"You like it, don't you?" I leaned forward, resting my chin on my hand while watching him closely. "See? I told you you'd love my cooking."
His chopsticks froze midair, and for a second there, I thought he might drop them and walk out.
But instead, he said nothing, picked up the pieces of beef from his bowl, and put them into his mouth. He did not say anything and just ate, and despite how he was trying to get used to the pepper, he did not stop.
I grinned wider. Victory tasted better than the hotpot itself, haha.
For a moment, though, my chest tightened.
Watching him made me experience a Déjà vu. This scene, him pretending to hate the spice, me teasing him... Ah, it had happened so many times that I couldn't even count.
The laughter caught in my throat, and I gulped down hard, as if the lump refused to slip down my throat despite how wet it was.
But Sung-min didn't notice. Or maybe he did, and chose not to comment.
I sighed. Should I say he was being considerate or just plain indifferent?
I picked up a spoon, ready to dig into the meal in front of him, but the bliss made me hesitate. Maybe for a moment longer.
Maybe I could watch him for a moment longer before I actually eat my meal.
Who knows? This might be the last time I get to make him hotpot for a while.
After what was going to happen tonight, accompanied by the series of coincidences so far, I don't know if he'll be able to trust me any longer. I don't know when I'll be able to convince him to come over again.
Then, Sung-min's sudden question cut through my thoughts.
"Why here?"
I blinked, looking up at him.
"Hm?"
He gestured vaguely with his chopsticks still in hand, twirling around the air.
"This place is so close to a crack. Of all neighborhoods, you chose here. Why?"
Ah. So the interrogation wasn't over after all.
"It's as if you decided that the safest place would be the most dangerous but I doubt that's what you had in mind." So can he tell what I have in my mind now? "You love doing reckless things but I can't figure it out. Why did you choose such a dangerous residential area?"
I smiled, though the corners of it faltered just slightly since it wasn't a genuine smile, and I was still recovering from the emotional turmoil I had just experienced.
"Well... Because it's cheap." I said, using the same excuse I used with the house agent. "And because no one will bother me here. Isn't that reason enough?"
His gaze burned through me. They were unyielding. He didn't believe me.
And honestly? His instincts had a hand in it. He was sharper than the rough edges of his very own ice.
"You can say that again when the monsters spawn from the crack and terrorize the neighborhood." He said and continued eating.
I laughed.
"Well, why would I have to worry about that?" I asked and he asked, raising his gaze as he wondered if I was planning anything.
But I wasn't planning anything. I just... Had faith.
I rested my chin on my palm, smiling at him.
"Not when there's a powerful Esper I plan to invite over for dinner every evening. I don't think I'll have to worry about a monster outbreak."
"Sigh."
Why did that sound so forced?
Sung-min placed down his chopsticks after sighing and picked up the glass of water, gulping down heavily.
"Are you done?" I asked and looked at his bowl to find it empty. It warmed my heart. "I could give you seconds if you want."
"No need." He said, slamming the glass on the table quite gently as he didn't want to be rude after the hospitality.
I looked at the pot. There was still a bit left. I hadn't taken a single bite but I was sure I wouldn't be able to eat half of it.
"Would you like to rest before you leave?" I asked him, but he shook his head.
"Choi Joon-ho, what is it you actually want from me?" He suddenly asked and I paused.
"Huh?" What sort of question was that? "I'm quite sure I made it clear that I want you though." I shamelessly said and his brows tilted. "I'm not asking you to reciprocate my feelings since you literally just met me but I'm putting in an effort. The least you can do is acknowledge my little efforts, don't you think?"
I was smiling so sheepishly and quite frankly, suspiciously.
Who wouldn't suspect such a bright smile out of nowhere?
And Sung-min was quite full of it.
"Then, do you want to sleep with me?" He asked and my chin fell from my palm, hitting the edge of the table.
I was struck with the stupidest disbelief.
"What?"
I looked at him, eyes wide and mouth ajar with a bruised chin all of a sudden.
What did he just say? Did I hear him right or was it my imagination playing tricks on me?
"I don't think I have to repeat it." He said, folding his arms.
My heart began to race and I pressed my lips together, my mouth salivating for no obvious reason. Were my feelings finally getting through to him? Or did he feel something from maybe a past life connection?
"I figured that since you claim to like me so much, you might just be confused by my appearance. You don't know me, and there's very little detail about me in the open, so there was nothing for you to like aside from my appearance and the fact that I'm an Esper. Therefore, what you're after is my body and nothing else. If it's that, I can give it to you, but afterwards, you have to stop playing these childish games before it starts getting revolting." He declared coldly and I stayed still.
I was frozen by his words alone, and my racing heart, which had gotten excited, calmed down completely.
Ah... I was getting ahead of myself. He just wants to get me out of his way like I was some pest, since he couldn't figure me out till the end.
Typical Sung-min. Always running instead of fixing things.
He was such a hard 'work' to deal with.