Chapter 457
Chapter 457
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 457
Chapter Title: Travel (6)
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Kimchi jjim.
The food Siwoo loved most, and one that virtually every Korean enjoyed without exception.
Moreover, since it had received rave reviews from Sharon the witch and apprentice witches Odil and Odet, he had a fair bit of confidence in it.
And unlike typical kimchi jjim made with cheap cuts like pork leg, this place rolled it with pork belly, no less.
The visual of thick pork belly slices wrapped around kimchi and slow-cooked to perfection was stimulating enough to whet even the most jaded appetite.
The steamed rice looked perfectly fluffy and delicious, too.
"Let me serve you some."
"No, I can do it myself..."
"It's your first time trying it."
Siwoo divided the meat and fermented kimchi onto the plate in front of Amelia, drizzling a bit of broth over it for easy eating.
He figured a fork wouldn't tear the kimchi well.
"Just eat the meat with that kimchi there."
"Okay."
Amelia gripped the fork she'd requested when ordering and stared at the plate Siwoo had handed her.
This was Siwoo's hometown food.
There was a reason she hadn't been able to recreate it.
Of course, ingredients from the home country had been hard to come by back then, but even if she'd gotten the exact same ones, she couldn't have replicated it perfectly.
Because she never could have imagined food this blood-red existed.
"I'll dig in."
"Let's eat."
The moment they both took a bite of meat.
Amelia felt it.
Salty. Sour. Stimulating. Greasy. And above all...
Way, way, way too spicy.
Amelia was a witch who barely ate anything except light tea during teatime.
Even when sharing meals, it was desserts like cake or scones, and on the rare occasions she had proper food, it was plain bread and salad with almost no seasoning.
For Amelia, whose spiciest food was bacon, kimchi jjim was overwhelmingly intense.
With tolerance only for something like black pepper, the broth packed with gochugaru chili powder, garlic, gochujang, and cheongyang peppers was no exaggeration to call a flaming boulder scooped from hell's boiling cauldron.
"Mmgh..."
It felt like fire spewed from her mouth with every breath.
Her tongue went numb, the tip prickling.
For the ultimate spice wimp Amelia, kimchi jjim teetered on the edge of triggering her autonomic defense.
Amelia shuddered but forced her usual calm expression as she gulped down water.
Today's random factoid:
The compound for spiciness is fat-soluble, so water doesn't wash it away.
It felt better for a moment, only for the stinging to surge back stronger, making her tongue throb more.
"Does it suit your taste?"
In front of the suffering Amelia sat Siwoo, blissfully savoring his hometown dish.
Ladling and slurping the blood-red broth without a care made him look like a circus performer swallowing fire.
Nod, nod.
Truth be told, it didn't suit her taste.
She wanted to ask if this was really food and not a torture confession serum.
But showing distaste in front of Siwoo happily devouring it? No way.
Especially since she had suggested the menu.
Hadn't he polished off every dish she'd cooked, even praising the ones that didn't suit him?
"My mom used to make it for me often when she was alive."
"...Ah."
"It's like a taste of memories, you know?"
"......"
As Siwoo's words continued, Amelia inwardly sighed in relief.
Good thing she hadn't let it show.
"Not too spicy?"
Nod, nod.
But at Siwoo's next words and actions, Amelia flinched.
"Glad to hear it. Eat up."
With that, Siwoo piled more torn kimchi and meat onto Amelia's plate.
No time for her to cry 'Stop! Enough!'
"Gehenna ingredients are top quality and the food's great, but the mansion meals are too fancy. Like palace cuisine or something. So sometimes I crave simple folk food like this. I'm happy you like it too, Amelia."
With every dripping-red chunk stacked on, Amelia felt crushing pressure on her shoulders.
Other menu items... weren't there any?
She could order something milder and say 'This is good too!' to dodge naturally.
Amelia scanned the menu for escape.
<80-Year Tradition Korean Kimchi Jjim>
Pork Belly Kimchi Jjim (L) ₩45,000
(M) ₩35,000
(S) ₩25,000
Below that: rice, booze, drinks, etc. No other dishes.
Amelia barely moved her burning tongue to ask.
"Siwoo... is, is this everything?"
"Looks like it."
"It's a restaurant... how can there be only one dish..."
"A single-menu place means that much confidence. Spots like this are usually gems. The chef's conviction, his pride—don't you feel it?"
Amelia inwardly cursed the storied shop and its stubborn chef.
"I... see..."
Resigned, Amelia picked up her fork and spoon silently.
She really didn't want to eat.
"Hup..."
And the hellish concert unfolded in her mouth.
Spice so overpowering she couldn't taste anything else.
As a kid, she'd have jumped up and stomped around, but such unladylike behavior? Impossible.
Eyes brimming with tears, hands trembling, Amelia shoved in the second bite.
"Hic... sniff..."
Siwoo glanced up and noticed Amelia's dire state.
Face beet-red, tears streaming as she ate kimchi jjim.
"Amelia..."
Seeing her, Siwoo thought:
It is a great restaurant.
But not that good to cry over.
Once more: that distant second boyhood, now a fond memory.
Siwoo had offhandedly mentioned craving kimchi jjim, and Amelia had cooked it herself.
Now tasting authentic flavor, she must realize his 'delicious' back then was a white lie—and be touched.
Siwoo pulled out a handkerchief, watching her dab tears, his heart aching.
Made his own eyes water.
All he could offer was this kimchi jjim.
He added more neatly torn meat and kimchi to her plate.
"Amelia... have more."
"I'm full! Can't eat anymore!"
"Huh?"
Undoubtedly the loudest voice Siwoo had ever heard from Amelia in all their time together.
2.
After the meal, the two followed a textbook date itinerary.
Quick ice cream from a nearby shop, then straight to the amusement park.
More precisely, a massive complex with an amusement park, department store, aquarium, and water park—but too vast for one day.
So they picked the indoor theme park-style amusement area and aquarium for today.
A huge glass dome letting in natural light, attractions scattered indoors.
The indoor park he vaguely remembered visiting twice as a kid with his parents felt much smaller than memory.
Not that it was small.
This elliptical open central space with its visible ice rink was one of the world's top indoor amusement parks.
It just seemed like a whole new world back then.
Thanks to the awkward weekday morning timing, no lines—they bought tickets and joined Amelia.
Post-meal, she'd seemed drained, but now lifted her head, eyes wide at the new wonderland.
Her reaction confirmed bringing her was right.
A dreamland stirring childlike wonder in all ages and romance in couples.
Best spot to show her Seoul...
-Kyaaaaah!!!!
A sudden scream shattered his fond smile.
"S-Siwoo... that..."
Amelia gaped, pointing shakily at the scream's source.
Eyes demanding explanation.
Her finger pointed at the rollercoaster blazing down rails, riders shrieking in thrill.
One of this park's trademarks: an indoor-track coaster.
Fun scene, but it looked different to Amelia.
"Th-the people on that train... shouldn't we save them...?"
"Nah, that's the ride. See? They're enjoying it."
Amelia stared at Siwoo in horror, like he'd just defended a psychopath failing to distinguish joy from pain.
He added details.
"It's called a rollercoaster—zoom along fixed rails for thrills. Attractions or rides like that, and this is one. Wanna try?"
Amelia shook her head vigorously in refusal.
-Kyaaaaah!!!!
Another scream from elsewhere; Amelia whipped around.
A Viking ride swinging pendulously, bow pointed skyward, passengers aboard.
"Siwoo... even so, that... shouldn't we stop it?"
"That's a Viking. Swings side to side for drop sensations."
Even with explanation, Amelia looked baffled.
Her face blanked further at a log flume: tiny boats cruising water channels.
"Do people in this world love thrills?"
"Pretty much."
"You too?"
"Fun as a kid."
Amelia nodded at his answer.
He'd specified 'as a kid' because he wondered if it'd still thrill now.
Rides hurled your body through impossible speeds, drops, rises—for vertigo.
Siwoo could already maneuver near sonic speeds barehanded.
Amelia surely could too.
"Might be fun to try one for experience. Anything catch your eye?"
"Something like..."
Amelia pointed delicately at one ride.
A venerable central attraction, the park's top photo spot.
The carousel.
Slowly spinning like a music box, cheerful melody flowing.
Hobby horses and carriages bobbing up and down—familiar amid the alien space.
"Ride together?"
"...Yes."
And so, they boarded the carousel.
Spacious capacity, light crowd today—no line, hopped right on.
Not that thrilling, but childhood memories stirred excitement.
Amelia started tense but lit up wide-eyed as the platform spun with music.
Witch or not, she was human at heart.
Her eyes gripping the pole sparkled with the innocent gleam from her childhood flashbacks.