The Cooking Wager
While I was mindlessly sorting through the documents for the monthly magazine interview,
a call came in from the interview's star subject.
"That's great. I'll take a day off tomorrow and come get you, so wait for me."
Even though it wasn't a video call, I could picture Yena's expression perfectly, and a chuckle slipped out.
The next morning,
I styled my hair nicely, pulled on a shirt I knew she'd like, and headed to the parking lot.
Beep!
My partner greeted me with sparkling eyes as its owner arrived.
Sure, it was a dorky little compact car with no flair,
but it was a precious friend I couldn't live without.
"Haah... but I feel a little bad for Yena..."
Of course, I knew she'd bounce with joy just riding in the car I drove...
but every guy probably wants to treat his girl to something nicer at least once.
"Eh, whatever. Time to hit the road."
Complaining wouldn't magically upgrade the car.
It'd just sour my mood for no reason.
Instead, I'd pick up some walnut cookies she loved on the way.
As planned, I stopped briefly at a rest area, grabbed the walnut cookies, and arrived at the hospital.
I parked and was heading to Yena's ward when—
whoosh.
Someone hugged me tightly from behind.
"Guess who..."
The playful voice that followed,
so full of mischief.
The very idea that lowering her voice like that would fool me was so absurd it made me burst out laughing.
"Lee Yena, that's not funny."
"Tch... just play along for once, would ya...?"
"OK. Wanna try it again?"
"Nah... don't wanna waste time here. Let's go quick."
She seemed to have some plan brewing, grabbing my hand and dragging me right back to the car.
"Why the rush, though? Got plans today?"
"Huh? Me? Gotta throw a discharge celebration party with Lee Eun-woo, hit the mart, do some cooking—super busy."
A question mark popped up in my head: A celebration party I don't even know about?
But then the word "cooking" hit me.
"Hold up, Yena—you can cook?"
I blurted it out in shock, and she narrowed her eyes, glaring at me.
"Don't all women have to know how to cook?"
I was genuinely stunned.
The Yena I knew couldn't even boil ramen properly before we broke up.
After tasting her legendary Han River ramen, I'd never asked her to cook again...
For that Yena to cook for me now...
Seven years could change mountains and rivers, huh.
"Your face says you don't buy it... but even Ha-rin unnie praised how good my cooking's gotten!"
"Pfft, alright. I'll believe you."
She didn't like my laugh—her cute lips pouted out.
"Wanna... make a bet?"
"What kind?"
"You eat what I make, judge the taste. If it's good, you grant me one wish. Deal?"
"And if it's bad?"
"I'll do whatever you ask."
"Call."
Just like that, a bet with wish vouchers on the line kicked off between me and Yena.
Lee Yena had waited seven years for this day.
It all started with the water amount for two ramen packs.
She'd always made just one, so for two, she figured 500ml each, naturally.
But later, she learned the fine print said to use 800ml for two.
That one mishap branded her a total klutz in the kitchen to Eun-woo.
Throughout their relationship, whenever she tried to cook, he'd freak out and stop her.
Honestly, it bruised her pride.
For a woman, cooking meant womanly charm.
Yena, who saw herself not just as Eun-woo's girlfriend but his future wife, refused to be remembered as a woman lacking that.
This second chance was her shot to slowly reshape his tastes to hers.
That aside...
Eun-woo driving was so damn handsome, she kept sneaking glances, her head turning his way.
And with it came their old promise.
When they were old enough to drive, they'd go car camping together.
It made her sad for no reason, so she leaned her head against the window.
"It's gonna take a bit to reach Seoul, so sleep if you're tired."
"N-no, I'm fine... Slept like a rock last night, not tired at all."
"Good. Oh, right—Yena, check the back seat?"
"Back seat?"
She twisted around slightly and spotted a shopping bag labeled walnut cookies.
"You still like these?"
"Yeah..."
Truth be told, Yena wasn't crazy about walnut cookies themselves.
With all the tasty desserts out there, why bother?
But ones from Eun-woo held different meaning.
The first gift from first-grade Lee Eun-woo of Seoul Elementary Class 1-1 to his seatmate Lee Yena.
That's why walnut cookies always brought him to mind.
After the breakup, she'd stopped eating them because they'd make her cry.
"Nom..."
"Tasty? The line was long."
"Yeah... tasty. Want one?"
"Sure."
She picked the prettiest, best-baked one from the box.
Brought it slyly to his lips, and he naturally opened up, popping it in.
Nom nom—her laugh bubbled out at his cute munching.
His body and face had grown so manly, but his habits were straight out of their old days.
A red light hit just then; she poked his side.
"...Can I feed you one too?"
"......"
His earlobes flushed red as a stoplight, embarrassed.
She poked again, parted her lips a bit, and he gave in, slipping a walnut cookie into her mouth.
Nom.
It was the exact same kind as the one she'd just eaten...
but this one tasted way sweeter—no illusion.
About two hours later, we pulled up to Yena's apartment.
Fitting for an S-rank hunter, it was a luxury high-rise with ironclad privacy.
The kind of place only top celebs or hunters could dream of—and I'd never imagined pulling up in my compact car...
The security guard panicked and rushed over as I tried to enter the lot.
"J-just wait here a sec..."
"Uh... okay."
She left me at the front door and dashed inside.
Then—crash bang!
Sounded like something broke... but she returned moments later, face straight as ever, and opened the door.
"Come in now..."
Sweat beading on her forehead—she'd probably stashed the laundry.
It reminded me of the first time I entered her room.
Found panties forgotten under the bed—total chaos.
I pictured her cute, red-faced self yelling not to look as I slipped into the bear slippers she handed me.
Following her lead down the hall, a spacious living room welcomed me.
True to her neat nature, beige furniture perfectly matched the white marble floors.
"...Sit on the sofa. I'll brew some black tea."
"Yeah, thanks..."
Surrounded by her home's lingering scent, I wandered to a display case that caught my eye.
It showcased all the military commendations and trophies from her hunter career.
But one photo ID grabbed my attention.
"Whatcha looking at?"
She set the teapot on the table and approached.
"This... you still have it."
"It's my treasure... Do you still have my picture, Eun-woo?"
Of course I did.
Not just that—all her gifts were safely stored in my parents' warehouse back home.
Our time together was treasure to me too.
"It's at home..."
"Hehe, thought you'd tossed it... kinda touched?"
"Hey, how could I? You know I don't throw stuff away."
"Yeah... me neither. Tea before it gets cold?"
"Sure..."
We wrapped up a simple tea time, and Yena got straight to prepping lunch.
"Anything I can help with?"
"Nah, it's fine... Oh, peel these onion skins? Save 'em separate—gonna brew tea later."
"Ugh, okay..."
She's thriftier than I thought, I mused, starting on the peels as she asked.
"Hey Yena, does lunch count for the bet?"
"Hmm... whaddya think? I was gonna limit it to the discharge party. Hehe, but if you want lunch in, sure."
Her confident smile fired up my competitive side.
"Wish vouchers for lunch feels off, so loser gets a yeopsa—how's that?"
"Pfft, perfect for me."
And just like that, lunch bet penalty was set to yeopsa.
About 30 minutes passed.
After eating the pork stir-fry Yena made,
I was speechless.
"Hehe... so? Tasty, right?"
"......"