Chang Min was sitting on the couch watching a drama. It was almost lunchtime and the coffee table was decked with pizza, chicken tenders, spicy chicken wings, a box of doughnuts. A strawberry shortcake cake he made and the different sodas that Kyu Hyun bought last night.

He was eating a slice of pizza when the door opened. He looked at the door and his eyes widened.

In walked a handsome Kyu Hyun, but he wore a frown.

Kyu Hyun looked at him too, then at the table that had junk food on it. He wanted to say something, but he had nothing to say.

Chang Min looked at the time on the clock on the wall, then back at Kyu Hyun and saw that he was making his way to the bedroom.

Frowning, Chang Min placed the pizza down and followed behind him. When he arrived in the room, he saw he was getting undressed and asked, “Did you eat lunch yet?”

Kyu Hyun’s mind was still on how badly he ended things with Ji Soo that he didn’t know when Chang Min got here. He looked at him after taking off his shirt and shook his head. “No.”

“Okay,” he whispered and walked out.

“Chang Min?” He suddenly called, and he popped back into the room.

Kyu Hyun looked at what he was wearing and he had on an oversized baby blue tracksuit. 

“Did you want something?” He asked.

Kyu Hyun was taken out of his thoughts and shook his head, “Nevermind.”

*

Chang Min dashed to the kitchen and looked around.

What am I going to make now?

If I knew Kyu Hyun would be home so soon, then I would have prepared something already.

Looking in the fridge, he saw a container that had noodles in it that he made a few days ago and took it out. At the bottom of the fridge, there was another container with soybeans in it that were soaking. He took it out with some vegetables and some eggs.

Sighing, he took off his hoodie and put on an apron.

The soy beans were cooked and blended, then placed in the fridge. The eggs were boiled and the vegetables cut. He boiled the noodles and cooled them off under running tap water.

Taking out four ceramic bowls, he placed the noodles in each, then took out an ice tray and the soup. He poured it into two bowls, while he covered the other two with a cloth, then put in a few ice blocks that had the soup in it.

He cut up the boiled eggs and placed them on, accompanied by the tomato and cucumber slices.

Taking out the chopsticks, he placed them beside one bowl, then went to the room. 

Kyu Hyun was sitting on the bed, busy on his laptop, and said, “The food is ready.”

Kyu Hyun looked at him, surprised, then got up and followed him to the kitchen.

There was a bowl of noodles waiting for him, and he didn’t know what to think of it. Picking up the chopsticks, he looked at Chang Min, who was cleaning up, then started eating.

The taste was familiar, something he had eaten before, but when?

By the time Chang Min was finished cleaning, Kyu Hyun had already finished the second bowl, too. Walking up to the island, he asked, “Want more?”

“Is there? I think I ate your portion too,” he asked, feeling guilty.

Chang Min shook his head and uncovered the bowl, saying, “You didn’t. You always eat three bowls of noodles.”

Handing him the third bowl with everything in it, he looked at Kyu Hyun and smiled.

He took the two bowls to the sink, then went to the living room to fetch the pizza and heated it up. Going back to the living room, he took off his apron and quickly rushed back to place it on the kitchen island next to Kyu Hyun and went back.

He pressed play on the remote and forgot that Kyu Hyun was here.

Kyu Hyun finished eating the food and stood behind the couch Chang Min was sitting on.

On the t.v there were two guys moving in to kiss each other and Chang Min was cringing on the couch with loud groans and squeals.

He sat down beside him and asked, “What are you watching?”

Chang Min turned to him suspiciously, asking, “Weren’t you busy on the laptop?”

He shook his head as he looked at him. Chang Min nodded and continued watching, ignoring the question he was asked.

Twenty minutes into the next episode, his mother phoned, making him frown. Answering it, “Hello.”

“Im Kyu Hyun! What is this that I hear you broke up with Ji Soo?” she asked.

Chang Min’s brows shot up, and he lowered the volume. Not because he wanted to hear, but out of respect.

Kyu Hyun sighed. “Mother, it has nothing to do with you.”

“It has everything to do with me. He was such a good boy. Why did you leave him?” She asked again.

He side eyed Chang Min, who was eating the chicken tenders and said, “Because it’s useless. Chang Min is here, and I was getting tired of him.”

“Chang Min? Chang Min? You’re comparing that useless boy with him? Ji Soo is such an angel. What is Chang Min good for? All he does is sit around and do nothing,” she said.

He shook his head saying, “It’s too late, and dad never liked him.”

“When have you cared about your father and I?” she asked.

“Just drop it, ma okay,” he said.

She huffed on the phone saying, “I bet it’s that Chang Min’s fault! Why do you still put up with him? I told you to kick him out of the house long ago and take his name out of everything.”

“Bye ma,” he said, ending the call.

Chang Min turned to him, feeling awkward. Did he break up with Ji Soo because of him?

“Don’t look at me like that,” Kyu Hyun said and took the remote from him and turned the volume up. 

Three more episodes passed, then Kyu Hyun got up and went to the toilet. When he came back, Chang Min had turned off the t.v and cleaned up.

He looked at Chang Min and asked, “Are we done watching?”

“I am, but you can continue if you like,” he suggested.

He shook his head. He didn’t want to watch the series alone, especially when he barely understood it. At least Chang Min was there to explain some of the shit that was happening. 

He went outside to the back and sat on the chair in the garden that Chang Min had grown. Come to think of it, he hasn’t sat here outside to appreciate his efforts.

Chang Min saw him sitting outside and could see that his mind was elsewhere.

Walking out with a glass of apple juice, he placed a hat on Kyu Hyun’s head and handed him the glass, saying, “Be careful of the sun.”

Kyu Hyun took the glass, thanking him.

Taking the seat beside him, he asked, “What are you thinking about? You look stressed.”

“I’m not stressed,” he said.

“Is it something at the company?” He questioned, and Kyu Hyun shook his head.

“Then it’s about me like mother-in-law said,” he said.

Kyu Hyun looked at him, saying, “Don’t listen to her.”

“How can I not? She thinks of me as less than a rat,” he said.

Kyu Hyun sighed. His mother had mentally abused Chang Min for so long that he was thinking ill of himself.

Sighing, he said, “She’s right, I broke up with Ji Soo.”

“Is it because of me? I’m sorry, I know I was out of line,” he apologised.

Kyu Hyun shook his head. “You’ve been quiet all this time. Why now? I don’t understand it.”

Chang Min looked at him and said, “Wouldn’t you get sick of it? I’m your husband and yet over the years I’ve had to tolerate you coming and going as you pleased and every night, I had to smell the perfume of the different men and women you have hanging around you. Not only that, but I found the STI test results. You came out negative, but what if the results were positive and you gave it to me? We don’t have sex, but you must think of the other things we share and the constant bills sent here because of you over spending on people you don’t love?”

He sighed and stood up. Looking down at Kyu Hyun, he said, “I know we don’t love each other, but I’ve been trying. Wouldn’t you get frustrated if your efforts weren’t reciprocated?”