Flashback: Tears of Effort and Kimchi Fried Rice
Lee Heena cried out.
"It was so hard! But I endured it! I believed that if I did well in the golf studies you sent me on and got good results, you'd finally acknowledge me, Dad! Even when blisters formed on my hands, even when I hurt my arm from mistakes, I held on! For the family, but more than anything, because I wanted you to recognize me!"
"……"
The chairman had no response. Or more precisely, he couldn't respond. The meaning was obvious. The golf studies abroad hadn't been meant for her to excel in—they were just an excuse to shove aside his seemingly useless daughter with a bit of cash.
But Lee Heena had returned victorious, having poured her blood and sweat into defeating powerhouses from around the world. Ah, our Heena. How proud she must have felt then, brimming with the hope that her family—her father, at last—would finally accept her.
Instead, she got inexplicable verbal abuse. Her spirit shattered, her mental state plummeted, and without that foundation, her skills couldn't shine.
"I'm sorry."
The chairman tightened his embrace around Heena. She burrowed even deeper into his arms.
"Even now... if I apologize, can you forgive me?"
"......Yes."
After sobbing for a long while, her answer came: she would accept his apology. Even for a father, that would be hard to do... What a truly kind woman.
"Thank you..."
The chairman bowed his head like a criminal. Well, given what he'd done, he was one, wasn't he?
The father and daughter held their reconciliatory embrace for a time before finally pulling apart.
"Alright, my girl. Is there anything you want to do, or anything you'd like? Tell me anything at all. I'll make it happen."
"No, it's okay, Dad."
"If I don't... it'll weigh on my heart. Please, ask for something—anything."
"I don't really have anything..."
Heena paused, murmuring hm... as she thought. That's when her eyes met mine.
'Perfect!'
I gave her a thumbs-up. Her gaze shifted subtly, like she'd made up her mind.
"Dad."
"Yes."
"I want to live with Geon-woo oppa."
"Of course! That's no problem at all."
Was it because I'd hypnotized him to see me as the most trustworthy person? Even with his daughter openly declaring she'd move into her sister's empty house to live alone with a man, he agreed without a second's hesitation.
"Ahem, Yun Geon-woo?"
"Yes, Chairman."
"You've heard everything, I assume. What do you think?"
"Well, why would I refuse? Sounds great to me."
Free luxury mansion? Jackpot.
"I have a meeting soon, so I'll be off. Call if you need anything else."
"Take care, Dad."
Heena bowed at a perfect ninety degrees. Even with the hypnosis making me his most trusted person, I couldn't skip the courtesy to Heena's father, so I matched her angle.
"Take care, Chairman."
"Right. Park Siljang, let's go."
"Yes."
I ignored the secretary's blatant stare screaming, 'What did you do to make the chairman change like this?' as he replied.
Watching the chairman get into the car, I sank into thought.
'Heena's definitely going to ask what happened with her dad.'
Yeah. No way she wouldn't. The only hypnosis I'd put on her was to become my girlfriend and like me. I hadn't commanded her to ignore suspicions or not ask questions about things like the chairman's drastic change—stuff she should question.
Of course she'd ask. So what excuse do I give? I'd acted on impulse once the lid was off, but cleanup was the real issue. Should I just use the app if she asks? Something like, "Don't have doubts about this situation specifically..."
"Oppa."
Suddenly, Heena linked arms with me.
"Wha—huh?"
Deep in scheming, I startled at her sudden move.
That stubborn chairman had turned into a new man just minutes after Heena arrived. I'd been brainstorming excuses for that, and now she comes in like this—small wonder I jumped.
"Let's go inside."
"R-right."
What's this? She's not asking why her dad's attitude flipped? 'Huh? Whatever, good result is good, right?'
No reason to poke the bear if she wasn't asking, so I dropped it and toured the mansion arm-in-arm like a real couple.
The servants cleaning the house were startled to see me but accepted it after Heena's quick explanation. Hm. They're all women. And strikingly beautiful, looking young too. Even generously, they seemed around Heena's age.
"Oppa?"
"Huh? Yeah?"
"Wha. . .t. . .a.re. . .you. . .thi. . .nking?"
Heena smiled, but her eyes weren't smiling. They were scary.
"N-no! I was just thinking how amazing this house is! Gotta cost at least ten billion won to have something like this in Seoul, right?"
"……"
Terrifying silence.
"Yeah, about that much."
Thankfully, she didn't press and softened her gaze. Phew, close call.
'Wait, isn't this her sister's mansion?'
Her sister could return anytime—maybe moving somewhere else would've been better. But no big deal. I had the hypnosis app.
"Oppa, you're hungry, right?"
After showing me around—this is for that, this is so-and-so's room—Heena asked. I checked the time on my phone.
Lunchtime.
"Yeah, about that time. Should I tell the staff here?"
Call a servant and have them cook, right? But Heena's eyes sparkled.
"Ah, I want to eat the food you make, oppa."
Suddenly?
"Uh... why?"
I tilted my head left; she mirrored it.
"Just 'cause?"
"I... I can't cook..."
"Me neither. I even looked up a YouTube recipe for kimchi stew this morning."
"Still... I really can't cook."
"I want to try your cooking, oppa."
Can't use the app for this...
"I. Want. To. Try. It."
She said it intensely again. I could only nod reluctantly, like swallowing mustard through tears.
"Why are you following me?"
"Wanna watch what you do."
"Ugh... fine, do what you want."
Standing in the kitchen, I first pondered what to make. Ramen? No way. Not even sure if they have pleb food like that here.
'Gotta make something proper.'
Ponder, ponder. Glancing sideways at Heena now and then.
"Fighting! Hehe."
Blissfully cheering me on, oblivious to my inner turmoil.
"Hm..."
Ignoring her, I opened the fridge. It was stocked with everything imaginable: premium meats, perfectly prepped seafood, organic veggies. All fresh—even a food noob like me could tell.
But Heena, oppa only knows ramen...
Something easy for a total beginner, hard to mess up, looks decent... Buy ramen and claim that's cooking? Or copy her and do kimchi stew from YouTube?
'Wait, kimchi stew? Ah!'
Not making it again—we had that for breakfast. Pass.
"Heena, got kimchi here?"
"Yeah, down there."
"Okay."
I turned on the faucet and washed my hands first. Hygiene is key.
Then I grabbed the kimchi container from the fridge. The spicy aroma hit immediately— even I, a kimchi outsider, knew this was top-tier stuff. Chaebols really use the best ingredients, huh.
"Making kimchi stew?"
"Nah. Kimchi fried rice."
Kimchi fried rice. Oil in the pan, dump in rice and kimchi, stir-fry like mad! Perfect for a cooking illiterate like me—easy, looks good, tastes guaranteed!
"Heena, scoop some rice."
"Okay!"
While she got the rice, I put the kimchi on the cutting board, kimchi in left hand, knife in right.
But... uh... why does this knife feel so scary... heavy? Sigh, too heavy to hold.
I set it down, clenched and unclenched my hands. Sweaty. Rubbed them together like a fly.
Did I catch some AC sickness without knowing? Damn.
"Wouldn't scissors be better?"
"Hey, I'm being watched."
Switching to scissors after grabbing the knife? My pride won't allow it.
"Be careful. If you cut yourself, I might cry."
So I chopped ultra-carefully, no injuries, super gingerly—not slicing my fingers.
"Huh, you're doing better than I thought. Guess I worried for nothing?"
"R-right? See, I can do it."
Talk big, but my knife work was awkward as hell. Looked like I chopped with my foot, honestly. Luckily, Heena pretended not to notice.
After chopping, I rinsed the kimchi juice off my hands. Fired up the pan, coated with cooking oil, and dumped in the kimchi—board and all.
Sizzle! Kimchi cooking with a delicious sound and smell.
"Wow!"
Not a big deal, but she gasped. Glanced over—felt genuine enough... whatever.
I added the rice she brought and stir-fried. There was ham in the fridge; thought about it but skipped—didn't want to dilute the kimchi essence. Definitely not because I'd have to chop it.
Kimchi fried rice done in a flash. Scooped equal portions into bowls and sat at the table.
"Done! Dig in."
"Ooh, smells great."
That's the ingredients, not me. Kimchi fried rice always smells good.
Heena picked up her spoon. Took a bite.
"......Huh?"
"What? Bad?"
"No... it's just... way better than I expected. No, really delicious. For real."
"Not just 'cause the kimchi's good?"
"Feels even tastier 'cause you made it, oppa."
"Y-yeah..."
Delicious? Relief. Eat up, Heena. But from now on, let's have the pro chef cook. Not scary, just... more convenient.