Chapter 24: Feed Me.
by GideonHe must have been waiting in the car. He stepped out of the driver’s seat and walked toward me.
“You’re still here?”
Zion thought I’d already left, since my class had finished even earlier than his, and I’d already said my goodbyes. The light sheen of sweat from his workout seemed to enhance his sensual charm, making his approach feel like a scene straight out of a movie.
“I was waiting for you, Senior.”
Me? Why? In that moment, the promise I’d made him flashed through my mind. I’d almost completely forgotten about it.
“Go home, take a shower, and then let’s meet up.”
“Just go home and rest today.”
Jubin’s consideration was truly appreciated, but the image of him leaning against the wall, looking down at me with such dominance, overlapped with his current posture. A surge of defiance rose within me.
“You’re looking down on me because I couldn’t stop you earlier, aren’t you?”
A smirk tugged at the corner of Zion’s lips.
So he’s looking down on me. My pride stung.
“I’m not looking down on you,” Jubin said. “I’m just exhausted from working out for the first time in ages. You’ll probably be sore tomorrow, too.”
Since they’d both drained themselves during training, stepping back for the day seemed like a good idea.
“Fine. Let’s save the drinks for next time.”
“I’ll give you a ride. Get in.”
He’d just tried to get me into his car so naturally. I felt a bit guilty accepting a ride without offering anything in return, so I figured I should just refuse.
“I’m good. I’ll just take the bus.”
“Sunbae, can I ask you a favor?”
Did he just deliberately ignore me?
Jubin watched him clear the bagged sandwich off the passenger seat and asked patiently, “Yeah, what is it?”
“Feed me on the way.”
Look at him, Jubin thought. Zion was asking the favor without a hint of hesitation, wearing a smile that was practically begging for suspicion.
The earlier kabedon had bruised Jubin’s pride, and now he felt a surge of stubbornness.
What if I just say I’ll eat you instead? That would be fun.
Jubin asked a short, pointed question. “Eat you?”
Zion looked at him as if to say, Who else but me?
“Yes. I’m the only one here.”
Jubin dropped the smile that said, I’m not your boyfriend, let alone your fuck buddy, so isn’t this kind of sweet moment a bit much?
“Fine. Let’s go to a hotel so I can have a bite.”
Jubin coolly omitted the object of his sentence.
The brief silence that followed revealed just how flustered Zion was.
“What… what did you just say?”
“You asked me to eat you.”
Jubin replied nonchalantly, savoring the sight of Zion’s bewildered face.
“When did I ever ask you to eat me…”
Only then did Zion realize he’d been the one played. He let out a hollow, incredulous laugh.
“Ha. Seriously.”
“You should have used a proper object in your sentence.”
As a sign of surrender, Zion lifted the bag of sandwiches he was holding. “I meant, feed me a sandwich on the way.”
Jubin beamed with satisfaction. “Right. No need to go all the way to a hotel just for a bite of a sandwich.”
It was a complete victory for Jubin.
“…Sunbae, you were just so cheeky.”
Zion grumbled, shooting him a playful glare.
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“Ah, I definitely need to give you a hug now.”
What kind of logic is that? Zion tried to pull him into an embrace, but Jubin gently pushed against his broad chest.
“It’s too hot. I probably smell like sweat. Get away.”
“You smell good to me, sunbae.”
“If you don’t back off, I’m not feeding you.”
“Ha, that’s low.”
He’d been acting like he was about to pounce a second ago, but the moment Jubin pushed him away, he obediently stopped his teasing. There was something secretly cute about how he knew exactly when to stop without crossing the line.
“Hurry up and get in.”
Jubin grinned as he climbed into the passenger seat.
The other man started the car and gestured with his eyes toward the glove compartment.
“Open the glove box. There’s some regenerative ointment in there.”
When Jubin opened it, he found a brand-new, unopened tube of ointment.
“Oh, thanks.”
“Take it and apply it whenever you have a chance. You don’t want it to scar.”
He must have bought this specifically for me, Jubin thought. He accepted the gift gratefully, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being scolded.
Stowing the ointment in his bag, Cha Jubin asked, “You know what?”
“What?”
“You’re really a nag.”
He let out a short, sharp laugh. He clearly doesn’t realize it, I thought. But from his perspective, I’ve been bombarding him with a mix of meddling and worry.
“Did my nagging get on your nerves?” I asked.
“Even my mother doesn’t lecture me this much. You’re the only one.”
“Alright, I’ll dial it back.”
I never said I’d stop completely.
He stood up to leave, then paused, glancing back at me. “Actually… I have a scar on my arm.”
“A scar? Where?”
“If you roll up my right sleeve, you’ll see it.”
Curiosity got the better of me, and I reached out to lift the fabric, but I stopped myself. This might be a bad memory for him.
“How did you get hurt?” I asked instead.
“Athletes get injured during training all the time. Even swimmers don’t spend all their time in the water. In the sports world, scars are seen as badges of honor, but the entertainment industry… they don’t see it that way.”
Usually, Alphas and Omegas in this industry always get a precise skin graft right after the chip implantation.
They might not want it to be obvious that they’re an Alpha or Omega, but since their bodies are their assets and they’re constantly in the public eye, even the smallest scar is something that needs to be managed.
Jubin stared blankly at the site of his recent procedure. It hadn’t turned into a keloid scar, so it was a spot that could be easily covered with a little makeup to match his skin tone. He didn’t want to spend money on such a small wound.
“That’s why I use special makeup to cover it if I have to wear an outfit that exposes my sleeves.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Bad enough to be caught on a close-up? It’s not a pretty sight, after all.”
“I thought you were sensitive to even minor injuries, so I wondered if you had some kind of trauma. I didn’t know it was for a reason like that.”
He felt a little guilty for thinking Jubin was just being high-maintenance.
Cha Jubin looked at the lonely bag of sandwiches in the back seat and asked, “Want me to feed you?”
“You’re hungry, right? There’s milk tea too, so you go ahead and eat first.”
What happened to wanting me to feed you? he thought, but he still gently offered the food to Jubin first.
As he unwrapped the sandwich, its pale, square form was revealed, boasting a filling of ham, cheese, and a sweet sauce. It looked incredibly appetizing, perhaps because he’d pushed his body so hard.
We aren’t the kind of couple who feeds each other like this, he thought, but he decided Zion’s hunger took priority. Still, he hesitated, wondering if offering it so readily would be too much.
“Ah.”
The man’s open mouth, waiting for the food, rendered his worries pointless. Instead, he handed it over with a more relaxed heart.
After taking a large bite, the man immediately turned his gaze to the milk tea. “Didn’t you buy your coffee?”
“I was in such a rush I forgot to order it.”
That meant they had only one milk tea to share.
“Here, you drink it. I’m fine.”
“I bought this for you, Sunbae.”
Again, he gave in without hesitation. He preferred coffee over milk tea anyway, but his constant selflessness always made her feel guilty…
She pulled the car over and scanned the street through the window, looking for a place to buy coffee. Of course, all the coffee shops she’d passed earlier had vanished the moment she actually needed one.
“Should we share the milk tea?”
Maybe that’s the best option…
Cha Jubin readily offered her the drink he was holding.
“You go first.”
“No, you drink first, then give it to me.”
Their mutual consideration had escalated into a full-blown competition of politeness.
“…Just you first.”
“No, you first.”
It was an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.
“You don’t have to treat me like a senior right now.”
“But I’m hungry. Just let me drink first, then feed me the rest of the sandwich.”
What else can I do when he says he’s hungry? I have to be the one to end this stalemate.
Jubin took a bite of the sandwich first, then took a long sip of the milk tea. The sweet liquid slid down his throat, refreshing and cool.
I like this more than the sandwich, he thought.
“Is it good?”
“Yeah, this place makes great milk tea.”
He deliberately wiped the spot where his lips had touched with a napkin, then looked at the other man with a silent question: Want a sip of the milk tea so you don’t choke on the sandwich?
He nodded and took a sip from the straw. His Adam’s apple bobbed heavily up and down against his clean-cut neckline. It was just the simple act of swallowing, yet Jubin found himself staring, unable to look away.
“Wow, this place. The flavor is so rich.”
Zion’s voice was filled with genuine admiration. Jubin, feeling his face flush for no reason, turned his head away.
“Is it too rich? Do you not like it?”
“It feels like I’m eating it instead of dessert, so it’s fine.”
Good. I must have hidden my embarrassment well. Jubin cleared his throat before continuing.
“I’m glad. I’m glad you like it…”
“Give me another sip.”
The first time had been difficult, but sharing a straw he’d already used was no big deal.
“I wiped the straw, though.”
“You wiped it already?”
The question was low, tinged with a hint of disappointment beneath the surprise. What’s with that reaction? Jubin licked his lips and added cautiously, “…Am I grossing you out?”
Isn’t that my line?
“I’m not saying you are gross,” Jubin clarified, drawing a careful line in the sand so the other man wouldn’t misunderstand.
“I saw it before. That famous tangerine scene.”
The memory of the old behind-the-scenes footage from the movie he’d filmed with Kim Do-won resurfaced. Do-won had peeled a tangerine to play a prank, secretly licking it before handing it to Zion. Zion, completely oblivious, had eaten it without a second thought. The moment Do-won finally confessed the truth after laughing his head off, Zion had vanished from the camera’s frame.
Among fans, the story was legendary: rumor had it that once the cameras stopped rolling, Do-won had offered Zion a truly sincere apology.
Still, this was a matter of hygiene, not a question of how close they were.
“I just thought you’d hate it.”
“That’s because it was Do-won hyung!”
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