Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: School Lunch (1)
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"Eat up~"
"Yes, ma'am! Thank you!"
The first day of school lunch service.
Kim Ji-hoon personally wielded the ladle, scooping steaming beef radish soup into the students' trays as he spoke.
The morning menu was simple yet hearty.
Fried rice loaded with ham and eggs.
Pork bulgogi that had been marinated in large batches the day before.
Tuna kimchi stir-fry, fried to a savory crisp with well-fermented kimchi.
Soft, square steamed eggs.
And finally, a nostalgic salad of fresh fruits, vegetables, and quail eggs tossed in mayonnaise.
It was a balanced meal, carefully designed not to be too heavy for breakfast while providing full nutrition.
Ji-hoon bustled about at the serving station, but he still stole glances at the kids seated at the tables, eating with evident delight.
The students stared at the unfamiliar dishes on the serving line with wide-eyed curiosity.
A clear brownish soup with white squares and chunks of meat floating in it.
Thinly sliced pork that looked marinated in soy sauce.
Red stir-fry smelling spicy and mixed with what looked like tuna and vegetables.
A yellow, square egg dish that appeared pudding-soft.
And a salad blending familiar yet slightly different fruits and veggies.
It was worlds apart from their usual cafeteria fare visually.
Not soggy pizza slices or mystery meatball pasta.
Some kids whispered, "What is this?" to each other, while others cautiously sniffed.
Normally, they'd take their trays with bored expressions, but not today.
Something smelled like real cooking.
One brave soul at a table finally sipped the clear soup first.
His eyes went wide.
"Whoa, what's this soup? It's so clean and fresh! Nothing like the old veggie slop!"
That sparked the others; they grabbed spoons and forks in a frenzy.
"Dude, try this soy-sauced meat! Sweet and seriously good!"
A girl offered thin pork slices to her friend.
"Way softer than those tough chicken patties we always get!"
"This red stuff... kinda spicy, but I can't stop!"
A kid who'd tried the red stir-fry chimed in.
"At least it has flavor! Better than mushy broccoli any day!"
"No way! This yellow thing! Egg-like but so soft! Like pudding! How do they make it?"
Exclamations over the egg texture rang out.
"Totally different from those rubbery scrambled eggs before!"
"Even the salad's good? Not just mayo—it's tangy!"
Cheers and chatter erupted everywhere.
The initially wary students gained courage from their friends' enjoyment and took their first bites.
They too awakened to a new world of flavors.
It hit them how awful their usual lunches had been.
Trays that typically came back half-full were noticeably clean today.
The kids' faces beamed with happy smiles from the tasty food.
Ji-hoon's special lunch had successfully won over their palates and hearts.
"Damn, this is intense."
After morning service, with the cafeteria empty of students, Dong-hyun sat nursing a coffee and groaning.
Ji-hoon and the aunties were catching their breath too.
With breakfast and lunch to serve, they had only a short break before prepping the next meal.
It was just like army kitchen duty.
"Brings back old memories, huh?"
Ji-hoon joked.
"Never thought I'd be shoveling food with a spade again after getting out."
Dong-hyun grumbled.
Indeed, for mass cooking, they'd used giant spatula-like tools to stir-fry the meat.
"Ugh, yeah. But it's kinda fun after so long?"
Dong-hyun shot Ji-hoon an incredulous look at that.
"You find fun in everything. At least we get off early. Just lunch and done?"
"Yeah. Not long-term. Two days left after today."
"Ughhh, let's move. Gotta finish quick and rest."
Dong-hyun stood.
"I'll handle mains; you do the soups."
"Sure."
The kitchen staff focused mostly on side dishes.
With so many aunties, Ji-hoon assigned them lighter tasks.
The heavy lifting—like stir-frying and boiling—fell to him and Dong-hyun.
Lunch went off without a hitch too, no overlapping menus.
The first day of the three-day volunteer stint wrapped successfully.
And...
That very evening,
the promotional effect Ji-hoon had aimed for began to take hold.
That evening, similar scenes unfolded in homes across Berkeley.
Parents who'd stormed the principal's office in protest and returned home.
Their anger still simmered.
Dinner table talk naturally turned to school lunches.
"Those jerks messing with kids' food..."
Catherine fumed over the cafeteria meals.
Then her daughter Emily, fresh from school, plopped down excitedly.
"Mom! Lunch was amazing today!"
"Amazing? What fresh hell was it this time?"
Catherine assumed complaints.
"No! It was seriously delicious!"
Emily couldn't contain her hype.
"All these new foods, but everything was so good!"
"Delicious?"
Catherine eyed her daughter puzzled.
"I took pics—wanna see?"
Emily pulled out her phone.
Vibrant sides and mains filled the tray.
Even in photos, it looked miles better than the usual slop.
Abundant.
"Heavens... this was today's lunch?"
"Yep! That clear soup with meat and squares was yummy, the soy pork super tender! And this red stuff—dunno the name, but mildly spicy and addictive! Oh, the steamed eggs! Melted in my mouth like pudding!"
Catherine blanked out amid the nonstop praise.
"And after eating it all, my stomach felt great—no hunger all afternoon! Pizza always leaves me bloated, but today was perfect! I wish it was like this every day!"
At Emily's earnest awe, Catherine's stern face softened.
She felt inner satisfaction gazing at the photo's bounty.
'Yeah, our protest worked. School finally did something.'
She patted herself on the back for speaking up.
Around the same time, similar chats echoed elsewhere.
"Dad, lunch was awesome today!"
Son John mumbled through a burger.
"Lunch? More weird crap?"
Dad asked indifferently.
"No! Totally new style, but so good! Tons of meat, heaps of sides! Kids went nuts. Nothing like those chewy nuggets. Check this!"
John showed his phone pics.
"Hmm... looks decent."
Dad perked up.
"I was stuffed—got seconds even. But weirdly, no indigestion. Usually does."
"Good to hear. Kids deserve proper food."
Dad knew about the school uproar.
He sighed in relief at John's happiness.
Thus, that evening, Berkeley High parents quieted.
The kids' unexpected 'lunch praise' relay cooled the boiling rage beneath the surface.
Anticipation for tomorrow's menu began filling the void.
The next day at lunch.
As Ji-hoon served, he felt more eyes than yesterday.
Principal Smith was there, plus some parents who'd heard the kids' rave reviews, observing in person.
"Hello?"
A parent approached as he ladled soup.
"Um... what's this soup?"
'Ah, yeah—must look exotic to foreigners.'
Right.
This was Korean cuisine.
Ji-hoon smiled warmly and explained.
"Oh, this is beef seaweed soup."
"Seaweed... soup?"
She tilted her head.
Seaweed as food was alien abroad.
"What's seaweed?"
"Well... in America, it's called 'seaweed'."
Seaweed.
Literally sea grass.
"What!? You eat that?"
She gasped.
"Of course."
Ji-hoon replied confidently.
"In Korea, new moms eat it post-birth for recovery—top-notch ingredient."
"Really? Never seen it eaten here..."
"Rich in fiber for constipation, obesity, arteriosclerosis prevention. Packed with protein, carbs, minerals—especially iodine, phosphorus, calcium—for strong bones. Perfect for growing kids without weight worries."
"Oh my! Didn't know!"
Her eyes widened.
"So healthy?"
"Absolutely. Korean food features ferments like kimchi, doenjang—prevents adult diseases, aids obesity, gut health, immunity. Korea's all about 'food as medicine'. No worries."
The parent marveled at Korean food's benefits and seaweed's hidden powers, ignored in America.
Child obesity was epidemic, her son overweight—she leaned in.
"Does... Korean food really help lose weight?"
"Yes. Eat steadily, get super healthy—I guarantee."
"Will lunches stay like this?"
"Ah..."
Ji-hoon looked awkward.
"We're just filling in for three days till tomorrow due to the incident—didn't want kids going hungry. I run 'Babsang' downtown normally. Craving more Korean? Come there."
"Babsang? Okay! Thanks for the delicious, healthy food."
Ji-hoon nodded smiling, resuming serving.
She whispered the revelation to other parents.
"That soup's seaweed—great for obesity!"
"Really? Korean food that good?"
Murmurs grew among them.
Intentionally or not, positive buzz for Korean cuisine bloomed—just as Ji-hoon hoped.