Don't Pick Up the Male Lead in the Apocalypse - Chapter 16
❅
We ate our meals separately, in our own spaces.
With an expression that screamed he was giving it to me very reluctantly, he tossed two cans at me—one of meat and one of vegetables—before retreating to his own space.
I was quite satisfied, though. Who would’ve thought he’d provide both protein and carbs? Perhaps he was more thoughtful than I gave him credit for.
However, I couldn’t finish the cans, leaving them half-eaten. It wasn’t because I was full. Those two cans were both my first and last meal of the day.
My appetite vanished halfway through because I remembered the last meal I had before arriving here.
“……”
It was a late Sunday lunch.
That day, having woken up late with the evening’s Salvation Army volunteering ahead, I immediately sat down at my computer after getting up and washing.
When Mom asked what I wanted for lunch, my response, engrossed in my computer game, was indifferent.
“Eh, anything~”
Despite my lackluster reply, Mom soon entered with freshly fried pork cutlets.
The pork cutlets were really delicious.
But the words I left unfinished to my mom weren’t compliments on how delicious it was.
‘Mom, you know I like it crispy. Why is this one a bit undercooked?’
Mom retorted that someone who just sits and eats sure has a lot to say but she was laughing. And towards the end, she joked,
‘Next time, I’ll make sure it’s burnt for you.’
I should have told her how delicious the pork cutlet was. That her pork cutlets were the best in the world. I shouldn’t have made that thoughtless comment about it being undercooked.
As I idly stirred the uneaten canned food with a fork, a shadow loomed over me. Looking up, I saw the man standing there.
“Why not finish it?”
“……”
“Do you not like it because it’s not a proper meal to you?”
“Well, it’s just…”
“If this doesn’t feel like a proper meal to you, then there’s nothing in this world that will.”
This man, it seems, has a knack for unsettling people.
He said he’s a Hunter too. Maybe his class name is something like ‘Agitator.’
“Who….”
“…..”
“Who said I’m not eating? Don’t you know how to chew your food thoroughly? Rushing through showers and meals, you’re the worst. Why are you always in such a hurry?”
“……”
Despite my sullen response, the man stood silently, like a long statue anchored to the floor.
Ah, right. I had forgotten. This guy only answers when he wants to.
“……”
But then again, he was right. This world no longer has room for properly set meals.
There might be times when we can’t find food, so it makes sense to eat more when we have the chance.
And this man had no obligation to share his food with me. His sharing was an act of kindness.
So, I was just fiddling with the kindness he had shown without eating it all.
How childish my actions must have looked to him.
Like a mother waiting for her child to finish the cucumbers aside, he still stood there, looking down at me.
“Listen….”
“……”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For the canned food. Both the meat and the vegetables. I was hungry, and thanks to you, I had a good meal. It was delicious. Thank you.”
I compensated for the words I couldn’t say to my mom by saying them to the man.
Would he know?
That the gratitude I’m expressing is meant for two.
After thanking him, the man’s gaze, previously sharp for not finishing my meal, seemed a tad softer.
“Let me know when you’re done. We’ll head up.”
“Up? Where to?”
He then gestured upwards with his eyes.
❅
After finishing my meal, I gathered my things as he instructed and stood before him.
“Got everything?”
“Yes.”
He extended a long stick towards the ceiling, where I noticed a small ring.
Hooking the stick’s end into the ring, a door opened downwards with a clunk, and a wooden ladder slid out.
“Oh… there’s an attic?”
“Yeah. It’s safer to sleep in the attic than on the 1st or 2nd floor.”
He began to climb the steep, narrow ladder, hunching over in discomfort.
His posture seemed so awkward and uncomfortable, probably due to his size, which made me think of a sudden question.
“But why did we eat dinner separately? You didn’t give me two cans and keep three for yourself, did you? Eh, probably not.”
He glanced back at me awkwardly.
“Do I really need to sit across from you and share a meal?”
“Wow…”
I was genuinely curious, but my attempt at humor was lost on him.
Hey, my comment was meant to lighten the mood, you jerk.
“No need for that. It would’ve just killed the appetite we barely have.”
“So, that settles it?”
“Yeah, perfectly.”
He continued up the ladder without looking back.
Ah…
Should I poke that guy’s butt?
“What are you doing? Come up. Don’t just stand there dazing off.”
“Ah, yes~”
Holding my blanket, I watched his back for a moment before finally stepping onto the ladder.
