"...Why are you standing there with such a serious expression? It's unsettling," Baek Suryong complained. For some reason, his father was eyeing him suspiciously as he busied himself in the kitchen late at night.
Unknown to him, Baek Muheun was seriously contemplating what his son was up to.
Is he trying to concoct some poison?
Baek Muheun snorted, unconvinced.
His son's cooking abilities were inversely proportional to his martial arts skills. Creating poison with ordinary ingredients was entirely possible.
"Hmm..." Baek Suryong thought deeply with his arms folded. Before him was a colorful spread of dumplings and buns, cooked in every way imaginable. Grilled, steamed, boiled, and fried. Several large lunchboxes sat beside the food. "I wonder which one he'll like..."
Baek Suryong glanced toward the students' quarters and chuckled. "Those kids are staying up unusually late tonight."
"Why did you make so many dumplings?" Baek Muheun asked.
Baek Suryong glanced at his father and shrugged shamelessly. "I know you like these, Dad, so I bought some on my way home for us to share."
Baek Muheun nodded solemnly.
"...At least wet your lips before you lie. You won't fool me with that shoddy excuse. Don't tell me... you...?" Baek Muheun's narrowed eyes widened
He combined his son's mumble of 'I wonder which one he'll like?' with the sight of him seriously thinking about food. A surprising hypothesis came to mind. He had a similar experience in the past.
CLAP!
He clapped his hands together and exclaimed excitedly, "You've finally found a girlfriend! And you're packing a lunchbox for her!"
Anticipation flickered in the eyes of a father with a grown-up son.
Of course, Baek Suryong thought it was a ridiculous misunderstanding. He stared at his father, baffled. "What are you talking about all of a sudden? How did you even connect this to that?"
Ignoring his son's confounded look, Baek Muheun let his imagination run wild. "I knew there was a reason you were sneaking around behind my back these days!" he yelled, face flushed. "Hah! Of course! My son isn't a eunuch, there's no way you'd live your life just working like an ox!"
"Hey, don't you think you're being too mean to your own son?"
"On second thought, you're even worse than an ox. I was being too harsh on cattle. You know, I sometimes wonder if that martial art you learned requires you to remain a virgin forever." Baek Muheun approached his son with a sly grin, slung an arm around his shoulders, and nudged him in the ribs suggestively. "You little rascal! Just confess already."
Baek Suryong recoiled from his father's flirtatious behavior, appalled. "You're ridiculous! It's not like that, so don't get your hopes up."
"I'll keep it a secret from your grandfather, okay? Just give me a little hint. What's the young lady like? Is she healthy?"
Baek Suryong sighed at his father's incessant questioning. "I'm sorry to get your hopes up, but I'm going to eat this with my students on our school trip tomorrow."
Baek Muheun snorted, unconvinced. Smiling mischievously, he teased, "Alright, alright. I get it. We'll go with that. The boy who never cared about food suddenly decided to pack a lunchbox for his students. Is that it? Have you held hands with that student yet?"
"Think whatever you want..." Baek Suryong sighed and shook his head, conceding defeat.
Baek Muheun smiled knowingly and patted his son's shoulder. "Anyway, if you're packing a lunchbox, I'll help you. I'm an expert at this sort of thing."
He rolled up his sleeves and inspected the food, but his brow quickly furrowed. Though their shapes and ingredients varied slightly, they were all either meatbuns or dumplings.
"This won't do. You need to add some other dishes."
"I was thinking of doing that, but that person really loves this stuff."
"That person?"
Baek Suryong smiled warmly as he recalled his recent visit to an eighty-year-old meatbun shop with Number Four. His former trainee had devoured so many meatbuns so ferociously that the shop owner's jaw dropped.
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"Aww, do you like meatbuns that much? Eat a lot. I'll buy you as many as you want."
"......"
Number Four let out an incomprehensible sigh after the meal and left quickly, but Baek Suryong figured he was just tired from performing the Savage Tiger Fist.
Although they hadn't talked much that day, it was clear that their relationship had progressed greatly.
He'll definitely love the surprise lunchbox!
Number Four would surely follow them on the Azure Dragon Academy school trip, but he probably wouldn't pack a lunch. Baek Suryong planned to find the right moment to give him the lunchbox.
However, Baek Muheun, completely unaware of these facts, misunderstood and believed his virgin son had finally started dating. "Yakbing! Our boy has grown up..."
"I've been an adult for almost a decade... Why are you sniffling by yourself?"
"Ahem! I must've gotten some dust in my eye." Wiping his tears with his sleeve, Baek Muheun needlessly chided his son. "You brat! I know you're embarrassed in front of your father, but you shouldn't refer to the woman you have feelings for as 'that person.' What's the young lady's name?"
"......"
"Okay, okay, I get it. I was being tactless again. You said it's food to eat with the students tomorrow, right?" Holding back a smile, Baek Muheun began portioning the meatbuns into the lunchboxes his son had prepared. "No matter how much she likes meatbuns, this should be enough. It'd be better to pack other foods with them."
Baek Suryong nodded obediently. He hadn't planned to give all the meatbuns to Number Four anyway. Like he said, the truly intended to share them with his students, including the Five Young Azure Dragons.
"Should I add some boiled meat?" he suggested. "I can at least do that much."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Baek Muheun shot his overconfident son a rare, stern glare before delivering a sharp remark, "Even a thousand-year love would grow cold if you did that. Go outside and keep your grandfather company. I'll catch up soon."
"...Tsk."
Seeing no reason to refuse his father's offer, Baek Suryong accepted being kicked out of the kitchen. Before leaving, he grabbed some snacks and alcohol and headed for the pavilion, where he found Mae Geuklyom meditating.
Upon sensing his grandson's presence, Mae Geuklyom opened his eyes. His gaze fell on the small table that Baek Suryong was carrying. "What's with the drinking table all of a sudden?"
"I wanted to drink with you before I leave." Baek Suryong sat across from Mae Geuklyom and filled his cup.
Mae Geuklyom didn't usually enjoy drinking, but he wouldn't refuse a cup offered by his grandson. "It's been a while. You have a drink too."
"Yes."
For a while, the grandfather and grandson exchanged cups in silence. The moon was bright and clear in the night sky. Amidst the cool autumn breeze and the loud chirping of insects, they could occasionally hear the Five Young Azure Dragons whispering in their rooms.