causerie ⋆ kang daniel

⇝ nine

suggestion: listen to
[Hush] by Lasse Lindh

"Eunhye, I'm almost back, I'm like two stops away." Daniel called me when I just returned home from the supermarket.

"What, how are you so fast. I just got home and didn't start making anything yet." I dropped the groceries in the kitchen and changed into the random t-shirt and shorts that I normally wear around the house. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm alright. Take your time, don't rush and be careful~" I could hear him smiling on the other side of the phone. Man, can Kang Daniel get anymore sweet.

"Okay okay, I'll leave the door unlocked since I'll be in the kitchen."

"Try not to get robbed."

"......" Can I take my words back?

=

My mom taught me a few easy dishes last time when I called her. So today, I'm gonna make bibimbap (mixed rice), dakgangjeong (crunchy fried chicken), and soegogi muguk (beef and radish soup). I'm actually really scared that I will burn the kitchen, but-- still gonna give them a try.

As I was coating the chicken wings with starch powder, two hands sneaked up my waist and I smelled the scent that belonged to Daniel only.

"I didn't notice you coming in," I told Daniel and kept on working with the chicken.

"You were too focused," he sniffed my hair and said. "You will be a good wife in the future~"

I almost knocked down the bowl. "What the f-"

"You really will be~" Daniel slightly swung me around and put his head on my shoulders. "I can see it already."

"Daniel, leave this place before I cover you up with the powder. My hands are dirty if you did not notice." Why is this dude giving me all the feels, my heart cannot.

"I don't mind, we can all go down together." He grabbed some powder and dotted them on my face.

"GO WASH YOUR HANDS!"

=

"Wow~ Look at all these~" I felt accomplished when Daniel looked at the food with sparkling eyes.

"Try them!" I handed him chopsticks and he dug into the meal.

"They taste so delicious what the heck, teach me your ways Eunhye." Daniel was holding a drumstick as he said that. "I'm gonna come over every day now."

"Why?"

"Uh, because your cooking is amazing? Like really really very awesome real heol~" He exaggerated his expressions and I laughed.

"Hah really? I wouldn't mind if you come, but you gotta pay me extra since I'm the number one chef~" I joked; I literally just learned how to cook.

"Don't worry about it, I'll buy the groceries and you do the cooking. Sounds good?"

"Deal."

"Hey, don't just look at me, you need to eat too!" Daniel passed me a plate of rice and beef and I began eating as well. "Oh wait."

"?" I looked at him with confusion, "What happened?"

"I forgot to tell you this, Seongwoo asked if we want to go on a double date because he said summer is too 'boring' and apparently they have 'nothing to do'."

"Oh, sure, I mean why not, it would be fun!"

"Right~" Daniel ate another spoonful of bibimbap, and I noticed that there was a rice grain on his chin. I reached out my hand and wiped it off for him; Daniel just stared at me.

"Heh~ Rice grain." I showed him the white on my finger, but he just kept on staring at me, and it made me flustered. "Is there anything wrong?"

Daniel's eyes were so tender that water could drip out from them.

"Nothing."

=

Daniel knocked on my door at ten in the morning and I was trying my best to get out of my bed. But it was so cozy and soft, I just wanted to stay in there forever.

"Eunhye ah!" I heard a scream outside the window.

"What..." I'm pretty sure Daniel couldn't hear me.

"Hurry up! I'm giving you five more minutes, or else I will go in and pull you outside!"

"Pft..." I kicked my blanket aside and got up unwillingly. I washed my face and picked out a blue flannel. It wasn't until when I went downstairs that I realized Daniel was wearing a red flannel.

"Oh ho~ Couple shirt already~" I kicked him in the butt and he opened the car door.

=

We arrived at this outdoor Italian restaurant and walked toward the reserved table. The girl who was sitting down screamed when I said 'hi' to her, and I did the same when I saw her face.

"What the actual f-" I was so shocked. The girl sitting next to Seongwoo was Yeonji! My friend!

"Hey Eunhye, no cursing." Daniel flicked my forehead and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Lmao Eunhye, look how small this world is." Yeonji and I did some weird high five and the other two turned their heads away.

"Pretend we don't know them."

"I didn't know you're dating Seongwoo." I took a bite of my pizza and looked at the two sitting across from me.

"And I didn't know you live right next to him." Yeonji smiled at us. "Should I move in with you Eunhye? You guys are all neighbors and it makes me sad." She pretended to be ugly crying.

"No. I kinda already have this person who comes to my house every day and eats without shame. I have no more effort to cook a three people meal."

"Ohhh who's that?"

"Daniel." I took another slice of pizza from the plate.

"?" Seongwoo looked confused; his eyes kept on going back and forth on me and Daniel.

"Why do you have that look on your face?" I questioned him and Yeonji turned to look at him curiously as well.

"Daniel can cook really well tho-" Before Seongwoo can finish his sentence, his mouth was covered by Daniel.

"???? Someone explain this???"

"Hahahahah..." Daniel just gave a dry laugh.

"Don't haha me, what is going on, I'm confused." I stuffed a bruschetta into his mouth. "Let Seongwoo explain."

"Daniel put yo hands down he's out of air." Yeonji slapped Daniel's hand and Seongwoo got out from Daniel's grasp.

"Hhhh fresh air." Seongwoo took a sip of his margarita, "Daniel can actually cook very well."

I gasped at this information. "Daniel, why did you tell me you can't cook?"

"Well... I never really said 'I can't cook', I just said that I wanted to go to your house every day to eat..." Daniel scratched his head and I actually didn't know how to reply because he ain't wrong. I kinda assumed that he doesn't know how to cook.

"But like, why did pretend you didn't know how to cook?"

"So I have a reason to go to your house every day."

"....."

"LMAO EUNHYE YOU'RE BLUSHING."

"SHUT UP."