episode_0035

I tangled up in the bed.

I got mixed up in my brother’s scent.

Maybe this is a natural perfume.

Also, there’s a sturdy body that hugs me.

“Oppa.”

“Yeah.”

“Um, would you… like to change our… bed…?”

Meaningful and undoubtedly the most expensive bed.

Even for the quality of sleep, to stay close to my brother.

It was an expensive purchase, but I decided to try to persuade him because I really wanted it.

“Um… should we do that?”

“Oh… really?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh…”

All the reasons I tried to use to persuade him flew out the window.

Weather, space utilization… I had thought about everything.

“So, not changing it?”

“Oh, no? I was just surprised….”

“I also want to sleep together. The current bed… honestly, it’s too cramped for both of us to sleep together, right?”

It’s uncomfortable, but sleeping close to each other fits perfectly.

Even now, but in the summer, we’ll have to separate for each other’s sake.

“So… I want to buy one together. How about going together on Friday?”

“Uh… okay.”

Today is Monday. I felt like I needed at least two days to recover from this muscle pain.

When I first started exercising, even if I got sore the next day, it didn’t hurt this much.

This is based on the assumption that I walked around vaguely for two days.

“Let’s… eat lunch. Can you hear my stomach growling from here?”

“Um… maybe.”

I pull back the blanket and get up with my brother.

“Ugh…”

I couldn’t get up.

Where are these soft muscles hurting?

It would be much more believable to say that my bones were injured.

“I’ll do it. I’ll do everything today.”

“Um… no. Why should you cook, Oppa?”

“But Hyemi, you’re not in a state to do it right now. I should do it.”

“Ah… then I’ll help.”

If I force him again, he might end up doing it alone.

My brother has never cooked before.

If he’s just buying triangular kimbap, it’s clear.

“Do you cook well by any chance?”

“Um… I’ve never tried.”

“Never? Really?”

“Yeah, real.”

“Oh.”

Why is your pronunciation so good?

I’m falling for you again.

“So… I’ll explain everything first. What do you want to eat?”

I sit my brother down at the dining table and look at him.

“Is that so?”

My brother stands nervously with a knife in hand.

This seems impossible no matter how you look at it. He looks like he’s ready to kill someone, not cook.

“I won’t use the knife.”

“Oh… okay then?”

There was something about cooking without a knife that I remember.

I boiled ramen, so there’s no way I’d burn my hands like that, and time-wise, I know, I just can’t move because of this shape.

“Sweet and sour pork. Would you like that?”

“Um….”

My brother sneaks a peek at his phone.

“Let’s not order delivery. Let’s make it ourselves.”

“…?”

What a fool.

“Open the fridge.”

I took out leftover frozen rice and pork that got tangled up last time.

“What do we do now, Jihye?”

“If you open the fourth cabinet from the left, there’s potato starch powder right in the middle. Take that out.”

“Oh… you memorize all this?”

“Of course. And take out a large bowl.”

With his tall height, my brother effortlessly took it out without any support.

“It must be nice to be tall.”

“Huh…? Can’t reach this?”

“No.”

I need to use a step stool to reach it.

Thinking about it makes it uncomfortable, but considering the distance between my brother and me, it’s just right.

When my older brother slightly lowered his head, I looked up at him, and he looked down at me, making a kiss possible.

Feeling so nervous in this closeness that my heart feels like it might stop occasionally, but anyway.

—

“Meat… Should I finish all of this? It should last until dinner.”

Leaving fried food uneaten could be considered sacrilegious.

But there’s a way to make soggy fried food crispy.

—

Simply use an air fryer.

There’s another method… using an oven.

—

Although we have an oven, the air fryer is better.

When do we bother cleaning that?

—

“Is this too hard to eat?”

“Don’t unwrap it, leave it on the sink and sprinkle some warm water over it.”

“Like this?”

“Yes.”

Feels like being a teacher in a children’s cooking class.

—

It’s true that the pork was originally prepared to make sweet and sour pork.

I thought about keeping it frozen forever for a future meeting, but the opportunity came at the right time.

—

I intended to capture a glimpse of the meeting between the older and younger sisters, but… that’s a bit disappointing.

—

“Put potato starch in a bowl. Hmm… up to here?”

Some people might think to add egg wash like with tonkatsu, but sweet and sour pork only uses potato starch.

Nothing else. Just coat it with potato starch and fry it at the right oil temperature.

—

“And pour water gently. If the potato starch disperses, you have to wait for about 30 minutes. Yes, just up to the potato starch.”

“…Huh! Perfect.”

It’s good to focus, but there’s no need to focus on ‘just up to’ that much.

—

“…Leave it like this and let’s make the sauce now.”

“…?”

With a look that says ‘Here? How?’ Even though it’s the kitchen, there must be something around.

—

“Open the one on the far right.”

“A can…?”

“Take out a fruit cocktail.”

Everything has a reason… it’s not the type to forget where things are stored, they all have their uses.

And only one can was kept. It was taken out in case there was nothing else to eat.

—

“Pour it into the second frying pan. You really have a plan, don’t you, Ji-hye?”

“That’s right…?”

A little soy sauce, a little vinegar. Since the sugar is in the fruit cocktail, just sprinkle a little potato starch.

—

“If it seems too watery, let me know. Ah…”

It’s been a long time.

Even though I’m the one who ordered it, having someone else cook for me feels like a rare treat.

—

“Is this okay?”

“Oh, yes.”

Originally, the meat should have been prepared first, but since the meat was frozen solid, the thawing time had to be extended.

—

“I’ve sliced the meat and wrapped it in plastic wrap, so please squeeze out the juices properly.”

“Where should I put it?”

“Oh right. Remember the potato starch water from earlier? Just pour that out gently.”

“Yes. Remove the meat marinade and put it in there, then coat the meat with potato starch.”

After all, the essence of sweet and sour pork lies in its crispiness.

—

“It’s not mixing well at all.”

“That’s normal.”

Around here, I’m not sure.

There’s a place that makes great jjajangmyeon and jjamppong, which are my favorites.

Others are just average.

—

“Ugh…”

“Cheer up, Oppa!”

While the common point is that the 9,000 or 8,000 won jjajangmyeon and jjamppong are well-made, the sweet and sour pork, which jumps over 10,000 won, couldn’t possibly taste bad.

Instead of crispy… it’s chewy.

No, the meat should be chewy, but it’s clearly made with potato starch, making it chewy in a wrong way.

This shouldn’t be the case.

It shouldn’t come out undercooked.

—

Is this even tonkatsu?

[The Bread crumbs are one thing, but the starch powder is being cooked.]

Water was mixed, or maybe something strange was done.

Of course… there are places where water is used and eggs are added too.

I’m not a chef.

And I’m not a chef who throws around names like that either.

Just a woman who likes cooking, an ordinary one at that.

And it’s only because I’ve come to this point that I know the basics.

“Hoo… What do you think?”

“Um… um, it’s good. Well done.”

“Is this what becomes Tangsuyuk?”

“Yes. You’ll see once you try it. First, place that large pan with the lid on top of it. It might be a bit heavy, so be careful.”

“Oh… oil?”

Now is the time for frying, even if it’s shoes.

“Wow, look at that…! The frying powder is rising!”

“Puff. Now put it in. Make sure they don’t stick together.”

“Wow… oh!”

It was so strange to see the large body flinch like a woman when fried in oil that I couldn’t help but laugh unintentionally.

“Oh… don’t laugh, Oppa…!”

“Uh… uh!”

Although I did take my hand out each time I put one in, somehow I managed to put them all in.

“Sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize… Now transfer the sauce to a bowl and clean up the rest. Also, prepare a dish for the Tangsuyuk.”

“Is it done now?”

“Yes. Done.”

“…???”

She was puzzled as to why it was over when she had done everything.

“It’s really over. Once it seems to be fried enough, take it all out raw, let it sit for a bit, then fry it again lightly. That’s really the end.”

“…Impressive.”

“But didn’t you do everything?”

After finishing the dishes, she refried the cooked Tangsuyuk and took it out. The rice was warmed up in the microwave.

“Try it.”

“…Oh!?”

“How is it?”

“It’s delicious. Really good.”

The cooking was successful. Delicious. Fun.

This is the true taste of cooking.

And at the end, there is nothing more joyful than someone eating your food and enjoying it.

“Mmm~ Tangsuyuk is best when crispy.”

“Ji-hye, thank you so much.”

“…Huh? Why? I should be the one thanking you instead.”

“Thank you for cooking delicious meals every day. Cleaning, laundry…”

Compared to working, it feels okay.

Some people may dislike working from home, but at least I’ve been stuck in the kitchen for a few years.

I didn’t dislike it, never had, but I couldn’t dislike it either.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, she feeds her brother a piece of Tangsuyuk as he pretends to be dying.

“If you’re thankful, just stay with me for a long, long time. That’s all I want.”

“Umm, yeah!”

What am I going to do with this brother?

Everything he does just looks adorable to me, it’s driving me crazy.