God of Cooking

It was Jemma who went to the kitchen to do the dishes after dinner. Grace was about to follow her when Ara quickly stood up and stopped her.

“Let me do it. Please take a break, Ms. Grace.”

“Oh, no, I’ve been invited as a guest, so let me do it.”

“If I let you do it when you are tired after several hours of flight from Los Angeles, they are going to blame me. So, please allow me to do it.”

Since Ara insisted like that, Grace could not persuade her out of it anymore. Ara got close to Jemma and smiled at her.

“Well, I couldn’t speak to you a little while ago because the atmosphere was rather awkward. How have you been doing, Jemma?”

“Well, I’ve been studying something.”

“What are you studying?”

“Just this and that,” said Jemma, smiling awkwardly.

Glancing at Kaya and Min-joon sitting at the table, Ara said in a quiet voice, “Isn’t it interesting?

“If I ask you, I’m afraid you won’t answer right away.”

“Well, we have no plans to marry yet.”

Min-joon answered with a calm voice. He expected that his parents would ask him lots of questions about this. In fact, his parents were very old-fashioned in their thinking, but when they didn’t oppose his living together with Kaya without getting married, he was quite surprised by their attitude change.

However, Min-joon was not embarrassed. Grace and Bruce were here. When Kaya’s parents were here for the first time, it would not be easy for his parents to give him a lecture about his marriage with Kaya because it involved not only him but also Kaya.

That was why he was startled by his father bringing up the topic of him getting married.

Soo-yop asked Bruce, “How about having an engagement ceremony for Min-joon and Kaya?”

It seemed that Soo-yop practiced that particular phrase in English so many times that his English accent when he said that phrase was totally different from his clumsy English pronunciation a little while ago.

Since neither Min-joon nor Kaya didn’t expect at all that he would ask that, they just kept silent, looking at him blankly.

As if he felt he was not qualified to intervene, Bruce refrained from speaking, and Hye-sun couldn’t express her opinion in English. After all, Grace was the only one who could answer that question.

“Engagement?”

“Of course, we can’t decide. It’s up to Min-joon and Kaya to decide it. And I respect both Kaya and Min-joon. But they are still young. Young blood always causes unexpected trouble. So I’d like to make something like a seat belt to fix the two.”

“Well, Kaya and I can decide it by ourselves, Dad.”

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t make a decision. I’m just making an offer. Think about it seriously. Of course, you don’t have to make a judgment right now. You have a lot of time,” said Soo-yop.

As soon as Soo-yop finished talking, his wife Hye-sun asked in a small voice, “So, did you speak out?” He nodded in satisfaction with a proud expression.

But Min-joon was troubled by his father’s sudden suggestion. Actually, he guessed a bit that his father would bring up the topic about his marriage at this family gathering. But he didn’t expect at all that his father would suggest to arrange an engagement ceremony. Fortunately, his father didn’t push him to answer quickly. Min-joon looked at Kaya awkwardly. Touching her head with an awkward gesture, she did not make eye contact with him.

Hye-sun Lee whispered to Min-joon in Korean, “Kaya is pretty.”

“I know.”

“That’s why you need some arrangement to make her your wife. Otherwise, she might leave you.”

“If I don’t, do you think she won’t stay with me?”

“You have to do something to make her your wife.”

Hye-sun Lee replied with a sullen voice. But Min-joon sighed and turned his eyes from her.

At that moment, his smartphone rang. Checking out the number on the screen, it was an unfamiliar number. Normally, he would just have pushed the decline button, but this time, he needed some excuse to get out of this place right now.

“Wait a minute. Let me get out to pick up this call.”

Kaya momentarily looked at Min-joon with resentful glances because he left alone, but he avoided her glance with an effort and stepped into another room.

Then he put his smartphone to his ear and said, “Hello?”

“Hi, Min-joon. This is Min-sok Kim.”

“Oh, yes, hello.”

“Sorry to contact you suddenly. I wanted to contact you to thank you for posting your comment on Starbook.”

“You’re welcome. I just said that I enjoyed the noodles at your restaurant. So, you don’t have to thank me for that, and I don’t deserve it.”

As if he was moved by Min-joon’s warm response, Min-sok didn’t say anything for a moment, but Min-joon was patient enough. After all, Min-sok opened his mouth with a slightly wet voice.

“I know it’s really absurd to say this in this situation, but shall we have a drink?”

Min-joon did not say anything for a moment. He knew Min-sok must have been very lonely and agonized, given he asked a middle school alumni he met in a few years out for a drink. Min-joon couldn’t turn down his offer.

“I’m sorry but I can’t.”

“Oh, I thought so. I’m sorry,” Min-sok replied with a dejected voice.

Min-joon looked at the living room for a moment. His parents and Kaya’s parents gathered in one place after a long time, but he didn’t feel like leaving his lonely friend neglected. It wasn’t because Min-sok was his alumni.

Above all, Min-sok was a chef like him. So, Min-joon wanted to hear the story of his friend who didn’t receive due recognition even though he made great Pyongyang cold noodles. He was not sure if he could solve his problem or not, but he wanted to hold his friend’s hand tightly when his mind was wandering like now.

So, Min-joon opened his mouth, “I don’t drink. How about coffee. Do you know any good cafe nearby?”

He hung up the phone after agreeing to see Min-sok at a nearby cafe.

“Hey, Min-joon!”

Min-sok smiled lightly, waving his hand at him. Adjusting his clothes, Min-joon entered the cafe. Several people were looking at him curiously as if they seemed to recognize his face.

As if Min-sok noticed such an atmosphere, he whispered, “I’m sorry. I forgot that you are a famous chef even here.”

“It’s okay. Anyway, if they know me, they will recognize me anyway. By the way, haven’t we promised to talk to each other informally when we meet next time?”