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Her buttocks protruded from beneath the blanket, stretching her body and grumbling like an elderly man. After she was satisfied, she flopped her belly with a soft, sleepy "aigoo." Her mouth was agape as she pressed her face into the pillow, eyes closed, but her nose flared and moved to sniff. Her eyes blinked open, and she sat up in bed.
"What is that?" she murmured while sniffing the air once again. Before exiting the room, she hastily jumped out of bed and put on her glasses.
It surprised her to see a man at the kitchen counter. His dominant hand moved up and down, slicing something on the wooden cutting board.
Tak, tak, tak, tak!
The constant knocking of the knife and chopping board was loud enough for her to hear from her bedroom door. Steam rose from the metal pot, filling the space with the aroma of the dish he was preparing. "Good-good morning!" she said as she moved closer to the kitchen to see what he was cooking.
Seokjin appeared startled as he glanced behind him to notice her presence. "Good... afternoon?" he replied, smiling as he set the other ingredients down.
"It's afternoon?" Hye-ryeong asked, staring at him blankly. The man nodded, pointing at the clock on the wall next to them. She hissed and reprimanded herself quietly; she didn't intend to wake up late. "I'm sorry, I didn't plan to–"
"It's all right."
Half-awakened, Hye-ryeong was still blurry. "Pardon?" she said.
"It's okay," Seokjin said, taking the metal pot and placing it on the table on top of a folded towel. "Where do I look for plates and bowls?"
Hye-ryeong snapped out of her trance. "Oh!" She dashed into the kitchen, standing on her toes to reach the top cupboard. When she reached for a pastel bowl and dish, a hand reached for her instead. Before the hand brought down the objects she grabbed for, she gazed at the owner of the hand.
It was possible that her mental blankness at the time had caused her to forget that Beomgyu had helped her place the special plates and bowls in the top cupboard. She was a slacker when it came to cooking, so she rarely used the plates and bowls. When she was alone or with her brother, she frequently used the dish and bowl in the rack.
Changing her attention to the drying rack next to the sink, she realized it didn't have the dish or bowl she usually used. She couldn't blame Seokjin for not being able to find the plate and bowl.
Seokjin unexpectedly said, "Now, since you're the owner of this house, why don't you help me cook kimchi fried rice?"
"Me?" Hye-ryeong asked, a puzzled expression on her face.
Before returning to Hye-ryeong, Seokjin's gaze lingered on the place. "Do we have anyone else here?" he questioned.
Hye-ryeong's bewilderment burst through right away. "W-well, no."
"Okay. Do you have some kimchi?"
"Uh," Hye-ryeong paused for a moment, contemplating. "I suppose so," said the woman. She dashed to the refrigerator, where she discovered a large container containing kimchi in half.
She took out the container and held it out to Seokjin. She said, "Here!"
"And eggs?"
Hye-ryeong turned around and took three eggs for him. "Are these enough?" She asked.
"Should be," Seokjin said as he took them from her grasp. The man then started preparing. Hye-ryeong stood beside him while he cooked, watching his every move. He appeared solemn and quiet while cooking.
"Do you like to cook?" she questioned.
Seokjin shook his head. He replied, "Not really. It's just that I like to eat."
"Ah..." Hye-ryeong chuckled awkwardly.
"Do I appear to be someone who enjoys cooking?"
"Yeah," Hye-ryeong answered with a nod. "When you cook, you have a serious expression on your face."
"Do I?"
Hye-ryeong nodded her head once more.
"How about when I'm not cooking? How do I look?" Seokjin asked as he mixed the rice in the wok.
"You look..." Hye-ryeong halted for a moment. She hadn't been paying enough attention. It had only been a few days (or weeks?) since they'd met. This drove her to lock her gaze on him for a long time. When it happened, he was placing an average amount of fried rice on the plate.
Perhaps it was his attractive face or some undiscovered charm that gleamed so brightly at her. Could it have been his thoughtful act at the time? Something about him made her feel more open than she had previously. She'd better not fall for it if it was the result of last night's conversation.
"You look friendly," she told him, keeping it simple. "Unlike your calm appearance."
Seokjin was taken aback. "Do I appear calm now?" he asked. He gazed at her as he brought two plates together. "Many people claim I don't appear to be friendly or calm. When they first saw me, they claimed I intimidated them."
"As a businessman, you certainly know a lot about things outside. Maybe that's why," she added, smiling. "But, to me, that's a positive thing. Where shall we sit?" she asked as she carried the dishes for him.
Seokjin said, "Anywhere would do."
With her lips pursed, the woman turned around. She usually ate in front of the television in the living room, and she intended to do the same with Seokjin. It was her home, so she had the final say. But, noticing that some of her belongings on the table hadn't been sorted and kept in their proper places, she concluded, "Let's eat here."
She led him to a small circle table where they could set other plates. Thankfully, Seokjin had only made chicken soup and kimchi fried rice. When her younger brother visited, they rarely ate at the small table because they had overbought or prepared. She was relieved that there was enough space for them both to eat.
As soon as Seokjin sat down, Hye-ryeong stepped up to take the spoon and chopsticks, and the two of them placed their meals on the table together. She handed them to him before returning to the refrigerator and asking him what he wanted to drink. After the man said water was good, she got a bottle of cold water and two cups from a shelf. They ate after Hye-ryeong returned.
Although Hye-ryeong had many questions for him, they ate quietly. Raising questions about something sensitive while dining would be impolite. The poor man might lose his appetite.
"Where have you been living before you met me?" the woman questioned after they had finished their meal. "I'm talking about this generation, by the way."
"I tried a hotel, but they couldn't accept my money," Seok
jin said after taking a long breath. "I ended up sleeping wherever I could."
"How about something to eat? Did you get enough to eat?"
Seokjin grinned at her as he nodded his head. "Yeah. I asked a few restaurants in the area to cook great food, and they offered me their food."
"Oh."
Seokjin was sipping water before letting out a deep buzz. "Hm! I am the owner of restaurants in several provinces. Have you heard about Jinnie's Restaurant?"
Hye-ryeong shook her head and puckered her lips.
Seokjin grinned. "Oh, that's a pity. In this generation, I have an underappreciated restaurant."
"It's not that the restaurant has become underappreciated. I just haven't kept up with business and other things."
Seokjin chuckled again as he nodded his head. "Do you want to come to my restaurant with me?"
"But we're not sure if your restaurant is still in business." Hye-ryeong squinted her eyes at Seokjin, tilting her head.
"Don't worry. I told myself that I would keep my business in one spot so that my loyal customers could come in and eat their favorite foods."
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Seokjin took her to his own restaurant in Itaewon. But first, they went to a thrift store to find him some suitable clothing. A yellow checkered top, a pair of black sneakers, a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt, and a pair of black sneakers. He insisted that Hye-ryeong not buy him too many things, but she persuaded him to do so by reminding him that he needed to fit in with the generation's style. Seokjin couldn't help but accept them.
He was smiling as they came to a halt in front of the restaurant. He told Hye-ryeong that it wasn't as crowded as it had been in the past, but he was pleased to see that the interior positions, aside from the designs, had remained unchanged.
"My restaurant is still doing well in this generation. That pleases me."
Hye-ryeong overheard him while watching two young men receive and send orders. An elderly woman at the counter gave her customer their change. "Of course, your restaurant is doing well in this generation," she said. "Your workers are working hard. The customer service must have been the best in town."
"I must have done a good job of training them back then," said the man.
A quick exasperated breath left her mouth. "Jeez. Why are you bringing me here? To brag about your big business?"
Seokjin's brows furrowed, and his lips drooped. "To be honest, I'm just amazed that this restaurant is still open and serving customers," he said. "I'd also like you to treat me to some food here. I miss trying my dish."
Hye-ryeong rolled her eyes but muttered nothing. It was food, and it was something new to try. Who wouldn't want to give it a shot?
They stepped in and saw an empty table. They sat and waited for a waiter. In the background, Hye-ryeong could hear the cashier yelling at one of the waiters to take their orders, and the guy yelling back that he needed to use the restroom. As a result, the lady had to walk over to their table from the cashier's desk, carrying a small notepad and black pen.
The lady greeted them kindly and asked what they wanted, but when she saw Seokjin, she exclaimed, "Oh my God!"