Memories in Every Bite
Like listening to an old tale.
As if hearing an ancient fairy tale or legend, Seia sat with her ears perked up, completely absorbed in the elderly man’s words.
What bibimbap was. How it was made. What it tasted like when you ate it. All of it.
It was also a dish Seia could easily make herself.
All you had to do was put some side dishes on rice, add the right amount of gochujang, and mix it together. Simple, yet incredibly delicious.
“Then, Grandpa.”
“Yes?”
“When you come next time, will you eat the bibimbap Seia makes?”
The old man burst out laughing.
He hadn’t even tried the restaurant’s menu yet, but a reason to visit again had already been created.
What a clever little salesperson they had.
“Heh heh. I will. But you have to make it yourself, okay?”
“Yes! Seia will make it herself!”
“Your kimchi pancake is ready.”
The finished dish arrived at just the right moment.
Jungwoo, who had been listening to the entire conversation between Seia and the old man, smiled at his daughter’s outstanding salesmanship.
The kimchi pancake was beautifully golden-brown.
Alongside it was a soy sauce dip filled with finely chopped onions and chili peppers.
“Please enjoy it!”
Seia seemed to realize it was now the grandfather’s mealtime. She gave a deep bow, then returned to her special seat.
The old man watched her go with a faintly regretful look before turning his gaze to the kimchi pancake.
“You fried it nicely.”
Just because the ingredients were common and not luxurious didn’t mean there was no heart in it.
The old man, who understood that better than anyone, could tell that this kimchi pancake—at least right before tasting it—contained more care than any other dish.
“Have some too.”
“...Yes, understood.”
While the dish was familiar to the old man, it was completely new to his secretary.
He had only chosen the seaweed soup because he remembered eating it once before; it was the most familiar name on the menu.
The old man casually tore the kimchi pancake into bite-sized pieces with his chopsticks.
He dipped a steaming piece deep into the seasoned soy sauce and slipped it into his mouth. The crisp, spicy kick of the kimchi and the crunchy texture of the batter wrapped around his entire tongue.
The kimchi pancake, hot from the pan, tasted exactly as he remembered.
It didn’t have to be an unexpectedly brilliant flavor to be good.
From the moment he ordered an inexpensive, everyday dish like this, his intention had been clear.
These were the foods that brought back old memories—memories his mind, his body, and most of all, his heart still carried.
The hardest part was recreating that exact taste from the past, yet Seona’s Restaurant’s kimchi pancake had done it perfectly.
“How is it?”
“It’s... delicious.”
The secretary looked quite satisfied as well. The old man tore off a small piece, blew on it gently so it wouldn’t be too hot, dipped it lightly in the sauce, and set it on a small plate.
Then he handed it to Seia, who had been watching him from the nearest table, and asked in a warm voice.
“Would you like to try it? It’s very good.”
“Whoa... thank you!”
She hadn’t been staring at him with begging eyes. The look Seia had given them was simply one of pride.
Seeing people enjoy the food her father made—that was the greatest happiness for her.
Of course, she did want a taste.
After all, Seia had never tried kimchi pancake before either.
“Hehe. So yummy.”
What could a food called kimchi pancake possibly taste like?
With curiosity about the new dish and the faintest touch of fear toward the unknown swirling inside her, Seia attempted to use her chopsticks.
“Hnnng...”
She had been practicing hard lately and her skills were improving quickly, but the thin, oily pancake kept slipping away.
It was a small challenge for Seia.
She could have given up and used a fork or even her hands, but she refused.
“Take your time. You can do it,” the old man encouraged her gently from the side.
It was a kind of persistence rarely seen in children. Though it was only a small determination to keep trying with chopsticks, it looked like the noblest of challenges.
“Got it!”
Once she finally managed to grab the pancake, Seia quickly popped it into her mouth before it could fall.
The chewy-crisp texture and the kimchi’s refreshing crunch and tang felt like a tiny festival had erupted in her mouth.
“I-it’s delish...”
But festivals always have uninvited guests who show up without warning.
“Ah!”
A sudden urgency replaced the happiness on Seia’s face.
Kimchi, after all, carried a spicy kick.
“S-spicy...!”
“Heh heh heh.”
The tingling on the tip of her tongue was the most intense sensation Seia had ever felt in her short life.
“W-water!”
The old man, who had been laughing heartily at the sight, handed her the cup of water he had poured for himself.
“It must be quite spicy for you. I’m sorry. I should have asked before offering it.”
Jungwoo waved both hands at the old man’s apology.
“Not at all. It’s fine. It’s my cooking, after all.”
“...Heh heh. That’s true.”
Was there any answer more certain than that?
The simple reply that it was okay because he had made it himself felt more trustworthy than anything else.
“I got carried away remembering the old days and played a prank that doesn’t suit my age. My own grandfather used to tease me like this.”
“He must have been a warm person.”
“When I sat on the porch eating the pancakes my grandmother made, an entire day would fly by. Strangely, no matter how much I ate, I never felt full.”
As the old man shared his old, faded story, his eyes rested on Seia, who was gripping the cup with both hands and gulping down the water.
When she finished, he naturally refilled her cup.
“Isn’t it strange?”
“What is...?”
“The things that felt like ordinary daily life back then become the happiest moments we can never relive once time passes.”
Their environments, their backgrounds, and the eras they would live through were all different, yet Jungwoo understood those words better than anyone.
These moments he was sharing with Seia now would one day become the happiest memories he could never experience again.
“Heh heh. I’m sorry. As you get older, you end up living off memories.”
“Not at all. If my cooking and my restaurant brought back such memories for you, then there is no greater compliment.”
While they were talking, an alarm began to ring.
It was the signal that the seaweed soup was ready.
“I’ll bring it right out.”
The richly boiled seaweed soup and a warm bowl of rice to fill the stomach were placed before the secretary.
“Please enjoy.”
“...Yes. Thank you.”
Even before tasting it, he felt warmth spreading through him.
The secretary stared at the seaweed soup for a long time.
He hadn’t realized it himself.
The reason he had chosen miyeokguk was simply that he remembered eating it before. In other words, it was a dish that remained in his memory.
Instinctively, he mixed the warm soup into the warm rice, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it carefully, and brought it to his mouth.
Just as he had felt when he first saw it, the moment it touched his tongue, it began warming him from the inside.
“How is it?”
At the old man’s question, the secretary nodded.
“It’s delicious...”
“Does it taste like your mother’s?”
“Not exactly the same, but close.”
“Hehe. Eat plenty.”
Both the secretary and the old man were now fully savoring Jungwoo’s cooking.
Seia, her mouth no longer burning, watched the pair from her special seat with proud, shining eyes.
“Time to prepare Seia’s pork cutlet.”
She had never made it herself, but she had studied hard on her own.
He took out the sirloin he had bought and carefully removed the membrane.
After trimming away the white parts, he cut it into appropriate sizes.
Only after going through the familiar steps everyone knew would it become pork cutlet.
First came the meat mallet.
High-quality meat was tender without pounding, but since this was for Seia, he decided to tenderize it thoroughly.
It wasn’t good to let noise fill the restaurant.
Sounds made while actually cooking could be considered an appetizer, but the sounds of preparing ingredients were simply noise.
The magic stone-crafted equipment kept the kitchen sounds from escaping. Jungwoo began pounding the meat with the mallet.
Once the meat was nicely flattened, he seasoned it with salt and pepper, then left it to marinate in beer.
“Daddy.”
Jungwoo turned off the equipment at Seia’s call.
“Yes?”
“What’s that?”
“It’s the pork cutlet I’m making for our Seia.”
“Can Seia do it too?”
Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the mallet. It looked fun.
It wasn’t particularly dangerous work, so this much should be fine.
“Sure. Want to try?”
“Yes!”
Seia carefully climbed down from her seat, toddled over to the kitchen, and peeked inside, staring at the pieces of meat.
“Here, you pound the meat like this.”
“Why?”
“It makes the meat tender. Want to give it a try?”
Seia nodded with a determined expression.
She picked up the mallet—which was bigger than her fist—with one hand, then quickly grabbed it with both when she felt how heavy it was.
Thud.
The sound was too light to really call it pounding.
“Haha. You need to hit it a little harder than that.”
“Like this?”
She put more strength into the next swing, but it still only made a small thud.
“The meat might say it feels refreshed.”
“Hnnng...!”
This time she swung with all her might, but once again, only a disappointing thud rang out.
The only difference was that the meat had flattened just a tiny bit more.
“Daddy...”
“Yes?”
“Seia’s arm hurts.”
“Haha. Tired already?”
Seia looked like she didn’t want to admit she had lost to a piece of meat.
Her tightly pressed lips showed her frustration clearly, yet she still nodded.
“If Seia eats well and evenly from now on, you’ll be able to do it soon.”
Her cheeks stayed puffed out and her lips remained pursed.
If only her hands were clean, he would have poked those adorable cheeks.
“Today, just watch Daddy do it. Okay?”
“Okay!”
He finished flattening the meat with steady rhythm and strength, then neatly layered the pieces into a container filled with beer.
While he prepared both Seia’s dinner and developed a new menu item, the customers who had finished eating waited at the counter.
“I don’t think pork cutlet is on the menu.”
“I was originally planning to make it just for my daughter, but I think it would sell well, so I’m going to add it. Did you enjoy your meal?”
“Yes, it was excellent. Next time, I’ll have to try the little boss’s special.”
Thanks to Seia, they seemed to have gained a regular customer already.
After paying, the two guests left the restaurant.
As always, Seia’s cheerful farewell followed them out.
“Goodbye! Come back to Seona’s Restaurant!”