The first thing Jongin hears after stepping foot inside the mansion are the clanking noises of pots and the faintest hisses of profanities. He freezes by the door, mind suddenly on full alert. The possibility that someone might’ve broken in while no one was home is making him anxious. It’s not like he doubts how their security guards do their job but thieves nowadays are craftier than ever.

Jongin tiptoes cautiously over to the kitchen, where he thinks the source of the noises is coming from. He takes one of his school shoes off and raises it mid-air. He knows hauling a stupid shoe won’t drive a probable burglar away, but Jongin’s kind of scared right now and is not thinking clearly.

However, all the tension bleeds out of his body at the sight of Sehun’s familiar broad back turned to him. Jongin lowers his shoe and blinks, curiosity washing over him. The first thing he notices are the messy kitchen countertops. Sehun is making it all the more chaotic as he moves about in the place, wearing Mrs. Namjoo’s fuchsia pink apron and holding a silver spatula in his right hand. The second thing Jongin notes are the several pots settled on the stove. Sizzling noises fill his hearing, including Sehun’s frustrated ‘!’s right then and there.

Jongin accidentally drops his shoe when Sehun jumps back in order to avoid cooking oil from scorching his skin. His shoe hits the tiled floor with a dull thud and at that, Sehun turns, surprise cutting off his annoyance for a moment. Jongin doesn’t know if he should laugh at the evident irritation tugging at the older male’s eyebrows, or feel sorry for him because he’s trying so hard to cook dinner.

“What are you doing?” comes Jongin’s innocent question. Sehun didn’t plan on letting the younger find him looking like this and wow, his self-respect has never been so stomped on.

“What do you think?” Sehun’s response comes out a little cranky, but Jongin knows it’s just because he’s highly annoyed with his inability to cook. Typical silver spoon-fed guy.

Jongin goes near the stove and peers on the frying pan, and what he sees makes him bite his lower lip to prevent himself from laughing lest he annoys his fiancé even more. “You’re cooking…hotdogs.”

Sehun is no idiot and he can see how hard Jongin is trying to bottle his laughter in. He raises his brow. “Why? Is there a problem?”

As a matter of fact, there is. You’re twenty-three, a soon-to-be CEO of a big company and yet you can’t fry something as simple as hotdogs. Jongin shakes his head and with a nice smile, says, “You know, you should probably pay attention to it. It’s about to burn.”

Sehun straightens up in alarm and looks into the pan to check it out for himself. He’s a little bit panicky so he tugs Jongin’s arm and presses the spatula into his palm. “You know how to cook, right? Finish this.”

“Um, okay?” Jongin blinks. Sehun gestures impatiently at the frying pan and the younger male nearly rolls his eyes. Geez, I’m not your maid.

Seeing Jongin take over and cook more decently than him makes Sehun a little bit relieved. They bought far healthier stuff than these preservatives from their recent grocery shopping but Sehun is too lazy to watch tutorial videos on how to make kimchi soup or anything related to it. And because the biggest factor in this situation is that he can’t cook a thing to save his life. This is his first time trying to cook, for heaven’s sake.

All the while that Jongin is cooking, he is also observing Sehun from his peripheral vision, and how the other observes his movements. He looks really hungry and Jongin sort of feels guilty for eating dinner with Chanyeol when he’s supposed to eat with this guy.

Well…it’s not really a rule whether he should eat dinner all the time with Sehun, is it? It's entirely within his discretion whether he will eat supper at home with Sehun or outside with somebody else.

“Give me a moment, I’ll make you something,” Jongin breaks the silence. It’s just he doesn’t think eating hotdogs for dinner will satisfy Sehun’s appetite especially since he’s witnessed firsthand how much the older male eats. When Sehun only stares back at him, slow at processing, he points at their lengthy dining table. “Sit.”

“Are you ordering me arou—”

Jongin interjects Sehun by pushing him onto the nearest dining chair. Although the mere contact of his hands against Sehun’s back makes his heart beat a little erratic, Jongin remains calm and even pats the taller’s shoulder with a small turn to his lips. “Just sit, hyung. Wait there.”

And then Jongin goes back to the kitchen, shuffling about here and there. Sehun can only watch him in curiosity, suddenly interested in what Jongin has to offer. The younger boy moves around the kitchen like he owns it. Based on his movements, it seems like Jongin really does know how to cook (and it doesn’t mean frying hotdogs only). Sehun feels a little embarrassed but it is slowly subsiding the more Jongin moves to get things from the fridge and the cupboard.

By the time Jongin finishes, a scrumptious scent wafts through the air and he lays out a bowl of Yukgaejang in front of him, together with other side dishes and those hotdogs perfectly fried. Sehun’s brows shoot up, clearly impressed. Jongin reads the expression on his face and he smiles timidly, “I used to cook dinner for my uncle.”

Sehun grabs his silverware with an intrigued quirk to his eyebrow. “Seems like you always did things for your uncle. Were you his maid or something?” he snorts, remembering that time when he injured his hand and Jongin mentioned about treating his uncle’s hand after getting into fist fights.

“You could say that,” Jongin shrugs minutely, releasing a noise of indifference that makes Sehun’s brows furrow. Say what now? “After my aunt passed, he always ordered me around.” He’s an abuser.

The way the volume of Jongin’s voice goes smaller and smaller with every word actually intrigues Sehun. Though before he can comment on the sudden sadness that etches itself on the younger’s face, Jongin immediately wipes the gloomy expression off his face, replacing it with a dismissive smile. “Not that it matters anymore. Grandma took me away from him and I couldn’t be any more grateful. Everything’s okay now.”

Sehun focuses his vision at Jongin, whose eyes are looking into the distance. It’s just now that he is starting to realize how he knows very little when it comes to Kim Jongin.

When Jongin looks back at him, does Sehun only realize that he’s been staring. He starts to eat as an attempt to drive the growing awkwardness away, tactful enough not to ask probing questions. Jongin, who is sitting across him, watches him with an anxious look on his face. Sehun looks nonchalant as ever so he doesn’t know if the older actually likes his cooking or not.

What he doesn't know is that Sehun actually, really likes his cooking. It's just that he's too cool to admit it out loud along with a simple thank you. That's just not something Oh Sehun does. No way in hell.

Their awkward situation turns to Sehun not talking to him at all, attention mainly focused on eating. As Sehun eats, a small smile tugs at the corner of Jongin’s lips without his knowledge. He observes the older male quietly and feels satisfied that even though he’s not making any expression, Sehun is consuming the soup nonstop, giving Jongin the littlest hint that he might be enjoying the food after all. This guy…he really has quite an appetite. It’s not even an hour when he finishes it all, wiping his mouth with a table napkin. He was that hungry.

It’s only now that Sehun realizes Jongin never got himself a plate and he asks, “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Me…?” Jongin blinks, caught off-guard. He remembers his little moment with Chanyeol earlier and it brings the faintest embarrassed flush on his face. “Oh, um…I kinda already ate with…uh…Chanyeol hyung outside…”

“Chanyeol?” Sehun’s brow rises. “Why were you with him?”

“He uh…he offered to drive me home…” Jongin scratches his arm awkwardly and adds a small, ‘everyday’ as an afterthought.

“Really,” Sehun doesn’t sound like he’s questioning. Jongin nods his head meekly. “Why would he do that?”

“After that incident at the bar he...suggested I take some security with me and I said something about…not wanting bodyguards so…he thought he should just take me home instead.” Jongin finishes rather lamely. Sehun stares at him with his brow still raised.

“How polite of him,” Sehun speaks after giving such a judging stare. At least, that’s what Jongin thinks. “I was planning to drive you to and from school but I guess I can only do the former.”

“Eh?” Jongin perks up from his seat, stomach jumping. He stares at Sehun with his surprised brown gaze and asks, “Why would you?”

“Because I want to,” Sehun gives a shrug of indifference and stands up, gathering the plates and utensils he used then dumping them into the sink. He stares at the dirty dishes like he’s looking at an extremely challenging mathematical equation. Jongin almost rolls his eyes. First world problems…

“You don’t have to, you know,” Jongin resumes their conversation as he steps beside Sehun and starts working on the dishes himself. Sehun watches him, a bit surprised. Jongin seems excellent in doing house chores. It’s rare to find teenagers like him in this generation.

“You’re engaged to me, I have to do it.” Sehun takes a plate and tries washing it without letting the ceramic slip off of his hands. “And I’ll wash the dishes. Go away.”

“I thought we already agreed that we’re only going to act as a couple when we’re in front of your family members?” Sehun’s words set a flush creeping up from under Jongin’s collar. “We’re the only ones here so there's no need for you to drop me off whatsoever. And I’m not letting you wash the dishes; you’ll most likely break them all. You go away.”

“If I want to drop you off or pick you up at school, I will do it. You don’t get a say about what I do,” Sehun picks up a glass this time.