Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The Purpose of the Table (8)
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""Ooh... this is delicious!""
A simple compliment like that was the highest praise for the cook.
"Hey, let's try that pork bulgogi too."
Hyun bro waved impatiently for me to grab the dish of pork bulgogi from the side.
He ran a food business himself, so his interest in the flavors was piqued.
"No need to rush—it's not going anywhere."
The moment I picked up the pork bulgogi plate, Yoon-seul raised the Edison chopsticks looped around her fingers high in the air.
"Yoon-seul too!"
"Pil-jung too!"
"Why's the uncle referring to himself in the third person..."
Kang Pil-jung was the uncle's real name.
A middle-aged guy with fully gray hair said it like it was no big deal.
"Sometimes folks in their fifties wanna go back to being five."
"Even if you say that, you're the only one here in your fifties.
You called me pathetic earlier. But look at you acting like a kid!"
"Then make mine pathetic too."
Uncle Kang.
Pretty cool guy.
That's part of his charm.
If he weren't so laid-back, I might not drop by the used bookstore as often.
Once again, it was my little sister who went for the pork bulgogi first.
None of the three grown men there were the type to utter a stiff "adults first."
"The meat's so tangy."
"Aw, tangy, huh? Tasty, right?"
"The best!"
Yoon-seul shot me another thumbs-up.
The best, huh.
I couldn't even remember the last time someone called me the best. But here she was, saying it just because I grilled some meat.
A subtle wave of emotion rippled through me.
Watching her reaction, Uncle Kang and Hyun bro followed suit.
Rave reviews again. They were older guys who didn't mince words with fancy compliments, but even a plain "delicious" gave me a huge boost.
Call it my bias, but middle-aged folks seem to have the pickiest palates.
They've tried all kinds of food, but their taste buds haven't dulled yet.
"Still, hearing you two say it's good puts my mind at ease.
Especially you, Hyun bro. Coming from someone who's run a grill house for years, it really makes me trust my skills."
"You bet! You know I don't bullshit. These dishes are so good I wanna know what you put in 'em.
Mind if I ask? Probably recipes we couldn't use at our place anyway."
"Oh... nothing too special. Just tried some tomato paste in both."
"Ah-ha! That's why your sister said the meat was tangy—tomato aroma."
Hyun bro nodded like it all made sense now.
I'd used tomato paste in the chili sauce for the pork bulgogi and fried eggplant.
It hit me after making that tomato ramen at the grill house last time.
The trickiest part of pork bulgogi is the umami. Since it's marinated meat, it's hard to get a good Maillard reaction. One slip on the grill and the seasoning burns.
Tomato's umami covered that.
"The fried eggplant sauce is pretty damn good too. Tomato in that one?"
"Yeah, it's a chili sauce. Lots of folks use ketchup, right? Swapped it for tomato paste to thicken it up.
Felt like fried stuff needs a thicker, stickier sauce."
"Hmm... I don't know much about cooking, but this sauce has a killer texture. The eggplant soaks up the oil nice, making the fritter itself tasty.
It's one of those flavors that sticks with you."
Straight-up praise from Uncle Kang.
My sauce strategy was a hit!
Soon Uncle Kang, Hyun bro, and Yoon-seul were chopsticks flying nonstop.
I grabbed a few bites myself—pure perfection.
The pork shoulder's perfect chewiness blended with the tomato-gochujang marinade, caressing the tongue. Umami slamming the roof of my mouth!
"Wow, the fritters are no joke."
I made 'em, but damn, they're good.
Oil soaked into the eggplant's flesh made it a treat on its own. Crispy coating outside, moist inside.
And the sauce balanced it all. It blanketed what could've been greasy with tangy sweetness.
The warm mealtime lasted about ten minutes before the plates hit empty.
Yoon-seul patted her belly contentedly, and the two guests said it was a late-night meal worth the trip, no regrets.
That alone made all the cooking worthwhile.
I was happy.
That was the purpose of my table.
Someone enjoying the food I poured my heart into.
That made me happy.
"But hey, Joo-hyun, you planning to live here with your sister? Gonna be rough.
Bed and table crammed in—hard enough for us grown-ups to maneuver."
"Yeah, it is. But when it's just us, it's manageable enough."
Three burly guys and a little kid squeezed into this tiny studio felt cramped as hell.
Yoon-seul aside, all three adult men were over 180cm—like rush-hour subway.
No surprise Hyun bro mentioned it.
"But I kinda like it. Feels nostalgic, like college days, y'know?
Huddled up in a dorm buddy's place."
"Nah, Pil-jung bro. You're the only one here who went to college."
"Failed to build that camaraderie, huh."
College.
College, huh.
Uncle Kang's words sparked the thought.
If I'd grown up in a normal family, would I have gone?
The usual life under parents' roof.
Then I never would've met Yoon-seul.
Or Uncle Kang or Hyun bro.
*Not that it'd be better.*
I mouthed the words silently.
"Oppa."
"Hm?"
"Hug."
My sister suddenly scooted into my lap and buried her face in my chest.
"Hey, Joo-hyun, kid's sleepy, huh."
"We did come kinda late."
Hyun bro and Uncle Kang's eyes crinkled in surprise. They figured she was drowsy.
"Nah, I invited you guys. Seeing your reactions boosted my cooking confidence."
"True, but she looks tuckered out, so we'll head. Gotta prep for tomorrow's business anyway—can't stay long."
"Sure thing. When I open shop, first meals on me for you two. Come visit."
"No such thing as freebies. We do this to eat and live. I'll swing by often and pay full price, so don't worry!"
Uncle Kang shot back while nudging Hyun bro up. They prepped to head out quick.
Worried about Yoon-seul, probably.
I saw them off with her still in my arms—just turning and waving.
Once the two guys left, the place suddenly felt spacious.
Yoon-seul kept her face buried in my chest.
Smothering.
I knew it wasn't sleepiness.
I'd just heard Uncle Kang, imagined a future without Yoon-seul, and our eyes met.
My face must've looked sour.
Oppa unhappy made sis uneasy.
Or maybe she came to comfort me.
If so, it felt like true family looking out for each other.
Pat pat.
I stroked Yoon-seul's head.
Soft hair.
My hand waved along the curve of her scalp.
"Thanks for sticking with me, little sis."
"Yeah, Oppa sis."
"Oppa's sis?"
"Yeah."
"Oppa's Yoon-seul too?"
"Yeah. The best."
Silly siblings' silly talk.
Made my heart swell sillily tender.
Cuddled up, Yoon-seul started nodding off.
I gently laid her on the bed and cleared the empty dishes.
Careful not to wake her.
Tip-toe.
**
Streetlights dotted the night road.
Thud thud—
Worn sneakers hit the pavement.
The two middle-aged men walked side by side.
Close but not too close.
"See, bro? Told ya Joo-hyun's solid."
"Yeah. Twenty-five before we knew it, and cooking like that? Caught me off guard."
"I taught him good, right?"
"Nah, doubt that's it."
Kang Pil-jung and Jin Ho-yeon.
The two men Song Joo-hyun trusted most outside blood family.
After watching him grow from eighteen, tonight hit different.
"First time I saw the kid, he seemed kinda dark, pissed at the world or something.
Not so much these days."
"Yeah, maybe 'cause he got a sister. Seems way more chill lately.
Don't most folks get busier raising a kid?"
"Dunno... Yoon-seul's so sweet, maybe she's the one steadying him."
"Could be."
Song Joo-hyun's recent vibe was eye-opening for the pair.
They'd wanted to crash early and shake off the day's fatigue, but couldn't turn down his invite.
Seven years they'd spent together like that.
"That menu—think it'd sell well? Hyun."
"Looks good to me. Spot we're eyeing is near Seongbuk college district. Cheap prices are a plus.
Pork bulgogi or fried eggplant—prep right, cook fast, serve quick. No time issues.
Doable solo too..."
"Yeah? If you say so, probably right. Twenty years in food biz."
"You know it! If I screwed up on stuff like this, would've folded long ago.
But... one worry."
"What?"
"Too many eateries now. Even great food, low foot traffic means rough start.
Good spot or bad, gotta survive that hump."
"Good promo fixes that."
"Solo shop—how?"
"True. But with Yoon-seul inside, cute factor draws folks, right?"
"That's your style, bro! Might help a bit, but don't bank on it big."
"Yeah?"
The night deepened with their chat. They hadn't heard yet about the crepe frenzy at Dongdaemun the other day.
Heading home, inflating needless worries and what-ifs.