Tang Chen sat cross-legged on the thin mattress, staring at the flickering ceiling light above him.
The boarding house was old. The floor creaked. The walls were thin.
Yet somehow… he felt at peace.
A faint clink echoed from the kitchen down the hall. Someone—probably another tenant—was rummaging around for snacks. Tang Chen didn't move. He had no need for midnight snacks.
He had already fed someone else tonight. And that… was more satisfying than eating.
> "She smiled," he whispered to himself.
Not a polite smile. Not a fake one.
A small, stubborn smile that slipped out when she thought no one was watching.
And it had been for him.
Tang Chen chuckled softly. "Progress."
He pulled a small notebook from his backpack, flipping past pages filled with scribbled recipes and weird drawings—some were elegant, others looked like ramen exploded on paper.
Then he stopped at a blank page and wrote:
> Experiment 01: Mushroom Rice for Noona-type Notes:
Earthy umami hits well with tired souls
Add one drop of charm (optional, but effective)
Reaction: 9/10. Immediate addiction. Side effect: Mild blushing, verbal denial of affection
He tapped the pen against his lip, smirking.
> "Fall in love with the rice, huh? Close enough."
---
The next morning came with burnt toast and a fire alarm.
Tang Chen, awakened by the smell of smoke and chaos, opened his door to find Haejin waving a dishcloth like a madwoman, trying to stop the smoke detector from screaming.
> "Ugh—stupid toaster! Why are dorm appliances always cursed?!"
She noticed Tang Chen standing there in his hoodie and pajama pants, hair tousled, expression amused.
> "Don't say a word."
> "I haven't said anything yet."
> "Don't even think it!"
Tang Chen raised both hands in mock surrender, then calmly walked past her into the kitchen.
> "Move aside, dangerous woman. Let a professional handle this."
> "Excuse me?! Dangerous?!"
> "You almost set the dorm on fire with frozen waffles. That qualifies as a threat to public safety."
Before Haejin could throw something at him, Tang Chen had already pulled out ingredients from the tiny fridge: eggs, scallions, leftover rice.
His hands moved with natural rhythm—whisking, chopping, heating.
Haejin leaned on the counter, arms crossed, pretending not to watch.
> "Why are you even here? You said you're unemployed."
> "I'm on a… culinary sabbatical."
> "That's just a fancy way to say 'doing nothing'."
Tang Chen just grinned. "Doing nothing is an art. I'm perfecting it."
A few minutes later, a golden-brown fried rice appeared in front of her, topped with a sunny-side egg that still shimmered in the middle.
> "Try not to fall in love again," he teased.
> "Keep dreaming," she replied.
But she sat down and took a bite anyway.
And when she did, she froze.
Cheeks puffed. Eyes widened. Chopsticks paused in mid-air.
Tang Chen leaned casually against the sink.
> "...That face again."
> "Shut up."
> "Are you blushing?"
> "Shut. Up."
> "It's okay. I've cooked for celebrities, but your reaction is my favorite so far."
> "Liar."
> "Am I?"
Haejin glanced up at him. There was something strange in his smile. Not just teasing—but practiced. Familiar. Like someone who had stood in kitchens far more glamorous than this crumbling old dorm.
Something didn't quite add up.
> "Who are you, really?" she asked quietly.
Tang Chen's smile faded for half a second. Just long enough for her to notice.
But then it returned—warm, disarming, dangerous.
> "I'm just a guy with good taste and too much free time."
---
That night, Haejin couldn't stop thinking about him.
Not just the food—but the way he moved. The confidence in his hands. The subtle charm that slipped past her defenses every time.
She opened her notebook app again and typed:
> Day 2: He made fried rice taste like comfort. Again. This man is suspicious… But so is my heart right now.
In the room next door, Tang Chen sat by the window with a cup of tea.
He looked up at the moon and muttered in Mandarin:
> "Yoon Haejin... "Promise me you won't fall in love first, okay?"
He smiled.
>" If you ever found out who I truly am… you'd be the first to walk away."