Alpha Culinary Love

Yura noticed it immediately. Jiyeon had been acting weird ever since she walked through the door. Sure, she'd smiled and cracked her usual jokes, but there was a strange energy about her tonight. Something was definitely off.

As they finished their sushi, Yura leaned back in her chair, watching Jiyeon clear the plates. Normally, Jiyeon would insist Yura help, making a sarcastic comment about how the "big-shot CEO can't even carry a plate without having a board meeting about it," but tonight, Jiyeon was suspiciously quiet. Too quiet.

"You're being weird," Yura finally said, breaking the silence.

Jiyeon froze for a split second, her back turned as she stood at the sink. "Weird? Me? Nah, I'm totally normal. Normal Jiyeon, just washing the dishes like a good housewife."

Yura's eyes narrowed. That was definitely weird. Jiyeon never called herself a "good housewife" without some kind of sarcasm, and the fact that she wasn't tossing an insult at Yura's "lazy ass" made the whole situation even stranger.

"Uh-huh," Yura said slowly. "And what's with the whole 'I'll do the dishes' routine? Usually, you make me at least carry the soy sauce bottle or something."

Jiyeon laughed—way too loudly, like she was trying to convince Yura everything was fine. "Oh, come on, can't I be nice for once? Maybe I just feel like pampering my hard-working wife tonight."

Yura raised an eyebrow.

That

was the final straw. There was no way in hell Jiyeon was just being "nice" out of the blue. Something was up.

"You're up to something," Yura said, folding her arms across her chest. "Spill it."

Jiyeon turned off the water and wiped her hands on a towel, spinning around to face Yura with an innocent grin that immediately set off every alarm bell in Yura's brain. "Spill what? There's nothing to spill. I'm just… you know, being a loving, caring partner."

"Bullshit." Yura stood up, crossing the room with slow, deliberate steps. She was the CEO of one of the largest conglomerates in the country; she could read people like a book, and Jiyeon was giving off all the wrong vibes tonight. "You've been acting strange since you got home. Are you hiding something?"

Jiyeon waved her hand dismissively. "Pfft, hiding? Me? No, nothing to hide. Definitely not planning anything behind your back if that's what you're thinking."

Yura stared at her for a long moment, eyes narrowing into slits. "You're terrible at lying, Jiyeon."

"I'm not lying!" Jiyeon insisted, but the way her eyes darted away told a different story.

Yura leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a dangerously soft tone. "You forget, I negotiate million-dollar contracts for a living. I know when someone's full of crap."

Jiyeon swallowed hard, clearly uncomfortable under Yura's intense gaze. "Okay, fine, I'm… maybe sort of planning something, but it's nothing bad! It's good. Great, even. Just, you know, not ready to share yet."

Yura straightened up, crossing her arms again. "So, you admit you're hiding something."

Jiyeon sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "If you want to get technical about it, yes, I'm hiding something. But it's a surprise! And if I tell you now, it won't be a surprise anymore, will it?"

Yura stared at her, unmoved. "You're really bad at this."

"I know," Jiyeon groaned, rubbing her temples. "But it's not like I can tell you what it is! Just… trust me, okay? It's a good surprise."

Yura tilted her head, a small smirk playing on her lips. "You're being so secretive. Is this your way of proposing? Should I be expecting a ring?"

Jiyeon nearly choked on air, her face going red. "Proposing? What the hell? No! I mean—not yet! Maybe one day, but not right now. God, Yura, don't freak me out like that."

Yura chuckled, finally letting some of the tension dissolve. "You're fun to mess with."

Jiyeon grumbled under her breath, shuffling past Yura to flop down onto the couch. "I hate how good you are at reading me. Makes it impossible to surprise you."

Yura followed her, sitting gracefully on the other side of the couch and eyeing her with a smirk. "Well, maybe if you didn't act like a guilty criminal every time you tried to hide something, it'd be easier."

"Yeah, yeah, keep rubbing it in, Ice Queen," Jiyeon muttered, throwing her head back against the cushion. "I'm trying my best, okay?"

Yura's smirk softened into a small, genuine smile. "I know. But you're still acting strange."

Jiyeon glanced at her, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "I swear, you have like, a sixth sense or something. Are you secretly psychic?"

"No, I'm just observant." Yura leaned back, crossing her legs elegantly. "You've been dodging questions all night, and now you're acting like I'm going to interrogate you."

"Probably because you are," Jiyeon grumbled, rubbing her face. "I'm seriously trying to keep this a surprise, Yura. Just… let me have this one thing, okay? I promise it'll be worth it."

Yura studied her for a long moment, her sharp gaze softening. Jiyeon wasn't usually this cagey unless it was something important. And as much as Yura liked teasing her, she knew when to back off. Jiyeon wasn't the type to make a big deal out of nothing.

"Alright," Yura said at last, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "I'll let it go. For now."

Jiyeon let out a dramatic sigh of relief, throwing her arms up in the air. "Thank you! You have no idea how much pressure I've been under trying to keep this from you."

Yura raised an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?"

"Worried? Nah." Jiyeon waved her hand lazily. "You should be excited. It's going to blow your mind."

"I'm sure," Yura said dryly, but there was a flicker of curiosity in her voice. She couldn't help it—now that Jiyeon had dangled the promise of something big, Yura's mind was already working overtime trying to figure out what it could be.

They fell into a comfortable silence after that, the kind of easy quiet that only came after months of getting used to each other's presence. Yura sat beside Jiyeon, sipping her wine slowly while Jiyeon sprawled out like a lazy cat, her legs thrown over the arm of the couch.

Yura glanced over at her, feeling a rare warmth in her chest. It was strange how much Jiyeon had wormed her way into her life. Six months ago, she wouldn't have imagined herself here—sitting in her mansion, relaxing after a long day, with someone who could make her laugh and frustrate her in equal measure.

"Hey," Yura said softly, breaking the silence.

"Hm?" Jiyeon cracked one eye open, looking over at her with a lazy smile.

"I'm glad you're here," Yura said, her voice softer than usual.

Jiyeon blinked, sitting up a little. "What brought that on?"

Yura shrugged, looking down at her wine glass. "I don't know. Just… it's nice. Having you around."

Jiyeon grinned, leaning over to poke her in the arm. "Aww, is the cold CEO finally melting? Should I get my camera and document this historic moment?"

Yura rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "Don't push it."

Jiyeon chuckled, but there was a warmth in her eyes that matched Yura's. "Yeah, I get it. I'm glad I'm here too."

For a moment, they just sat there, the air between them comfortable and full of unsaid things.

"By the way," Yura said, breaking the moment with her usual nonchalant tone. "If this surprise is something stupid, like another cooking gadget, I'm returning it."

Jiyeon groaned dramatically, throwing her head back. "Why are you like this?"

Yura smirked. "Because it's fun watching you squirm."

Jiyeon glared at her playfully. "You're a real piece of work, you know that?"

Yura shrugged elegantly, picking up her wine glass. "That's why you love me."

Jiyeon didn't argue. After all, Yura wasn't wrong.