#40

After a long standoff, I was the first to move.

I let out a small breath, set the paper bag I was holding on the floor, and walked toward Tartarus. As I suddenly moved, the members of Tartarus flinched, their bodies tensing, but I pretended not to notice and slipped between them to turn off the gas stove. Checking the ramen as I did, I was relieved to see that the noodles hadn’t gotten soggy and the broth hadn’t boiled down too much.

“Let’s eat first.”

Saying that, I grabbed a pair of kitchen mitts, lifted the pot, and placed it on the trivet in the center of the dining table.

“Yeah! I don’t know what’s going on, but let’s eat first, guys!”

Ahn Siwon, who had been standing awkwardly, reading the room, quickly chimed in and began ushering the Tartarus members into their seats at the table. After confirming that they had all taken their places, I picked up the paper bag I had set on the floor and placed it in the corner of the table.

“Enjoy your meal. I’ll be in my room taking a shower.”

Since they were even being wary of me while making ramen, I figured sitting at the table with them while they ate would just make them too nervous to eat properly. So, I hurriedly made my way to my room. Thirty minutes should be enough before coming back out, I thought. But just as I was about to leave, a voice called out from behind me.

“Uh…… Sir.”

Wondering what it was, I turned around to see Lee Gaon blinking at me with an innocent expression.

“Would you like to eat with us?”

I widened my eyes in surprise at the unexpected invitation.

“Yisol hyung is terrible at cooking anything else, but he makes amazing ramen. So if you’re hungry— Ow! Wait, Daon, that hurts!”

Lee Gaon was suddenly elbowed in the side by Lee Daon mid-sentence. As he clutched his side in pain, I looked at him in concern, only to see Lee Daon grab him by the nape and whisper harshly into his ear.

“You idiot! Do you really think someone like him eats ramen? Just look at his face—it screams that he only eats expensive food!”

It seemed like he was trying to keep his voice down so I wouldn’t hear, but unfortunately, I heard every word.

Feeling oddly disconcerted, I absentmindedly touched my face. Do I really look like I only eat expensive food? That’s not true—I like ramen too…… I’ve been told I look intimidating before, but it was my first time hearing that I looked like someone who only eats luxury meals, and it left me feeling strangely bewildered.

“Sir.”

As I sat there, absentmindedly touching my cheek, lost in thought about my own appearance, a low voice called out to me. I stopped fiddling with my face and turned my gaze to find Jung Hosu staring at me.

“Do you not like ramen?”

His question was simple and calm. I shook my head lightly.

“No, I like it.”

At my response, Lee Daon let out a sharp gasp, looking at me as if I had just shattered his entire worldview. Nam Yisol and Yoo Uiseo were also staring at me in shock, though their reactions were slightly more subdued.

……Was it really that shocking? That I like ramen? Their unexpectedly strong reactions made me press my lips together in mild discomfort.

“If you like it, then eat with us.”

Jung Hosu, completely unfazed by the strange atmosphere filling the dining room, nonchalantly pulled out the chair beside him. It was a clear invitation to sit and eat together, and this time, even Lee Gaon joined the other three in staring at Jung Hosu in disbelief.

Of course, Jung Hosu either didn’t notice their stares or simply didn’t care. He only kept his calm gaze fixed on me.

“If you’re uncomfortable sharing the same pot, we can make a new one for you.”

“No, no, that’s unnecessary. I’ll just eat with you all.”

Seeing the way Jung Hosu looked like he would immediately head to the kitchen to make another pot if I refused, I quickly shook my head. Besides, even if we were using the same pot, we’d still be eating from separate plates, so it didn’t bother me at all.

Turning away from the boundary between the dining room and living room, I walked over and sat in the chair Jung Hosu had pulled out for me. As if he had been waiting for this, Jung Hosu picked up the plate in front of him, served some ramen onto it, and placed it in front of me.

“This is a clean plate. The spoon and chopsticks are new as well.”

Perhaps worried that I’d be bothered, he was emphasizing the cleanliness of the utensils as he even handed me his own unused set of cutlery.

“Thank you for being considerate, but…… if you give me yours, what about you?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll just get new ones.”

Jung Hosu stood up to grab more utensils without hesitation. Seeing this, Nam Yisol, who had been watching in a daze, quickly spoke up.

“Siwon hyung, Secretary Sung, you two are eating too, right? Come on and sit down. Hosu, while you’re at it, grab two more sets of plates and utensils.”

Jung Hosu didn’t verbally respond, but I noticed that he was now carrying three sets of plates as he walked toward the kitchen. He was the type of person who, despite seeming indifferent, actually listened to others quite well.

“I mean, I’m grateful for the offer, but weren’t you originally planning to share this among the five of you? If we join in, there won’t be enough to go around.”

Despite sitting down at the table as invited, Ahn Siwon still expressed concern over the portion size. Sung Yoojun, too, seemed to be subtly listening in for Nam Yisol’s response.

“It’s fine. If there’s not enough, we can just eat it with rice or make another batch.”

Nam Yisol responded brightly and started serving the ramen quickly. By then, the noodles had slightly softened from sitting in the broth too long.

“Why aren’t you eating? It won’t taste as good if it gets too soft. Hurry up and eat.”

Hearing Jung Hosu’s words as he distributed the ramen, I picked up my chopsticks. I carefully took a bite of the ramen in front of me—and immediately widened my eyes in surprise at the incredible flavor.

“It’s really good, isn’t it?”

With a satisfied expression, Lee Gaon spoke while watching my strong reaction. I nodded toward Lee Gaon and eagerly moved my chopsticks.

“Yisol hyung is really good at making ramen.”

“‘Good at making ramen,’ huh? I feel like there’s a hidden jab in that comment, Gaon. Should I stop making it for you from now on?”

“Gasp! No way! I was wrong! Please forgive me, hyung~.”

Lee Gaon grinned mischievously as he spoke. Nam Yisol gave him a playful glare but ruffled his hair in an affectionate way. Watching the two of them interact like real brothers, I quietly focused on finishing the ramen in front of me.

“Would you like some more?”

I slowly blinked and turned my head at the sound of Jung Hosu’s voice. He gently pushed his bowl of ramen toward me. It was obvious that he hadn’t even taken a single bite.

The ramen was definitely delicious, but I didn’t feel comfortable taking food from someone much younger than me.

“I’m fine, Hosu-ssi. You should eat it.”

Saying that, I pushed the bowl back toward him and got up from my seat, walking toward the sink.

“President? What’s wrong?”

“I thought I should make more ramen since there doesn’t seem to be enough.”

“Really? Do you need any help?”

“It’s fine. It’ll be quick, so just finish your meal.”

I gently declined Manager Ahn Siwon’s offer to help and searched through the sink drawers and wall-mounted cupboards.

I was worried that there might not be any ramen left, but fortunately, I found a pack hidden deep inside the cupboard. Feeling relieved, I took it out and placed it on the counter—when suddenly, a loud coughing fit erupted from the dining table.

Curious about who was coughing so violently, I turned around and saw Yoo Euiseo clutching his throat, his face flushed bright red as he continued to choke.

“Euiseo-ssi, are you okay?”

“Cough! I’m f-fine…… cough!”

Even as he reassured me, his continued coughing made it impossible to believe him. I quickly grabbed some water from the fridge and poured a full glass before setting it in front of him.

Yoo Euiseo desperately reached for the cup and gulped down the water in a hurry.

Watching him empty the cup so quickly, I suddenly remembered something and voiced my thoughts.

“Now that I think about it, this ramen belongs to you guys, right? Is it okay if I cook it?”

“Pfft!!”

I had only asked out of courtesy, since it was proper manners to ask before using someone else’s food, but Yoo Euiseo’s reaction was extremely intense.

I carefully patted his back as he barely managed to swallow the water instead of spitting it out.

“Uh, well, um, yeah, it is ours, but……”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t cook it? Should I go buy some other ramen instead?”

“N-no! That’s not necessary! Please don’t! Just…… just go ahead and cook it……”

Yoo Euiseo broke out in a nervous sweat, nodding frantically.

I had definitely received permission, but for some reason, it felt more like I had forced it out of him. After briefly wondering how I should interpret this, I decided that feeding everyone was the priority. With that thought, I turned away and headed back to the sink.