187. Omakase Healing
187. Omakase Healing
***
8 p.m.
When the chef in charge of Sua and Serin's seats checked the time, he began preparing the food right away.
Slice, slice. Tap.
The knife slicing through the various fish made only the faintest sound. Even the way he placed the food onto the ceramic dishes was exceedingly careful.
The chef simply smiled softly at the sight of the two women chatting right in front of him, then slowly began plating the food.
He'd once heard that just looking at some people could cleanse your eyes. Only now did he understand that saying a little. The sight of the two women smiling even during small talk, as if they were close, was so pleasant to behold that it unknowingly drew the gazes of the other customers nearby.
......
Two plates were pushed forward smoothly, as if gliding, each holding food.
There were two pieces of what looked like thinly sliced steamed abalone, and two pieces of octopus simmered in soy sauce, cut into neat portions. The food was quite beautifully arranged on the distinctive pure-white ceramic dishes.
"Ah. Looks like it's time."
Sua smiled and pulled her plate toward herself. Serin did the same with her own plate.
Serin picked up the abalone first, before anything else, and brought it to her mouth.
Immediately, she felt the fresh abalone's signature chewy texture, along with a softness that seemed to melt away.
'These two textures can coexist...?'
She savored the abalone's texture a few times, and before she knew it, the food had vanished from her mouth.
Straight away, another piece.
After just a few movements of her lips, the food disappeared as if by magic.
"It's so good!"
Sua's exclamation from beside me was enough to make me nod without realizing it.
This time, she placed a little wasabi on top of the octopus on the side of the plate and brought it to her mouth.
Springy. Chewy.
But not tough at all—a texture that was just right for eating.
Perhaps because it had been simmered, even the seasoning was just about perfect.
In barely a minute, all four pieces on the plate were gone, and I found myself wondering what had just happened.
Caught between satisfaction and dissatisfaction, the feeling of the food suddenly vanishing was a little unfamiliar.
Swish.
The chef immediately wiped each empty plate clean and quickly plated the next course.
Tap.
Three thumb-sized pieces of scallop were placed on each plate, their pristine white flesh looking delicious just to see.
Chomp.
Another springy texture.
A sweet sauce flavor combined with a lemony tartness? It wasn't just sweet—the balance of flavors was just right, and this too was a delicacy in its own way.
Without thinking, I looked over at Sua.
Sua was already looking back at her with expectant eyes.
"It's good."
"Right? I thought it was delicious as soon as I tried it. Maybe you and I have similar tastes?"
Sua said it as if she found it fascinating, and I couldn't help but laugh for a moment.
Honestly, this seemed like food anyone would call delicious.
Before long, the scallops were gone too. Suddenly, she felt the chef's gaze.
It was the kind of look that seemed to ask if the food was good, and I nodded without thinking.
The chef beamed brightly in response. The way he seemed delighted by praise for his food made it clear he was sincere about his work.
He could have explained each dish in detail, but perhaps because Sua had said something in advance, he simply served the food without any unnecessary words. It wasn't off-putting at all—in fact, it was perfect for savoring the meal.
The plate emptied again. The chef quickly wiped it clean and served the next course, repeating this process several times.
Grilled conger eel.
Barley shrimp sushi.
Fried sea bream.
Vinegared mackerel sashimi.
Fried eel.
......
Light or rich flavors. Sometimes oddly refreshing, sometimes even sweet. Every single dish was clean, without a hint of fishiness, and all of it was delicious.
Whenever she glanced at Sua in between, contrary to her worries, Sua was eating most of the food without any reluctance.
And the fried dishes were so perfectly crispy that it was almost shocking—could it possibly be any more perfect?
The crunch of the batter shattering, combined with the filling melting away in contrast—even while eating, she wondered how someone could cook this well.
At some point, Sua had started passing over half of her own portions to me, claiming she was full.
"Serin, here. Say ah~."
She even picked up food and fed it to her directly. It was absurd, but Serin found herself accepting whatever was offered.
Chomp.
Honestly, maybe because I'd only been eating delivery food, my appetite seemed to return once I tasted such high-quality dishes. And the food at this restaurant was exactly to my taste.
But despite that, after swallowing, I looked at Sua.
"You're really not going to eat?"
"Serin, I'm seriously full. And there've already been more than ten different dishes so far... honestly, isn't that enough to be full?"
Sua spoke as if I were the strange one for eating so much. But when food was served in courses like this, eating all of it seemed normal to me.
"The way you say that makes it sound like I'm the abnormal one?"
"No, it's not that you're abnormal! It's just nice to see you eating well. And when they make it right in front of us like this, it feels wrong not to eat."
Sua glanced at the chef, asking if she couldn't see that expectant look.
Serin was about to say, well then shouldn't you be the one eating for it to mean anything—
"Here. Hurry, Serin. Ah~"
Sua pressed the food gently against Serin's lips, and the words died in her throat.
Chomp.
Honestly, the food was so good. It was hard to refuse when she kept offering like this. And the situation felt oddly familiar.
'Ah.'
Suddenly, she remembered the time she'd fed Sua the braised short ribs. It felt very similar to now.
Except it felt like Sua and I had swapped positions.
Swish.
Her gaze drifted to the chef, who was neatly wiping the empty plate again.
She figured the service was this attentive because the price was high, but wiping the plates like that every time while also cooking didn't look easy.
"This is the final course."
The chef, who had been quietly doing his work, announced the end of the omakase in a calm voice.
He appeared to be preparing eel for the last dish.
Soon, he placed a small portion of glossy rice, white steam rising from it, into a beautiful new ceramic bowl. Then he added two large pieces of eel and brushed sauce over them, adding more shine.
Gulp.
Just watching made her swallow. No, this was a combination that absolutely could not be bad.
"Eel rice in a hot pot."
Along with the chef's calm voice, the beautiful ceramic bowl was pushed forward slowly, as if gliding. Sua naturally picked up her spoon and seemed about to scoop some of the rice bowl onto my plate.
"Stop."
"...Huh?"
When Sua asked why, I shook my head and pulled the bowl toward myself.
"Eat all of that."
"Why? Ah! Do you want me to feed you again, Serin?"
Sua smiled brightly and spoke in a playful tone. By now, she didn't even seem to be trying to hide it.
"Sua. Are you doing this because I fed you last time?"
When Serin asked outright, Sua nodded slightly, then shook her head.
"Honestly, half of it... is that. But I really am full. The portions here are pretty big to begin with."
Serin stared at Sua as she confessed honestly, then scooped up a spoonful of the rice bowl with the intention of getting revenge and held it out.
"Um... Serin?"
Sua looked back and forth between the spoon and me with a slightly flustered expression, which was quite comical.
"You really can't do this. So you take a bite too."
When I brought the spoon right up to Sua's lips, she reluctantly opened her mouth, and I pushed the spoon in.
Chomp.
"...Mmph."
Sua's eyes seemed to ask if this was really necessary, and Serin burst out laughing.
"Pfft..."
Chew, chew.
Then Serin brought the spoon back to her own rice bowl.
After taking a bite, Serin smiled with her eyes as if satisfied with the taste. In that instant, the gazes of most of the nearby customers turned to her.
Even Sua stared at Serin for a moment before bringing her spoon to the rice bowl.
Honestly, it was delicious, but she really was full.
Still, she hesitated to pass more food to Serin like before.
After they'd told each other over the phone that they were close, the distance between them seemed to have narrowed completely, and that made her happy.
But Sua's gaze kept drifting to Serin's spoon.
'Is she really not bothered?'
No matter what, that spoon had been in my mouth.
Watching Serin casually bring it to her own mouth made Sua feel strangely odd.
She'd picked up food and given it to Serin a few times too, but that was strictly passing food with chopsticks. It was completely different from Serin feeding me directly.
'Maybe this much is normal between close friends.'
She'd definitely shared food with friends back in school, but strangely, now felt different from then.
Was it because she didn't wear the mask she used with those friends when she was with Serin? She found herself feeling uncertain for no reason.
With the eel rice bowl, the menu came to an end. The chef suddenly recommended dessert.
Slide.
The dessert that came out was three-colored chocolate ice cream, beautifully plated in a star shape.
As she scooped up a spoonful, Serin looked at Sua and smiled playfully.
"Sua. You left the rice bowl, but you're eating the dessert just fine?"
"Serin~ Of course dessert and rice are different, right?"
Sua smiled brightly, asking why she was bringing that up now, and Serin found herself smiling along for no reason.
"Well, I guess so?"
"Right! Come on, you're eating the dessert just fine too."
"That's true."
It was funny as I said it. I was full too, but I was eating the ice cream just fine.
Then it suddenly hit her that the omakase, which had lasted about an hour, was now over.
She hadn't counted from the middle, but there had to have been at least thirteen or fourteen courses. Even though each portion was small, eating over a dozen times left her full and deeply satisfied.
As the two of them finished even the dessert, the chef casually spoke up.
"Did the food suit both of your tastes?"
"Yes. It was delicious."
"It was so good!"
When Serin and Sua answered in turn, the chef smiled more brightly than ever.
"Then please come again. Next time, I'll repay you with even better food."
With everything finished, the chef bowed politely. The two women readily answered that they would come again, then rose from their seats.
......
When they stepped outside, the cityscape of a summer night appeared, with a lukewarm breeze blowing gently.
The temperature felt mild even though it was now fully evening.
Countless people were coming and going along the evening streets.
As they walked slowly toward Sua's studio apartment, Sua asked with a bright smile.
"Serin, how was your first omakase?"
"It was good."
"Is that all you have to say?"
When Sua whined for me to say more, I smiled faintly and added.
"It was really good. Enough that I'd want to go again."
"Then you can just go with me next time too!?"
Sua smiled brightly as she said it, and my mischievous side kicked in.
"Hmm? Next time I'm going with my little sister."
"Huh? If it's your little sister, isn't that me?"
The way Sua said it so naturally, as if it were obvious, made me look at her without thinking.
Sua was claiming to be her little sister with a straight face. Serin couldn't help but wonder how Seoyun would react if she heard this.
She'd probably look at me with a sulky face, wouldn't she?
Serin laughed and said.
"Well, I guess you are a little sister, Sua."
"Right? If it's your little sister, that's me, so you'll definitely go with me next time, right?"
"Well, if we have the chance, let's come again. I feel like I had a really great dinner for the first time in a long time."
Even as she said it, she felt a strange sense of appreciation.
It felt like a different kind of healing from the glamping with Eunha yesterday.
Eating out together like this might seem like a small thing, but just that alone brought her great satisfaction.
The omakase she'd experienced for the first time was truly novel. Different kinds of food kept coming out in small portions so nothing got boring. Just eating whatever was served brought a satisfaction that felt twice that of an ordinary meal.
And that made sense—she'd properly felt what it meant to be happy just from eating.
Maybe because I could watch the entire process of the chef preparing the food right in front of me, I strongly felt like I was being treated specially.
The restaurant's atmosphere was calm and clean too. She thought that whether someone came with a friend or a lover in the future, they'd probably all be satisfied.
"By the way, Serin, you have a little sister?"
Sua's curious question from beside her gradually pulled her out of her thoughts.
"Yeah. I have a little sister."
"Wow, so is your little sister silver-haired like you?"
"No. She has black hair."
"Really? Hmm... that must be pretty interesting. Since she's your sister, she must resemble you, right? I'm curious about a black-haired version of you."
"Well. She does resemble me."
As I answered, I found myself thinking of Seoyun and wondering again if we really did resemble each other.
Imagining Seoyun with the same hair color, she really did seem to resemble me.
'No, of course she resembles me. She's my sister.'
Reconsidering something so obvious made her laugh at herself.
"Ah, now that I think about it, she's the same age as you, Sua?"
"Really?"
Sua's slightly surprised expression was cute too. If she met Seoyun, wouldn't that be fun in its own way?
From how we talked regularly, Sua definitely had a personality similar to mine.
She thought it would be nice if Seoyun and Sua became close.
"Ah, right. Sua, want to see something?"
Then, suddenly, she felt like showing off the grades Seoyun had sent her a few hours ago.