* * *

Beep, beep beep, beeeeep.

“Hold on, just a second! I need to turn on the heat first…!”

The moment Saewoo stepped inside, he rushed to turn on the boiler.

The familiar hum of the heating system filled the room, and Saewoo turned on the minimalistic lamps mounted on the wall by the entryway and living room, each casting a warm, soft glow.

“If it’s too dim, you can turn on the ceiling lights too.”

“…”

Jibeom, still standing by the entryway without even taking off his shoes, watched Saewoo with a blank expression as he dashed into the bathroom.

Soon, sounds of frantic cleaning could be heard, along with an exclamation of, “Oh no, why is it so messy!”

Finally, Jibeom removed his shoes and stepped into the house.

“Hmm… now this finally looks like someone actually lives here.”

During his last visit, the space had felt barren, with only a few large pieces of furniture randomly placed around.

But now, everything was neatly arranged in its proper place.

In line with Saewoo’s apparent taste, shelves and bookcases were decorated with cute knick-knacks, and various things were hung up along the walls.

They say birds have a habit of collecting things, and this was certainly proof of that.

“What’s this… bones?”

A tiny floral ornament made of small bone fragments, a colorful garland woven from yarn, and glittering beads dangled from the ceiling.

“Your taste is… interesting.”

Jibeom had always suspected that he and Saewoo, as a wildcat and a bird hybrid, wouldn’t have much in common.

Jibeom tended to periodically throw away anything he deemed unnecessary, and he didn’t bring peculiar items like these into his home at all.

His house was always clean and clutter-free. In contrast, Saewoo seemed to like filling every inch of space.

“Oh, you can hang your coat on the rack in the small room!”

While Jibeom was looking around the house, Saewoo emerged from the bathroom and quickly mentioned this before scurrying off to the kitchen.

The sounds of activity resumed from there.

Clack.

Following Saewoo’s instruction, Jibeom entered the small room and hung his coat.

The room was still partially unpacked, with boxes stacked up here and there.

Just as he was about to leave, a framed photo on top of a bookshelf caught his eye.

“That must be Jinho…?”

In the photo, Saewoo and Jinho, both holding bouquets, stood together, Jinho in a graduation cap.

Jibeom stared at Jinho’s familiar face beside a smiling Saewoo.

“Would you like some herbal tea?”

Saewoo peeked into the small room and asked, snapping Jibeom back from his thoughts.

He set down the frame, so it was out of Saewoo’s view.

“Anything’s fine.”

“Anything? Hmm, okay.”

Saewoo nodded, seemingly expecting this answer, and went to the veranda, picking fresh rosemary leaves from a potted plant with careful hands.

Jibeom followed, looking mildly surprised.

“What’s this, are you a farmer?”

“No, not at all… I just grow a few herbs myself.”

Seeing those small hands, which seemed barely capable of cooking a meal, Jibeom looked at the veranda with interest.

“You’ve turned it into quite the garden.”

From the moment he’d entered, Jibeom had noticed the veranda.

It was decorated exactly like a garden, with dozens of plants on the floor and shelves.

A large wooden pillar had vines climbing it, and long branches dangled from the ceiling.

It was obvious that this was Saewoo’s personal retreat.

“Why? Most bird hybrids live like this…”

Saewoo looked a little embarrassed as he fiddled with the rosemary leaves.

Just as he’d said, homes of bird hybrids often looked like nests.

He’d heard that somewhere before.

If he were to get together with Saewoo, a spacious veranda would probably be necessary.

“No reason… by the way, what kind of herbs are those?”

Noticing Saewoo seemed a little dejected, Jibeom changed the subject.

“Oh, this is rosemary, and over here is peppermint, lemon balm, and apple mint…”

Saewoo enthusiastically listed off his herbs, not realizing Jibeom’s indifference.

He even started explaining each herb’s benefits.

“Rosemary has antibacterial and antiseptic effects, and it’s really good for your skin. Peppermint has similar properties and is also great for depression and asthma, while lemon balm…”

“Yeah, yeah. Drink plenty of it.”

“Too much isn’t good for you either. Oh, this one smells really nice, too.”

Even though Jibeom was half-listening, Saewoo continued to chatter happily.

By now, he seemed completely at ease around him.

Thud.

“Huh?”

“Oh! Watch out!”

While pretending to admire the veranda, Jibeom bumped his head on something.

It was a peculiar ornament made from shells tied together with string.

“Could you bend down a little? I only just got this, so I can’t let it break. Phew… all good.”

“What? You’re worried about these shells? What about my head?”

“Well, your head seems tougher than the shells…”

“What did you say?”

“Oh, and over here we also have…”

Before Jibeom could get annoyed, Saewoo deftly changed the subject, leaving Jibeom speechless.

Just a little while ago, this timid sparrow would seize any chance to escape, but now he was unphased.

“It’s cold, isn’t it? Why don’t you sit in the living room? It’ll warm up soon.”

Finishing his lecture on herbs, Saewoo guided Jibeom to the living room.

Nodding, Jibeom agreed, then went to the bathroom to wash his hands.

When he returned, Saewoo was grinning as if something amusing had just happened.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s just… I found it kind of strange.”

“Washing hands?”

“Yes.”

And just like that, Saewoo scampered off to the kitchen again.

“…?”

It seemed that the first snow had him in high spirits.

Watching Saewoo’s small figure bustle around, washing the rosemary under the faucet, Jibeom muttered to himself.

“Ugh… He really makes me want to just eat him up.”

A trembling sparrow, tearful and ready to flee, had been tempting in its own way, but this mischievous version had its charm, too.

…So, that’s why… a serious relationship… feels overwhelming to him.

Saewoo had said it himself, and although he had suggested a casual relationship rather than anything serious, Jibeom couldn’t shake the lingering disappointment.

With a soft tsk, Jibeom clicked his tongue and sat on the living room floor, leaning against the sofa.

It hadn’t been long since he turned on the boiler, but the floor was already toasty.

“Here, cover yourself with this.”

Saewoo, who had been bustling about in the kitchen, came over suddenly, holding a blanket.

“What’s with the blanket? You want us to cuddle up under it?”

“No, it’s just warm to sit with it on.”

Despite Jibeom’s teasing, Saewoo just threw the blanket over him and walked off.

He seemed completely at ease, as if this were his own place.

“Living life with ducks, huh….”

Jibeom muttered under his breath.

That night, when Saewoo had liked the cozy feel of the down blanket, Jibeom had lent it despite his mild annoyance.

If he had known it would come to this, he would’ve just plucked his own feathers to make a blanket for him.

Clatter, clatter.

While Jibeom was squeezing the down blanket with a hint of regret, Saewoo approached him, carrying a wooden tray with cups and plates.

“Uh… Jibeom, could you…?”

From the trembling of his arms, it looked like Saewoo had loaded the tray with quite a bit.

“Why’d you…what’s all this?”

Standing up to take the tray, Jibeom was surprised to see that aside from the herbal tea in a glass, the tray held small plates with slices of cheese, fruit, nuts, and even flowers in a variety of bright colors.

“Pretty, isn’t it?”

“….”

“When you set it up like this, it just feels nice to eat.”

The decorations struck Jibeom as ridiculously tacky, but seeing the sparrow-like guy before him looking so pleased left him speechless.

“Look, if you stack them up in order like this, they taste great.”

Saewoo, like he was playing with building blocks, carefully stacked cheese, nuts, and fruit before popping them into his mouth.

Even though it was just a little bite, his cheeks puffed out as he chewed, and he washed it down with a sip of herbal tea.

“Wow, does it really take you that long to eat just one of those?”

Jibeom’s question, after silently watching him eat, seemed to catch Saewoo off guard.

His eyes momentarily narrowed into triangles.

“I’m savoring each bite!”

“Savoring? Like…licking?”

“Yes, …what?!”

Replying without thinking, Saewoo’s face flushed bright red as he realized what Jibeom had implied.

* * *