Chapter 137

As if feeling Kang Jin’s gaze, President Cho sighed and tried to stand up but sat back down while looking around the restaurant.

“I…”

He felt pressured to order something since he was occupying a table without having placed any orders yet. President Cho scanned the menu board and curiously asked:

“What’s this? A blank menu?”

“We serve whatever our honored guests desire.”

“Oh…” As President Cho continued reading the board, Kang Jin spoke again.

“The previous customer took care of your bill before leaving.”

“President Hwang?” Surprised, President Cho hastily rose from his seat to go outside when Kang Jin stopped him.

“He has already left.”

Hearing this, President Cho paused for a moment, then let out a sigh and sat back down.

“What would you like to eat?” Kang Jin asked President Cho.

President Cho shook his head. “Anything is fine.”

In this situation, he had no appetite for anything specific.

“Well, I’m good at making various things, but if you could specify, it’d be even better.” Kang Jin’s playful tone caught President Cho off guard.

“How about some kimbap with kimchi?”

“With kimchi?”

President Cho nodded and made a phone call somewhere.

“It’s me. Yes…”

As President Cho continued talking on the phone, Kang Jin entered the kitchen.

Kimbap with kimchi…

There wasn’t really a recipe needed for such a dish. It simply involved wrapping rice, kimchi, and other ingredients in seaweed and slicing it neatly. However…

“I think I’ve seen something similar in the cooking practice room before.”

Kang Jin mentally recalled the Cooking Practice Room. Even simple dishes cooked using techniques from there resulted in exceptional skill proficiency.

With this thought, Kang Jin entered the cooking practice room. Even simple dishes could significantly improve her proficiency when practiced there.

Shhhf!

As she flipped through pages, she soon found a recipe for kimchi kimbap.

Kimchi Kimbap

Prepare well-fermented kimchi. Cook plain rice without seasoning it separately.

When adding kimchi, squeeze out the juice to prevent making the rice soggy and maintain better texture.

For larger pieces of kimchi, cut them in half along their core lengthwise. Then, fold two halves over like covering with a blanket.

Ensure they overlap oppositely so that stems cover leaves and vice versa. This way, both stem and leaf portions can be eaten together evenly.

A pinch of sugar, similar to dusting, enhances the flavor, as does lightly brushing sesame oil on top.

As Kang Jin read, the text slowly disappeared as before. He didn’t mind this familiar occurrence and continued reading until the vanished words reappeared again.

Got it.

Having read the kimchi kimbap recipe, Kang Jin took out a jar of kimchi from his refrigerator. After squeezing excess juice from the kimchi with his hands, he placed them on one side of a plate.

He laid down sheets of seaweed and evenly spread rice over them. Then, he cut larger pieces of kimchi and arranged them neatly. Next, he sliced each piece lengthwise to create opposing shapes, placing them head-to-head atop the rice. As explained in the recipe, this allowed him to eat both stem and leaf together regardless of which side he started from.

Finally, he sprinkled sugar lightly over the kimchi and applied a touch of sesame oil.

Done.

Kang Jin swiftly rolled and sliced the kimchi kimbap but then grimaced.

If they charge fifty thousand won for this, it’s guaranteed to be a JS Finance miner.

Charging fifty thousand won for one roll of kimchi kimbap would be highway robbery. And since there’s no free lunch in the afterlife, this dish would undoubtedly become a miner’s burden as well.

As Kang Jin inspected the kimchi kimbap, he discreetly glanced at the refrigerator. He pondered what could complement it quickly and nodded in decision.

I’ll serve noodles with it too.

Eating just kimbap can feel slightly heavy, so serving it with party noodles would make for a more enjoyable meal. Plus, he already had boiled dried anchovy broth ready… All that was needed was to cook the noodles.

With this thought, Kang Jin peeked out towards the hall:

“Please wait five minutes.”

Upon Kang Jin’s request, President Cho held up his hand and placed the phone to his ear. With President Cho signaling it was okay, Kang Jin started boiling water for the noodles.

He quickly heated the dried anchovy broth and made some egg rolls. Now all he had to do was cook the noodles and add them to the broth. As he neared completion of the party noodles, Kang Jin glanced at the refrigerator.

It keeps tripping me up.

Even with kimchi kimbap and party noodles, it would still be considered debit.

I keep getting snagged on this whole ‘nothing is free’ concept here. I should’ve charged 10,000 won.

Had he charged only 10,000 won, serving kimchi kimbap with party noodles might have balanced the value… But aiming for 50,000 won meant there was more work to be done. After pondering briefly, Kang Jin opened the refrigerator and took out dishes of dried anchovies stir-fry and perilla leaf wraps.

“If you like kimchi kimbap…then maybe this too?” With that thought, Kang Jin quickly flipped through her recipe practice book.

Is there a recipe for dried anchovy or mustard leaf kimbap?

Flip, flip!

Kang Jin shook her head as she rapidly scanned the pages and closed the book.

I can just add them.

All she had to do was include dried anchovies and mustard leaves while making kimchi kimbap. Although there wasn’t a specific recipe, it would be no different than swapping out ingredients inside regular kimchi kimbap. There shouldn’t be any issue creating it.

With that mindset, Kang Jin placed rice on nori sheets, added seasoned dried anchovies and mustard leaf pickles alongside kimchi.

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

She swiftly made both mustard leaf and kimchi kimbap before checking the noodles’ texture and preparing japchae.

Having completed the kimbap and japchae, Kang Jin arranged some side dishes.

She arranged all the side dishes.

“Here’s your meal.”

Kang Jin emerged from the kitchen with food and glanced at President Cho, who was still on the phone.

“…the briefing materials for the investment seminar…yes, yes. Alright then, so do that…”

As he continued talking, President Cho spotted Kang Jin.

“The noodles won’t taste good if overcooked. Please have some food first,” she suggested.

In response to her request, President Cho raised his finger, signaling her to wait just a moment.

“These dishes were made using the money Hwang Minsung gave you out of consideration,” Kang Jin pointed out.

Taken aback, President Cho looked at the food and said, “Let’s discuss this after I finish eating.”

He ended the call and turned his attention to the spread before him.

“You brought quite a spread.”

“I felt guilty only bringing kimchi kimbap after receiving so much money from him.”

President Cho nodded at Kang Jin’s explanation and picked up some kimchi kimbap with his chopsticks before putting it in his mouth.

Crunch! Crunch!

As he chewed, President Cho couldn’t help but smile.

It’s delicious.

The crunchy texture of the kimchi combined perfectly with the savory taste of sesame oil. The sweetness that filled his mouth with each bite balanced out the sourness well.

Crunch! Crunch!

After eating another piece of kimchi kimbap, President Cho turned to the noodle dish and scooped up a large portion with his chopsticks.

Slosh! Slosh!

Having finished both noodles and broth, President Cho looked back at Kang Jin.

“It’s truly delicious.”

“I’m glad you like it. Please try the dried anchovy kimbap as well.”

At Kang Jin’s suggestion, President Cho picked up a piece of dried anchovy kimbap and smiled.

“It’s truly delicious.”

“Really?”

“The savory taste of the anchovies pairs perfectly with the refreshing saltiness of the seasoned radish leaves mixed with rice.” Still smiling, President Cho popped another bite of dried anchovy kimbap into his mouth before chuckling softly.

“This reminds me of my grandfather’s cooking.”

“Oh? Your grandfather?”

“You find that strange?”

“Usually people say their mother or grandmother made similar dishes for them.”

President Cho nodded at Kang Jin’s observation.

“I was raised by my grandfather. So naturally, his cooking became reminiscent of both my grandmother and mother.”

He chuckled lightly while reminiscing.

“I guess you could say it’s home cooking from a country old man. It was just decent enough to satisfy my hunger.”

“So your grandfather made kimchi kimbap for you as well?” President Cho observed the kimbap while responding to Kang Jin’s question.

“Do you still pack kimbap when going on picnics these days?”

“For me, picnics mean kimbap and vice versa; they go hand in hand.”

President Cho nodded at Kang Jin’s words before taking a bite of the kimbap.

“My grandfather never packed kimbap for our picnics.”

“It must have been difficult for him being a man.”

“Yes, indeed. But back then, I resented it. I wanted to bring kimbap like other kids.”

“Children often desire what others have.”

“You’re right.”

As President Cho spoke, he picked up the kimbap and stared at it before continuing.

“I threw tantrums until my grandfather finally made me some for our picnic. But when I opened my lunchbox, this is what I found inside.”

“Kimchi kimbap?”

President Cho nodded.

“It had kimchi…and dried anchovies like these. When I asked him to make kimbap, he wrapped rice with seaweed and filled it with whatever side dishes we had at home.”

A faint smile tinged with nostalgia graced his face as he reminisced. Then, after taking a bite of the kimbap, he chuckled softly.

“At the time, I was embarrassed by it.” With that, he continued eating the kimbap, digging back into the noodles, and sipping on the broth.

“Enjoy your meal,” said Kang Jin.

Kang Jin looked at President Cho as he spoke.

“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to talk more for a bit.”

“Sure.”

As Kang Jin pulled up another chair next to him, President Cho continued eating while talking.

“The atmosphere of this place is quite nice.”

“Really?”

“It feels more comfortable…like having a home-cooked meal rather than dining out.” President Cho smiled as he surveyed the restaurant.

“I see why President Hwang frequents here.”

“That’s the highest compliment,” replied Kang Jin.

While eating, President Cho asked, “Did you overhear our conversation earlier?”

“Yes, because the kitchen and dining area are close together.”

“What do you know about Alzheimer’s disease?”

“I know it affects older people.”

“It’s a disease that occurs in older people…”

Kang Jin’s response prompted President Cho to look down at his food and continue.

“Dementia is…a disease affecting families.”

“Families?”

“When someone has dementia, they lose their sense of self. They can’t remember their family or loved ones.” President Cho paused briefly and looked Kang Jin straight in the eyes. “Not being recognized by my beloved, not understood when I speak… Although only one person suffers from dementia, it causes pain and distress for the entire family.”

As Kang Jin listened intently, he started to say something but stopped himself mid-sentence. President Cho nodded understandingly.

“My grandfather passed away due to Alzheimer’s disease.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.” President Cho shook his head slightly at Kang Jin’s words.

“Fortunately, by the time he was diagnosed with dementia, I had become a doctor and could provide well for him. So, we made sure he lacked nothing…until one day, the nursing home urgently called me over.”

“The nursing home?”

“They said my grandfather wouldn’t leave the kitchen and insisted I come immediately. When I arrived there…he was wrapping kimbap in the nursing home’s kitchen.”

Kang Jin glanced at the remaining few pieces of kimbap upon hearing President Cho’s story.

“It seems that day coincided with the eve of Sonju’s anniversary.”

“That’s when I realized how embarrassingly wrong I had been,” President Cho admitted, smiling ruefully.

“These kimbaps… They represented his thoughts about Sonju.” President Cho picked up one of the rolls and smiled warmly.

“But you know…” He continued with a grin, “At that moment, I didn’t realize what he was doing. Despite expressing my gratitude and love for him… all he did was keep making kimbap.”

“Ah…” Kang Jin softly sighed.

“That’s why dementia is so heartbreaking and painful,” President Cho explained.

Kang Jin asked tentatively, “Then by any chance, does Hwang Minsung also…”

She trailed off, implying if Hwang Minsung shared a similar pain. President Cho shook his head.

“It’s not appropriate for me to speak about someone else’s sorrow.”

It seemed they shared similar pain.

“Then you’re not pursuing Alzheimer’s research anymore?”

In response to Kang Jin’s question, President Cho shook his head.

“While I disagree with Hwang on some matters, I’ve dedicated my life to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. The female aphrodisiac may seem insignificant, but it is a byproduct of our dementia research. I believe further investigation could lead to clues for treating Alzheimer’s. Additionally, this project will secure funding for our ongoing research.”

Kang Jin nodded at President Cho’s explanation.

‘Verdict: Even Viagra was initially developed to treat heart conditions but became more famous due to its side effects as a male aphrodisiac.’

Based on their conversation, it didn’t appear that President Cho was solely driven by money. As he stated, the disagreement with Hwang Minsung stemmed from differing opinions…yet both had the common goal of curing Alzheimer’s.