To Find Something True

※ forty

Hoseok displayed a tight smile before he said, "He might follow us."

She wasn't sure why Hoseok would think that way about Seokjin, but she didn't think Seokjin would follow them if he knew.

Her boss's words broke her thoughts. "I'm craving some bibimbap and pancakes. Do you mind if we eat on the street?"

She shook her head. "I don't mind."

His teeth were on full display, his cheeks formed two round shapes as he said, "I know a good place. Let's get there fast!"

**********

Vapors from the pot boiled the barley and rice, rising as its lid was taken off. The smell of stir-fried vegetables and bulgogi on the grill lingered in the air. The cash register clashed as the cashier, a man in his late twenties or early thirties, returned the change to a customer. Upon noticing Hoseok and Jiah, he flatly said, "Welcome!" Then, with a smile on his face, he bowed to the previous customers as a sign of goodbye.

Most of the customers in the camp were college students and taxi drivers.

He looked at Hoseok, smiling, and said, "Barley bibimbap?" Hoseok nodded. Then, he looked at Jiah and asked him with raised eyebrows, "Two bowls?"

Chuckling, Hoseok answered, "Yeah."

"Got ya," the man shouted, directing his words to the kitchen area. "Uhmma, two barley bibimbap!" Then, he returned to his seat at the cashier.

Hoseok led her to a table, and they sat on stools. Jiah made herself comfortable, grabbing a cup and a jug of water from the table. Shortly after, a middle-aged woman arrived with two bowls of bibimbap on a tray. Her bob-style hair was pushed back with a yellow scarf, and her lips were painted bright red. Visible wrinkles at the corner of her eyes were concealed with a thin layer of foundation. As she approached their table, the woman exclaimed, "Oh my, my, my! (omo, omo, omo!) You brought your girlfriend."

Jiah almost had water come out of her nose upon hearing that. Fortunately, she managed to stay calm and pulled out a tissue from a box.

Hoseok laughed. "No, uhmeoni! She's not my girlfriend."

After the woman placed the bowls on the red, plastic square table, she waved her hand down, smirking. "Eh! I've met a lot of young kids like you two. Always saying the same thing. They end up having children together."

Jiah was shocked that Hoseok was playing along, laughing at the comment. "I'm serious, uhmeoni," he said, smiling widely. He gestured with an open palm towards Jiah and introduced, "This is Lee Jiah, my assistant."

"My, my! So this is your assistant?"

"Yeah, this is her," Hoseok said.

"Oh my, I've been wanting to meet you," the ahjumma expressed, holding one of Jiah's hands with both of hers. The action caught Jiah off guard and flustered her to the point that she quickly put down the cup she had been holding and used her other hand to hold the ahjumma's hand. The ahjumma patted her own chest hard, making a drumming sound, and said, "I am Hoseok's mother. That boy at the cashier is his older brother."

Jiah's eyes widened at that statement. Confused, she started to wonder if her boss had been lying about his life. She turned to look at her boss, who was smiling widely, before returning her gaze to the ahjumma. Plus, since when did Hoseok have an older brother?