Chapter 6. A Bizarre Family Meeting
“A problem? What kind of problem?”
“I really, really want to get married too, but…”
Seol-young deliberately dragged out the end of her sentence.
She didn’t give him a clear answer and instead made a troubled expression, letting Doseok grow impatient.
“Why, Seol-young? Tell me. I’m ready to do anything you ask.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“…”
Seol-young took her time and slowly shook her head.
“What is it, Seol-young? We’re about to get married. There’s no need for secrets between us. Just tell me, okay?”
Every time he used phrases like “oppaa” and “our Seol-young,” she felt a surge of disgust.
But she simply sighed as if she felt sorry.
“The real reason I’m hesitating about marriage… is just one thing.”
“If it’s money, I’ll soon—”
“No, not at all. I can earn money myself. What are you talking about? I’m worried that I might become an obstacle to your acting career. That’s why.”
Doseok’s eyes widened.
He knew she was naïve and kind, but he clearly hadn’t expected this level of innocence.
“No way. Are you being an obstacle? Don’t worry about that. Of course, it would be better to reveal our marriage to my fandom and the media slowly… but honestly, I want to show you off everywhere.”
Fandom? Where?
Maybe after Couple Chef airs.
But right now?
Nothing.
And the media?
What media would even care about an unknown actor like you getting married?
There were so many things she wanted to say, but she had to endure it.
Holding back her laughter made her face grow hot.
She disguised the blush as excitement and emotion.
“Really? You’re the best. Still, I want to delay the marriage registration. We can do that after you become successful. And let’s only tell our families about the wedding. My mom, Doran, and…”
“And?”
Doseok raised one eyebrow.
Seol-young only had Eun-hwa as family, and he only had Doran.
There shouldn’t have been anyone else.
Then Seol-young’s eyes sparkled meaningfully.
“Your mother.”
A brief silence fell between them.
“…My mother? You mean… my mom?”
Doseok’s face stiffened.
Understandably so.
His mother was a shaman who had abandoned him and Doran long ago.
She even held a grudge against Doran—whose abilities far surpassed Doseok’s fake fortune-telling—and performed curse rituals against her every year.
She was completely insane.
“Yeah. Your mom. My future mother-in-law. I think both families should give their permission before a marriage.”
“Seol-young… I guess Doran didn’t tell you…”
Actually, she had.
She knew very well what kind of person his mother was.
A woman so terrible that even calling her “mother” felt wrong.
But Seol-young pretended not to know.
“Hmm? Tell me what?”
Seeing Seol-young’s bright, innocent face, Doseok found himself speechless.
“Before the wedding, let’s have a family meeting. I’ve already arranged to visit your mother.”
“What?!”
Doseok almost spat out the wine in his mouth.
“Well… I like you so much that I’ve even been keeping in touch with your mother. She’s living alone in the countryside these days and feels very lonely. So let’s go visit her first and greet her properly. Then we can get her permission and get married comfortably. What do you think? My idea is great, right?”
Seol-young looked excited, imagining his mother meeting her own.
If Eun-hwa met that woman face-to-face, she would never approve of their marriage.
Doseok swallowed nervously.
He had thought Ryu Seol-young—the pretty restaurant owner who made good money—was falling for him too easily.
But he hadn’t expected her to meddle like this.
“…Fine.”
Doseok trailed off and quickly changed the subject.
Before Seol-young met his mother and got shocked, he felt he needed to secure something first.
“By the way, Seol-young.”
“Hmm?”
“If we’re getting married, could you help me with something?”
“What is it? Of course I’ll help.”
Seol-young’s eyes sparkled as if she were eager to do anything for him.
“You remember I told you before—I’m going to appear on a cooking survival show soon.”
“…Yeah.”
So it finally comes.
Seol-young focused on his lips.
“Could you… lend me your recipe notebook?”
So that’s it.
Trying to obtain years of hard-earned knowledge with a single sentence.
Last time he stole it secretly.
Now he was trying the straightforward approach.
Seol-young made a slightly hurt expression.
“Oppa, I can give you something like that anytime!”
Her playful tone made Doseok genuinely impressed.
How can someone be this stupid? She just bites every bait I throw…
When he tried to pull her into a hug, Seol-young skillfully avoided his arms and suddenly asked a sharp question.
“But oppa, the show you’re appearing on… is it Couple Chef?”
“Huh?”
Doseok’s expression froze.
“How did you know that?”
“Oh, they contacted me too. And I heard they contacted a few other people around me.”
Doseok became tense.
He had already planned to appear on the show with Kwon Bo-yoon as his partner.
If Seol-young suddenly joined, it would cause problems.
“Are you going to participate?”
He asked carefully.
Seol-young answered cutely.
“I’m thinking about it.”
“Thinking…?”
“Yeah. Isn’t it a team competition with couples like a chef and an idol, or a chef and a soccer player? Cooking together, living together during filming… things like that. So part of me wants to join and be on the same team as you, oppa.”
“But?”
Without realizing it, Doseok swallowed nervously.
“But I’m not a chef trained at a royal culinary academy like Bo-yoon. I don’t know if I can even call myself a chef. And I’m worried about whether I’d do well.”
Doseok sighed with relief.
“Why worry about that? Sure, there will be strong competitors. But if you’re lucky, you might pass the first round.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Sometimes familiar and affordable flavors become surprisingly popular.”
Affordable flavors?
Talking about my cooking like that?
Seol-young nearly laughed.
But she only smiled lightly—just enough that Doseok wouldn’t notice the mockery.
The time for a bigger laugh would come later.
“I see. Then I’ll think about it a little more.”
“You’re not really going to participate, right?”
“No way. What if we end up competing against each other? I’d hate that.”
“Right, right. Why would we fight? We’re destined for each other.”
“Yeah. That’s right. Destined.”
Seol-young slowly repeated his words while grinding her teeth inside.
You’re the thief of my fate.
And I will catch you.
* * *
A few days before filming for Couple Chef was scheduled to begin—
Seol-young traveled with Doseok and Eun-hwa toward a shrine near Mount Jiri.
The place was run by Doseok’s biological mother.
In other words, what Seol-young was about to do was a bizarre family meeting at a shaman’s house.
“Oppa, aren’t you excited?”
“…Excited? About what?”
Doseok forced himself to keep a neutral expression.
But frankly, his face looked miserable.
He worried his shaman mother might say something strange.
Yet Seol-young insisted that they had to meet her first before the marriage—and before she would give him the recipe notebook.
So he couldn’t refuse.
That woman, Ryu Seol-young… she seems completely obsessed with me, but she’s stubborn about the weirdest things. What an annoying girl…
“Oppa, I’m really excited. I get to meet my future mother-in-law, and I’ll also pray for your program to succeed.”
“Oh… prayer. Yeah, that wouldn’t hurt.”
