The Girl at Park Halmae's Gukbap
‘Me... to come to school?’
Moon Sojeong, aka Nyanbyeol, looked utterly bewildered. Living in Daejeon meant she’d been avoiding the campus even more than Seoul lately. Being summoned to a place like that threw her for a complete loop.
But she couldn’t exactly say no.
What the hell is that oppa thinking?
The “oppa” she called her high school senior—sometimes “sunbae” because of their school connection. Did he have some romantic fantasy about college campuses or something? If so, she was more than willing to play along.
“...Fine. I’ll dress up like a total freshman and make it worth your while. Get ready.”
She steeled her resolve. To her, Shin Jaewoo was incredibly important. The thought of letting him slip away was unbearable. And now, he was coming all the way to Daejeon on his own. If he was making the trip, it was only right for her to guide him anywhere, anytime.
Just one thing bugged her.
The school... isn’t exactly date material.
To be precise, that school wasn’t the romantic spot he might imagine. And she’d heard the rumors. It had been a fire site, and they hadn’t even properly demolished it—the wreckage was just left there, preserved(?) in all its ugliness.
People already hate the place for being barren, and now there’s this eyesore too...
Recalling what her college friends had said, she frowned with worry.
The Rolls-Royce Phantom that had once carried Kim Minseo and Nyanbyeol pulled up in a narrow alley in Daejeon. Someone stepped out from the driver’s seat, scanned the surroundings, then opened the rear door.
“...We’ve arrived, Director.”
“Mm. Ah, already?”
Shin Jaewoo, who’d been dozing, blinked awake with an awkward smile. He stepped out through the door the driver held open, his expression sheepish.
“...Thanks.”
Having someone open doors for him—it still felt unnatural. He usually tried to handle it himself, but he’d been asleep this time. He gave a quick bow and a word of thanks as he exited, and the man responded with a nod. It was a habit Shin Jaewoo was struggling to get used to.
The guy’s appearance was striking, for starters.
Not Korean.
His Korean was fluent, but anyone could tell he wasn’t local. His skin tone gave it away. He was Black. Derek Coleman, a former U.S. Navy SEAL sergeant. And now, the man was driving Shin Jaewoo’s car—and handling security, naturally.
Derek turned to him. “Shall I wait inside?”
Shin Jaewoo didn’t like dragging bodyguards around everywhere, so Derek always checked first. Shin Jaewoo nodded.
“Would you mind, Coleman?”
“Of course. I’ll stand by in the car. If anything comes up, just hit the call button.”
Speaking of which, Shin Jaewoo had a receiver in his pocket—a simple button device. Pressing it sent a signal to the transmitter Derek carried.
“Give me the signal, and I’ll be there in seconds.”
This was the level of protection possible thanks to Korea’s solid public safety. In a dangerous spot, Derek would stick close, maybe even wear a bulletproof vest. Overseas, that was standard in some cases.
Korea really is a great place to live.
Gun violence was nonexistent here, even if random knife attacks had cropped up lately.
“...Shall we head in?”
He’d made plans with Nyanbyeol on the drive over, but meeting her was for later. Today wasn’t the day.
If I’m in Daejeon, this has to be first stop.
His eyes sparkled as he double-checked the restaurant’s sign.
[Park Halmae's Gukbap]
It was the old-school sign for his maternal grandmother’s place, the one that had popped up on his SNS feed. He’d worked here himself back in the day—serving, washing dishes, you name it.
The place had that lived-in age to it. Run-down, sure, and unlike before, there were empty tables now.
Grandma’s at the age where she should retire.
As the bittersweet thought crossed his mind—
“Dining alone?”
A girl approached as he stepped inside. She looked about Kim Minseo’s age, wearing a simple pink apron with cloud patterns—a fresh-faced young woman who seemed out of place in this old gukbap joint.
Huh?
Shin Jaewoo stared in surprise, then nodded.
“...Yes.”
“Then... have a seat anywhere. What’ll it be?”
She ushered him to an empty table without missing a beat. Now he got a good look: vibrant college-girl energy, ponytail swinging over a youthful face.
Whoa.
Her youthful charm aside, one part of her apron was straining noticeably. Her chest was generous. Not wanting to stare, he averted his eyes and ordered the first thing that came to mind.
“...Sundae gukbap for me, too.”
Mid-sentence, he remembered Derek in the car.
Should’ve invited Coleman to eat together.
Feeling a pang of neglect, he fired off a text—no need for the panic button.
Relieved, he felt a twinge of envy.
“A lunchbox from his wife...”
He’d just learned Derek was married. They hadn’t known each other long—their first meeting was the day Go Yun-jeong visited.
Never imagined hiring a Black driver in Korea.
Recalling the moment, he let out an absurd chuckle. Meanwhile, the girl who’d taken his order bustled around.
“Grandma! One more sundae gukbap!”
“...Here, take it.”
“Got it! Grandma, sit and rest now. Orders are done!”
Her affectionate tone carried from the kitchen. Shin Jaewoo couldn’t see her, but the voice warmed him. A smile tugged at his lips.
Thought Grandma was lonely, but she’s doing better than I figured.
He didn’t know who the girl was—probably part-time help. Her youthful face suggested it wasn’t long-term. Still, someone helping out was a relief.
Better than paying minimum wage. Less work for Grandma, plus company.
He felt an instant fondness for her. It was a role he should’ve filled—helping Grandma, keeping her company. But Daejeon visits had been rare lately.
On days off... I was too busy dating Hyeju.
Kim Hyeju wasn’t ancient history—just a month and change since the breakup. No bandwidth for Daejeon back then. His aunt Oh Miyoung was probably swamped too.
Auntie’s a workaholic.
Hotels never closed. She rotated days off but always showed up anyway.
That’s how she made general manager.
Among Grandma’s blood relatives, Kim Minseo was the warmest. Too bad she was lazy—full of aegyo but never visiting Daejeon.
“...Should’ve brought that girl along while I’m at it.”
As he muttered, the girl returned with a tray. With practiced ease, she set down the banchan and rice, then placed a steaming stone pot in front of him.
“It’s hot, so eat carefully.”
“...Thanks.”
“Enjoy. Grandma’s got real magic in her hands.”
His thanks were for her sticking by Grandma’s side. But her follow-up tugged at his heartstrings.
Our Grandma...
Who’d stolen whose line? It didn’t bother him.
“...Yeah.”
Pretending not to notice, he stirred the gukbap. Chunks of sundae and hearty bits surfaced with each swirl.
Wonder if business is even sustainable like this.
Sundae gukbap still went for 6,000 won. Too cheap. This wasn’t about profit—maintaining prices meant skimping elsewhere, meaning more toil for Grandma.
“Hoo. Hoo.”
She’d raised an orphaned grandson selling bowls like this. He sipped the broth first.
Mm. That’s the taste.
Familiar perfection—no extra seasoning needed.
As he dug in—
“Hello there.”
The air shifted. A man stepped inside, and the cozy warmth chilled instantly. The biggest change? The girl, who’d been darting about busily, went pale at the sight of the new customer.