Chapter 58: Seon Je-min and Lee Ju-hyeong (3)

+

“I’ll make dinner tonight.”

“Really?”

“You said you wanted to try my cooking.”

On the fourteenth day of living and working at Seon Je-min’s restaurant, Lee Ju-hyeong decided to hold a knife for cooking rather than just ingredient preparation.

He stared down at the knife resting on a clearly aged wooden cutting board.

Seon Je-min spoke in a worried voice.

“Um, you don’t have to push yourself.”

“No, I’m not pushing myself.”

Ju-hyeong gripped the knife.

At the very least, his hands weren’t trembling as much as they had been when he first left the kitchen. He was at a level where he could create a somewhat satisfying dish, even if it wasn’t perfect.

*Scritch, scratch.*
*Tap, tap, tap.*
*Thud.*
*Splash.*

The sound effects, appearing in order like a scene from a comic book, filled the kitchen calmly and beautifully. They said that orderly noise could sometimes sound like music.

Je-min soon closed his eyes and enjoyed the sound.

Unlike his own frantic way of cooking, Ju-hyeong’s process was composed. It was as if every step had already been decided.

Three spoonfuls of dark soy sauce.
One spoonful of minced garlic.
Two spoonfuls of sugar.

Je-min, who had been merely watching the sauce being made, opened his notebook for the first time and recorded the recipe. Ju-hyeong watched him for a moment before speaking.

“Why do you like cooking so much?”

“What?”

“I mean cooking. You don’t seem to have learned from anyone, so I was curious how you came to like it so much. After seeing headlines like ‘The Child of a Knife-Wielding Murderer,’ it would be normal to want to give up on cooking.”

“Ah…”

“Food is a work of art that can ruin a person’s body if handled incorrectly. You might use the wrong ingredients, fail to strain the skins properly, or make a fatal mistake with a guest who has allergies. I cook with that kind of pressure, but I imagine it would be even worse for you.”

It was a blunt question asked while he continued his knife work, but the content was anything but light.

If Je-min intended to continue cooking in the future, he needed to think about this at least once.

Stopping the pen that had been moving across the notebook, Je-min replied.

“Then I’ll just have to work harder not to make those mistakes. Because it really is dangerous.”

“Hearing you say it like that makes it sound truly terrifying. Terrifying… but…”

The coward Je-min gripped his pen tightly and shook his head.

“Even so! I want to do it. I want to cook.”

“You know the grandmother who entrusted the register to me? The very first dish I ever made for her was seaweed soup. That was the first time that blunt grandmother ever smiled. She was crying and laughing because it was so delicious, and when I saw that… for the first time, I thought that even someone like me, the child of a murderer, could make someone happy.”

The corners of Je-min’s mouth slowly curled upward.

He seemed to be lost in the memory of his grandmother.

The tip of Je-min’s nose turned red.

Whether it was because of the cold winter or some other reason, one couldn’t tell.

“I used to think I couldn’t make anyone happy, but I was wrong. Cooking was the first thing that taught me that, so I don’t think I can give up, even when I hear scary things like that.”

“I have no intention of becoming famous. It’s enough for me if I can just make good food for the elderly in our neighborhood.”

“But you’re great at cooking! You’re going to become even more famous.”

“…”

“I see.”

Ju-hyeong gave a short reply.

The dish Ju-hyeong made that day was a beef bulgogi rice bowl.

“Wow. All the carrots look exactly the same.”

“Hey, this is nothing. Originally, they should be identical down to the millimeter.”

“No way! Do you use a ruler?”

“Why would I use… a ruler? Forget it, just eat.”

It was a dish that would have been reasonably delicious no matter who made it, and it was a dish Ju-hyeong could manage perfectly even with his slightly trembling hands.

“Whoa… this is really delicious. Seriously! Wow! So this is the cooking of a hotel chef! This is amazing!”

“Eat slowly, kid.”

“Yes, *cough, cough!*”

“Hey, you want some water?”

“Yes, *cough!*”

+

Until a few minutes ago, Ji Han-ho’s plan had been perfect.

The plan was to get close to the rookie who had just debuted, explain his shortcomings, and create a good project together.

After delivering his lines perfectly in character as Lee Ju-hyeong, just as he had researched, he looked at Jeon Yeo-hoo.

Since it was an audition, he expected Yeo-hoo to act with moderate effort, and he was prepared for that.

But was his expectation wrong?

He saw Jeon Yeo-hoo’s distorted expression.

‘What is this? Is this the right timing for Seon Je-min to make that kind of face?’

“Then I’ll just have to work harder not to make those mistakes. Because it really is dangerous.”

“Hearing you say it like that makes it sound truly terrifying. Terrifying… but… even so. I want to do it. I want to cook.”

…

‘This is unbelievable,’ Ji Han-ho thought.

“You know the grandmother who entrusted the register to me? The very first dish I ever made for her was seaweed soup. That was the first time that blunt grandmother ever smiled. She was crying and laughing because it was so delicious.”

A shallow ripple wavered over his eyes, which should have been happy while recollecting the memory.

“When I saw that… for the first time, I thought that even someone like me, the child of a murderer, could make someone happy.”

“I used to think I couldn’t make anyone happy. But I was wrong. Cooking was the first thing that taught me that, so I don’t think I can give up, even when I hear scary things like that.”

The reason why meeting a good acting partner is important is because your own acting is influenced by the other person’s performance.

He thought he had researched Lee Ju-hyeong perfectly, but the moment he acted with Jeon Yeo-hoo, all the memories and lines he had studied while holed up alone vanished.

Yet, the next words came out naturally.

“I see.”

How many different emotions could be contained in that one short sentence?

Until he met the Seon Je-min standing before him, Ji Han-ho thought the only emotion in Ju-hyeong’s response was pity.

But it was different.

Before him, a man who had lost all his goals and dreams.

There was a young man who continued to dream, even though he knew a path of thorns lay ahead.

Was this truly pity? Or was it jealousy toward that spirit of challenge…?

Or perhaps it was the joy of discovering a young man who reminded him of his younger self?

Lee Ju-hyeong’s response was an answer mixed with all sorts of emotions.

“Eat slowly, kid.”

“Yes, *cough, cough!*”

“Hey, you want some water?”

And.

Until the moment he delivered the final line, Ji Han-ho hoped this moment wouldn’t end.

He wanted to hold onto this feeling until the very end.

This was his seventh year since his debut.

It was a time when the acting slumps and anxieties that supposedly come every few years were reaching their peak.

This was the moment all those worries were shattered.

‘This is fun.’

He remembered the first time he had ever acted.

The day he stood before the camera, heard the director’s cue, and looked into his partner’s face.

It wasn’t about the appearance fee or the responsibility he had to bear for a single mistake.

It was a time when he was simply happy to be acting—when he could live joyfully just through the filming in front of him.

Those younger days when he was happy and carefree through acting alone.

Ji Han-ho couldn’t take his eyes off Jeon Yeo-hoo until the moment the rookie finished his last line and closed the script.

In the end, it was Jeon Yeo-hoo, who emerged from that world first, who signaled that the scene was over.

***

“Thank you.”

“Ah. Thank you as well.”

“This is great! It’s like Lee Ju-hyeong stepped right out of the pages of the script.”

Ji Han-ho felt dazed by all the praise in the room.

So Si-in spoke candidly about what she felt while watching his acting.

“Since you’re so famous as a romance actor, Han-ho, you have a reputation for having a soft image. But every time I saw your face, I thought you would suit a sharp and sensitive character like Lee Ju-hyeong perfectly. I’m so happy to see I wasn’t wrong. This is really great, isn’t it?”

So Si-in’s words were full of nothing but praise, and everyone else in the room seemed to feel the same.

However, Ji Han-ho knew that not all of that praise was directed at him.

This was only possible because that rookie had been his partner.

“Then we’ll wrap up the audition here and relay the casting details to you separately. We’ll be in touch within a week. But honestly, I don’t know who else could play Lee Ju-hyeong if not you, Han-ho. Haha.”

“Yes, I understand. Thank you.”

After a brief handshake with So Si-in, Ji Han-ho reached out his hand to Jeon Yeo-hoo first.

“Thank you for today.”

“No, the honor was mine.”

“But… Yeo-hoo, you’re a really good actor. I was surprised.”

This was the greatest praise Ji Han-ho, whose pride had been thoroughly crushed, could give to Jeon Yeo-hoo.

Whether he knew how Han-ho felt or not, the rookie actor Jeon Yeo-hoo smiled very happily with an innocent face as he shook his hand.

“Thank you, Senior. I hope we can act together again next time.”

***

“But… Yeo-hoo, you’re a really good actor. I was surprised.”

‘Look at this guy’s expression.’

‘His pride is crushed, and he can’t even give me advice. He just smiles. It’s hilarious.’

I suppressed the urge to clutch my stomach and burst out laughing in front of Ji Han-ho the moment the acting ended.

The answer to who acted better was obvious, wasn’t it?

‘I’m going to die laughing.’

It was refreshing.

To be honest, I’ll admit that Ji Han-ho’s character was better than mine before I regressed, but that doesn’t mean he acts better than me.

I felt like I was going to throw up because of that guy earlier, so this much revenge is light.

After Ji Han-ho left, So Si-in whispered a question to me.

“Yeo-hoo, what did you think of Ji Han-ho?”

“He seems like a very good person. I had a lot to learn from him since we acted together.”

“Right!”

So Si-in jumped up just as she had at the cafe.

It had been a long time since I’d seen someone so honest with their emotions.

Park Min-tae, seeing So Si-in like this for the first time, seemed quite surprised.

“I feel like all this luck came because you introduced me to Director Park Min-tae and joined us. You’re a real lucky charm! I think I understand why CEO Eun-bin likes you so much now. Are you like a luck doll? Or something like that?”

‘Isn’t it more like a misfortune doll?’

Most of the people close to me had either died or retired.

“We’ll probably pick Ji Han-ho, but I’ll let you know as soon as the decision is made! Oh, we’re going to grab dinner together in a bit. Do you want to come?”

“Yeah, Yeo-hoo. Let’s go together.”

Director Park Min-tae, who had been quiet, suddenly poked his head forward.

Both of them had expectant looks in their eyes.

“No. I have plans for dinner tonight.”

“Really? That’s a shame. Let’s at least have a meal together next time. My treat.”

I exchanged brief goodbyes with So Si-in, Park Min-tae, and the other staff members before leaving.

The audition had taken longer than expected, and it was already 5:00 PM.

Since the appointment was at 5:00 PM, I was essentially already late.

It would take 42 minutes by subway, 47 minutes by taxi…

Just as I realized I was already late no matter what I did, a call came from the person I had dinner plans with.

“Hello.”

A familiar voice came through the line.

“Jeon Yeo-hoo— where are you?”

“Ah. Well…”

“Well what?”

“I’m almost there. I’m right in front.”