Cheat day

An Amazing Person (1)

The gaze looking at me wavers.

“Chan-yong, you always serve me delicious dishes, but I can’t do the same.”

It seems that this is bothering him more than I thought.

“That’s not true. I always mess up the laundry, but you sort it out well and even iron it for me.”

“That’s because you dyed your white sweatshirt and underwear red.”

I never imagined that those cheap red pants I bought to wear at home would bleed so much.

“Exactly. That’s why you take care of it.”

I held Muk-ji’s hand.

“You once said that I’m 1.5 servings and you’re 0.5 servings, so together we make 2 servings. I was really touched by that.”

“……”

“Even if we’re incomplete, being together makes us whole. Isn’t that beautiful?”

“That’s true.”

“So, there’s no need to feel down about being a bit clumsy in the kitchen. I can handle the cooking.”

“I hope you enjoy the meals I prepare.”

“And you are enjoying them, right?”

As I picked up some pork belly and smiled, Muk-ji squinted his eyes before breaking into laughter.

“As a judge for the Korean Food Appreciation program, how would you rate today’s meal?”

“Of course, it’s a perfect 10.”

“I feel strange.”

“Why?”

“Even though I know it’s a lie, I’m still happy.”

“It’s not a lie!”

I took a bite of the pork belly topped with kimchi.

“But have you decided on a car yet?”

“I like the white Sportage Hybrid. I’m still debating the options.”

“I think it’s better to add one or two necessary options to the highest trim.”

“That would raise the price too much.”

“But you’ll be using it for a long time. Why not?”

After finishing the meal, Muk-ji and I logged onto the Kia Motors website.

Setting up the Sportage Hybrid and checking out the highest trim, I saw there were four options available.

“I don’t need a sunroof, built-in cam, or speakers.”

“I can get the black box as a service, but not adding the others might leave you wishing you had.”

“I’m fine with that.”

“Then what about the monitoring pack?”

Muk-ji fell into thought.

“Seeing you use the surround-view monitor, it seems convenient, but it costs 990,000 won. Since the rear monitor is a basic option with this trim, I wonder if it’s necessary to add it.”

“Didn’t you say it was good?”

Pointing to the remote smart parking assistance and remote 360-degree view options, he hesitated again.

It feels like we’ve been pondering this for a month.

“At least this one seems fine. It’s your first car.”

“Is that so?”

“If you don’t add it and end up scratching another car, that could cost 990,000 won. I think it’s better to include all safety options.”

“That’s true.”

After thinking for a moment, he nodded.

“It would be better to include it.”

Moving on, we could select accessories.

“I don’t need any.”

He really is a resolute person.

***

Wednesday.

Before heading to work, I visited the leasing company.

Fortunately, they had the vehicle with the desired options, so I bought it right away, and Muk-ji looked shocked.

“I didn’t expect to receive it this quickly.”

“Well, it’s a lease. I was lucky they had the options I wanted.”

“I need to look into training quickly.”

Since it would take a week for delivery, he seemed anxious.

Entering the office, I was preparing materials for the roundtable discussion tomorrow when Muk-ji knocked on the door.

“Yes?”

“I received a call from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Diabetes Association.”

“……What?”

I doubted my ears.

“The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Diabetes Association have proposed that you participate in a diabetes prevention campaign and serve as an ambassador for juvenile diabetes awareness.”

I was at a loss for words, blinking in disbelief as Muk-ji held out an official document in front of me.

“Is this real?”

“Now you’re really becoming the diabetes guy.”

I burst into laughter, incredulous.

“Wait, is this for real? Why?”

“The number of diabetes patients has been steadily increasing, so the need for prevention and education has been consistently raised. There have been ambassadors for diabetes prevention, and it seems the proposal came to you this time.”

“Isn’t this something celebrities do?”

“There are many cases where sports stars and other famous individuals lead such campaigns. You are qualified enough.”

Staring at the document, I lifted my head.

“Is there no payment for this?”

“In the past, we often provided a signing fee, but the government budget guidelines state that it’s unpaid. We don’t need to create potential issues.”

“So what should I do about this?”

“You should do it.”

Muk-ji replied firmly.

“Of course, the schedule is tight right now, but this kind of thing will enhance Chan-yong’s image in the long run. It’s more effective than an immediate 20 million won advertisement from a long-term perspective.”

“Hmm. It’s a good cause, so I’m inclined to do it, but it feels overwhelming.”

“There’s a famous line from the movie you suggested we watch together: ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’”

That line is from the Spider-Man movie we watched together last month.

“If you promote diabetes awareness through events or videos, it will certainly raise awareness among some people. I believe Chan-yong has the power to do that, and you must do it for yourself as well.”

“After you say that, I feel like I’m an amazing person.”

“You are an amazing person.”

I can’t express how happy I am to have someone who says this to me. Muk-ji often thinks about what she receives, but I feel happiness and self-esteem through her.

“Okay, I’ll do it.”

Muk-ji nodded and stepped outside.

A diabetes prevention campaign and an ambassador for juvenile diabetes awareness. As Muk-ji said, I’ve truly become the diabetes guy.

***

The third filming day of Korean Food Appreciation.

I arrived early at the filming location and opened the waiting room door to find Judge Ham Seok-ho already there.

“Hello.”

“Hello.”

Judge Ham immediately shifted his attention to the paperwork.

As someone who operates several establishments, he likely doesn’t have much time, but he comes to the Korean Food Appreciation filming days earlier than anyone else to prepare for recording.

This shows that he takes this program as seriously as the contestants do.

I also reviewed the list I had prepared.

The production team provided names, regions of origin, specialties, and other information, and I felt I needed to know at least this much to judge fairly.

For example, the current overall score leader, Mr. Sadewon, sells mussel rice in Seosan and is well-known as a popular restaurant in the area.

Or that Mr. Gu Yeon-ja, who ranks fourth overall, operates a cod soup restaurant in Yongsan that has been recognized as a beloved eatery for two generations.

Indeed, both of them scored significantly in the first round (seafood) with their mussel rice and cod soup, respectively.

Thus, I felt the need to familiarize myself with all relevant information, but as the competition progressed, new details emerged.