Chapter 29: Perilla Oil Makguksu

What Irim pulled out of the refrigerator was perilla oil.  

The oil Im Jeongmyeong mentioned pressing that morning was none other than perilla oil.  

Perilla oil makguksu.  

Perilla oil makguksu wasn’t a well-known dish, and restaurants serving it were rare.  

No wonder Yoo Soonjae, unfamiliar with cooking and suffering from age-related memory decline, couldn’t pinpoint the dish.  

From what Irim knew, the only makguksu that was lightly seasoned, aromatic, and lacked broth or spicy sauce was perilla oil makguksu.  

He had once tried it by chance at a restaurant in Yongin famous for the dish.  

Enamored by its flavor, he had done some research on it afterward.  

Perilla oil makguksu varied widely from household to household, with no standard recipe or garnishes.  

Irim wanted to recreate the taste from Yoo Soonjae’s memory as closely as possible.  

He mentioned a crisp texture too.  

Since it was lightly seasoned, it couldn’t be something like pickled radish or cabbage.  

A crisp ingredient that wasn’t strongly flavored but paired well with perilla oil makguksu would be…  

Bean sprouts, mung bean sprouts, or maybe shredded cabbage.  

Fortunately, there were mung bean sprouts in the fridge.  

That was all he could find there.  

Irim rummaged through the kitchen’s corners.  

Sesame seeds, seaweed, soy sauce, sugar—all here… but no buckwheat noodles.  

Stepping out of the kitchen, Irim said to Im Jeongmyeong, “Boss, we might actually have a special dish today.”  

“Huh? Did you find something to work with?”  

“We’re missing one thing—buckwheat noodles. I’ll run to the nearby mart to grab some.”  

“You don’t have to go that far, Irim.”  

“I want to do this. I’ll be right back.”  

Before anyone could stop him, Irim dashed out and returned in less than five minutes with buckwheat noodles.  

Now, all the ingredients were ready.  

Irim filled a pot with water and set it on the stove.  

Once the water was boiling vigorously, he briefly blanched the mung bean sprouts and set them aside.  

In the same water, he cooked the buckwheat noodles.  

After draining the perfectly cooked noodles and rinsing them thoroughly in cold water as if washing laundry, he divided the noodles and sprouts into three large bowls.  

He drizzled a moderate amount of perilla oil over each, added a tiny bit of soy sauce and sugar, and mixed well.  

Finally, he sprinkled generously with hand-crushed sesame seeds and crumbled seaweed.  

And with that, a simple perilla oil makguksu was complete.  

It looked simple, but if the noodles weren’t cooked just right or the ingredients weren’t balanced, the dish could easily fall flat.  

Irim brought the finished dish to the table, setting it down neatly.  

Im Jeongmyeong and Yoo Soonjae’s faces lit up with smiles.  

“Well, what’s this?” Yoo Soonjae asked.  

“Perilla oil makguksu.”  

“Perilla oil makguksu?”  

“Yes.”  

The moment he heard the name, Yoo Soonjae’s head buzzed.  

It felt both unfamiliar and strangely familiar.  

But his fading memory couldn’t quite place why it felt familiar.  

“Perilla oil makguksu, huh? I’ve heard of it, but this is my first time trying it,” Im Jeongmyeong said, mixing the noodles gently.  

“You just mix it like this and eat, right?”  

“Yes.”  

Irim picked up his chopsticks as he answered.  

Though he couldn’t smell the aroma, the two older men were already salivating as the nutty scent of perilla oil wafted up while mixing the noodles.  

“Hold on… this smell.”  

Yoo Soonjae tilted his head as he mixed his noodles.  

“This… it’s that smell.”  

His mind may have forgotten perilla oil makguksu, but his nose remembered.  

While Yoo Soonjae was entranced by the aroma, Im Jeongmyeong took a big bite of the noodles.  

The glossy buckwheat noodles, coated in perilla oil, looked phenomenal.  

Slurp!  

After a brief moment of admiration, the noodles entered Im Jeongmyeong’s mouth.  

“Heh heh.”  

He let out a chuckle unconsciously.  

The rich, nutty aroma of perilla oil spreading through his mouth was simply divine.  

The buckwheat noodles were cooked so perfectly that they had a delightful, springy texture.  

The longer he chewed, the more the inherent flavor of buckwheat emerged, enhancing the dish’s depth.  

And that wasn’t all.  

The crisp mung bean sprouts were a stroke of genius.  

The small amounts of soy sauce and sugar didn’t overpower the perilla oil’s aroma, adding just a hint of umami.  

The seaweed clinging to the noodles played its supporting role perfectly, adding a savory touch.  

Yet, despite all this, it was an undeniably simple dish.  

And that simplicity was its charm.  

In a world overflowing with bold, stimulating foods, this dish gave the weary tongue a moment to rest.  

Rather than feeling under-seasoned, it felt perfectly complete as it was.  

“How is it?” 

Irim asked Im Jeongmyeong, who beamed.  

“It’s really delicious. What about you, friend?”  

Im Jeongmyeong and Irim’s gazes turned to Yoo Soonjae.  

But Yoo Soonjae, with a mouthful of noodles, had his head bowed and didn’t respond.  

“You alright?” 

Im Jeongmyeong asked again.  

Yoo Soonjae barely swallowed his food and choked out, “My love…”  

Still keeping his head down, he took another big bite of the perilla oil makguksu.  

His eyes fluttered shut.  

Drip.  

A tear fell from his eyes onto the noodles.  

When he closed his eyes, the world should have gone dark, but instead, it was dazzlingly bright.  

He stood in a field of perilla plants under a warm, sunlit sky, surrounded by vibrant green.  

The gentle breeze carried the comforting scent of perilla, soothing his soul.  

Ahead, someone was picking perilla leaves.  

A beautiful woman, with a handful of leaves, straightened up and smiled at Yoo Soonjae.  

“My love…”  

The woman he could never forget, even in dreams, beckoned him closer.  

With trembling legs, Yoo Soonjae approached her.  

She handed him the perilla leaves and gently caressed his cheek, saying,  

“Thank you for always looking only at me. Our time in this world was short, but those were the happiest days of my life. Soonjae, my one and only. Why did you treat me like I was made of gold and jade?”

“I was always looked down on, but with you, I lived like a princess. You’re such a kind and wonderful person. I’m doing well here.”

“Take your time coming to me. Just as you stayed true to me, I’ll wait for you without ever looking elsewhere.”  

“My love…!”  

His radiant wife left him with a smile brighter than sunlight and faded away.  

But Yoo Soonjae couldn’t hold onto her.  

The perilla field vanished, and his eyes opened.  

Was it a vision brought on by the scent of perilla oil? 

Or a dream from a brief nap?  

His shoulders trembled faintly.  

“Sniff… sob…”  

He cried like a child.  

Yet, he kept eating the perilla oil makguksu, forcing it down.  

Finally finishing the bowl, Yoo Soonjae grabbed Irim’s hand tightly.  

Between the wrinkles etched by time, his longing for someone was deeply embedded.  

Without even thinking to wipe his streaming tears, he expressed his gratitude.  

“Thank you, young chef. I… I finally remembered. This was it. The dish my love made for me was perilla oil makguksu. It’s not flashy, but its simple, honest flavor is exquisite.”

“That’s exactly how she was—humble, kind, gentle, and beautiful. Thanks to you, I just saw her. I saw my love, who left forty years ago and rarely even appeared in my dreams.”

“Now, even if I live the rest of my life without tasting food, I’m content. I have no regrets anymore. Truly… thank you, young chef.”  

After pouring out his words, Yoo Soonjae sobbed again.  

Im Jeongmyeong wiped his tears with a tissue.  

Irim held Yoo Soonjae’s hand tightly, not letting go.  

Tears welled up in Irim’s eyes as well.  

Could he, like Yoo Soonjae, live forty years longing for a loved one who had passed?  

Yoo Soonjae’s pure devotion was profound.  

Perilla oil makguksu suited him perfectly.  

*** 

Irim offered his own portion to Yoo Soonjae as well.  

Yoo Soonjae refused at first, but when Irim reassured him he could make more anytime, he finally accepted.  

Finishing two bowls of perilla oil makguksu in one sitting, Yoo Soonjae finally calmed down.  

With red, teary eyes, he looked at Irim.  

To him, this young man was now nothing short of a savior.  

He had recreated the dish of his beloved wife, allowing him to see her again.  

It might have been a fleeting illusion.  

But that didn’t matter.  

“Young chef. Irim, right?”  

“Yes, sir.”  

“I owe you a great debt today. I can’t let this pass without repaying you.”  

“It was just a meal. And it was made with ingredients from the boss’s kitchen. All I did was buy the buckwheat noodles.”  

“Still, you’re the one who made it. I may not know much else, but I’ve got a knack for business and have made a fair bit of money.”

“In a world where money is power, I’ve built some good connections too. So, if you ever face a problem you can’t solve alone, come to me. I’ll do my best to help.”  

Irim wasn’t the type to ask for favors, but to honor the old man’s feelings, he agreed.  

“Phew. I’ll head out now. I think I need to rest early today. Jeongmyeong, you’ve hired an incredible chef.”  

“I’ve got an eye for people, don’t I? Heh heh.”  

“Treasure him. He’s a gem.”  

“Don’t worry, my friend.”  

Yoo Soonjae nodded, put on his straw hat, grabbed his cane, and left the restaurant.  

Irim followed to see him off.  

In the courtyard, a sleek black luxury sedan was parked.  

Though Irim didn’t know much about cars, he could tell it was expensive.  

A well-built man in a crisp suit stepped out from the passenger side and approached Yoo Soonjae.  

“Chairman, did you enjoy your meal?”  

“It was phenomenal.”  

Yoo Soonjae’s satisfied response made his secretary and bodyguard, Jeong Duho, widen his eyes.  

It was the first time in nearly a year that he’d said a meal was delicious.  

Yoo Soonjae turned back to glance at Irim.  

“I’ll be going, young chef. No, Irim.”  

Irim, who had no idea Yoo Soonjae held such a prominent position, returned the farewell in a daze.  

“Yes, take care, sir.”  

“Let’s go.”  

Jeong Duho opened the sedan’s back door, and Yoo Soonjae got in.  

Jeong Duho gave Irim a quick look before getting into the passenger seat.  

The sedan smoothly pulled out of the restaurant’s courtyard.  

Watching the car disappear, Irim felt as if he’d been enchanted.