A feast for two

He brought himself to Seso and said, "Can I go early?" The leader of the group, who was wiping his sweat with a towel, raised an eyebrow and said, "But there's still one more practice. Can't you wait?" Bong-soo shook his head left and right and said, "No, I have work, so I want to leave early." Then, with pleading eyes, he asked again, "Can I?"

Seso sighed and said, "Ok, ok. Don't make a bad face. You can go." The blue-haired boy happily gave him a friendly hug and said, "Thank you. You are the best leader in Korea." Seso said with a smile as he pulled him away, "That's enough; you don't need to flatter me. Go quickly before I change my mind."

Bong-soo nodded and turned to the others and said, "I'm leaving, guys; I'll see you tomorrow." and walked towards the dressing room when Seso's voice said from behind him, "Don't forget, we have practice tomorrow at 9 o'clock. Wake up on time so that the minibus doesn't get delayed." The blue-haired boy waved his hand in approval and entered the dressing room.

For Eujin, Bong-soo's behavior was strange. Today, he was cheerful and serious in group dance practice, and now he was leaving the studio earlier than the others. He smiled and said under his breath, "You are mysterious, little Soo. I think you are slowly finding the joy of life like me." Suddenly, the sound of Seso, which announced the end of the break, broke his train of thought. He threw his towel aside and went to the rest of the group to continue training.

Bong-soo quickly changed his clothes and was driven back home by one of the studio's drivers. He looked at the clock, which showed 19:20. Fortunately, he still had time, so he took a quick shower, dried his hair, and got ready to get dressed.

As the towel were tied around his waist, he stood in front of his wardrobe and checked them one by one. After a few moments, he paused and whispered, "What are you doing, idiot? Why are you so excited? Are you going to meet a girl?" Then he sighed and chose a formal suit with a white shirt.

As he threw the towel on the bed and put on his underwear, he said to himself, "That should be fine. It's a formal setting, and it's a thank-you dinner, so I shouldn't be so hard on myself." However, as he got dressed, the thought of meeting that man brought a smile to his face.

***

He was a bit lazy today. He really didn't like to go to that fancy restaurant and dinner invitation. But on the other hand, he didn't want that boy to follow him again and cause trouble for him. He could not understand why this boy behaved like this.

It was around 2 p.m. when he woke up. As always, he had a guard shift the night before, so he had slept until this hour. After washing his face, he put the food he had prepared and kept in the refrigerator in the microwave to heat it up.

The prospect of tonight troubled him. He wasn't sure why he wasn't feeling well. A meal in such a setting would take at least 30 minutes to an hour. Certainly, a conversation was going on at the moment, and he didn't want to be caught in the deluge of that boy's inquiries. But he lacked a conversation starter.

As he took the reheated meal from the microwave and sat down to eat, he had a sudden realization. He took out his phone and searched for the name of the Stary Boys group on YouTube, where he discovered hundreds of videos of songs as well as a unique fan program.

Even after finishing his meal, he continued to watch the videos, and only when his phone showed a low battery charge warning did he notice that the clock showed 17:40. He sighed, got up, and connected the phone to the charger. Then he took off his pants, sat on the floor, stretched his painful leg, and started applying cream to his knee.

After finishing his work and waiting for the cream to absorb, he reflected on the videos he had seen. A young boy named Phoenix appeared to be having a nice time with the rest of the group. He was joyful and smiling throughout the videos. All of the members were kind, and in one word, they were the perfect bunch of pals.

So why did he plan to commit suicide? He shrugged his shoulders and said, "It's none of my business. Anyway, all idols are odd. Half of the people in Korea and throughout the world want to live like them, yet they quickly go above their means." He gently got up. However, he did not put on his pants and went straight to the bath.

As he was in the shower, he wondered if he had the right clothes to enter such a classy restaurant. With some thought, he remembered that he had an old navy tuxedo that was probably still his size. He sighed and said under his breath, "How ridiculous that you have to wear special clothes to preserve luxury."

He washed his hair, but suddenly an unpleasant thought flashed through his mind. He didn't look interesting even in a tuxedo; apart from that, limping calmly while walking would have caused ridicule in such a place. It was the first time in years that he felt ashamed about limping.

He frowned at his reflection in the mirror and asked, "What's wrong with you, man?" Did you want to go to that blasted restaurant yourself? Don't be too hard on yourself." He shook his head, but he didn't feel content on the inside. He still had time, so he sighed and grabbed up the razor.

***

Bong-soo was sitting at the table, toying with a tall stem glass full of water. As he stared out the restaurant window at the dark beauty below, he blamed himself in his heart. He was in a hurry and arrived at the restaurant at 20:25, so he now has to wait until 21.

Always impatient, he took a sip of water and returned his gaze to the view. He didn't even have the man's phone number to contact and inform him that he had arrived early and was waiting for him. He took out his phone, attached his AirPods, and began listening to the songs he needed to know for the next tour with closed eyes.

He opened his eyes as soon as he felt a touch on his shoulder. He was embarrassed since he thought he had fallen asleep and was awakened by one of the staff. He blinked slightly and saw a gorgeous young man dressed in a navy tuxedo standing in front of him. There was something familiar about his expression, as if he had encountered him before.

It must have been one of the fans who recognized him and came forward to talk. Reluctantly, he took off his AirPods, and as he glanced at the clock on his cell phone, which read 20:46, he sighed and said, "Can I help you?"

The young man, who seemed to be confused, said, "Mr. Book? Have you forgotten me?" The boy frowned when he heard the familiar man's voice and then asked in surprise, "Mr. Cha?!" The man smiled and said, "Yes, it's me. Are you waiting for someone else?"

The boy stood up in surprise and said, "But—but that's not possible! You look ten years younger! I can't believe it!" Dae-hyun smiled shyly and said, "I thought it might not be right to be messy in this environment. After all, you're a famous person, and you're well-known in this restaurant. I thought it wasn't right to eat with a messy person. That's why I shaved my face."

Bong-soo still couldn't believe it. The young man in front of him was handsome and well-groomed. The navy tuxedo perfectly suited his face and stature. It was like, at best, he was meeting the guard's son. He tried to compose himself; he remembered that both of them were still standing. Just as he was about to invite the man to sit down, suddenly another familiar voice said, "Wait, isn't this our little Soo?"

He turned his head with a frown and saw Eujin approaching them with a big smile and carelessness. The blonde-haired boy made his way over to them, put his arm around Bong-soo's neck, and said, "What are you doing here, boy? Are you on a date?" But he didn't give him a chance to answer and turned to the young man and asked, "Who is he? One of the fans?"

The man gave a forced smile and said, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Lee." Eujin smiled proudly and said, "Wow, it's been a long time since someone called me with my last name." Meanwhile, Bong-soo removed his hand from around his neck and said, "Stop it, Eujin, he is…” But the blond boy cut him off and said, “I know, I know, you're always kind to the fans.”

Bong-soo frowned and said, "No! He..." But Eujin, ignoring his friend, turned to the man and added, "I'm sorry, sir, but it's not good to disturb the privacy of a person you're a fan of. We idols also have the right to eat dinner in peace."

Bong-soo angrily grabbed Eujin's hand and said, "What are you talking about?! Listen to me for a minute!" But meanwhile, the young man smiled and said, "Your friend is right, Mr. Book. I'm sorry to disturb your peace. I hope you will always be successful." Then he half-bowed and slowly walked away from them.

Bong-soo yelled in disbelief, "Wait! Don't go!" But Eujin pulled his hand as he sat on the chair and said, "Hey, don't yell. This isn't a studio; it's a restaurant. Let him go; be glad I relieved you from being harassed by a fan."

The blue-haired boy angrily said to his friend, "You idiot! Why are you interfering in everything?!" Eujin frowned and said, "What's wrong with you, man? You act like I stole your girlfriend! He was just a ridiculous man."

Bong-soo gathered all his strength not to punch him in the face. As soon as he wanted to continue the discussion, two young girls approached their table. Eujin stood up with a smile and said, "Oh, hello ladies, you're right on time. Look who I brought with me, the famous Phoenix!" Both girls bowed to Bong-soo in delight and stared at him with sparkling eyes.

The blue-haired boy controlled his anger, gave a forced smile, and said, "Good night, ladies; nice to meet you." Then, before Eujin started talking again, he half-bowed and continued, "But I'm sorry, something happened to me, and I have to go," and left the table in front of the surprised and disappointed eyes of the two girls.

Eujin quickly followed him, grabbed his arm, and said, "Are you crazy?! These two girls are our big fans! Both of them are from rich families! Sometimes their father's companies even sponsor our shows!"

Bong-soo released his arm and said, "I don't care! Go ahead and flirt with them yourself! You've ruined my night enough!" And in front of his friend's surprised look, he hurriedly went to the elevator.

***

Dae-hyun sighed as he stood in front of the restaurant door. The idea of coming here was wrong from the beginning. Why did he think that he could eat in a classy place in peace one night? He sighed again and looked at the sky. He had to walk to the station near the restaurant.

His stomach rumbled. Maybe it would be better to go to a restaurant and eat now that he is out for dinner. But no, with this stylish outfit and attitude, going to normal restaurants was a difficult task, and going to classy restaurants cost a lot.

He sighed and muttered, "Finally, I'll find something to eat at home," before going slowly. He was about halfway there when an expensive two-door sedan came to a stop next to him. When he saw the car, a bitter recollection stabbed his mind like a hot needle. He shook his head, and as he was ready to continue walking, someone stepped out of the car and said, "Hey, wait!"

He turned to the announcer and, seeing the blue-haired young man, said in surprise, "What are you doing here?" Bong-soo came forward and said, "I'm sorry for Eujin's behavior. I swear, I didn't know he was in this restaurant tonight," then he bowed and added, "I'm really sorry."

Dae-hyun sighed and said, "Raise your head. There's no reason to apologize. Your friend didn't do anything wrong; he just thought I was a fan who was disturbing your privacy; he was trying to help his friend."

Bong-soo raised his head and said, "But I'm sorry. He's always like that." Then he added in a soothing tone, "Let's go and have dinner somewhere else; I know several good restaurants." The young man shook his head as a sign of negation and said, "You don't need to; it's better to go back and eat with your friend."

"No! You were supposed to be my guest tonight!" Bong-soo said it stubbornly. Dae-hyun sighed and said, "Be reasonable; all the luxury restaurants in the city must be reserved in advance. Normal restaurants are also unsuitable for you, as they tend to attract attention quickly and may not provide the same level of comfort. So go back and eat with your friend."

As soon as he started walking, Bong-soo quickly grabbed his arm and said, "We can go to my house! I'll order food; it's easier there!" Dae-hyun sighed and said, "Why are you being so childish? All the staff in that tower know me. This will only spread ridiculous rumors, and then my job and your reputation will be damaged. There's no need to make amends; please leave my arm and let me go."

The blue-haired young man frowned and asked, "Why do you always try to get away from me?! You suggest something! Why are you just refusing?!" Dae-hyun clinched his teeth and muttered, "I'm not fleeing; I just don't want to disrupt my peace of mind. You're the one behaving like a child. Why don't you let me be at peace? Do you want to make me regret not letting you die?" But as soon as those words left his mouth, he regretted them.

Shocked by the man's words, Bong-soo slowly let go of his arm, stole his glance, and said, "I'm sorry. You're right, I'm just forcefully disturbing you." Then he half-bowed and added, "I won't bother you anymore, Mr. Cha. Good night and goodbye." He turned his back to him and returned to the car door.

Dae-hyun cursed beneath his breath. Before the youngster began to move, he approached the car and hit the black glass. After a brief interval, the glass dropped, but the blue-haired youth said nothing. Dae-hyun sighed and said, "I apologize. I overdid it." Without looking at him, Bong-soo remarked, "It doesn't matter; you were correct; I did upset you. If you don't have any more words, I'll leave you alone."

Dae-Hyun looked at the boy's mournful expression and tone and answered, "If you insist so much, we can go to my house." Suddenly, the blue-haired young man turned to face him and exclaimed, "Really?" with a twinkle in his eyes. But doubt rapidly crept into his eyes, and he added, "Why? You said you didn't want to."

Dae-hyun wanted to apologize for what he said, but instead shrugged and replied, "Anyway, you don't want to go back to your friend. You cannot go to another restaurant, either. You'd like to go home and order food. So instead, you can come to my house, get some food to express your gratitude, and enjoy dinner." He then raised his eyebrows and added, "Of course, if you regret your offer, that's fine."

He pretended to walk away from the car when suddenly the boy said, "Wait. Okay, get in." Dae-hyun, without the boy noticing, gave a victorious smile and said, "Of course, remember, my house is not a big and classy place like yours." Then, as he was laughing in his heart at the simplicity and childish behavior of the boy, he turned around the car and got on.

***

As he gently entered the little house, he mentioned, "What a neat house you have." The man's house was located in an area relatively far from his own, in one of the many alleys of the Hwagok-dong area. It was a simple house of about 50 square meters with a small yard.

Contrary to the external appearance of the building, the inside was completely clean and tidy. Bong-soo couldn't believe that this was a single man's house. He put his shoes next to the footstool, put on the slippers that were prepared for him, and as he entered the living room, he asked, "Are you really single? Your house is very tidy!"

Dae-Hyun put the shopping bag in the kitchen, and as he took off his coat, he said, "Why shouldn't it be? I'm either at work or sleeping most of the day, so it's natural that I don't mess around at home." Then, as he walked towards the door in the corner of the living room, pointing to a hanger and adding, "You can hang your coat there; feel free; I'll be right back," he left the boy alone.

Bong-soo looked around the house curiously for a moment. Of course, this was not a prosperous neighborhood with fancy houses, but the man's house had a nice and peaceful feeling. He took off his coat, hung it up, loosened his tie, and sat on the floor behind the small table in the living room.

Meanwhile, Dae-hyun returned to the living room in more comfortable clothes, limping even more than before. The blue-haired boy looked at him and said, "What's wrong with you? You were walking easily from the restaurant to here. For a moment, I thought you lied about your limp."

"That was because of this splint. When I wear this, it prevents me from clearly limping," Dae-hyun said as he placed something cylindrical and mesh in the corner of the room. Bong-soo raised an eyebrow and asked, "So why don't you always wear it? Do you like everyone to look at you as a lame person?"

The man sighed and said, "Because if I wear it for a long time, it puts a lot of pressure on my leg, and when I open it, the pain will double. Tonight, after a few years, I wore it to avoid attracting attention in the restaurant." Remembering the events at the restaurant, Bong-soo frowned and said, "I'm sorry."

The man shrugged and said, "It doesn't matter." Then, as he limped to the kitchen, he added, "Feel free. You can watch TV until the food gets ready." The young man stood up and said, "Let me help you. Why didn't you let us buy ready-made food? Besides that, why did you make me park the car on the side of the street and walk all the way here when you were under so much pressure?"

Dae-hyun sat on the kitchen chair, stretched out his painful leg a little, and said as he rubbed it, "You know you ask a lot of questions? When we're eating at home, why does it have to be ready-made? We make it ourselves." Then he added with a sigh, "About the car, it's different here from the neighborhood you live in. The people here are not bad people, but an expensive car can tempt anyone, so it's safer to be on the side of the street."

The boy sat on the second seat and said, "If we went to my house, you wouldn't be bothered so much," but when his stomach started to growl, his ears suddenly became red from embarrassment, and he became silent. Dae-hyun laughed and said, “You're obviously very hungry.” As he stood up, Bong-soo said sadly, “Well, I haven't eaten since I had lunch at 2 p.m.”

The man took out something from the cabinet, held it to him, and said, "I thought idols cared more about their nutrition. For now, eat this rice cake so you don't get a stomach ache. I'll prepare the food soon." Like an obedient child, Bong-soo gratefully took the rice cake from the man and began to eat.

The man tied a green apron around his waist, took out the purchased items from the bags, and placed them on the cabinet. Then he poured a few cups of rice into the rice cooker and turned it on. He put a pot on the gas stove, poured a little sesame oil in it, and turned it on to heat it up.

As Bong-soo slowly ate the cake, he watched with interest the man's delicate and precise movements while cooking. Dae-hyun took the minced meat out of its package, rinsed it in the sink, and set it next to the sink to remove the excess blood and water. After checking the heat of the oil, he slowly added the minced meat to it and began to fry it.

After the color of the meat changes, he adds chopped red pepper, soy sauce, and ginger powder to the pot and mixes them with the meat. Then he added a small amount of water to the pot, closed the lid, and reduced the flame so that the contents inside cooked well.

As Dae-hyun washes the scallions, Bong-soo says, “You look like a pro at cooking.” As he was shaking the scallions to remove excess water after washing them in the sink, the man replied, "I'm not a professional; just living alone has made me cook some dishes quickly and easily." Then he put the scallions on a board and started chopping them.

Bong-soo stood up, walked over to him, and asked, "Are you sure you don't want help?" Dae-Hyun gently pushed him away from the stove with the back of his hand and said, "There's not much left to do; once the rice is ready, we can eat. Please stay away from the stove; I don't want you to hurt yourself."

The blue-haired boy returned to the chair and said, "Why do you treat me like a child? I know how to cook." Dae-Hyun put the chopped onions in a bowl and said, "I didn't say you can't; I said there's nothing left to do." Then, as he sat down on another chair, he added, "You are an idol; if hot oil splashes on your hands or face, you will be in trouble."

The young boy sighed, looked away from him, and said, "Idol, idol. Everyone just says the same thing. I'm human too." Dae-hyun looked at the boy's upset face and said, "I'm sorry. I know life as an idol is hard and full of expectations. I just don't want you to get hurt over a simple dinner that will affect your career."

Bong-soo looked into the man's eyes; there was no trace of pity or mockery in them, only a friendly kindness. As soon as he wanted to change the subject, the rice cooker's alarm sounded. "The food is ready; please help me set the table," Dae-hyun said as he stood up.