Zeno woke up earlier than usual, the familiar growling of his stomach prompting him to rise from his bed. He glanced around at the others, noticing they were all still unmoving. Minjae had a napkin draped over his nose, struggling to breathe. Zeno could have moved it away.
But he didn’t. He walked away from the shared bedroom.
With that, he made his way to the kitchen, drawn by a singular goal.
To find the sweet potatoes.
He eyed them thoughtfully, a silent challenge igniting within him. He was awakened by his hunger, likely a byproduct of enduring all the nonsense that came with Minjae’s group.
With that, he grabbed a sweet potato and began peeling it with a knife. He then sliced it up, heated some oil, and added sugar, attempting to recreate the candied sweet potatoes that Seulgi sometimes prepared for him.
Zeno stood over the stove, watching like a hawk surveying its prey. Just as he felt someone approaching, he turned sharply toward the kitchen entrance, narrowing his eyes as he spotted Bacon PD walking in.
The old man paused, his gaze meeting Zeno’s.
“You’re early,” Zeno muttered, refocusing on the cooking sweet potatoes, only to curse softly as his creation came out charred and blackened.
He turned off the flame and glared at Bacon PD, who wore an amused smirk.
“I knew I smelled something burning,” he exclaimed with a chuckle. “I thought you were quite mature for your age,” he added. “Yet, seeing this, it seems you’re still a bit young.”
Zeno pursed his lips, at a loss for words.
Well, he did excel in numerous tasks, but cooking was one area he had never mastered. It was a fundamental human survival skill, but throughout his missions, he had often found himself in hard labor, relying on takeout from convenience stores to fill his stomach.
In the occasional moments when he had a family around him, they prepared meals for him. But in reality, Zeno had always been too preoccupied with completing his missions that cooking had become his Achilles’ heel. Aside from that, their food was precooked in Avalis.
Zeno continued to watch as Bacon PD expertly grabbed the unevenly cut sweet potatoes, coating them in sugar before placing them into a fresh batch of hot oil.
He remained silently observant, not daring to complain. How could he? Someone was cooking his favorite dish just for him.
Bacon PD smirked, flipping the first batch over with skill. “Cooking like this reminds me of the times when I used to prepare—”
He abruptly paused mid-sentence, causing Zeno’s eyebrows to shoot up in curiosity.
“Never mind,” Bacon PD muttered, shaking his head.
“When you used to prepare food for Oska?” Zeno prodded, having already pieced together the fragments of the conversation.
Bacon PD turned to him in surprise, then chuckled heartily. “You’re really quick-witted. No wonder you’ve found success in your past acting works. You certainly have a knack for picking up on these things.”
“It comes from experience,” Zeno replied, swallowing hard as the first batch of sweet potatoes was plated before him.
Bacon PD regarded Zeno with a fond smile. “Feel free to eat while waiting for the rest.”
Zeno didn’t need to be told twice. He grabbed a fork and started snacking on the sweet potatoes, appearing much like a hamster hoarding food in its cheeks.
The kitchen was enveloped in silence, save for the sizzling oil surrounding them, until Bacon PD broke the quiet.
“So, why did you come here, anyway? With the success of your recent drama, you must have other projects queued up.”
Without hesitation, Zeno responded, “I thought it would be fun.”
However, the moment the words left his mouth, an awkward sensation washed over him. He pursed his lips and swallowed hard. Those words had come so easily, but how could he admit to having fun? Yes, this was his first time participating in a show like this, yet he was centuries old! How could he still find enjoyment in something like it?
“It must be good to be young,” Bacon PD chimed.
Zeno tilted his head thoughtfully. “Why did you come here? I bet your movie just finished filming. You must have a thousand things on your plate, and you should want to rest.”
Bacon PD hesitated. “Rest is a luxury.”
Zeno nodded in agreement. He couldn’t deny that. Rest was indeed a luxury for a Rennis like him. But then, a suspicion crept back in. Perhaps—
“I’ve been running since my teenage years, striving to carve out a name for myself that stands apart from the privilege my father bestowed upon me. If I stop now, I will only invite criticism,” he continued, causing Zeno to freeze in surprise. He hadn’t expected such honesty from the older man.
A smirk played on Zeno’s lips as he shook his head in disbelief. “It’s not that you’re afraid of being criticized. I bet it’s more about you believing this is the only way to prove your worth.”
Bacon PD went still, the tongs hanging from his hand.
“That must also be the reason why you don’t get along with Oska well—because you coddled him when he was young, and now you’re left dealing with the consequences of a spoiled brat who has grown accustomed to getting everything he wants, except for his father’s love.”
Bacon PD pursed his lips, momentarily taken aback. Were young people truly this daunting these days? How could Zeno read his mind as if it were an open book? Bacon had spent years building what he thought to be an impenetrable wall around his true self.
Then, he smiled, redirecting his focus back to the sweet potatoes. Zeno had polished off the first batch quickly, so Bacon began peeling more, lost in thought.
“You should do this for your son, you know?” Zeno mused, glancing sideways. “You’re fortunate this isn’t airing. If he sees this, he’s going to throw a fit.”
Bacon PD’s smile remained steady, though a flicker of apprehension crossed his features. “How could I start now? I’ve been harsh with him his entire life, all the while providing him with everything he needs. I’m sure he wouldn’t appreciate it, either.”
Zeno scratched the back of his neck, feeling a little caught up in their family drama all because of candied sweet potatoes.
Well, he would undoubtedly do it again. These were surprisingly good.
“Has he ever said that to you?”