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.
‘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.
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.
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.
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.
‘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.
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.
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.
