Vol 1 Ch 12

Fifteen minutes after leaving the alley where the room salon was located. Throughout the journey to the next destination, there was hardly any conversation between them.

 

And surprisingly, it was Yeonho who felt uncomfortable with this atmosphere.

 

It wasn’t the first time kids had acted immaturely… Maybe he had been too cold from the start.

 

With those feelings in mind, he chose pasta. He was desperate for hangover soup after drinking last night, but a man’s appearance would stand out too much in a hangover soup restaurant.

 

Besides, what’s easier to appease kids with than pizza or pasta?

 

But this bold choice also seemed to be wrong.

 

From the moment they entered the fusion restaurant decorated with the Italian flag, the man looked uncomfortable, and his expression reached its peak when he opened the menu.

 

‘Rosé… They mix cream with tomato? And what’s Hawaiian pizza?’

 

Yeonho noticed the strange look in his trembling eyes and tilted his head.

 

“What’s wrong? You don’t like pasta?”

 

“…No.”

 

No? Then why that expression? Just as he was about to ask again, the server approached.

 

“Are you ready to order?”

 

Marteo’s eyes scanned the confusing menu once more, and Yeonho readily spoke.

 

“One rosé, a Caprese salad, any kind of ade for the drinks, and a Margherita pizza. …What do you want to eat?”

 

The fact that the shockingly named Rosé came out first made Marteo lose his will to fight.

 

If there was any silver lining, it was that he hadn’t ordered Hawaiian pizza.

 

Without looking any further, he closed the menu and barely moved his lips.

 

“…Carbonara.”

 

The server, who had been stealing glances at the two noticeable men, regretted the early end to the order and placed it.

 

The food came out faster than expected. Just like with the coffee, Marteo kept his eyes on the rosé that Yeonho had ordered more than his own pasta, and only picked up his fork when he heard, “Aren’t you going to eat?” Even his small movements were elegant, and his handling of the utensils was impeccable.

 

It was a good thing he came here instead of a hangover soup restaurant. Yeonho, feeling pleased that even the remaining negativity had been washed away by the eye candy, was just starting to feel content.

 

Marteo, who had swallowed a mouthful of carbonara twirled on his fork, stopped chewing. Then, with narrowed eyes, he began to stir the contents of his plate, unlike before.

 

“What’s wrong? Is something wrong?”

 

Yeonho asked, bewildered, and Marteo barely stopped his hand.

 

“It seems like… there’s cream in it.”

 

“Cream? Why would there be cream?”

 

“… I ordered carbonara.”

 

“So?”

He looked completely unable to understand. Of course, Marteo couldn’t understand either.

Why would carbonara have heavy cream in it? And the meat was store-bought bacon instead of guanciale. No matter how you looked at it, this wasn’t carbonara.

That was when Yeonho froze, then began staring at the man with a far more suspicious look than before.

“Hey, you said your mother was half Korean, right?”

“……?”

“Then your father… is your father… Italian by any chance?”

“……!”

“Come to think of it, I haven’t even heard where you’re from.”

 

If Tony had seen it, he would have been shocked, “Young Master, what kind of manners are those!” Marteo, who still had food in his mouth, swallowed hard.

 

The slippery sensation was terrible, but he had to endure it. With his mouth empty, Marteo quickly racked his brain.

 

“Scotlan…d. I’m from Scotland.”

 

“Scotland?”

 

It wasn’t a complete lie. One of the habitats of the golden eagle was the Scottish Highlands.

 

“Hmm. I see… I guess cream pasta isn’t popular there either?”

 

The meaning behind ‘I see’ and ‘there either’ was obvious without asking. Marteo recomposed his expression once more.

 

Do Yeonho would never raise a Morpher and especially hated birds. He couldn’t rashly reveal information that would remind him of Abertone.

 

With half the truth and the other half hidden, Marteo defiantly picked up his fork again and swallowed the pasta.

 

But despite his best efforts, another crisis came when he chewed on the Margherita pizza.

 

This was really hard to bear.

 

Not all green vegetables are the same. Instead of basil, it contained… spinach.

 

There really couldn’t be a greater insult.

 

Whether he was eating a meal or being tortured, the meal, during which he swallowed curses along with the food several times, was coming to an end.

 

Yeonho, who had been quietly watching Marteo wash the remaining taste out of his mouth with cold water, suddenly opened his mouth.

 

“By any chance… are you from a well-off family?”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“No, it’s just that your table manners and atmosphere, you seem well-raised. Besides…”

 

Besides?

 

“Isn’t that an Audemars Piguet watch?”

 

Yeonho’s eyes fell to Marteo’s hand. Until now, his face had been so overwhelming that everything else had been glossed over, but he had been using his hands throughout the meal, so his wrist couldn’t help but be noticeable.

 

Moreover, he was always seeing celebrities, and Yeonho himself was in an environment where he didn’t lack money.

 

Marteo, who almost hid his hand from Yeonho, who was carefully examining the dial and bezel of the watch, barely maintained his composure.

 

“It’s fake.”

 

“Fake? It looks elaborate for a fake…”

 

“These days, the level of replicas is high.”

 

“Then what about the clothes?”

 

The watch was one thing, but what about the clothes? The difference between fake and real was obvious in the texture of the clothing.

 

Yeonho, who couldn’t easily accept the fact that his outfit looked much more plausible than the suit he had bought for Seongmin, frowned even more.

 

As if to properly block the suspicion, words that Marteo had never used in his life flowed from his mouth once more.

 

“I rented it from a rental shop. If I could afford to buy these things, I wouldn’t need to find a Sponsor.”

 

That’s true. If the watch and clothes were all real, they would easily exceed the price of a car. Why would someone like that…

 

It was when Yeonho nodded his head.

 

“Can I ask you something too?”

 

Marteo straightened his posture. Yeonho also met his gaze, as if asking what he was curious about.

 

Usually, those who had been sponsored would ask how the meetings would take place, or when they could get a job. That kind of thing.

 

He was just about to guess those kinds of things and sort out his plans in his head.

 

“Why do you hate Morpher… birds?”

 

An unexpected question split his lips. When he only blinked at the unexpected question, Marteo carefully added another word.

 

“From a social standpoint, they would rather be admired. Especially birds, since their numbers are small.”

 

“……”

 

Even with the following words, Yeonho still didn’t respond. Instead, he turned his gaze out the window. Marteo’s head also unconsciously followed.

 

It was when he realized that what his eyes were scanning was the sky beyond the building that Yeonho finally opened his mouth.

 

“Because… they act like there’s no one above them, and it’s annoying.”

 

“……”

 

“Eagles are the worst of all. Don’t you know? How arrogant and selfish they are. The king of birds, my ass.”

 

“……”

 

“But why are you asking this all of a sudden?”

 

“No. Nothing. …Let’s get up if you’re done eating.”

 

Marteo shook his head hastily and turned the conversation around, picking up the bill. It was at this moment that a smile spread across Yeonho’s face, which had been sulky at the strange question. Yeonho grabbed Marteo’s hand.

 

“Hey. Would I let you pay for my meal? Give it here. This is my treat.”

 

He even snatched the bill and took a big step, leaving behind the words, “Come on.”

 

However, instead of following, Marteo unconsciously looked down at his empty hand.

 

It wasn’t just that he had been unusually deprived of the bill, but the skin where Yeonho’s fingers had tightened was hot.

 

It felt like his heart had been grabbed.

 

***

 

“Are you tired?”

 

Marteo asked Yeonho, who yawned lightly as he left the store.

 

He had been drinking yesterday, and he had woken up unintentionally early in the morning. The short drive and the meal had brought on sleepiness.

 

When he didn’t deny it, Marteo immediately looked back at the car.

 

“You should go home and rest.”

 

“…What about you? You said you didn’t have any plans today.”

 

“I have to go home too.”

 

His detached attitude, which didn’t cling, was commendable, but on the other hand, his attitude was too cool, and he felt slightly offended.

 

Does he really only see me as a ‘connection’? No. Even if he only saw me as a connection, wouldn’t he usually try to get closer at this timing?

 

However, it would be embarrassing to insist that he was okay when the other person told him to go home first. After a short thought, Yeonho changed his words.

 

“Where do you live? I’ll drop you off.”

 

“It’s okay.”

 

“……”

 

“I’m not a child.”

 

Another refusal came back. However, the subtle emphasis in the added words made him feel like a child instead. Yeonho laughed heartily.

 

“Are you hurt?”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“You don’t want me to give you a car, you don’t want me to drop you off, what’s with all the ‘it’s okay’?”

 

“……”

 

“Seizing opportunities when they come is also a skill. To survive in this industry, you have to know how to throw away your pride.”

 

“Does Do Yeonho do that too? Do you throw away things like pride when you work?”

 

“Me?”

 

I… poured alcohol on a business partner.

 

Suddenly, he thought of the bastard he had met at Royal yesterday. He didn’t know if he had asked knowingly, but Yeonho coughed lightly at the words that subtly poked at his conscience and lightly narrowed his eyes.

 

“Am I the same as you? And fix that too. Answering a question with a question.”

 

“Is that also a virtue for surviving in this industry?”

 

He told him not to, but he did it again. However, he couldn’t help but laugh at the attitude of not missing his words.

 

Yeonho intentionally narrowed the distance to his handsome face.

 

“No… it’s just my preference.”

 

With a languid voice, his sweet breath touched Marteo’s lips.

 

His chiseled jaw jutted out slightly. It was obvious to anyone that it wasn’t because he was unpleasant.

 

Yeonho, who had kept his distance, quickly dropped his body this time, with his eyes curved in a smile.

 

Since he acted like he wasn’t sad to part with him, he deserved this much mischief.

 

“Go in. I’ll contact you.”

 

He turned and walked towards the car, leaving Marteo standing blankly.

 

It was around the time he was about to turn the steering wheel that the large body, which had been standing still in its place until he started the engine, suddenly approached the car.

 

The figure, which completely covered the driver’s seat window, knocked on the glass.

 

What is it? Has he changed his mind now? Yeonho, hiding his amusement, slowly lowered the window. Marteo also slowly bent down to match it.

 

“Why…?”

 

“I just remembered something I couldn’t say earlier.”

 

“……?”

 

“I… like birds.”

 

“What?”

 

It was a nonsensical sound to hold onto someone who was about to leave. But soon, he remembered the conversation he had while eating. Yeonho let out a scoff of disbelief.

 

He had all sorts of excuses to hold onto people. Still, there was no need to not match his tune. Yeonho winked as if to show off.

 

“So. What kind of bird do you like?”

 

“……”

 

“You said you like birds. What kind of bird do you like the most?”

 

He started the conversation first and didn’t think about it until then, Marteo dragged out his answer. That’s all he knew.

 

But he was wrong. As if he had deliberately taken his time, his handsome face, which had pulled up the corners of his lips for a moment, leaned closer to his face, just like Yeonho had done earlier.

 

It felt like a ticklish breath was rubbed on his lips along with the whispered answer.

 

“Chicken…. I like chicken the most.”

 

Yeonho’s eyes widened without him realizing it. It was rather this side that hadn’t thought of a response.

 

Marteo, who had been looking down at Yeonho for a long time, dropped his smile and readily stepped back behind the car.

 

“Then don’t doze off, and go in carefully.”

 

Yeonho’s gaze was once again frantically attached to his back as he slowly turned and walked away. Then, he buried his forehead in the steering wheel with an exclamation that soon burst out.

 

“What is that…”

 

There was no need to worry after all. His sleep had completely disappeared.