Chapter 49: Finishing Work and Having Beer with Pizza (Pimaek)

He must have blanked out for a moment.

“When did I finish all of this?”

Kim Daewon was startled to see the empty bowl in his hand.

While he sat dazed, Im Jeongmyeong, who had been serving, approached and asked.

“I’ll take the empty bowl, please hand it to me.”

As Kim Daewon passed the bowl, he asked quietly.

“By any chance… could I have one more bowl?”

Kim Daewon didn’t remember that Im Jeongmyeong had eaten bibimbap at his restaurant.

He had no interest in customers.

He only cared about kitchen work.

So even when he saw Im Jeongmyeong, he didn’t realize the man had visited Narae Snacks.

Im Jeongmyeong had also never properly seen Kim Daewon’s face, since the chef always kept his head down in the kitchen.

The two were acquaintances yet strangers.

Im Jeongmyeong took the empty bowl and said politely, even though Kim Daewon was much younger.

“I’ll bring it right away.”

He bowed slightly and headed to the kitchen.

When the kitchen door opened, Kim Daewon tried to peek inside.

He wanted to see the face of the head chef.

But the door closed quickly, and he couldn’t see anyone inside.

***

“This is driving me crazy.”

He had devoured another bowl in the blink of an eye.

Kim Daewon’s belief had always been that the flavor of food came from salty seasoning.

Yet he couldn’t understand why this perilla-oil makguksu, with almost no visible seasoning, was so delicious.

Conversations from people around him reached his ears.

“This makguksu is insane.”

“It’s my first time trying perilla-oil makguksu, but it’s perfect for my taste.”

“Wow, I usually don’t like things that are too light, but this goes down so smoothly.”

Every single comment was praise for the perilla-oil makguksu.

Then suddenly a young man started humming loudly.

“Hmm~ hmm. Hmm~”

Everyone’s attention turned to the eccentric behavior.

Kim Daewon also looked at the young man wearing black-rimmed glasses and dressed all in white.

The young man kept humming while chewing noodles, completely unbothered by the stares.

After listening for a while, Kim Daewon recognized the tune.

It was “Mind Star,” the new song by singer Paul One that was currently dominating every music chart.

The young man’s humming grew louder the more he ate, and soon his shoulders were bouncing too.

Kim Daewon looked at him like he was insane, but most people just laughed as if it was amusing.

“He hasn’t changed at all.”

Myung Hyerim, the painter who loved red, muttered while watching the young man.

Another artist beside her giggled.

“Who could ever stop Jung Jiwoo? No one can.”

Jung Jiwoo.

The name wasn’t unfamiliar to Kim Daewon.

His eyes flashed with recognition.

The genius composer Jung Jiwoo who lived in Chuncheon!

He had debuted as a composer when he was young, and every song he gave to singers over the past ten years became a massive hit, making him a bona fide hit-maker.

Paul One’s new song “Mind Star” was also his work.

Kim Daewon, who, surprisingly, followed entertainment news closely, realized this was that Jung Jiwoo.

Jung Jiwoo only stopped humming after finishing all his makguksu.

“Ahh, that was delicious. The kind of taste that makes melodies just pop into your head.”

He spoke to himself casually even though he had come alone.

“What a weirdo.”

To an ordinary person like Kim Daewon, that’s exactly how he looked.

Jung Jiwoo handed his empty bowl to a nearby staff member and stroked his chin with a serious face.

“Now that I think about it, how many days has it been since I last went outside? I’ve been holed up playing games so much I’ve lost track of time. Ah, suddenly I’m craving the pork belly from the pig restaurant.”

At those words, the ears of several people, including Kim Daewon, perked up.

They were all players of Real.

“Nngh, no good. I need to go play the game.”

Having come to Yu Sunjae’s exhibition only to eat perilla-oil makguksu and now craving pork belly from the pig restaurant, he left without regret.

“That guy really is a total weirdo.”

Seeing someone from a completely different world made Kim Daewon feel strange.

He suddenly checked the time.

“Oh crap. I’m late. Sora-ssi will just leave if I don’t keep the appointment time.”

Kim Daewon hurriedly left the exhibition hall.

***

Narae Snacks is closed every Saturday.

Today was Saturday, and the restaurant’s doors were firmly shut.

In the empty hall, owner Oh Chunsik sat alone, drinking soju.

His only side dish was the leftover kimchi jjigae from yesterday with the staff.

Gulp! “Kuuuh.”

He downed a shot and scooped some jjigae.

The reason he was drinking in broad daylight with the sign turned off was simple.

Sales had plummeted these past few days.

More precisely, they had nosedived ever since Irim quit.

It was strange.

The taste of the food hadn’t changed from before Irim arrived.

Yet the number of customers had dropped.

Many came expecting bibimbap, rice bowls, and fried rice dishes, only to be disappointed and leave.

Those people didn’t come back the next day.

If the taste had always been consistent, it might have been fine, but after briefly becoming much better and then dropping back to normal, customers stopped coming.

Oh Chunsik couldn’t understand it.

“Yeah, yeah! Irim was insanely good at fried eggs and rice. Thanks to him, rice dishes were way better for a while. But just because he left doesn’t mean our food turned to trash. It’s the same as before he came, so why aren’t they coming?! Damn it!”

He complained to the empty air and downed another shot.

Gulp! “Khaaa.”

His gaze turned to the TV in the hall that was on just to kill the loneliness.

A cooking variety show called “Clear Out the Fridge” was playing.

The show featured Kang Sanhae, currently one of Korea’s hottest chefs.

The format was Kang Sanhae visiting viewers who sent in stories and making delicious dishes with whatever was in their fridge.

He was joined by popular entertainer Shim Dongseob as MC.

The two were on their way to a viewer’s house, chatting.

Amid the conversation, Shim Dongseob asked Kang Sanhae a question.

– By the way, Chef Kang, as everyone knows, your competition record is dazzling. But they say there’s one blemish?

– Yes. It was the last competition I entered. I always took first place, but that one time I slipped and got second.

– Aigoo, you should’ve just skipped that one.

– So I stopped entering competitions altogether afterward, afraid the blemish would grow bigger.

– Hahaha, you’re funny. Do you remember the name of that last competition?

– It was the Mir Korean Cuisine Competition.

Hearing the conversation on TV, Oh Chunsik tilted his head.

“Mir Korean Cuisine Competition?”

It sounded familiar.

Why did it feel so familiar?

As he thought hard, something flashed through his mind.

He quickly opened a drawer under the counter and pulled out a document.

It was the resume Irim had submitted.

“Mir… Mir… Mir… Ah, here it is.”

At the very top of the awards section was written: “2019 Mir Korean Cuisine Competition – Winner.”

“N-No way…”

Then Shim Dongseob and Kang Sanhae’s voices came through again.

– So it was the Mir Korean Cuisine Competition. When was that?

– About ten years ago. I don’t remember the exact date.

Ten years ago. The timing matched perfectly.

“Gasp!”

Oh Chunsik felt like he’d been hit in the back of the head with a hammer.

“I-Irim… beat that Kang Sanhae?!”

His blood rushed backward.

He hadn’t even drunk that much, but dizziness hit him hard.

CRASH!

Oh Chunsik fell backward while trying to sit down.

Lying on the floor staring at the ceiling, unable to get up, he wailed.

“I didn’t recognize a goose that lays golden eggs!”

He pounded his chest while shouting, then pulled out his smartphone and called Irim.

But Irim didn’t answer.

“Aigooo!”

Oh Chunsik hit his chest again.

No matter how much he regretted it, the bus had already left.

3 p.m.

***

At Yu Sunjae’s new exhibition, food was only served until this exact time.

When Yu Sunjae said they no longer needed to cook, Irim’s team, who had been moving nonstop in the kitchen, let out a collective sigh.

“Phew. It’s finally over.”

“Good work, oppa.”

“You both worked really hard.”

The three exchanged words and smiled at each other.

Having helped one another through a busy time in the same space deepened their bond.

“But Soonyoung nuna, your knife skills are no joke. And you’re so fast. The kitchen suits you more than the hall, don’t you think?”

“Oh, stop it. I like joking around with customers. Being stuck in the kitchen cooking all day is boring. I already have to cook for my husband and kids when I get home—why would I do it at work too? No thanks.”

Classic Kim Soonyoung answer.

“How about me, oppa?”

Yu Mirae asked with eyes full of expectation.

“You were fast too, Mirae. And you read the situation really well. Thanks to you, cooking was much easier.”

It was sincere.

Yu Mirae was sharp and had great “work sense.”

She never panicked and judged situations quickly, which was a huge help to Irim.

“Ahh, praise always feels good.”

As the three were enjoying the compliments, Yu Sunjae and Im Jeongmyeong entered the kitchen.

“Aigoo~ You all worked so hard.”

Yu Sunjae warmly grasped Irim’s and Kim Soonyoung’s hands, one in each of his.

“If it weren’t for you two, we would’ve been in big trouble. I’m truly grateful. The perilla-oil makguksu—everyone who ate it loved it. So many asked for seconds, and later on, my artworks became the side dish. People came to see the paintings but only talked about the noodles before leaving.”

Even though the food had overshadowed his art, Yu Sunjae didn’t look upset at all.

Every time the guests talked about the perilla-oil makguksu, it felt like his late wife was there with him in the exhibition hall, which made him happy.

“Our Mirae worked hard too.”

“And the pay will be generous, right?”

“Of course~ it has to be.”

Yu Sunjae handed out three envelopes he had prepared in advance.

“Hehe~ Thank you, sir.”

Kim Soonyoung turned around quickly and checked inside her envelope—her jaw dropped.

There were ten 50,000-won bills.

“U-Um, sir… this is way too much pay?”

“You did work worth every bit of it, so just keep it. Today was the happiest and most joyful exhibition I’ve ever had in my life. Can you buy happiness with money? Can you put a price on it? So actually, this money is still too little.”

“B-But still…”

Yu Sunjae waved his hand dismissively.

“This old body stood too long—my legs are shaking. I’ll be going now. Thank you all so much.”

Before Kim Soonyoung could say more, Yu Sunjae leaned on his cane and left the kitchen.

To Kim Soonyoung, who still looked burdened, Im Jeongmyeong said,

“That friend isn’t just an artist. He’s a businessman artist. He’s the chairman of a huge corporation where money flows in just by breathing—so don’t feel burdened and accept it.”

When even Im Jeongmyeong said that, Kim Soonyoung nodded.

“Then I’ll gladly accept it. Hehe.”

Once everything was settled, Yu Mirae asked everyone,

“We got paid for the day, so how about we go unwind a little?”

“Unwind?”

When Irim echoed, Kim Soonyoung made a drinking gesture with her hand.

“This. This. Day drinking.”

Im Jeongmyeong tactfully excused himself.

“I got tired from serving, so I’ll head home first. Irim-ah, see you at the restaurant tomorrow.”

Before Irim could say anything, Im Jeongmyeong quickly left the kitchen.

“Huh? It would’ve been nice if Grandpa came too.”

Yu Mirae sounded disappointed.

“So what are we drinking?”

Kim Soonyoung asked about the type.

Yu Mirae answered almost reflexively.

“Beer with pizza?”

“Pimaek is perfect! What about you, Rim?”

At Kim Soonyoung’s question, Irim’s throat answered before his mouth could.

Gulp!

The afternoon drink menu was decided.