Clap - 69

“Eat this first.”

Jaemin nodded as a response. While Ichan cooked the meat again, Ihyun handed Jaemin a thick sausage. Jaemin took it without thinking and bit into it. His plump lips opened roundly. A playful smile flashed across Ihyun’s lips. He probably had some cheeky, flirtatious thoughts.

Jaemin, unaware of this, simply enjoyed the tasty sausage bursting in his mouth. He chewed it slowly, then used his tiny fork-spoon to dip into the fries. It was delicious as well. The stiffness from seeing the bl00d melted away. Jaemin’s legs started to swing excitedly again beneath the chair.

“Is it good?”

Ihyun offered Jaemin a cola that bubbled with carbonation. Jaemin nodded eagerly, his round eyes full of happiness.

Ihyun giggled as he covered his eyes. His ankles were tied, he hadn’t seen sunlight in nearly a month, and after being messed with all morning, yet here Jaemin was, smiling over sausages and fries… He was just too lovable.

Jaemin had almost finished the fries when Ichan returned with the meat, now cooked medium-well. It wasn’t fully charred, but the bl00d was just the right amount, not dripping out. It was cooked enough for even a child to eat.

Jaemin looked at the meat suspiciously. Ihyun cut the meat open and showed the cross-section. Jaemin’s face twisted with distaste.

“It’s still undercooked…”

“This is how it’s usually eaten. If you don’t like it, I’ll cook it more.”

Ichan picked up a piece of meat and placed it on Jaemin’s plate. However, Jaemin couldn’t bring himself to put it in his mouth right away. The TV said not to eat undercooked food… it said it could cause parasites or food poisoning… and I don’t have health insurance, and I don’t have any money, so I can’t even go to the hospital…

Seeing Jaemin like this, Ichan sighed deeply. Why was Jaemin so scared of eating just one piece of meat? It was annoying. He grabbed Jaemin’s cheek and pressed it against the plate.

“Try it. When have we ever given you something weird to eat?”

“…”

Jaemin puffed out his lips. It hadn’t been long since they fed him something strange. The hormones and unknown drugs he had been taking still lingered vividly in his memory.

Jaemin reluctantly bit into the piece of meat. If he didn’t, Ichan was probably going to shove the whole thing down his throat.

Jaemin squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed the meat, then chewed it like rubber. But somehow, the taste was…

Jaemin’s furrowed brow suddenly relaxed. Both Ichan and Ihyun burst into laughter. Jaemin was truly remarkable at expressing emotions with his face.

“Is it… delicious?”

With each bite, the rich flavor and the sweet-salty butter taste filled his mouth, and the texture went down smoothly. It was a completely different taste from the usual pork belly. He expected it to be unpleasant with a strong smell of bl00d, but it wasn’t like that at all.

“Of course. Who made it?”

Ichan puffed out his chest proudly. Jaemin nodded a few times, agreeing half-heartedly. He just wanted to enjoy this fantastic meat alone for now.

Jaemin poked his fork into the meat that Ihyun sliced and brought it to his mouth. Occasionally, Ichan would cut some asparagus or onions for him, and he ate those with pleasure.

In fact, Ihyun and Ichan didn’t eat much themselves. Jaemin didn’t care. Whether they ate or not, it wasn’t his problem. He would be thankful if they starved to death.

Jaemin devoured an enormous amount of food in no time. Eventually, he even scraped the cheese from the plate of French fries clean.

Ihyun always fed him slowly. He would only prepare the next bite after making sure Jaemin had fully chewed the previous one. It was incredibly frustrating. But when he shoveled in the food recklessly, oddly, it made him feel a little better.

Jaemin put down his fork and spoon and suddenly realized. The plates he had emptied were now making him feel embarrassed.

A quiet stillness settled over the table. For Jaemin, it was an uncomfortable silence, but for Ihyun and Ichan, it was just a typical quiet Saturday evening.

Jaemin rolled his eyes nervously, glancing at them. He finally realized how bizarre this meal was. Tied up at the ankle, using a child’s spoon, eating food prepared by his kidnappers, sitting with them at the table. And it was all going so smoothly. He hadn’t even resisted once, not fitting the role of a hostage at all.

Jaemin, unsure of what to do, nervously wiggled his fingers and toes. Then, Ihyun stood up and began clearing the dishes. Thanks to Jaemin eating everything, there was no leftover food waste. So he quickly rinsed everything off and placed it in the dishwasher. Jaemin stared blankly at Ihyun’s broad back as he moved around.