It felt almost homey here, with Jin cooking and caring for him. If there had been a way for them to just live here together, it would have been a peaceful, sweet existence. But there were many logistical reasons for why that wouldn’t work. Such a fate hadn’t been written for them. Maybe in their next life, circumstances would be different. It offered little comfort to him now. He wanted it in this life.

“Masitge deuseyo,” he repeated, pressing his lips together as he observed how pleased Jin seemed to be with himself. It was endearing, even if he’d essentially forced his way in. And then, Jin was offering him the first bite, just like he had so many times before. Ahn-Bo obediently opened his mouth and leaned forward to accept the gesture. As he chewed, his eyes nearly rolled back in his head. With a quiet groan of approval, he felt himself nodding to his friend to express how delicious he found it.

Then, he used his own chopsticks to select the best-looking piece of meat from his own bowl—setting it gently into Jin’s. And then he was digging into his food, eating far more quickly than he ought to have, and completely oblivious to the small noises of appreciation he was making.