Cheat day

Success (2)

After finishing the commercial shoot for the “Spicy Soup Bread,” which was a product based on the bread made by Ji-seung at the Korean Food Praise, I returned home close to 2 AM.

Park Ha-im said he had a packed schedule, sleeping and eating in the car, and today, I was in the same situation.

Even though I had been consistently exercising to build my stamina, I wondered how he managed to endure all that.

After showering, I collapsed onto the sofa when I heard the bathroom door of the master bedroom open.

Mukunji came out after applying something and sat down next to me.

I offered him a cool drink of water, and he gulped it down.

“Good job today.”

“No, you worked hard, Chanyong.”

We both fell silent for a moment.

We were tired from working all day, and I felt like I would fall asleep on the sofa if I stayed sitting like this, so I got up.

“Chanyong.”

“Yes?”

“I have something I want to do tomorrow.”

It was the 24th.

Since I had been pushing my work forward to clear the 24th and 25th, I had some free time.

We had decided to take a break from filming “Baekban” on the 25th, and I had planned a trip to Cheongyang-gun for the ice festival.

“Of course. What is it?”

“I want to go to a restaurant.”

I was so surprised that I couldn’t close my mouth.

I had been working hard to stay healthy, but this was the first time Mukunji had so actively expressed a desire to eat something.

“Let’s go! I don’t care where it is; we’re going! Where is it?”

“Here.”

Mukunji showed me his smartphone.

It was a restaurant in Seoul, and he had already made a reservation for 6 PM.

It overlapped with our travel plans, and I hesitated for a moment, but what was there to think about?

If Mukunji wanted to eat it, we had to go.

“You even made a reservation? Then we should definitely go.”

“You’ve worked hard to prepare for the trip; is it okay?”

“Of course. We can go on the trip another time.”

“And one more thing.”

I nodded as if to say he could say anything.

“I want you to broadcast it.”

My mouth fell open again.

“Why?”

“I think as much as you care about this Christmas, I do too. It’s my first Christmas with my boyfriend.”

There must be a reason for asking me to broadcast it despite that.

“Last year, I spent Christmas looking at the side dish store. I laughed a lot watching you dress up as a polar bear and getting scolded by your mom.”

I recalled last year’s memories.

“There will be someone like me again this year.”

“…….”

“Didn’t you realize today at the juvenile diabetes campaign how many people you inspire?”

“…….”

“I’m satisfied with a wonderful meal, so please broadcast it.”

Mukunji must have been looking forward to Christmas just as much as I was.

Yet the reason he wanted to send me in front of the camera was that the side dish store had grown so much.

It provided accurate information to diabetes patients and shared their struggles.

It had become a broadcast where people could forget about their intense daily lives, even if just for a moment.

He meant for me to continue that expectation and joy.

“Sometimes, it feels burdensome. No, it often does.”

Mukunji hugged me.

“The reason I can continue to stand in front of the camera isn’t because of responsibility. I don’t think I’m a great person.”

His arms tightened around me.

“The reason I broadcast is that it’s fun. There’s really no other meaning. It’s fun, so I’ve been able to keep doing it. If I did it out of responsibility, it wouldn’t last long.”

“Chanyong.”

“I’m careful with my words and check whether the information is accurate. I have a sense of responsibility regarding that. I know how much influence my words and actions have.”

I looked at Mukunji as I spoke.

“So, this Christmas will be the same. I’ll just do it like usual.”

We hugged each other tightly.

“I have one request.”

“What is it?”

“I want to be with Eun-ji all the time.”

“Don’t you do that usually?”

“When we’re broadcasting, we’re in different rooms.”

“…….”

“Do you want to broadcast together? Then we can be together.”

“No, thank you.”

“You don’t want to?”

“No.”

I don’t know what Mukunji’s MBTI is, but it’s definitely T and J.

***

I checked in advance, and since there wasn’t much parking space, I took a taxi.

The restaurant Mukunji found served French home cooking and was located near Namyeong Station.

As soon as I got out of the taxi, I spotted a small shop with a white sign.

When I opened the door to R Restaurant, the owner greeted us warmly.

After climbing a narrow staircase on the right, the shoe rack was the first thing I saw.

After organizing my shoes and looking around the inside, a cozy space welcomed us.

Christmas carols played softly, and a music video of the carol was playing on the screen across from us.

In the middle of our table, there was a small tree decorated, and the chairs were dressed in red stockings, creating a festive Christmas atmosphere.

“It’s a cute place.”

“It is cute.”

Since we were the only customers, it seemed like we could eat comfortably without worrying about anyone else.

“I’ll prepare the bread.”

“Thank you.”

The owner brought us four small pieces of bread. The outer layer was slightly tough, while the inside was chewy and warm, making me feel good.

After a leisurely wait, they brought out the entrées.

It was called the “Treasure Box of Square Jelly,” a dish developed by the chef here.

“The salad tastes great when you put the bread in it,” the owner said.

“Thank you.”

Looking at the menu, it mentioned that various foods were placed inside jelly made from carrageenan. I was looking forward to what it would taste like.

1

I crushed the jelly box with my fork and took a bite.

It was a bit closer to jelly than the traditional Korean “muk,” but it wasn’t completely jelly.

The texture was somewhere between muk and jelly, and true to its name “treasure box,” it contained various foods.

I could recognize the salmon and eggs, but I wasn’t exactly sure what the other items were.

“How is it, Eun-ji?”

When I looked up, Mukunji had a perplexed expression on her face.

The first dish she ordered was “Salad Gourmand with Smoked Duck.”

2

According to the menu, it was a dish that paired duck smoked with beechwood with various vegetables and pork belly.

It was dressed with balsamic vinegar and salt, but it seemed it didn’t suit her palate.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“It’s salty.”

After taking a small bite with my fork, I could definitely taste the saltiness. I recalled what the owner had said about eating it with the bread.

I cut the bread in half with a knife, added some smoked duck and vegetables, and handed it to Mukunji.

She inspected it carefully, took a cautious bite, and then nodded her head.

Her expression brightened.

“How is it?”

“This is how you’re supposed to eat it. It’s delicious.”

This time, Mukunji made me a sandwich.

The aroma of the smoked duck between the warm bread was incredibly luxurious.

“Eun-ji, you should try this too.”

When I offered her some of the jelly treasure box, she only took a small bite from the end.

She furrowed her brows and tilted her head in confusion.

So cute.

“What flavor is it?”

“You have to eat it together. Try more.”

Mukunji scooped up a big spoonful of the ingredients inside and nodded.

“Is it okay?”

“It’s not to my taste.”

Her firm attitude is also adorable.

The next dish was a tenderloin steak.

The sauce looked unusual, and I was surprised at how delicious it was compared to any steak sauce I had ever tried.

“Eun-ji, try this. It’s really delicious.”

“I have my own.”

“If you don’t eat this, you’ll regret it.”

“I won’t regret it.”

“Quickly!”

As I cut the steak and piled on some sauce, Mukunji opened her mouth.

When I fed it to her, her eyes widened in surprise.

“What sauce is this?”

“I’ve never had it before. It tastes like pepper sauce.”

Checking the menu, it read “Sauce au poivre.”

“It’s a pepper sauce made with cognac and white wine. It’s so good.”

I cut off another piece of meat and offered it to Mukunji.

This time, she accepted it without a word, so it must have been really good.

The French fries were also so delicious that I was in awe when Mukunji made a sound of enjoyment.

“Is it good?”

“It’s good.”

Mukunji’s second dish was “Seafood Choucroute,” a dish from the coastal regions of France.

It was introduced as a dish with cabbage marinated in white wine for over two weeks, along with clams, cod, and shrimp.

Mukunji scooped out some cod, clams, and pickled cabbage for me.

The cod skin was perfectly crispy, while the inside was unbelievably tender.

The strong-flavored pickled cabbage complemented it wonderfully; it was definitely a taste I had never experienced before.

Since it was my first time at a French restaurant, it wasn’t surprising.

“I think I like French cuisine.”

“I was curious since I hadn’t tried it before.”

I gave Mukunji more steak and fries.

As we continued our meal while chatting, the owner came up to check if we needed anything else.

Since we were almost finished with our main dishes, I asked for dessert.

“How did you find this place?”

“I wanted to eat something special.”

“Something special for a special person on a special day?”

“Not at all.”

This person definitely has a T personality.

“Here’s your dessert.”

The owner brought over a beautiful dessert.

I had vanilla ice cream with brownies and crème anglaise.

Mukunji received a tart made with fruits.

Mukunji took out her phone to take a picture, seemingly enamored by the plating that resembled plum or cherry blossoms made with syrup.

I had simply ordered rooibos tea from Frère, and even as someone not well-versed in tea, I found it enjoyable.

“Wow. That was really good.”

“I should walk a bit before going home.”

I wondered if the course meal would be too much, but as expected, Mukunji had given me about half of her food.

Thanks to that, I felt like my stomach was going to burst.

“Thank you for bringing me to such a nice place.”

“Thank you for coming with me.”

After holding hands and enjoying the moment for a bit, we got up.

After putting on my coat and shoes, we went downstairs, where the owner greeted us.

“Did you enjoy your meal?”

“It was delicious. Thank you. I really enjoyed it.”

“Oh, take this with you.”

He handed us a paper basket with the bread that had been served before the meal.

Such generosity.

“Thank you.”

When I opened the door and stepped outside, snow was falling gently.

I looked up at the sky in a daze, and Mukunji, who followed me out, quietly took my hand.

“Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.”

When I lowered my gaze, Mukunji was smiling brightly.

Feeling happy, I tucked my hand into my pocket and started walking slowly.