The House (3)
"Let's take a thirty-minute break, then start filming."
"Yes, we'll see you shortly."
Once I heard the sound of them leaving, I spun my chair around and gazed out the window where the sunlight streamed in. The thing I liked most about the house we'd been given this time was this window — a privilege of Seoul's high-rises, with a view of the Han River — stretching from the soaring ceiling all the way down to the floor.
The high ceiling and that view, like something you'd only see from an observation deck, gave off an overwhelming sense of openness. Could you even call this a window? It felt almost insulting to call it a window.
Anyway. I needed to snap out of it by looking at this, at least. Otherwise, who knew who I'd end up snapping at.
Not a single bird flying by today, huh. They were cute.
"What are you doing?"
Huh? Why are you coming in here?
I turned my head to check, and there was Park Yujin standing in the room, having slipped back in at some point without my noticing.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Go ouwt."
"Why? Can't I stay in here with you?"
"Nope. Go out for a bit."
"Why~?"
Ha... where did she learn to whine like that.
"Out. Now."
"Tch. Fine."
Every woman I tangled with today was giving me grief. Now, what's on the schedule?
"Hm? Yujin, why are you out here?"
"He told me to stay out."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Hmm... Still, you two should spend time in the same space to get closer. That's just mean."
"Right?"
She looked genuinely hurt.
He brings me to a house like this and can't even spare me a little attention? He doted on Song Hanna earlier, but why does he treat me like this? He hasn't come to see me even once. What exactly am I lacking? Is my face not pretty enough? My body not good enough? Or am I supposed to be stupid?
Running through an objective comparison between me and Song Hanna in my head, there was exactly one area where I fell short. So it really is the chest, huh.
Men, seriously.
"Shall we go take a look around the house, then?"
"Sure...."
Tch...
Still, mine are average. And a nice shape, at that. If they were big, they'd just sag anyway as I got older. Can't she appreciate the beauty of the modest?
"What's the matter?"
Oh? They're big.
Now that I looked, this producer unnie had a nice chest too.
"Unnie, is there any way to make my figure better?"
"Huh? Out of nowhere? I mean, other than exercise and eating well, is there?"
Tch...
"Never mind.... Anyway, what are we filming today?"
"Well... I don't really have a feel for it yet... that's the problem."
"Is there anything you'd like to do?"
"Hmm..."
Honestly, I couldn't see the point of any of it...
"Can't we just... not do it?"
"Then what happens to my livelihood, you brat?"
"Aaagh! Sorry, sorry!"
Ow... you didn't have to smack me on the head...
"The broadcasting industry is dying and struggling as it is, so help your unnie out a little, will you, Yujin?"
"Okay, okay...."
"Maybe we could do a simple cooking show? Honestly, it feels like we have enough total footage already, so we just need content of us as a couple."
"Cooking?"
Wouldn't this house's kitchen be way too small for that?
Every other room was huge, but the kitchen alone was tiny. For the size of the house, the kitchen was only about as big as one in a normal home. Did people who lived in places like this just order delivery for everything?
"Yeah. Everyone outside is surviving on rationed food, but this place doesn't seem to work like that, does it?"
Wrong, as it turned out.
More than enough, in fact.
Was this place some kind of different world? That fridge was missing absolutely nothing.
"I should ask the people who manage the house."
"The people who manage it?"
"Yeah. You saw them too, Yujin. The medical staff."
"Oh, right. Those are the ones who manage the house?"
"Yeah. They live and work here on site. Apparently there's even a separate room for them in the house."
"A room?"
There were rooms set aside for the staff?
"Yeah. It's called a maid's room, apparently. When a house is this big, it comes with all sorts of extras. Right?"
"Yes... it's all so far removed from everything I know that it's kind of dizzying."
Everyone outside was struggling so much.
I'd already been amazed that hotels were still operating normally, but this place was truly a different world...
"Oh, hello. I have something to ask you."
"Yes, Producer Bae Suji, wasn't it? Go right ahead."
"We're planning to film ourselves cooking for this shoot — would that be all right?"
"Hmm... no one actually cooks here, normally."
"Really? But all the cookware and ingredients are there, aren't they?"
"Those are more for decoration and storage, you see."
"For meals and anything you'd like to eat, most residents order room service from the restaurant downstairs."
Wait, what did I just hear?
So people living here didn't even cook their own meals?
"There are safety reasons and fire hazards to consider, and since most residents do it that way, I'll need to check with the higher-ups on our end as well."
"Please wait just a moment."
"Unnie...."
"Yujin...."
"You first, unnie."
"I'll say it again even though I keep repeating myself — I'm so jealous of you. How on earth did you beat those odds? If you have some kind of secret, please, please share it with me."
I don't know either, honestly...
I guess I just inherited all the good fortune my family spent a lifetime building up.
A cooking show, huh?
So the kitchen would finally get used for something other than me grabbing a glass of water.
"Yes. We got permission, so today's shoot will basically be like a housewarming — footage showing off the house, plus each of us cooking one dish for the other."
"The catch is that the other person picks what you'll make, so think of a dish you'd like to eat."
So she'd be cooking whatever I wanted to eat?
Well, there was one thing that came to mind immediately, but...
Could she even pull it off?
"I do have one, but... am I allowed to pick anything at all?"
"Yes! We got approval for that too. Though they did say that depending on the dish, your exercise quota might increase, Seonghun."
How many calories were in a whole pizza again? Call it 2,500...
Doable.
Absolutely doable.
"I'll have pizza."
Even when I asked, they'd said they wouldn't make unhealthy food — nothing unless it was something like Neapolitan pizza.
But if I could have it now, might as well.
Would they throw in cola too?
"Korean-style, with lots of toppings loaded on."
"Understood. I'll pass that along to Yujin."
"The dish you'll be making, Seonghun, is braised short ribs. Please be careful with the knife and the stove."
Braised short ribs?
Could I even manage that?
Looked like I'd have to follow a video...
"You're not allowed to watch any videos — it's for the sake of authenticity. Please start right away."
"Yujin will be filming down at the restaurant, so Seonghun, you can use this kitchen."
I was doomed.
Who braises short ribs from memory?
Nothing concrete was coming to mind...
And so, leaning hazily on memory, I set the short ribs simmering. Seared the meat first, blended soy sauce, mirin, pear, and onion together, mixed in a rough marinade, tasted it to confirm it was good, then threw everything in at the end and let it reduce — a total hack-job version.
In return, I made rice and side dishes too so we could eat together. Simple stuff like stir-fried potatoes and rolled egg.
Once everything was done, the spread was rice, braised short ribs, side dishes, even kimchi — with just a soup missing, it was honestly a full table.
It was my first time having someone film me cooking, so it felt awkward, but after three days in front of the cameras, I'd gotten used to it. Frankly, I just went with a do-whatever-you-want mentality.
"We're here."
At those words, I went straight over and sat down at the table I'd set up earlier.
Is the pizza here?
It's been a while, hasn't it?
How many months had it been? Eight? A year?
I don't care what you look like now, my friend. Just keep your shape as a pizza. That's all I ask.
......
"Hey. You didn't make this alone, did you?"
"......"
I turned my gaze to the producer, and she avoided my eyes. Yeah, that confirmed it.
There was a pizza in front of me that soared far beyond the cooking skills of today's generation of girls — the kind who left all the cooking to their mothers and had become full-fledged members of the delivery-app nation. A med student who wasn't in culinary school or even food science had made this?
Lies should at least have some limits.
"...... What do you want me to say? Pizza was just cruel! Pizza!"
"Not Korean food, not some simple pasta — how was I supposed to make pizza by myself?"
"Oh, so short ribs make sense, do they?"
"It's Korean food, isn't it?"
"And you must've bombed it anyway, so why even......"
I lifted the lid I'd kept closed to hold my tongue.
"Bombed it?"
"Tch..."
"Forget it... let's just eat."
Kept up long enough, my complaining was nothing but ugly. It had been ages since I'd had pizza, so what did anything else matter... never mind.
"...But you both did really well. Why are you like this? Yujin had a chef guiding her, but she made everything herself."
My wrapper is about to tear, producer. That's what it sounds like.
"Anyway, we're going to start filming, so shake it off. We'll have each of you feed the other one bite before you eat."
I'm not a toddler.
Every single shoot like this chipped away at my self-respect....
"Let's get this over with."
"Yeah."
I pulled the meat off the ribs and scooped a spoonful of white rice, while Park Yujin sliced her pizza with a fork and knife.
C'mon... who eats pizza with a fork? You eat it with your hands.
"Ahh~"
Following the producer's cue, I fed her a spoonful first, and now it was my turn.
"Here comes the plane, oppa! Ahh~"
What is wrong with you.
"You're not getting it unless you open your mouth!"
This was definitely her knowingly tormenting me because she knew I hated this.
"Come on~ Ahh~"
Fine. I'll eat it. Because it's pizza.
"Ahh~"
"Look at you, eating so well! Is my pizza tasty, oppa?"
The baby-talk, enunciating every syllable in that annoying sing-song, was excruciating.
"It's just a shoot. Answer quickly, won't you? Honestly, I wouldn't mind doing another take."
Haah.....
"Wow... it's really good. Must be because Yujin made every single thing herself. Thank you for the food."
"That's right. I made every ingredient from scratch, start to finish."
"Chew it all up nicely and eat lots~"
Afterward, the two of us both got scolded and told to do it properly.