Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Even Farther Away (3)
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"Taxi! Taxi!"
Yoon-seul stretched her hand out far, pointing toward the taxis.
Even stretched out like that, her arm was so adorably short that it made my heart melt.
As we emerged in front of Gangneung Station, taxis were lined up along the main road. If you travel to places with good subway infrastructure, you don't need to hunt for taxis, but unfortunately, Gangneung wasn't one of them.
I had called an acquaintance who could drive, but they were joining us tomorrow.
Teacher Mi-jeong, who had taken time off, planned to drive her own car with Yu-min-i. Their family was on break too, so they grabbed some summer vacation time.
I took Yoon-seul and got into a taxi.
They helped load the suitcase into the trunk.
As we pulled forward, the driver started the meter, and the base fare was different from Seoul's. A bit cheaper.
It was one of those moments that really hit home how far we were from home.
- Came on a trip with your daughter?
"Oppa has a little sister, not a daughter..."
- Haha! So it's your sister, not your daughter. Uncle got it wrong.
The driver crumbled instantly before the pouting Yoon-seul. He had dark skin and was wearing sunglasses.
He looked a bit rough at first glance, but seeing how gentle he was with the kid melted away any wariness.
- You folks are lucky. You picked a great day for traveling.
"Why? Is something good happening in Gangneung?"
- Does there have to be something special? The weather this year is the best it's been in years. Sunny but not humid. And the waves aren't too rough either.
"Isn't the East Sea usually pretty choppy?"
- Yeah, that's usually the case. But I've heard it's been calmer this year. Even the little ports around here are sending out more boats to fish.
"Sounds good for the kids to play, then."
- Goodness, if you come all the way to Gangneung and don't go in the ocean, what's the point? Hold hands with Oppa and wade in, splash your face a bit.
"Oppa and fishies swimming."
Yoon-seul swung her arms back and forth, mimicking a fisherman.
She seemed lost in a childish fantasy about catching fish herself.
- Right, fish! Uncle's gonna recommend a great place for fresh fish, so go with Oppa sometime.
"Do they sell fishies?"
- Yeah, they sell fish. It's a bit away from the beach, but if you go and try it, you won't regret it.
"Oh! Really? Then can you give me the address when we get off?"
- No worries. I won't forget.
Touristy spots are tasty too, but local favorites have a different vibe.
And among locals, taxi drivers who zip around Gangneung know the real gems.
I'd have to try it myself, but I was already looking forward to it.
The taxi left the bustling streets and soon arrived inside an old apartment complex.
I paid the fare and got the address of the recommended restaurant.
As I unloaded the luggage, Yoon-seul grabbed my finger and leaned forward like a puppy begging for a walk.
"Oppa, Oppa! Gotta go fast. Halmoni waiting, can't be late."
"Got it, Miss. But with the luggage, it'd be better to go a little slow."
"Oh... right, Oppa's got bags, so hard to go fast. Yunseul-i didn't think."
She glanced at the suitcase I was pulling and reflected a bit. The 5-year-old showed quick self-awareness—who'd she get that from?
Following Yoon-seul's lead, we reached the apartment building.
The stairs were steep, but she climbed them steadily.
"Ung... ung..."
Grunting with effort.
The 5-year-old made it up just fine.
We arrived at Halmoni's door and rang the bell. It opened.
Always a welcome sight.
"My babies are here!"
"Halmoni!!"
Yoon-seul jumped up and down, circling around excitedly upon seeing Halmoni.
It had been a while, so she was thrilled.
Nearly half a year.
We'd done video calls in the evenings, but no in-person visits otherwise. The restaurant kept us busy.
If we didn't show up during vacation like this, Halmoni would feel neglected.
"Halmoni made food. You haven't had lunch yet, right?"
"Oppa and eggies. Yunseul-i went like this! Like this! With forehead and cracked and ate."
Yoon-seul reenacted the egg headbutt from the train with her whole body. Her serious face, like a soccer player jumping for a header, was just a tad comical.
Especially with the faint red mark still on her forehead.
Past 1 p.m., heading toward 2, our little trio of family started a late lunch.
Lately, I'd been the one cooking and feeding Yoon-seul, so having Halmoni's prepared meal in front of us felt fresh.
Over ten side dishes. You could feel the love.
"Gonna eat well."
As always, Yoon-seul dove into mukbang mode.
She seemed to love Halmoni's cooking after so long, swallowing it down eagerly.
But there was one dish she wasn't touching.
"Yoon-seul, still not eating eggplant? Is Oppa spoiling you too much? Picky eating won't do."
"Um... Halmoni's eggplant... not great."
After Halmoni's gentle scolding, Yoon-seul pursed her lips.
But noticing the eyes on her, she soon speared a piece of eggplant namul with her fork and plopped it on her rice.
She made a rare disgusted face.
"Our Yoon-seul eats eggplant well? Doesn't suit your taste?"
"This one... tongue tingles bad when eating."
I got it.
Eggplant namul doesn't suit kids' palates.
It's Korean cooking, but this preparation makes it taste bad.
Fried Chinese-style or grilled in oil is tastier. Eggplant fritters are a steady seller at our place, and Yoon-seul eats them fine.
"Yoon-seul eats eggplant well? At Halmoni's, she always said she hated it."
"Yunseul-i likes Oppa's eggplant better."
"Really...?"
Halmoni seemed quietly hurt.
She'd run a drivers' diner for years, so her cooking was top-notch. The savings helped with the jeonse deposit for our siblings' place, and she bought this apartment too.
Owner of a popular spot.
Even so, hearing her own eggplant namul lose to her grandson's must sting.
"How about I show Halmoni how well Yoon-seul eats eggplant?"
"Okay... this is Halmoni's eggplant food. Picky bad."
"No, Oppa will eat that. Let's do eggplant fritters later."
"Oppa's is best!"
Yoon-seul sweetly praised Oppa's cooking while slyly transferring her eggplant to my bowl. She peeked at Halmoni.
Halmoni chuckled heartily.
"Hee-heeng..."
With Halmoni letting it slide, Yoon-seul smirked and resumed mukbang.
"Alright, let's see how well Yoon-seul eats eggplant. Time to taste our grandson's cooking too."
"Sure, I'll fry it up nice."
"This Halmoni's picky about food. You know why, right?"
Halmoni's eyes sharpened.
With her restaurant background, she'd be merciless on taste.
Especially after Yoon-seul unintentionally provoked her with the eggplant—there was a glint of battle in her eyes.
I'd have to make it with care.
"Don't worry. I've built up some skill over months of cooking."
"Hmph... just a few months! This Halmoni's served eggplant namul as a banchan for decades. But her own grandkid, raised by you... skips Halmoni's. So upsetting."
Grumbling.
Grumbling.
Halmoni seemed wounded.
She'd entered full grumble mode.
Older folks have these cute sides sometimes.
They sulk easily.
After eating, I did the dishes.
Her back wasn't great, and prepping that much must've been tough.
I insisted despite her protests. Grandmas can't stand seeing grandkids work—it's like a thorn in their mouth.
They don't realize we're the worried ones. Or maybe it's just overflowing love.
I finished the dishes first, then prepped eggplant fritters. Routine work, but in a different kitchen, it felt novel.
"Halmoni picks great ingredients."
The eggplants in the fridge were all fresh. Probably straight from nearby fields to the market.
Smooth, pretty skins. Glossy purple.
Restaurant instincts don't fade.
Frying the eggplant, I realized—no tomato paste here. Not a staple at home, so no help for it.
"Guess I'll make soy sauce."
In Japan, it's called "tentsuyu"—soy dipping sauce for fritters. Ginger, onion, sugar mixed with soy and boiled for flavor.
Top with thin green onion slices for freshness.
Home versions vary, but this seems practical.
I plated the fried eggplant with tentsuyu and brought it to the living room. Yoon-seul sat next to Halmoni watching TV.
Racing show, as usual.
"Hm? No sauce on this."
Our usual eggplant fritters had thick tomato-chili sauce, so the plain ones looked odd—she tilted her head.
"This time, Oppa's bringing a dipping sauce. Yoon-seul, try dipping."
"Dipping?"
I picked up a fritter with chopsticks, blew off the heat, dipped in sauce, and fed it to her.
"Munch munch... yummy..."
She liked the tentsuyu too.
Bright face.
Halmoni dipped her pinky in the sauce first to taste.
"Hm... freshly boiled soy. Clean and good."
The new sauce got thumbs up.
I skimmed the foam while boiling for clarity, and it paid off.
Then she picked up a fritter, dipped, and took a bite.
Crunch-
Munch munch...
Halmoni's lips curved in a relaxed smile.
Bit off the rest, dipped again, another bite.
Gulp.
"Joo-hyun, your restaurant's gonna do well."
"Not bad. Just expanded luckily, so things should get even better."
"Good, has to. With cooking this tasty, who'd stay away? Tell everyone to come try. Excellent."
Rave reviews!
She'd doubted at first, but tasting changed her mind.
And Yoon-seul devouring them with her fork probably helped.
"Yunseul-i likes when Oppa cooks best."
"Yeah. Our girl's got a knack for Oppa's luck."
Halmoni's face looked a bit wistful as she stroked Yoon-seul's busy head repeatedly.
Not just about the eggplant, I thought.
After filling up on fritters, Yoon-seul napped.
Exhausted from early morning trip prep.
With her asleep, I started the conversation with Halmoni we'd missed lately.