The Remaining Distance
The sizzle rose from the thick black iron griddle as flames licked through the holes punched across its surface. When the uneven, pinkish meat landed, oil seeped out and bubbled furiously. The shape might have been unusual, but meat was meat; the way the juices popped and hissed, sending up steam that curled like smoke into the cold air, was undeniably appetizing.
Mina picked up a piece of the meat that had cooked first and been cut into easy bites. She laid it on a crisp lettuce leaf, added a few slices of well-roasted garlic and chili, dabbed on some ssamjang, wrapped it tight, and took a bite. A soft sigh of pleasure escaped her.
“This is better than I expected!”
It wasn’t as if she had never eaten meat before. Between company dinners and various get-togethers, she had enjoyed samgyeopsal, galbi, and even beef on rare occasions. But this particular cut had a flavor all its own. It was pork, yet lighter than samgyeopsal, with a chewy, almost wild depth that lingered on the tongue.
“Sis, you’re eating better than I thought,” Cheok-jeong said, sounding genuinely impressed. “Never a dull moment with you.”
Min-jeong watched Mina with a complicated expression, idly poking at her food with her chopsticks.
“Hehe♪”
Mina’s mood, which had dipped earlier, lifted again. She began humming without realizing it, her chopsticks moving busily across the table. The restaurant had looked shabby and ready to collapse at any moment, but a place that served food this good could be forgiven almost anything.
“By the way, Mr. Seok-jun, what cut is that?”
Her gaze had drifted to the unusual meat sizzling on his griddle. Gaburi-sal, he had called it. It resembled a shrunken samgyeopsal but curved like an awkward crescent moon. The shape was oddly fascinating.
“Would you like to try some?”
“Yes!”
Without hesitation, Mina answered. Seok-jun placed several perfectly cooked slices onto a small plate of shredded scallions and passed it to her. She ate it with the scallions and discovered that, like samgyeopsal, it was rich with fat yet far more tender.
“This has a unique taste too!”
Whether it was the different cut or the distinctive charcoal aroma, the flavor was unlike any meat she had known before.
“Grizzly! Me too! Me too!”
“Here you go.”
Seok-jun quickly gathered more well-cooked gaburi-sal onto his plate and handed it to the impatient Yeeun. They had used separate griddles not only because of the group size but because it was simply easier for a child to eat this way.
Mina smiled warmly as she watched Yeeun chew with her cheeks puffed out. It was hard to reconcile this adorable sight with the same girl who had fearlessly charged at that enormous monster dog.
“Hm?”
Yeeun suddenly began fidgeting, glancing around as if checking for watchers.
“Ah.”
When their eyes met and the girl flinched, Mina’s curiosity only grew.
“Shhh!”
Yeeun pressed a finger to her lips in a clear “this is a secret” gesture, then stealthily lowered a piece of meat beneath the table.
Wondering what she was up to, Mina peeked underneath. Sure enough, the dachshund tied to the leg of Yeeun’s chair was sniffing eagerly. It snapped the morsel up in one quick gulp. Mina let out a soft laugh. She had done the exact same thing as a child.
I’ll have to tell her properly later that it’s not allowed.
She might enjoy it now, but food loaded with spices and grease wasn’t healthy for dogs. She made a mental note to gently explain it later.
Though… does the same rule apply to an awakened dog?
She wasn’t sure whether mana-awakened animals followed the same dietary restrictions. The memory of it transforming into something resembling a monster surfaced, along with the image of Lee Jun blocking its breath attack with his body. That had clearly been stronger than most A-rank monsters, yet he had emerged completely unscathed. It seemed the armor wasn’t just for show after all.
What about right now?
Fish and chips were one thing, but meat was far greasier. Even with chopsticks, oil would splatter everywhere. For a brief moment she wondered if she might finally catch a glimpse of his bare face.
“Chomp chomp chomp!”
“…Is that not uncomfortable for him?”
His behavior far exceeded her imagination. He had piled meat onto his plate, lowered his head, lifted only the visor of his helmet, and was eating with his face practically buried in the food. The sheer determination not to let anyone see his face left her speechless.
“Being ugly isn’t exactly something to brag about, is it?” Cheok-jeong answered, clearly amused. Lee Jun’s movements halted. He lifted his head to stare at the other man. The visor slid back down with gravity, once again hiding his face.
“Your name isn’t something to brag about either, is it?”
The sharp retort flew from behind the helmet and struck home.
“Ugh! Got a problem with the name my parents gave me?! You ugly bastard!”
“You’re the one with the problem! What kind of son commits such a sin against his own parents!”
“Meat! I want meat!”
Min-jeong continued eating with the weary expression of someone long used to their bickering, while Yeeun paid them no mind and simply demanded more food. Seok-jun kept cooking for her. Mina decided to ignore the pair as well.
“So that guy was saying—!”
“Yeah, yeah, I know you’ve had it rough. It’s not like this is the first time.”
As evening deepened, the table grew rowdier. Min-jeong, now thoroughly drunk, had her head on the table and was grumbling complaints about someone. Cheok-jeong listened patiently. Lee Jun dozed off while hugging a brown beer bottle to his chest. Yeeun remained focused on the remaining meat atop the cooling griddle.
“Ugh… just how long…”
Mina rubbed her forehead, gazing at the scene through a pleasant alcoholic haze. She had been so absorbed in the novel flavors that she had eaten without thinking and ended up tipsy herself.
“Where’s Mr. Seok-jun?”
Only then did she notice his absence. She looked around. Even the old man sitting near the entrance to the shabby vinyl house was dozing. A glance at the time told her it was already eight o’clock.
“Grizzly said he went out for some air.”
“Thanks.”
She smiled at how cute Yeeun’s immediate answer was, then stepped outside. Beyond the vinyl house, she spotted a figure standing with his back to the building, staring into the distance. She opened the door and walked out.
Whoosh.
The chilly night breeze cut through the warmth the alcohol had spread through her body. As she approached Seok-jun, she felt a faint sense of wrongness. Normally there should have been more to the atmosphere, yet the night air carried only the clean scent of grass.
His back remained turned, gaze fixed on some faraway point he alone could see. A playful impulse bloomed inside her. She stepped lightly across the gravel to avoid making noise, crept up behind him, and wrapped her arms around his back.
“Seok~jun~ssi!”
“Mina?”
“Hehe. Why are you standing out here all alone looking so lonely?”
She felt the firm muscles of his arms and the solid wall of his back pressing against her chest. Without meaning to, Mina smiled brightly and leaned into him. She knew she was acting like a child, yet the urge was impossible to resist.
“Doesn’t all that greasy food make you feel stuffed up?”
“Hmm, I suppose it does.”
She nodded absently, then buried her nose in his clothes. The scent of charcoal and a faint woody aroma finally revealed the source of her earlier discomfort.
“Mr. Seok-jun, you don’t smoke, do you? You didn’t seem to drink much either.”
Thinking back, while she had nearly finished an entire bottle, he had taken at most one or two small glasses. The lack of alcohol scent made sense, but the complete absence of cigarette smell was even more surprising.
“It’s better to stay away from things that aren’t good for you.”
“Still, I thought you’d at least smoke. You look like the type who would.”
He had the kind of face that belonged in a movie poster, after all.
“After seeing one thing and another, I ended up not picking up the habit.”
Seok-jun answered calmly, yet he continued staring into the distance even while she clung to him. Irritation flared inside her.
“Hmph! You’re so mean, Mr. Seok-jun!”
“Pardon?”
She puffed out her cheeks and hugged him tighter. Only then did he finally turn to look at her properly. The sight satisfied her a little, but she kept complaining.
“You said you’d keep in touch, but you only call once a week! And why is it so hard to meet up with you!”
No matter how busy he was, surely he had time for an evening call. Yet he kept disappearing without a trace, leaving her anxious and restless.
“And today was the same! We were supposed to meet at lunchtime, but you showed up three hours late!”
She had been distracted helping Yeeun catch the dog, but if she had even seen a missed call from him, she wouldn’t feel quite so wronged.
“You are interested in me, right? Or is my charm just not enough? After finally making plans, we couldn’t even have a proper date.”
She felt strange throwing this kind of tantrum, yet she refused to loosen her arms. Deep down she knew how embarrassing she was being, but if she didn’t hold on now, he might slip away again before she could catch him.
She pressed her face against his back, heart fluttering with worry, when Seok-jun’s voice reached her.
“I actually consider it fortunate.”
“Buu, what is?”
His casual tone made her reply petulantly. She felt his body turning within her embrace. The soft pressure of her chest against him suddenly embarrassed her, and she started to pull away—
“Eh?”
—only for him to catch her hands and draw her into his arms instead. While she froze in surprise, his languid voice brushed against her ear.
“If this doesn’t count, doesn’t that just mean I get another chance to meet you, Mina?”
The warm breath against her ear sent a shiver racing through her body.
Aaah.
It felt like sinking comfortably into the thick fur of a huge bear, only to remember too late that the bear was a wild beast.