NLFSD Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Friday evening, Lee Jiwoon was busy.

His eyes were fixed on the video playing on his tablet, while his hands rummaged frantically through the refrigerator to find the ingredients the cooking instructor in the video was listing — not stopping for even a second.

[Do you know the origin of the sandwich? According to one theory, it began in medieval Europe, when the Earl of Sandwich placed various fillings between bread slices for a quick meal. Subscribers, let’s make a sandwich so grand it will be remembered for generations to come!]

Jiwoon didn’t expect to make anything “remembered for generations.” It was enough if it tasted good today.

[We’ll use ingredients you can find at home. Bread is essential, and you’ll also need butter or mayonnaise. And for the filling! Eggs, pickles, mustard sauce, apples, and cucumbers — with these, it’ll be delicious.]

Fortunately, he had all of them, thanks to the housekeeper who came a couple of times a week and always stocked the kitchen.

[Don’t think of this as just a simple snack. It requires a delicate touch. First, boil the eggs while prepping the apple and cucumber. Dice them into small cubes.]

In the video, the instructor peeled and chopped the apple, then went at the cucumber with breathtaking speed. The knife skills were so precise and fast that Jiwoon felt a pang of anxiety.

Am I supposed to move like that too?

[Eggs cook quickly, so don’t boil them until the yolks turn grey. Right now, finely chop the apple and cucumber, put them in a mixing bowl, and sprinkle with a little salt and a pinch of pepper.]

Wait, why is this going so fast? Is it set to 2× speed?

Checking his tablet in disbelief, he found the video was playing at normal speed. Underneath were nothing but glowing comments: “Easiest sandwich recipe I’ve ever tried,” “I’m hopeless in the kitchen but followed this and my partner praised me.”

Jiwoon’s pride took a hit.

Fine — it’s not that I can’t do it, just that I haven’t tried before. I’ll figure it out. I’ll make it so good it gleams! Egg mayo sandwich, glossy as gold, hot coffee in a black mug, and I’ll make Taecheon‑C swoon!

Fueled by unnecessary determination, Jiwoon’s eyes burned with resolve.

He had been wondering when he might get the chance to talk to Seo Taecheon about cancelling their Reflection period, but Taecheon had said he’d be working late. It was disappointing not to spend the evening together, but Jiwoon decided he’d make a late‑night snack for him instead.

[Remember — eggs cook quickly.]

“Huh…? Oh, crap!”

The water in the pot began boiling over furiously. Jiwoon let out a silent scream and lunged toward it, but it was already too late. Water spilled over, flooding the induction stove.

“Oh no, oh no.”

As he scrambled to turn the power off, his foot came down on a fallen spatula. Like a skater, he slid across the floor.

“AAAH!”

Fearing hot water might splash over his head, he rolled to the side. Thankfully, the pot’s contents didn’t hit him — but the salt and pepper shakers tumbled down, smacking his face and shoulder.

“Ow… someone save me.”

Hours later, late at night, Seo Taecheon stepped into the house, loosening the tie that had been choking him all day. The living room glowed under a soft mood light; there was no sound of movement anywhere.

“Haa… I’m tired.”

Investigating the team leader’s corruption and securing his dismissal had meant days of crushing work and stress. Yesterday he had still insisted on making time to take Jiwoon out on a date — but because of that, Friday had been doubly hectic. A zero‑sum game, perhaps.

Is he asleep?

The house was unusually quiet, so Taecheon assumed Jiwoon was in bed. But before reaching the bedroom, he found him curled up asleep on the living room sofa.

“Mmm… careful… hot…”

Why’s he sleeping here, so uncomfortably?

As he approached to wake him, something on the low table caught his eye — a plate holding a few sandwich pieces. At first, he assumed Jiwoon had simply made himself dinner, but then he noticed the Sook‑ryeo‑Doong‑i Post‑it on the plate, in Jiwoon’s familiar rounded handwriting: Enjoy your meal. Almost exactly what Taecheon himself had written in the morning.

Next to the words were traces of something written and then scribbled out in black ink. Flipping the note over, Taecheon could just make out the original word: darling. He couldn’t help but smile.

“How could I possibly eat something so precious now?”

He carefully placed the sandwiches in the fridge, then knelt in front of Jiwoon. Strands of hair lay in disarray — it looked like he had showered and come out to the living room only to collapse there.

What Taecheon didn’t know was that Jiwoon had battled for nearly three hours to make that humble sandwich — boiling egg after egg until the yolks came out perfectly yellow, dicing cucumber and apple to preserve the crunch, adding just the right amount of salt and pepper.

“Mmm… smells nice.”

In his sleep, Jiwoon caught a pleasant scent, felt something firm and warm lift him up. It was like soaring into the sky — fun, yet cozy.

What is this… why does it feel so good…

Even in sleep, a smile curved across his face. Before long, his back sank into something soft — like a bed. He shifted into a comfortable position with a sleepy murmur.

“You sleep well. It’s nice to see.”

Taecheon lowered him onto the bed and began unbuttoning his shirt. But as he turned to leave, Jiwoon’s hand clamped onto his sleeve.

“Tae… Taecheon… the sandwich… the mug… it’s black, right?”

Chuckling quietly, Taecheon brushed his hair back from his forehead. Jiwoon’s murmuring faded as he drifted deeper into peaceful sleep.

He had slept deeply for the first time in ages. Ahh, that feels good.

When Jiwoon opened his eyes the next morning, he stretched — or tried to. But something solid, hard, and warm surrounded him, restricting his movement.

What the…?

Looking closer, he realized Seo Taecheon was holding him in his sleep. The gray robe hung open, exposing bare skin.

Oh. This is… quite the sight for a morning.

He instinctively covered his eyes, but slyly parted his fingers to peek — just in time for Taecheon’s eyes to open.

“…You’re awake?”

“Ah! Yes…! I’m up.”

God, I hope he didn’t notice I was staring at his chest.

Jiwoon cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away. Taecheon didn’t seem to care. Leaning close, he murmured in his low voice:

“Did I wake you?”

“No. I… I just woke up on my own.”

“Shall we sleep a little longer?”

Taecheon’s arms tightened, and Jiwoon found himself squashed against him like a flat dumpling.

Ahhh, my heart won’t survive this! I’m going to develop hypertension.

“I‑if we’re awake, let’s have breakfast.”

“Oh? Shall we?”

“I’ll make it! We have stuff to eat!”

Jiwoon quickly wriggled out of his arms and got up.

Then it hit him — Wait, last night… after making the sandwich, what happened? Did Taecheon‑C eat it after he got home?

“I’ll make it. You go wash up.”

“Oh? Alright.”

He walked him to the bathroom. When Jiwoon came out after a quick wash, Taecheon was at the table, brewing coffee in a moka pot. The sandwich Jiwoon had slaved over last night was there on the table.

“Oh — this… you saw it?”

“Yes. I left it on purpose.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to eat it together this morning. It felt like too much of a waste to have it alone.”

Grinning, Jiwoon sat opposite him.

Well… my sandwich is pretty amazing…

Inside, he was basking in self‑satisfaction.

“I’ll make the coffee this time.”

“It’s hot.”

“I’m good with hot things— Ow!”

Steam escaped, grazing his fingers.

“Cool it off under cold water, quickly.”

“Ah… okay.”

Taecheon guided his hand under the water, then even brought ice from the freezer and poured it into the sink. It was just a minor burn, and his fussing might have seemed excessive — but Jiwoon couldn’t help feeling secretly pleased.

He really takes care of me. Taecheon‑C definitely likes me a lot… even if he doesn’t say so.