The Chef x The Celebrity
~ *** ~ *** ~ *** ~ *** ~
***
✨─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───✨
~ Date: June 26th – Interstellar Year 2422 ~
~ Location: Luna Bellflower Moon ~ Terra Anka PXD2422
~ The Golden Dragon Star Nexus Intergalactic Empire ~
✨─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───✨
🐦🔥 [ Phoenix ☯ POV ] 🐦🔥
The Beyols lingered around the breakfast table in the comfortable quiet that followed Eomeoni and Nuna's conversation about how quickly time moved once adulthood arrived. Phoenix could not agree more. No—his mother was right. He ate quietly, watching his family as her words settled in him. Mrs. Tae Eun-Kyung truly was a wise woman, and from the sound of it, his great-grandmother had been too. Phoenix smiled to himself. It was nice to have a loving family that was still alive. He would do everything he had to do to protect them.
The thought should have comforted him, but it only sharpened the edge of what he already knew. Love had made this family precious. It had also made them vulnerable.
His eyes lowered as his thoughts turned cold and sharp, shifting to Lee Eun-ae and what she had planned for today. Oh, he could not wait to play with her. She would beg for death before the end.
Phoenix complimented the food, and after some cheerful thank-yous in return, everyone settled back into a companionable quiet.
Once it looked like everyone was finishing up their breakfast, Phoenix decided to broach the topic of his name with his family.
Though he considered them his family now, he still wanted to go by his own name. Beyol Bong Tae-Hwan did not feel right on his tongue, and it was a mouthful besides. Phoenix would be easier for the judges and the public to remember, so it was better to tell his family now that he planned to be known professionally as Phoenix.
That was not his only reason. He also hoped the name would help keep his status as a dominant omega hidden just a little longer than it had been in the original timeline. If Phoenix stood even half a step apart from Beyol Bong Tae-Hwan in the public's mind, then maybe—just maybe—he could protect the Beyols for a while longer when Lee Eun-ae inevitably leaked his status the way she had before.
Phoenix set his chopsticks down. After wiping his mouth, he cleared his throat and waited for his family to give him their attention.
Once they were all looking at him, he blushed and said, "There is something I have been meaning to discuss with you all."
A look of surprise and concern settled over every Beyol family member currently present. Mr. Beyol Shin was the first to react.
"Is everything okay, son? You look as if you are about to carry the whole sky by yourself."
His mother's eyes immediately sharpened. "Whatever is wrong, you tell us. We will face it with you. If someone is bothering you, then I promise I will make it stop, come hell or high water."
Phoenix's siblings immediately chimed in, nodding so emphatically that they resembled birds pecking at grains and seeds. The sight should have made him laugh. Instead, it made his chest tighten. They were all so ready to protect him, and he was about to ask them to let him stand a little farther away.
'Whoa. How did someone so gentle-looking turn so fierce? I guess this is why they say not to mess with a mother's offspring. Even the most docile being will bare its teeth for its young.' His thoughts snagged, darkening before he could stop them. 'Well, not all mothers. Galaxies know mine were the opposite—at least the ones who did not quickly perish. Damn it, Nix, focus. This is important. Tell them you want to be called Phoenix or Nix from now on.'
Phoenix snapped out of his thoughts and drew in one steadying breath. Unfortunately, that only made the Beyols worry more. His mother stilled. His father straightened slightly. His siblings exchanged quick, anxious looks before turning back to him. They waited with bated breath.
For one fragile second, Phoenix almost laughed it off. Almost smiled, waved a hand, and chose the easier lie. But the name pressed against the back of his tongue, heavy with everything he was trying to protect.
So he forced himself to continue.
He began to speak softly, each word careful but firm. "No, Abeoji, it is nothing like that. No one hurt me. I just... I need to tell you something important, and I need you to listen before you decide how you feel."
He was not used to this feeling. He hated knowing his decision might hurt the family who had taken him in, but if his plan was going to work, they needed to understand why he had chosen this name before the world heard it first.
With that, he continued to tell them his decision.
"As you all know, I was selected to participate on The Chef and The Celebrity, and I have been thinking carefully about what name I should use once the show begins. I would like to go by Phoenix. Nix is fine too, or any nickname you all prefer. I will still be Beyol Bong Tae-Hwan. I am not trying to erase that name or reject the Beyol family. I just want the public to know me as Phoenix, or Beyol Phoenix."
Abeoji's brows drew together, not in anger, but in careful attention. Eomeoni's fingers tightened around her cup as if she were holding back the urge to interrupt and reassure him too soon.
Phoenix paused to gauge their expressions before carefully continuing.
"Part of it is practical. Beyol Bong Tae-Hwan is a beautiful name, but it is long, and I need the viewers and judges to remember me. Phoenix is easier to hold on to before they know anything else about me."
"But that is not the only reason. Phoenix is still connected to me. Nuna named me Bong because of my phoenix constellation birthmark, so Phoenix and Nix are not names I chose out of nowhere. They carry her love with them. They carry all of you with them. Nuna has always been like a second mother to me, and Abeoji, Eomeoni, and Hyung have all made sacrifices for me too. That is why this name matters so much."
"And... it is also a little bit for Hyung." Phoenix's eyes flicked toward Beyol Yong-Jae, shy and searching, before dropping to his hands. His fingers had twisted together so tightly that his knuckles had begun to pale. "He has called me Jageun-sae — 작은 새, 'little bird' — for as long as I can remember."
His throat worked around something fragile. For a moment, all the words he had prepared scattered like startled wings, leaving only the ache beneath them.
"When I was small, I do not think I understood how much that name meant to me. I just knew that when Hyung said it, I felt... safe." His voice softened until it nearly broke. "Like no matter how loud the world became, no matter how scared I was, there was still someone who saw me as something precious. Something small enough to protect. Something worth holding gently."
Phoenix tried to smile, but it trembled at the edges. "And maybe that sounds childish, but I think a part of me has always held on to it. Jageun-sae. Little bird. It made me feel like I had a place to return to. Like even if I flew too far, even if I got hurt, even if I changed into someone none of us fully recognized, Hyung would still know me. He would still call me back."
He dared to look at Yong-Jae again, and the raw affection in his eyes made the room feel too quiet. "So Phoenix feels like a grown-up version of that. Still a bird. Still yours. Still the little bird Hyung loved first. But also something that can survive fire, even when it should have turned to ash. Something that can rise again and come home with wings that are stronger than before."
His breath hitched, and he gave a small, helpless laugh that sounded too close to a sob. "So when I say Phoenix, I am not turning away from the name you gave me. I am carrying every name you have loved me with. Nuna's Bong. Hyung's little bird. Eomeoni and Abeoji's son. All of it. I just... I wanted a name that could hold all of those things without breaking."
At the mention of Beyol Eun-Ha, her expression softened, and something bright and fragile trembled in her eyes. Yong-Jae looked down for a moment, his jaw tightening as though he had swallowed words he was not ready to say. When his fingers curled against his palm, Phoenix realized his hyung had understood exactly what the name meant.
"And there is one more reason." His fingers curled lightly in his lap. "Once people find out I am part of The Chef and The Celebrity, they will start digging. I know that. I accepted that when I applied. But when my status as a dominant omega comes to light, the attention will become even worse, and it will not stop with me. People will look into you, the restaurant, and everything connected to our family."
A cup touched the table too softly. No one moved after that.
"I do not want that. I know I cannot stop it forever, but if using Phoenix gives you even a little more distance from the public's eyes, then I want to do that. I want to protect you for as long as I can."
"So yes, part of this is about branding. Phoenix is memorable. It is mysterious, and that can help me on the show. But more than that, it is a name that belongs to me without taking me away from you." His voice softened. "I am not doing this because I want to leave the Beyol name behind. I promise. I just… I need you to understand why this matters to me."
Phoenix let the words settle, but the silence that followed pressed against his ribs harder than he expected. For all his planning and careful reasoning, he still could not stop the old fear whispering beneath his skin. What if they heard distance where he meant protection? What if they thought Phoenix was a wall instead of a bridge? What if the name he had chosen to carry their love became the first thing that made them feel left behind?
His stomach twisted. He could face monsters, assassins, corrupt nobles, murderous relatives, and a camera crew with questionable lighting, but apparently waiting for his family to respond to one heartfelt confession was where his legendary courage decided to pack a bag and flee the galaxy.
'Mama,' Solaris chimed through their restricted mind link, his tiny mental voice bright with forced solemnity, 'if they do not understand, I will puff myself up until I am at least twice my size and intimidate them with my majestic roundness.'
Phoenix nearly choked on the breath he had been holding.
'Solaris.'
'What? I am very fearsome. I have talons. Small talons, yes, but emotionally devastating ones.'
'Emotionally devastating talons?' Phoenix repeated through the link, the thought weak but almost amused.
'The most dangerous kind,' Solaris replied with absolute confidence. 'I will perch dramatically, widen my eyes, and make them feel very guilty. No one can withstand my tragic fledgling gaze.'
Despite himself, a helpless flicker of amusement sparked through the dread coiling in Phoenix's chest. It was not enough to erase the fear, but it loosened its grip just a little, turning the moment from suffocating to survivable.
Solaris softened immediately, his warmth brushing more deliberately through the bond, small and steady as a candle cupped between careful hands. 'If that does not work, I will sit on your shoulder and be very round there. Comfort roundness is different from intimidation roundness. It is scientifically proven.'
'By who?'
'By me. I am the leading expert in roundness-based emotional support.'
Phoenix's breath trembled around something that wanted to become a laugh. It did not quite make it, but the attempt warmed the sharp edges inside him.
'Just breathe, Mama,' Solaris added, softer now beneath the teasing. 'You said the truth. Let them love you through it. I am right here, and if your courage runs away, I will chase it down with my tiny, devastating talons.'
Phoenix lowered his gaze before anyone could see how close Solaris had brought him to tears. He did not know whether the next breath would bring comfort or heartbreak, but the small warmth brushing his mind kept him from running. Then the silence held for one breath too long.
~ ✨~🐉~ ☯ ~🐦🔥~✨~