A Lovely Meal — Chapter 26

WHAT'S ALL THIS?

WU JONGWU, ARE YOU GOING SOMEWHERE?

NO, I WAS JUST BRINGING IN SOME PACKAGES.

OH, OKAY...

...WHAT DID YOU ORDER SO MUCH OF?

UH... WELL...

I DIDN'T ORDER THEM... THEY'RE, UM...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

YOU...

WAS YOUR BIRTHDAY RECENTLY?

OH MY....

I WAS HOPING TO KEEP IT QUIET...

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WHEN'S YOUR BIRTHDAY?

TELL ME IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU WANT.

I'LL GET IT FOR YOU.

HMM... THERE ISN'T ANYTHING I WANT,

BUT THERE IS SOMETHING I'D LIKE YOU TO DO, HYUNG...

HUH? WHAT IS IT?

WHEN JANUARY 2ND COMES, I'D LIKE YOU TO BE

THE FIRST PERSON TO WISH ME A HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

DON'T FORGET. YOU HAVE TO DO IT, OKAY?

GOT IT?

HOW IS THAT A PRESENT...?

[BLACK/WHITE] A perfectly fitted sweatshirt...

12% 35,900

[SOLID WOOD CUTTING BOARD] Handmade walnut, locally crafted...

WHAT KIND OF GIFT DO COLLEGE STUDENTS EVEN LIKE?

I THOUGHT ABOUT GETTING HIM SOME COOKING UTENSILS,

BUT HE SEEMS TO HAVE PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING ALREADY.

MAYBE I SHOULD JUST GET HIM SOME CLOTHES...

I'VE NEVER FED DIRECTLY

FROM A PERSON BEFORE.

FEEDING DIRECTLY FROM SOMEONE, HUH...?

ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE!

3! 2! 1!

HAPPY NEW YEAR~!

WOO~! HAPPY NEW YEAR~

HERE'S TO ANOTHER GOOD YEAR TOGETHER, CHANGDEOK HYUNG.

YOU GOT IT~

I WAS THINKING OF MAKING TTEOKBOKKI TOMORROW MORNING,

355 mL

BUT MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE TTEOKGUK INSTEAD. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

MAKE WHICHEVER ONE YOU'RE CRAVING MORE.

ANYWAY, ABOUT YOUR BIRTHDAY PRESENT...

I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT TO GET YOU.

WHOA... WHAT...?!

YOU'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT THIS WHOLE TIME?

JUST KNOWING YOU PUT THAT MUCH THOUGHT INTO IT

ALREADY FEELS LIKE A PRESENT.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING ELSE FOR ME.

...REALLY?

I WAS GOING TO LET YOU DRINK MY BLOOD.

...WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY...?

...YOU'D LET ME... FEED ON YOU...?

YOU SAID I COULDN'T BEFORE.

THAT WAS BECAUSE YOU WERE STILL A KID BACK THEN.

IT DOESN'T MATTER NOW THAT YOU'RE AN ADULT.

AND IT'S ONLY ONCE...

THANK YOU, HYUNG.

BUT... IT'S OKAY.

I DON'T NEED TO FEED ON YOU.

IT'S THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS.

UM... I'M REALLY TIRED, SO I THINK I'LL HEAD TO BED.

DON'T STAY UP TOO LATE EITHER, HYUNG. I'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW MORNING.

HEY.

I'VE BEEN MEANING TO SAY THIS FOR A WHILE,

BUT YOU KNOW THAT'S A REALLY BAD HABIT OF YOURS, RIGHT?

YOU'RE ALWAYS WALKING ON EGGSHELLS AND KEEPING EVERYTHING BOTTLED UP.

WHY DON'T YOU EVER JUST EXPLAIN YOURSELF?

YOU USED TO GO ON AND ON ABOUT WANTING TO DRINK MY BLOOD,

BUT NOW THAT I'M ACTUALLY OFFERING, AND YOU'RE BACKING OUT.

SO THERE MUST BE SOMETHING YOU'RE NOT TELLING ME ABOUT FEEDING.

WHY WON'T YOU TELL ME?

AH... WELL...

IT'S JUST...

SIGH........

FORGET IT. JUST GO TO BED.

I'M NOT TRYING TO GIVE YOU A HARD TIME.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS, SO DON'T START WORRYING ABOUT WHAT I THINK AGAIN.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME IF YOU DON'T WANT TO.

I'LL THINK OF SOMETHING ELSE TO GET YOU, THEN-

HUH?

WU JONGWU.

YOU'RE STARTING TO GET ON MY NERVES,

SO CUT IT OUT ALREADY...

CHANGDEOK HYUNG.

I'M SORRY. I KNOW YOU MADE THAT OFFER BECAUSE YOU CARE ABOUT ME.

I WASN'T DELIBERATELY TRYING TO HIDE IT FROM YOU.

IT'S JUST... KIND OF HARD TO EXPLAIN...

JUST LIKE YOU SUSPECTED,

FEEDING ISN'T SIMPLY ABOUT DRINKING BLOOD.

TO PUT IT BLUNTLY,

IF I FEED ON YOU,

IT'LL FORCE YOUR BODY TO BECOME AROUSED.

ARE YOU REALLY STILL OKAY WITH THAT?

..WHAT?

MMH....

THE TTEOKGUK SMELLS GOOD...

UH... I STILL HAVE TO FINISH THIS...

I'LL SERVE YOU A BOWL FIRST, HYUNG. GO AHEAD AND EAT.

NO, FINISH THAT FIRST. WE'LL EAT TOGETHER.

I'LL GO WASH UP WHILE I WAIT.

OH, THEN SHOULD I SERVE THE TTEOKGUK LATER?

YEAH, DO THAT~