Chapter 32: A Door-Sized Man in Pink

Looking somewhat dazed, Jin-yeop left the Vibes building and got into the car waiting at the main gate.

After politely declining Director Im’s offer to provide a driver, he gently turned the steering wheel and headed home, quietly recalling what had just happened.

[And since it’s something that will come out anyway, I’ll tell you in advance.]

Without needing to get personal, Jin-yeop brought up the story he had been hiding from the two of them, who had said the first point alone was enough to end it without paying a single won in alimony.

It was regarding the artifact.

He told them that the artifact wasn’t just an unregistered artifact, but something he had obtained after his younger brother’s death in the past.

Although he was making it sound grand, he added that it wasn’t like a keepsake his brother had owned; strictly speaking, it was no different from an item he had picked up at that location.

He was just arbitrarily calling it a memento; in truth, it was just an object that reminded him of that day.

But whenever Jin-yeop added such details, the faces of the two men twisted relentlessly.

Director Im, in particular, who knew roughly how Jin-yeop’s younger brother had died, covered his face with his hand and said nothing.

The atmosphere sank in an instant.

After a long silence, a chilly air settled in, and just as Jin-yeop was about to try to change the mood, Chang-gyun, who had been quiet, opened his mouth.

[This… is absolutely unacceptable, isn’t it?

How could you live with someone like that?]

[I understand what you’re saying, but I wonder if it’s possible to take this legally…

Morally, it’s problematic, but… they’re married.]

[Theft charges might not hold, but it’s sufficient grounds for divorce.]

[…]

[It’s a complete breakdown of trust.

And there’s something Jin-yeop-ssi is overlooking.

The law also considers morality and ethics.]

Stating that it was more than enough reason to deem the marriage unsustainable, Chang-gyun sighed.

[It’s not simply disposing of a spouse’s belongings without permission.

This is your brother’s keepsake.

What person in this world could live side by side with someone who stole their brother’s memento?]

[…]

[I don’t think you need to be overly rational.

The previous points are enough, but this…]

[No.

If I don’t clearly present evidence for the other two issues, the artifact matter might be seen as something contrived…]

[Jin-yeop.]

Roughly wiping his face, Director Im interrupted Jin-yeop with a hardened expression.

[Just say you want to kill him.]

[…]

[That’s abuse.]

At the clearly lit red light, Jin-yeop slowly applied the brakes.

Director Im’s voice, saying that what he was doing now was self-abuse, was still buzzing in his ears.

“…What on earth is that?”

Arriving home with a complicated mind, Jin-yeop stood at the entrance and let out a hollow laugh.

Wearing a pink floral-print frilly apron that definitely shouldn’t be in his house, Eun-ru had even come out to greet him, his face shy.

“Welcome back?”

“Well, I’m back.”

Jin-yeop’s words trailed off, his mouth agape.

Where on earth had he found such an apron?

The cloth tied around his large frame looked painfully tight, stretched to its limit.

As the two stood silently facing each other, Eun-ru spoke first.

“Have you eaten?”

“No, not yet.

But did you cook?

Yourself?”

“That’s a bit grand to say I cooked.

I’m not very good at cooking, actually.”

Eun-ru, looking embarrassed, scratched his head, then approached the blankly standing Jin-yeop and took his hand.

“Go wash up and change first.

Where’s the little one?”

“Fortunately, it hasn’t come out since then.

More importantly…”

“Please wash up first and then talk.

I’m not fully prepared yet.”

Jin-yeop gazed at the kitchen, which seemed to be in the middle of food preparation, and started to speak, but Eun-ru pushed him towards the bedroom.

Having no choice, Jin-yeop entered the bedroom, wondering what on earth was going on.

From outside the closed door came the clatter of dishes.

He shouldn’t have told Eun-ru where he lived.

Jin-yeop sighed.

Although the hospitalization was short, he had accumulated various small items.

They weren’t such a problem that carrying them would be an issue, so he had intended to take them to the agency, but then Eun-ru suddenly offered to drop them off at his house.

He had repeatedly refused, saying it was fine, but Eun-ru was so persistent that he reluctantly agreed.

Come to think of it, it seemed the reason Eun-ru hadn’t wanted to come to the office was so he could come to his house.

‘He’s subtly cunning.’

But realizing that now was useless.

He had already been had.

He never imagined Eun-ru would be cooking in his house dressed like that, but he had intended to call him briefly after leaving the agency.

While the reason he headed straight to the agency after discharge was the divorce, that wasn’t all.

Even though it was somewhat impulsive, since he decided to become partners with Eun-ru, he wanted to consult a lawyer about that contract too.

He and Eun-ru weren’t in a relationship that could be contracted with a standard form.

There were various conditions he wanted to add, and the same would go for Eun-ru.

Although he was flustered, the distracting thoughts that had been clouding his mind the whole way here had all vanished at the sight of Eun-ru.

The problem was that Lee Eun-ru had taken their place completely.

Jin-yeop leisurely took off his clothes and entered the bathroom.

Glancing into the kitchen, he thought it would be good to give Eun-ru plenty of time.

Under the shower, with water streaming down coolly, it suddenly struck him as odd that he was showering while another man cooked in his house, but he quickly shook his head and dismissed the strange thoughts.

Soon, Jin-yeop changed into comfortable clothes, roughly dried his wet hair with a towel, and came out of the room.

Eun-ru, who was just setting down the spoons, saw him and stiffened in surprise.

Seeing Jin-yeop in comfortable shorts and a roomy sweatshirt, Eun-ru just stared blankly without a word, so Jin-yeop cleared his throat.

“May I sit?”

“Yes, yes!

Of course.”

Eun-ru, having been distracted staring blankly at Jin-yeop, neatly arranged the skewed spoons and pulled out a chair slightly, nodding.

Watching Eun-ru, who was cooking in someone else’s house with his intentions plainly visible, yet acting awkward and flustered upon seeing him, Jin-yeop felt like laughing but suppressed it and sat at the table.

Eun-ru quickly sat across from him as well.

Jin-yeop looked at the food laid out on the table and genuinely admired it.

“Did you really make all this yourself?”

“I bought the side dishes from a store.

The fridge was completely empty.

I only made the soup and the bulgogi myself.”

“…”

“Is there anything you can’t eat?”

“…No, nothing.”

Why hadn’t he just left after dropping off the things?

If he was going to stay, why go through the trouble of preparing all this food?

There were many things he wanted to say, but he couldn’t easily utter any of them.

He knew well what it felt like to cook while waiting for someone to come home.

Even if it was just because he felt awkward, it wouldn’t be polite to just criticize without a single word of praise.

He knew that the person who cooks and waits wants to see the other person eating well and enjoying it, not to be asked why they went through all this trouble.

Still, Jin-yeop knew so well what this act meant that he couldn’t easily speak.

He wondered if it was right for him to casually utter the words Eun-ru wanted to hear.

Or was it right to disappoint him by saying something unexpected?

Jin-yeop truly didn’t know what the right answer was.

“So…”

“Yes?”

“Where did that apron come from?”

In the end, that was all he could say.

At Jin-yeop’s words, Eun-ru suddenly realized he was still wearing the apron, his ears turning bright red as he hurriedly took it off.

“Ah, I just saw it and b-bought it.

I was worried about getting, uh, seasoning on my clothes.”

“I see.”

“…”

“I asked because it suits you.”

Still clutching the removed apron tightly, hesitating, Eun-ru’s face brightened at Jin-yeop’s single comment, and he met his gaze.

Jin-yeop liked those round eyes and the clear curve of his lips, and finally burst into laughter.

At the hearty laugh, Eun-ru pouted.

“You said ‘what on earth is that’ as soon as you saw me earlier.”

“That was because I didn’t see it properly.”

“I’m not exactly small enough to require a close look…”

That was true.

A man as big as a door suddenly appears wearing a pink apron; what need was there to carefully examine whether it suited him or not?

“Well, honestly, it’s not exactly an apron that suits your build…”

“Not?”

Eun-ru asked back, his face full of anticipation.

Jin-yeop felt he roughly knew what answer Eun-ru wanted.

He was probably expecting to hear that he looked good because he was handsome.

But now that he knew, Jin-yeop had no intention of obediently saying it.

“It seems like an age-appropriate choice.”

This time, Eun-ru’s cheeks puffed up.

His flushed ears and puffed cheeks suited him perfectly.

“You’re cute.”

“You really know how to lift someone up and let them down.”

“Actually, I could easily lift someone like Lee Eun-ru-ssi.”

“You know you’re quite mischievous, don’t you?”

“Well, I wouldn’t know.

This is the first I’m hearing of it.”