Chapter 158

Hwang Minsung observed Kang Jin’s fried eggs and said, “I’ve lived alone for quite some time.”

“Really?”

“Have you ever lived on your own before?” Hwang Minsung asked.

Kang Jin pursed his lips momentarily before replying, “For a long while, yes.”

“Oh?”

“About ten years or so.”

“Ten years? So…since high school?”

“I guess that’s right.”

If one counted living at the orphanage as being independent, then it was accurate. As Kang Jin chuckled, Hwang Minsung picked up the plate with the fried eggs.

“I’ve been living alone for a long time too, but… I can’t remember when was the last time I ate fried eggs like this.”

“Fried eggs?” Kang Jin looked puzzled by Hwang Minsung’s remark. Fried eggs were incredibly simple to make.

All you needed to do was crack eggs into a frying pan and sprinkle some salt on them. Plus, they were cheap.

Hwang Minsung watched Kang Jin’s puzzled expression as he took a bite of his fried egg.

Suck…

He slurped up the runny yolk before continuing with the white part.

“Fried eggs aren’t exactly cooking, but regardless, it still requires using a frying pan, oil, and plating.”

“True.”

“That’s why I don’t bother making them.”

“Why not?”

Using a frying pan wasn’t particularly bothersome.

In response to Kang Jin’s question, Hwang Minsung scooped up some soup with his spoon and smiled.

“Do solo dwellers go through the trouble of properly preparing meals? They usually just eat with one side dish. And making fried eggs is more annoying than you think.”

“What do you mean? All you have to do is take out a frying pan and pour some oil!”

Seeing Kang Jin’s perplexed expression, as if wondering how anyone could find that bothersome, Hwang Minsung chuckled.

“It’s annoying when living alone. Well, it would annoy anyone.”

“Why’s that?”

“You can still eat rice without fried eggs, right?”

“Oh… I see.”

Fried eggs were optional unless one was having bibimbap with them. Having fried eggs made the meal better, but they weren’t essential…

Hwang Minsung smiled at the remaining egg on his plate.

“In my opinion, fried eggs are meant to be cooked by someone else for you.”

“Food made by someone else?”

“I find cooking troublesome, but I enjoy food prepared by others.”

“Yes, it always tastes better when someone makes it for you.”

Hwang Minsung chuckled at Kang Jin’s comment. Kang Jin was right. Food usually tasted better when someone else cooked it. Hwang Minsung smiled softly and looked at Kang Jin.

“It’s strange, but your cooking reminds me of my mom.”

“Your mother must have been a great cook.”

“She definitely was…but…it brings back memories. It reminds me of the fried eggs she used to make for breakfast.”

—“Let’s eat some fried eggs before we go.”

—“We’re late!”

—“Just let us eat some fried eggs first!”

“Wake up early!”

“Eat before you leave.”

It was an ordinary morning…but also one he would never experience again. Still feeling tipsy, Hwang Minsung’s eyes reddened at just this brief reminiscence. Quickly, he picked up his spoon and took a bite of kimchi stew to distract himself.

“Ack! The spiciness is great.”

“I know, right?”

“The combination of spicy and greasy feels like it coats my stomach perfectly,” agreed Hwang Minsung as Kang Jin followed suit with another spoonful of rice and kimchi stew.

After eating breakfast and taking a shower, Hwang Minsung turned to Kang Jin as he exited the restaurant.

“You’ll be open for lunch, right?”

“Of course.”

“If I can swing by during lunchtime, I will.”

“Please do.”

Hwang Minsung smiled and started walking away but paused when Kang Jin spoke up.

“Oh, and your meal is on me. Here’s some money.”

“When did you put that there?”

Hwang Minsung patted Kang Jin’s shoulder at his question.

“I put enough money to cover it. Anyway, I’m off.” With light steps, Hwang Minsung headed towards the exit but paused when he spotted someone else. “Oh! It’s Yongsoo!”

Kang Jin glanced sideways as she realized they were talking about Bae Yongsoo. In truth, Bae Yongsoo had been smiling and watching them from afar. When hearing his name mentioned, curiosity sparked on his face.

“What about Yongsoo?”

“What does he do?”

“His occupation?”

“He sounds like a chef. I’d like to visit Yongsoo’s restaurant sometime.”

“Oh…” Kang Jin chuckled softly. “He used to be a chef, but now he’s taking some time off.”

“Taking time off? Why?”

“I think he just needed a break.”

“But he should be working at this age… When will Yongsoo come back here?”

“He said he’d be here to help at eleven tonight.”

“Oh really?” Hwang Minsung pondered Kang Jin’s words for a moment before turning around with a smile. “Then I’ll make sure to have breakfast first thing tomorrow morning.”

Kang Jin closed the door after seeing off Hwang Minsung, who waved cheerfully as he left.

Bae Yongsoo nodded approvingly while watching him go. “He’s a good guy.”

Kang Jin chuckled at Bae Yongsoo’s comment. “Did you two become blood brothers after one night of drinking together?”

“It doesn’t take long if you click with someone. You can’t force yourself to like someone just because you spend time with them, right?”

“I guess that’s true.” Kang Jin checked the time. “It’s half past eleven…”

Since they were planning to open at eleven, it was best to start preparations now. As Kang Jin entered the kitchen and inspected ingredients inside the refrigerator, he suddenly remembered something.

“Did Shin Soo-yong come by earlier today?”

“Yes, Mr. Shin dropped off supplies promptly at six this morning.”

Kang Jin’s eyes widened at Sung Yongsoo’s words.

“So you saw how bad it looked?”

“Oh…well, he seemed slightly upset but didn’t say anything about it.”

Sung Yongsoo’s response made Kang Jin sigh.

Did Shin Soo-yong see our place looking like a disaster zone?

To the Shinwoo brothers, One Meal Restaurant was their home. Of course, legally and practically speaking, it belonged to Kang Jin now, who also lived there, but for them, this establishment felt akin to the childhood home they grew up with in their rural hometown.

Since they had been drinking heavily last night, they hadn’t gotten around to cleaning before leaving, so seeing the state of the restaurant must have bothered Shin Soo-yong.

Kang Jin took out his phone and called Shin Soo-yong.

“Hello?” answered Soo-yong.

“This is Kang Jin.”

“I know.”

Kang Jin scratched his head at Shin Soo-yong’s curt tone. Unlike his brother, Shin Soo-yong had always been warm and jovial. However, it seemed he was indeed upset based on his voice.

“I’m calling to apologize for your disappointment upon seeing the state of the restaurant today.”

[Sigh!] Shin Soo-yong let out a small sigh before responding. [To be honest, I was quite miffed this morning, but hearing from you first has eased my anger somewhat. By the way, what happened yesterday? You usually keep everything so tidy…]

“My internship ended yesterday.”

[At Taekwang Trading Company?]

“Yes. Since we were celebrating with some guests…I think I got carried away once I relaxed.”

“I see. Even the owner of One Meal Restaurant can make mistakes and drink too much sometimes. Understood. Oh! If you’re contacting me because you were worried I might be angry, please don’t worry. My anger has subsided now.”

Hearing this, Kang Jin felt relieved. He continued speaking, “That’s good to hear. Then next time…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Sung Yongsoo quickly interrupted him.

“Hey, order some mackerel and sea bream.”

Kang Jin covered the phone’s microphone with his hand and asked:

“Why?”

“Minsung hyung wants some aged sashimi.”

“How many should we get?”

“If we’re doing it, let’s order enough for everyone to enjoy. It won’t spoil immediately since it’s being aged anyway.”

Nodding at Bae Yongsoo’s suggestion, Kang Jin spoke into the phone:

“Excuse me, could you also include some mackerel and sea bream for sashimi?”

[As you wish. Will it be for today?]

“Please deliver when convenient.”

[How much would you like?]

Kang Jin looked at Bae Yongsoo who responded,

“Let’s try five per type.”

“Five each?”

[Understood.]

With that, Kang Jin hung up and turned to Sung Yongsoo.

“What should we make today?”

“That depends on our guests’ preferences. Otherwise, how about kimchi stew? It looks delicious today.”

Kang Jin nodded at Sung Yongsoo’s suggestion.

“Okay!”

She then walked over to the refrigerator and retrieved ingredients for kimchi stew along with fish cakes and eggs. She planned to serve stir-fried fish cakes and scrambled eggs as side dishes while featuring kimchi stew as the ‘Daily Special’. After gathering the ingredients, she wrote “Kimchi Stew” on the whiteboard menu and propped it up for display.

Bae Yongsoo observed Kang Jin’s preparations and said,

“I’ll be off then.”

Kang Jin nodding her head as she began preparing ingredients for cooking. Setting up the whiteboard signaled the start of business hours, so it was time for Bae Yongsoo to leave.

“One bottle of soju please,” requested one customer.

Kang Jin promptly brought over the bottle.

“Here you go.”

The elderly man smiled upon receiving the soju from Kang Jin.

“You have quite the taste, sir.”

Puzzled by his comment, Kang Jin looked at him quizzically.

“You mean me?”

“Yes, serving such savory food that makes one crave alcohol even during lunchtime. Ha-ha!”

Kang Jin chuckled at the old man’s joke.

“I suppose you’re right. Still, don’t drink too much.”

“This amount is just enough as a side. It’s truly delicious.”

Kang Jin bowed to the elderly man who complimented her cooking with warm words. She then returned to the kitchen and surveyed the dining hall. Four tables were occupied by customers.

Fortunately, the first table ordered kimchi stew. The aroma enticed other guests to order the same dish, making it easier for Kang Jin to manage the orders.

As she watched the patrons, Kang Jin heated three frying pans on the stove, oiled them, and started making fried eggs. Recalling how much Hwang Minsung had enjoyed his egg this morning, she wanted to share that delight with these customers as well.

Sizzle! Fizzz!

While frying the eggs, Kang Jin sprinkled some salt lightly. Then, over low heat, she slowly cooked the eggs before flicking water droplets onto them at the end.

Sizzle, sizzle!

As water hit the frying pan, Kang Jin quickly covered it with a lid to let the splattered droplets steam and gently cook the yolks while keeping them moist. She then plated the fried eggs and served them to her customers.

“A complimentary dish for you.”

“Fried eggs!”

“Enjoy your meal.”

The elderly customer smiled at Kang Jin’s words.

“My wife rarely makes these because she finds it bothersome, but I always seem to get them at restaurants.”

Kang Jin chuckled and proceeded to serve fried eggs to other tables as well. On her way back to the kitchen, she suddenly approached the elderly man again.

“Sir.”

“Yes?”

With a smile, Kang Jin asked him, “Earlier, you mentioned that Grandma doesn’t make fried eggs anymore.”

“My wife stopped making them for me when she got older. Now I only get to eat one if our grandchildren make some.” The elderly man chuckled as he spoke.

Kang Jin smiled and responded, “Then why don’t you surprise Mrs. at home with fried eggs today?”

“I should cook fried eggs?”

“Yes, sir, have you ever made fried eggs before?”

“Well…I’m not much of a cook, but frying an egg shouldn’t be too hard… Hmm?” Puzzlement crossed his face as he pondered her question.

“It doesn’t seem like it,” he concluded.

The old man’s response brought a smile to Kang Jin’s face.

Minsung hyung wasn’t wrong.

She muttered this thought to herself before addressing him again.

“You know, my boss mentioned something earlier today. He said that making fried eggs isn’t about eating them yourself; it’s about doing it for others.”

“Cooking food for others?”

“When Mrs. Sellner makes fried eggs, is it because she wants to eat them herself?”

“She usually cooks several and shares with everyone.”

“But you wouldn’t cook just one egg for yourself, would you?”

“That’s…because I have family members.” The old man chuckled, understanding Kang Jin’s implication.

“So, that’s why you say frying eggs is for others’ sake.”

“If we make some fried eggs for Mrs. Sellner today, tomorrow’s dinner might taste even better,” Kang Jin remarked, eliciting a smile from the elderly man.

“I hope my wife won’t worry if I don’t ask about her age anymore.” He looked at Kang Jin with amusement.

“Well, since you’re so concerned about Mrs. Sellner, I suppose she deserves some fried eggs too.” Kang Jin chuckled at the old man’s innocent grin before heading back to the kitchen.

The elderly gentleman scooped up some of his egg with a spoon and put it in his mouth, still smiling.

“How moist and delicious!”

Seeing how much he enjoyed the dish, the middle-aged man sitting across from him smiled.

“You seem quite content, Congressman.”

The elder statesman nodded with a smile.

“The food is delicious, and our young host is quite hospitable… How could I not be?” With that, he poured himself another shot of soju and downed it happily.