Mesugaki Date: Gamjatang Chew-Chew
"Nom nom... Hm? Why are you staring like that?"
"Nothing..."
I was just eating deliciously like always, but Jaeyeon noona was looking at me like I was some kind of marvel. Hm... Did I do something wrong? But damn, this gamjatang is so good... This is what food is, this is happiness...
"Mmm... Haah~ Aren't you gonna eat?"
"Of course I am... You eat really well, huh?"
"Hehe, honestly, if it weren't for chances like this, I never get to eat stuff like this."
"Pardon?"
"I'll pick the meat for you!"
I snatched the ladle from Jaeyeon noona's hand and slowly stirred the gamjatang. She gave me the one with the most meat, so I gotta return the favor, right? Gamjatang meat has ranks too. By my standards, of course... Soft and fatty is grade 1. Not soft but fatty is grade 2. Total trash is grade 3. I'd already snagged all the grade 1s, so time to pick her a grade 2 at least. Fair's fair.
"Here, eat this. The fatty ones look the tastiest."
"Thanks..."
She seemed kinda awkward, but she'll get over it quick. After handing her the meat, I went back to filling my starving gut. With a hidden grade 1, naturally...
"Hold up."
"...Yes?"
Did she catch me hiding the good stuff? How'd she notice? She wouldn't hit me over meat, right? She's way bigger than me—a single punch would probably leave me half-dead, not just knocked out...
"You sure this is okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I'm a girl, so gukbap or gamjatang with a friend is fine, but you're a guy... And you said this was your first date... I mean, is this kind of food really okay?"
"Huh? What's wrong with it?"
Gamjatang? What's wrong with gamjatang? It's delicious, the hot broth is perfection... Or is gamjatang—the ultimate feast for someone like me who's starving at home with no food—weird somehow? The more I think, the more invincible gamjatang feels, and I'm the mesugaki here.
"W-Well, if it's because of me, we could do pasta or something right now."
"Stop."
"Huh?"
"You're so pitiful for not knowing gamjatang's glory! For someone like me surviving on instant ramen and triangle kimbap for days, nothing beats this!"
So it's not me who's weird—Jaeyeon noona is. Guess alpha females only eat fancy stuff? Tch... Annoying.
"And the price is so... Wait, one, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand... Huh?"
"What's up?"
Wait, the price... I don't even have 20,000 won right now? I was so focused on eating, I didn't even think about it. Screwed...
Gamjatang isn't crazy expensive, but even emptying my wallet wouldn't cover it. No way I can pay.
"Th-the price... uh..."
"The price?"
"C-Can't we do Dutch pay? I'm broke right now... I'll pay you back later!"
"Dutch pay? Like, Dutch pay?"
"Yeah..."
Dutch pay. When a guy and girl split date costs half-and-half. It's a beautiful, sacred act. There's even an old saying: If a girl suggests Dutch pay from the start, grab her and never let go. She's rarer than a girlfriend who waits through military service. But here I was, a broke beggar, forcing this sacred ritual on her.
"I'm really sorry, I have no money..."
"No, that's fine, but... were you planning to pay alone?"
"W-Well, you're my viewer, and... I'm a guy?"
"So what if you're a guy?"
Why's everyone flipping out all of a sudden? Usually these trash-talking degenerates spamming sex jokes are suddenly petting me? Hm... Is this what it feels like to be a handcam guy getting all the headpats? Feels damn good.
"Why's everyone acting up like this?"
"Ahaha... I think I know why..."
"No clue here..."
I had no idea why they were reacting like that, so I just slurped down more broth. This salty kick is addictive. Chowing down rice soaked in it, with chat as my side dish. Delicious. Probably the best thing I've eaten since coming to this world. Back when I had sides, it was just kimchi and rice from the landlord uncle. Without, starving two meals a day was normal. Man, I'm pretty pathetic.
"Phew~ Can I add ramen noodles?"
"Sure."
"Uncle~! Ramen noodles here, please!"
So good. Commoner food for the win.
It's weird. Do guys normally love gamjatang that much? All I know about Korean guys is from Mitube vids on "how to eat them easy as cake," and most prefer steak or pasta over gamjatang or gukbap. But today shattered my image of men completely. Was he always this unique from the first meeting?
He looked just like on stream, so I almost slipped up. Trembling at my size was kinda cute...
"Noona?"
"Just call me Jaeyeon."
"Jaeyeon noona? Like this?"
"...Yeah."
She seemed grateful just for using her name, but adding "noona" surprised her a bit. Top thing women wanna hear: noona from a non-family guy. First time for me too.
Plus, he suggested PC bang right off the bat on first meet.
"Wanna hit the PC bang together?"
"Huh? PC bang?"
I thought I misheard. Most guys hate games, prefer wandering outside. In my community, guys who drink, live alone, and game are "top boyfriend material."
He's different. Way different.
At the PC bang, Meki unleashed his charm. Cute looks that trigger protectiveness, but opposite gaming style.
"Heh~ Trash♥ Re~tard! You into getting wrecked in lane fights or what, perv?"
"Whoa..."
"That's why you'll be called virgin forever~ Right? Quit LoL and go tell daddy you're sorry for being born, then shove it up your ass~ Pfft!"
Seeing him in person, surprisingly cute. Thought it'd make me wanna punch, but... maybe 'cause it's not aimed at me? On stream it was "teach 'em a lesson," now it's more "pet his head, hug him." Squishy for sure.
We crushed the game easy since we're both pros. His flopping around happy after winning was... not just cute, more like stirring up a woman's lust the closer you look. Actions opposite his cute face fuel the fire. Lives alone, from what I saw...
"Want anything else? Pasta? Steak?"
"Gamjatang!"
"Gamjatang...?"
Gamjatang? That hangover food I eat with friends? Tasty enough, but not date material with a guy. Can splatter clothes, pairs with booze—guys hate it...
Thought it was an act at first. Planned to bail for something else if he soured. But my expectations got wrecked.
"Th-thanks!"
Eyes sparkling like he starved for days, he scraped meat with a spoon, stuffed his mouth, chewed away. Eyes welling up each bite. That good? I tried the broth—same as always.
Sucking bones desperately, not wasting a scrap—it tugged at my heart, kinda hot. Viewers thought so too, chatting the same.
Brought tons of cash expecting fancy food... didn't need it. First date's weird experience melted my tension. Chatting, he's nothing like the "men" I knew.
"Haa~ Shall we pay?"
"Let's."
I didn't eat much, but felt full watching him. "Full just watching" means this?
"27,000 won."
"Gulp... Okay."
We agreed Dutch pay, so I pulled my wallet. Meki... trembling with a wallet holding one 10,000 and some 1,000s. Cute. Pat pat. Hand on his head.
"Girls pay for this."
"Huh...?"
"You went on a date with me, so dinner's on me."
"Th-thanks."
Bowing repeatedly like super grateful—adorable. After paying, we headed out, walking to his place.
"Hehe... I could've gone alone...?"
"Guys wandering night streets alone is dangerous."
"Really?"
So pure and defenseless... wanna corrupt him. Shouldn't think that, but lust bubbles up from deep inside. Bad...
"This is my place."
"Here, huh..."
My guess was right—the rundown villa didn't look great. Living alone here...
"Thanks for joining the stream shoot today."
"I had fun too."
Aw, shame.?