I Became the Lousy Side Top - Chap 97
Mujin picked up his chopsticks and grabbed another piece of kimchi. He needed to try it again. The taste was surprisingly similar to the kimchi that Jaewoo had brought with him. He immediately called the young server over again.
“This kimchi…”
As soon as he spoke, the young man responded with an expression as if he knew what Mujin had been about to ask.
“I can’t give you our recipe. It’s a trade secret.”
He spoke so decisively that Mujin, who’d had no intention of asking for the recipe in the first place, couldn’t help but laugh.
“No, that’s not what I wanted to know.”
“Really?”
“Who made this kimchi?”
“I did.”
The young man answered calmly.
“Who taught you how to make it?”
“Nobody taught me, I just sort of tried things until I found a flavor I liked.”
Did he think that just anyone could come up with a mix themselves and still have it taste so good? Not to mention how familiar the flavor was. Mujin looked over at the young man with fresh eyes.
“What’s your name?”
The young man blinked slowly and answered.
“I’m called Jaewoo.”
“Your last name?”
“Are you conducting a census?”
“I’m just curious about the name of the person who made this delicious kimchi.”
“You’re just full of questions. My family name is Seo.”
Even their names were the same. Mujin’s heart, which had been dead inside his chest, began to suddenly flutter.
‘I know it’s not him.’
The Seo Jaewoo that Mujin once knew was dead. Mujin had been clinging to sanity by meeting up with Hyunjin and reminiscing about the one they’d lost, but what if he could find an even better substitute?
To some people, looking for someone to replace a dead loved one might seem macabre. But for Mujin, it was an act of survival. With that in mind, he turned towards the young man and made a request.
“What else is there? Anything else you’ve made?”
“Sir, this is a soup restaurant.”
Jaewoo explained that they only served soup and rice, and a few kimchis and other side dishes that usually came along with the soup.
“I’ll pay you whatever you want if you’ll cook me something different.”
The other Jaewoo looked a bit anxious.While he was dithering, the old woman came over and interrupted them.
“Well, why are you hesitating? Go ahead and make him something. He looks like he hasn’t eaten a proper meal in a while.”
It seemed like the distinctive personality of a Korean grandmother had kicked in, as the old woman eyed Mujin from top to bottom, looking unimpressed. Although Mujin didn’t care for that look, he decided to make use of it, nodding his head in agreement. As the two teamed up, Jaewoo let out a sign and headed towards the kitchen.
“I can’t make anything special.”
Only after Jaewoo had vanished was Mujin able to gather his thoughts. A young man with an unknown past had suddenly appeared, with a kimchi recipe that tasted far too similar to the deceased Seo Jaewoo’s. Such a coincidence rankled Mujin’s brain.
‘No way.’
Mujin thought of something, then dismissed the idea with a mental laugh. Reincarnation, possession – those were ideas straight out of the dark ages. What year was it now? Mujin believed in science, not baseless superstitions.
“Here you go.”
The plate dropped down onto the table roughly. When Mujin looked to see what was being served, it turned out to be a typical meal of rolled eggs and stir-fried pork, served with a round mountain of white rice.
Mujin stared at the food for a moment as if fascinated, before picking up his chopsticks. First he took a bite of the rolled eggs. For someone who made such delicious kimchi, their rolled eggs must also be amazing, right? He took a bite with high expectations, but the flavor was somehow off.
“The rolled eggs are too sweet.”
“I must have confused the sugar for the salt.”
The other Jaewoo sure spoke confidently, considering his mistake. Mujin moved on to the stir-fried pork. It wasn’t tasteless, but definitely couldn’t be described as ‘good’. For the first time since he’d tasted the kimchi, Mujin’s emotions settled down. He’d really thought he’d found someone that reminded him of Seo Jaewoo. Without realizing it, he let out a sigh.
He needed to leave. Just as he was about to stand up, the old woman suddenly darted forward and took a bite of one of the side dishes. Mujin stared at her, taken aback by the sudden rudeness, only to be left even more shocked as she reached out and slapped Jaewoo on the back of his head.
“Make them again! You’re usually so good at cooking, what’s wrong with you today?
“…It’s the same as always!”
Jaewoo protested, but the old woman didn’t pay him any mind.
“I feel bad for him, and I didn’t even make it. Should I cook them for you?”
“You said your wrists were hurting you, ma’am.”
“Well then?”
“Alright, I’ll remake them.”
Jaewoo shot a glare at Mujin, then turned around and headed back to the kitchen. It seemed like he was just as brave as the other Jaewoo. When he found out who Mujin was, would he look away in fear?
“He’s a good kid, but sometimes he makes mistakes. Just wait a little longer.”
Mujin decided to try his luck one more time.
“Here it is.”
This time, the food came out a bit faster than before. Mujin picked up the rolled eggs and took a bite. The delicious taste of salty, savory eggs hit his tongue. It seemed as though Jaewoo hadn’t confused the sugar and the salt this time.
The same was true for the stir-fried pork. It was no longer bland and tasteless, but instead had a flavor that was incredibly similar to the one from his memories. He devoured the rolled eggs and stir-fried pork along with the rice. For the first time in a year, food tasted good.
In just a few short minutes, Mujin had cleared his plate. It was the first truly satisfying meal he’d eaten since Jaewoo had died. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his comfortably-full stomach, and asked the other Jaewoo.
“Do you make a lot of money working here?”
“It’s enough to get by.”
“I’ll double your salary. How would you like to come work for me in my house?”
“Not a chance.”
Jaewoo was adamant.
“Really?”
“Yes!”
“Hmm. All citizens of the Republic of Korea know what a resident registration card is, right?”
“Sure.”
Little by little, Jaewoo’s movements began to slow down, as if Mujin’s words were getting to him.
“But there are some people who don’t have one.”
“…Okay.”
Now even his answers were coming slower.
“So, have you reconsidered?”
Jaewoo rolled his eyes. Even his mannerisms reminded Mujin of the original Jaewoo.
‘Who are you?’
He didn’t know yet. The story of how Mujin had fallen for Seo Jaewoo was famous in his circle, so someone could have planned this whole encounter. Still, Mujin found himself wanting to keep this new Jaewoo next to him, even if it was a risk.
“I’m sorry, but that seems troublesome.”
He’d thought the other man would definitely say yes, but instead he’d rejected him.
“I’ll make you some more side dishes instead.”
“That’s not what I want.”
Mujin tapped the table with his finger. He had no intention of backing down easily.
Why did it have to be Choi Mujin? Jaewoo swallowed back a sigh that wanted to escape. He hadn’t wanted to get caught, so he’d tried to disguise his cooking and make simple dishes. Instead, Mujin had liked them so much he’d asked him to come work for him in his apartment.
‘He still hasn’t changed at all.’
Jaewoo had no intention of setting foot in that house ever again, even if he doubled his salary. The problem was that Mujin seemed to have already completed an investigation into his background.
‘He knows that I don’t have a resident registration card.’
The current Jaewoo was a ghost. He had no resident registration card, and no one could find any traces of his past. The obvious explanation was that he was some kind of illegal immigrant, and if Mujin used that to try and blackmail him, Jaewoo would be in trouble.
He didn’t know why Mujin had bothered looking into his background. Was he still harassing Hyunjin? There’d been no signs of that. Jaewoo’s mind was swirling with a multitude of thoughts. In the meantime, Mujin continued to pressure Jaewoo in a threatening manner.
Slowly, the other customers that had been eating and drinking normally began to look their way. They whispered to each other, glancing between Mujin and his subordinate Dongsoo, waiting outside. Neither of them looked like the ordinary clientele of the marketplace – just from a quick glance, it was obvious that the two of them were from a different world. A few of the customers got up and left without finishing, probably worried about being caught up in something.
“How about three times your salary?”
‘I’m not going to accept that either, you bastard!’
Jaewoo had to fight back the urge to hit Mujin over the head with his tray. This was so troublesome; just so, so troublesome. As Jaewoo was thinking that to himself, a shadowy figure suddenly appeared outside the front windows. He looked over, worried that Dongsoo was about to barge in, but it wasn’t him.
It was Hyunjin. He entered the restaurant and immediately turned towards Mujin. Without pause, he walked over to them and sat down right in front of him.
“What are you doing here?”
“I had some business to attend to.”
“What sort of business?”
Hyunjin asked with a stern expression.
“I feel like you already have an idea?”
“They’re different people, they just happen to share the same name.”
“A different person with the same name. Alright, sure, I can buy that. But did you know this?”
Mujin leaned his head closer to Hyunjin’s and whispered a few words. Hyunjin’s face remained stiff and unchanging throughout.
“What does that matter?”
“You don’t care?”
“It doesn’t matter. Stop bothering people who have nothing to do with this.”
“You’re the one harassing me. I’m just offering him better conditions.”
At those words, Hyunjin glanced over at Jaewoo before quickly looking away again.
“Wouldn’t it be more convenient for him to come and cook at my house, rather than working at a small soup restaurant like this one? I’d pay him a lot more.”
“Haven’t you learned by now that not everything in the world can be solved with money?”
The atmosphere between them was becoming increasingly stormy. Accordingly, the number of customers leaving began to increase. Unfortunately, Mujin had never done anything helpful in his life.
“No. If something can’t be solved with money, that just means you haven’t offered enough.”
“Do you really think so?”
The two of them fell silent, glaring at each other.
‘You can’t fight here!’
If they did, it would cause trouble to the old woman, who’d helped Jaewoo out enormously so far. Jaewoo gritted his teeth and stepped forward.
“If you’re not eating, I’ll have to ask you to leave, please.”
“Then let’s eat. Bring us a plate of boiled pork.”
Mujin shamelessly ordered fresh food.
“Please leave.”
Hyunjin at least reacted normally, but he was unable to change Mujin’s mind.
“Oh, and please bring us a bottle of soju, too.”
Seeing as Mujin had even gone so far as to order drinks, it looked like he was going to stay there for a while. Hyunjin sighed, but didn’t stand up. It seemed as though he was hoping to keep Mujin in check with his presence. This was a sight that Jaewoo had never imagined he’d see – the two of them almost looked friendly.
It seemed like Seo Jaewoo’s death had really affected them.
