GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER - 01

"PERFECT!"

After placing the last dish on the table, I took a step back and admired the scene I had created. The soft lighting from the chandelier reflected off the perfectly aligned cutlery, the plates were arranged with precision, and a faint aroma of spices still lingered in the air. A cozy, almost intimate atmosphere, and I couldn't help but smile with satisfaction as I observed everything.

"Hmm! Looking at it like this, it seems more like a 'date'..."

I murmured to myself, a small laugh escaping my lips. It wasn't like I had planned this atmosphere, but considering that the dinner was for me and Nayun, it was practically inevitable that she would interpret it that way.

And, to be honest? I didn't mind it.

In fact, maybe it was even better if she saw it that way...

In my past life, cooking had always been a refuge. The warmth of the kitchen, the rhythmic sound of the knife against the cutting board, the aroma of spices dancing in the air—all of it gave me a sense of control, something I craved so much back then. Between responsibilities that weighed heavily on my shoulders and endless nights managing a company that shouldn't have been my responsibility, cooking was one of the few respites I found.

By the age of 16, I was already sitting at the meeting table, surrounded by wolves waiting for any slip-up to devour what remained of my parents' legacy. Simply existing in that environment was exhausting. Every wrong decision was a threat, every contract a potential trap.

And I was stubborn... stubborn enough to carry it all alone, refusing any help that was offered to me.

"Hah... it's no use now. I'm already dead."

I sighed, pushing the memories away.

The clock showed almost eight in the evening.

It had been over two hours since Nayun said she would take a shower, get ready, and come. The time she was taking made it clear that she was in the midst of one of those feminine dilemmas I would never understand.

While she still hadn't shown any signs of life, I decided to check the table once more, adjusting the final details. But before I could finish...

"Beep!"

The sound of the notification vibrated on my smartwatch. Without needing to open the message, I activated my teleportation ability, and in the blink of an eye, I appeared in front of Nayun's dormitory.

I rang the doorbell twice.

A few seconds passed before the door opened, revealing Nayun looking at her own smartwatch before finally raising her gaze to me.

"..."

The evident shock on her face was hilarious. Her eyes widened slightly, her mouth slightly open, and I could almost see the gears turning in her head, trying to understand how I had gotten there so quickly.

"Hi!"

"I-it hasn't even been twenty seconds since I sent you a message. How did you... wait, don't tell me..."

I don't know what this girl was about to imagine, but I'm sure it wasn't anything good.

"Hah! I just used my abilities, it was nothing big. So stop with that fertile imagination and let's go."

I nodded, calling her to my side. Nayun watched me for a moment, trying to see if I was joking, before finally sighing in relief.

The curious detail? That sigh seemed deeper than it should have been.

"That's good... I thought you were a stalker, Theo."

She stepped out of the dormitory and closed the door behind her, smiling slightly before giving me a light nudge with her shoulder.

"Huh? What are you talking about, Nayun?"

Me, a stalker? I had abilities that could make me the best stalker in the world if I wanted, but using them for something so pathetic? No way.

"W-well... After I finished my training, I felt someone watching me secretly. When I tried to see who it was, I didn't see anyone, so I thought it was you using that invisibility ability. Hehehe..."

I stayed silent for a moment, just staring at her.

"You're really..."

"Slap!"

"Ouch! That hurts! You... Mmh!"

Before she could complain about the flick I gave her forehead, I pulled her gently closer to me, her body colliding against mine.

Her eyes blinked a few times after hitting something firm and fragrant, before she could react and say anything, I called her.

"Here we are."

The environment around us changed instantly.

Nayun looked around, confused, and then her eyes returned to me, full of disbelief.

"Eh?! But... we were just at the dormitory..."

"Yes, I just brought us here."

She gave me a suspicious look.

"Don't look at me like that. I just told you how I did it. Come on, leave your bag there and come. I just finished setting the table."

She stood still for a moment, watching my back as I walked away naturally.

And then something clicked in her mind. Biting her lower lip lightly, she realized.

'That idiot... He didn't even kiss me, much less compliment my outfit...'

Her gaze slid to her own reflection in the mirror of one of the cabinets.

She had spent hours getting ready. Hours trying on clothes, changing hairstyles, testing combinations of everything, only for him to simply not notice?

'What's the point of all this...? It's annoying.'

Even though she was a girl with a tough personality, that didn't mean she didn't want to be seen as a woman. It wasn't ten or twenty minutes she spent in front of the mirror, it was almost two hours, racking her brain, until she found something good. She didn't want to come here like last time, all haphazardly.

'This is so annoying! Why am I thinking about him like this now? Even after we kissed, that time, I wasn't like this... But now...'

Frustrated, she let out a sigh and left her bag on the sofa before heading towards the kitchen.

While she was still lost in her thoughts about her outfit, the delicious smell flew to her nose.

A wave of warm, delicious aroma enveloped her senses, making her stomach growl immediately. It was a perfect mix of spices and heat, something that made her mouth water without her realizing it.

"Wow! That smell... it's killing me, Theo..."

I chuckled softly while putting on the thermal gloves to take a hot tray out of the oven.

"Sit down already, before you faint from hunger, hearing your stomach from here."

Nayun crossed her arms, looking at me with her beautiful tiger teeth showing.

"Tsk... As if you'd let me faint."

And, even while grumbling, she obeyed and sat down in the chair.

Nayun's smile faded as she settled into the chair. Her eyes scanned the table, absorbing the details—the well-arranged plates, the cutlery shining under the warm light, and the food that looked worthy of a high-end restaurant.

The rich, inviting smell made her stomach growl for real, and she instinctively placed her hand on her belly, blushing slightly.

"You really outdid yourself... I never imagined you could cook, I always thought men didn't like this kind of work."

Her voice came out soft, enchanted by the scene.

"Thanks, I guess. The truth is, it's been a while since I cooked, so I felt like doing it today."

I replied, taking off the apron and pulling the chair across from hers.

"And considering that you probably haven't eaten yet, I thought it would be better to prepare dinner for the two of us."

She raised an eyebrow, picking up the cutlery and playing with them lightly.

I leaned on the table, looking at her with a corner smile.

"Uhm! The woman who marries you will be very lucky, Theo."

I chuckled softly and started serving the food. A plate of well-seasoned, juicy meat, accompanied by grilled vegetables and perfectly cooked rice. The steam rose gently, carrying the irresistible aroma of the spices.

As soon as I served her plate, she quickly picked up the cutlery, looking at me as if waiting, and after I gave the green light, she started to dig in.

"Wow, this looks incredible."

She murmured, picking up a piece of meat and bringing it to her mouth.

The moment the meat was chewed and the taste hit her palate, her eyes widened slightly, and she paused for a second before chewing more slowly.

"This is..."

"Bad?"

I asked, a little worried, maybe my dish wasn't that good after all.

She gave me a deadly look before focusing back on the food.

"No. This is too good, damn it."

She grumbled, picking up another piece.

"Did you cook before? Like, a lot?"

"Yes, I always liked it. I think it was one of the things that helped me keep my sanity until now."

She looked at me, noticing my slightly downcast expression.

"If it's uncomfortable to talk about yourself, I'll stop here."

I put down the cutlery for a moment, watching her. She wasn't asking just for the sake of asking, I could tell there was a genuine trace of someone trying to learn more about me in her expression.

I sighed lightly before resting my elbow on the table and my chin on my hand.

"It wasn't easy. I had to grow up fast, take on responsibilities that weren't mine, deal with people who wanted to see me fail at all costs..."

My gaze turned to the plate in front of me...

"But I think the worst of it all was the loneliness. Even surrounded by people, I never felt like I could trust anyone. Even though I knew it was just my own madness... So, one way I used to escape all that was the kitchen."

Nayun stopped eating and asked me.

"...Do you regret it?"

I turned my gaze to her, slightly surprised by the question.

She quickly averted her gaze, poking the food with her fork and continued.

"Like... not asking for help earlier. Carrying it all alone."

For a moment, silence hung between us.

"Yes."

I admitted.

"But I can't change the past. I can only make sure that, this time, I do things differently."

She looked at me again, her gaze seemed deeper, as if she were trying to understand something within me.

"So... will you ask for help when you need it now?"

I smiled slightly while nodding, picking up my glass.

"If I know there are trustworthy people by my side, maybe."

She huffed, crossing her arms, and looking at me with one of her fangs showing.

"Tsk, that was vague."

"It wasn't."

"It was."

I rolled my eyes, finishing my juice.

"For example... If you were my wife, yes, I would trust you with my whole being."

The words I spoke hit her in a way, even making her choke as her face changed color.

"Cough! Cough!

"Calm down! Here, drink some juice."

...