Dinner Diplomacy and Steamy Secrets
"Come on, hurry up."
"O-okay..."
I prodded Ga-young, who looked a bit dazed somewhere, and smoothly took the bag from her hand. I set it down in her room and headed to the kitchen. In that short time, Sena had already grabbed her portion of rice and utensils and joined us. The three of them were huddled around the dining table, waiting for me.
"Try this before we eat."
I offered the kimchi stew first, steam billowing up in white puffs. I'd been inside all day, so I wasn't cold, but Ga-young must have been. This hot, spicy stew would loosen up her body, stiff from the chill.
Meanwhile, Sena cluelessly grabbed her spoon and lunged in, so I smacked her hand heading for the stew—hard enough to make a sharp crack.
"Ow! Why?! You said to try it!"
"Auntie first. How dare you."
"Don't you know about the food-tasting eunuch? The food-tasting eunuch?"
Food-tasting eunuch? Was that this world's version of the palace poison-tester? It sure seemed like it, so I snorted in disbelief and waved her off.
"Tchhh..."
She must've been secretly bummed. Her lips were pursed out like that.
"Well then, shall we see how Yuhan's kimchi stew tastes?"
Ga-young had been watching our little tussle with a fond smile, but now she lifted her spoon, scooped a bit of stew, and brought it to her mouth.
How's it gonna be...
It passed muster by Jina's standards and mine, but would it suit Ga-young's taste? Everyone's palate is different, after all.
My heart pounded with anticipation as she blew on the stew to cool it and cautiously tasted it.
"Oh my."
Ga-young's tired-looking eyes went wide in an instant. She scooped another bite.
Approved.
I nodded, satisfied at how much she seemed to like it—then Sena shoved her spoon in like she'd been waiting for this exact moment. One scoop. Her face scrunched up, and I wondered if it just didn't suit her...
"What? Why's it so good?"
Phew, not that. Sena tilted her head like she genuinely couldn't comprehend it, then flashed her canines with a goofy heh heh grin.
"Caught you. You put ramen seasoning in it, didn't you?"
"Nope."
"Liar. Fess up. Ramen soup or dashida?"
"Don't even know where either is."
"Liar. But it tastes like this?"
I had no idea what "this taste" meant, but I hadn't used either. Kimchi stew wasn't some fancy dish—it was everyday food for me. No need for cheat keys.
"...Really? Then why's it so good?"
"Less chatter, more eating. You like the egg roll, right?"
While Sena and I bickered, Jina had been silently demolishing the egg roll. The plate—bigger than two of my palms—had been piled high, but now it was half gone.
"Ah, sis...!"
"What."
Classic Jina. Not even a glare, just a curt tone, and Sena instantly turned meek like nothing happened.
One word and she folds like that? She must be trained to react to her voice alone.
I slid the egg roll plate toward Sena, away from Jina and Ga-young. Sisters gonna sister. Jina was an egg roll fan too, apparently— the second I moved it, her glare hit me like pow, screaming how dare you.
Sena, oblivious or not, just giggled heh heh happily.
Aigoo...
She looked a bit dim, but it was kinda cute. Made me want to spoil her more.
I picked up chopsticks and piled some banchan on her spoon.
"What? Who you calling a kid?"
"Picking only egg roll, or plucking out just the meat—you eat like a child."
"Wh-what?!"
Not really annoyed—more embarrassed, but not hating it. I teased again with a playful grin and tone.
"Come on, our Sena. Try this too? It's eggplant salad. Eggplant salad."
"Eww... even I draw the line at eggplant salad..."
"Why? It's delicious. And picky eaters don't fly."
I chided her gently and placed it on her spoon. She stared at the intruder on her spoon with an indescribable look—then squeezed her eyes shut and shoved it in, swallowing without chewing.
Of course, the comedy didn't end there. Jina, who'd just emptied her bowl in record time, refilled her rice, sat back down, and dropped this bomb:
"Making a total fool of yourself. You a kid or what, Yoo Se-na?"
"Why? Mom thinks it's cute."
"Ruining my appetite, that's why."
"Says the one scarfing it down. Second bowl already?"
"Well... the stew's good..."
Ga-young's timely intervention restored peace to the table.
But with peace came Sena's weird behavior. She kept sneaking glances at me.
Wanting more? Nah, she hated it earlier... Something to say?
My guess was spot on. Sena had been psyching herself up to bring up the Vtube collab.
Now's good timing... vibe's nice. How to ask? Gotta be polite...
"Hey."
So much for that—her voice came out blunt as hell.
"Yeah? More rice?"
"You got no hands? Serve yourself."
"No, it's not that..."
She took a breath and carefully asked: She'd edit and upload today's collab vid— what did I think about using the bit where I appeared briefly? She tried casual, but it was tough to spit out. Her heart raced.
But Yuhan didn't answer—someone else did.
Clack. Spoon hit table, echoing through the kitchen.
"Hey, Yoo Se-na."
Sena flinched. Then came Jina's voice, colder than the winter air outside.
"What the hell's that?"
Sena remembered then—Jina's reign of terror back in their old neighborhood. Even after Yuhan rejected those clingy girls, Jina chased them off. Sena had watched it all up close. She knew better than anyone how vicious Jina got when pissed.
And now it was aimed at her. Her breath caught; chills ran down her spine.
"What'd you say? Ignoring me?"
Was this killing intent? No wonder those "friends" folded around Jina. Years later, the truth was no comfort—visions of girls on their knees sobbing flashed, her own face overlaying theirs.
Yuhan watched their standoff with keen interest.
No wonder she reeks of experience... Must've scrapped in school.
Sena shriveled at one word. Jina's glare was merciless, no threats needed—just an aura screaming mess with me and you're fucked.
Poor Sena. I jumped in quick.
"Sis, chill."
"You stay out."
"My bad. Sena did nothing wrong."
So cut her some slack. I gripped Jina's tensed arm carefully.
Maybe my effort softened her—she relaxed bit by bit. I secretly savored the firm bounce...
"So what exactly happened, Sena?"
Ga-young, grave as Jina, patted Sena's slumped shoulder and asked.
Sena snapped to, spilling the day's events: Me barging into her stream, losing the collab and getting penalty duty to stream with me.
Jina scoffed in disbelief.
"And you were gonna actually do it?"
"No... I figured if Yuhan said no, that'd be it..."
"I said it's fine."
Jina's eyes snapped to me.
Oof...
Way scarier than her dishwashing glare this morning.
Impossible not to flinch.
"You?"
"Y-yeah... Thought it'd help Sena sis."
"Even so... sigh."
"And... seemed fun."
I tacked on an excuse, but no dice. Jina's frown deepened; she pinched her furrowed brow like it hurt just thinking about it.
As Jina went quiet, Ga-young stepped up.
"Yuhan."
Here to scold me too? Maybe. But after a pause, her question blindsided me.
"Did you think it through seriously?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah..."
"Then do it."
Wait, she's okaying it? Just like that?
"Mom!"
Predictable. The opposition wouldn't stay quiet.
Now I was curious. What happened in Yuhan's past to make them all react like this?
Any way to find out?
Would've been nice if the goddess threw in past memories as a bonus. Webnovel cliché, right? Some memory confusion arc.
Or did she block it to prevent that? Grateful or resentful? I chuckled inwardly.
"Jina."
Ga-young's voice—low, unlike her—cut the kitchen.
Jina flinched hard.
"Why yell at the dinner table?"
"But..."
"And Jina. Yuhan's 22 now. Still a kid to you, sure, but he's a full adult."
Ga-young scolded: Don't crush his choices just 'cause he's family or you're worried.
Jina wasn't convinced, but Mom had spoken.
"Hah... fine."
Reluctant nod, then she turned to me: If anything weird happens post-stream, tell us right away—no hiding.
"Got it."
Stalker trauma, maybe? Anyway, convo seemed done...
"Wait—hold up."
Jina, about to eye Sena, whipped back to me.
More?
"Yeah? What?"
"Yuhan, didn't you say you'd follow me to the gym starting tomorrow?"
"Ah."