There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 697

Chapter 697: Side Story 3. Stellar Blossom - 32

"Oh, my...aren’t you looking dashing!"

Laurel clasped her hands when Han Joon arrived at the dining room. The enthusiastic response made him feel a little bit self-conscious. Honestly, he had no idea what he looked like since he refused to look into the mirror--it was just too weird for him to look at the adult version of himself. He didn’t always do this too--having his hair styled. It was just...he wanted to look at his best when the red boy--umm...man--was there.

After all, Radia wasn’t always there during breakfast, although he did come every day. Laurel said Radia had a hard time waking up, so he usually just had breakfast on the way to work. But Laurel, Calix, and, of course, Ludya were always there during breakfast, and it was nice to eat with people who told him to call them his family.

"Come, come--sit here," Laurel patted the chair beside her, which Joon took shyly with gratitude--because it was right in front of Radia.

The breakfast itself was very different from the breakfast he remembered back home. There were lots of variety, but he didn’t have to eat them all. There were house staff ready to bring him anything he wanted to eat or drink, and it took him three days to get used to it. Or that he was allowed to speak during mealtime.

Laurel or Calix would ask about what Joon usually did before, although his answer would turn the mood sour, more often than not. He liked it that they included him in the conversation though, but he was also completely contented with just hearing them talk--even if he didn’t understand. Mostly about work, which meant he could hear Radia’s voice. _{freēwēbηovel.c૦m}

It was nice and soothing, a bit different from the high- pitch-scolding he heard the first time he met the red boy. The voice, like always, made his heart race. Han Joon wondered if it would be bad for his health to be near Radia too much, because he seemed like going into a heart attack often. But at the same time, it gave him a thrill, and he loved it.

Hmm...even if he got ill from it, Han Joon wouldn’t mind too much. Oh, but it would be bad if he caused inconvenience to these sweet people because of it. Oh, what to do...?

"It’s fascinating how Joon can eat neatly even while being absentminded," Laurel chuckled, prompting Han Joon to return his mind to the breakfast table. "Look--you even keep your back straight."

"Oh, I’m sor--"

"He always has perfect posture. It had already been ingrained in his daily life," Radia commented, which made Joon stop his apology. Radia never said anything about him before, almost like he avoided saying anything that might allude to the nature of their relationship.

So...it was kind of nice.

"Ah, I learned an etiquette lesson last year..." Han Joon paused. Wait--it wasn’t ’last year’ since he wasn’t really seven. Oh, how complicated.

While Joon pondered the complexity of time, Laurel put her hand on his arm. "That’s very good. It’s nice to know how to act during a formal occasion," she smiled sweetly. "But Joon..."

Han Joon flinched slightly, wondering if he had done something wrong. Thankfully, Laurel’s smile did not falter.

"When you’re with family, you don’t have to be so formal," she continued. "Look at us--none of us sit straight or use utensils in a strict manner. Just eat comfortably."

"Comfortably..." Han Joon tilted his head, wondering what ’comfortable’ for him was. He had been living under order for so long that he became comfortable with it.

"Just figure it out slowly," as if knowing what happened in his mind, Radia threw a piece of advice.

The tone was nonchalant, but Han Joon strangely felt very warm and happy. Actually...it felt hot? Maybe this sweater was too thick. Laurel laughed and pinched his cheek, which was reddened--but he didn’t know that, so he just looked at her in surprise, and she laughed even harder.

Well...at least they seemed to find his presence nice, so Joon was quite satisfied. He even got to see Radia and Calix off to work, waving at them from the front doors while Laurel linked their elbow.

"Work..." he muttered when they had their post-breakfast walk around the garden. "Do I have a work, Ma’am?"

"Oh, you did..." Laurel replied with a slight hesitation. "You were a Captain of a special force."

Huh...so he was in the military after all. Han Joon nodded, thinking it made sense. But...did she say ’did’? So he wasn’t working there anymore?

"Did I stop working?" Han Joon tilted his head.

For all he knew, being a part of the military was a lifetime profession. He knew because he had to learn about it. Once you were in, you could not get out easily unless you were dishonorably discharged or had an injury that rendered you unable to perform.

Laurel bit her cheek, thinking hard about what she should answer. After all, this thing connected too intricately with the whole truth of his conditions. "That’s..."

"Oh, that must be why I was in a hospital," Han Joon muttered on his own. "I can’t be working anymore if I’m too sick to perform."

That wasn’t it, but it was true that he was too sick to perform anything. Laurel just let the question slide, suddenly recalling how hard it was during Radia’s childhood--the many curious questions that she nor Calix could answer, and ended up with Radia looking for it himself.

"Of course you can! I know you have been spending time in the library all by yourself, you diligent child," Laurel chuckled. "I know you’ve been doing what your father told you to do, but you can use this time to think slowly about what you yourself want to do. Once you find it, you can tell me or Radia--or even Grandma!"