A Taste of Normalcy
The leftover street. "It's delicious!" The pasta at the place Seokjun had taken her to was genuinely good. Flying fish roe pasta, if she remembered correctly. She'd worried it might be too heavy at first, but the al dente noodles paired with the spicy sauce and the way the roe popped between her teeth made it clear why he'd recommended it.
"It's one of those spots everyone in the know has heard of," Seokjun replied, twirling his own portion of the same pasta onto his fork and resting it against his spoon. He'd considered ordering different kinds so they could share, but yesterday's hangover still lingered, and the rich food was actually settling his slightly queasy stomach.
"How do you know all these hidden gems, Seokjun?" A salad sat in the center of the table, generously drenched in dressing—more than she'd expected. At first she'd wondered why he'd asked for extra, but it made sense now; the bright acidity cut through the heavy pasta sauce perfectly.
"I just happened to notice it while wandering the neighborhood."
"Every corner of it, apparently." It was obvious from the way he'd ordered that he knew the place well.
"This beer has a unique aroma too." She didn't usually drink in the middle of the day, but watching him order had made her crave one as well. It tasted different from the usual convenience store or supermarket varieties.
"They source this ale exclusively for the restaurant. You won't find it anywhere else, so it's worth having a glass whenever you come here." She took another sip, savoring the way the crisp citrus notes bloomed on her tongue despite the beer's gentle carbonation.
"Your palate must be awfully demanding," she said. Yesterday's barbecue place had looked rundown from the outside, yet the food had been far better than any she'd tried before. The unidentifiable salted seafood they'd grilled alongside the pork and the thinly sliced potatoes had complemented everything perfectly.
"When you're eating, isn't it better to enjoy something good if you can?"
"I agree, but places like that are so hard to find."
People didn't scour restaurant lists for nothing. Good restaurants earned their reputation. At least among the places Mina remembered, few were within easy walking distance—especially around here, where decent restaurants were scarce to begin with.
"Most of the spots in this area are either pojangmachas or set-meal restaurants, aren't they?" She'd tried hunting for good food on her days off before, but she'd always come up empty.
"There were quite a few hidden gems among them, if I recall."
"The ones I saw were packed with old men. I couldn't bring myself to go inside." Just as he'd said, some places had stood out, but the loud ones were always filled with elderly men shouting drunkenly at the top of their lungs. The menus—soybean paste soup, kimchi stew, grilled fish—were things she could make at home anyway, so she'd given up.
When Mina shivered at the memory, Seokjun swallowed a bite of salad and said, "If you're uncomfortable going alone, how about we try one together next time?"
"Oh my, is that another date invitation?"
"Those kinds of places are better with a group than just two people."
"Tch, is that so?" She agreed, though she couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. Seokjun continued, "But if it's a place like this, I'd be happy to join you anytime."
"Then how about you start contacting me more often before saying things like that?"
"Mm. I'll try."
"You promise?" Mina found herself staring at the way his silver hair caught the warm glow of the yellow lamps. Without the trench coat, he wore a white shirt beneath a brown leather vest—oddly mismatched, yet somehow it suited him.
"Looking at you like this makes me feel a bit wistful."
"About what?"
Being a hunter was undeniably lucrative. Taxes took a hefty cut, but even a B-rank hunter could live comfortably. Still, there were downsides.
"The fact that we're hunters. We have to wear equipment even at times like this." Never mind the stares—hunters were expected to keep at least one piece of gear on them at all times.
"If you're referring to the recommendation, a single small accessory is usually enough," he said, looking at her curiously. The rule had sparked plenty of debate, but after too many incidents where unprepared hunters died in sudden emergencies, most had learned to comply. Some wore gear deliberately to show off, of course.
"My company has its own guidelines on top of that." Hanshin encouraged its hunters to wear their signature suit-style equipment, which was practically mandatory. The contract explicitly required it during active duty.
"The problem is that it applies even in emergencies."
Mina glanced down at her outfit. She'd put effort into her makeup, but her clothes were the same formal suit with its blue tie. While the uniform looked neat, wearing the same thing every day grew tiresome.
"Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be forced into wearing just one outfit all the time." Hanshin was so considerate that they'd even provided her with identical spare sets in the same size. She'd learned through accounting work that this counted as an employee welfare benefit. It had seemed normal at first, but it was inconvenient.
"Are those the only clauses regarding equipment?" Seokjun's voice pulled her from her thoughts.
"Huh? As far as I remember, there were a few more."
"Do you recall the details?"
"Not exactly, but..." Mina tried to remember what she'd read carefully when signing the contract. "Hanshin covers repairs for the provided equipment. That's about it."
Just to be sure, she checked the digital document on her phone. The only other clause stated that lost equipment was the hunter's responsibility; replacements would be deducted from their salary or require a fee.
"It seems wearing the provided equipment is more of a company policy than a strict requirement."
"Right?"
"In that case, wearing other clothes isn't entirely impossible."
"What? How?" Mina couldn't imagine how that would work.
"Let's finish eating first and think about it afterward."
"Oh!" She realized there was still plenty of pasta and salad left and picked up her fork again. She couldn't waste good food.
"Phew, I'm stuffed." In the end, she'd emptied her beer glass and polished off the pasta and salad down to the sauce. She ate quite a lot, but even she wouldn't have managed this much if the food hadn't been excellent. Stepping outside, she breathed in the cool air and exhaled slowly.
"It's been a while since I felt like I spent money well!" The pasta and salad together had easily cost over ten thousand won per serving, but she didn't regret it. The meal had been that special.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Seokjun handed back the card she'd lent him earlier, and she tucked it into her wallet before asking, "So, where to next?"
"There's a clothing store in this alley. Let's take a look."
"A clothing store? But I..." When Mina hesitated, he took her hand and gently pulled her along.
"It won't be a problem. Come on."
"Whoa, wait a second?!" She hadn't expected him to grab her hand first and felt flustered. His large hand was warm and calloused, lightly squeezing hers.
Argh, get a grip. She forced herself to focus and glanced around. The alley that had seemed quiet before lunch was now bustling with people—far more than she'd noticed earlier.
"I thought this place was pretty empty. There are a lot of people now."
It almost looked busier than the main streets.
"I recall there was some kind of support project. That's why it's changed so much from before."
"Come to think of it, you said you've lived here for a long time." Mina stole a glance at his face, but his murky teal eyes remained fixed ahead, unreadable.
"What was it like back then?"
"Nowhere worth praising. It's fortunate things turned out this way."
"Ahaha..." His answer was far from what she'd expected, but walking beside him was still enjoyable, so she let it go. Most of the couples they passed had their arms linked.
They probably think we're dating too. Every time someone glanced their way, Mina felt a flutter of excitement in her chest. She was so lost in the silly thought that she might get caught that she didn't notice Seokjun slowing down.
"Hmm." When she looked up, wondering if something was wrong, he spoke.
"We've reached the clothing stores, but which one do you think looks good, Mina?"
Only then did she notice the row of shops and nod. Even if he was familiar with the area, it made sense that a man wouldn't usually pick out women's clothes.
"Then let's check that store first!" Though she still felt uncertain, she decided to enjoy the rare shopping trip and took the lead, pulling Seokjun along this time.