* * *
Suddenly, Saewoo’s expression hardened as realization dawned.
Jibeom still believed they had spent the night together—and was worried about the aftermath affecting Saewoo’s, well, comfort.
“…Hah.”
Saewoo felt exasperated. It wasn’t just embarrassing—it was infuriating.
He wanted to come clean and tell Jibeom that nothing had happened between them.
“Hey, about last night—”
Creeeak.
“Dinner is served!”
Just as Saewoo began to explain, the shop owner burst in, carrying a large silver tray filled with side dishes and utensils.
He cheerfully explained the ingredients and flavors of each dish as he set the table.
“Brought some bone broth, too. Good for you, right?”
“Grandpa! I told you not to bring that! Take it back.”
“Ah, nonsense. He looks like he could use it.”
With a sympathetic glance at Saewoo, the owner shuffled out.
A server came in next, setting up a portable burner and the main dish: a bubbling pot of dumpling stew.
“Eat.”
Saewoo looked drained, but he picked up his spoon, deciding to delay the conversation for now.
“These are seed dumplings.”
“Seed dumplings…?”
Jibeom scooped out a dumpling from the bubbling stew and placed it in front of Saewoo.
“I asked Grandpa to make them just for you.”
“…?”
“Other birdfolk have probably never had seed dumplings before. You’re the first. Bet you’re dying to try it.”
Jibeom beamed with pride, his grin stretching wide.
He seemed convinced that all birdfolk were strict vegetarians.
Though Saewoo wanted to correct him—birds could be omnivores too—it felt awkward to do so.
Instead, he silently cut the dumpling with his spoon and took a bite.
“…!”
The flavor burst in his mouth like a seed sprouting.
Even without meat, the mix of glass noodles, vegetables, and seeds gave the dumpling a rich, nutty taste.
Saewoo widened his eyes and tried a spoonful of the broth.
“How is it?”
Seeing Saewoo enjoy the dish, Jibeom’s chest puffed with pride, as if he had cooked the stew himself.
“It’s delicious. The broth has a nice kick, but it’s refreshing. And the seed dumpling is really flavorful.”
Jibeom shrugged with satisfaction, opening a can of cola with a flick of his nail and pouring it into a glass.
Though the glass overflowed with foam, Jibeom didn’t seem to care—he happily slurped it up.
“Want some?”
“I don’t drink soda. Too much sugar.”
“What? Sugar? So you’re never going to drink stuff like this?”
“Yeah.”
“…Hah?”
Jibeom couldn’t believe there wasn’t a single beastman around him taking care of their health, and he gave an exasperated look.
Rather than bothering to explain where it hurt, he just continued eating his dumpling stew.
The quiet clinking of spoons between the two hybrids filled the space.
As they ate silently, Saewoo’s face soon flushed—not because he was feeling unwell or emotionally affected, but because the warm stew had improved his circulation, and a pleasant warmth spread through his body.
Saewoo also chewed on the crunchy bean sprouts, soaking in the spicy broth.
Munch, munch.
To Jibeom, Saewoo’s eating habits were endlessly fascinating.
His pace was unusually slow, and he cut everything into smaller pieces instead of eating it in one go.
Is this just how bird hybrids eat? Jibeom wondered.
Having never dined this close with an avian beastman before, every little thing felt new to him.
“…What? You’re done eating already?”
When Saewoo quietly set down his spoon, Jibeom was startled.
Half the large bowl of rice was still untouched.
“Yeah. I shouldn’t overeat… Honestly, I ate more than usual today. I even made sure to scoop some rice into a separate bowl with a clean spoon, but… I should’ve told you earlier. What a waste…”
Noticing that Saewoo hadn’t even touched most of the side dishes the restaurant had kindly provided, guilt crept in.
If he could, he’d wrap them up to take home.
“You’re taking your medicine later, right?”
“Pardon? Oh, yes.”
Jibeom scooped a large spoonful of rice and shoved it into his mouth without hesitation.
After chewing hastily, he stood up from his seat.
“Let’s go.”
“Huh? Already? You can eat more if you’d like—”
“You said you have to take your meds, right? And those things need to be taken within 30 minutes after eating or something.”
Jibeom pulled the jacket from the coat rack and draped it over Saewoo’s shoulders.
Saewoo flinched in surprise and tried to take it off.
“W-wait! I don’t need to take the meds right away. And weren’t we going to meet the real estate owner? Didn’t you say you know where he is? Weren’t we supposed to meet him here?”
Saewoo lowered his voice to a whisper, making sure no one overheard.
He had assumed Jibeom brought him to this dumpling stew place because the real estate owner—who had scammed someone—was a regular customer here.
“…Oh?”
Jibeom looked puzzled for a moment, then suddenly smacked his forehead as if just now recalling the reason they had come.
“Right, yeah. I know where he is. But take your meds first. I’ll tell you afterward. I’ve got him in the palm of my hand—he won’t escape. Wanna grab some dessert? The pumpkin sikhye here is good. Or is that off-limits because of your diet?”
“……”
Saewoo couldn’t help but feel like he was being played again.
❀°•❀❀•°❀
“See?”
They had left the dumpling stew place and were now walking down an alley.
Jibeom chuckled, clearly amused by something.
“Exactly twenty-one steps.”
Apparently, Jibeom had counted Saewoo’s footsteps.
Saewoo gave him a look of disbelief, lips slightly pursed.
Jibeom, for some reason, found this even funnier and burst into a hearty laugh.
Then, out of nowhere, he grabbed Saewoo’s arms and lifted him slightly off the ground.
“Wh-what are you doing…?!”
“Hmm, feels like you’ve put on a bit of weight.”
Jibeom casually put Saewoo back down and draped the jacket over him again, this time covering his head too.
“You don’t need to go this far…”
“There are predators nearby.”
‘Predators?!’
It was true.
Peeking out from under the jacket, Saewoo saw that night had fallen, and the once-empty streets were now teeming with nocturnal predators.
‘So this really is a predator district….’
Any lingering hope that the area was misrepresented was now gone, especially since even the real estate office had mysteriously disappeared.
“Stay close to me, so you don’t get eaten.”
Jibeom, oblivious to Saewoo’s heavy heart, must have thought he was simply scared of the predators.
He wrapped an arm around Saewoo’s slender shoulders, pulling him closer.
“…You’re a predator too,” Saewoo muttered in a disgruntled voice, but Jibeom showed no intention of letting him go.
Realizing that making a scene wouldn’t benefit him, Saewoo quietly followed Jibeom, retracing their steps.
“Hey, Yoon Jibeom! On a date or what?”
A deep voice called out from behind them.
Saewoo instinctively turned to look, but Jibeom quickly covered his view with a large hand.
“Wha—?”
“Shh. Stay behind me.”
Before Saewoo could protest, the sharp scent of a predator filled the air.
It wasn’t just any predator—it was someone on par with Jibeom.
Saewoo’s instincts kicked in, and he curled up defensively.
“What do you want? Just keep walking,” Jibeom said calmly, as if chatting with old acquaintances.
The tension between them was far from friendly, but Jibeom stayed composed, engaging in casual conversation with the approaching predators.
Meanwhile, Saewoo crouched inside Jibeom’s jacket, doing his best to stay invisible.
‘Ugh… But… why is the smell… so intense?’
For a moment, Saewoo felt relief that the predators weren’t paying attention to him.
However, the overwhelming, wild stench creeping through the jacket made his stomach churn.
He tried desperately to keep it in.
“Urgh…”
“Urgh? What the hell was that?”
The predators noticed the faint sound Saewoo had made.
“If you’re done talking, just leave.”
“Yeah, we’re done, but… What’s with that sound…?”
“Urgh…”
No matter how hard Saewoo tried to fight it, his body wouldn’t cooperate.
At that moment, one of the predators yanked the jacket off.
“There’s a beastman prey here!”
“Urgh… BLARGH!”
And just like that, Saewoo threw up right on the predator.
* * *
*Summary page is only available for login users. Non-users can view the chapters on the chapter list.*
what a nice first impression
Great one lol