New Normal - Chapter 51

Jisoo opened her lips but just blinked in confusion. She didn’t know how to react to the sudden gift. She just stared down at the bracelet in her hand, unsure of what to say.

Juwon, seeing her hesitation, started reciting like he had the line memorized.

“‘Yes. Thank you, Juwon. I’ll wear it well.’—That’s what you’re supposed to say. I want to hear it.”

Jisoo just blinked at him in a daze instead of answering. Juwon looked at her for a moment, then casually tapped the back of her hand like it was no big deal and laid back down again.

“I’m just happy because you like it. Next time, tell me what you want. I’ll get it for you.”

He was like a one-man show, casually yawning before closing his eyes. Jisoo bit her lip, still staring at the bracelet. Finally, she found her voice.

“Thank you… It’s really beautiful.”

Juwon opened one eye and gave a faint smirk.

“Good.” He whispered softly and shut his eyes again.

Jisoo continued looking at the bracelet. She’d received gifts before, but never anything this expensive so early in a relationship. It threw her off.

Honestly, she was conflicted. The gift made her feel a little pressured—but also reassured. Juwon was clearly showing his affection, and Jisoo didn’t want to let that go. She tried to remember the last time someone treated her like this. Fingers gently brushing over the bracelet, she couldn’t take her eyes off it.

Next to her, Juwon was already breathing softly in sleep. She turned to look at him. Was he really asleep? She kind of wanted to talk more…

But he looked tired. Maybe she should just let him rest.

She hesitated, thinking. Then, suddenly—

“Did you wait for me?”

Juwon’s voice filled the quiet room. Jisoo quickly looked up. When she didn’t answer, he opened one eye.

She swallowed hard, locking eyes with those dark brown pupils. She nodded instead of speaking.

“Why?”

“Just… you gave me the door code. You said I could let myself in.”

“…Oh, did I?” He let out a soft chuckle and shut his eyes again.

Jisoo stood quietly for a moment, then got up. She tried to clean up the side dishes she’d left on the kitchen table, but the moment she moved, Juwon stirred and sat up.

“Where are you going?”

“You should sleep now. You’ve had a lot to drink.”

When she tried to stop him from getting up, he frowned slightly, clearly not ready to say goodbye.

“Already?”

“It’s late. I should go. And… thanks again for the gift.”

She gave a small bow and started to head toward the door. But Juwon stood up too.

“I’ll walk you out.”

“No, you’re drunk. How are you going to do that?”

“We’ll go together. It’s dangerous at this hour.”

“It’s fine. I’ll just take a taxi.”

She politely declined and left the room, but Juwon followed her, slowly.

“Come on, I’m not that irresponsible.”

“Juwon…”

Just then, he stopped in his tracks. His eyes landed on the food she’d left out earlier. It took him a second, and his expression shifted—surprised, maybe even a little awkward.

“Did you make this yourself?”

“Uh, yeah… It’s probably cold now. I thought maybe we could eat together…”

Jisoo mumbled her answer, watching his reaction carefully. He glanced between her and the dishes with a complicated expression. He looked… uncomfortable.

“I’m not that great of a cook. If it doesn’t taste good, feel free to throw it away…”

But before she could finish, Juwon moved. He casually picked up a pair of chopsticks and popped a cold egg roll into his mouth.

“Oh, you should heat that up…”

“It’s good.”

He didn’t stop there. He went through each side dish one by one. The man who supposedly didn’t eat late-night snacks or carbs due to his strict diet was now slowly savoring every bite of the home-cooked meal in front of him.

His face didn’t show much emotion, but he chewed each bite with intention, like he was trying to capture the taste with his tongue.

“Mmm.”

A soft sound of satisfaction. Jisoo finally let out a quiet breath.

While Juwon continued eating, Jisoo stood across from him, just watching. He ate carefully, almost respectfully, as if he was handling something precious.

“It’s really good.”

“…Didn’t you say you had a work dinner?”

“Didn’t eat anything there. I was basically on an empty stomach.”

“Eating this late… You might get indigestion.”

“I’ll be fine. Gotta eat something to sober up.”

Despite the food being cold, he ate neatly and slowly, like he was trying to remember something with each bite. Once in a while, his eyebrows lifted slightly, like he was genuinely enjoying it.

Jisoo couldn’t take her eyes off him. Suddenly, she felt shy. This man—he looked so ordinary and real just eating dinner like this. For a second, it felt like she was seeing him for the first time.

Was Juwon always someone who ate like this? So heartily?

Lost in the moment, she didn’t even realize she was still holding her spoon. Noticing her stare, Juwon looked up.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

“Ah—right. I’ll eat now.”

Only after she finally put a spoonful of rice in her mouth did Juwon resume eating. Then he spoke, gently.

“Thank you.”

“Huh?”

“It’s been a while since someone cooked for me like this. It’s delicious.”

“Oh… I’m just glad it suits your taste. I figured after being abroad, you’d be craving Korean food…”

She trailed off, embarrassed. Juwon gave a quiet laugh. It wasn’t his usual cocky grin—it was soft. Sincere. A smile she’d never seen before.

“There’s plenty of Korean food in New York, you know.”

“Oh… yeah. That’s true.”

Flustered, Jisoo lowered her gaze. Juwon chuckled at her obvious reaction.

“Still, this tastes better. Really. Thank you.”

His tone was warm. A rare, boyish smile curved his lips—and suddenly, Jisoo’s heart skipped. Her face flushed, and she quickly bowed her head.

She hadn’t expected this kind of warmth from him.

Her heart raced, unsure whether she was eating or just breathing it all in. The meal somehow ended before she even noticed.

When she tried to clean up, Juwon firmly shook his head. Left with no choice, Jisoo sat back down while he brought her some herbal tea and cleared the table himself.

As she quietly sipped her tea and he washed dishes in the sink, the room filled with a calm silence. Not awkward—just warm.

The faint scent of herbs, the soft light, the sound of someone breathing close by… everything felt peaceful.