episode_0298

“Wait.” I held up a palm to Choi Kang-doo, who was snorting like a racehorse just before a sprint. “What do you mean?! I’m not a dog!” Laughter burst out. Oh, yes you were. You looked like a complete beast just now. The grill hadn’t even fully heated up, and he was already nearly drooling, saliva threatening to run down the chopsticks in his mouth. It would have been fortunate if it was just his chopsticks. The hunger in his eyes made me uneasy, as if he might even tear into raw meat. How dare he raise his voice instead of thanking me for preserving his human dignity in front of everyone. “Kang-doo Uncle.” “Huh?” “Please wait quietly like me. It’s unsightly.” “Heh!” Our Seonyeong is doing great! Seohee-nim, who had barely managed to hold back her laughter at Seonyeong’s gentle rebuke, had tears welling up in her eyes. “Um, Seonyeong? It’s not ‘unsightly’ [sung-hae-yo], it’s ‘ugly’ [hyung-hae-yo].” Slightly flustered, Choi Kang-doo tried to correct her. “Mm-hm. It’s ugly.” “That’s right. Uh, wait? That’s not what I…” “Choi Kang-doo.” “Yes?” “Shut your mouth.” Finally, Park Moojin, unable to watch any longer, interjected. Choi Kang-doo’s mouth closed, but the hunger reflected in his eyes grew even deeper.

The meat, receiving such burdensome gazes, was placed on the grill by Shia’s hand. Sizzle! “Ohh…” White steam rose, and the sound of protein cooking was incredibly stimulating. Similar sounds could be heard simultaneously from different sections of the divided grill. The women, including Grandmother, put in the effort at each grill. It was said to be for Grandmother, who had almost grilled alone at the previous company dinner. “Hup!” Sizzle! Heize also held the tongs, constantly flipping the meat. Her natural movements were a little odd, but… “You know how to grill meat?” “Han. You underestimate me too much. I’m sad…” What’s wrong with her? How precious beef is. “No, I mean, you don’t know how to cook…” “I grill meat well. Trust me.” “…Don’t burn it.” “Hmph!” I told her to learn Korean, but she only learned strange things. Still, she worked the tongs diligently, so I decided to trust her. As the tongs moved busily, the rising smoke and spreading aroma already promised deliciousness. Gulp! “Haa… Haa…” Choi Kang-doo could not calm down. It’s difficult to say this, but our family members had similar reactions. They were just slightly less intense than Choi Kang-doo’s. The calmest one, surprisingly, was Miri. Miri’s attention was captivated by a retriever sitting a little distance from the table. Her eyes sparkled, as if the large dog was fascinating. Everyone else anxiously awaited for the meat to cook. The allure of the beef cooking on the grill was that immense.

“C-can’t we eat it now? It’s beef, after all!” “I’ll flip it over soon~” Shia, smiling brightly as she flipped, was also quite something. Sizzle! “Haaah…” Choi Kang-doo, even swallowing empty air, looked truly tormented. “It’s hard to hold back every time we eat this.” “Alright, alright. Elder, please have a pre-meal drink.” “Oh dear! How could I be so grateful. Alright, alright. CEO Choi, you have a drink too~” The two, slowly getting started, soothed their tongues by downing soju. Grandfather slyly pretended not to notice, even when Grandmother shot him a look. In such settings, Grandfather and CEO Choi always kicked things off. Then, the family naturally followed suit. Each sipped their drinks or chewed on side dishes, enduring the wait. Meanwhile, the delicious aroma of well-grilled meat began to waft. Soon, the meat was pushed to the edge of the grill with tongs. “You may eat now.” The Grandmaster’s permission had been granted. The wait was over. I will eat well! There were no toasts. Instead of glasses, chopsticks were raised. The sight of everyone’s chopsticks moving in unison was magnificent. The family members, with perfectly cooked meat in their mouths, each let out a refreshing exclamation of delight. Choi Kang-doo, who had been the most unruly, was surprisingly quiet. Instead, he closed his eyes and slowly chewed.

“…I’m glad I’m alive…” “Is it that good?” “It’s so… so delicious…” Choi Kang-doo’s distractingly moist eyes turned towards me. “…Thank you.” “N-no problem. Eat a lot…” I didn’t even think of what to say. After a single bite, Choi Kang-doo savored the meat while maintaining a semblance of dignity. Park Moojin and Seohee-nim had similar reactions. Though they appeared calm on the surface, a pleasant satisfaction was evident in the corners of their mouths. Seonyeong was also enjoying it, chewing thoroughly, albeit slowly. ‘That’s a relief.’ The new members were all happy and enjoying themselves. Our family members were also happily eating… Chomp, chomp! Chew, chew! “……” Dong-woo and Hyunwoo were stuffing so much into their mouths that their cheeks couldn’t handle it, struggling to move their jaws. Young-cheol-nim, usually quiet, put two or three pieces of beef into his mouth at once. Miri’s dad was busy feeding Miri. The ones who managed to maintain some form were Jihyeok hyung and Lawrence. It was the look of someone enjoying a meal just right. Still, they were all equally happy. Grandfather and CEO Choi seemed to be enjoying their drinks primarily, with the meat serving as a side dish. It seemed they had marked today as D-day, having consciously abstained from alcohol as a rule. It wasn’t that they hadn’t eaten meat before, but the explosive power of beef was extraordinary. The grill was quickly emptied. The meat cutting board was also quickly emptied. But it was fine. There was plenty and more meat. If beef was needed for happiness costs, it was absolutely affordable. So I picked up two thick pieces and put them in my mouth.

“Mmm!” Delicious. First of all, beef is delicious. And it’s even more delicious when a beautiful woman grills it for you. Beef, eaten without worrying about money or quantity, is incredibly delicious. Nom! Two pieces of meat. Gulp! A glass of soju. “Ahh~” Beef is always right. “Shin Ban-jang.” “Yes, Director-nim.” “When you’re out doing business, you know? When you’re entertaining, you have to feed them beef.” “Ohh…” “Need friendship? Then you have to feed them beef.” “……?” “Need to find love? Then feed them expensive beef. If you want to be happy, eat beef!” “…Are you drunk?” “Kid. You’re still young. The day will come when you realize it too. The fact that beef is always right.” “Um…” “That’s life! Got it? Now—drink!” Director-nim… Please forgive this foolish me who only now understands your life advice. Your words were right. I’m sorry for calling you an old fogey in my head back then. The beef, tasted after a long time, was truly happiness-inducing. Why couldn’t I feel this taste before?

“What are you thinking so hard about?” Shia gave me a puzzled look, as if I had stiffened with my chopsticks still in hand. “Is it not tasty?” “No, it’s delicious. I was just thinking about something from the past.” “Oh really? Then try this.” Shia picked up a particularly well-grilled piece of meat and held it out to me. “Here. Say, ‘Ah~’” Nom! Chew, chew! “Delicious. You grilled it well.” “Right? I think I’m getting the hang of it now.” Shia, who was smiling brightly and chewing the meat heartily, wore a very happy expression. While I was lost in thought, the meat-grilling duty had changed hands, and everyone was now grilling and eating on their own. Choi Kang-doo’s claim of being a big eater was no boast, as he devoured alcohol and meat with incredible vigor. His expression looked so incredibly happy that I didn’t even dare to stop him. …Well, if he’s happy, that’s all that matters. Thud! A plate full of large, thick-cut meat was placed in front of me. “Alright. I’ll show you my skill.” “…Is that American style?” The sheer volume of the large meat pieces was considerable. It looked quite well-grilled on the outside. ‘Let’s see…’ Nom! Chew, chew, chew! “…Oh?” The juices were well-preserved, and the doneness was just right. “How is it!” “Quite good, actually?” “Heehee~” Heize, settling down beside me, soon began to enjoy piece after piece of meat. “Mmm~ Yummy!” Heize, placing a hand on her cheek and making a high-pitched nasal sound, ate truly deliciously. Not to be outdone, Shia also ate heartily. The two women’s hands moved incredibly busily. Perhaps because there were new family members, or perhaps because the meat was too delicious, today they ate quietly without any mischievous behavior. So, sandwiched between them, I ate and drank my fill. When a plate or cutting board emptied, it was refilled from inside. Grilling and eating deliciously. My hands and mouth glistened with oil. But it was enjoyable. This enjoyable cycle continued for a while. Until everyone had loosened their belts. Hahahahaha! Giggles!

It was then, as they continued to have such a good time. Whine, whine. “??” The retriever in the corner shot them a pitiful gaze. “Oops!” Heize seemed to have forgotten to feed the dog, and she started to get up from her seat. “I’ll give it to him.” “Oh.” “Can he eat meat?” “Mm-hm. He eats it well.” At Heize’s words, I picked up an empty plate and approached the tail-wagging retriever. Thud! I carefully set the food down and offered the plate. “Eat.” “……” The dog glanced at me, then sniffed the food on the plate. Sniff, sniff – chomp! The fellow, who had taken a big bite… Spit! “Hey. Why did you spit that out?” “……” “What are you going to do staring like that?” He spit it out without chewing and protested to me with his eyes. “It’s your food. What will you do if you don’t eat it?” Whine~ Whine~ “Hey, look at this.” 『Luncheon Meat』 『Happy Thrifty Sausage』 “It says ‘dog food’ right there.” “……” “If you don’t believe me, read it yourself.” Growl! This brat? “Pfft! Oppa!” “Han! What are you doing!” “He’s not eating and he’s rebelling.” “You shouldn’t threaten a cute animal.” “Oppa. He’s scared right now.” These softhearted women. “Just wait. If you don’t train him properly, it’ll be a pain later. Hey. If you don’t eat this…” I held the retriever’s face and met his eyes head-on. “No more food for you. Do you think I’m going to go easy on you?” “……” I shot him a sincere warning. A moment later, the instant I subtly released my hand. *Slurp, slurp, slurp!* “Good boy. Well done.” I gently scratched the back and flank of the dog as he slowly emptied the plate. “Oppa…” “Han…” I chuckled lightly at the two, who were shaking their heads. “I don’t do that to people.” “……” “Probably?” Anyway, after finishing the meal discipline, I sat back down.

“Seonghan Uncle…” “Huh? Seonyeong, why?” “You shouldn’t bully puppies.” I gently spoke to the child, who was looking at me with big, innocent eyes, clearing up the misunderstanding. “That’s not it. I was just teaching him how to eat.” “No, you weren’t…” “Really. Look, he’s eating well now.” “Ooh…” I changed the subject for the somewhat sulky child. “Speaking of which… Seonyeong, how old are you?” “I’m seven.” “Ah-ha. Miri is six, so Seonyeong is the unnie?” “Unnie…? Hehe.” “Since Miri is your dongsaeng, you should get along well?” “Yes~” Hmph. Pure children are indeed this cute. As Seonyeong became engrossed in eating meat again, Choi Kang-doo, having swallowed the meat in his mouth, asked. “How old are you, Seonghan-nim?” “Me? Exactly thirty.” “What?!” At that, the new members stopped their conversations and stared at me. “Really?” “Are you really older than me?” “Seriously. Why? What’s wrong?” I asked back at those who wouldn’t easily believe it. It turned out Choi Kang-doo was 28, Seohee-nim was 27. Park Moojin was a surprising 36 years old. “Oh. Moojin-nim, you’re the same age as me.” “Hmm. But thirty with that face. Hard to believe.” “I understand. That’s exactly what I thought when I first saw you. Ah, since we’re the same age, how about we use more comfortable titles?” Jihyeok hyung, as if sensing an opportunity, seemed to be trying to climb the ladder of familiarity in one go. “That…” “If you’re uncomfortable…” “No, it’s fine. It might actually make me more comfortable too.” “Then I’ll speak informally?” “As much as you like.” ‘Now that I think about it, they do look similar.’ I can’t believe he’s the same age as Jihyeok hyung. Somehow, I had been speaking informally all this time… Just then, Park Moojin’s gaze turned towards me. First, I emptied my soju glass in one gulp and met Park Moojin’s gaze. “What’s wrong?” “Hmm…” His lips didn’t part easily. This is why the first impression is so important… I ended my hesitation in a moment. …Here goes. “…Hyung?” “…………” Pfft! Cough! Jihyeok hyung spat out the soju he was drinking, and Choi Kang-doo, who was swallowing meat, choked. Park Moojin, having heard me call him Hyung… “…Just do as you did before.” He looked disgusted beyond description. It was as if he had seen something unbearable. “But you’re the same age as Jihyeok hyung.” “Th-that…” “So, Moojin hyung?” “Ugh…” For some reason, Park Moojin gritted his teeth. You fellow. Do you think it’s common for me to call someone ‘Hyung’? “Don’t. I’m getting goosebumps—” “Moojin hyung.” “!” “Please take good care of me from now on?” “Stop—!!!!” Hahahahahaha! A truly enjoyable laugh, fitting the harmonious atmosphere.