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Sieun steps outside of the cram school building. Immediately, an unforgiving gust of night autumn wind greets him. Sieun hisses under his breath, pulling his gray cardigan tighter, but it is almost useless. He makes a mental note to bring a warmer jacket tomorrow.
The street is loud, as usual. When cram school ends, it feels like prisoners being let out of an academic jail. Teenagers laughing, filming TikToks in front of the building without a care in the world. Sieun stares at them for a moment.
But, all those noises do not matter to him. Everything just blurs into something indistinct and irrelevant. The only thing he cares about is the tight ache in his stomach.
His stomach growls again.
Sieun sighs. He missed his lunch, preparing for an upcoming math competition. Now, he is suffering from the consequences. Sleepy, tired, and starving, there is only one single thing on Sieun's mind. Go home, reheat anything he can find in his fridge and sleep. That would be perfect. He picks up his pace towards the bus stop, but then something makes him pause, distracting him from his goal.
A smell. Too familiar.
Fermented kimchi, with the spice of chili. Kimchijjigae, he thinks. Sieun turns around to look for the source. It is a small humble diner, recently opened, guessing from the flowers and congratulatory ribbons in front the entrance.
Sieun stops in his tracks and stands there for a moment. He takes a deep breath. Again and again, inhaling it as much as he can. It smells good. Too good.
It is warm and comforting. It smells like home. Or, at least, what home used to be for Sieun.
"Yeon Sieun?"
Sieun snaps out from his trance. He turns his head and finds his classmate, Ahn Suho, bundled up in a thick padded coat, holding plastic bags in both of his hands.
"Why are you just standing here? Do you want to go inside? Eat?" Suho asks, pointing his finger toward the diner.
"I work here, by the way," he adds.
Sieun hesitates. He never really talks to Suho. They really just happen to be in the same class. Logically, Sieun should say no. He should just eat at home alone. Eat whatever he has in the fridge. But, his body won't align with his logic. His stomach betrays him, growling loudly, breaking the silence.
"Was that…" Suho's lips twitch, and he smiles, "You are hungry!"
"Well… I did not have lunch…" Sieun mumbles weakly.
Suho looks at him in disbelief. He opens the restaurant door, and glances back at Sieun, "Come on, just eat. What if you passed out on your way home because you were too hungry."
Sieun gives up. Mortified, he decides to follow the taller guy.
"We have a new customer!"
_
As soon as he steps inside, the cold fades, replaced by the warmth of the diner. The rich kimchijjigae scent got stronger, more comforting. Only two other tables are occupied. Sieun picks one far away from other customers.
"What's your order?" Suho asks.
No brainer. "Kimchijjigae."
Suho gives him a polite smile before disappearing into the kitchen. A moment later, he’s carrying a box of bottles, restocking the fridge, attending to another customer before returning behind the counter.
Sieun stares.
This is a side of Ahn Suho he never knew. It’s not like Sieun knows him that well, but the Suho he knows is careless. His classmate always sleeps through class and never cares about his studies. The only moment he seems to actually care about something is during the physical education class.
But, the boy in front of him is anything but careless. Working diligently, fully focused on the tasks. Curious.
"This is your order," Suho comes to his table, bringing a bowl of kimchijjigae and a plate of warm rice, "Please enjoy!"
"Ahn Suho," Sieun calls out.
Suho glances back over his shoulder, "Huh?"
There are many things he is curious about. But, what comes out of his mouth instead is, "Have you eaten?"
Suho's face softens, "Yes, before my shift."
Sieun nods slowly, "I see… I thought maybe we can share this. The portion is too big for me."
Suho's eyes light up, "Oh, I still can eat!"
The taller boy hurriedly returns with another bowl of rice and takes the seat across Sieun.
"You eat first, while it is still warm," Suho says.
Sieun nods and takes a spoonful of the stew. The broth is slightly spicy and tangy. Warmth spreads across his chest. It is so good and comforting. Sieun breaks into a grin.
"It's good, no?" Suho looks at him expectantly.
Sieun nods, as he continuously digs in. "It is really good."
Suho smiles proudly, pleased, as if he was the one who cooked it. He picks up his spoon, "My grandma's friend has always been an amazing cook. I'm glad halmeoni decided to open this diner."
They eat together in comfortable silence. After a while, Sieun has managed to finish his rice quickly, setting his spoon aside.
"How long have you worked here?" Sieun asks in curiosity.
Suho chews for a moment before replying, "A week? Before this, I worked in another restaurant. For two years.”
Oh? "You work part-time everyday?"
Suho nods. "After my shift, I usually do delivery jobs too. If I'm not lazy."
So, that's why you sleep in class.
"Yes."
Sieun grimaces. He did not mean to say that out loud.
Suho shrugs, "It's okay. Smart cookie like you must be curious."
"What?"
"You are good at studying. You never sleep in class. You won those competitions. Teachers love you," Suho takes another huge spoonful of rice, "Not me. I suck at school."
He is not sure what to say. "Mr. Choi likes you, though."
Suho puffs his chest proudly, "I am the best runner. Of course he likes me."
"How are you so good at it?" Sieun asks. He simply sucks at running or any kind of sport.
"My dad was a marathoner. He used to take me running every day,” he says lightly, "Guess he ended up running away from me too."
A pause. Oh, he definitely asked the wrong question.
Suho shrugs. "Sorry. Too much information?"
He hesitates for a beat. He barely knows Suho, and he knows he should not be so open about something personal like his family situation, but somehow he feels like he can trust this boy. Whatever. Time for too much information.
"My mom," Sieun pauses, "She ran away too."
"Oh. I'm sorry, Sieun-ssi." Suho says quietly.
"I'm sorry too, Suho-ssi."
Suho nudges the bowl slightly toward him. "Eat more, Sieun-ssi. There is still some tofu there. Do you need more rice?"
"No, no, I am full. You should eat it, you’re the one working."
Suho shakes his head, "You skipped lunch and dinner, you should eat it! You should not skip your meals, Sieun. You won’t be able to grow taller."
Suho giggles playfully. Sieun shoots a look at him,"Just wait, I will be taller than you."
They both laugh for a moment, then Sieun picks up his spoon to grab the last piece of tofu in the stew. Then, he can feel the gaze of the boy across from him. He glances up, brow lifting slightly, chin tilting forward. "What?"
"You have cram school tomorrow?" Suho asks, looking slightly unsure.
Sieun looks up and nods, still chewing.
"Then come here again tomorrow," Suho says softly.
Sieun tilts his head, confused, "Huh?"
"After cram school. You can come here and have kimchi jjigae again… or maybe doenjang jjigae…?"
Sieun hums, "Uh… I'll need to check my allowance."
"I'll try to talk to the owner for a discount?" Suho gets up from his seat and glances toward the counter, “Halmeoni?”
A middle-aged woman, her hair already turning mostly gray, steps out from behind the counter with a gentle smile, "Yes, Suho-yah?"
"Can he get a student discount if he comes here again?"
The owner lady glances at Sieun, then back at Suho, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "He is your friend?"
Suho nods. Sieun blinks. Friend.
She chuckles, "Sure, if he is our Suho's friend, I'll give a special discount to him. Come with him, and you'll get it."
Suho lets out a small breath. “Thank you, halmeoni!"
As she walks away, Sieun looks back at Suho curiously. "So, we are friends? You meant that?"
"Yeah. Why not?" Suho asks nonchalantly.
A friend. Suho considers him a friend.
"You," Sieun says, eyes fixated on the boy in front of him, "You meant that? You wanna be friends with me?"
Suho frowns, as if it's a strange question. "Yeah? You're cool. You're smart. And the most important thing, you seem like a nice person."
Suho's candid honesty stuns him. Something in his chest stirs. A grin blooms before he can stop it. His cheeks feel warm, a faint flush creeping up.
"Thank you, I guess…" Sieun says faintly.
"It is much nicer to eat with a friend. I hate eating alone," Suho continues.
It’s subtle, but Sieun catches it. The way he looks down at the table for a second too long after saying it. For a moment, the carefree persona fades, and he can see it in his eyes for a second, something sad. Something that Sieun may relate to.
"I will eat with you, Suho-ssi. Lunch and dinner," Sieun smiles.
Suho beams up with delight, grinning from ear to ear. "That's awesome."
Sieun can hear the soft rustling of dishes, the clink of plates being stacked somewhere behind the counter. He blinks, glancing around. Oh. The other tables are empty now. He did not notice that. It’s just the two of them.
The owner lady steps out, offering a polite smile. "We’re closing."
Suho gets up immediately. "Ah, sorry, halmeoni, I'll help!"
Quickly, he gathers the dishes from their table and brings them behind the counter. Sieun gets up as well, heading over to pay. Through the slightly opened curtain, Sieun can see Suho at the sink sleeves pushed up, washing dishes and stacking plates diligently.
For someone so young, he works a little too hard.
A few minutes pass before Suho finally washes his hands and grabs his bag, heading for the door.
He stops. "Sieun? You're still here?"
Sieun shrugs. He pushes himself up from the chair. "Of course."
Suho lets out a small, sheepish laugh. "I thought you left."
Sieun grabs his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "Let’s go."
As soon as they step outside of the diner, the autumn wind is even colder. Sieun pulls his cardigan tighter instinctively. They start walking. For a while, it’s comfortably quiet. Just the sound of their steps against the pavement.
Then Suho starts rambling about the diner customer who told him that he was a really handsome boy, so handsome that he could be an actor. Sieun listens. The customer is not wrong, Sieun thinks. When they reach the bus stop, the street is mostly empty.
"Is that your bus?" Suho asks, pointing toward the bus approaching in the distance.
The headlights are way too bright. Sieun squints, trying to catch the number on the bus, then nods. "Yeah. Mine. How about you?"
"I have my bike parked nearby."
Sieun nods, "Be careful on the road."
Suho grins, then he gestures towards the bus pulling up, "You too. Get home safe, Sieun."
Sieun steps inside, takes a seat by the window. As the bus starts moving, he looks out. Standing under a streetlight, Suho is still there, waving at him.
His heart flutters. He cannot help but smile. He slides the window open, leans out slightly, waving back, "See you tomorrow, Ahn Suho."
Suho smiles back. Beautiful.
_
By lunchtime, the classroom is so loud. Students hurry out, excited to leave the classroom and fill their hunger after boring history class. Sieun stays in his seat for a moment, his eyes drifting toward the back. The classroom is already empty now, only the two of them left.
Suho is there, slumped over his desk with his pink pillow, comfortably asleep. How can he still be asleep when it was that noisy? Sieun is a little amused. He gets up and makes his way to the back, then nudges the sleeping boy softly.
"Suho-ssi."
Suho stirs, shifting slightly. His brows knit together in a faint frown. The light is too bright for him. Then he blinks.
His face lights up almost immediately. “Sieun-ssi.” His voice is still rough with sleep, it's amusing.
"Come on, wake up, let's have lunch."