Chapter 30
. The Feeling of Meeting a Korean Abroad
Behind the DK Foods building sat “Original Grandma’s Hand-Crafted Pork Soup.”
Hana and Siwan were sitting across from each other, slightly awkward.
They had arrived a little later than planned because of a slight commotion earlier—but that turned out to be a good thing.
Around noon, the place had been packed, but by the time Hana walked in at 12:30, the crowd had poured out.
Thanks to that, they were able to sit down right away without waiting.
Hana beamed and slid open the drawer beside the table.
“We’re lucky. Manager Oh said that if you come here for lunch, you usually have to wait at least ten to twenty minutes.”
Hana was a regular here too—though a dinner regular.
When she worked late, she would come alone for pork soup.
Our tastes are kind of similar, Hana thought with a strange sense of pride.
To be brought to a “really good place” only to find out it was her own go-to spot… it was like unexpectedly running into a fellow Korean while on a business trip abroad—not at some tourist attraction, but in a random alley.
It made her feel warm, like she wanted to be friendly, helpful, maybe even closer.
The commotion in the lobby earlier didn’t matter anymore.
Right now, the only thing Hana cared about was how Siwan would eat his pork soup.
When she set out the spoons and chopsticks, Siwan finally realized he’d been sitting there in a daze.
He quickly got up and headed for the water dispenser. On the wall, in large, aggressive red letters, was written: <WATER IS SELF-SERVE>.
While filling a stainless steel cup, Siwan glanced at Hana.
Even after all that had just happened, how could she still smile like that?
Suddenly, the image of Chae Su-hwa’s venomous face, shouting as she stormed out, flashed in his mind.
Ugh, that temper.
If he had to compare, Su-hwa was a venom-filled viper; Hana was a chirping chick.
He didn’t know the reason, but it was obvious Su-hwa was targeting Hana. If she wanted, she could swallow Hana in one bite.
Siwan could almost hear Hana’s panicked peep-peep as she got eaten.
That was why, watching her now, he made a decision.
I’ll protect her.
Then he paused.
Protect her? Why? What’s my relationship with Ju Hana?
He’d never seen Su-hwa so furious before, but instead of calming her down, he had sided with Hana.
It wasn’t like him—completely irrational.
It was as if the logical part of his brain had broken, making him act and decide on instinct.
He narrowed his eyes and studied Hana.
She had finished setting the table and was now tapping her fingers on it like playing the piano.
Oh? She even put a napkin under the spoon?
And not just flat—she had folded it into a pretty tulip.
Had Su-hwa ever done that when eating with him? No, she usually just tried to make him eat whatever she didn’t want.
Finally, Siwan found justification for his behavior.
Ju Hana is the person who packed me lunch.
And not just any lunch—lunch that he, someone with an eating disorder, could eat deliciously.
That was nothing less than a blessing.
One of his father Do Myung-jin’s many convictions was: “A person who doesn’t repay kindness is no better than a beast.” Siwan fully agreed.
Right. I’m just repaying a favor.
While thinking that, the owner—Grandma of “Original Grandma’s Pork Soup”—tapped him on the arm.
Her snowy white perm was so voluminous it almost looked like a white broccoli at first glance.
Her face was full of wrinkles, but they were the kind that formed from smiling, giving her a naturally warm look.
She gazed at Siwan as if looking at her grandson.
For someone with an eating disorder like Siwan, foods that could be eaten quickly were the best.
Whenever he couldn’t avoid surveillance from Seo Wan-goo, he would often come here for pork soup. He and Grandma didn’t talk much, but they always greeted each other warmly.
Grandma asked with a knowing smile,
“Your girlfriend’s that good, huh?”
“Huh?”
Startled, he looked at her, and she pointed to his hand.
“The water’s overflowing.”
“Ah!”
The water from the dispenser had filled the cup and was spilling onto the floor.
Siwan quickly pulled his hand back.
“Sorry, ma’am. If you give me a rag, I’ll clean it up.”
She chuckled and patted his arm.
“Don’t bother. That’s the staff’s job. You just go take care of your girlfriend. You were staring at her so hard you didn’t even notice the water.”
Siwan lowered his voice so Hana wouldn’t hear.
“Ah, no… she’s not my girlfriend.”
“What do you mean? I could see the hearts popping out of your eyes.”
“Ahem… no, it’s a misunderstanding.”
Grandma gave him an incredulous look.
“What? She’s not even your girlfriend yet, and you brought her here? What, you’re not planning to woo her?”
Every time the word girlfriend came out of her mouth, Siwan’s shoulders twitched.
“No, it’s just that…”
“Ah, I get it. She’s your… what do they call it? A ‘some girl’? If you’re eating with her, you should be at a sushi place or something. Who brings someone to pork soup?”
“She said she doesn’t like sushi… and she’s not even a ‘some.’ It’s not like that, so please keep it down…”
Seeing him nervously glancing at Hana, Grandma burst out laughing.
“Let me give you some advice as a woman.”
“Yes?”
“If you keep hesitating, some braver guy will swoop in and steal her.”
“No, seriously, we’re not—”
Grandma waved her hand dismissively.
“Enough talk. Eat. You two look so fresh together. I’ll give you some extra boiled pork slices on the house—make some points with her.”
“No, really—”
“I really like Hana, you know? If you’re going to woo her, don’t do it half-heartedly—do it properly.”
It wasn’t a religious statement—Grandma genuinely liked Hana more than her own granddaughter.
Hana was adorably cute, ate heartily, could put away more food than most men without gaining weight—round-faced but with a slim frame, meaning she was diligent.
Plus, she always said “It’s delicious” with genuine enthusiasm.
She always came alone, yet boldly ordered an entire plate of boiled pork slices for herself—that too, Grandma liked.
And, just a little, Hana reminded her of a Maltese she had raised when she was younger.
While Siwan stood there speechless, Grandma shoved him toward the table.
“I’ll put in the orders for you and Hana the usual way. Now go.”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
When he sat back down, Hana asked curiously,
“What did you and the owner talk about for so long?”
She meant exactly what she said—but to Siwan’s ears, it sounded like,
“So you left me sitting here alone while you had a nice chat with the owner?”
“S-sorry. She just said you’re a regular here too.”
“Ah… oh. Right…”
Hana’s face stiffened slightly.
Wait… she didn’t tell him I always come alone and order pork soup with an extra plate of boiled pork, did she?
What if he thinks I’m a glutton?!
While Hana was worrying about that, Siwan was worrying about something else.
She didn’t overhear the whole ‘girlfriend’ nonsense, did she?
Soon, Grandma rolled out a cart.
“Alright, both of you ordered offal pork soup, right?”
Hana didn’t like putting rice directly into the soup. She couldn’t handle piping-hot food, and if the rice was in the soup, it would get too hot.
So when she saw the steel bowl of rice and the earthenware bowl of rice-less pork soup in front of Siwan, her chest gave a strange little twinge.
He eats pork soup the same way I do…
Grandma set down a plate of boiled pork slices with a proud tilt of her chin.
“Here. On the house. You’re both regulars—get along well.”
Hana’s eyes sparkled as she looked up at her.
“Wow, thank you! I’ll come more often, ma’am.”
Grandma chuckled.
“Sure, but come in the evening as usual—it’s too busy during the day. If you two come together, I’ll give you a double portion for the regular price.”
Then she pressed down on Siwan’s shoulder.
“Got it?”
“Huh?”
When he looked at her, Grandma winked blatantly.
“You know, like that little winged brat with the bow and arrow…”
“Aaaah! Yes, ma’am!”
He deliberately raised his voice to drown her out.
Grandma, unwilling to lose, gave him a thumbs-up and winked again.
