Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The Purpose of the Table (2)
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After quitting my part-time job, I had a lot more free time.
Other than discussing with the boss how to run the new place, there wasn't much else to do.
Time was on my side.
Things like which commercial district to open in.
Or what dish to feature as the main attraction.
There were endless little details to ponder without any deadlines, but those weren't urgent—they were the kind of things that needed careful thought and time anyway.
"Don't rush just because you're starting a business. I'll help you step by step, so don't worry. Spend some time with your little sister.
Once we really start the business, you won't have time to play with her anymore."
That's what the former boss had told me.
"She still doesn't know we're going to live together at that shop.
Yoon-seul is going to do homeschooling, right, Yoon-seul?"
"Hm? Yeah!"
Yeah, she just answered without knowing what it was about.
I get it.
Anyway, these past few days, I'd been hanging out with Yoon-seul nonstop.
Reading her books, piling up sweets to eat—I was really getting into this whole childcare thing.
That's when I woke up.
Of course, I cherished Yoon-seul as my little sister, but more than anything, I loved feeding her.
"Yoon-seul, how about trying this today?"
"What is it?"
"Soy sauce noodles."
"Yay!"
Yeah, she just said yay without knowing what it was.
I get it.
One thing I'd learned about Yoon-seul lately:
If I suggest something, she says yes right away.
It didn't seem like blind, thoughtless positivity, but more like...
She'd experienced that agreeing with my suggestions usually led to good results.
This'll make taking her to the dentist for cavities a breeze later.
11 a.m.
Too late for breakfast, a bit early for lunch. Unfortunately, we hadn't eaten yet.
No big reason.
We both overslept.
She's at that age where she sleeps a ton, and since I quit my job, my daily tension had eased up.
On top of that, the rice cooker was empty.
My choice: soy sauce noodles.
I tore open a pack of thin somyeon noodles from the kitchen cabinet and boiled them in hot water for about three minutes.
Then rinsed them in cold water.
"Hmm, perfectly rinsed."
When boiling somyeon, it's less about how much you cook them and more about how well you wash off the starch.
You have to scrub them in a colander like hand-washing clothes so they slurp up smooth and chewy.
Soy sauce noodles are great because the seasoning is simple. Faithful to the basics. Mix soy sauce and sugar in a 4:3 ratio, toss with the noodles, and add a drizzle of sesame oil for flavor.
Not overpowering, but never lacking.
"Not spicy, so Yoon-seul can enjoy it even more, right?"
"Yeah, but Yoon-seul likes spicy stuff."
"Oh really? Then next time we gotta go for some jjambbong."
"Yay!"
It's gotta be good, right? She's turning into the embodiment of positivity.
While I was mixing the soy sauce noodles by hand, Yoon-seul set the table.
At her age, it was impressive how she pulled out the low dining table for meals all by herself.
If I handed her chopsticks and a cup from the cabinet, she'd toddle over and place them neatly side by side.
Not a huge deal, but her willingness to help was touching in its own way.
Finally, topping it with finely chopped green onions added a natural pop of color that whetted the appetite.
Brown base dotted with white and green flecks. Like an old friend calling out for chopsticks.
On Yoon-seul's special kiddie car-designed plate, I portioned out some noodles, slipped Edison chopsticks onto her fingers, and Jang Yoon-seul commenced her mukbang.
I decided to prioritize watching her 4D mukbang over eating.
Slurp—slurp—sluuuurp!
"What's a face slurp?"
I'd cooled it down to make it easy to eat, but she downed it so effortlessly. Like some popular YouTuber, her slurping stole my gaze completely.
Even though somyeon is easy to swallow without much chewing, the mouthfuls she took showed how serious she was about her meal.
"You're eating way better than with a fork last time, huh, Yoon-seul?"
"It's sweet 'n yummy."
"Aww, sweet and yummy?"
"Munch munch~ Yeah..."
She showed off her divinely inspired vocabulary once again today.
Having grown up with Grandma for so long, she occasionally dropped words that weren't very kid-like.
That was part of Yoon-seul's charm.
I was so focused on her that I finally took a bite myself.
Slurp—
The expected sweet-salty flavor gently enveloped my tongue. The somyeon rippled like waves in my mouth, kind to the stomach too.
Ah, when did I first taste this?
Memories came flooding back unbidden.
Like retracing a hiking trail from the summit, the familiarity brought it all rushing in.
Déjà vu on a familiar path.
In that shaded alley corner, faintly visible now forever out of reach: Dad's back.
That was it.
When I was even younger than Yoon-seul, maybe.
The first one to let me taste this was Dad.
"Joo-hyun-ah, wanna try this?"
Auditory imagination and memory blended thickly in a gentle-voiced flashback.
Not like yesterday or today, but rising up like a not-so-distant past.
What did I say back then?
I couldn't remember.
I just followed Dad's words and slurped down the thick noodles thoughtlessly.
But they were a bit tough for me then.
Probably.
Because I vaguely remembered Mom—still sane at the time—
"Hey, the kid doesn't even have all their teeth yet! How can you boil thick noodles for them?!"
She'd yelled.
But I was stubborn back then.
Or maybe I just hated seeing Dad get scolded.
I tried to chomp and swallow with my incomplete teeth anyway.
Luckily, the thick noodles weren't too hard to chew, and I think I ate them fine.
I think...
Honestly, I couldn't remember clearly.
My vision rippled like the ocean depths.
From that ancient sea, a tender voice hooked me up like a fish.
"Oppa..."
"Hm?"
"Why are you crying?"
"Oh, just 'cause the food's so good. Did I scare you, Yoon-seul?"
"Nooo. In cartoons, they cry too. But Yoon-seul smiles when it's yummy..."
She must've seen a cartoon reaction where someone cried from tasty food recently.
Coincidence, but helpful. How startled must Yoon-seul have been seeing me cry? I didn't expect it myself.
She pulled me out of that sudden emotional crash, like a traffic accident.
"Thanks, Yoon-seul."
"For what?"
She slurped her somyeon with an innocent face.
I brushed it off as nothing.
After stuffing the noodles down, we got ready to head out together.
Today, we were going to Dongdaemun.
She wanted to go to DDP.
A five-year-old suddenly into the Design Plaza? I was puzzled at first, but checking the exhibits made me understand immediately.
There was a car show.
Now even I wanted to go to Dongdaemun.
Sharing hobbies with your sibling is pretty great.
At least outings don't feel like one dragging the other along.
"Oppa, this..."
She held out the kids' duffle coat she'd worn when she first came to our house.
"The arm won't go in."
"Arm won't fit? Then I'll help you put it on."
The wool weave on the duffle coat was stiff with no stretch, so it must've been hard. They could design kids' clothes with a bit more give.
But thinking about it, was this her only outerwear?
"Sis, wanna buy a new outfit today?"
"Hm..."
"Won't our pretty Yoon-seul look even prettier in cute clothes?"
"Pretty?"
"Yeah, let's get one you like. How about a racing jacket?"
"Ooo! Racing! Yay!"
Tough word for a five-year-old, but she knew "racing."
Our TV was usually tuned to supercar races by mutual sibling agreement.
The boss had given me about 20 million won as severance, so we had some wiggle room.
Sure, new shop lease, interior work, plenty of expenses ahead, but surely we could spare for one outfit for sis.
**
"Ugh... whoa..."
Some uncle kept grunting those satisfied noises with every spoonful of his gukbap.
It was my little sister.
But passersby just chuckled endearingly. Yoon-seul, eyes sparkling as she pressed against the red ropes around the cars, was drawing more attention than the vehicles themselves.
"That good, huh?"
"Yeah, so cool."
"Let's check the top part too, Jang Yoon-seul-ssi."
I hoisted her up to my eye level. At her waist-high stature, she probably couldn't see well over the car windows.
Held in my arms, she bobbed and peered at the car body.
Adorable as ever.
- Dude, that hood is sleek as fuck?
- True. But you can't buy it anyway.
- Yeah, I'm gonna earn money and get one~.
- Dream on, pay off your kei car loan first.
Hmm, yeah, the hood's smooth curve was appealing. That was B company's strength, I guess.
That said, dropping those words in front of Yoon-seul rubbed me the wrong way.
"Hm? Sleek~?"
I'm losing it.
High bird mimicking, Jang Yoon-seul.
"Yoon-seul, can we learn words like that after you're ten at least...? Pretty please."
"No?"
"It's not exactly no... just too early."
"Got it..."
I wasn't scolding, but she pouted her lips.
As her excitement deflated, a random Auntieie nearby chimed in.
- Hey, you guys! There's a kid right there, and you're spouting that garbage? Grown men with no decency?!
- Ahh! Sorry!
They must've overheard us.
Well, they're adults, their words are their business.
But I felt awkward too.
"Ah, no, it happens. Haha..."
I laughed it off and bowed to the Auntieie.
Moving on with Yoon-seul to another part of the showroom.
Having a kid around meant the environment shifted a lot—especially with helpful Auntieies turning into allies.
Grateful parenting veterans.
They knew the struggles of raising kids, so they stepped in like that.
Made things much easier.
In the next section, I was surprised by an unexpected corner.
B company designers had set up all sorts of merch, and lo and behold, exactly what I'd been looking for was there.
"Yoon-seul, look over there."
Her eyes sparkled.
She'd already zeroed in before I even said it.