The Warmth of a Morning Meal
The part-time shift was finally over. As soon as the shift change arrived, I threw off my vest and grabbed my bag. Minji said something to me from behind, but it didn't register in my ears.
"Ihyeon, what's the rush?"
"Oh, no, it's nothing. It's just... I have somewhere I need to be early today."
"Do you have a date or something?"
"...Something like that!"
Leaving behind a vague answer, I fled the convenience store as if running away. Before the tinkling of the bell had even faded, the dawn air brushed against my cheeks. The hazy, rising sunlight was dissolving the boundaries of the night. I hurried my steps toward the main road. My stride grew longer and longer; eventually, I was practically running.
A distance that would normally take twenty minutes—today, I ran and ran, arriving in front of the Villa in just fifteen minutes. I climbed the stairs, gasping for breath. I walked past my own apartment, with its familiar door lock, without a second thought. My feet stopped only when I reached Taegon’s door.
"..."
And then, I froze. Standing in front of the door, a thought suddenly crossed my mind. Wait... what am I doing right now? I stared down at my own feet in front of the tightly shut door. I pinched my cheek hard, wondering if this was a dream. It hurt.
Even so, knocking on someone else's door at six in the morning is a nuisance... I must be crazy, seriously. My heart pounded rapidly. And... what if him saying we should eat together tomorrow was just him being polite? Negative thoughts spiraled one after another. My feet slowly began to retreat.
Maybe he only said it because he was caught up in the moment... Won't he be flustered if I actually show up? Cold sweat beaded on my forehead and trickled down the back of my neck. The flickering hallway light felt like the rhythm of my own heartbeat. What if he opens the door, sees me, and makes a face like, 'You actually came?'... Just the thought made my chest shrink. I could picture Taegon sighing in annoyance or forcing a fake smile.
If I face a look like that, I’ll definitely... I’d surely run back to my room, pull the blanket over my head, and cry. I bit my lip. I seriously considered just turning around and going home. My body was already half-turned.
"...But it’s a promise."
My steps halted. Regret held me by the ankles. Taegon said we should eat together tomorrow, and I said I’d like that. That’s as good as a promise, right? Even if he said it as an empty gesture, a promise is a promise. I clenched my fist tightly. My nails dug into my palm, stinging. If he’s really bothered by it... no, I’ll think about that when the time comes.
If I ran away now, I’d never know. Even if I ended up crying after finding out, I had to face it first. I took a deep breath and raised my trembling fist. It’s okay. I’m just knocking on a door. I urged myself on, as if shaking off the hesitation. Knock. Just knock, Seo Ihyeon.
— *Knock, knock-knock.*
The sound of the knocking echoed through the hallway. The sound of my heart thumping rose all the way to my throat.
"..."
There was no sound. Did he not hear it? Or is he still sleeping? The longer the silence lasted, the more anxiety surged. My body began to tremble again. Should I knock one more time? Or should I just go back now? Just as I hesitated and prepared to raise my fist again, I felt movement inside. Heavy footsteps approached the door.
My breath hitched. The timing to run away had already passed.
— *Click!*
The lock broke the silence. Soon, the door opened. Taegon was standing there. He was wearing a gray T-shirt and black shorts. His hair, which looked like he’d roughly swept it back with his hand, was scattered across his forehead. His eyes were half-closed, but there was no trace of annoyance or irritation on his face.
Taegon and I made eye contact. I barely managed to part my dry lips.
"T-together..."
My voice trembled as if soaked in water. "F-food—"
Unable to finish the sentence, I ended up bowing my head. Taegon opened the door wide and gestured for me to enter.
"Ah! Ihyeon, come on in. I was waiting for you."
I hesitated at the unexpected hospitality. "...Yes?"
"I said come in. Hurry."
Taegon stepped aside to let me pass. I stood there, staring at him blankly. He wasn't annoyed, and he didn't ask why I had come. Far from frowning, he was actually urging me to come in.
As if bewitched, I stepped through the door Taegon had opened. The moment I took off my shoes and stepped into the living room—
"...Oh?"
My feet stopped at the sight before me. Food was already laid out on the dining table. Clear broth was poured over white rice, and on top sat finely shredded seaweed and bright red pickled plums. Next to it was a plate of salmon sashimi and radish. Everything was set for two.
I blinked.
"T-this..."
"You cooked for me last time," Taegon said, walking toward the table. "It’s not as impressive as what you made back then, though..."
"Don't tell me... did you prepare all of this yourself, Taegon?"
"Yeah. Well, it’s embarrassing to even call it 'preparing.' It’s just broth poured over rice."
He scratched his head, looking shy. "It’s called Ochazuke, a Japanese dish. They say you pour tea or broth over rice."
"Ochazuke?"
"Yeah, they say it’s easy on the stomach for breakfast. I thought you might be hungry after finishing your shift..."
My mouth fell open slightly. Because I might be hungry? He prepared this for me? And he woke up this early in the morning to do it?
Taegon smiled at me. "Your shift ends at six, right?"
"How... how did you know that?"
"I was curious, so I looked it up. That’s about when the night shift at the convenience store ends."
I couldn't say a word. The meal was rustic. Honestly, it was hard to say it was plated beautifully. The seaweed was piled to one side, and there was a bit too much wasabi. The pieces of pickled plum were uneven. But that clumsy appearance pierced my heart deeply. This was a man who lived on chicken breasts and protein shakes every day. A man like that had cooked for me.
It didn't matter at all that it was clumsy or unrefined.
"Ihyeon?"
At Taegon’s voice, I snapped my head up. My eyes were already red-rimmed. Flustered, I blinked rapidly. Taegon looked restless at my unexpected reaction.
"What’s wrong? Do you not like it? Honestly, it’s my first time, so I’m not confident. If it tastes bad, be honest—"
"No. That’s not it, Taegon."
I shook my head vigorously. My nose stung. I barely managed to hold back the tears threatening to spill. I sat down at the table and picked up my spoon. I scooped up a large spoonful of the Ochazuke. The clear broth and rice grains sparkled on the spoon. I carefully put it in my mouth, and the warm broth spread pleasantly.
The wasabi stung my nose through the slightly bland broth. It wasn't a perfect taste by any means. But it was delicious. It was genuinely delicious.
It’s warm...
I finally understood what Taegon had said yesterday. This wasn't a matter of temperature or flavor. It was the warmth that came from the simple fact that someone had cooked for me.
"...I love it so much."
I spoke my heart while keeping my head bowed.
"Really?"
"Yes. I really, truly love it. It’s delicious."
"That’s a relief. I’ve never cooked before, so I watched a video online and followed along."
"A video?"
"Yeah. I woke up at dawn and searched for it. I was wondering what kind of food would be easy on the stomach."
My spoon stopped. He even searched for it just for me? I thought of his dawn, which he must have spent solely for that reason. I bowed my head even deeper. I didn't want to show Taegon the tears that were about to fall. I moved my spoon again. One spoonful, two spoonfuls. The warm broth went down, heating me from the inside.
I placed a slice of salmon sashimi on the rice and ate it together. The savory flavor filled my mouth.
"It’s, it’s really delicious."
At my words, Taegon tilted his head while eating his own bowl of Ochazuke. "Is it that good? It’s just rice with broth poured over it."
"That’s not what’s important."
I said firmly. I looked up to meet Taegon’s eyes. My eyes were slightly wet, but a bright smile hung on my lips.
"You made it for me, Taegon. That’s what’s important to me."
This time, Taegon’s spoon stopped. My eyes, looking at him, shone. The fluorescent light twinkled in my moist pupils. Taegon couldn't bear my gaze and dropped his eyes.
"...It’s nothing special, so it’s embarrassing that you like it this much."
"There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’m truly happy."
I scooped up another spoonful. This time, I piled on plenty of seaweed.
"Can you make this for me tomorrow morning, too?"
Taegon blinked. "...Me?"
"Yes. I love this so much right now. I want to eat it again."
"Since it’s my first time, the taste might be different every time, though."
"It’s okay. Anything you make will be delicious."
Taegon looked at me for a moment. I was sincere. It wasn't a platitude; I really thought this rustic food was delicious.
What a strange person... Taegon muttered to himself. A faint smile spread across his face before he even realized it.
"Then let’s do this." He put down his spoon and spoke. "If you make lunch or dinner, I’ll prepare breakfast."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I don’t have anything to do while I’m off anyway. I can handle breakfast."
My face brightened. My pink-tinted cheeks and crescent-moon-curved eyes told him exactly how I felt.
"I’d love that! Really... I’d love that so much!!!"
Soon, the sound of our laughter softly enveloped the dining table.
"Then take care on your way."
"Yes! Thank you so much for today, Taegon!"
I bowed repeatedly. Taegon leaned against the doorframe and saw me off. As I was about to step out, I turned back one more time. I smiled as I looked at the cleanly emptied bowls, as if I had discovered the most precious treasure in the world. Taegon found that smile strangely captivating, but he soon looked away.
I entered my own apartment.
— *Beep-beep-beep*
The sound of the door lock echoed through the narrow hallway. Only then did Taegon quietly close his door.
Building a relationship with the surveillance target is going smoothly.
He had a reason to make contact every day under the guise of meals, and there was nothing particular to report to his superiors. Every part of the plan was perfect. But there was one thing that weighed on his mind. The face of Ihyeon, smiling brightly at the empty bowls, kept flickering before his eyes.
What... is this?
Taegon narrowed his brows and threw himself onto the sofa. Come to think of it, he had never seen anyone like that after eating food he had made. He had never even cooked for anyone in the first place. It didn't feel bad. No, to be honest, it felt a little good.
Strange...
An unfamiliar sense of satisfaction tickled a corner of his heart. He didn't bother to give that feeling a name. He thought of it as a meaningless sentiment. As if to shake off the thought, he picked up his phone.
[No new notifications]
Taegon put his phone down and stared at the ceiling. The smell of warm Ochazuke lingered in the room. To shake off the thoughts that wouldn't settle, Taegon got up from his seat. He felt like he would only feel at ease if he cleaned up. He put the empty bowls in the sink and turned on the water. He started washing the dishes, but Ihyeon’s smile still hovered in his mind. Detergent bubbles covered the bowls in white.
"Hah... seriously, what is this?"
Taegon muttered with a dry laugh. A deep smile was etched onto his lips as well.
"He said he’d make it tomorrow, too. Tomorrow, too..."
— *Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh*
Ihyeon’s self-talk could be heard over the sound of the water. Her hand, holding the showerhead, couldn't stay still and fidgeted. "Breakfast is Taegon’s, and the rest is mine."
After finishing her shower, she laid her body in the blankets. The blankets felt exceptionally cozy today. Morning sunlight poured in through the window.
Was sunlight always this pleasant?
It had been a continuous string of days exhausted by fatigue, but today felt refreshing. It was a warmth she hadn't felt in a very long time.