6. [8:17am]
Jaebeom yawned while scratching the back of his head, messing up his bed hair until it resembled a bird’s nest. His fluffy slippers shuffled along the hallway towards the smell of fried eggs and spring onions, a low grumble sounding from his stomach. He paused at the kitchen once his eyes settled on you, dressed in only his oversized t-shirt, and watched with amusement.
It was way too early on a Sunday morning. Most weekends, the two of you would sleep in until noon, limbs intertwined, engaging in pillow talk and basking in each other’s embrace. It was a rare occurrence. On weekdays, you had to get up early to commute to your workplace, leaving an unsatisfied Jaebeom alone on the empty bed. Most weeknights, he worked on his music in his downtown studio until past midnight, resulting in you dozing off on the couch while waiting up for him. The mismatch in working hours wasn’t ideal, but there was comfort in knowing that you could make up for lost time on the weekends.
This Sunday was different. Jaebeom had scheduled a recording with another artist for their upcoming collaboration, and he had to leave in about an hour. You managed to quietly slip out of his arms to prepare a hearty breakfast for him. Your boyfriend always preferred traditional Korean food to Western food, so you decided to prepare a few side-dishes and a bowl of multigrain rice to give him an extra energy boost for his recording. While the soybean stew bubbled away in the background, you tended to the sizzling fried eggs and spring onions side dish in the frying pan. You added a few drops of soy sauce as a finishing touch and plated up your boyfriend’s favourite dish.
The rice cooker chimed, signalling that the rice was ready. Smiling to yourself, you reached forward to turn it off, only to be beaten by Jaebeom’s swift fingers. He approached your apron-clad figure and wrapped his long arms around your waist, his naked upper body immediately comforted by the heat of your body. “Morning, babe. What’s all this?” His voice spoke right next to your ears, low and hoarse, spreading warm tingles across your body.
“Good morning, sleepyhead. I made your favourite.” You stirred the soup as he nestled his face against your neck, tickling you with his slight stubble. “It’s a proper meal before your recording later. There’s soybean stew and eggs, plus your mum’s kimchi and the potato stir fry from last night.”
Jaebeom took the soup ladle out of your hands and turned you around to capture your lips in a slow, lazy kiss. You gasped when his wandering hands settled on your behind and he took this opportunity to languidly slip his tongue into your mouth. The pair of you made out unhurriedly, enjoying each other’s presence.
Eventually, you pulled away to catch your breath. Even after so many months of dating, you still lost yourself in Jaebeom’s kisses. He wore a lopsided smile, looking at you with so much affection and appreciation that you wanted to combust. “That was my way of thanking you for going to so much trouble to prepare breakfast on a Sunday morning. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’d probably starve, for starters.” He gave you a light smack on your butt in response. “It’s true! Now go make yourself useful and scoop your rice.”
The rest of the morning was spent on the dining table, with you watching him as he inhaled your cooking. You had to remind him to slow down in case he got indigestion, but Jaebeom only responded with a “it’s tastes so good that I can’t help myself”, and proceeded to down the rest of the soup in one gulp.
As you cleaned the dishes, Jaebeom washed up and got dressed in his typical recording gear, consisting of one of his many hoodies, cargo pants and a bucket hat. A part of you was sad that he had to leave. Reluctantly, you squeezed him in a tight goodbye hug and placed a kiss on his cheek. You knew how important this recording was for him because the artist he was collaborating with was someone he respected for a long time. “Have a good day at work, and good luck, baby.” You wished him with a slight pout, missing him already.
“I will. I’ll be back in no time, okay?” Jaebeom promised, squishing your cheeks to turn your pout into a smile. He felt sorry because he knew that quality time was precious in your relationship, but it was hard to come by. “We can watch something tonight, your pick.”
“Deal.” You sealed it with a sweet kiss.
