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 ] 🐦🔥
Phoenix honestly could not remember the last time he had laughed so freely. Not politely. Not strategically. Not the kind of laugh used to disarm a room or hide a wound. This was real laughter, bright and unguarded, pulled out of him by one ridiculous little brother with dramatic shoulders and an even more dramatic sense of self-preservation.
Beyol Joon came back to himself with a pout sharp enough to cut glass. "Hey, now. I choose to be single, okay? I have more important things to focus on—keeping my spot as top student, passing the college entrance exam, securing a scholarship, making the state swim meet, and getting to nationals." He lifted his chin, then immediately ruined the dignity of the moment by muttering, "Also, I cannot take my eyes off you for five seconds without someone staring."
The last part came out with more meaning than Joon clearly intended. He noticed it half a breath too late, glanced away, and tried to compose himself with the dignity of someone who had not just exposed his overprotective heart in public.
Then his eyes lifted past Phoenix's shoulder, and every ounce of his hard-earned composure vanished. Two small groups were approaching from near the school gate: one made up of several boys in athletic uniforms Phoenix guessed belonged to the swim team, and the other a cluster of beta girls moving with the bright, determined energy of people who had spotted gossip before first period.
"Fucking great," Joon muttered under his breath. "Here we go."
Phoenix caught it immediately and lifted one eyebrow. "Watch your language, Beyol Joon." He had a filthy mouth in his private thoughts and absolutely no intention of pretending otherwise, but aloud—especially in public—he preferred to keep at least the appearance of respectability. Joon looked at him like a puppy who had just been scolded for chewing furniture.
Despite the warning in Joon's posture, Phoenix found himself curious. The original Beyol Bong Tae-Hwan had never properly met Joon's friends or teammates, and Phoenix wanted to know the people circling his little brother's life. Still, he could not afford to lose track of time. 'Solaris, help me keep an eye on the clock. I want to meet them, but I cannot miss my transport.'
Several of the swim team boys recognized Joon and rushed over with the noisy excitement of teenagers who had found something far more interesting than morning practice. Even before they reached him, Phoenix could read the shape of their little hierarchy: Joon at the center by habit rather than demand, the others orbiting him with the easy trust of teammates who had followed his pace through too many early-morning laps to question it. Their gazes landed on Phoenix almost at once, and their smiles stretched wide enough to be called innocent only by people with no survival instincts.
Joon's arm, which had been linked with Phoenix's, shifted at once. He drew Phoenix closer and settled that arm around his shoulders in a gesture that managed to be protective, possessive, and wildly unnecessary all at the same time. Phoenix only chuckled and shook his head. His Maknae really did have the instincts of a guard dog stuffed into the body of a high school senior.
A tall beta with light blonde hair and dark green eyes was the first to speak. "Yo, Captain Beyol. Glad you finally made it. We were starting to worry since you are usually here before all of us."
"Yeah, no kidding," another boy added. He was tall and handsome, with dark auburn hair, light hazel eyes that looked nearly black from certain angles, and smooth cream-toned skin that reminded Phoenix of natural linen. "Even Sam Youngsoo beat you here."
Before Joon could answer, an average-looking beta with strawberry-blonde hair, baby-blue eyes, and a smirk far too practiced to be trusted leaned forward. His brows wiggled with shameless confidence. "Oh? Captain, are you not going to introduce us to the beautiful friend you brought with you?"
Beyol Joon reacted instantly. He lifted one leg and pushed Song Dae-Hyun back by the hip with the flat of his shoe, scowling like a territorial cat who had just watched someone reach for his favorite cushion. Phoenix stared at him for half a second, then had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.
"In fact," Joon said, still holding Song Dae-Hyun at bay with his foot, "stay at least six feet away. Better yet, make it a full two meters."
Song Dae-Hyun clutched his chest as if mortally wounded. "Ah, Captain, you wound me. What have I ever done so wrong for you to treat me this way? Is it because I am the youngest? Is that why you will not let me get close to the beautiful omega? Come on, it is not as if I am going to steal him from you."
That last sentence had Joon's expression flattening into something dangerously calm. The look he gave Song Dae-Hyun clearly said, as if you could even try. Phoenix's amusement deepened—until he noticed one boy standing just behind the rowdier teammates. The boy's face held the unmistakable expression of someone quietly watching his heart bruise.
Phoenix's gaze lingered on him. The young man had shoulder-length black hair pulled into a half top knot, gray peach-blossom eyes framed by soft arching brows, and lips dark enough to look almost red. His round cheeks, delicate nose bridge, small square chin, and clear pale skin with a pink undertone gave him a beauty so soft that many people might have mistaken him for an omega at first glance. Only his height and the way he carried himself complicated that assumption.
San Woo-Young stood slightly behind the others, not hiding exactly, but positioned like someone used to making room for louder people. His posture was polite and composed, his expression calm, but his hands clasped a little too carefully in front of him. He did not stare at Phoenix the way the others did. His gaze kept drifting to Joon, then away again, as if even looking too long was something he had trained himself not to do.
'Solaris?' Phoenix asked through the bond, keeping his expression pleasant. 'Name?'
'San Woo-Young,' Solaris replied almost immediately. 'Recessive omega. Hidden status. Family of betas. High academic ranking, exceptional swimmer, one of the fastest on the team. Also... emotionally compromised whenever Maknae smiles.'
Phoenix's eyes softened by a fraction. So his instincts had been right. San Woo-Young was hiding more than one secret, and one of those secrets had been quietly loving Beyol Joon for years.
The ache in the boy's gaze made something in Phoenix go cold. This world had carried too many old prejudices into the stars. Recessive omegas were dismissed, beta families were judged harshly for producing them, and same-sex attraction still became gossip, shame, or danger depending on who held the power in a room. A dominant alpha or dominant omega might be excused for drawing in all genders, but everyone else was expected to stay neatly inside rules that were as cruel as they were senseless.
Phoenix's smile did not change, but his thoughts sharpened. 'Disgusting. Ignorant. Pointless. Why do people insist on making love another battlefield?' Then his attention flicked back to Joon, whose ears were already betraying him every time his gaze drifted near San Woo-Young. 'Oh. You two are hopeless.'
Phoenix decided to rescue Joon before his little brother started a public duel at the school gate. He smiled up at him, eyes bright with mischief. "Joon-ah, why don't you be polite and introduce your friends to me?"
Joon's ears flushed at the reminder. "You are right, Hyung. Sorry." He cleared his throat and moved his foot away from Song Dae-Hyun with obvious reluctance. "These are my friends and teammates."
Phoenix gave him a gentle nod, silently granting permission to continue.
"The one with light-blonde hair and dark-green eyes is Jang Min-Jun," Joon began. "The one with dyed dark-purple hair and dark-brown eyes is Sam Youngsoo. Beside him, with golden-blonde hair and honey-brown eyes, is An Hyun-Woo. Then we have Bong In-Su—the one with black hair, brown-black eyes, and a tan because he insists on swimming outdoors and sunbathing afterward."
Bong In-Su immediately threw both hands up. "Hey, do not hate. Lying in the sun after a good swim is relaxing. I keep telling you to try it, but you just lecture me about sun damage and proper skincare."
"Because you should wear sunblock and stop treating your skin like it owes you money," Joon snapped automatically. "None of us can afford a private healing pod, and the clinic will call it cosmetic until it turns into an actual medical problem." He stopped, inhaled, and visibly forced himself back on track. "Anyway. My co-captain is Moobon Myung—the dark-auburn hair, light-hazel eyes, and cream-toned skin. He is the one who keeps practice from turning into a circus whenever I am busy keeping these idiots alive. He listens, plans ahead, and, unlike Bong In-Su, understands that 'team bonding' does not mean risking heatstroke for a better tan."
"Captain, why am I catching strays?" Bong In-Su complained. "I did not even do anything. Song Dae-Hyun is right there."
Song Dae-Hyun opened his mouth. "Hey, what the—"
Both boys fell silent when Joon cut them a sharp side-eye. Phoenix chuckled and lightly pinched Joon's side, right where a love handle would have been if Joon had possessed even one. "Maknae. Time."
Joon coughed into his fist. "Right. Last is my best friend, San Woo-Young." His voice changed without permission, softening around the name before he seemed to realize it. "Long black hair in the half top knot, gray peach-blossom eyes, and shorter than the rest of us, but do not let that fool you. He is one of our fastest swimmers. He specializes in freestyle, and his breaststroke and individual medley are scary good too. He also has flawless skin because he actually takes care of it."
San Woo-Young looked down at the ground as if the pavement had suddenly become fascinating, but the faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth gave him away. The others noticed too. Bong In-Su and Song Dae-Hyun exchanged the kind of quick, wicked look teammates only shared when they had been watching the same unresolved situation for far too long, while Moobon Myung merely adjusted the strap of his swim bag and pretended, with admirable discipline, that he had seen nothing at all.
Nix noticed the tips of Joon-ah's ears turning red as he introduced San Woo-Young. He also noticed how much more description Joon gave him compared to the others. That was all the confirmation Nix needed. Both boys had feelings for each other, and both were apparently determined to pretend they did not. San Woo-Young was a true white lotus, soft without being weak, and Nix had no doubt Joon-ah would be happy with him if the two of them ever managed to stop being adorable cowards.
Joon finally straightened and gestured toward Phoenix. "Everyone, this is my hyung, Beyol Bong Tae-Hwan. He goes by Phoenix, but do not call him that unless he gives you permission." His gaze snapped to Song Dae-Hyun. "I am especially talking to you."
Song Dae-Hyun pointed at himself with exaggerated offense. "Are you not going to introduce me too?"
"Why would I do that?" Joon shot back. "Hyung is smart. He can figure out who you are through context. Like I said, stay back two meters. My brother does not need you hitting on him before first period."
From the corner of his eye, Nix saw San Woo-Young jerk upright the instant Joon-ah called him brother. Poor thing. He had definitely thought Phoenix was Joon's omega. Nix's amusement softened into something almost fond. These two cute dummies had apparently been circling each other for years without realizing they were both staring at the same heart. He would need San Woo-Young's contact information before he left. There was not enough time this morning, but later? Later, Nix intended to have a conversation.
For a few bright moments, Nix simply enjoyed the scene: Joon-ah's defensive scowl, his teammates' barely hidden curiosity, San Woo-Young's shy hope, and the easy warmth of standing beside his little brother in public. The urgency of his own schedule still pressed at the back of his mind, but the moment felt precious enough to steal. Then the group of girls drew closer, and the warmth curdled.
The girls approached with the bright-eyed eagerness of people who had smelled gossip before the morning bell. Joon stiffened at once. His face went a little ashen, and the disgust, annoyance, and discomfort that crossed his features were so obvious Nix did not need Solaris to explain anything.
A particular girl stepped forward from the group, her smile delicate, practiced, and a shade too sweet to be sincere. The moment she called out to Joon in a soft, coaxing voice, something in Nix's instincts sharpened. He slid his arm around his little brother as well, though the height difference meant his hand settled just above Joon's waist rather than his shoulders. It did not matter. The message was clear.
Nix assessed the girls as they approached and felt a negative premonition settle in his chest. He had never met them. The original had never truly known them either. Even so, the urge to shield Joon-ah from them hit him with startling force.
He stepped slightly in front of Beyol Joon, just enough to make his protective stance clear without looking openly hostile. His eyes narrowed on the girl leading the group, but his smile remained bright and harmless. The girls came to a stop with shy smiles and visible excitement, though the leader's trepidation looked more calculated than genuine.
She tucked her hair behind her right ear with deliberate softness, a movement staged to draw attention to her slender fingers, small face, and exposed neck. Joon's eyes went flat. Nix could practically hear his little brother's internal groan. How anyone missed the performance was beyond him. The girl had the fragile, innocent act polished to a shine, but the sweetness sat on her like painted sugar over something spoiled.
"Oppa," she said sweetly, lifting a small bag of chocolate-mint cookies toward Joon as if offering him something handmade and precious, "you are here. Are you ready for the math test this morning? I know you will do great. I made these for you as a good-luck gift."
The cookies were obviously store-bought and repackaged, the ribbon tied a little too carefully to look careless. More importantly, while her voice stayed sweet, her eyes kept shooting nasty little glances at Phoenix whenever she thought no one important was watching. Nix asked Solaris for a quick scan and received the answer almost immediately: Soo Yun, an omega from another all-beta family. The problem was not that she was an omega interested in Joon. The problem was that she was entitled, persistent, fake to the bone, and unwilling to take years of rejection seriously.
'Jeo gajja dalkomhan yeoja-ga bun-su-do moreugo eodiseo gamhi nae gajogeul neombwa?' (저 가짜 달콤한 여자가 분수도 모르고 어디서 감히 내 가족을 넘봐?)
The thought flashed through Nix's mind with cold, aristocratic precision. Look at this fake-sweet little vulture, completely blind to her own level. Where does she find the audacity to set her eyes on my family? She was circling a prize that was entirely out of her reach, completely unaware that the hand she wanted to manipulate was already protected.
Joon's right eye twitched. Phoenix could almost see the very impolite thoughts scrolling behind his eyes. Before Joon could say anything regrettable, Phoenix smiled with devastating innocence. "Joon-ah, you should say thank you to your female friend. After all, she was kind enough to go out of her way for you."
The sparkle in his eyes said he knew exactly what he was doing. Joon shot him a betrayed look sharp enough to qualify as a family grievance, then forced out a tight-lipped "Thank you" that could have frozen boiling water. He still did not take the cookies.
Phoenix shook his head as if gently disappointed, his fingers sliding up from Joon's waist to casually toy with the collar of his brother's school uniform. He turned his dazzling smile on Soo Yun.
"I apologize for nae aegi—my baby's—lack of manners this morning," Nix said, fluidly weaving the Korean phrase into his English speech, his voice dropping into a smooth, intimately fond register as he gave Joon's collar a final, doting pat. "He did not get much sleep. I am afraid I kept him up very late, so my sweet boy is a tad cranky. I hope you will not hold it against him too much."
Joon stiffened instantly, his breath hitching as his older brother's voice washed over him. A dark, furious flush crept up from his neck, his eyes widening in a mixture of profound betrayal and sheer, unadulterated mortification.
The surrounding girls turned bright red at once, stammering reassurances that of course they would not hold anything against Joon. Soo Yun, on the other hand, looked as if she might spit blood. Her delicate smile cracked entirely around the edges, and for one ugly second Nix saw the raw resentment underneath it before she lowered her eyes and pretended to be hurt.
Phoenix gave the girls a polite bow, careful to keep his public image gentle and untouchable. "Ladies, please excuse us. I need to finish speaking with my little Joon-ah before I head to university."
Soo Yun had no choice but to smile back. It was a pretty smile, but it trembled with barely restrained fury. She bid the boys farewell and turned away quickly, her friends trailing after her in a flutter of whispers and confused glances.
'That little girl really thinks she is the female lead of a manhwa,' Nix thought, watching Soo Yun retreat with her metaphorical tail tucked so tightly it may as well have vanished. 'How do people like this keep finding their way into my orbit? What did I do for karma to keep sending me walking tea spills disguised as love interests?' Solaris, sensing the question was rhetorical and maybe a little dangerous, wisely remained silent.
Phoenix turned to his little brother, his expression settling into something far more serious. "Be careful with that girl. She is trouble."
Beyol Joon, who had been staring after the girls with sharp, cold eyes, nodded once. "En," he answered, the simple sound carrying more agreement than words.
Then, without warning, Joon wrapped Phoenix in a huge bear hug and lifted him clean off his feet. Phoenix laughed, startled and delighted, and happened to catch San Woo-Young's gaze over Joon's shoulder. Nix smiled and winked. San Woo-Young blushed so hard his ears turned pink, then gave him a small, shy thumbs-up.
The rest of the swim team looked equally thrilled. They had watched Soo Yun chase after Joon for years despite his obvious disinterest, and whatever pity they might once have had for her had long since curdled into disgust. Her sweetness was never sweet for long when Joon refused to play along.
Phoenix reached up and ruffled Joon's hair, earning an immediate swat at his hand. "You really are a big old teddy bear, aren't you?" he teased as Joon tried to restore his dignity by fixing the damage.
"Hey now," Joon protested. "Just because I am younger than you does not mean I am a child. Hyung, you cannot keep treating me like I am still five years old. I am a grown man now."
Nix sighed heavily and shook his head. What was he going to do with this brat? "Being eighteen and a senior does not automatically make you a grown man. Come talk to me about that when you are in your fifties. Maybe then I will stop treating you as my sweet baby brother, whom I love very much and must protect from all that is bad in the world."
Joon's expression softened despite his attempt to look offended. Coming from his parents, Yong-Jae, or Nuna, those words would have felt expected. They had all hovered over him for as long as he could remember. Yong-Jae and Nuna especially had often acted less like siblings and more like a second set of parents.
Nix had always been different. The original Beyol Bong Tae-Hwan had treated Joon like a normal sibling, not a project to manage or a child to schedule. Maybe that was why their bond had always felt so easy. Joon loved all of his family, but with Nix, he could breathe.
Thinking of that, Joon hugged him again, gentler this time. "I know Hyung worries about me," he said, trying for arrogance and not quite managing it. "And I love you too, Hyung."
"Brat, who said I love you?" Phoenix huffed, but he hugged his little brother back anyway. He could not help feeling a little bitter about their height difference, but the irritation softened quickly into a smile. For one brief moment, he simply let himself cherish the weight of Joon's arms around him.
Solaris reminded him of the time a heartbeat later. Nix glanced at his communicator and winced. He had lost more minutes than he could afford. Lowering his voice so only Joon could hear, he said, "Crap. I am running late and may miss my airship into Cheraw. I have to go. Joon-ah, good luck on your test. You will do great. If you come in first place again, I will treat you."
He reached up and pinched Joon's cheek lightly, just enough to leave it pink. "And do not forget what I said. Be wary of Soo Yun. I can smell the rot in her heart from here." Joon's eyes sharpened, and Phoenix knew his warning had landed.
Phoenix turned back to the swim team with a polite smile that immediately made several of them straighten as if they had been caught staring. "It was nice meeting all of you, but I really do have to run if I do not want to miss my ship and make it to my own classes on time. We should meet again sometime—maybe after one of Joon-ah's meets. If everyone behaves, perhaps we can even have dinner at the restaurant and eat korokke upstairs in the living room or in Joon-ah's room."
He turned to Joon again, his smile softening. "Good luck today on the math test and your meet. I believe in you. Fighting." He lifted a small fist beside his cheek in the familiar cheering gesture, and Joon's ears went red all over again.
In this context, "Fighting" was the old Korean-style cheer meaning good luck or do your best, said before tests, games, performances, and other important moments.
Before leaving, Phoenix stepped closer to San Woo-Young, keeping his voice low enough not to invite the entire school gate into their business. "San Woo-Young, I have heard a lot about you. You should come over for dinner sometime. We would love to have you." His smile turned faintly conspiratorial. "If you do not mind, let's exchange StarNet information. You can call me Nix—or even Hyung, if you prefer. I hope we can become friends. There are a few things I would like to talk to you about without my little brother present."
San Woo-Young looked startled at first. Then color bloomed across his cheeks, soft and impossible to miss. "Yes," he said quickly, then cleared his throat and tried again. "I mean, yes. I would like that. And... I think we should talk too." His fingers moved over his slim StarNet band with practiced care, opening the student contact screen instead of the swim team's public channel. The small choice did not escape Phoenix. Woo-Young was careful even with something as ordinary as an account exchange, as if he had learned long ago that attention could become dangerous when the wrong people noticed it.
They exchanged StarNet information quickly. Phoenix caught San Woo-Young's shy glance toward Joon, then gave him one small wink before turning away. There was just enough time to make his public airship if it did not depart early. On Luna Bellflower Moon, public airships handled most inter-moon travel, lifting from local terminals and breaking atmosphere on fixed schedules before crossing the short routes between Terra Anka's inhabited moons. They were reliable, affordable, and absolutely unforgiving to anyone who arrived late. His morning boba milk tea would have to wait, which felt tragic, but this had been worth it.
~ *** ~
~ ✨~🐉~ ☯ ~🐦🔥~✨~