Cheat day

A Small Person (1)

The next morning.

I woke up to some noise and saw Muk Eun-ji dressed for going out, squinting in front of the vanity.

Checking the time, it was just a little past 7 AM.

Since we were both exhausted yesterday and went to bed right after washing up, I couldn’t figure out where she was planning to go at this early hour.

“Eun-ji?”

“…Have you woken up?”

“What are you doing?”

“I didn’t manage to find out the supermarket opening time. That was my oversight.”

“Huh?”

Then I remembered that I had told her to prepare for breakfast yesterday before we went to sleep.

“You can just go later.”

“I’ve been making this kind of mistake a lot lately.”

“It’s something you’re not used to, so it’s only natural. Plus, you’ve been busy with work lately.”

I moved closer and hugged her.

“Thank you for still thinking of me during all this.”

Muk Eun-ji gently turned her head away and pushed my face away.

“Brush your teeth.”

“Okay.”

After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I took out the kale juice and sandwiches I had prepared yesterday.

“Ottugi has decided to commercialize the product.”

“Wasn’t that a perk for the winner?”

The final winner of the Korean Food Praise receives start-up funding along with various benefits, including commercialization of their signature dish.

“Yes. But it seems they particularly liked the winning dish from Round 3. They’re proceeding separately.”

“That’s great. The more products Chan-yong has, the better.”

That’s because he gets paid for advertising per product.

What was initially planned as one has now increased to two, so there’s room to negotiate a higher advertising fee, even if it’s not double.

Muk Eun-ji wouldn’t let that slip by.

“How was the shoot?”

“Well, there was a crisis in the middle, but it turned out fine.”

“A crisis?”

“Yes. Park Sung-chil made stir-fried octopus, but it was way too spicy.”

“That must have been difficult to judge.”

“Yeah. Plus, it was so stimulating that it affected the food being judged afterward.”

“Such happenings are not uncommon in competition programs.”

That was Muk Eun-ji’s unique way of comforting me.

“But this Lee Chan-seok guy has a way of speaking…”

She paused to find the right expression.

“He’s kind of rude.”

“A character with sharp remarks can actually help a show’s popularity.”

“He really rubbed me the wrong way.”

Muk Eun-ji set her sandwich down.

“What did Lee Chan-seok say to Chan-yong?”

Thinking it was the right moment, I snitched about what had happened yesterday, and Muk Eun-ji’s face turned scary.

“Good job. There’s no need to take that kind of talk.”

“Right? I did well, didn’t I?”

“You did well. Do you want more juice?”

“Yes.”

Muk Eun-ji shared her kale juice with me.

“What about you, Eun-ji? What happened yesterday?”

“I met Manager Hwang Ji-seok.”

“…Who is that?”

“He’s from the Ministry of Health.”

It seems they were working on a diabetes prevention campaign and promoting pediatric diabetes.

“I wanted to meet directly as soon as possible, so I’m coordinating the schedule. How about tomorrow or the day after in the morning?”

Since I didn’t have any special plans in the morning, I was going to suggest scheduling for tomorrow, but suddenly, I remembered Haim.

“The day after works better for me. I have an appointment tomorrow.”

Muk Eun-ji blinked.

She seemed puzzled that I had an appointment she didn’t know about since she manages my schedule.

“Oh. Haim asked me to have lunch with him.”

“…Choco Haim?”

I never imagined Muk Eun-ji would make such a wordplay, and I burst out laughing.

“No, I mean the singer Haim.”

Muk Eun-ji’s eyes widened.

“Have you gotten close?”

“It feels more one-sided than close. He’s very sociable.”

“He has a good reputation. It’s better to maintain relationships as much as possible.”

Muk Eun-ji hesitated mid-sentence.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. I misspoke.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was about to suggest to Chan-yong that he should evaluate people based on their benefits. It might be good in the short term, but in the long run, it wouldn’t be beneficial for Chan-yong.”

Muk Eun-ji exhaled and shook her head.

“I misthought this. Please don’t worry about it.”

Muk Eun-ji seems to be human too.

In fact, anyone would want to form a connection with a celebrity like Haim.

Just being acquaintances would allow for conversations anywhere, and if one were in the broadcasting industry like me, they could also get help.

Especially since Haim himself approached me.

But she quickly realized that this was not right and rejected the idea, which I found commendable.

I used to think that Muk Eun-ji was always a person who made the right decisions.

Now I understand that she is an ordinary person who still strives to walk the right path despite that.

She’s much more admirable than my first impression of her.

“How do you do it every day?”

“What do you mean?”

“How do you manage to charm me every time?”

Muk Eun-ji frowned.

Her expression seemed to ask what I was talking about, but soon we both burst out laughing.

“Anyway, how was your meeting with the manager?”

“The editing and scriptwriting were the same as usual.”

“You learned to cook from Ji-seok, right?”

“That’s a secret.”

It seems I won’t be able to find out what dishes she learned until after we go grocery shopping.

***

I went to the neighborhood supermarket, which was said to have a good selection and opens earlier than most places, selling vegetables and meats.

As I entered the supermarket, the two owners greeted us.

Muk Eun-ji was alternating between her phone and the shelves, putting garlic, green onions, king oyster mushrooms, and butter into her basket.

I was mesmerized by how pretty she looked doing that when she turned around, and one product caught my eye.

“Hmm?”

It was a chocolate pie with a crimson background labeled “Summer.”

“I didn’t know they had this!”

I hadn’t even looked at the snacks while shopping this year, so I didn’t know about it.

As I got closer, it said it was a 2023 summer limited edition.

It seems the summer release didn’t sell out, so there’s still some stock left.

“I was surprised it was gone.”

Muk Eun-ji approached me.

She must have been momentarily distracted by the watermelon-flavored chocolate pie.

“Look at this! It’s watermelon flavor. Can you imagine?”

“No, I can’t.”

“Right?”

“I meant you shouldn’t eat it.”

She glanced between me and the watermelon chocolate pie, then firmly stated,

“It’s off-limits, even if your blood sugar is stable. Don’t forget about Cha Ji-chan.”

Cha Ji-chan, who had gone on a donut binge and saw his blood sugar soar, popped into my mind.

It seems it’s hard to resist stimulating foods after being on a strict diet for a long time.

“That may be true…”

“For any reason, you can’t. Health comes first.”

“Well, the writer Song No-eul actually hinted at that yesterday. She said I’ve lost a lot of weight lately and that I don’t look the same as before. She suggested I maintain my body shape for the time being.”

“I must admit your excuse is quite creative. But a no is a no.”

“Really?”

“No.”

“……”

I looked at the box of chocolate pie with a watermelon design.

“How about a review content?”

“It’s strange to review a summer limited product in fall, and most importantly, the viewers wouldn’t want to see it.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s about a diabetic eating sweets.”

As I pondered if there was something I could argue, Muk Eun-ji once again stepped in resolutely.

“No matter what you say, you can’t.”

“That’s true.”

I have to let go of my lingering feelings.

There are countless delicious things in the world besides this.

Today, since Muk Eun-ji is going to cook for me, that will probably be the most delicious food in the world.

***

When I returned, Muk Eun-ji told me not to step into the kitchen.

I was a little worried, but decided to trust her and checked the schedule she organized in my study while hastily replying to some work-related messages.

After that, I worked on the lecture materials for a talk at my alma mater next week. I revised them several times because I thought they might come off as too preachy.

After about three hours of this, I felt thirsty and went outside, only to be greeted by the rich aroma of butter wafting through the house.

“Oh.”

“You’re not supposed to look.”

“I couldn’t help it.”

The dining table and countertop were cluttered with ingredients and plastic bags.

It seems she doesn’t realize she should clean up a bit while cooking.

Seeing her sweat profusely in front of the stove made me feel a mix of guilt, gratitude, and joy.

“The smell is amazing.”

While speaking, I began to sneakily tidy up the trash.

I was curious about what she might be making with king oyster mushrooms, garlic, green onions, soy sauce, and oyster sauce.

The aroma was so enticing that I was filled with anticipation.

“I’ve made the lecture materials; I’d like you to take a look.”

“You made them already?”

It seemed she didn’t realize that three hours had passed. It didn’t seem like a dish that would take many ingredients, but perhaps it took longer because she wasn’t used to it.

“Did I do it quickly? There wasn’t much to write.”

“What’s the title of the lecture?”

“It’s called ‘A 34-Year-Old Successful Old Fogey’s Bragging Session.’”

Muk Eun-ji, who had been focused on the frying pan, turned around.

Her expression was one of disbelief.

“Isn’t it the truth?”

I shrugged, and she let out a chuckle.

“They asked how I could succeed, but honestly, I don’t know either. If I say I worked hard, everyone says the same. Saying I did what I loved feels too cliché. So I just wrote it as it is.”

“And?”

“It turned out to be bragging. If that’s the case, I might as well call it bragging from the start. It’s not some grand lecture anyway.”

“Such honesty is probably one of the reasons.”

After putting the leftover food in the refrigerator, I turned around to find some items in the shopping basket that hadn’t been organized yet.

As I pulled them out one by one, I couldn’t help but smile.

I wasn’t supposed to look at what she bought, so I had to wait outside when she checked out, but there was a box of watermelon-flavored chocolate pies in the basket.

I chuckled to myself, wondering if she’d give me one if I cleaned the bathroom or something when Muk Eun-ji turned around.

“When did you buy this?”

“I bought it for myself. Don’t even think about it.”

“Okay, I won’t. It says it’s even better frozen.”

“Just put it in the freezer. I’ll check if it’s opened.”

“Sure.”

I laughed as I put the chocolate pie in the freezer.

Then Muk Eun-ji placed today’s dish on the dining table.

“Oh.”

The beautifully grilled king oyster mushrooms glistened with a sheen.

The careful knife cuts, though unfamiliar, were impressive, and the seasoning made with green onions, garlic, soy sauce, and oyster sauce looked quite appealing.

“Please try it.”

Muk Eun-ji offered the dish with an unusually tense expression.

“I’ll enjoy it.”

I placed an entire grilled mushroom in my mouth.

The fragrant butter aroma combined with the umami of the soy sauce and oyster sauce filled my palate.

Thanks to the densely cut scores, the texture of the mushroom was remarkably enhanced, and it was astonishingly tender.

“Wow.”

I was taken aback.

“You’re a genius! Eun-ji, you’re a genius! How can this be so delicious?”

“Is it okay?”

“No! Saying it’s okay doesn’t do it justice. This is genuinely perfect. It’s so delicious. You’re truly a genius.”

After another bite, my eyes widened in surprise.

In my excitement, I pumped my fists up and down, and Muk Eun-ji smiled as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.