Warmth in the Kitchen
The heat bubbling up from the pot swirled through the kitchen before spreading to every corner of the house. How long had it been since I last felt this kind of warmth? The home that had only radiated a bone-chilling cold now carried the scent of someone actually living in it.
….
I quietly shifted my gaze and looked at Jihwan’s back as he stood in the kitchen wearing an apron. He moved around the space with such familiarity, as if he had always lived here, and I couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh of admiration.
When I told him he hadn’t eaten, I thought it was the perfect chance to cook for him myself. But he insisted on doing it, snatching the apron from me. And now he was preparing the meal with skill far beyond what I had expected, moving quickly and efficiently.
He has a good personality, he’s considerate, he’s kind, and now he’s even great at housework… Is there any man more reliable and wonderful than him?
I stared at his back in a daze, and before I knew it, the cooking was nearly finished. With a soft click, the gas stove turned off. He lifted the pot that had been simmering for a long time, plunged it into a bowl filled with cold water, and began stirring the contents while blowing on it gently.
The intense heat faded, and a mouthwatering aroma gradually filled the kitchen.
…It smells so good….
I swallowed thickly without thinking, licking my lips, when he divided whatever was in the pot into two bowls and set one in front of me first.
“I seasoned it lightly, so I didn’t prepare any side dishes. Is that okay?”
“…Y-yeah….”
I averted my eyes from him slightly and looked down at the bowl in front of me.
…Porridge?
What Jihwan had made for me was none other than porridge. A delicious vegetable porridge filled with softly cooked rice grains and finely chopped vegetables. At a glance, it was clear how much care had gone into it.
As I sat there silently staring at the bowl, Jihwan, who had already taken off his apron, sat down across from me and spoke softly.
“…I let it cool a little, but it might still be hot, so eat slowly.”
Then he quietly scooped up some of his own porridge and nodded in satisfaction.
I watched him for a moment before following his lead and slowly lifting my spoon. My hand was trembling so badly that the spoon shook violently. But maybe it was just my imagination; it felt like the tremors had eased a little.
I moved the spoon carefully, scooped up a small amount, and put it in my mouth.
….
It was delicious. Beyond words.
Forgetting to even chew, I swallowed everything in my mouth, then scooped up a much larger portion and ate that too.
“…Hup….”
It was truly delicious. So good that I thought it was the most delicious thing I had ever eaten in my life. My vision blurred slightly, and I wiped my eyes with my trembling hand before scooping up another big bite and shoving it into my mouth.
“…Huu….”
It was so good that all kinds of emotions surged up inside me. The carefully mashed rice, the finely chopped vegetables, the perfectly warm temperature that was easy to eat—every single thing felt like he had thought of me, considered me….
My chest felt like it was going to burst.
“…Hic….”
In the end, I couldn’t hold back the tears.
“…Kk, huu….”
After crying day and night for several days, I thought I wouldn’t have any tears left.
“…Huuu, hic….”
But the tears that burst out again showed no sign of stopping. I frantically wiped my eyes with my shaking hands, desperately trying to stop crying.
“…Huu, huwaaang….”
The betrayal of being abandoned by my beloved sister Yeji and my family, the loneliness of knowing no one was looking for me. All the negative emotions that had pierced my heart melted into my tears and poured out.
“…Kk…, kkeuheuu…. Huwaaaang….”
I cried endlessly, as if releasing all the sorrow I had been holding inside alone. Jihwan simply stayed by my side in silence, waiting for me to stop crying.
I agonized hundreds of times over whether I should comfort Gong Haeseon as she cried so bitterly. In the end, I decided not to.
Seeing her cry that hard, it seemed like something had happened with her family…. But I couldn’t bring myself to ask what it was.
Sniffle—
Gong Haeseon had stopped crying at some point. She sniffled, scooping up the now-cold porridge and eating it.
“…Eating something cold isn’t good for your stomach…. I’ll warm it up for you.”
But she shook her head as if to say it was fine and swallowed a big mouthful of porridge with a gulp.
“…I-I’m okay…! Thank you for worrying about me….”
Thanks to crying her heart out, she looked strangely brighter than before, as if she had let go of some of her worries. Still, worry was worry.
I stood up abruptly, brewed the barley tea bags I had noticed earlier, and handed the cup to Gong Haeseon.
“…Drink it slowly.”
She accepted the cup with both hands as if deeply moved, bowing her head repeatedly.
“…Th-thank you, Jihwan….”
Gong Haeseon finished her meal with satisfaction, and I naturally began washing the dishes and tidying up the kitchen. She tried several times to take the rubber gloves from me, saying she would do it, but I firmly blocked her and continued cleaning.
No matter what, I couldn’t let someone who was hurt do the cleaning.
As I wiped down the dusty sink, I glanced at Gong Haeseon, who was still fidgeting restlessly beside me. The bruises all over her legs and the wounds on her forearms. I wanted to take her to the hospital and get her treated, but I worried she might hate it if I suddenly dragged her there.
…I guess I have no choice….
“Haeseon. Do you have any snacks or anything at home?”
“…Sn-snacks…? I-I’ll make some for you…!”
Make them? I was taken aback by the unexpected reaction and smoothly changed the subject while finishing the cleaning.
“No, there’s a convenience store right in front. I’ll go buy some drinks and things.”
“…Drinks…. I-I’ll, I’ll go buy them! Jihwan. Just wait a se….”
“W-wait! Haeseon!”
I hurriedly grabbed her and asked her to check if I had cleaned properly.
“…Ch-check…?”
“…Yeah. I’m not sure if I did it right. Can you take a look?”
She muttered “check… check…” several times before finally smiling brightly and saying she understood. It seemed like she was incredibly happy just to have been asked a favor by me.
…It should be fine, right?
Leaving Gong Haeseon behind, I stepped outside and quickly headed to the nearby pharmacy. I had told her I was going to buy snacks, but my real goal was the pharmacy. She probably had some basic first-aid supplies at home, but given the severity of her wounds, it would be better to buy proper medicine.
A short while later.
When I arrived at the pharmacy I had scouted earlier, I urgently explained Gong Haeseon’s injuries to the pharmacist.
Then….
“…Scratch wounds and bruises?”
The pharmacist looked at me with extreme suspicion. After I vaguely brushed it off and urged him to hurry, he handed over the medicine quickly enough, but his suspicious gaze never changed.
“Oh. And do you have any elixirs?”
“…Elixirs?”
“The kind for nutritional supplementation or vitality enhancement. Give me the best one you have.”
The best one. Quality varied wildly, but elixirs were generally expensive. The pharmacist must have seen this as a chance to make money, because his expression instantly became friendly as he brought out the elixir.
The one he brought was the Elixir of the Golden Ox. It wasn’t as high-grade as the one my wife had given me, but among commonly available elixirs, it was one of the best.
I bought five bottles of the Elixir of the Golden Ox and left the pharmacy. The payment, of course, was handled by my wife’s black card.
On the way back to Gong Haeseon’s house, I stopped by the convenience store I had spotted and bought some ion drinks, a few snacks, and some easy-to-prepare instant meals. I couldn’t take care of her as thoroughly as I did for Soyeon, but this should be enough for a few days.
After arriving at the academy at my master’s summons, I followed Shin Daeyong’s guidance and headed to the chairman’s office. It had been a while since I last visited the academy, so the feeling was a little different, but that was all. The reason academy life had been enjoyable was entirely because my husband had been there; I had no fond memories of the academy itself.
When I reached the chairman’s office, there was a click—
“…You may go right in.”
As soon as Shin Daeyong finished speaking, I entered the chairman’s office, letting my magic power radiate freely.
“…Ahem….”
My master, who had been sitting in the large chairman’s chair, cleared his throat awkwardly and stubbed out the cigar he had been smoking into the ashtray.
“…Well, that’s quite the grand greeting for a master you haven’t seen in a while.”
I gave him a small smile to show I was glad to see him, then walked over to the central sofa and said,
“…It looks like you’ve been well. I’m glad.”
I settled into an appropriate spot and continued slowly.
“I’m a little busy, so I’d appreciate it if we could wrap this up quickly.”
Just a moment ago, a payment notification had arrived from the card I gave my husband. Two million won at the pharmacy and one hundred fifty thousand won at the convenience store. He had definitely said he was going to see that girl Gong Haeseon or whatever her name was… so why had he stopped at a pharmacy and a convenience store?
Honestly, it was obvious even without looking. He was probably taking care of her because they had fought together as comrades or something. Still, it made me a little uneasy.
For that reason, even summoning my husband immediately wouldn’t be enough. No matter that it was my master, if he had called me for some trivial reason, I had no reason to stay any longer.
“…Alright. I’ll make it as quick as possible.”
My master stood up from his chair, gathered a stack of documents, and approached me.
…Documents?
It didn’t seem like he had called me just to ask how I was doing. It looked like he had a request he needed me to fulfill or something he wanted me to do.
Instead of sitting in the seat of honor, my master took the spot across from me. Noticing that I was in a bad mood, he quickly pulled out the stack of documents and spoke.
“I heard you moved in recently. How is your body?”
“…Thanks to you, I’m fine. I quite liked the ‘gift’ you sent me, Master.”
The reason I had come all the way to the academy and was sitting here quietly radiating my magic power was all because my master had sent my husband to me. If he hadn’t sent my husband, I would still be stuck in a mountain valley in Gangwon Province, waiting for a reunion with no end in sight, and my husband would have built a new family.
It was more than enough of a ‘gift’ for me to show my master respect while recalling old affections.
“…I’m glad you were satisfied.”
After laying out all the documents, he naturally slid the stack toward me and spoke carefully.
“…You seem to be in a hurry, so I won’t waste time with other words. Please come back to the Association.”
…Return?
I had wondered what kind of request it would be, but I never expected it to be a return to the Association. They were currently in a power struggle with that cult, so calling even me must mean they were really struggling.
But I had no intention of returning. Just managing my husband was already overwhelming. Become the Association’s dog? And considering my husband was still a student, there was no reason to expand the Association’s influence right now. It would be enough to seize control of it in two years.
Having made up my mind, I opened my mouth to refuse—
“…I will accept any conditions you name.”
My master urgently tapped the stack of documents, cutting me off. He looked quite desperate.
“Hmm….”
I leaned back slightly on the sofa and tested him.
“…Any conditions at all?”
He licked his dry lips. It was a habit that came out when he was nervous.
“…Yes. All of them.”
It didn’t seem like such a bad offer after all.