Morning Stew and Tiny Gardens

The fluffy bundles in my arms droop heavily as I lift them. "Baaap····." "Pii····." We've only been living together for a short while, yet they're already starting to resemble each other. I tuck the kids into my pockets and step outside, where sunlight pours down.

—Chik, chik.

"Huu—" A hazy plume of cigarette smoke rises toward the sky. "Weather's not great."

"Really? The clouds will probably roll in here soon too." Even as the sun keeps shining, dark clouds gather bit by bit. The air feels heavy against my skin. Looks like a proper downpour is coming.

"Haa—" If I didn't have to go out, rainy days would always be welcome. Nothing beats cranking the AC and staying indoors on a muggy day.

"Kids, eat your breakfast. Food is the best medicine."

"Me?" I tell them to eat but can't think of anything for myself. I rummage through my inventory and spot boxes stacked with all kinds of fruit. "Ta-da. Cherry tomatoes."

"You guys are overreacting way too much."

"Ugh." When I'm hungry I eat, when I'm bored I game or go outside and play. It's just a stream where I do whatever I feel like. I wonder if anyone else runs their stream this haphazardly.

Tap! I tap the pipe and ash falls away. "Huu—" After exhaling the last puff, I pop a cherry tomato from my inventory into my mouth and chew. Sweet juice bursts out. "Tasty."

While I'm popping cherry tomatoes one after another, my pocket twitches and a fluffy head pokes out.

"Dan-pung, you awake?" "Peep." Dan-pung scrambles up onto my shoulder. "Sleep well?" "Piiit!" Every time I chew, Dan-pung tilts its head at my cheek. "What?" "Piiit?" Dan-pung pokes my cheek with its little paw. "I don't keep food in my cheeks."

"Peep." "This is a cherry tomato." I hold one up for Dan-pung to see. It tilts its head again and taps it with a paw. "If you plant the seeds in the ground, fruit grows." "Pii— Piit!" Dan-pung reaches toward the tomato, tail swishing excitedly. "You want to grow it?" "Piiit!"

Even these little ones have their likes and dislikes. I figured we'd need time to get to know each other since we haven't been together long, but I never imagined gardening would be its hobby. "Don't we have to take the seeds out and sprout them first?" "Piiit!" This friend never voices its own opinions except when it wants to stay with me. Yet here it is, boldly stating what it wants. "Here." "Peep!" I tear open a small-seeded cherry tomato and hand it over. Dan-pung accepts it happily, tail swishing. "Where are you planting it? Want me to get some soil?" "Piiit!" Dan-pung carries the tomato in its mouth, hops down, and scurries toward a pot left on one side of the rooftop. It must have belonged to whoever lived here before me. I left it alone because it was a hassle, but Dan-pung had clearly noticed it the day we moved in.

"Hmm. I don't know much about farming. Don't we need compost and lime or something?"

"What if it grows the tomato and it dies? Should I secretly mix in some fertilizer?"

"Yeah. Look, it's already heading over to plant." I adjust the phone mount so the stream captures Dan-pung's back. In front of the low, wide pot, the little squirrel is busily working with its tiny paws. Judging by the pot's shape, the previous resident probably grew lettuce or something similar.

"Is Dan-pung a housekeeper?"

Its tail keeps swishing as it focuses. I can't see exactly what it's doing from behind, but it's standing on tiptoes peering into the pot.

"Pii—♬♩" Dan-pung, who had been fiddling with the pot, starts singing.

People say those who are deeply focused on something look beautiful. Maybe that includes this tiny Dan-pung too. The usually noisy chat falls completely silent. Everyone must be watching Dan-pung.

♬♩♬♪ It sways its head side to side, singing cheerfully. "Piiit." After a while, Dan-pung turns and scurries back toward me, still looking pleased with the pot. "Done playing in the dirt?" "Piiit!" Dan-pung climbs onto my lap and swishes its tail while looking up at me. It must have worked hard—its little front paws are covered in soil. "Dan-pung, paw." "Peep!" It places its paw on my palm. I pull a wet wipe from my inventory and clean it off. "All clean. Ready to eat?" "Piiit!" While I'm bent over wiping Dan-pung's paws, its fluffy tail brushes against my neck, tickling me. "There, clean." "Peep!" "Can you wake Baek Seol so we can eat?" "Piiit!" Dan-pung dives into my pocket. Soon the pocket starts shaking slightly. Its tail, still sticking out, wiggles along with the movement—it seems to be trying its best to wake her. "I should throw something together for myself too."

"Brunch, my ass. Maybe I'll boil some hot doenjang jjigae."

Ring ring—! Ring ring—! As I'm heading to the kitchen to cook, the phone in my pocket starts ringing. "Haemul-eum" lights up on the screen. Click. "Yeah, what's up?" — Unni! Outside! Outside! Haemul-eum suddenly calls out of nowhere and starts babbling. "What do you mean outside?" — Cook outside! "Why all of a sudden?" — For the B-tube video angle! "Oh···· is that it?" — Obviously! "Got it." — Okay! Click. Haemul-eum hung up after giving her orders. She must have been watching the stream since morning.

"Malg-eum said to cook outside for the B-tube angle."

With no choice, I grab the burner and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cooking tools and head back outside. The heavy yet cool autumn air greets me. "Guys, can you see the cooking well enough at this angle?"

"Great. Let's start cooking."

"Agh, what concept while I'm cooking?"

Maybe I shouldn't have asked her to edit. Still, if I'm doing it, I should do it properly. I tie on my favorite apron and bow toward the camera. Dan-pung pokes its head out of my pocket, curious about the commotion. "Hello! This is your daughter-in-law-to-be, Han Ga-eul!"

"Today I'm making breakfast. The menu is doenjang jjigae!"

The viewers' playful reactions make me smile. As expected from people who live on the internet, their timing is spot on. "It's simple, so try following along at home. First, I'll make the broth. The anchovies I'm using are the big ones called dae-myeol. Also known as dashi anchovies, right?" I drop the broth anchovies and half a cheongyang pepper into the pot I prepared with the strainer. "I don't like chewing anchovies in my doenjang jjigae, so I'll use the strainer. And for a little kick, I'll add some sliced cheongyang pepper."

"Now I just need to draw out the broth. If I boil it too long it'll taste bitter, so keep it between four to six minutes." Tiddik. Tiddik. Whoosh! The flame from the burner I prepared rises and starts heating the pot.

"Doenjang? I recommend this traditional one. It's made by mixing a bit of meju doenjang. The salt level is just right and it doesn't have that strong fermented soybean sweetness, so it's perfect for hearty stews."

"While the broth is simmering, I'll prep the ingredients." Tadadak! Tadadadak! The cheerful sound of chopping echoes across the cutting board. That sound always lifts my mood.

The anchovy broth finishes while I'm prepping. "I'll add the sliced onion and let it boil a bit more. The sweetness from the vegetables will come out, so you won't even need seasoning for deeper flavor." The already hot pot transfers heat nonstop into the broth. "I'll dissolve a spoonful of doenjang in here and toss in the rest of the ingredients. Easy, right?" After dumping in the prepped zucchini, tofu, and everything else, the pot finally starts looking like proper doenjang jjigae.

"Of course. If you're still worried, try adding this." I pull out a handful of herbs and wave them in front of the phone. A fresh, tangy scent of dallae fills the air. "Huh? Not spring dallae but autumn dallae? Dallae grows and withers twice a year—in spring and autumn. Autumn dallae is super fragrant and delicious too." The doenjang jjigae bubbles away deliciously in the pot. "It's almost done, but something feels missing, right?"

"As expected from my sharp viewers. The color looks too pale and bland, doesn't it? Taste ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠matters, but presentation is just as important." I add a spoonful of gochugaru to the jjigae, and finally the familiar reddish-brown color appears.

"Top it with thinly sliced red chili for presentation, and the dallae doenjang jjigae is complete."

Just then, Baek Seol and Dan-pung poke their heads out of my pocket.

"Sleep well?" "Chik!" "Yeah?" Baek Seol's ears perk up. She must have heard the sound of the rice cooker. "Next time I'll make healthy five-grain rice, mung bean pancakes, and acorn jelly."

"See you next time then. Bye bye!"

—Chik, chik. "Huu— Thanks for playing along, guys."

Ring! I wave my hand in the air, ignoring the viewers' nonsense, and pull out the rice I bought from the shop for Baek Seol.

"Baek Seol, eat up." "Eung!" I hand her a flower and she climbs onto the table to start nibbling the petals. Ring! Charrrk. "Dan-pung, you eat too." "Piiit!" Dan-pung climbs up my body onto my palm and stuffs sunflower seeds into its cheeks. Looks like I'll have to wait until the kids finish eating before I can eat myself.

<한가을님이 방송을 종료>

[Guys why aren't you leaving?]

[The leaders will get torn apart first]

─── [Han Ga-eul) Today's Breakfast Table - Dallae Doenjang Jjigae] Views: 91K (4 hours ago)

"Hey, want to come eat doenjang jjigae at our place?"

"It's delicious, right?"