Still, she thought about coming down for a meal, but Lee Hye-won never showed up at the restaurant.
Sang-woong was worried about her, but he didn’t want to burden her in any way.
He thought that just doing whatever she was doing might be a source of stress for her.
Even as the days passed with no sign of her at the restaurant, he refrained from asking about her or reaching out.
***
As people hurried to have their lunch, Lee Hye-won reached out toward the stacked delivery boxes at the entrance with a familiar movement.
Her cheek was pale and sunken, so she pressed her ear against the door, wondering if anyone was outside.
Only when she was sure no one was nearby did she open the door, grab the heavy box, and bring it inside.
Without much thought, she tore off the tape, her eyes showing no anticipation or excitement.
It wasn’t eagerness or joy, but a hollow gaze repeating a mechanical motion—a habit.
Inside the box were nothing but piles of snacks and instant foods.
Come to think of it, her body had noticeably gained weight compared to when she first arrived here.
She had once been a person who owed more than anyone else.
She loved music and lived breathing with it.
But now, that bright image had long disappeared.
Instead, regret and self-reproach from stress-induced binge eating became her daily life.
To relieve the pressure and anxiety in her heart, she forced food down her throat, and the brief calm that followed was always met with even greater torment.
Even though she felt her body and mind growing weary, she had no strength to break the vicious cycle.
At least when the manager was around, she could somewhat control herself, but left alone here, she was completely defenseless.
One day, carrying a heavy package of frozen food on her way home, she happened to run into Lee Ji-an, who lived upstairs, right in front of the apartment entrance.
“Hello, unnie!”
Lee Ji-an ran up brightly, smiling as she greeted her, but Hye-won awkwardly bowed her head.
“Unnie, why don’t you come eat at the restaurant? It’s really delicious! Ah, and Mr. Sang-woong worries about you a lot.”
Lee Ji-an’s innocent words caught Hye-won’s feet from moving forward.
“Oh, the President’s older brother…”
She had forgotten.
He wasn’t just a simple restaurant owner.
He was the President’s brother, a company investor, and also a director.
She couldn’t just let herself crumble helplessly like this.
She had to show at least some respect.
Especially if she had no intention of quitting singing.
A few days later, Lee Hye-won mustered the courage to open Sang-woong’s restaurant door.
The tension entering an unfamiliar space made her fingertips go cold.
“Welcome.”
Sang-woong, sitting at the counter, looked up.
Though he appeared indifferent, he was momentarily speechless at her changed appearance.
He caught a brief glimpse of concern in his eyes, unable to ignore the flesh barely concealed beneath the loose T-shirt.
But he quickly hid his expression and pointed to a seat with a friendly face.
“Hello. Please have a seat, Hye-won.”
“Hello, Director.”
Lee Hye-won bowed and sat in the designated seat.
“Our food here is delicious. What would you like?”
Sang-woong had many questions but didn’t ask them.
He didn’t want to pressure her, who was clearly nervous, so he spoke only what was necessary.
Looking at the menu board on the wall, she quietly placed her order.
“Um… Doenjang-jjigae, please.”
“Good choice.”
Sang-woong immediately entered the kitchen and busily moved about.
In less than ten minutes, the table was set.
A few neatly arranged side dishes, a steaming bowl of white rice, and a bubbling pot of doenjang-jjigae in a stone bowl.
Lee Hye-won deliberately avoided eye contact and quickly took a deep breath.
She just wanted to eat quickly and leave because the seat felt uncomfortable.
The moment the doenjang-jjigae touched her lips, all the noise in the world seemed to fade away.
Not too salty, not bland—a perfect harmony.
The deep, savory flavor wrapped around her tongue, awakening forgotten taste buds.
‘Th-this… is delicious!’
Though she had eaten at countless restaurants while attending various events, she had never tasted doenjang-jjigae this good.
What about the rice that followed?
The plump, chewy grains melted in her mouth, spreading warm and mild energy throughout her body.
For someone who had only eaten snacks and instant meals, this was the genuine taste she hadn’t felt in a long time.
No, it was something beyond that.
Without thinking, she emptied the bowl of rice.
She wanted more, but didn’t dare to order a second bowl.
“Thank you for the meal.”
When she finished and left the restaurant, her steps were reluctant.
Back home, as if by habit, she opened the cupboard and took out some snacks and instant ramen.
But the warm chestnuts and hearty doenjang-jjigae she’d eaten at the restaurant kept circling in her mind.
And Lee Hye-won realized that her depression, which had weighed her down so heavily, felt a little lighter.
It was the power of the freshwater shrimp melted in the doenjang-jjigae broth.
She couldn’t forget that taste.
For several days, she tried cooking rice and doenjang-jjigae on her own, but could never imitate the flavor from Sang-woong’s restaurant.
Eventually, she naturally started visiting Sang-woong’s restaurant again.
“Welcome.”
Sang-woong greeted her as usual, without special attention but naturally.
“Director. One doenjang-jjigae, please.”
“Yes.”
Sang-woong headed to the kitchen as soon as the order was placed.
Today, he carefully added a few special leaves of Arcana Plant that he had secretly saved.
Since expanding the land, he had been growing the Arcana Plant.
This plant was said to increase internal energy consumption, promote calorie burning, and assist fat metabolism.
So far, no one here had needed a diet, so it was sold in the Shop Window, but Sang-woong thought it would help Hye-won greatly and had prepared it since her last visit.
The doenjang-jjigae and rice were as delicious as ever, bringing tears to her eyes.
She emptied a bowl of chestnuts in an instant.
And today, she dared to ask.
“Director, can I have more doenjang-jjigae and rice?”
“Of course.”
Sang-woong said, as if it were natural, and served her another bowl of rice and doenjang-jjigae.
Eating the second bowl, her first feeling was simply, “I’m happy.”
And somehow, her heart felt lighter and stronger.
It was a feeling she had never experienced since leaving the company.
From that day on, Hye-won visited the restaurant every day.
Both lunch and dinner were settled at Sang-woong’s restaurant.
On the one day off each week, she felt almost depressed from not going.
Through her steady visits, an amazing change came over her.
The heavy depression that always weighed her down began to lift little by little, and her swollen weight gradually started to drop.
It was all thanks to the Freshwater Stream Water that boosted her vitality and the freshwater shrimp that calmed her mind.
She no longer reached for bags of snacks or instant ramen at home.
She was warmed by the comforting rice and soup from the restaurant.
Regaining her energy, she found the leisure to look around.
She opened the door to her long-shut room.
The computer and MIDI keyboard—her whole world—were still there.
Since coming here, she hadn’t turned on the power even once.
Before, no matter how tired she was, she never neglected her music work.
Creating music had been her greatest happiness, but how had it come to this? A sigh escaped.
Then her eyes fell on the view outside the window.
Beyond the glass was a quiet, peaceful, picturesque scene.
A narrow path winding through deep green foliage, white clouds drifting gently across the clear blue sky… It was a beautiful scene, as if time had stopped in the serene silence.
Within that peaceful scenery, living creatures freely roamed.
They were her neighbors—Ji-an, Gu Eun-woo, the big dog Leon, and the cat Minky—all happily filming together.
‘Oh, right. They were doing YouTube.’
Lee Hye-won’s interest naturally turned to the channel of the neighbors.
The channel was filled with thumbnails of Minky and Leon.
When she played a video, she saw Minky and Leon freely roaming the spacious yard, with Ji-an smiling brightly along with them.
Their cuteness and happiness brought a smile to her lips.
At that moment, inspiration struck.
She quickly turned on the computer.
The first thing that came to mind was the lively piano melody.
Like Minky’s lively movements, the notes created a popping rhythm.
Following the scenes in her mind, she layered the melody.
Running under the sunlight, laughter carried by the breeze…
Her fingers freely danced over the keys, producing a clear, refreshing sound.
When the piano melody took shape, she added warm and soft guitar sounds.
Like Leon’s gentle gaze, the guitar deepened the melody, wrapping around it.
The gentle guitar riff quietly felt like silently watching the happy daily life of the two creatures.
She took off her headphones for a moment to catch her breath.
Only her breath echoed softly in the stillness of the room.
Putting the headphones back on, the melody full of Minky and Leon’s happiness filled her ears.
Smiling, she dove back into her work.
Next came adding the rhythm track.
Manipulating the drum machine, she created a lively yet stable beat.
Like their footsteps, the rhythm breathed life into the music.
The heavy bass line holding the center made the entire piece richer.
Forgetting the passing of time, she concentrated on composing.
Inspired by Minky and Leon’s happy appearance, beautiful music was born at her fingertips.
In the warm dome of the new wall, her room gradually filled with warm and positive energy.
The next day, Lee Hye-won went to the filming site where Minky and Leon were being recorded.
Lee Ji-an was communicating closely with the crow while Gu Eun-woo was diligently filming with the camera Sang-woong had bought.
“Minky, are you tired? Want to try this?”
Lee Ji-an offered a clean bowl filled with wet food mixed with chicken breast.
Minky, seeming to want more, made eye contact with Ji-an and quietly meowed before approaching the bowl to sniff the strong smell.
Satisfied with the smell, Minky bowed her head and started eating with a lively sound.
“Minky, you have to eat well. That way, you’ll have healthy chicks.”
Lee Ji-an gently stroked Minky’s head as it ate.
Watching this scene, a smile naturally appeared on Lee Hye-won’s lips.
It felt like watching a child happily eating their favorite food, warming a corner of her heart.
After eating, Minky looked tired and comfortably lay down inside the house.
Gu Eun-woo hurried to set up the camera in front of the dog’s house.
He didn’t want to miss the important moment of Minky giving birth.
“Unnie! Hello!”
When the filming was over, Lee Ji-an ran over and greeted her.
Hye-won waved with a bright face and said,
“I was curious after watching your YouTube channel, so I came to see.”
“Oh my, unnie, you were one of our subscribers?”
Lee Ji-an’s eyes widened.
To a beginner YouTuber, subscribers were more precious than anything.
And this was their very first meeting with such a precious subscriber!
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