Chapter 24

After the commotion, the slightly noisy ordinary days resumed. Gyu-yeon fretted that Naru might act up again. Whenever Naru went near the front door, he would bolt out of his room and watch him, warning him not to touch the terrace windows.

Thanks to Gyu-yeon’s ironclad rules, Naru’s life became much more comfortable. Until a few days ago he had ignored his existence completely, but after that incident he cared for him again like before, so Naru seemed relieved.

Yes, everything was fine, but one thing bothered him.

‘I thought you were the rich kid Gyu-yeon used to make fun of, but you’re not.’

Naru couldn’t understand what Geon-hyuk had meant. He had never been made fun of by Gyu-yeon, and he’d never heard the phrase “rich kid” before. He must have been mistaken for someone else, but the remark left an odd, uncomfortable feeling.

“Hey, Song Naru. Why are you so quiet? You’re not causing trouble again, are you?”

“I didn’t cause any trouble!”

“You can look at me with those wronged eyes all you want, I know. Ha, damn, I knew you’d do this.”

Lost in thought about his conversation with Geon-hyuk, Naru focused on pulling tissues when Gyu-yeon came out of the kitchen, put a hand to his forehead, and said he knew it.

When Naru was quiet, he was always getting into mischief. He was nothing but a troublemaking puppy. Today tissues were scattered across the living room floor like clouds.

Each tissue was practically Naru’s toy. The tactile pleasure of pulling them out was addictive; once hooked, he couldn’t stop. Recently he’d pulled them all out, so Gyu-yeon had hidden them in a corner, but somehow Naru had found them and dragged them back to play with.

“I told you not to pull tissues. Are you a dog?”

Gyu-yeon scolded him while picking up the scattered tissues. Naru moved aside so it was easier to tidy and rolled his eyes, pretending ignorance. His look of innocence—acting like he hadn’t done anything—was astonishing.

Every time Naru caused trouble, Gyu-yeon would blurt, “Are you a dog?” Since he kept asking the obvious, Naru couldn’t help nodding. He looked up with round eyes and nodded, making Gyu-yeon laugh incredulously.

“Why are you nodding?”

“Because I am a dog…”

“Oh, really? What kind of dog then?”

“A useless puppy…”

Gyu-yeon’s sarcastic question was met with that answer, leaving him speechless. Naru had called himself a useless puppy with his own mouth. He answered with a look that said, “I don’t know anything,” so Gyu-yeon couldn’t even retort.

Naru was serious. He didn’t remember as a baby, but in a quiet rural village people had called him a “useless puppy.” Baby Naru didn’t understand why, with his white fur, he was called that. Maybe he came back filthy with dirt, so people said it. He still wondered.

Shaking with quiet frenzy, Gyu-yeon silently tidied the living room and headed to the kitchen. Along the way he dragged Naru by the scruff and set him in front of the table. He put him where he could see him, afraid he’d cause more trouble if left alone.

Gyu-yeon had been busy since morning. He was testing canelés to be released next month. Even if he found other tasks tedious, he enjoyed making desserts. It was something he could do as the youngest son of YK Electronics. If he were the eldest or second brother, it would have been unthinkable.

“It smells delicious.”

“It’s hot, so get back.”

“This is for eating, right?”

“Of course it is—what, do you think it’s trash?”

When Naru, who was sitting, started hovering near the oven, Gyu-yeon firmly pushed him away. He had to take the canelés out of the oven, and he couldn’t concentrate with Naru loitering in front of it.

Naru obediently stepped back, but as soon as the oven opened he moved close and began sniffing. Whenever Gyu-yeon made desserts for a new menu, Naru always stuck to him, waiting for crumbs to fall.

“Hey, get back, get back.”

“What is it? What is that? It’s black.”

“You’re really…”

Gyu-yeon, looking at Naru with a displeased but not resentful gaze, took the nicely baked canelés from the mold. The deep chocolate-colored canelés looked mouthwatering enough to make one swallow.

Naru licked his lips watching the canelés neatly stacked on a plate. They smelled new and unfamiliar but delicious, and he felt like stuffing them into his mouth immediately.

“Give me just one.”

“No.”

“Give it.”

“…”

There it was again: that filthy habit of switching to blunt speech whenever something displeased him.

Gyu-yeon gently pushed Naru’s forehead and, pretending to be annoyed, handed him a canelé. Naru had no talent for food critique, but seeing him enjoy something made Gyu-yeon proud, so he sometimes gave him extra on purpose.

Staring curiously at the solitary canelé on the plate, Naru took a big bite. His mouth was small but he always stuffed it full when he ate, like a hamster.

“How is it?”

“It’s delicious!”

“Of course it’s good. I learned this directly in France.”

“Give me another!”

“…Fine, eat a lot.”

Giving up on his bragging, Gyu-yeon placed another canelé on the plate. Naru, intoxicated by the flavor spreading in his mouth, was blissful. His wide eyes and upturned mouth clearly showed his happiness.

Sitting in front of Naru with his chin on his hand, Gyu-yeon gave a nervous laugh. He couldn’t understand why the dumb expression Naru made while eating suddenly looked cute. What had happened to his eyes? A faint smile spread on his lips.

Munching quietly, Naru keenly caught that expression on Gyu-yeon’s face. Come to think of it, since they returned from the department store, Gyu-yeon’s attitude had become overly kind. It was like when they first met but warmer. Strange.

“Ah, please eat.”

“…What?”

“This is tasty, eat it with me.”

“You, you eat more.”

See, his tone was gentle and everything seemed fine….

Why did it feel like he was strangely avoiding me?

When Naru brought half a canelé to his mouth, Gyu-yeon turned his head away saying he’d had enough. If he truly hated it he’d have snapped and told him to stop, but instead he merely turned away.

“Please eat it.”

“…Hey, you.”

“Yes?”

“If someone heard they’d misunderstand—never mind.”

He had simply asked him to eat a canelé, but Gyu-yeon strangely flushed. The more that happened, the deeper Naru’s suspicions grew.

Was he sick? It probably wasn’t a cold. Could it be…?

Gyu-yeon was on the verge of going crazy. Since returning from the department store he had found Naru’s face so pretty that he began to seriously question his own tastes.

It was the same now. When he looked at him with those bright round eyes, his face inexplicably flushed. He hadn’t felt this way even at the start of his first love; it was strange.

“Your face is red.”

“No it’s not.”

“It is red.”

“I said it’s not.”

Gyu-yeon answered tersely and leapt up. He looked like he intended to clean up before Naru dragged him into trouble again.

While Gyu-yeon cleaned the kitchen, Naru watched his back with contentment. He had worried briefly that he might be ill, but seeing him perfectly fine made his heart as light as a cloud.

He understood. Gyu-yeon was beginning to seep into his life little by little.

Gyu-yeon clearly had more dating experience, but at times like this Naru seemed like the veteran. Realizing Gyu-yeon was becoming attached to him, Naru brightened his eyes, thinking this was his chance.

On the table were eaten plates, a fork, and a knife. Watching his chance, Naru deliberately dropped the knife on the floor—like a little fox wearing an innocent puppy’s face.

One, two, three.

Clang!

“Ouch, my hand!”

“Hey, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“…”

As soon as he heard the noise Gyu-yeon ran over. The knife that had just dropped was one he had imported from Italy. It cost as much as 500,000 won apiece, but seeing him worry about Naru instead of the knife made Naru smile.

Before Gyu-yeon had checked Naru’s expression, he turned his pale hand over to see if it was injured. He was startled because Naru had cried as if he’d cut himself, but his hand didn’t have a single scratch.

“Ah, I thought I’d cut myself…”

“Don’t you know to be careful?”

“You said that was expensive and I dropped it…”

“Ah, that’s fine.”

Gyu-yeon picked up the knife and replied without hesitation: “That’s fine.” He had been the type to make a fuss even if someone used a bit too much body wash before—his attitude had changed a lot in a short time.

Hmm, Gyu-yeon is really changing, isn’t he?

Naru, who had decided to open Gyu-yeon’s heart, began to see hope. Until a few days ago he thought it was over, but at this rate they might become close within months.

Bold Naru decided to be a bit more daring. He had been too timid to ask to go out for days, but now it seemed okay to pester Gyu-yeon.

Having tidied the kitchen, Gyu-yeon exchanged messages on his phone. Naru guessed he would go out soon. Usually when Gyu-yeon made that expression while looking at his phone, he always ended up going out.

“Sigh…”

Gyu-yeon glanced at his wristwatch and sighed. As Naru expected, he had to go out soon. He needed to have the staff try the canelé samples, and there was an applicant who wanted to join as a new employee.

The work itself wasn’t the problem; the issue was leaving Naru alone at home. Leaving him alone worried him, but taking him out worried him more because he’d run off before. He didn’t know what to do.

“I have to go out for a bit.”

“I’ll go put clothes on and come.”

“No.”

“You’re not taking me?”

“Using blunt speech again.”

So what about blunt speech? Naru muttered inwardly, then deliberately looked at Gyu-yeon with pleading eyes. He knew this would soften his heart.

Frowning as he put on his jacket, Gyu-yeon firmly pushed away the clinging Naru. He’d rather leave him at home than risk losing him if he took him out.

Of course Naru didn’t easily accept Gyu-yeon’s decision. He itched from not going out for days, and he wanted to go to Gyu-yeon’s café to get delicious desserts. In particular, Seo-yeon, the café staff, always gave Naru lots of tasty treats whenever she saw him.

“You’re not taking me…?”

“Even if you look at me like that, it’s not allowed.”

“I won’t run away.”

“No, I said you can’t.”

“Take me with you.”

Naru mimicked a rough tone in a high, pleasant voice and smiled innocently. Sticking close to Gyu-yeon had apparently taught him his manner of speaking. The clipped, rough tone was exactly like his.

Unintentionally mirrored, Gyu-yeon gaped as if he’d been hit on the back of the head. He couldn’t let his guard down even for a moment when talking to Naru. His gentle appearance made it easy for Naru to pounce the moment he saw an opening, leaving Gyu-yeon often flustered.

When Gyu-yeon looked down at him as if he’d lost his mind, Naru blinked casually. His eyes said no matter what he said he wouldn’t back down—take me with you.

“How am I supposed to trust you?”

“I won’t run away anymore.”

“…”

“Really, now that Gyu-yeon believes in me. You won’t leave me behind either, right?”

You won’t leave me behind. It was a phrase that pierced Gyu-yeon’s heart.

Naru’s words were accurate. Gyu-yeon couldn’t answer. Because he wasn’t wrong.

Gyu-yeon had no intention of abandoning Naru.