the housekeeper? I figured he’d be back soon and waited, but he was taking longer than I expected.

Left alone, boredom crept in, so I stood up. After checking to make sure no one was around, I moved toward the kitchen.

And then—I saw something shocking.

“…Huh?”

Go Yohan was taking dishes out of the cabinet. The braised short ribs were already plated, steam rising inside a transparent dish.

At first, I was just watching without thinking. But the moment it clicked—I was stunned.

He plated that himself? Go Yohan did?

I kept watching. He even took side dishes out of the fridge and set them out one by one.

…Go Yohan, serving rice with his own hands?

The contrast between his fluid movements and the unpredictable arrogance I was used to seeing at school completely threw me off.

His fingers were red from the cold tap water. Since he hadn’t wiped them properly, the moisture caught the kitchen light, making them look even redder. The whole situation was so awkward I thought I’d suffocate.

In the end, I couldn’t handle the strange tension.

I hovered near the kitchen before blurting out, “Need help?”

Go Yohan’s head snapped up. It wasn’t until then that he seemed to realize I was standing there. His usually narrow eyes widened slightly.

And then—guilt.

I don’t know why, but I felt guilty just looking at his expression.

His pale face turned red. Almost like he was embarrassed.

“No, just go.”

Why the hell did he look at me like that? Like I’d done something wrong.

“Oh? Uh, okay.”

I had been about to say, Sorry, but I bit my lip and held back. What the hell did I have to apologize for? I didn’t do anything wrong.

Since I had nothing else to say, I turned and left the kitchen.

For some reason, the chair I had been sitting in looked out of place. It wasn’t something I had noticed before, but now it stuck out—just slightly askew while the rest were neatly arranged around the square dining table.

“…”

I glanced back at the kitchen.

Dishes clinked as Go Yohan continued his work.

The sound seemed to tell me to sit down and wait.

Should I? Or should I stay with him?

I had no experience with a situation like this, so I wasn’t sure.

In the end, I hesitated, then sat back down in the slightly crooked chair.