# Chapter 55
“Are you here?”
When Yoon Taean asked, the man silently nodded and looked at me. I was about to open my mouth to say something in greeting, but I closed it again as he quickly turned his head away.
“What did you eat for breakfast?”
“Just rice with some side dishes.”
“Is that so?”
After responding to Yoon Taean’s answer in a casual tone, he naturally looked around the kitchen. Unlike my mother who had opened the refrigerator first thing and acted familiar, there was something ominous about the way he was surveying the place.
First, he quickly scanned the sink, then opened each cabinet and drawer one by one to examine what was inside. He even meticulously checked places that were difficult to reach and rummaged through neglected dishes and cups.
Next, he began taking out frequently used dishes and utensils. The way he touched and examined each kitchen item, checking if anything was strange or if there was something on them, was far from ordinary.
He took out a large knife from the knife block and fiddled with it, turning it this way and that as if ready to slice something at any moment.
I took a step back to watch this unsettling atmosphere when my mother finally spoke up.
“You must be hungry. Let’s feed you first.”
“That’s right.”
My father nodded, carefully put down the knife, and roughly rolled up his sleeves.
“Are you going to cook, Dad?”
“That’s what he says. He doesn’t do it much at home, but he says it’s been a while since he’s cooked for you two, so he wants to do it himself.”
Though her tone sounded like she was complaining, there was a hint of affection in it. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, but her expression was softly relaxed. Just from that, I could tell the two of them had a very good relationship.
I was standing there awkwardly when I approached my father and asked.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“…No.”
Startled by my sudden approach, my father flinched slightly, stared at me blankly, and then answered. After such a concise and clean rejection, I became awkward again and scratched near my chin as I backed away.
I watched my father’s back for a moment before turning around. As I went to the living room and sat next to Yoon Taean beside my mother who was sitting on the sofa, cooking sounds soon echoed from the kitchen.
After the clatter of kitchen utensils being taken out, the sound of knife work hit my ears. Whatever he was cutting, the rhythmic chopping sound was extraordinary.
I slightly craned my neck to peek, and remarkable movements matching the crisp sounds caught my eye. I had guessed it from when he was surveying the kitchen, but there was a professional aura in the way he handled the knife. Is he a chef?
Only then did I understand my mother’s earlier complaint.
I turned my attention to the TV, inwardly impressed, but the sounds and smells coming from the kitchen captured my attention, making it difficult to concentrate.
As time passed, my nostrils naturally flared at the gradually permeating appetizing food smell. My mother got up from her seat and headed to the kitchen, probably because it was almost ready. Yoon Taean and I turned off the TV and followed.
Upon reaching the table, my eyes widened at the food that immediately caught my attention. In a stone pot that I didn’t even know existed was seafood nurungji tang (crispy rice soup).
Various seafood and vegetables were placed on top of fried glutinous rice nurungji. The savory and mild aroma pricked my nose.
“I’ll serve the sauce separately, so take some when you eat.”
I raised my head at the voice, having been staring blankly at the food. I approached him as he took out a large bowl and poured in a sauce that was slightly thinner than sweet and sour sauce.
This time, he didn’t flinch and silently stood there, pouring all the sauce from the pot. Feeling like I should do something too, I put on an oven mitt on my left hand and carefully lifted the bowl as soon as he finished.
I could feel the hot heat on my hand, but it was fine because of the mitt. I immediately placed it on the table and moved to set the tableware.
My mother, who had been watching me place the spoons and bowls, opened her mouth.
“Your hand seems injured. Are you okay?”
“Yes. It’s not like I can’t use it at all. I’m being careful.”
In reality, since I was primarily using my left hand instead of my right, it wasn’t a big problem. Seeing my calm reaction, she probably thought it wasn’t serious, as her voice was composed when she responded with “I see.”
“Are you hurt?”
“Yes, a little.”
I lightly answered my father, who asked without turning around, perhaps curious from my mother’s words. There was no reply, but seeing him continue to focus on cooking, I finished setting down the bowls.
“You seem to be in a good mood today.”
“…Do I?”
My mother made a subtle expression as I answered with an awkward smile. I ignored it and finished setting the table. Looking around, I noticed other side dishes, suggesting he hadn’t just made the seafood nurungji tang.
As I was transferring the nicely browned potato pancakes from the frying pan to a plate, my father asked from behind.
“Have you practiced?”
“Pardon?”
“…You seem natural serving food.”
“That’s true. You’d fit right in with the kids at the restaurant.”
Following my father’s comment, my mother added, and I awkwardly looked back and forth between them. There was a fleeting question in their expressions, as if wondering why I was doing something I usually didn’t. It was difficult to know how to respond, so I just gave a small smile.
After that, Yoon Taean put his hand on the electric rice cooker and asked, “Should I scoop some rice?” to which my father said it was fine. He added that Taean could have some if he wanted, but no one said they would eat it.
Then the meal began.
My parents sat side by side, with Yoon Taean and me sitting across from them. After watching my parents pick up their chopsticks first, I too picked up my spoon.
We served portions of the seafood nurungji tang into each bowl and drizzled sauce over it. The hot steam collided and made a sizzling sound. The sweet and savory aromas blended together, and taking a bite, it was an extraordinary delicacy.
The savory taste of the slightly crispy nurungji enveloped the soft and chewy squid, exploding in my mouth.
I could feel that this dish itself was delicious, not just because it couldn’t possibly taste bad. It wasn’t simply food you could make at home; it felt like something you’d eat at an upscale restaurant.
“Wow.”
It was natural for an exclamation to burst out. It was the most delicious seafood nurungji tang I had ever eaten.
“……”
A moment of silence surrounded us, and as I raised my head from eating, I found my parents staring at me intently. As I chewed and swallowed the food still in my mouth, looking at them quizzically, my mother asked.
“Is it delicious?”
“Yes.”
When I nodded, both of their eyes widened. Their notably surprised reaction gave me a rough idea that Yoon Taeho probably didn’t eat well in front of his parents either.
Feeling the atmosphere might become awkward, I grinned and scooped up a big spoonful of nurungji, putting it in my mouth. I thought I should at least show them a good eating image. Either way, the food was going down smoothly even without trying.
There was just one thing I regretted. Would it be okay to add cheese to this? Then I remembered there was square cheddar cheese in the refrigerator. Since what I wanted was mozzarella cheese, I gave up on the idea.
My parents quietly watched me eat well before changing the subject.
“Everything okay at school?”
“Yes. Same as usual.”
When my mother asked Yoon Taean, he nodded while eating. His calm tone suggested he wasn’t just casually reciting to reassure them but that it was truly the case.
At that, my mother asked another direct question.
“Did you do well on the end-of-month evaluation?”
I sensed Yoon Taean glance at me for a moment. I turned my head casually, but our eyes didn’t meet as he quickly looked straight ahead. Yoon Taean seemed to hesitate slightly before saying.
“Yes. Similar to last month.”
“So you’re still in Middle Class?”
“Yes.”
Suddenly, the air around us became heavy. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination, but I gripped my spoon tighter. My lips dried up as my parents’ gazes avoided me, so I licked them with my tongue.
Talking about grades to parents was always difficult, but this was a different, subtle atmosphere. I took another bite of nurungji with my spoon, rolling my eyeballs slightly as if checking the situation.
In response to Yoon Taean’s answer, my parents just nodded without saying much. The fact that they addressed Yoon Taean from the start probably meant they didn’t intend to ask me at all.
I debated whether I should tell them how my test results came out first. I wondered if I should step in and ruin the atmosphere when they were deliberately not asking. Although my Class hadn’t gone up, I hadn’t done poorly either, so it still felt unfamiliar to bring it up as if bragging.
Yoon Taean had become comfortable quickly, probably because he was younger and they spoke informally to him, but it was harder to be affectionate with adults. Part of it was because it was our first meeting, but still, they were my biological parents, so it felt weird to treat them like guests. Judging by appearances, they didn’t seem very affectionate with the real Yoon Taeho either, which made it more ambiguous.
It had been so long since I’d sat down with family and eaten together at home that this situation felt awkward. Then, as if to break this uncomfortable air, my mother spoke up.
“Then you’ll have some free time for a while. Oh, but the final exams will be coming up soon too.”
“That’s true, but this month seems especially busy. The sports festival is the week after next, so there are preparations for that, and right after the final exams end, there’s the presentation, so it’s not really leisurely.”
I was quietly eating when I froze. Although I was confused by the packed schedule Yoon Taean mentioned, I stiffened at a specific word.
Sports festival? Has it progressed that far already?
The sports festival episode came out as the animation entered its mid-section. It was a memorable episode because it was when Moon Seoheon got seriously injured, triggering the main characters to go berserk in anger.
If the story has progressed that much, how far have Moon Seoheon and The Four advanced in their romance? Since there was a “harem ending” without any specific person working out, maybe it doesn’t matter much.
More importantly, since Yoon Taeho also got dropped at that time, if I just get through this well, I should be able to relax now.
For a moment, I felt a strange sensation. It was a new feeling to suddenly wake up as a different character here and frantically get to this point. On the other hand, an uncertain feeling, whether relief or anxiety, crept up from beneath my feet.
As I tried to shake off this odd feeling that I couldn’t quite define by focusing on eating, Yoon Taean asked about our parents’ well-being.
“Is everything okay at the restaurant?”
“Well, yes.”
“What do you mean ‘well, yes’? The One Food Company is opening a franchise restaurant in front of our shop, and your father is very worried.”
“In front of the restaurant?”
“Yes.”
Unlike my expressionless father, my mother wore a concerned look. Yoon Taean added, as if to reassure them.
“The restaurant is popular, so it should be fine. How have you been lately, Mom?”
“Same as always. I work on my projects, and when it’s not going well, I take a break.”
The predictable conversation continued until the meal ended. My parents looked bewildered at my empty bowl. I smiled naturally and placed the dishes in the sink.
Soon, Yoon Taean said he would do the dishes, and I patted his shoulder as if to say ‘good job.’ Our parents, who had been watching us intently, sighed in surprise.
