Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Aside from the fact that he’d ended up with an erection on the side of the road at the very end, Bom realized belatedly that she owed him for more than just one or two things today.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?”
At the unexpected invitation, Jae-gyu’s lips curled up in a delighted grin. It was, of course, an enthusiastic yes. Bom swung the door wide open. It was his first time being invited inside.
“Please, come in.”
The two of them entered the house together.
“So this is Bom House!”
He was giving things strange names again.
“Are you a minimalist?”
Since she didn’t plan on staying long, her household belongings were sparse. Jae-gyu, who had been peering around the house, set the box of groceries down on the dining table. He began taking the items out one by one.
He’s not going to linger for ages while drinking his coffee, is he?
Despite her worries, Bom put the water on to boil. However, once he finished organizing the groceries, Jae-gyu said something unexpected.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Oh, right now…?”
“There’s some work at the company, so I have to head in today.”
She was a bit taken aback. So that was it. It seemed he had stopped by here on his way to work. Knowing that made her feel even guiltier about letting him leave like this…
Regardless, if he said he had to go, there was nothing she could do.
“Then, please get back safely.”
“Yes, I’m off. If your body aches, let me know. The soreness might kick in later because of the shock earlier.”
Bom saw Jae-gyu to the front door. Watching him grab the handle to leave, she spoke up hurriedly.
“Do you like shabu-shabu?”
She’d finally done it. It was the best menu item she could come up with by mentally combining the ingredients she’d bought today.
“…Isn’t that the most delicious dish in the world?”
“If you have time this evening, please come over. I’ll make some for you. I’m just so grateful for today…”
A spark ignited in Jae-gyu’s eyes. Bom could tell just by his gaze that he would come running. Sure enough, Jae-gyu gave her a thumbs-up.
“I’ll be here even if my body crumbles to dust.”
With that firm commitment, Jae-gyu departed.
Bom chuckled at his over-the-top reaction and headed back to the kitchen. She intended to prep the ingredients in advance.
“Oh, right.”
She had to deal with the Choi Yi-jun matter first. The smile that had bloomed on her face vanished. Bom gloomily sent a reply. It upset her that her first conversation with her mother in a while had to be about a blind date.
— Mom, I’m sorry. I don’t think this person will work out.
— I know him. He’s the older brother of one of my students.
That should be enough for her to understand, she thought. Her mother would probably stomp her feet in frustration, saying it was a waste of a good match, though.
“Is there a specific recipe for shabu-shabu?”
Bom went back to the kitchen and washed the vegetables.
When was the last time she’d actually cooked for herself? She couldn’t even remember. Lately, she’d been making do with bread or eating side dishes brought over by Grandma Sun-i from next door.
It’s shabu-shabu, so it should taste fine, right?
Even she thought her choice of menu was excellent. Jae-gyu seemed to like it, too. She was finishing up the prep and tidying the kitchen when a reply arrived.
— Really? Then that’s even better!
— Next Saturday. Keep your schedule clear.
⋆★⋆
“You’re in such a high mood today. Did something happen?”
The meeting ended sooner than expected. It was a video call with a Chinese client, and there wasn’t much for Jae-gyu to do personally.
It wasn’t a meeting to open a new deal; they had been supplying this place for seven years, so there was no pressure. He’d been worried since it involved switching to a new reusable model, but the Q&A session went well enough.
Now all that was left was to wait for their decision, so the major work was essentially over.
Consequently, Jae-gyu had set out to clean. Wearing pink rubber gloves and a face mask, he busily moved around the office.
His employee, Gu Philip, followed him around.
“What do you mean, ‘something happened’?”
“Come on, your grin is reaching your ears. What are you talking about?”
“I’m wearing a mask right now. How can you even see that?”
Jae-gyu flung the office windows open and began wiping down the frames and the insect screens. He usually kept the office tidy, so there wasn’t much to do, but when he ran a finger along the windowsill, a faint layer of dust came off.
“Ha, look at this. Look at this dust.”
“When did you say those students were coming for the field trip?”
“The week after next.”
“Ah, then why are you preparing already? Dust is just going to settle again by then.”
“Don’t you know what a pre-clean is?”
What a messy bastard. Jae-gyu clicked his tongue and checked the now-clean windowsill. He then opened the window on the opposite side and began the same process.
“It’s that person from last year, right? The teacher who’s coming.”
Jae-gyu simply gave a wide smile. Though it was hidden by the mask, Philip caught on and started chattering with even more excitement.
“Are you finally escaping your life as a perpetual solo, Boss?”
“……”
“But what is it about her that you like so much?”
Well, if someone asked what he liked about her… Jae-gyu rolled his eyes thoughtfully.
First of all, speaking of Bom, she was beautiful—both subjectively and objectively.
She had fair skin and delicate features. Inside her large eyes sat chestnut-colored irises that gave off a calm light. Her hair, the same color, cascaded down in waves, barely covering her chest; it was healthy and neatly trimmed at the ends.
As a beauty, Bom was usually expressionless. However, whenever he teased her, her eyes would turn into crescents and her small mouth would curve up prettily, revealing a glimpse of her teeth. When she smiled like that, she looked like a fairy.
He’d only realized she was capable of smiling like that when he barged into the faculty office earlier this year. Last year, hadn’t she spent most of her time looking miserable or expressionless?
No, he should have approached her last year. He felt like the past year had been a waste.
So, did he like Bom because she was pretty? That wasn’t it. He just liked it when she smiled. He liked seeing her expressions change so diversely whenever she looked at him.
[I have bad luck whenever I see you, you bastard. My smile vanishes the moment I see your face.]
The words his father used to say out of habit were wrong.
‘There’s someone who laughs fit to burst just looking at me.’
Having finished the cleaning, Jae-gyu crossed over to the factory in the building next door to ensure everything was in order before leaving for the day.
It was a little past six. On his way, Jae-gyu stopped at a cafe. He set off with drinks for dessert and a jar of ginger syrup that the cafe owner had supposedly made personally.
⋆★⋆
“You made all of this yourself, Ms. Bom? Wow.”
It wasn’t until seven o’clock that the two of them finally sat down at the dining table. On his way over, a freight truck had broken down on the two-lane road, causing a massive traffic jam.
In the end, Jae-gyu had grown tired of waiting, parked his car nearby, and took a bus.
The table was uncharacteristically bountiful.
Seafood broth was boiling vigorously in a pot atop a burner. On a long rectangular wooden tray, she had arranged trimmed bok choy, napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and enoki mushrooms.
The beef and bean sprouts were set aside separately. With two sauce bowls placed in front of each of them, it looked quite impressive.
It would have been nice to pair this with wine, but Jae-gyu had to drive back, and also…
We’re not exactly on ‘drinking alone together’ terms yet.
With that thought, she had only prepared bottled water. She wasn’t as good at cooking as Jae-gyu, but she felt a sense of pride in the spread.
“This is the best shabu-shabu I’ve ever had.”
Once they started eating, Jae-gyu began his usual theatrics. He ate heartily, punctuating his meal with exclamations like “Wow,” “Whoa,” and “Ah.” It had been worth piling up a mountain of ingredients considering his appetite.
Is there anything this man can’t eat? It was fascinating to watch Jae-gyu’s chopsticks move incessantly.
“Do you have any other allergies besides lacquer?”
“I have a seafood allergy.”
“What? This is seafood broth!”
Bom was so startled she nearly dropped her chopsticks. Jae-gyu let out a loud laugh.
“I’m joking.”
“……”
Jae-gyu remarked that his lacquer allergy was the shame of a lifetime and that, because his body was so healthy, he didn’t have any other issues like that.
Jae-gyu was the first person Bom had invited inside since moving here. She thought having dinner together might be a bit awkward, but it wasn’t at all. The boisterous atmosphere at the table was unfamiliar, but she liked it.
I’m glad I invited him.
She had repaid at least a little of what she owed him. Though her heart felt heavy again when Jae-gyu insisted on doing the dishes after they finished.
“It’s my hobby and my specialty. Just sit comfortably and drink that strawberry latte I brought earlier.”
“Oh, that…”
Bom’s face flushed. She had already finished it. It wasn’t too sweet but very rich, so she’d kept sipping until only ice remained.
Having consumed something cold all at once, a chill washed over her. Seeing Bom let out a sneeze, Jae-gyu filled the electric kettle with water.
“Looks like you might be catching a cold. Would you like some ginger tea?”
Ginger tea. It was a classic love-it-or-hate-it drink. Most young people would turn pale at the mention of it, but Bom was different.
That sounds delicious. And it’s the good stuff, too.
She looked forward to it, thinking of the characteristic taste of ginger tea—warm with a spicy kick at the end.
“I’m full, so I’ll just have half a cup. Would you like some too, Mr. Jae-gyu?”
“Yep.”
Bom stepped up, saying she would brew it.
She took out two teacups, added the ginger syrup, and waited for the water to boil. Jae-gyu, who had finished the dishes and washed his hands again, suddenly approached.
“Is there anything for me to do?”
“Oh, it’s all done. Just a moment.”
Bom poured the water and took out a long teaspoon to give it a stir. Jae-gyu watched her blankly before suddenly hoisting the hot teacups up with both hands.
“Wait! No! Those are hot!”
“Hot-hot-hot-hot-hot-hot-hot!”
Bom jumped in surprise. She had pre-warmed the cups with hot water so the tea would stay warm longer. It seemed Jae-gyu hadn’t seen her do it because he was washing his hands. The handles, of course, were scorching hot as well.
To think he’d grab them with his bare hands! Bom reached out to help him and accidentally bumped the cup.
“Aaaah!”
“Ack!”
The ginger tea splashed right onto Jae-gyu’s lap.