I Became the Lousy Side Top - Chap 95
When Jaewoo decided to move back into his old house, the first thing he did was inform the restaurant owner.
“Good. That’s good!”
Even though they barely knew each other, the woman was happy for him.
“Thank you.”
“Why’re you thanking me?”
“Because. You gave me a job, and let me stay here all this time.”
The reason why Jaewoo hadn’t been able to find a room to rent, even a cheap one, was because he didn’t have any paperwork. That’s why the old woman’s help had been so important. Luckily Hyunjin had also been flexible – he was willing to forgo a formal contract and just allow him to pay the monthly rent in cash.
‘Moving back in like this, how should I handle everything?’
Jaewoo packed up his belongings while he thought things over. He didn’t have much, just a few changes of clothes and some toiletries that he’d bought after he’d arrived in this world. It all fit into one bag. He hefted it up in his arms and headed towards the house.
“You’re here?”
“Yes.”
Since it was moving day, Hyunjin had stayed home to help out, but the reality was there was nothing for him to do. He’d already placed an electric mattress pad and some spare blankets in the storage room.
“Can I really accept these?”
“We’re not using them anymore, so it’s okay.”
Hyunjin smiled slightly.
“Thank you.”
Jaewoo thanked him genuinely and entered the room. There was enough space for him to sleep, and although the room still didn’t have heat, once he turned the electric mattress pad on it got so warm that he didn’t want to move.
Jaewoo lay on the mattress for a while, then slowly opened the door and peeked outside. It wasn’t too cold out, and he could see the kids sitting on the floor of the patio having fun. When he checked the clock, he saw that it was almost time for lunch.
‘I wonder if the kids have been eating well?”
He knew that Hyunjin could kind of cook, but he was still worried. Jaewoo got up from his seat and went outside. As he did, the children looked up from their game and watched him carefully. With a small smile, he left the kids behind and went down the slope to do some grocery shopping.
He picked up some meat and fresh vegetables. He also bought some fish-shaped red bean paste buns1 from a small snack cart on his way back. Once he was home, he presented the buns to the children. They were still wary of him, but they clustered around the snacks anyway.
“Brother!”
Hyeonu immediately called out to Hyunjin to get his permission. Hyunjin had been in the kitchen, but he came outside at Hyeonu’s call and glanced between Jaewoo and the bag of buns.
“It’s not time for lunch yet?”
“This isn’t lunch, this is different!”
Woohee answered confidently.
“Then go ahead.”
With permission granted, the kids excitedly stuck their hands into the bag and reached for the buns. After making sure that Woohee had one, Hyeonu passed the first one he grabbed over to Hyunjin.
“You should have one too, Hyunjin.”
“Okay.”
Hyunjin accepted the bun happily. Then Hyeonu reached into the bag and took out another one, holding it out to Jaewoo.
“Let’s eat together.”
“Yes!”
Jaewoo responded and took the bun. Eating hot buns in the chilly winter air made the food taste all the better. Although with sweet red bean paste inside a savory pastry, how could it not be delicious? Together, the four of them enjoyed their food. Now that the atmosphere between them seemed to have improved, Jaewoo finally asked a question he had been holding in.
“If it’s alright, could I borrow your kitchen for a bit?”
Hyunjin looked a bit hesitant. Now that Jaewoo thought about it, giving an almost-stranger access to your kitchen would be a bit weird. He’d wanted to cook some delicious meals for the kids, but he’d obviously gone too far.
Just as he was about to apologize, Hyunjin responded.
“I don’t mind if you use it, but I have to prepare lunch soon.”
How could someone be so considerate of others? Even though his upbringing had been difficult, Hyunjin had retained his kindness. Jaewoo was so happy about that.
“Then how about I make you lunch instead?”
“Really?”
“I like it when other people enjoy my cooking. Plus, I’m a good cook – you know that.”
Jaewoo said with a smile. He stepped forward and Hyunjin instantly moved out of his way, an embarrassed expression on his face.
‘Why did he back off so much?’
He didn’t have to avoid him so obviously. Jaewoo felt an emotion that he couldn’t quite name at the sight of Hyunjin stepping away each time Jaewoo stepped closer.
‘But at least I made it into the kitchen.’
It had been a while since he’d seen the kitchen in his house, but it hadn’t changed at all. Even the smallest seasoning jars were still in the same place. A hot, mournful feeling welled up in his chest at the sight.
“I want to go home.”
Jaewoo’s eyes went wide. He hadn’t meant to say that, and couldn’t help glancing around, hoping that no one had heard. Luckily, it seemed like Hyunjin and the boys hadn’t noticed.
He wanted to be Seo Jaewoo again. Even though he was in his own body now, and even though his time as Seo Jaewoo had been relatively short-lived, he still wanted that. It was all the fault of his stupid heart.
He still loved Hyunjin. Jaewoo sighed softly as he took out the old, familiar cooking utensils one by one. He found his well-oiled frying pan and his slightly dented pot, placing them in their positions before rolling up his sleeves.
Now, it was time to start cooking.
He seasoned the meat, then sliced onions, carrots, and scallions and stir-fried them all together. While the meat and vegetables were cooking, he boiled water in an earthen pot and added some eggs.
The steamed eggs were finished first, followed by the bulgogi. Once those were done, he cut some seasoned pork into bite-sized pieces and added it to the pot of water to make a zucchini stew2. In the meantime, he quickly cleaned the frying pan and set it back on the stove.
Then he cut some ham into thick slices, dipped them in an egg wash, and grilled them in the pan. After that came grilled oysters. Jaewoo was moving around the kitchen in a frenzy of activity, making the time pass quickly.
“You’re a really good cook.”
As Jaewoo was plating the finished dishes one by one, a sudden voice had him turning around in surprise. The door to the master bedroom was open, and Hyunjin was staring out at him.
“…I told you I was good at it.”
Jaewoo shifted his gaze awkwardly, sensing that he was in trouble. Hyunjin might not have seen many people cook before, but even he could tell that Jaewoo was far too skilled for someone who wasn’t familiar with their kitchen.
“I know, you did. But… how did you know where the seasonings were?”
“People usually keep those in the same place, right? It’s the same in every house.”
That was a lie. He knew where they were because Hyunjin hadn’t moved them at all, but if he told him that, it would be proof that he was actually Seo Jaewoo.
If he told Hyunjin the truth, everything else would become easy. Hyunjin would confess his love a second time, and the two of them would be happy together. The problem was that Jaewoo didn’t want to do that. He was selfish – he wanted Hyunjin to love him for who he was, and not for the time he’d spent as Seo Jaewoo.
“Is that so?”
Fortunately, Hyunjin seemed to believe him.
“Do people keep their pots and pans in the same locations too?”
Hyunjin said that in passing as he entered the kitchen to help, but the words caused a cold sweat to break out on Jaewoo’s back. With the two of them carrying the dishes, the table was soon full of food. Jaewoo tried to escape now that the cooking was done, but he was caught and forced to take a seat between Hyunjin and Hyeonu.
“Woah! Is it a holiday?”
Woohee exclaimed in surprise at the multitude of dishes in front of them. The children admired the spread for a moment, then turned to Jaewoo and bowed their heads in thanks.
“Thank you for the food!”
Then they picked up their chopsticks and dug in. The first thing they tried was the bulgogi, followed by the zucchini stew. The sweet taste of the zucchini and the rich taste of the pork lingered in their mouths.
In the flash, they finished off about half of the food on their plates. In contrast, Hyunjin had barely touched his. It seemed as though he was thinking deeply about something.
‘What is he thinking about?’
Jaewoo was curious, but since he couldn’t read Hyunjin’s mind, he had to content himself with not knowing. Like that, their sumptuous feast eventually came to an end.
“I really liked the food!”
Now that the children had finished eating, they made sure to show their appreciation.
“I did too.”
Hyunjin also thanked him, but Jaewoo had trouble believing it. He had barely touched his food.
Jaewoo swallowed a sigh and got up to clean the table. As he did, he noticed several thick books piled on a desk in a corner of the room.
It seemed as though Hyunjin had continued his previous certification studies. The traces were evident now that he looked. Hyunjin was changing and growing so easily… Jaewoo should be happy for him, so why did he feel afraid?
He was selfish. Although he didn’t want to be known as Seo Jaewoo again, he also didn’t want Hyunjin to forget the time he shared with him.
“I’ll clean it up, you can leave it to me.”
Hyunjin took the bowl from Jaewoo’s hand. Between himself and the kids, they quickly had the table cleared.
“You cooked for us, so you’re not allowed to wash the dishes.”
Hyeonu said proudly, carrying a stack of plates out to the kitchen. Over the last year, Hyunjin clearly wasn’t the only one who had changed. Jaewoo lowered his head, trying to hide his expression.
It was strange. When Jaewoo had arrived, he’d been a stranger, but he’d quickly become a friend. He fit into their household like he was meant to be there. Even his brothers, who’d been unfamiliar with him when he first arrived, had quickly become attached.
“How would you like to have spaghetti today?”
“Spaghetti?”
Woohee asked, his eyes shining.
“I’ve never had that before!”
“Then today’s lunch will be spaghetti!”
It could be awkward having someone cook every meal for you, but for some reason Hyunjin didn’t feel that way. It was strange, but sometimes he almost felt like he knew him.
Hyunjin remembered the first time he’d seen him cook. Jaewoo had been moving skillfully around the kitchen, and Hyunjin couldn’t help but be reminded of his Jaewoo. Unfortunately, he knew that the world wasn’t that kind. No matter how much he missed Jaewoo, there was no way for him to come back to life.
‘Besides, he doesn’t look the same.’
Hyunjin made a bitter expression.
“Don’t mistake things.”
Jaewoo was dead and buried. The new Jaewoo was a different person who just happened to have the same name. Repeating that to himself over and over, Hyunjin bent over to put his shoes on before straightening up.
“Where are you going, Brother?”
“I need to go have a chat with someone.”
“Oh, that guy?”
Hyeonu’s brow furrowed as he frowned.
“I don’t really like that guy.”
“I don’t like him either.”
“But you’re still going to meet him?”
“That’s right.”
Hyunjin stroked his younger brother’s head, then crossed the yard and went out the gate.
Footnotes
붕어빵 – bungeo-ppang – Carp Bread. A fish-shaped pastry stuffed with sweetened red bean paste, adapted from the Japanese taiyaki. Wikipedia
애호박 찌개 – aehobag jjigae – Zucchini stew. A spicy stew that features zucchini. It can be vegetarian, or contain meat. Recipe
