Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: The Army Buddy Arrives
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Aw, shit. What the hell?
"Aw, shit. What the hell?"
Dong-hyun was kicking back at home watching anime after getting off work when the nonstop Instagram DM alerts started grating on his nerves. He snatched up his phone in annoyance.
The moment he glanced at the screen to silence the notifications, he jolted in shock.
'Holy shit. What's this psycho up to now?'
Even as he paused to think, the alerts kept blaring.
'Ugh. This feels like something I'll regret opening.'
Dong-hyun agonized over whether to check the DM from Ji-hoon—whom he hadn't heard from in three years—but curiosity got the better of him. He peeked into the chat.
The second the "seen" mark popped up, the messages staring back at him were:
And right below that:
Ah.
Dong-hyun felt a sharp throb in his head.
Dong-hyun and Ji-hoon had been army buddies.
Dong-hyun got drafted into kitchen duty because his major was in restaurant management, and Ji-hoon because his family ran a restaurant.
'What the fuck! What does management or a family restaurant have to do with cooking for the army?!'
Dong-hyun and Ji-hoon both felt totally screwed over.
Just because "restaurant" was in Dong-hyun's major and Ji-hoon came from a restaurant family? Kitchen duty?!
What kind of bullshit criteria was that?!
But since it was the army—a special place—they quickly accepted reality.
And as they slogged through kitchen duty together, they oddly clicked personality-wise.
But they had special nicknames for each other.
– Crazy anime-obsessed otaku fucker.
– The kind of guy you swear never to cross paths with in the real world.
Affectionate(?) monikers aimed at one another.
Both full of quirks, they bickered constantly but stayed weirdly tight. Even after discharge, they met up now and then.
But this was the first contact in three years—since Ji-hoon's wedding day.
'Heard he got divorced. What's the deal this time?'
Dong-hyun typed into the DM window.
The reply came lightning-fast.
'What kinda nonsense is this?'
Ji-hoon's sudden job offer out of nowhere felt fishy as hell to Dong-hyun.
The absurd challenge to insult a certain country's leader got an instant response.
Ah.
Verified.
Dong-hyun grudgingly accepted it.
Dong-hyun's eyes went wide.
He was making just over 300k now—dorm and meals plus 500k?!
Holy shit! 500k!
Dong-hyun's head was spinning.
Dorm and board too? Killer deal!
Dong-hyun's brain flatlined at the sudden "America."
Who am I? Where is this?
Dong-hyun came to his senses at Oakland International Airport.
Ji-hoon's parents were right beside him.
"Kuh~ Ahh, the smell of freedom!"
Ji-hoon's dad, Kim Sung-tae, was decked out in a flashy floral Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses like he was hitting the islands. He spread his arms wide beside his suitcase, sucking in the American air with gusto.
Smack!
"Eek!"
Choi Mi-hee's sharp hand struck Kim Sung-tae's arm dead-on.
"Hurry up. I'm tired."
At his wife's words, Ji-hoon's dad grinned sheepishly and grabbed the suitcase again.
Dong-hyun watched them and thought, Man, they're such a solid couple.
After getting Ji-hoon's message, he'd spent days agonizing over it.
America? Really?
But with youthful bravado—"When else am I gonna work in America? I'm still young!"—he'd ultimately accepted the offer.
It was only a 15-minute drive from Oakland Airport to Ji-hoon in Berkeley.
Annoyingly, Ji-hoon had just dumped the restaurant address, claiming it wasn't his day off, and skipped the pickup.
Dong-hyun had already mapped it out.
He pulled up Uber on his phone.
"Mom, Dad. Let's go. Car's here."
"Good, Dong-hyun. Makes it easy with you. Ugh, hurry up already!"
"W-We-We're going!"
Of course, the bickering came standard.
The three climbed into the car heading from the strange American airport to Ji-hoon in Berkeley.
The Uber pulled up in front of Berkeley's downtown.
At the driver's "We're here," Dong-hyun and Ji-hoon's parents piled out one by one.
And they were left speechless by the sight before them.
Right in front of the address Ji-hoon gave.
The shop with the bold Korean sign "Babsang" was swarmed—absolutely packed.
Lunch rush, no doubt. A long line snaked out front from folks waiting to get in.
White, Black, Asian students to older locals.
All races queued up patiently.
The place looked way bigger than the photos Ji-hoon had sent before.
Seemed like they'd knocked through to the next shop—beyond the widened entrance, a glimpse of the packed dining hall.
Inside and out buzzed with energy, delicious aromas teasing their noses.
And amid the chaotic crowd, a familiar face appeared.
Ji-hoon. He was at the entrance nonstop greeting customers, handing out wait numbers, barking orders to hall staff.
Frantic pace, but his face beamed with a grin.
Dong-hyun gaped at him.
Kim Sung-tae started shocked, then broke into a proud smile at his son working.
Choi Mi-hee stared wide-eyed at the scene.
Pitied her boy slaving away, but damn proud he'd carved out success in a foreign land.
Tears welled up seeing her son after so long.
The three stood there awhile, taking in the bustling spectacle.
"Son~!"
Choi Mi-hee's voice cut through the crowd.
Her eyes already glistened with tears.
Ji-hoon whipped his head around at her voice.
Spotted his parents and Dong-hyun, lit up with a huge smile, and shouted back joyfully.
"Dad! Mom!"
But his glee ended there.
He snapped back to the front, urgently saying,
"Thanks for the long trip! But we're slammed right now—no seats inside. Head to that cafe up ahead and chill a bit. I'll come when it quiets down!"
With that, Ji-hoon turned back to the incoming wave of customers.
"Yes, yes! One moment! Goodbye!"
The joy and emotion of reuniting with her son after ages shattered.
Choi Mi-hee stared blankly at her son's back, swallowed up by customers again, moving like mad.
Meanwhile, clocking the exploding business, Dong-hyun's gut screamed,
I'm fucked!
Years in buffets told him exactly what this scene meant.
Peering through the full-length glass: spacious interior.
Yet a line that long?
For workers, pure hell: a mega-hit spot.
Imagining slaving there turned Dong-hyun's vision dark.
'You maniac! Busy is fine, but moderately! This is straight-up slavery.'
He felt the urge to bolt back to Korea with Ji-hoon's parents in a few days.
And a grim foreboding that life in America wouldn't be smooth sailing.
"Uh~ Amy. Call if anything comes up. Close up good, see you tomorrow."
"Got it, boss. Night."
I'd prepped the staff that my parents were flying in from Korea today.
So I covered lunch peak, and since evenings were lighter, I left the shop to Amy.
They showed up way too early—ended up unintentionally ghosting them.
Ahh, I'm such a shitty son.
Heading to the cafe, there were my parents and my long-lost buddy Dong-hyun.
'You sneaky fuck. Can't let me suffer alone.'
I sauntered over and played nice.
"I'm here. Whew, was swamped."
"Son~! You grew the place this big in a year? Packed house~"
Mom's praise had me puffing up.
Mom, a restaurant vet and elder stateswoman of the biz.
Felt validated.
"Yah, punk! Know how shocked we were with your sudden marriage bomb?"
Dad left me speechless.
I'd boldly declared I'd never marry, then flipped the script in one year.
S... S-sorry.
Dong-hyun, after ages, was the same as ever.
"Fucker."
My short jab made his eyebrow twitch.
Normally he'd fire back with "fuck you," but fidgeting in front of my parents? Hilarious.
Even foul-mouthed bros turn into polite young gents around friends' folks.
Puhaha.
Nice look on you, buddy.
As I snickered, whack! to the back of my head.
Crack!
"You little shit! That's how you talk to a friend? Gonna make your parents look bad with that upbringing?"
"Pfft."
Dong-hyun stifling laughs like a dam of desire? Served him right.
"Ahh, Mom's chops are as fierce as ever after a year. Take it back."
So I reunited with my parents from Korea and the partner who'd work with me.
"Ack! Just kidding!"
"Ugh, I can't go on!"
Thwack!
Thwack!
Straight-up back-smashing out the gate? Bit much.
Whatever got into her eyes, Mom's hands packed heat.
Ahh, Master Touch...!
"Marriage! Smack! On your whim again! Smack!"
"Eek! Mom, you hit bone. W-wing bone! Argh!"
Rhythm game level.
How's it hurt so bad?
"Ugh, who the hell did you get this from?!"
Worn out, Mom halted the love taps.
"Anyway, wedding's when?"
"Three days from now, Mom."
Yep. They came three days before the wedding.
"Sigh. Home first. Got a newlywed place?"
"Yup. Blew a ton of cash on it."
"Whew. Fine. Where's the bride? No welcome?"
Mom seemed miffed.
"Got some circumstances, Mom."
"Always circumstances! Whatever, let's go. Gotta see what this daughter-in-law's like, you punk!"
"Y-Yes ma'am!"
I hustled the car over, loaded up Mom, Dad, and Dong-hyun, and headed to the new place.
Dong-hyun starts under Amy tomorrow, learning the ropes.
Why'd I call him?
Speaks English.
Something about vibes you can't get from subtitles?
True to his anime-and-movie fanatic roots, he'd honed his language skills.
Plus food service experience, and army proved his loyalty. Nailed it.
'Does he know he jumps straight into work? He'd kill me if he did.'
Thinking that, I pulled up to the house.