Love Director [ENG]

Special chapter 4 - After that... I'm old

In the kitchen, the aroma of the green curry with beef filled the air. The person standing at the stove tasted the curry, adjusted the seasoning to their liking, and when satisfied with the flavor, finished it off with a handful of basil leaves. After turning off the heat and letting the dish rest, he went to find the person who had been complaining about being hungry for the past hour.

"Aphros, the food's ready." Paint called out as he walked upstairs, only to find the person who had been hungry fast asleep on the bed.

"And he says he has insomnia." Paint muttered.

Aphros had mentioned that he had insomnia when they first met, but Paint thought he was joking. After all, every time they were together, Aphros fell asleep right next to him. Who would believe he really had this condition? It wasn't until Aphros showed him some stress-relief pills (which were actually sleeping pills) that Paint's eyes widened, finally believing that man couldn't sleep on his own.

Aphros explained that his insomnia was due to stress, but ever since they'd known each other... well, just look at him. The big man was sleeping soundly on the bed, without a care in the world about not being able to sleep tonight, legs sprawled across the bed, hands behind his head. Aphros had once said that it was because Paint was there with him that he could relax. Paint wasn't even sure if they were just dating or something more, but if he could help, he was more than willing.

For now, though...

"Phi." Paint, who wasn't so small himself, walked over and shook Aphros' arm. "Wake up, or you won't be able to sleep tonight," he said.

Suddenly, Paint let out a startled yelp as the big man grabbed him by the waist, pulling him into a hug. In an instant, Paint found himself lying flat on the bed, with Aphros on top of him. Despite the situation, the sharp face that should have been groggy instead beamed with delight, eyes twinkling with amusement, causing Paint to sigh.

"What are you doing?"

"How about some exercise before dinner?" Aphros teased.

"Aphros," Paint called out firmly, causing Aphros to chuckle and plant a kiss on the tip of his nose.

"Alright, alright, I won't play around. What's for dinner?"

"What do you want to eat?" Paint asked in return.

"Can I eat you too? My boyfriend is amazing—complain once, and the food's ready right away."

Paint couldn't help but smile. Maybe he had spoiled Aphros too much. Whenever Aphros complained about craving something, Paint would make it for him. For some reason, Aphros was hooked on Paint's cooking, often saying that no restaurant could compare. Paint didn't know if it was just sweet talk, but it sure made him happy.

"How many plates are you going to eat?"

"Just one at a time, okay?" Paint reminded, though Aphros never listened.

"It's fine, I've only gained a little weight."

"You've gained weight?"

Aphros nodded proudly. "Yeah, I've probably gained four kilograms since last year."

Paint wasn't sure if Aphros was complimenting his cooking or what, but his eyes widened. He pushed himself up and quickly stood beside the bed.

"How do you know?"

"I had a health check-up," Aphros said bluntly.

That made Paint pause, thinking about the last time his dad had a check-up. He asked in a concerned voice: "Did anything other than your weight go up?"