NOVEL NEXT 101
“Oh my, Woo-yeon!”
Han Mi-ae exclaimed with wide eyes as she spotted me and rushed over. Oh dear. I was hoping to quietly observe and leave.
“Haha. Hello. I just came to check on the logistics and see if the opening preparations are going well.”
“Oh, you’re so thoughtful~ How are you, have you been eating well these days?”
Han Mi-ae grasped my hand, her eyes welling up with tears.
Oh. As I blinked in bewilderment, Han Mi-ae hugged me tightly and patted my shoulder.
“Aish, what wrong could this young one have done that everyone…”
“Owner?”
“Don’t take any of what others are saying to heart. Understand?!”
Ah.
I finally understood what Han Mi-ae was talking about. It seems she’s worried I might be distressed because of the heated online public opinion.
‘I’m fine though.’
If you have no expectations, you can’t be disappointed.
I suppose it’s fortunate that
Having gone through thick and thin before my regression, this level of criticism doesn’t shake my mental state. But I realized it must seem like a series of harsh events to others.
“You seem to have lost even more weight. Your cheeks look gaunt!”
“It’s just my baby fat going away.”
“What fat did you have to begin with!”
“Even without fat, baby fat can still go away…”
Everyone’s cheeks are usually plump around age twenty.
Han Mi-ae scrutinized me intently, as if examining a granddaughter she hadn’t seen in a while.
“Look how cold your hands are! Wear gloves! How can you go around without even a scarf in this cold weather? What if you catch a cold!”
As I smiled awkwardly at her affectionate nagging, Jung Da-on, who had been moving supplies, came running out from inside.
“Ah, Mom! What are you doing holding onto Woo-yeon!”
“What’s with you. Am I going to eat her or something? She looks like she’s lost weight, so I was thinking of making some side dishes for her.”
“Mom… Woo-yeon is the CEO of a restaurant business…”
“Still, how can that compare to home-cooked meals?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of the two bickering.
“I’ve already arranged everything, so Mom, let’s go in and start preparing for the opening. We’ll be late at this rate.”
“Oh my, we should. Ah, Woo-yeon. I made some jangjorim at home, do you want to take some? It turned out especially delicious this time!”
“Pardon?”
Suddenly?
“Da-on! Go pack some in a container! You hear me?!”
“No, Owner. I…”
Han Mi-ae swiftly went inside.
“…It’s alright.”
My refusal dissipated uselessly into the air. No, Owner-nim. I know how to make delicious jangjorim too…
Knowing it was all out of a desire to take care of me, I couldn’t dislike even this pushiness. As I smiled wryly, Jung Da-on approached, ruffling her hair.
“Sigh. Come with me. I’ll pack the jangjorim for you.”
“Do I really have to take it?”
“I’ll be dead if you don’t. Take it.”
“I guess I have no choice. I hope I’m not bothering you when you must be busy preparing for the opening.”
“No, no. I’ve finished my finals too.”
The cold winter wind had become bone-chilling. Jung Da-on’s nose tip was flushed red.
We walked side by side to Han Mi-ae and Jung Da-on’s house. Jung Da-on spoke up first.
“I saw that broadcast.”
“Cold Cooking?”
“No. The other one.”
It must be about Master Chef Showdown 2. I deliberately brought up a different topic, but she clearly states it’s not Cold Cooking.
“Are you having some sort of unlucky year? Why are you involved in so many controversies?”
“I’m a rising star, you know. Jealousy naturally follows star chefs.”
“You sure can talk.”
As I joked intentionally, Jung Da-on smiled dejectedly.
“What, you seem fine. My mom was so worried about how hard this must be for you.”
“This much is, well, okay.”
“You really seem like you’re on your second playthrough of life.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Yeah, totally.”
I should be more careful.
“You’re not just pretending to be fine on the outside while secretly struggling inside, are you?”
“Does it seem that way?”
“No. You genuinely seem unbothered.”
“You know me well.”
“How can a person be like this? When I talk to you and then go to school and talk to my friends, it feels completely different.”
Well, of course, since my mental age is far beyond yours.
I chuckled inwardly at that thought, and Jung Da-on flailed her arms and legs as if to say ‘Look at this’.
“My mom doesn’t know what to do because she feels so sorry for you whenever she sees you. She wonders how much hardship you must have gone through to be so detached at such a young age. But to me, you just seem like an old soul.”
“Who are you calling an old soul?”
As we exchanged such casual conversation, we arrived in front of the house.
Jung Da-on opened the door and was about to go in when she suddenly turned her head to look at me.
“Want to come in?”
“Huh?”
“It’s cold. Have a warm cup of tea before you go!”
“No…”
“Come on, hurry!”
As Jung Da-on grabbed my sleeve and pulled, I stepped inside as if entranced.
Standing in the entryway with various shoes laid out, I froze stiffly like a traveler in front of an unknown cave.
As soon as I entered the house, it was filled with signs of daily life. Various people’s belongings were mixed together.
I opened my eyes wide, unfamiliar with such a home.
“Sit here on the sofa. I’ll make you some tea first. Mom must have put the tea somewhere here…, let’s see…”
Jung Da-on naturally walked further inside. I took off my shoes and carefully stepped in.
A scene unfolded that seemed like it could only be seen on TV.
When was it? I think I might have seen such sights when I was young and moving between relatives’ homes.
After I left, unable to bear it any longer, I became much more accustomed to living alone. It was natural, as I was obsessed with business.
Click.
As I was stretching my neck to look around here and there, Jung Da-on set a teacup down in front of me.
“What are you doing?”
“Ah, nothing.”
I somehow felt like someone caught doing something wrong. I knew from experience not to answer with something like ‘It’s interesting’.
“The house is a bit messy. I didn’t know you were coming…”
Jung Da-on scratched the back of her head as if embarrassed, and placed a small side dish container on the table.
“Here. The jangjorim.”
“Okay.”
“Want to try one? If it doesn’t suit your taste, you don’t have to take it! I’ll get you a spoon. Just a moment!”
I hesitantly put a piece of jangjorim on the spoon Jung Da-on hurriedly brought.
“Here.”
I put it in my mouth in one bite. A moderately salty flavor spread throughout my mouth.
“How is it? Is it okay?”
“…It’s delicious.”
It tasted a bit different from store-bought jangjorim. Less intense, with a somewhat rustic flavor.
What people commonly refer to as the taste of ‘home-cooked meals’.
“It’s delicious.”
That was all I could say. If I said anything else, I was afraid my twisted inner feelings might show.
“……”
Jung Da-on looked at me like that, then plopped down in front of the sofa. Then, grinning, she said this:
“If you want to eat more, come any time.”
As if she had seen right through my unspoken inner thoughts.
“The atmosphere at our house is good these days. Originally, my parents fought a lot about Mom running a snack shop.”
“……”
“Dad always said it was unnecessary work, but now that business is going well, he’s even thinking about quitting his job to help with the shop. Mom says she’s busy, but she’s much happier than before.”
“……”
“It’s all thanks to you.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
Just working diligently without change is already beneficial to me.
As I chuckled inwardly at that thought, Jung Da-on continued with a gentle smile.
“So, we can always make room for you at this dining table. If you’re tired of cooking for yourself, come over. The house is close too.”
“……”
“Alright, let’s go! I should head back too. If I stay longer, Mom will scold me for slacking off. You must be busy too.”
“Ah, yeah. I should go.”
I stood up. Despite my protests, Jung Da-on insisted on accompanying me all the way back to the office.
As I watched Jung Da-on’s retreating back for a while, I felt a flutter in my heart.
I chuckled, looking at the jangjorim in my hand.
“I guess this time, I haven’t lived my life in vain.”
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
And that evening, the game-changing moment I had been waiting for arrived.
[Reporting school violence by Master Chef Showdown 2 participant]
With the recent controversy surrounding a Master Chef Showdown 2 participant, memories I had forgotten keep resurfacing, causing me great pain.
I heard about her appearing on Master Chef Showdown 2 through old classmates, but I pretended not to know, not wanting to stir up unpleasant memories.
But as the controversy grew, I ended up watching the controversial broadcast segment, and I was shocked to see the exact same behavior as when we were young. Realizing she hadn’t changed at all since then, I found myself trembling and tearing up involuntarily.
I’ve seen various opinions about her going around, so I decided to write this post to share my experience.
It will be a long post, so please read it slowly.
I will verify with my high school graduation photo.
(Oh Ga-eul’s high school graduation photo)
I first met her…
The late-night post spread rapidly in all directions, and this already heated issue burst into flames as if oil had been poured on it.
To summarize the content:
‘In high school, she drove a wedge between me and our mutual friends, causing them to distance themselves from me and making me an outcast.’
The comments were the first to stir.
oo: Whoa…. More than anything, it’s chilling how the method she used to alienate friends in high school is so similar to her victim act in the broadcast;; It’s too similar to how she appeared on the show
illlilllil: There was even a school violence committee meeting lolol Totally busted
Seonjae I love you: I really don’t understand how people who committed school violence have the confidence to appear on broadcasts…. Did they think they’d never be caught?
And the finishing touch.
[Master Chef Showdown 2] Full version of intense confrontation between Song Woo-yeon and Oh Ga-eul released … Including Chef Song’s editing request
The Master Chef Showdown 2 production team had uploaded the unedited version.