A Warm Morning at the Market
Thirty million won was just money that didn't exist.
It was easier to think of it that way.
An unexpected errand had delayed them a little.
There was still time before opening, but between buying ingredients and preparing for service, the schedule felt a bit tight.
“Let’s hurry, Se-ah.”
“Yes!”
The business at the bank was finished.
At the same time, every last trace of lingering attachment had been completely let go.
The place they headed straight to was, of course, the market.
They had only come once yesterday, yet the stall owners already remembered both Jeong-woo and Se-ah.
“Hehe, the little princess is back again?”
“Oh, the kid’s here again?”
“The baby’s dad came too?”
It was truly amazing.
The simple fact that so many people welcomed them and remembered them felt incredibly special.
Jeong-woo had already organized everything he needed to buy today, and thanks to yesterday’s visit, most of the layout—which stall was where—was now stored neatly in his head.
He hadn’t bought that much, and this was only their second visit.
Yet the vendors treated Jeong-woo and Se-ah like longtime regulars they had known for years.
“Whoa…”
Se-ah took in every sight and scent the market had to offer.
The smell of tteokbokki and fried snacks drifting from a snack stall somewhere.
The aroma of braised pig’s feet, the scent of fried chicken.
Each moment brought odors that were similar to what you might smell on any other street, yet somehow different, constantly tickling her nose.
As expected, Se-ah’s little nose kept twitching as she sniffed the air and looked around, trying to pinpoint where each smell was coming from.
Since we’re running a little late today…
Maybe it would be okay to buy one thing here and eat it.
“Se-ah, is there anything you want to eat?”
“Everything!”
Of course it was Se-ah.
She could never be satisfied with just one thing.
Se-ah was a truly remarkable child.
She loved food, had a healthy appetite, and clearly possessed a strong sense of taste, yet she never acted overly greedy.
She always knew how to share, and it seemed she had already learned that sharing itself could bring joy.
Well, that was probably all thanks to how well Jeong-woo had raised her, wasn’t it?
With a pleased little smile, Jeong-woo headed toward the nearest pig’s feet stall.
Pig’s feet should be fine, right?
He arrived at the stall holding Se-ah’s hand.
Steam rose in lazy curls from a large steamer tucked in one corner, carrying an intense aroma as powerful as the vapor itself.
There was the scent of medicinal herbs, and beneath that, the clean smell of pig’s feet whose gaminess had been thoroughly drawn out by those same herbs.
“Hello.”
“Welcome—”
A stout, friendly-looking man greeted Jeong-woo warmly.
The uncle, whose hair had receded from the middle of his head, offered Se-ah a kind smile as well.
“Hello to you too, little princess—”
“Hellooo.”
When she placed both hands on her belly button and bowed deeply, the man burst out laughing.
“Haha. My daughter used to bow just like that when she was little. But she wasn’t nearly this pretty. Hmm.”
“You never know when to stop talking. Why are you even saying that?”
A woman’s voice—presumably his wife—floated out from inside after overhearing him.
“Hey, come out here and take a look. You’ll understand exactly why I said it.”
“Just wait. I’ll bring out the ones that are done steaming.”
“You heard her, right? It’s still early, so we only have warm pig’s feet. Is that okay with you?”
Warm pig’s feet.
He had a memory of eating them a very long time ago.
Both cold and warm pig’s feet had their own distinct charms.
“Yes, that’s fine. We’re eating for two—would one small order be enough?”
“Haha, more than enough. Just wait five—no, three minutes and I’ll have it ready for you. Here, little princess, have this while you wait.”
The man turned around for a moment, then returned holding a single piece of fried chicken.
Giving out chicken at a pig’s feet stall.
That was probably one of the market’s many charms.
“Thank youuu!”
Se-ah accepted the chicken skewered on a long wooden stick.
They didn’t eat chicken often.
Only once in a while.
The only times had been on payday when her father brought some home, eaten with that special feeling of celebration.
“It might be hot, so be careful when you eat it, okay?”
“Yes!”
After the kind uncle’s gentle warning, Se-ah blew on the chicken, then took a big bite.
The crispy coating shattered with a satisfying crunch, revealing moist chicken underneath.
When she bit into the meat, savory juices immediately began to flow.
“Mashitda…”
“Tasty, right? There’s a chicken place over there that fries really well. Ask Dad to buy you some later.”
“Okay!”
It looked like they might have to eat chicken tomorrow.
Since they would be coming back to the market anyway.
Still, wasn’t it a little heavy for breakfast?
Chicken wasn’t exactly a bad food, though.
It was high in protein.
Fried food did make him a bit worried, but as long as you ate everything in moderation, there was no big problem.
The real issue was always eating too much.
“It’s ready now.”
Just then, the wife’s voice called from inside, and a huge plate of pig’s feet emerged, steaming gently.
“Whoa…”
It was Se-ah’s first time seeing pig’s feet.
She had never even considered eating them before.
Pig’s feet carried a strong association with late-night snacks, and Jeong-woo and Se-ah almost never ate those.
It was usually time to be asleep by then.
“Oh my. She really is beautifully made.”
“See? What did I tell you?”
“She could be an actress. How can a child be this pretty?”
“Haha, thank you.”
“Thank youuu!”
Se-ah seemed delighted by the compliments.
She had already been in a good mood, but now she was even happier.
As she chewed the chicken with her cheeks puffed out, both the pig’s feet shop owner and his wife watched her with fond, loving smiles.
“So, one small order, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
A massive pig’s foot landed on the table with a heavy thunk.
“Daddy! It’s really big!”
“Right? Pig’s feet come from pigs. You know what a pig is, don’t you, Se-ah?”
“Yes! Pig. Like in stir-fried pig.”
As expected, Se-ah associated pigs with food.
Together with her, Jeong-woo watched carefully as the pig’s foot was prepared.
Every time the large cleaver came down indifferently, as if deboning, thick bones shed their meat.
The owner sliced the foot into bite-sized pieces in the blink of an eye, and the amount turned out to be far greater than Jeong-woo had imagined.
The takeout container was piled high with pig’s feet.
It seemed like far too much for a “small” order.
Especially since the price wasn’t even expensive.
“Um, sir. Isn’t this too much?”
“Ah, we always give extra to our first customer of the day. It’s good luck to start the morning right.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“Enjoy it with the little princess.”
Along with containers of salted shrimp and ssamjang, the small order of pig’s feet was handed over to Jeong-woo.
It had a satisfying weight.
With the rest of the day’s groceries in one hand and the pig’s feet in the other, he no longer had a free hand to hold Se-ah’s.
“Daddy.”
“Hmm?”
“Se-ah wants to carry one.”
“Haha. You want to carry something too?”
At his words, Se-ah shook her head vigorously.
“I want to hold Daddy’s hand.”
When she said it with such adorable charm, how could he possibly refuse?
Jeong-woo handed her the lighter, bulkier bags, and Se-ah took the plastic bag in one hand while reaching out with the other.
Their hands clasped tightly together.
Sunlight streaming through the market entrance bathed them both, and from behind, the two figures looked happier than anything else in the world.
Back at the restaurant.
The time had just passed nine o’clock.
It wasn’t exactly relaxed.
Jeong-woo had to prepare everything by himself.
He needed to make the side dishes for today’s customers and finish prepping all the ingredients.
“Ah, Daddy!”
“What is it?”
“There’s a cat out front!”
Sure enough, a cat was sitting on one of the outdoor chairs, sunbathing like a loaf of bread.
Whether it was being haughty or simply lazy was hard to tell.
With an unreadable gaze, it stared in the direction of Se-ah and Jeong-woo.
It was the kind of look that seemed to ask, Why are you in my house?
It was a little absurd, but then again, cats were like that.
They were mysterious creatures.
“Se-ah, do you want to play with the cat while Daddy gets everything ready?”
“Yes! Can I pet the cat today too?”
“It’s better not to, but…”
It was obvious what Se-ah was hoping for from the look in her eyes.
The desire to stroke that soft, cheese-colored fur had clearly taken complete control of her mind.
“Really… I can’t?”
Se-ah’s final plea was the finishing blow.
With both hands clasped sweetly in front of her and those big, pleading eyes looking up at him, Jeong-woo had no choice but to raise the white flag.
“Alright. But you can’t rub your eyes after touching the cat. Understand?”
“Yes!”
“And you have to wash your hands right away when you come inside.”
“Is the cat dirty?”
“Well… it’s not a house cat. It’s a stray that roams outside, so no one can wash it for him.”
“Aha! Se-ah will wash her hands really clean!”
“Good, that’s the way. Here, give everything to Daddy.”
After taking the bags from Se-ah, Jeong-woo went into the restaurant first.
Se-ah approached the cat. Since they had met yesterday and she had even given it food, the cat was a little wary but didn’t run away.
Because the cat had quickly claimed Se-ah’s usual seat, she had no choice but to sit in the chair that normally belonged to Jeong-woo.
With a little grunt, Se-ah settled into her father’s chair and looked down at the cat. The cat looked up at her.
“How old are you, kitty?”
Se-ah knew perfectly well that cats couldn’t talk back.
But the cat was so cute that she couldn’t help speaking to it.
“Meow.”
Surprisingly, the cat answered her question.
She couldn’t understand it, of course.
Even so, Se-ah pondered the meaning of that “meow” with deadly seriousness.
“Are you… two years old?”
“Meow.”
Was that a yes or a no?
In truth, the cat couldn’t understand Se-ah’s words either, but that didn’t matter to her.
What mattered was that she had received an answer to her first question.
“Kitty, can I pet you?”
“Meow.”
The answer was always the same, but after thinking hard, Se-ah came to a very important decision.
“That means… you’re giving permission, right?”
She had simply decided to interpret the response in the way she most wanted to hear.
And what she wanted this time was permission to touch.
Se-ah climbed down from the chair and stood carefully in front of the cat.
The cat continued to watch her with that same haughty yet languid expression.
Gulp.
Swallowing hard, Se-ah crouched down until she was eye-level with the cat.
Then, very slowly and with the utmost care, she reached out her hand.
The cat’s gaze, which had been fixed on Se-ah’s eyes, shifted to her approaching hand.
“Eep…!”
As her hand drew closer and closer, Se-ah suddenly pulled it back.
A good idea had just occurred to her.
She jumped to her feet.
Even the cat, which had shown no sign of being startled until now, flinched slightly at the sudden movement.
Se-ah ran straight into the restaurant.
She pushed open the heavy glass door with a grunt. Inside, she could see her father preparing ingredients.
Ding.
“Welco—huh?”
“Daddyyy—”
At the sight of Se-ah running toward him with a huge smile, Jeong-woo paused what he was doing.
Whether it was because of the cat or not, Se-ah’s smile was so radiantly happy that it felt like sunshine had bloomed inside the restaurant.