Chapter 16

“This new menu is pretty good, isn’t it? It’s refreshing and just the right amount of sweet.”

“Right, the orange and this jam are especially nice. People of any age would like it.”

Seoyeon and Jeongsu, both employees at the dessert café, showered the tart with praise. Late that morning, on their day off, Gyuyeon had called them over to present an orange tart he had created himself.

Despite looking like a carefree boss who only played around, Gyuyeon was serious about desserts. Having studied in Japan and France, his skills were unexpectedly high, and he never stopped developing new menu items.

When he first started working at the café, pastry chef Jeongsu had scoffed, assuming Gyuyeon was just wasting money on a hobby. But after tasting one of his cakes, Jeongsu had abandoned that notion completely.

The tart today was perfect as well. The homemade orange jam was better than anything from a patisserie. Once again, Jeongsu’s prejudices shattered.

‘He might look lazy, but he really lives diligently.’

“Oh, hi! Wait—how are you two in the same house…?”

Seoyeon, who had been devouring the tart, turned at the sound of small footsteps. The cute guy she had seen at the café appeared in Gyuyeon’s house, his just-woken, messy face still round and adorable.

Clicking his tongue, Gyuyeon rubbed his forehead as though something troublesome had happened and moved to usher Naru back inside. But Seoyeon’s hand was quicker.

“Eat with us! This is a new menu the boss developed, and it’s delicious.”

“…”

“Why, why are you hesitating?”

Naru swallowed nervously, eyes flicking toward Gyuyeon as if asking for permission. Flustered by his hesitation, Seoyeon impulsively shoved a fork into his hand.

His fingers twitched around the utensil. Gyuyeon gave a silent nod. He had hoped to keep Naru tucked away in the spare room until the employees left, but of course Naru had other ideas.

As soon as permission was granted, Naru dug into the tart. The tangy orange paired with the sweet whipped cream filled his mouth with joy. Naru was the kind who could polish off five macarons in one sitting.

He tapped his foot happily as he took another bite. Seoyeon, smiling, slid her cup toward him.

“It’d go perfectly with an ade. Here, try this.”

“It’s really delicious, right? Even if the boss looks like that, he makes outstanding desserts.”

“What do you mean, ‘like that’?”

“It means the boss is the best! Haha…”

As Naru leaned to sip from Seoyeon’s cup, Gyuyeon smoothly snatched it away. He filled a fresh one with lemon concentrate and soda, setting it before Naru instead. Seoyeon’s gaze flickered curiously at the subtle action.

Meanwhile, Jeongsu was scribbling in his notebook, noting ingredients and orange varieties. He only ever cared about the desserts.

But Seoyeon’s attention was fixed on Naru and Gyuyeon. Two men living together, with Gyuyeon—who was famously indifferent—taking such careful care of Naru? Something definitely felt off.

Naru, sitting at the corner of the table, busied himself finishing the tart. His fork-handling was clumsy, but compared to when he first ate with Gyuyeon, he’d clearly improved.

“The whipped cream is definitely tastier now.”

“Good thing I switched—hey, don’t eat that.”

Chatting with Jeongsu, Gyuyeon suddenly frowned. His hand shot out to stop Naru, who had been chewing on the fake grass used for decoration.

Pouting, Naru resisted. To him, the whipped cream stuck on it was still food.

“I don’t want to.”

“Ha…”

“…”

“Spit it out while I’m being nice. One, two—”

Reluctantly, Naru spat out the chewed-up grass. The clear teeth marks left behind were both ridiculous and amusing.

Seoyeon’s curiosity only grew. The reckless-seeming Gyuyeon treated Naru with unexpected tenderness, while Naru—who seemed sweet and innocent—had a stubborn streak that made him interesting.

‘What on earth is their relationship…?’

Her eyes wandered between the tart and Naru. Now that she thought about it, the dessert strangely resembled him: smooth yet sharply tangy.

“By the way, boss… your tart kind of looks like this person.”

“…What?”

“I-It’s just what I thought. It looks soft but tangy—it’s… charming.”

Gyuyeon felt as though she had struck a nerve. Of course the tart resembled Naru; he had made it with him in mind. But he hadn’t expected anyone to notice.

Naru, fork still in his mouth, looked at him with bright, questioning eyes. ‘Did you really make this thinking of me?’ The look was too much to handle. Gyuyeon denied it, belatedly.

“…No.”

“I-I must’ve been mistaken.”

“Stop spouting nonsense and get back to work.”

He shoved Seoyeon toward Jeongsu, acting the tyrant boss once again. After a quick discussion, he dismissed them before Naru could do anything else strange.

Seoyeon, however, left with her suspicions intact. She even pressed a madeleine she’d brought into Naru’s hand, and he happily accepted—anyone who gave him food was a good person.

Once the house grew quiet again, Gyuyeon sighed and returned to the kitchen. Naru was already munching on the vanilla madeleine, his appetite boundless despite his slim frame.

“Did you really make it thinking of me?”

“What?”

“That tart earlier. It was delicious.”

Naru blinked, pointing to the empty plate. Gyuyeon kept his mouth shut, unwilling to admit anything. He didn’t want to hear himself say it aloud.

Naru, however, took his silence as confirmation. Otherwise, Gyuyeon would have denied it. Beaming, Naru dipped his finger into the leftover cream and popped it into his mouth.

“You made it thinking of me…”

He slowly savored the sweetness. ‘Is this how it feels? Sweet, tangy… maybe a little embarrassing.’

But embarrassment only made him bolder. After licking his finger, he pressed his face straight into the plate.

“Are you crazy?”

“…Huh?”

“Why are you licking the plate like that? Are you a pervert?”

“I-I’m not a pervert!”

‘Not?’ Gyuyeon scoffed. ‘Look at you licking the plate like that, idiot.’ Muttering, he yanked the plate away, rinsed it, and shoved it into the dishwasher.

Still flustered, Naru trailed after him.

“I just thought… maybe you’ve started to like me.”

“…Say that again?”

“I thought you started to like me.”

“Who’s liking who? Are you out of your mind?”

Naru wasn’t a fool. If Gyuyeon made a dessert with him in mind, didn’t that mean he liked him? Clearly, he was lying now.

Leaning against the fridge, arms crossed, Gyuyeon narrowed his eyes, curious about what nonsense would come out next.

“You’re the one who’s out of your mind, Gyuyeon.”

“…”

“I, I…”

‘I like you, Gyuyeon. I could really make you mine for the rest of my life.’

The words lodged in his throat. Instead, Naru jumped up. The chair scraped loudly against the floor.

‘What is he trying to pull now…’

Gyuyeon frowned as Naru took a step closer—solemn, as though heading to battle.

Reaching him, Naru rose on tiptoe. His head barely reached Gyuyeon’s shoulder, but he still grabbed him by the collar and tugged.

“What are you doing—”

Before he could finish, Naru’s lips smashed against his.

It wasn’t a kiss so much as a clumsy collision. Naru clutched Gyuyeon’s cheeks, pressing hard. A sharp fang pierced skin, and blood welled at the corner of Gyuyeon’s lip.

One of them was in pain. The other thought, ‘Bravely kissing first—I’m so cool.’

It was Naru’s first attempt at kissing someone. Of course he didn’t know what he was doing.

“Are you insane?!”

“Ugh, it’s not over yet—!”

“Can’t you see the blood? Are you trying to bite me to death?!”

Gyuyeon seized his chin and pulled back, showing the blood. Naru reached out desperately, intent on trying again.

But before he could, Gyuyeon grabbed the back of his neck and tossed him into the spare room.

“Reflect on it.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Don’t even think of coming out until you’ve reflected.”

The door slammed with a loud ‘bang’. Flinching, Naru pouted.

‘Was I too hasty…? It was the perfect time to confirm his feelings.’

Reflection, my foot. Instead, he began plotting how to kiss him more naturally next time.

Meanwhile, Gyuyeon was trying to calm the pounding in his chest. Never in his life had he experienced such a lousy kiss.

He hurled a dishcloth aside, pulse racing with a mix of frustration and heat.

‘Why the hell did that idiot go off the rails like that?’

Blaming innocent Seoyeon for stirring things up, he pressed his lips tightly shut. His face burned, leaving him unsettled and strangely rattled.