Chapter 55 I Held a Korean Barbecue Party
Ding-dong—
A single-story house on the outskirts of Phoenix.
Rachel, who had woken up late after finishing the night shift the day before and was drinking her morning coffee, froze with her cup halfway to her lips.
“Who… is it?”
There was no one in particular who would visit at this hour.
And if it were Noah, he would not ring the bell.
“Rachel, it’s Jason.”
Jason?
She quickly set down the coffee cup in her hand, ran to the front door, and hurriedly opened it.
“Jason? What brings you here at this hour? …Nothing happened, did it?”
Her voice trembled faintly.
This was exactly how she had learned that her husband had been killed in action.
Ever since then, an unannounced visit had always made her heart drop.
“Hello, Rachel. I have something to give you. Could you come outside for a moment?”
Jason’s expression was calm, so Rachel let out a breath of relief.
Following him out through the front door, she found a freshly washed SUV parked squarely in front of the house.
“Mom!”
“Noah…? Why are you getting out of a car I’ve never seen before?”
The door opened, and Noah sprang out of the driver’s seat.
“Surprise! This is your car, Mom! It’s my present to you!”
“A present…? What are you talking about…?”
Her mind went completely blank.
The white body of the car, as blank as her thoughts, Noah’s excited face, and Jason standing beside him with a faint smile.
Rachel’s trembling gaze moved between them.
“Ahem. Noah bought it as soon as he received his first paycheck. He said he was worried because he never knew when your car might break down.”
“Noah…”
As though Jason’s words had been a signal, Rachel rushed forward and pulled Noah tightly into her arms.
“You can drive without worrying now, Mom. Jason and I checked everything thoroughly.”
“Why were you worrying about something like that? Mom was fine… You worked so hard for that money.”
She could not stop her voice from growing wet.
She turned her head because she did not want Noah to see her cry, but a small tear still rolled down her cheek.
“That’s what makes it more meaningful. Don’t cry. Smile and accept it. Hehe.”
Noah wiped away Rachel’s tears with a playful smile.
At his mature attempt to comfort her, she deliberately pulled the corners of her mouth into a broad smile.
“Rachel, take a look at the car.”
At Jason’s urging, Rachel tightly held Noah’s hand and approached the vehicle.
She carefully ran her fingertips over the body as though stroking a chick.
“It’s really, truly wonderful! I was getting tired of silver and had decided that my next car absolutely had to be white… How did you know?”
At her muttered words, Noah looked flustered and glanced at Jason before answering.
“Uh… W-well, of course I knew! I’m your son!”
His clumsy improvisation was so adorable that she finally burst out laughing.
“Get inside too. It has sooo many features. It’s like a game console.”
Click.
As Rachel sat in the driver’s seat, Noah immediately climbed into the passenger seat and began explaining with his shoulders proudly raised.
“This is the heated steering wheel. Hmm… You probably won’t use it much in Arizona, but anyway. These are ventilated seats. I tried them on the way here, and my back didn’t stick to the seat at all. It was really comfortable! And there’s also… navigation…”
As she listened to the child chatter, Rachel leaned back in the seat.
The soft leather gently enveloped her body.
As though comforting her for the hardships of her life.
“Congratulations, Rachel. I hope you like it.”
Jason lightly knocked on the window from outside.
She looked at him and spoke with complete sincerity.
“Of course I like it. Honestly, I’ve never had a car this nice before, so I’m overwhelmed. Jason, thank you so much. This is all because of you. I don’t know what kind of good fortune…”
As her eyes began to grow hot again, Jason hurriedly changed the subject.
“Then take Noah for a drive. I’ll be going.”
“Huh? What are you talking about? You should stay for dinner later.”
“No. Actually, I’m thinking of holding a barbecue party at my house—no, at the shop—this evening. I already told Noah, so if you’re free, come together later. It’ll be Korean barbecue. I guarantee it’ll taste good.”
Rachel froze on the spot.
It was nearly as shocking as learning that Noah had bought her this car.
Jason, who avoided mixing with people so intensely and always kept himself isolated on a deserted island of his own… was throwing a party…?
“Ah… Of course, it won’t be anything elaborate.”
“My goodness. Then we absolutely have to go. I don’t have a night shift today either. My goodness, Jason is actually… really…”
“Ahem. Then I’ll see you later. Noah, I’m heading back first!”
Leaving Rachel unable to finish her sentence, Jason hurriedly climbed into his truck.
As she watched him drive away, Rachel covered her mouth with one hand.
Her eyes were brimming with tears again, but a broad smile stretched across her lips.
Bzzzt—
As I entered Arirang Market, the largest Asian grocery store in Arizona, located in downtown Phoenix, cold air-conditioning welcomed me.
There are quite a lot of people even at this hour.
Among the crowd were quite a few people who were not Asian.
Seeing familiar Korean ingredients proudly displayed in prime locations, the Korean Wave must truly have become powerful.
(Translator’s Note: Korean Wave / Hallyu — The international spread of South Korean popular culture, including television dramas, films, music, food, fashion, and beauty products. The Korean term Hallyu literally means “Korean flow” or “Korean wave.)
First, the meat section.
Five kilograms should be enough.
I placed a generous amount of whole pork belly, at least four inches—roughly ten centimeters—thick, into the shopping cart.
Next came ssamjang for dipping the meat.
(Translator’s Note: Ssamjang — A thick Korean dipping paste commonly made from fermented soybean paste, chili paste, garlic, sesame oil, and seasonings. Its name means “wrap paste,” reflecting its use with grilled meat wrapped in lettuce or other leaves.)
Strangely enough, the Americans I had met all seemed to love ssamjang.
Its mildly sweet and salty flavor without too much heat seemed particularly well suited to American tastes.
The refrigerated display beside it carried an astonishing variety of packaged kimchi.
No matter how many times I see this, it’s still strange.
When I was young, people around me used to recoil at the smell of kimchi and doenjang stew…
The world really had changed.
After buying plenty of romaine to use instead of lettuce wraps, I also added disposable cups, plates, and forks.
There were hardly any dishes in the warehouse.
When I returned and unloaded everything, I realized there were nowhere near enough chairs for the number of people coming.
But I could not go out and buy chairs now either…
I’ll just make Jack, Cole, and Steven stand.
The people I had invited today were Rachel and Noah, the Jack-Cole-Steven trio, Andrew, the police officer who had helped me at the station recently, and Hailey.
Seven people in total.
It’s a shame Mateo and Donnelly couldn’t come.
Mateo had declined because of work, while Donnelly said his condition had worsened and that long outings were difficult.
I’ll bring some pork belly and visit him myself later.
I brought the barbecue grill out to the empty space in front of the shop.
The greatest advantage of Korean direct grilling was that it did not require nearly half a day of indirect cooking like Texas-style barbecue.
I poured 100-percent hardwood lump charcoal, free from additives, into the grill.
Compared to Brazilian Fogo charcoal or coconut charcoal, it burned hotter without producing excessive smoke, making it perfect for pork belly.
Some white smoke rose when I first lit it, but it soon settled.
The ideal time to place the meat on the grill was when the charcoal’s black surface disappeared beneath a coating of white ash.
I was staring blankly at the burning coals when I heard an unfamiliar engine approaching along the road in front of the warehouse.
“Woof! Woof!”
“Hello, Jason! Hi, Dusty! Long time no see!”
It was Andrew, the police officer, greeting us fluently in Korean.
Dusty somehow recognized him and ran over excitedly.
“Andrew, welcome.”
Andrew picked Dusty up and played with him briefly, then took a large pack of toilet paper from his car and placed it in my arms.
(Translator’s Note: Toilet Paper as a Korean Housewarming Gift — Toilet paper is traditionally given at Korean housewarmings because the smoothly unrolling paper symbolizes the hope that the recipient’s affairs and fortunes will also unfold smoothly.)
“A housewarming gift. Hahaha!”
As expected of someone raised by Korean parents, Andrew was extremely familiar with Korean customs.
Far more than I was.
“Thank you. Have a seat for a moment. I haven’t started cooking yet.”
“Oh, are you grilling samgyeopsal?”
(Translator’s Note: Samgyeopsal — A Korean dish of thick, uncured pork-belly slices, commonly grilled and eaten with dipping sauces, kimchi, garlic, and leafy vegetable wraps. The Korean name literally means “three-layered flesh,” referring to its alternating layers of fat and meat.)
I had only lit the fire, yet he recognized it and approached the grill.
“But you’re not putting it directly on the grate, are you?”
As Andrew feared, grilling pork belly directly over the flame would cause fat to drip onto the charcoal, often coating the meat with soot.
It could be done by dividing the grill into low-heat and high-heat zones with a two-zone fire and cooking carefully, but I planned to grill kimchi today as well.
I pulled out the discada that had been shoved into a corner because I had never had much reason to use it.
(Translator’s Note: Discada — A large concave steel griddle traditionally fashioned from an agricultural plow disc. It is widely associated with communal outdoor cooking in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States.)
“I have this.”
“Wow, Jason! You really went all out today.”
Unlike an ordinary flat griddle, a discada dipped downward in the center.
It looked like an upside-down cauldron lid.
Only a few minutes later, the white SUV quietly stopped in front of the warehouse, and Noah shot out like a bullet.
“Wow, it really is a barbecue party! Yes! I’m going to eat until I burst today!”
Rachel climbed out behind the excited Noah with a bright smile.
“Hi, Noah. I’m Andrew. We met at the police station before, remember?”
“Ah… Hello. Thank you for helping us then.”
Noah, who had been bouncing around, suddenly became awkward and formal.
“Haha, relax. Jason and I are friends. But let’s not meet at the police station again.”
“Yes. I’ll do my best.”
“Huh? Uh. All right.”
Rachel and I burst out laughing at Noah’s stiff, military-like answer.
Soon afterward, a Golf GTI pulled up noisily in front of the warehouse.
“Hey, man! We’re here!”
Jack, Cole, and Steven spilled out of the compact hatchback, carrying packs of beer in both hands.
“Huh? Why is there nothing but grass at a barbecue party? Don’t tell me you became a vegetarian.”
“The meat we’re eating today cooks directly over the heat, so it’ll be done quickly. Just wait.”
I nudged Steven aside with my shoulder as he complained the moment he saw the empty grill, then pulled the bright red slab of pork belly from the cooler.
Sizzle—
The rich aroma of grilling meat spread through the air in an instant.
“But what kind of meat is that?”
“Isn’t it bacon?”
“Where have you ever seen bacon that thick?”
“Haha, that isn’t bacon. It’s samgyeopsal. The name means it has three layers.”
“Ooooh…”
Andrew had already blended naturally into the Jack-Cole-Steven trio and was chatting with them.
His friendliness truly was formidable.
At that moment, an impressive classic car that captured everyone’s attention stopped at the entrance.
The orange light of the late afternoon flowed beautifully over the long, sleek body of a black Lincoln Continental.
“Wow! A ’79 Lincoln? There was a car like that around here?”
The car-loving trio of Jack, Cole, and Steven rushed toward it.
Click.
However, when the driver’s door opened and Hailey stepped out, Steven recoiled in horror.
“Urgh! Hailey Sterling? Why are you here…?”
“What’s with that reaction the moment you see me? I was the one who got startled. Some pig’s head suddenly pressed itself against my window.”
“Pfft, hahaha… She called him a pig’s head.”
Jack and Cole snickered beside him at Hailey’s cutting remark.
Come to think of it, they all went to the same school.
Hailey, who had been known as the student council president and the queen of the school.
And Steven, the self-proclaimed school sheriff.
Their compatibility had probably been like this ever since then.
Fortunately, Hailey was not wearing the dress I had seen at the auction.
Instead, she was dressed surprisingly simply in jeans and a white T-shirt.
“Hailey’s company gave me something similar to a commission recently. Anyway, I made some money because of it. Today’s party is to celebrate.”
“Ooooh, Sterling Selection? Wow, Jason, aren’t you becoming famous too quickly?”
Steven raised his shoulders in amazement at my explanation.
“Pfft. This is probably only the beginning. He was featured in Heritage Classic too. And the car Jason worked on recently broke the auction record for that model. People inside the company are talking about it a lot.”
“What? Is that really true?”
At Hailey’s words, Steven, Jack, and Cole all turned toward me in shock.
“Well, it just happened somehow.”
“Damn, you bastard… How does something like that just happen somehow? I really need to stay on your good side now. Hahaha.”
At that moment, Rachel approached me and lightly patted my shoulder.
“Jason, who is that young lady?”
She wore an inexplicably pleased smile.
“Ah, Rachel. This is Hailey Sterling, an old high school classmate. Hailey, this is Rachel Reed.”
“Hello, I’m Hailey. Though calling us classmates is generous, considering Jason couldn’t even remember my name.”
“My goodness, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Rachel. Jason and I are… Hmm, let’s see. We’re like family.”
My hand stopped for a moment as I turned the meat.
Family…
A word that had vanished from my vocabulary after I turned fifteen suddenly struck me through Rachel’s voice.
Sizzle—
“Jason? Isn’t this meat already done?”
“Huh? Ah, yeah. Everyone, try some now. Dip it generously in this paste called ssamjang too.”
At Noah’s words, I cut the perfectly cooked pork belly into bite-sized pieces and placed them on a plate.
“Whoa! You said this is the same cut as bacon, right? Then why is it so juicy?”
Steven was the first to rush in.
He put the steaming meat into his mouth, barely chewed it a few times, and swallowed.
“Oh? It really is! This orange sauce is amazing too. What is it?”
Not to be outdone, Noah stuffed meat into his mouth as he spoke.
I chose not to mention that ssamjang was made from soybeans, which Noah hated.
Instead, I added kimchi that had been grilled almost as though lightly fried in fat to the plate.
“Try eating it with this too. It’s grilled kimchi. It might surprise you.”
“…Kim… chi…?”
“Think of it as spicy marinated cabbage. It’s Korean soul food.”
With Andrew’s timely explanation, the hesitant guests’ forks began moving more quickly.
“The meat is really good, but I’m not great with spicy food…”
Hailey remained hesitant until the end.
“It isn’t spicy at all once it’s grilled. I went all the way to the Asian market to buy it, so trust me and try it.”
After my confident persuasion, she finally picked up a piece with her fork.
“…Huh?”
“How is it?”
“Wow, my goodness! I’ve never tasted anything like this! The cabbage is warm, sweet, and tangy, but the meat fat makes it rich and savory.”
Hailey described the flavor with impressive precision, as though reviewing food at a restaurant.
“So you’re saying it tastes good?”
“Yeah! Really good! Hurry and grill more. I think I might even like this better than the meat.”
By the time everyone was mostly full, Steven and Jack were drinking cold beer while teasing Cole, who had lost a bet and was responsible for driving.
Andrew blended in with them and laughed easily even without alcohol.
Hailey and Rachel sat in camping chairs, absorbed in conversation.
I thought I occasionally heard my name, but I pretended not to notice.
As for Noah…
He was still standing beside me, eating meat.
“Noah, is it good?”
“Yes. The thin slices and thick slices taste different, so it’s interesting.”
“Then eat plenty. There’s still a lot of meat. Try wrapping some in lettuce too.”
It was only a barbecue party in a rough repair warehouse without even enough chairs, but seeing everyone enjoying themselves made me glad I had done it.
Rachel and Noah.
Steven, Cole, and Jack.
Andrew and Hailey.
And Mateo, who could not come because of work, along with Donnelly.
Before I knew it, I had gained this many people to be grateful for.
Doing this once in a while might not be bad. Though I’d probably go bankrupt if I did it too often…
I thought as I watched Noah endlessly wrapping meat in lettuce and eating it.
“Jason?”
“Yeah?”
“Is there any more meat?”
“…There is.”
[Discada]