Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Chapter 8. When Many People Gather, Each Raises Their Voice (4)
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Silence fell over those left in the annex courtyard.
They hadn’t been close to begin with. There was no topic for conversation, no will to engage.
As Dam Ho crossed his arms and closed his eyes, the stillness in the room grew suffocating. Namgung Su frowned, displeased by the atmosphere. It felt like exactly what Dam Ho had intended.
Hae So-wol stared fixedly at Dam Ho. For some reason, she couldn’t tear her eyes away. He must have sensed her gaze, yet he kept his eyes shut.
“Heh heh! Well now.”
Cho Yeon-un scratched his head and offered an awkward smile.
The awkward situation left Eun So-cheong and Bang Jin-bo at a loss. Though more mature than their peers, they were still just children at heart. They lacked the boldness or savvy to break the stifling mood.
As everyone maintained their uneasy silence, it was Dam Ho who finally spoke.
“Jin-bo.”
“Yes! Brother.”
Bang Jin-bo replied as if he’d been waiting. Dam Ho’s voice was the most welcome sound to him.
“Food?”
“Oh, it’ll just take a bit to prepare.”
“You must be hungry.”
“Yes! Just wait a moment.”
Bang Jin-bo hurried to the stove. Eun So-cheong followed behind.
On the makeshift cutting board lay half-prepared fish. The wok on the stove glowed red-hot.
It was more than hot enough for cooking—overheated, even. Tossing ingredients in now would burn them in seconds.
“In cases like this…”
Bang Jin-bo poured oil onto the wok.
Sizzle!
The oil hit the surface and splattered everywhere. Some even struck his bare skin. But Bang Jin-bo didn’t flinch, focused entirely on the task.
He forgot everything.
The uncomfortable situation, the eyes watching him.
Standing before the stove, all he saw was the roaring flame.
‘Focus on the fire.’
No matter how skilled the chef, without understanding fire, true mastery was impossible.
One must understand it, feel it.
Bang Jin-bo felt the flames rising from the wok with his entire body. Sweat poured from his forehead and every inch of his skin. Yet his face didn’t twist—instead, a smile played on his lips.
‘Jin-bo really loves cooking.’
Eun So-cheong stared at him intently.
She could sense Bang Jin-bo’s world, conversing with the flames through wok and ladle. The sight was so radiant it brought tears to her eyes.
“Ah!”
Eun So-cheong let out an involuntary gasp.
She hadn’t realized how beautiful someone immersed in their passion could be. Young as he was, Bang Jin-bo had set his path firmly and strode toward it unwaveringly.
Slice, slice!
Bang Jin-bo sliced the filleted fish. The already thin fillet seemed ready to shred, yet it held its form.
His knife work allowed no margin for error—not even the thickness of a sheet of paper.
The thin fillets slipped into the searing oil.
Sizzle!
Bubbles rose, and the fillets curled from the scored side. Then, atop the sea of oil, flowers bloomed.
“Wow!”
Eun So-cheong, watching him cook, gasped without thinking.
“A bit of liquor…”
Cho Yeon-un patted his waist, confirmed the wine flask, and smiled.
He could tell just by looking. What Bang Jin-bo was making was the perfect drinking snack.
“Heh heh!”
Cho Yeon-un chuckled like a villain.
Normally, Eun So-cheong would have scolded him, but in this moment, she said nothing.
Hae So-wol was no different.
Though she didn’t gasp aloud, they were all utterly captivated by the world of cooking this boy revealed.
Hae So-wol’s astonishment was especially profound.
‘Incredible focus. If that child had learned the sword, he’d have become a fine swordsman.’
His knife work on the fillets was extraordinary. And his concentration, undeterred by the chaotic surroundings.
Though plump, if he started martial arts now, he’d surely achieve no small feat.
Namgung Su, meanwhile, wore a displeased expression.
Dam Ho had created the silence, Bang Jin-bo had broken it.
All eyes were on them. He, on the other hand, was thoroughly ignored.
To Namgung Su, who had been the center of attention since birth, this unfamiliar atmosphere felt intolerable.
But until the negotiations inside the annex concluded—with Namgung Chang and the others—he had to endure.
Bang Jin-bo’s cooking continued meanwhile.
Clatter clatter clatter!
The ladle moved too fast for the eye to follow. The prepared vegetables were julienned in moments.
Bang Jin-bo tossed them all into the oil. The heat blanched them instantly.
He fished out the vegetables with chopsticks, arranging them by color on plates to form an appealing pattern.
At the center: the fish fillets.
“Whew!”
Like a colorful garden blooming with snowflakes, the sight drew a whistle from Cho Yeon-un.
Finally, the secret family sauce. Drizzling the thick condiment deepened the fillets’ aroma.
“Heh heh! It’s done. Bang Jin-bo’s special: Five-Colored Snowfish.”
“Never seen anything like it. Did you come up with this yourself?”
“It was in my father’s cookbook. First time making it, though.”
Bang Jin-bo scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
“Jin-bo, you’re amazing.”
“Heh heh!”
“Hey now! Playing around, are we? Bunch of brats stirring up trouble. Grown-up games can wait another ten years—please, hold off.”
Cho Yeon-un’s teasing made Bang Jin-bo and Eun So-cheong flush red.
Eun So-cheong shot him a glare.
“You’re awful!”
“Enough chatter—let’s eat Jin-bo’s food. My mouth’s watering; I can’t take it.”
Cho Yeon-un pulled out his flask and claimed a spot at the table. He called to Dam Ho.
“Friend, come on over. Jin-bo worked hard on this; it’ll taste bad if it cools.”
Only then did Dam Ho approach the table. Bang Jin-bo and Eun So-cheong quickly took seats.
The uninvited guests, Hae So-wol and Namgung Su, could only watch blankly.
Bang Jin-bo beckoned them.
“It’s not much, but join us. Come on.”
Hae So-wol and Namgung Su exchanged blank looks. Moments later, Hae So-wol stepped toward the table, while Namgung Su stayed put.
He had no desire to sit with the likes of Dam Ho, whose origins he didn’t even know. His pride wouldn’t allow it.
With Hae So-wol seated, the meal began.
“Whoa! This is incredible.”
Cho Yeon-un exclaimed first. Unable to hold back, he took a swig of liquor.
“How…!”
Eun So-cheong’s eyes widened.
Hae So-wol nodded after a taste, acknowledging Bang Jin-bo’s skill.
Her gaze turned to Dam Ho.
He ate silently, eyes half-lidded. Bang Jin-bo watched him with a smile.
The two suited each other perfectly, she thought. Different in looks and aura, yet somehow alike.
Without realizing, Hae So-wol asked.
“What’s your relationship?”
“…”
Dam Ho met her gaze wordlessly. She smiled faintly.
“Just curious.”
“We’re…”
As Bang Jin-bo trailed off, Dam Ho’s voice came.
“Jin-bo is my little brother.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah!”
“You two look good together. Like real siblings.”
Surprised by her words? Dam Ho paused his chopsticks and looked at her.
Hae So-wol didn’t avoid his eyes. She even smiled slightly. It was a strikingly beautiful expression, beauty flowing naturally without intent.
Bang Jin-bo stared at her, entranced. If Eun So-cheong hadn’t pinched his side, he might have kept going.
“Tsk tsk!”
Cho Yeon-un clicked his tongue at them, brows furrowed in disapproval.
Rubbing his side, Bang Jin-bo noticed Namgung Su standing alone. He looked somehow lonely.
“Wait a sec…”
Bang Jin-bo suddenly plated some food.
“Jin-bo.”
Eun So-cheong eyed him curiously. But instead of answering, he picked up the plate and approached Namgung Su, standing stiffly to the side.
“Um…”
“What?”
Namgung Su scowled. Bang Jin-bo mustered courage and offered the plate.
“P-please try some.”
“…”
“It’s really good.”
“Ha!”
Namgung Su let out an exasperated sigh at the tentative words. Irritation plain on his face.
“Unbelievable. Are you pitying me, bringing this trash like some charity?”
“W-why…?”
“If not, how could you bring such garbage?”
“Huh?”
“Ridiculous. Think I’ll just gobble it up gratefully? That cheap slop from some lowborn cook like you?”
“T-that’s…”
Bang Jin-bo stammered.
He’d only offered out of kindness. He hadn’t expected to stoke Namgung Su’s anger.
A rare flicker of emotion showed in Namgung Su’s eyes.
He’d thought he and Hae So-wol were close. But she’d gone straight to Dam Ho without hesitation, dining with him—and even smiling, a smile she’d never shown Namgung Su.
The sight ignited fury in his chest. Bang Jin-bo’s kindness poured oil on the flames.
Namgung Su slammed the plate to the ground and stomped it.
Bang Jin-bo gaped, watching blankly.
His heartfelt creation, crushed and soiled underfoot.
Tears welled up.
He couldn’t even get angry, just stared dazedly at Namgung Su. That only fueled the rage further.
Namgung Su was shocked himself. He’d never realized such inferiority festered deep inside.
It enraged him more. Suddenly, he grabbed Bang Jin-bo’s collar.
“What do you take me for, you fatso?”
“I-I…”
Bang Jin-bo stammered.
Namgung Su raised his hand high, poised to strike.
Bang Jin-bo squeezed his eyes shut instinctively.
A chilling voice rang out then.
“Let go of that hand.”
Namgung Su’s hand froze midair.
His gaze turned to the voice’s owner: Dam Ho, seated at the table’s edge.
“What did you just say?”
“Let go of that hand. Before I break your arm.”