Chapter 19
Editor: Stomatopoda, Nets,
[TL Note: It turns out Tangerine’s gender is actually female (rather than the male we’ve been using), so from now on we’ll refer to her with feminine terms . Sorry about the mix up!]
Due to the appearance of monsters 30 years ago, many countries and cities around the world collapsed .
Korea was no exception .
Local cities were wiped off the map, and the number of deaths was uncountable . During the crisis the awakened people gathered in Seoul, where they first united .
Their protection and influence was so important , it was as if the world revolved around them .
“The last invasion of monsters was 10 years ago . I’ve heard that since then, some monsters have suddenly disappeared . I don’t know why, yet . ”
“What about the monsters that do still exist?”
“They’re now classified as boss-class monsters . They disappeared for a moment . It was a time when the power balance between the awakened people and the monsters was falling apart . ”
Interesting .
“That’s what we called the ‘day of upheaval’ . Anyway, thanks to you we have finally reached a state of relative peace . Now the boss class monsters are the type you only see in new dungeons . ”
Cheol-ho pondered on the words . Ten years ago .
That ten years ago was a very significant time for Cheol-ho, too .
That’s when he made a connection with the Devil .
“And it was said that the people who took the lead during the last great invasion, 10 years ago, were the Guardians, the Association’s first-class awakeners, and Cheon Tae-jung . Ah, and of course, everyone also fought for their own life . ”
“I see . ”
“At the time the Machangsa, Kim Sang-hu, was almost killed in action, too . I heard he owes his life to Captain Cheon Tae-jung . ”
Cheol-ho had his eyes slightly closed, lost in the conversation he was recalling .
ki ki~
The door opened with a squeak, and Cheol-ho turned his head towards it .
It was a guest .
There were two guests tonight .
One was the friend Cheol-ho had seen before several times, Kim Sang-hu, the Machangsa . The other one was a man he had never seen before .
So he decided to analyze how old he was .
Cheol-ho furtively measured the person’s age .
He looked around his age , around the late 50s to early 60s .
However, he was a man with a strong impression, and it lent him an ageless, weathered air that made it hard to tell .
His attire was pretty good .
He wore well-fitted leather armor, and a cared for sword hung at his waist .
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‘Veteran . ’
It was a man who matched the word perfectly .
“Welcome . ”
Machangsa bowed his head . The man next to him also sat with his head down .
“Oh, this is a restaurant?” the man asked, looking around .
He was sure that this old man was Cheon Tae-jung .
Cheol-ho knew at once .
“Yes,” Machangsa replied bluntly . He sounded like a little child grumbling .
“Sir, what kind of menu do you have today?”
At his question, Cheol-ho thought for a moment with his arms crossed and then answered .
“Today is a home-cooked meal . ”
“Oh? Home-cooked meals?”
Cheol-ho nodded at Machangsa’s question .
“Yes . ”
“Home food . ”
Machangsa shrugged as if he were surprised .
“What do you say, old man?’
“That’s all right,”replied Cheon Tae-jung in a heavy voice .
“I think it’ll take some time… are you busy?”Cheol-ho asked, as he entered the kitchen .
A slight smile gathered at the corner of Cheon Tae-jung’s mouth, then disappeared . Shaking his head, he said “No, I’m not busy anymore . So please, do take your time . ”
Take your time–
Cheolho brooded over the words . Soon, a soft smile formed on his face .
Sure .
* * *
He would have to cook new rice .
Cheol-ho wiped around the rice cooker, scraping the scorched rice out and putting the new rice in it .
He took out an earthen pot bowl, filling it with water and heating it . The water boiled quickly due to the strong stove top elements . Once half of the water started boiling he put in three spoons of soybean paste .
Cheol-ho was going to make soybean paste stew right away .
He would just add various ingredients while boiling the water .
In fact, this soybean paste stew had different recipes from house to house . Therefore, there were countless tastes and ways to make it .
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The method used by Cheol-ho gave an odd taste .
Cheol-ho used to boil the water for a long time after putting only soybean paste and vegetables in, without making broth . Then it tasted less delicious, but it was very thick, and therefore it tasted like a countryside dish with a scent of soybean paste .
Add zucchini, onion, and chopped peppers .
The point was to make it smell good as it boiled .
Cheol-ho had the belief that the reason soybean paste stew is delicious was because the smell of it cooking raised the expectations and whet the appetite .
White tofu would be used to decorate the top of the boiling earthen pot . Slice the tofu with care .
A savory aroma would rise, and waft from the kitchen to the table . Cheol-ho smiled in satisfaction, and began to prepare the side dishes .
Next up was fried belto eggs . One egg should be enough for two people .
sizzle~
By the time the Belto egg was fried , they would have enough time to make another side dish .
‘Let’s see . ’
In the freezer there was a “German fish”, left over from before . Cheol-ho skillfully slid the fried belto egg straight from the pan and onto a plate, and began to fry the oiled fish .
The kitchen grew alive with the harmony of fragrances . A rice cooker spouting steam, the savory scent of soybean stew, and a light yet delicious smell from the belto egg fries .
Finally, the smell of frying fish!
Cheol-ho fried the German fish with a smile on his face . Then he shrugged his shoulders .
Even if you didn’t want to, you would still hear their conversation .
“Don’t you know? It’s dangerous outside of Seoul . ”
“I know how to take care of my body . ”
That was funny . After the upheaval 10 years ago, even if a boss came out of the dungeon, the city was lawless . Seoul was still dangerous .
“You’ve grown a lot . Do you think you know how to give advice to adults, now?”
“Excuse me, I’m 30 years old now . You’re talking about your hometown, right?”
“Yeah . ”
“Huh . You’re a country hunk . If you go there, you’ll probably only be able to hold on for a few days before running away . ”
Cheol-ho laughed again while listening to their conversation .
They were like a father and a son .
Machangsa seemed childish as he complained to his father, and Cheon Tae-jung was delighted to care for his son .
That was nice .
Cheolho plated the perfectly well-done German fish .
The Soybean paste stew had equally cooked well, and the rice was also done .
Here we go .
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Now he would fill two bowls with rice .
Steam rose from the white rice as Cheolho breathed in the aroma that spread across the room .
Soybean paste stew, well-fried German fish, fried belto eggs, and, finally, radish kimchi will be today’s home cooked meal .
“Oh . ”
“Oh . ”
The two men were surprised .
Well, anyone would be surprised if they experienced Cheol-ho’s cooking skills .
‘It’s been so long since I’ve had a home-cooked meal . ’
He thought–
No matter how many delicious things there were in the world, Koreans always liked rice . He guessed the same applied to the two men .
Machangsa seemed to ponder something .
Soon he picked up the spoon and stuffed the white rice into his mouth .
He took a spoonful of soybean stew .
One more spoonful .
Woo-hoo! You can enjoy the lingering aftertaste of the hot rice and soybean paste stew even after swallowing it .
The salty and soybean paste-flavored stew taste harmonized perfectly with the rice, as a peerless match .
If you enjoyed it, of course , you gulp it down and swallow it .
When you swallow food and feel the warmth trickle down your throat , you just feel better , for no particular reason .
Machangsa began to eat .
Take a large slice of fried belto egg . Place it in a bowl, scoop out the thick soybean paste stew, and sprinkle it liberally over the top of the egg . Then, with radish kimchi on top, scoop a big spoonful into your mouth .
Machangsa was eating like he would be in big trouble if he didn’t finish in less than a minute .
Next was to try the grilled fish .
Machangsa skillfully removed the bones in the German fish with the careful application of his chopsticks around the fins, and picked up a big chunk of the flesh .
Looking around to see them eating, Cheol-ho asked “would you like some soy sauce and wasabi?”
Machangsa was chewing something, so instead of answering, he nodded happily .
Dip the wasabi in soy sauce and add it to the fish fillet before taking a big bite . Then take a big spoonful of rice and add some kimchi .
Cheon Tae-jung wasn’t eating, just looking at Machangsa in shared satisfaction .
At some point .
Machangsa jumped to his feet, gulping down the water in his glass in one swallow .
“Sir! Give me the same order again, please!”
“Yes?”
Cheol-ho looked over and his eyes widened with shock . Many of the side dishes had already disappeared . Machangsa had eaten them all up .
“Oh, okay . ”
Machangsa paid the bill, glaring at Cheon tae-jung, and ran! He left the store and threw up .
Cheol-ho could hear him running back there to retch .
Cheon Tae-jung stared blankly at him, scratching his head . He turned to Cheol-ho .
“I’m sorry, he’s still immature . ”
“What do you mean? It’s okay . ”
“Haha . ”
Cheon Tae-jung smiled apologetically and took out his cigarette . He then stopped himself, and apologized to Cheol-ho as if he had made a mistake .
“Oh, I’m sorry . Is smoking allowed here…?”
“It’s okay, because there are no other guests here . ”
Cheon Tae-jung nodded and clamped the cigarette in his mouth .
Cheol-ho was walking into the kitchen with an empty plate in his hand when Cheon Tae-jung spoke .
“It smells good . ”
“Yes?”
Turning his head, Cheon Tae-jung grinned .
“It smells good . The smell of cooking rice . It’s been a long time since I’ve smelt it . ”
“Thank you . ”
Cheon Tae-jung stared up at the sky above . He then lit the cigarette .
A long stream of smoke spurted out . Soon after, he spoke again .
“It was 30 years ago, when I came to Seoul . ”
Cheol-ho placed the empty bowl down on the table and seated himself .
“That’s a long time ago . ”
“Yeah . Come to think of it, it has been a long time . It’s felt as if the time passed in the blink of an eye . ”
He glanced at the thin twist of cigarette smoke and continued .
“When I left my hometown I thought I’d be able to return in no time . At the time, everyone was travelling to Seoul . I was going to Seoul to live . ”
Cheol-ho had a soft smile on his face .
He was curious about this old man’s wonderful story .