Ezra stretched his stiff neck while glancing at the wall clock. It was already eight-thirty at night.
Usually, it took him three days to finish one comic episode. And that didn't even include chipping away at the storyboard for the next one. Ezra had thought about finding an assistant who could help him with the coloring stage.
Suddenly, the savory aroma of boiled noodles drifted all the way into his office. In his apartment? As far as he knew, he didn't have any instant noodles in stock at all. Ignoring his pen tablet, Ezra hurried out of the room before the smell could further sabotage his resolve to cut back on instant noodles.
At the dining table, Ezra found Damar enjoying a bowl of boiled noodles still steaming hot.
"I bought noodles earlier. Want some?" Damar offered as soon as Ezra sat across from him.
Ezra glanced at the bowl. "I'm trying to cut back on instant noodles."
Damar nodded in understanding, a faint smile on his lips.
"Is it good?" Ezra asked, beginning to have trouble holding back his saliva. The noodles in front of him suddenly looked incredibly tempting.
Seeing that Ezra couldn't take his eyes off his bowl, Damar said, "One bite shouldn't hurt."
"Really?" Ezra was instantly tempted.
"Want me to make you some?"
Ezra nodded quickly. "Mix in the egg, but don't break the yolk," he requested eagerly.
Damar gave a small smile. That brief smile unknowingly sent a warm flutter through Ezra's chest—a sweet feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.
It didn't take Ezra long to finish his order. One bite went in, followed by another, until nothing was left.
"Ugh!" Ezra dropped his spoon and fork onto the plate and stared at his now-clean bowl, even the broth gone. "Why did I eat all of it? Why didn't you stop me?" he complained, patting both his cheeks.
"Once in a while is fine," Damar said calmly, pouring plain water from the pitcher and handing it to Ezra. "Just don't overdo it."
Ezra accepted the glass. "Starting tomorrow and for the next month, I don't want even a hint of noodles in my apartment. Got it?"
Damar merely responded with a smile—which once again left Ezra transfixed.
"Are you done with your work?" Damar asked as he carried the dirty bowl to the sink.
"When is my work ever done? One ends, and another one comes out. It's like clothes: dirty, wash them, wear them again. It never ends. Well... unless I were the sole heir. Then I could finally take it easy."
"Isn't the Jayanta Group's wealth enough for you?" Damar asked as he washed the bowl.
The sound of running tap water accompanied Ezra's reply. "Where else would I get two hundred million to pay you if not from Dad's pocket?"
"How much is your salary, anyway?"
"My office salary plus my Webtoon contract. How could that be enough to pay you two hundred million? Besides, Dad was already planning to find a personal bodyguard to protect me, so I figured I might as well."
Damar turned off the faucet, dried his hands, and returned to his chair.
"If I worked at Dad's company like my two older brothers, my salary would definitely be much higher," Ezra continued, slowly shaking his head. "Unfortunately, I'm not interested in the business world, and I don't have any talent for leading people."
"Just pay me whatever you can afford."
"Low pay makes people work halfheartedly. If I pay a lot, anyone will give it their all."
The truth was, Damar had always worked with all his heart. Unfortunately, fate had never been on his side. Even so, Ezra continued to keep him on despite knowing that he was an ex-con.
"Rich kids like you usually have your own social circles, right?" Damar asked.
"There are sports groups and hangout groups, sure, but I don't join them. When would I have the time? My work's piled up, and I don't have a girlfriend. My life as a third-generation heir to the Jayanta Group is just tragic. Revan, for instance..."
Damar furrowed his brow.
"...my oldest brother, the one who runs Jayan Royal," Ezra briefly explained. "He can still go on overseas vacations with his wife and kid. Me? The best I can do is vacation in the woods because I got kidnapped."
"How much ransom did they demand for you back then?"
"Why? You want to kidnap me too?" Ezra snickered. "Just kidnap Farel. His ransom would definitely be higher, and you'd go viral."
Damar didn't quite understand the joke. "Farel?"
"My friend from earlier." Ezra frowned. "You don't have a TV at home?" he asked in surprise.
Damar's headshake left Ezra even more astonished. "What era do you live in? The Neolithic? The Megalithic? The Flintstones? Kingston? Farel's a famous celebrity."
"Nek Ipon doesn't have a TV either."
"When I visit Nek Ipon's house, I'll buy you a TV and install Wi-Fi too, so you won't be data-poor."
"What Nek Ipon needs is her children, not a TV."
Ezra rested his chin on one hand and gazed at Damar with a teasing smile. "As for what I need right now, it's just love."