Lee Changhyuk was sitting alone in the dining room, his sharp chin rested on the right hand, while the other hand was twisting the phone on the table. His indifferent expression was like the king of a medieval castle as those lazy eyes watched the phone vibrating for some time.
His slender legs crossed carelessly, he was wearing black t-shirt outlining his broad shoulder and slim waist. Now that he's not wearing the fake beard and beanie, you could see the black diamond earring on his ear that made his godly side-profile look even more ethereal.
After the phone stopped vibrating, Lee Changhyuk took a deep breath.
COUGH
He pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned against the chair with exhaustion.
There it goes again. His chest was aching while breathing. He shouldn't exert himself yet he came here running, neglecting the bad weather and his shoes. The wind was blowing hard- he lost balance, fell and a shoe came off. He didn't even look back and kept running forward. He was glad that the milk girl didn't notice his feet when he entered the house.
He was obliged to go out. This particular guy came all the way from Seoul to see him. If he refused to see him, he'd definitely be dragged back to Seoul. Lee Changhyuk almost laughed at the thought but his face turned all cold and serious as he knew it was not a laughing matter.
Aarghh... He could not think straight. Should he go upstairs to take the pain killer?
Lee Changhyuk went back to his natural nonchalant expression after hearing the footsteps approaching the kitchen.
His gaze then switched to the freshly bathed milk girl. The girl was wearing an ordinary pair of pajamas and had her hair tied up into a bun. She had a smooth skin held a natural flush from the steam of the shower.
She gave him a quick smile to acknowledge his presence then took two bento-boxes on the counter. She put them in the microwave and turned to face Lee Changhyuk while waiting for the food to heat.
Lee Changhyuk returned the gaze as he lazily turned his head towards her. Their eyes met and just like that, his mood changed completely. A smile bloomed on his handsome face as they were waiting quietly for the food. No words spoken, there was only soft sound coming from the microwave. They were staring at each other for a few good moments, the milk girl could feel that her cheeks started to blossom.
BEEP
Good heaven the microwave beeped right before her complexion turned tomatoes. Like a robot, she turned away from Lee Changhyuk, took the bentos out and served it on the table.
It was a hearty beef curry rice.
The rich and mellow aroma started to fill the air, one could already imagine how crispy the cutlet was from the roasted scent of the fried flour. This exquisite aromas came together to tantalize anyone's appetite.
The milk girl pulled a chair and sat opposite him, those gleaming eyes of his were looking at the Japanese curry with great anticipation.
Lee Changhyuk: "Itadakimasu! (1)"
He took the first bite.
For a 600¥ convenience store bento, the curry was exceptionally good! The cutlet was crispy on the outside but it was juicy and tender in the inside that it melted beautifully in your mouth. The sweet and savory flavors married in a rich brown curry sauce, and the garlic butter rice... made every bite so exciting to eat!
"This is so good Miruku chan. This is the 2nd best food in Japan after your teriyaki chicken." His eyes were sparkling with admiration as he looked at the beef on his chopsticks.
"I'm glad that you like it." She sincerely said.
The way he opened his lips and and joyfully chewed the food, it seemed like he was eating the most delicious food in the world. She felt somehow affected and started to eat with the same enthusiasm.
She knew that he could make the most disgusting food seem exquisite only by eating them. But this moment, this very moment... Shizu swore to all deities if only she was a little bit shameless she would have recorded how Lee Changhyuk ate the curry. This curry would definitely sell like crazy.
Or maybe she should really mention it so she could earn extra money, Lee Changhyuk seemed like the easygoing type that would say yes to her suggestion.
Her friends would call her insane if they found she was feeding someone of his status with convenience store food. Who knew the missing king was actually a simple person who can be satisfied with milk and 600¥ bentos.
There was a comfortable silence when they were enjoying the meal. They were so used to each other's company that they didn't mind some silence every now and then.
Lee Changhyuk finished his food first so he leaned back as his eyes fixed on the milk girl. She was still eating quietly.
"I will not be able to help Le Sucre for a day or two. I have some things that I need to take care of. Will that be okay, Miruku chan?" His tone was casual.
"Of couse. Don't feel bad, you're a guest here." She nodded her head without hesitation.
"And... You don't have to prepare breakfast for me for a day or two. Cause I'll be very busy."
There was a slight change in Shizu's expression. She wanted to ask him where he was going, but she didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable. So she quickly put a smile on her face and nodded obediently.
Lee Changhyuk caught that change but said nothing. He also knew that her eyes were gazing at something else. He had breathing problems, no matter how well he tried to hide it- by this time, his lips had probably gone pale and he could feel cold sweat started to form on his temple. The milk girl was about to say something but he beat her to it.
"Miruku chan. Give me your phone."
Shizu was looking at him hesitantly then handed the phone. He was quickly typed something and showed it to Shizu.
Lee Changhyuk: "This is my number. Call me whenever you need me."
Shizu took the phone back and looked at those numbers with disbelief.
"This phone number... Isn't it very precious? Aren't you afraid that I'm a crazy stalker or I'll sell your number somewhere?" She tested him. Didn't he see the dedicated GreenEast corner in her room?
"I'm glad that you know it's precious. Sure then, just stalk me. You can even sell it if you want." That nonchalant face did not change his expression. He shrugged his shoulders as if it was not a big deal.
She could not help but cringe. He realized that she was joking, right? She's not a stalker!
She cleared her throat.
"I will call you.. If it's important." She tried to make amends.
"You will call me whenever you think of me." He corrected her. Those wet lips widened as he winked at her.
Ok, isn't that a bit too much? And did he really have to wink like that?! Her heart was pounding, she stared at the precious numbers then slowly looked up to meet his gaze.
"Then, give me your phone." She opened her palm as she demanded.
Lee Changhyuk put the phone on her palm then let his arm rest casually at the back of the seat. She seemed confused at first cause everything was in Korean but in a few seconds she began typing.
"You can also call me whenever you need me." She handed back the phone.
They're even now, a stalker never revealed themselves, now that he got her number- he would not be able to call her a stalker!
Despite the weather and the harsh rain on the outside, the air around Lee Changhyuk turned warm. Those dark eyes softened as he saw those digits dearly, as if he had been longing for them for so long.
"Can I call you whenever I think of you too?" He wanted to say 'stalk you' but after a careful consideration, he ended it with a smile.
"Sure." She answered without giving it a lot of thoughts.
"Oh, get ready then. I might call you day and night.." He sounded as playful as always but this time, his melodious voice was as sweet as honey- leaving the milk girl all blushed!
She was saved by the beep of the microwave a while ago but now... There was no microwave or timer that could save her from that awkward situation! The milk girl refused to step down so he glared at Lee Changhyuk like it was a staring competition. She chanted all of the pi's digits to calm her mind.
Lee Changhyuk almost got worried cause the milk girl seemed to refrain herself from blinking so this time he turned his gaze and softly said "Call me, Miruku chan. No matter how busy I am, if it is you I will answer your call."
"In that case, I will assign you a special ringtone! Let's see... Do you like this melody? Aaahh, no it has to be a loud one so I won't ever miss your calls!" Lee Changhyuk started playing all of the ringtones on his phone just so that he could choose the loudest one.
She covered her ears instantly as Lee Changhyuk played ringtones that pierced through eardrum. Shizu was debating whether she should tell him off or just tolerate another man-child episode coming from him. It came from a good intention, he was just trying to find a suitable ringtone but her ears were about to burst!
Didn't he always put his phone on silent???
His eyes met hers, Lee Changhyuk stopped the ringtones and giggled.
He took a beer can out from the left pocket of his sweatpants and put it on the table which she immediately recognized, it was the missing beer can!
"Ah, the beer."
"I am returning it. Aren't you proud of me?" He pushed the can towards her.
Why would I be proud of you? Did you carry it around and decided not to drink it? She raised an eyebrow and reached for the beer.
"This is a good beer for celebration."
Yes, for most people beers were associated with festival and celebration but not for Lee Changhyuk. He once said in an interview that he didn't drink alcohol because it gave him sore throat. But not many people knew that he would make an exception to drink it when he needed the quick calming effect of the liquid.
He gave her a quick smile. At this point, if she said she would make a celebration in hell, he would make it happen.
"Then what if I'll get you a full truck of it, the next time you want to celebrate something?"
Shizu gave him a weird questioning look and smiled awkwardly. He didn't take her as a hopeless alcoholic, right?
He just wanted to do something for her and he would go to the extreme if it was for her happiness. 1 truck loaded with beers was nothing for him, he could give her so much more. But little did they know, it would take a while before that promise was fulfilled.
They both took the stairs and went to their respective rooms. Lee Changhyuk closed the door behind him. He could feel the phone in his pocket vibrating.
"Gosh, people are so impatient." He muttered in Korean.
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(1) Itadakimasu : literally means "I humbly receive"
but in a mealtime setting, it's compared to "Let's eat," "Bon appétit," or "Thanks for the food."