Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Raison d'Être (4)
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Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
.... Yes.
No matter what the grandmother asked, all Jin Ho-yeon could say was "Yes."
Was it okay to breathe?
Did it hurt anywhere?
Did he like pork?
Was it tough?
How tough was it?
How tough must it have been for him to do that?
Even to questions starting with "how," he answered "Yes."
Words didn't come to him easily.
Besides, to the person who had saved him—what was so tough, that he tried to die because of it, but when it felt like he really might, he regretted it so much, he desperately wanted to live.
And so, thank you.
Jin Ho-yeon was still too young to express it that neatly. Rationally or emotionally.
So he answered "Yes."
The grandmother smiled benevolently, like a nun.
- You fool, can't even answer straight?
She laughed and scolded him that way.
It actually put his mind at ease.
Soon, two servings of pork neck arrived.
Sizzle-!
The pork neck lay flat on the cast-iron plate soaked in grease.
Just from the sound,
before even tasting it, Jin Ho-yeon knew.
Though he hadn't put it in his mouth yet, this meat was delicious.
- This is the barbecue place I come to most often.
"Ah, yes."
- Think it's just an old lady's taste?
"No, not at all."
- Really? Then have a bite.
The pork neck, cooked through to the inside.
He blew on it—fwoo—and put it in his mouth.
Pushing his teeth through the crispy exterior, no juices seeped out.
A bit tough. Overcooked.
'Our house meat is tastier, after all.'
Our house?
What was that?
Strange thoughts played in his head on their own.
Probably from inhaling too much exhaust.
- How is it?
"Delicious."
- Right?
He shoved the tough meat into his mouth piece by piece.
It wasn't amazingly delicious.
Just meat flavor.
But his body seemed to crave protein.
His hand moved mechanically, stacking meat steadily in his mouth.
She pushed the fully cooked—no, overcooked—pieces to the edge of the grill and added,
- If you die, you can't even eat this.
"Yes."
- So don't think foolish thoughts.
"Yes."
- Live fiercely.
"Yes."
- I'm past sixty, and look, I'm still alive. So don't give up. If you give up on yourself, that's the end forever.
".... Yes."
He didn't show it, but those words touched Jin Ho-yeon's skin.
"You just keep living, and it works out."
The grandmother must have overcome countless hardships, he thought.
For political or historical reasons, South Korea had suffered many times in the 20th century.
Considering her age, she had lived through that entire era. Her words carried weight.
Thank you.
Even those simple five syllables wouldn't leave his mouth.
The landlady grandmother finished her short but heavy lecture and stood up.
She was going to pay and leave the shop.
Without touching a single piece of meat. Even though it was pork neck from her favorite place.
'I have to say thank you now, or I'll never get to.'
For some reason, that thought flashed through Jin Ho-yeon's mind. Like a fixed future.
They would meet again.
She was the landlady, after all.
Still, if they just lived indifferently, and he eventually left the rooftop room without sharing any words or feelings.
It felt like their connection would end that way.
An uncertain but seemingly certain future appeared before his eyes.
But.
'My head's still fuzzy, legs have no strength. Too much coal gas, probably.'
He made that pathetic excuse to himself.
He didn't know what face to make to look the grandmother in the eye and say thank you.
He was so pathetic himself that he couldn't easily spit out even that simple phrase.
Jin Ho-yeon's emotions, excessively young at the time, were more delicate and fragile than now.
So he tried to give up.
It wouldn't change anything if he didn't say thank you anyway.
He rationalized it that way.
"Uncle."
But then.
A kid with hair tied back, who had been sitting next to him unnoticed, called out to Jin Ho-yeon.
She looked like someone familiar.
"Huh? You."
"Aren't you going after that grandma?"
"There's still meat left."
"Then Yunseul-i will eat it all."
What was she saying?
He didn't even know who she was.
He thought maybe the grandmother's grandchild, but no.
"If Yunseul-i eats meat with Grandma... Grandma will like her more. Grandma likes her best."
The kid mumbled in childish speech.
It felt like a scolding.
"She's just someone I'll see a few times anyway. She's a stranger, so it's fine."
So he made excuses.
To a child this small.
About his own feelings and actions.
Hearing Jin Ho-yeon, the kid frowned like it was weird.
"Huh? Then why are you so mad?"
"What?"
Why was he mad?
He carefully touched his face.
His slightly oily cheeks trembled, his brow furrowed deeply.
Even a little kid could see Jin Ho-yeon looked angry right now.
But if asked at whom?
It could only be himself.
This was the coal gas's fault too.
Definitely.
That thick, heavy stuff lingering in his hair, tormenting him now.
As he thought that,
'If I brush it off like this, I'll just seem even more pathetic.'
He decided to be honest.
Before it was too late.
He resolved to gather his heart and express his thanks.
If not, he had a feeling he'd regret it for a long time.
So he decided to leave the old shop, taking the little girl's words to heart—even if he didn't know whose kid she was.
"Kid! Thanks."
He left those words.
"I'm Yunseul-i, I said!"
Her shout at his back got buried in the noisy old shop.
Leaving the bustling restaurant, he hesitated on the even busier market street.
Elders dawdled unusually, bikes zipped around, making it chaotic.
Still, far in his view.
He saw the back of the person he had to catch.
There was something he absolutely had to say.
"Ah, wait a minute."
But the crowd wouldn't part.
He couldn't shove through all those elders either.
'Maybe I can just go home slowly and say it then.'
That thought briefly crossed his mind, but
at the same time
'This is your last chance, idiot.'
his heart insisted on its own.
His logic wasn't cool-headed enough to control his body.
So he chose a rough, honest, country-bumpkin way. Fitting for "Jin Ho-yeon," he thought.
"Grandma!!!"
He shouted loud enough for the whole market to hear.
There were countless grandmas in the traditional market, and they all turned to Jin Ho-yeon.
Grandpas and boys too, of course.
It was that loud.
Fortunately, the sound reached the landlady grandmother, who was walking away with her back turned.
She turned around.
Looked at Jin Ho-yeon.
'What the hell is that guy doing.'
Her face froze in shock.
Their eyes met squarely.
Seizing the chance, this rough, foolish young man slammed his forehead into the gritty market ground strewn with gravel and sand.
Thud-!
Dust puffed up,
and the crowd scattered like dust.
- What's that?
- A crazy guy?!
- Let's go quick, don't look.
The market panicked like they'd seen a pervert.
Murmurs grew.
The crowd parted like the Red Sea,
leaving just the two in the opening.
They stood parallel, 50-meter track distance apart.
"Thank you for saving my life!!!"
That simple, yet so hard-to-say feeling,
now,
finally conveyed.
In case it didn't reach, he shouted loud.
As big as his heart.
Or a little bigger.
The grandmother approached with steady, unhurried steps and placed a hand on Jin Ho-yeon's shoulder.
- My ears work fine, you know. Stop yelling.
Her rough, wrinkled hand.
- Live hard.
The weight felt heavy, and as a cool relief and liberation cooler than expected chilled his chest.
It floated up like a buoy in the sea of memories.
Now he felt truly unburdened.
Like scraping out 20 years of phlegm completely.
**
"Huhk!"
Ho-yeon Hyung let out a pathetic sound, like a student waking up in class.
He knew it was the trigger food's effect but played it cool on purpose.
"What, you drunk? Why fall asleep mid-meal?"
"Ah, no. Am I drunk?"
"Who else you gonna ask?"
"Sorry. Hey, gotta finish this quick and go. I'm tired, I guess."
"Yeah, you have work tomorrow too."
"Tell me about it."
With a brighter, lighter expression than usual, Ho-yeon Hyung finished his meal.
He laughed, saying the salt-grilled pork neck reminded him of old times.
And it didn't feel bad.
"Thanks, Joo-hyun-ah."
Out of the blue, thanks.
"No problem."
From my side, I'd just grilled him a piece of meat.
After downing a bottle of soju and finishing the pork neck, Hyung stuffed a 50,000 won bill into my apron pocket.
Then he said he'd come again and left the restaurant.
- Do you sell grilled pork neck here too?
A few late customers came in.
They saw Yoon-seul munching on it and fell to the "Yoon-seul effect."
"No, I grilled this separately since he's family."
They ordered other menu items with slight regret, so I cooked with care.
After five more customers or so, we closed for the day.
[Onui Tycoon!]
['Red Pig' Owner Jin Ho-yeon]
[Overall Satisfaction: 100%]
['Red Pig' Owner Jin Ho-yeon – Registered as Family!]
"Same as before."
Shop satisfaction hit 100%.
Including Kang-ssi ajusshi's case, it was definitely thanks to the trigger food.
Though I didn't grasp the exact mechanism.
Ho-yeon Hyung's relieved smile as he left suddenly came to mind.
I could guess what memory he saw.
He probably met that grandmother from that day again.
But I wasn't sure if it was a good enough memory to let him smile so peacefully.
In a way, it might have dragged him in emotionally. Though Hyung asked for the pork neck first, I did have the intent to test the trigger food's effect.
"Thinking that way makes it feel oddly uneasy."
Lost in thought while closing up.
I pulled out my smartphone.
[Me: Knock knock.]
[Dal-nim: Who's there?]
[Me: Perfect, you're on contact duty today, Dal-nim.]
[Dal-nim: Yes, I'm depressed.]
[Me: ?]
[Dal-nim: It's back day today, but the pulldown machine broke.]
What was I supposed to do about that.
[Me: How regrettable.]
[Dal-nim: !! Your empathy is impressive.]
[Me: For days your empathy shines, you work a bit.]
[Dal-nim: Work? What work?]
[Me: Find one person for me.]
[Dal-nim: A person? Who?]
[Me: Someone who's already passed away.]