Just Say It After Me

Park Jaeyoung had already decided on the dinner menu long before Kim Minseo arrived. There was a specific dish he had been craving since last night. Tonight's menu featured fried chicken and seasoned spicy chicken—a combination no Korean could ever resist.

Stepping into the kitchen, Jaeyoung took a raw chicken and a carton of milk out of the refrigerator.

After rinsing the chicken—which was already chopped into perfect bite-sized pieces for frying—a few times, he submerged it in the milk. This process eliminated any gamey odor and tenderized the meat.

"What are you making?" asked Kim Minseo, poking her head into the kitchen.

"Fried chicken."

"Chicken? Oh, wow. That's amazing."

"Go play with Porri for a bit. I'll have it ready in no time."

After sending Minseo away, he waited a moment before seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper.

He had sprinkled the seasoning quite carelessly, but the skill would handle the rest. After all, that was exactly why he had learned it in the first place.

Jaeyoung pulled a wok and two rectangular trays from the cupboard. He filled the wok halfway with cooking oil and set it on the induction cooktop. In one tray, he prepared the wet batter, and in the other, he mixed glutinous rice flour to create the dry coating.

Mixing in glutinous rice flour made the crust incredibly crispy yet chewy. It was a secret technique he had picked up from his favorite chicken joint near the Association headquarters.

After letting the chicken marinate for a short while, Jaeyoung coated the pieces in the batter and dry mix before dropping them into the wok.

Sssssssss! Sizzle! The moment the batter hit the boiling oil, a mouth-watering sound filled the kitchen. Once fried to a perfect golden brown, he scooped the chicken out and placed it on a wire strainer.

While waiting for the excess oil to drain, Jaeyoung whipped up the sauce. He brought a mixture of butter, gochujang (red chili paste), ketchup, oligosaccharide, and various other seasonings to a simmer. Once the sauce had thickened beautifully, he tossed a portion of the fried chicken in it to make seasoned spicy chicken.

Plating the chicken, Jaeyoung called out toward the living room.

"Minseo! Come eat some chicken!"

"Coming, Association President!"

Minseo walked into the kitchen cradling Porri in her arms. As Jaeyoung brought the chicken to the dining table, she gasped in awe.

"This smell is insane. Association President, is there anything you can't do?"

"It'll taste even better with beer."

Jaeyoung grabbed two cans of beer from the fridge.

"Let's start with a drink."

"Sounds perfect."

Jaeyoung and Minseo clinked their cans together and took a deep gulp. Wiping her mouth, Minseo beamed.

"I feel like all the fatigue I built up today is just melting away."

Jaeyoung chuckled softly and asked, "Nothing out of the ordinary happened today, right?"

"Well, the Jincheon Guild Leader paid a visit."

The Jincheon Guild was one of the five major guilds in South Korea. Unlike the other four, which had grown through the backing of massive conglomerates, Jincheon had expanded aggressively on its own. Naturally, this approach generated constant friction and controversy.

"Don't tell me they caused trouble again?"

"It's the usual story."

A sudden thought crossed Jaeyoung's mind. Maybe I should have whipped them into shape before retiring. If he had personally sat down with the five guild leaders, Minseo would have had a much easier time running things.

"Are you thinking of stepping in?"

Jaeyoung pondered for a moment, then shook his head. It might have been different before retirement, but it was too late now. If he intervened now, it would only make Minseo look like his puppet.

"Just keep me updated. Even if it's tough, it's best for you to handle it yourself, Minseo."

"I understand."

"Anyway, let's eat before the chicken gets cold."

Jaeyoung picked up a drumstick and took a big bite. Crunch! Along with the satisfying sound, rich juices and savory oil burst forth. Minseo was already devouring her chicken like possessed, and Porri was nibbling away at a wing.

"Is it good, Minseo?"

"Absolutely delicious!"

"Eat up."

After stuffing themselves with chicken, they moved to the living room. A plate of nuts, beef jerky, and chocolates, along with fresh cans of beer, was set on the coffee table.

"Every time I visit you, I feel so healed," Minseo said, taking a sip of her beer.

"I'm glad."

"And Porri is just too cute." Jaeyoung watched as Minseo offered a walnut to Porri. It was a peaceful scene he could never have imagined back when he was working as the Association President.

"You should come by more often."

"Really? Truly?" Minseo's eyes went wide.

"You can help me out around here and have meals with me. Sound good?" Having someone visit occasionally was much better than living in complete isolation.

"Of course! I'll come every single day, unless an absolute emergency pops up."

"There's no need to go that far. Don't you have your own life and plans, Minseo?"

Minseo shook her head. "What plans? If I see my friends once every three months, that's considered a lot."

Having worked tirelessly under Jaeyoung day in and day out, she had naturally drifted apart from her friends and acquaintances. And now that she was the Association President, she had to be extremely careful to avoid any unnecessary gossip.

"So ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you see, I have no choice but to come find you, Association President."

"Right, my bad."

"No, that's not what you're supposed to say."

Jaeyoung tilted his head. "Then what should I say?"

With a sly grin, Minseo said, "You should say, 'I only have you, Minseo.' Come on, try repeating after me."

Jaeyoung gave her a look of utter disbelief, but Minseo didn't seem to care in the slightest. Rather than humoring her, Jaeyoung quickly changed the subject.

"When are you heading back today?"

"Hmm, how about tomorrow morning? It's not like it's a long commute—I just have to step through the portal and I'm right back in the President's office."

Minseo secretly wanted to be the very first guest to stay in his spare room.

"Do as you wish. Just don't be late for work."

"Do you think I'm an elementary schooler or something?"

"I'm just making sure."

Since Minseo had decided to stay the night, they had plenty of time. Jaeyoung and Minseo spent the evening reminiscing about the past.

"Do you remember back then?"

"When?"

"About ten days after you first joined the Association."

Minseo's ears flushed slightly. "No matter how rushed you were, how could you mix up the gate locations?"

"I'm not joking, their names differed by literally one character! And they were so close to each other. Ever since that blunder, I've always double-checked everything."

Having learned the ropes directly under Jaeyoung, she had countless stories to tell. Every memory they unearthed brought a fresh wave of laughter.

"It's already past midnight. Shall we head to bed? Look, Porri is already dozing off."

"Sure."

Jaeyoung pointed to the doors facing each other. "You can take whichever room you like."

"I'll take the one on the right."

"See you tomorrow, then."

"Goodnight."

Heading up to the second floor, Jaeyoung gently placed Porri on the bed and watched him for a moment. With every breath, the squirrel's tiny body rose and fell. Carefully moving him next to the pillow, Jaeyoung climbed into bed, making sure not to wake him. And so, another peaceful night passed.

The next morning, Jaeyoung woke up and immediately checked the spot next to his pillow. Porri was already gone, having woken up earlier. Since he was a smart little guy, he was probably off playing somewhere. Besides, there weren't any monsters around the house that could pose a threat to him.

Coming down to the first floor, Jaeyoung glanced at the door of the right-hand room where Minseo was sleeping. Seeing it firmly shut, he figuredoshe was still asleep. Since they had plenty of time, he decided not to wake her.

Stepping into the kitchen, Jaeyoung began preparing breakfast. Today's menu consisted of toast, bacon, fried eggs, strawberry jam, butter, and coffee. It was an easy-to-make yet delicious combination.

Jaeyoung started by frying the bacon. He then used the rendered bacon grease to fry the eggs and toast the bread. As always, he kept the egg yolks perfectly intact.

In no time, Jaeyoung had plated three servings. Just as he was preparing an iced Americano and a latte to go with the meal, Minseo emerged from her room. Letting out a massive yawn, she greeted him.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. How about you, Minseo?"

"I slept incredibly well too. That bed is seriously amazing."

Right after Minseo sat down at the table, the sound of tiny, rapid footsteps echoed from the entryway. It seemed Porri had slipped back inside through the small pet door installed at the bottom of the front door. Sure enough, Porri scurried in, climbed up the table leg, and stood expectantly in front of his plate.

"Enjoy your breakfast, you two."

"Thank you for the food!"

Squeak, squeak!

Jaeyoung began by spreading butter on his toast. The moment it touched the warm bread, the butter melted into a rich glaze. He layered a fried egg and crispy bacon on top, then took a massive bite. The savory aroma of butter enveloped his palate, followed by the satisfying crunch of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the toasted bread. The crispy bacon and rich egg yolk elevated the flavor profile to another level.

After swallowing, he took a sip of his coffee. The clean, refreshing taste washed over his palate, instantly making him crave the next bite.

"The chicken last night was incredible, and this breakfast is just as amazing."

Minse and Porri thoroughly enjoyed their breakfast as well. Soon, all three plates were licked clean.

"I'll do the dishes," Minseo said, gathering the plates and standing up.

"Make sure you don't break any." Jaeyoung watched her with a hint of worry, knowing how clumsy she could be at times. Those plates were custom-made by a master ceramicist, gifted to him by a foreign Hunter Association President.

"Who do you take me for?"

Jaeyoung kept an anxious eye on Minseo's back as she washed the dishes. Fortunately, his fears were unfounded, and she finished the chore without any incidents.

"See? I told you to trust me."

Her smugness was short-lived, however. The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠moment she checked her smartphone, she let out a shriek and bolted back into her room.

"Oh no, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'm going to be late!"

Jaeyoung watched with a warm smile as she frantically grabbed her things and rushed toward the front door.