Chapter 92
Chapter 92
<20 Foods You Should Absolutely Never Eat With Your Boyfriend>
Soy sauce marinated crab was ranked number one. Setting aside how difficult it was to pick apart, the main reason was that the act of eating it wasn't exactly graceful. Plus, the fishy smell was an added bonus.
To think she’d end up eating the very food that topped that list... But since this wasn't a date, Bom tried not to let it bother her. Today, Han-gyeol was the star of the show.
"Uncle, how could you bring a teacher to a soy sauce marinated crab place?"
Han-gyeol clicked his tongue as he looked at the tacky crab decorations on the restaurant walls.
"Wh-what? What’s wrong with it?"
Jae-gyu, who hadn't understood the implication and kept asking why, finally caught on after a moment and let out a snort.
"It’s not like you’re only gonna date for a day or two, so why act like you gotta cut steak every single time? Showin’ off only the pretty, fancy stuff isn't what’s important."
"Is that so?"
Jae-gyu diligently picked the meat out of the crabs as he laid out his personal philosophy on romance. Always two or three steps ahead, Jae-gyu was already picturing the distant future today.
"Later on, when we’re old and achin’, a man’s job is to make a woman feel comfortable enough to boss him around without feelin’ bad, and to not feel ashamed even when showin’ her worst side. You get me?"
"I see. I think I know what you mean."
"Same goes for food. Don’t just pick things you can eat lookin’ sharp... things like this, too—argh!"
While giving Han-gyeol his grand lecture, Jae-gyu put too much strength into snapping a claw and let out a groan as it pricked his hand.
"I’m dyin’ here..."
"..."
Good grief. Bom quickly pulled out a napkin, took off Jae-gyu’s plastic glove, and checked to see if there was a hole in his finger.
"Do I need stitches?"
His finger, covered in calluses from years of working on boats, only had a faint indentation from the prick. Seeing the corners of his mouth twitch upward while he kept whining "Ouchie," it was clear Jae-gyu was 100% joking.
"It’s an emergency, right, Bom? I think it might heal if you blow on it."
"You’re perfectly fine. Stop playing around and just eat."
"Tsk, caught me... Lookin’ at how tough this shell is, the freshness of this crab is top-notch. Bom-Bom, get a spoonful of rice ready."
The pile of crab meat Jae-gyu had painstakingly extracted was substantial.
When she scooped up a big spoonful of hot white rice, Jae-gyu piled the crab meat on top, wrapped it in a piece of toasted seaweed, and told her to savor it.
"Mmm, oh! It’s delicious!"
"Right? Han-gyeol, what about you?"
"Wow, it’s great, Uncle."
The restaurant was tucked away far from the main food alleys and had only recently opened, so she hadn't expected much, but they had discovered a hidden gem. Han-gyeol was also impressed, asking how he’d even found such a place.
It was her first time scraping the innards out of a crab shell to mix with rice in public, which felt a bit awkward, but as Jae-gyu said, she couldn't only show her "pretty" side forever.
Wait, forever?
It seemed she’d caught whatever Jae-gyu had, as she was already thinking about the far-off future. I’m losing it. We’ve barely started dating. Bom took off her plastic gloves and gulped down some cold water.
"Phew..."
The three of them left the restaurant, patting their stomachs. Jae-gyu had polished off five bowls of rice, and Han-gyeol had finished three. Even Bom had cleared two bowls for the first time. She hadn't realized a "rice thief" could be this terrifying.
"Shall we walk around a bit to digest?"
"I’d like that."
There was a wooded trail behind the restaurant, so the three of them began to walk. Bom was sandwiched between Jae-gyu and Han-gyeol. The two men walked slowly, matching Bom’s pace. Seeing the leaves gradually changing color, it was clear that autumn foliage season was just around the corner.
"The weather is so nice lately. It’ll be getting chilly soon."
"Let’s go for a trip to the mountains before it gets too cold."
When had time passed so quickly? If things didn't go well, she might have to return to Seoul... Bom felt a pang of regret at how fast these moments were slipping by.
Still, she was relieved that today, the issue with Hee-yeon—one of the things that had been weighing heavily on her heart—had been resolved. She had worried that the broadcasting station’s involvement would make things worse, but in the end, it had actually turned out for the best.
But why had Han-gyeol kept it from Jae-gyu, even though he knew about his mother?
"Seon Han-gyeol. Since when did you know?"
Jae-gyu asked casually, reaching up to pluck a leaf that had already turned red.
So Jae-gyu had been thinking the same thing. Bom glanced up at Han-gyeol. They had been arguing so fiercely earlier, but now both of them looked at peace.
"Not that long. Se-jin told me she saw you in town with another woman."
That "other woman" must have been Lee Hee-yeon. Since the town was small, word had traveled through that route. Bom nodded.
"Se-jin followed you, thinking you were having an affair, and I guess she overheard something. Anyway, after hearing that, I poked around your room a bit. Sorry."
"My room? What’s in my room?"
"You’d transferred a lot of things to Mom and made a lot of bank transfers."
Despite there being so many traces of their contact, Hee-yeon had dragged in a broadcasting station without even showing her face to Han-gyeol. He couldn't help but figure out the situation. Jae-gyu groaned and scratched the back of his neck.
"Why did you do it, Uncle?"
Han-gyeol, who had been walking slowly, came to a dead stop. Bom stopped as well, but Jae-gyu kept walking ahead on his own.
"..."
Jae-gyu, who had been walking ahead, glanced back and realized no one was following him and that they were both staring at him. He trudged back in a U-turn.
"Well..."
As he bit his lip and hesitated to answer, Han-gyeol’s voice rose.
"Uncle, are you a fool?"
"..."
"You’ve worked so hard to raise me all these years, and yet you let yourself be dragged around by her? Because of me?"
Hard work, my foot. That was all Jae-gyu could manage to mutter.
"I know exactly how you raised me. Did you really think I’d go to someone who only took your money and abandoned her own child?"
Looking at Jae-gyu, who had his head bowed, Bom barely held back her tears. Han-gyeol’s eyes were also red, his emotions overflowing as he spoke.
Bom stepped between them and brought their hands together. Han-gyeol took Jae-gyu’s rough hand and pulled his uncle into a tight embrace.
"Uncle, you’re my family."
"...That’s right. I’m your parent and your brother."
At those words filled with affection, Han-gyeol began to sob out loud. While patting the crying Han-gyeol, Jae-gyu gestured for Bom to come closer.
Taking Bom’s hand as she approached and holding it tight, Jae-gyu mouthed the words:
"Thank you."
⋆★⋆
"Ah, for f*ck’s sake. This is why I hate filming in the provinces."
While the staff were preparing to pack up, the PD was shouting and losing his temper the entire time.
You didn't say a damn word to their faces earlier, but now you’re taking it out on us. Typical.
Seung-won clicked his tongue as he packed away the camera. Perhaps because he’d lost face in front of so many people, the PD’s tantrum was reaching its peak. He was irritably kicking trash scattered on the floor and snapping at the writer who followed him around.
Seung-won had always thought the man had a nasty temper, but today was excessive.
Well, he shouldn't have pushed things so far. The problem started when he made some kind of deal with a participant in the first place.
Does this kind of outdated melodrama even work these days?
"Can't you all move faster? When are we going to get back to Seoul at this rate? I moved to this station for nothing but this sh*t. Dammit."
Having finished the bulk of the packing, Seung-won peeked toward the kitchen attached to the cafe. He intended to grab some ice water, escape the noise, and take a short break.
As expected, the kitchen was empty, and the commercial freezer was full of ice. There were no tongs, but he figured it was fine. He grabbed a cube with his hand and popped it into his mouth, feeling the chill spread through his body.
"Ha... I can finally breathe."
Seung-won pulled over a stool from the corner and sat down, pulling out his phone out of habit.
Since he’d seen Yoon Bom, it was only natural to contact Yoon-cheong. There probably wasn't another guy in the world who hated his own sister as much as Yoon-cheong did. Not that Seung-won understood it, but then again, his own hands weren't exactly clean... Seung-won scrolled through his contacts and found Yoon-cheong’s number. He let out a self-deprecating laugh as the phone rang.
—Yeah, I’m busy right now. What?
"Hey, Cheong. I’m down in Busan for a shoot, and I stopped by the town next door for a bit."
—So? What about it?
Yoon-cheong sounded irritated and ready to hang up. Seung-won quickly continued.
"Guess who I saw here?"
—Who is it this time? Wait, if you’re near Busan, is it Yoon Bom?
"Bingo. Seriously, wow, what are the odds of meeting her in a place like this?"
He expected Yoon-cheong to grill him on when and where, but surprisingly, Yoon-cheong showed no reaction.
"I couldn't talk to her much because of work, but man, she was seriously gorgeous. Still the same as ever."
—There you go again. If you like her that much, why don't you just take her and live together?
"I was actually thinking of contacting her after we’re done. But it looks like she’s got a man?"
—What...? Kim Seung-won, tell me more.
That’s the Yoon-cheong I know. Seung-won crunched on the melting ice in his mouth and spoke leisurely.
"She looked pretty cozy with some guy raising a kid alone. You know my intuition, right? The guy was built like a tiger—looked like a total thug. A hundred percent, I’m telling you."
"A thug? Not like a prosecutor or some professional type?"
"He had an Irezumi sleeve on his arm and, ugh. It was intense. Just a pretty face, that’s all."
Yoon-cheong seemed quite shocked by the unexpected news. Just as Seung-won was about to dive into the details, he heard the PD’s shout: "Moving out!" He had to go.
"Hey, I gotta go. Anyway, make sure to tell your parents. Your dad is one thing, but Mrs. Jung Nan-hee is going to flip. Didn't you say she’s starting a new project soon? If word gets out, it’ll be a huge scandal."
Seung-won hung up, his voice laced with mock concern and genuine amusement. This family was always so peculiar; they were fun to watch.
"Alright, time to head out."
The moment he stood up from the stool and stretched, he felt a presence behind him. Startled, Seung-won spun around. A writer was standing there, jaw dropped, having clearly been there for a while.
"Seung-won, did you say that female teacher is the daughter of the actress Jung Nan-hee? Is that true?"