IH Ch 92

Chapter 92

“These are heavy.”

The chopsticks in Dohwa’s hand were not the usual kind.

The ones used at home or in the guild were made of light material, but these were made of brass.

“…Those are supposed to be heavy.”

“There are heavy chopsticks too?”

“Probably.”

He had never really thought about the weight of chopsticks before. And since he didn’t know for sure, he couldn’t even pretend to explain. Dohwa, seemingly accepting the half-hearted answer, moved the chopsticks around in his hand and mumbled, “I see.” Then, he returned his attention to the meat. Lifting a piece of samgyeopsal with care, Dohwa said to Jae-i,

“Here.”

“……”

“Come on, say ‘ah.’”

Jae-i had given it to him to eat first. So why was it being offered back? Still, Jae-i obediently opened his mouth. It was a bit hot, but not unbearable.

Chewing the meat slowly, Jae-i began transferring a few more pieces of samgyeopsal from the griddle to the plate. He spaced them out neatly and pointed to the ones near the edge.

“Start with these. They might be hot, so let them cool down a bit.”

“…I get to eat too?”

While watching the meat cook, Jae-i nodded and said, “Go ahead.” Only then did Dohwa pick up a piece and place it into his mouth. Jae-i meant to warn him to let it cool, but before he could, Dohwa winced slightly—then quickly smoothed out his expression.

His jaw began moving rapidly. After chewing about ten times, Dohwa swallowed and sat still for a moment. Then, he took another bite and looked over at Jae-i. Covering his chewing lips with his fingers, his eyes opened wide. Must be tasty. Even without words, Jae-i could tell from his reaction, and quickly placed more meat onto the griddle.

From that point on, their sole focus was eating. At first, it was just the meat. Then he started dipping it in sesame oil with salt, then ssamjang, and eventually wrapped it in lettuce. He ate grilled mushrooms and kimchi too, mixing rice with doenjang stew. He had looked all of it up online. With so much food on the table, it felt wrong not to try any of it. So Jae-i simply placed his phone on the table and copied everything step by step after confirming it.

Since neither Jae-i nor Dohwa really knew what they were doing, they didn’t think much of looking things up to eat properly. If anything, it made everything taste even better. Along the way, they came to realize just how many different ways people enjoy food. So this was the joy of eating.

Around Hwang Jae-i were all sorts of hunters, each with their own eating habits. The ones who truly loved food didn’t skip a single meal, no matter how busy they were. They even made sure to have snacks. He used to think it was odd how they genuinely enjoyed trying different foods.

One of the most representative examples was Park Jaehwan, Guild Leader of Imun. He was so passionate about food that people joked he spent most of his income eating. Whenever they met at gatherings, they never really understood each other. Jae-i couldn’t fathom how that man ate and drank so much. Conversely, Park must have thought, “What the hell is that guy doing, just standing there with his arms crossed?”

Things that used to be incomprehensible now felt different. So this was what it felt like. These new emotions were unfamiliar to him.

“I’m so full.”

After eating without pause, Dohwa now leaned back in his chair, placing his hands on his bloated stomach with a long exhale.

“I feel like my stomach’s going to burst.”

At those words, Jae-i glanced down.

Dohwa’s hands were placed over his belly, but it didn’t look all that full.

“……”

Jae-i reached out. He fidgeted with Dohwa’s hands, then slipped his fingers between them. All he could feel was the soft fabric of the pink hoodie Dohwa was wearing.

Strange. He’d eaten so well—why didn’t his stomach show it? Jae-i’s palm flattened over Dohwa’s belly as if to press it. As expected, there wasn’t a single bulge.

Had he digested it all immediately? Or had Jae-i imagined it? Just as he was wondering if he should feed him more, he heard a voice call out.

“Jae-i.”

Jae-i, who had been seriously staring at Dohwa’s stomach, raised his head—and then froze. Dohwa’s cheeks, tilted slightly downward, were faintly flushed.

Making cautious eye contact, Dohwa murmured,

“…Don’t press my stomach so hard.”

Strange. The last part of the sentence was so quiet it was barely audible. But with Dohwa so close, Jae-i heard it loud and clear—and immediately withdrew his hand.

“……”

The moment he pulled his hand back, he turned his head away. His expression was deeply furrowed, as if he were angry, and he said,

“Let’s go.”

 

 

They went straight home.

The smell of samgyeopsal clung to both of them, thick and unmistakable. Even after spraying deodorizer, the scent lingered, so Ahn Yuna had told them to just head out since there wasn’t any more work to do anyway. Jae-i, without a second thought, turned to leave. Dohwa, who had remained quiet, finally spoke as they drove away from the guild.

“We’re really going home?”

“Yeah.”

Hwang Jae-i answered plainly, as if the decision required no consideration. Dohwa lifted his arm and gave it a sniff.

Seeing that, Jae-i was reminded of what Ahn Yuna had said when he got out of the elevator. Holding a cup of coffee, she had recoiled and asked what on earth they had eaten, waving her hand in the air. It was the perfect setup for a misunderstanding, so Jae-i explained,

“It’s not because of the smell. I just don’t have anything else to do.”

“……”

“Sometimes it’s better to clear out so others can work more comfortably.”

It might have also been an effort to put himself in a good mood ahead of an important event. Tomorrow evening, he had a meeting scheduled with Haeseong.

He didn’t know exactly why that conglomerate had chosen to protect him, but thanks to them, the media had been staying off his back lately. On the other hand, the lawsuit with Pungjin seemed to be ongoing. Just this morning, Pungjin’s headquarters had been thoroughly raided, and even the relatives involved in the shady deals were reportedly being summoned. It was said that the eldest daughter, currently living abroad, would soon be returning for questioning as well. At this rate, Pungjin’s downfall was just a matter of time.

That was when a finger pressed gently against Jae-i’s cheek. Stopped at a red light, Jae-i looked over and gently took Dohwa’s hand, lowering it.

“…Was my expression strange?”

When he asked, Dohwa shook his head.

“No.”

Dohwa squeezed Jae-i’s hand before letting go. Then he looked down at his own clothes and rubbed his palm over them.

“I think this color’s pretty.”

A clumsy attempt to change the subject. Jae-i, who seemed to understand what Dohwa was feeling, reached up and rubbed his own forehead. He smoothed out the deep frown between his brows and took off again when the light changed.

If he kept driving straight, they’d be home in no time. But just before reaching the turn, Jae-i switched lanes. As he veered sharply to the outer road, he could feel Dohwa’s gaze shift toward him. He didn’t ask where they were going. He simply sat quietly, so Jae-i gradually increased speed. The car continued on until it arrived at an open-air parking lot beside a building. On purpose, he drove all the way to the rooftop, parked in a secluded corner, and undid his seatbelt.

“……”

Even after all this, Dohwa remained silent.

Where are we? Why are we here? What’s going on? He didn’t ask anything, and maybe because of that, Jae-i spoke first.

“Do you know Pungjin?”

“Yeah.”

“In what way?”

Most people would answer that it was a major conglomerate. It had spread its business in all directions, often using Hwang Jae-i’s name. Though it was now revealed that Jae-i was not actually of their bloodline.

“Hwang Hajin locked you and your mother up to stay on Pungjin’s good side.”

“……”

“And he tried to never acknowledge you. But when the child he had with that family’s woman passed away, he finally tried to adopt you.”

Only a handful of people knew this.

As Dohwa had said, Hwang Hajin had gone to great lengths to keep Jae-i’s existence a secret. If it ever came out, it would only ruin his own reputation. But the child born from his lawful marriage was weak and a non-Awakened. Meanwhile, Jae-i had shown potential to awaken at a high level, so Hajin had kept him hidden.

Jae-i and his mother spent nearly five years trapped in isolation. Then Jae-i’s grandfather discovered his existence and intervened. Word eventually reached Pungjin as well.

Things could have escalated into a messy public battle. But the child born to Hajin and his wife died. The child had been so frail that people said from the beginning he wouldn’t live long. That was when the conniving adults started moving. They tried to replace the dead child with Hwang Jae-i.

At that time, both Jae-i’s grandfather and Hwang Suhyeon, who were already protecting him, strongly opposed the idea. They said it wasn’t just a matter of morality—it was something no decent human being should ever do. But Hwang Hajin was desperate. He insisted that if Jae-i’s identity were exposed, the child would never be able to live in a proper environment, that he’d be devoured by gossip and rumors everywhere. It had all been caused by Hajin himself, and now he was pretending to care about Jae-i—how utterly disgusting.