Mesugaki and Cooking
"Jaejun? What're you doing there?"
"Idiot~ Trash~? Nothing at all."
I was mouthing insults at Jaehee from behind Jaeyeon unnie. The kind of curses any Korean would recognize just from lip-reading.
Jaehee caught on that I was cursing her out and glared daggers at me, her eyes darting around wildly.
Like, what're you gonna do if you get caught later? It's not like you can do anything~ My place is locked with that padlock anyway~.
The doorknob was busted, so I'd slapped on the sturdiest lock I could afford—the chunky green metal one they use on school gym storage rooms. No way she'd pick that easily. And the key? Hidden somewhere no one would ever guess. Fat chance she'd get in.
I smirked inwardly and turned back to Jaeyeon unnie. After breakfast, she had to head to work or something, because she looked totally different from yesterday—black suit skirt, crisp white blouse, the full office lady getup. It made her seem even more stunning.
"Who's this?"
"A unnie that Jaejun knows."
And just like that, Jaehee and Jaeyeon unnie started sizing each other up.
Jaeyeon unnie, with her corporate ID badge around her neck, arms crossed, looking down in her suit.
Jaehee staring back in her usual black ROKA tee and black dolphin pants.
They were polar opposites, impossible to reconcile.
"You two seemed to be having a fun chat earlier. Close, huh?"
"We've known each other since he moved into this villa, so yeah, you could say that."
Close my ass. I couldn't even stand looking at her face.
Jaehee shoved her fingers—couldn't even fit a full hand—into her dolphin pants pockets and leaned forward.
"Ah~ I see. Must've known each other for a while then."
"And you?"
"Me? Just recently... hmm, friends?"
Friends?
Well, Jaeyeon unnie could qualify as my friend, sure. Hmm... friends. What a nice ring to it. Sharing food, helping each other out in tough times. My first friend numero uno?
"Friends? With Jaejun?"
"That's what I think? Right, Jaejun?"
The conversation shifted to me outta nowhere, and suddenly both their gazes locked on target.
What? What'd I do...?
Two women staring me down like that sent chills straight down my spine. I couldn't meet their eyes—my head kept dipping low, like back in school when my grades hit rock bottom and I slunk home.
"Jaejun, we're friends, right?"
"Friends... with Jaejun?"
How the hell did they think of me on the daily to make such a fuss over one friend?
I'd been hiding behind Jaeyeon unnie, but I stepped forward slow, narrowing my eyes a bit.
"Aang? I do have friends, y'know? Jaeyeon unnie's my friend~."
"Really? You usually don't hang with girls much..."
"She's a friend~ Anyway, quit being annoying~ Unnie, let's go already~."
"Yeah."
Sticking around here would've dragged on forever—no food, no end in sight—so I grabbed Jaeyeon unnie's hand and started dragging her off on my own.
"Jaejun?!"
"Let's grab food quick... Still got that hangover killing me."
"Okay."
"Her hand's so soft..."
As I pulled her along, her hand—bigger than mine—squeezed back tight, almost like she was feeling me up. Nah, probably just 'cause her hand was bigger. Right?
More than that, unnie looked hot in her blouse, tight miniskirt, and heels for work. Black stockings on her legs too—she had to be sweating buckets. Not sweating would've been weirder.
Everyone's hustling hard... People grinding for cash, for the future, just to survive.
Once we were far enough from the villa, I let go of her hand.
"Ah..."
"So, whatcha wanna eat?"
"Right, um... bone hangover soup?"
"We had gamjatang last night—same vibe?"
Gamjatang and bone soup were basically cousins anyway. Eating it again felt iffy. I was broke enough to scarf anything free, but after stuffing myself yesterday, my gut was rebelling.
"Oh yeah, we did gamjatang... What do you want then? I can spring for something fancy."
"No need for fancy. Just bean sprout soup rice?"
"Gukbap?"
"You hate gukbap?"
Jaeyeon unnie kept acting shocked every time I suggested food. What was wrong with gamjatang or gukbap?
"Bean sprout gukbap? You like gukbap?"
"Cheap and good value—love 'em all."
"Cool, I know a killer spot nearby. Let's hit that."
Corporate types really know all the local haunts, huh?
"Huu~ Huu~ So good."
"Tasty, right?"
"Gulp... Yeah."
The warm, refreshing bean sprout gukbap hit just right—my booze-ravaged stomach melting under the hot broth in real time. All the toxins flushing out, body snapping back to healthy. The taste of recovery. Like tiger-energy cereal soaked in ginseng tonic.
Or screw that—it's just delicious, so who cares?
"All done~."
"Good?"
"Yeah... too good."
"Hehe, I'll treat you again sometime."
Again? We literally just met yesterday, but she acted like we'd been pals for years...
Still, having someone like this in life ain't bad.
From yesterday on, she'd been the first person in this world I'd actually enjoyed talking to.
She called me a friend earlier—does she really see me that way?
"Jaejun."
"Yeah?"
"Did it bother you when I called you my friend earlier?"
Bother me? Hell no—saved my ass in that spot.
"Aren't we friends?"
"Yeah, friends."
"Let's keep being friends forever~."
"Forever..."
She'd beamed when I said "friends," cheeks dimpling sweetly. But "forever" made her face stiffen a bit.
What was wrong with "forever" friends?
"Gulp... Sorry."
"It's fine. I'll pay and come back—wait here."
"Sure."
Jaeyeon unnie pulled out her wallet and headed to the counter.
Hmm... Food always tastes best when someone else foots the bill.
Rich and pretty. Who ends up with girls like that? Someone on her level, probably snaps up whoever she fancies quick...
Wait, someday I'll get married too, right?
My original goal was getting back to my old world. But that ship had sailed ages ago. The bastard who stole my body showed zero signs of giving it back, and I had no way anyway. Half-accepted it by now.
At least my parents would be in good hands? This world's Jaejun had no family, so he'd spoil them more than I ever could.
But marrying in this world—who'd I end up with?
"Jaejun, paid up. Let's go."
"Okay."
Outside, rush hour was kicking in—suited folks trudging off with grim faces.
Unnie's heading to work too, huh?
"You got work too, unnie?"
"Huh? Yeah, gotta go. See ya, Jaejun! Stream hard today."
"Got it..."
She kept checking her watch, then bolted for the nearest subway like she was late.
Work, huh. Never had a desk job myself. Back home, I made bank solo on crypto and stocks—no suit life for me.
Grinded hard studying markets back then...
Hold up. How did I even make money originally...?
Crypto and stocks need market savvy, econ knowledge, info crunching. Gotta be smart for that.
Something's been off lately. Crawling in fridges? Dumb, careless moves? Doesn't add up. I got called clumsy as a kid, sure—but stupid? Never.
Did swapping bodies tank my IQ too?
Best guess: brain came with the package.
"Ugh... head hurts. Later."
Definitely dumber now.
"Hey, can't you do that one right, you retard?"
"Fuck off, you used a lighter."
On the way home, voices pulled my attention. Some lady stabbing a needle into honeycomb toffee, breaking it to shape.
Dalgona?
Dalgona pulling. Easy make with sugar and fire... Yeah, today's menu.
[The stream has started.]
"A~? As if I couldn't cook~ You idiots♥"
Today's a cooking stream.