Pork Stir-Fry Supremacy and the Anonymous Frenzy
With the end of that hellish PE class under the boomer tyrant, the bell finally rang, signaling the close of fourth period. The war-like morning schedule was over, and lunchtime had arrived at last. At the prestigious Seong-eun High School, the cafeteria food was on another level compared to other schools—they even offered a choice between Western and Korean cuisine!
A hearty Korean meal or an elegant Western one: the devil's dilemma! The Western corner boasted a classic steak and alio olio combo, but the Korean side countered with the king of kings: pork stir-fry! 'Great matchup, but steak's a bit weak against pork stir-fry, don't you think?'
But Kang Eun-ho, tugging my hand as if it were the most natural thing, headed straight for the Western line. "Hey! Do-hyun, steak today! What's the occasion?"
"No way!" Who drags a greasy hunk of meat in front of His Majesty Pork Stir-Fry?!
"Eun-ho, steak's just grilled plain, but pork stir-fry has all those seasonings, so it's on another dimension of deliciousness. Why not try Korean instead? Gochujang boosts fat-burning, boosts immunity, fights cancer and inflammation, plus it's packed with antioxidants—a real superfood..."
"Korean style. Stop. Over-talking. Got it, so go eat your pork."
"Sure thing~"
Is it really this gender-reversed world? More students chose pork stir-fry over Western fare! In the original world, pork stir-fry was men's soul food, but here it seemed to be women's. Sighing at the endless line of girls, I took my place at the very back.
The cafeteria erupted into cheerful chaos as girls insisted on letting each other go first.
"Do-hyun! I saw you in dodgeball—you were so cool! Must've been tough, right? Get in front of me!"
"No, I'm faster—come to my spot!"
In a typical male-lead world, the protagonist might at least say thanks and step forward. But after 17 years of life as a K-part-timer with manners and Confucian values drilled into my bones, I knew better. Customers hate cutters, and so do part-timers!
"Nah, it's fine. First come, first served."
"But you're a guy—it takes longer to eat... Eun-ho's line is short; he'll be done quick..."
"I said it's fine. Delaying my meal a bit won't kill me. You're all hungry too, and Eun-ho'll wait."
"???"
"Anyway, I appreciate the thought." With a calm, firm voice, I refused and stood my ground obediently. Even Eun-ho, who'd already gotten his food, whispered in disbelief, "Dude, just cut!" But nothing could shake my part-timer ironclad rules.
……!!
'He... accepted my feelings...?'
Ignoring the girl with the creepy, dangerous glint in her eyes, I pulled up the Seong-eun High Anonymous Gallery.
'The morning hype posts should have cooled off by now, right?'
Bullshit. The bait was only growing bigger.
My head spun. Sure, gender-reversed world and all, but getting this hyped over just "abs"? Aren't abs and armpits niche fetishes usually? Anyway, as I scrolled the reactions, it was finally my turn.
The lunch lady gave a warm mom smile and scooped me a ladle of rice. But the portion... who was that for? One bite and done. I stood still, staring, and she tilted her head.
"Hm? Too much? What'll you do if you can't finish~ You're pretty even without losing weight!"
"Ah... no? It's too little... Could I get a heaping mound?"
"Really? Aigoo, eat up then! How much more?"
Finally, a satisfying mountain of rice and pork stir-fry. Anyone who's done manual labor knows: skip a proper meal, and you're screwed later. Especially with man's soul food on the menu today!
Heading to Eun-ho's table, I spotted Lee Jae-min and his minions nearby. Not his fault, but honestly, it was awkward as hell sitting with them.
"Jae-min~ Want some pork stir-fry? I'll share."
"Nah, I'm already gaining weight—gotta diet."
He sliced his steak fingernail-thin and nibbled daintily. The girls cooed over his delicate cuteness, but from my seat, it was cringe city. 'Sigh... yeah, Eun-ho's a bit unique. That's average guy here, right...'
And so the feast began. Spoons are a luxury for my meals. Who switches utensils mid-bite? Pure chopsticks, inhaling pork and rice. Mouth stuffed with satisfaction—the spicy gochujang spreading with every chew, chewy meat, onions adding sweet crunch, all wrapped in pristine white carbs. Right now, I was a human thermal power plant fueled by pork stir-fry!
"...Hey, Han Do-hyun. How many days you starved?"
Eun-ho, elegantly twirling pasta, gawked at my feeding frenzy.
But I had no time to reply—mouth full. "Gotta stuff it full for the real flavor."
Reminded me of dawn delivery runs and breakfast at that burger joint. Water yellowish for some reason, rice dry, meat greasy... but still.
Suddenly, someone approached. Service industry instincts kicked in—I pulled out the chair. Whoever it was hesitated, then plopped down. Cool water scent mixed with faint sweat. Turning, I saw Kang Ha-ri, tracksuit slung off her shoulders like before, face flushed as she stared.
Her tray: rice and pork stir-fry, just like mine.
"Hey."
I turned, cheeks bulging, and her eyes locked on my puffed cheeks and swallowing throat.
"You—how does a guy eat rice like it's a fight?!" she suddenly yelled.
What? This patriarchal—no, matriarchal nagging? Did I ask for extra rice handouts? And in this world, isn't saying that to a guy a big no-no?
Stunned briefly, Ha-ri—usually cool and carefree—blushed deeper and rambled on.
"Guys should eat rice properly... Sauce all over your mouth..."
Her voice softened to grumbles, but her gaze stuck to my lips. Pork gets messy sometimes...
"Rice is meant to be shoveled in. You do the same."
"Argh! Wipe that sauce off your mouth!"
Thwack—her finger wiped my lip in a flash. She stared at the sauce on her finger, flustered.
"I'll grab napkins, hold on..."
"No, I'm done—get up first."
She avoided my eyes, fixating on her finger.
"Yeah... thanks for wiping. Appreciate it."
And so ended my satisfying meal.
After Han Do-hyun left, Kang Ha-ri plunged into deep dilemma. The reason...
'Damn... do I lick this off...?'
Should she suck the sauce off her finger? If it were on her own face, wipe or lick—no biggie. But this was from Han Do-hyun's face. Straight from his lips—pure essence(?).
'Too creepy...? But don't girls do this kinda thing...?'
Rationalizing unconsciously, she raised her left hand toward her mouth. And just as it neared—
"Here, wipe with this."
"....!"
Do-hyun, back with wet wipes from who-knows-where, carefully cleaned her finger. His thoughtful touch made her heart pound, but that precious Do-hyun essence(?) vanished!
"Thanks—I'll buy you a drink later!"
"Uh... yeah, sure."
Super natural, heart-fluttering skinship. Yet her eyes lingered on her left hand.