Chapter 14
Since Jeong Heena arrived in Jinhong-ri, her mood had fluctuated dozens of times a day. Even though their relationship was clearly over, it felt like something unresolved was lingering between them.
It wasn’t as carefree as when they went to school together as children, nor as exciting as when they first started dating, nor was it a mix of comfort and excitement like when they were long-term lovers. It was a situation and emotion she had never experienced before, so she couldn’t clearly define it.
Kissing Jeong Heena as she was about to go home was his attempt to unravel that mystery.
“You’ve become even more delicious since I last saw you.”
Heena blushed at those words, then breathed heavily.
No matter how long they had dated, Jeong Heena’s actions and words were unpredictable. This time was no different. Just as he was getting curious about her reaction, Heena suddenly grabbed him by the collar.
“H-how dare you say that to your noona!”
“You’re not my noona.”
“Then it’s really a big deal!”
“It’s not a big deal, yet you’re grabbing my collar like this.”
“You never back down, do you?”
“You’re one to talk.”
Heena, biting her lower lip, glared at Yohan, then abruptly threw his collar away and ran to her house. Seeing her glancing back as she ran, as if someone was chasing her, Yohan chuckled.
✦⋆🍒.₊ ⊹
─I heard from Dad. You decided to renovate Grandpa’s house instead of selling it.
The next morning, it was Jeong Heetae’s call that woke her up. Heena mumbled a response with her toothbrush in her mouth.
“Yeah.”
─Renovate it and rent it out. You’re not going to live there permanently, are you?
“I thought it would be nice for the family to visit sometimes. Or we could rent it out.”
─Who would rent a place in that remote countryside? If the family goes on a trip, we’ll go abroad, who would go all the way down there?
Even her father, her grandfather’s biological son, had simply said, “Okay, let’s do that.” She didn’t understand why her younger brother was making such a fuss.
─Noona, is there gold buried there or something?
“I planted acacia trees.”
─Gol-what? What are you talking about….
She could even hear Jeong Heetae muttering to himself as he seemingly dropped his phone.
“Anyway, why? Aren’t you at work?”
─I’m on my way. Oh, right. Is Seo Yohan down there too?
Seo Yohan….
Recalling his name brought back the memory of their kiss by the wall last night. Heena, her eyes narrowing, scrubbed every corner of her mouth with her toothbrush.
That jerk. It’s not like he’s playing with a toy.
“Why Seo Yohan?”
─Did you meet him? You met him, didn’t you?
“You know that abandoned house next to Grandpa’s? He bought it, completely remodeled it, and is living there.”
─Oh…. Should I come down sometime?
Heena, spitting out the toothpaste foam, blurted out, “Why would you?”
─Whoa, you surprised me. Why are you shouting?
Indeed. She didn’t know why she had suddenly gotten angry.
“Oh, no…. Why would you come all the way here when you’re busy….”
─I’m not busy at all. I’ll come down before you come back up. Let’s have a drink together, the three of us, with Yohan.
It might get more awkward if Jeong Heetae, who knew nothing about their relationship, got involved. Just as she was about to dissuade him, Heetae cut her off.
─I’ve arrived at work. I’ll call you again before I come down.
Click, click, click….
Neither of them had changed a bit since they were young. They were both the same, ignoring their older sister and hanging up after saying what they wanted.
Leaving the bathroom, Heena’s gaze fell on the closed door of her grandfather’s room. It seemed like the day had finally come to put Jeong Heetae, who had always been useless, to good use. When they came down to Jinhong-ri, she would have him clean up Grandpa’s room first.
Perhaps then, it would truly be the day she let go of her grandfather.
“Breakfast is ready.”
“Oh, my gosh!”
Heena was startled and clutched her chest at the sight of Seo Yohan suddenly standing in the front yard, as if he had come through the side gate. Yohan was holding a large pot.
“Mr. Kim* has arrived. What’s for breakfast today?”
“Seolleongtang.”
“…It really is Mr. Kim.”
As if nothing had happened last night, the two ate breakfast together, heads close.
“Do you have any kkakdugi by any chance?”
She asked on a whim, feeling like something was missing with just seolleongtang.
“Wait. I’ll get it.”
As expected. There was no way Seo Yohan, who was serious about cooking, wouldn’t have made kkakdugi. Heena watched with satisfaction as Yohan headed back towards the side gate in the wall, as if he had simply forgotten to bring it out.
✦⋆🍒.₊ ⊹
She thought that all he did in Jinhong-ri was cook three meals a day, but Seo Yohan was actually quite busy running around. It felt strange to see the homebody, who used to hate interacting with people, moving all over the village.
Heena stared blankly at Yohan, who was holding a tablet and talking with the construction workers, then greeted Mr. Park, who was standing next to her.
“Where are you and your wife staying?”
“Oh, we’re staying at the village hall. Come visit us sometime. We’ll have plenty of makgeolli ready, just like last time.”
“Should I? Then I’ll bring a ton of samgyeopsal.”
“What do you mean ‘should I’?”
Yohan, who had been walking around inside the house, checking on the progress, was suddenly standing right next to her.
“And you, Mister, stop offering makgeolli to someone who goes crazy for alcohol.”
Someone who goes crazy for alcohol? There were only Mr. Park, Seo Yohan, and herself here, so she had no idea who he was referring to. Heena looked around to see if there was anyone else, then shrugged and muttered,
“Who’s the one who goes crazy for alcohol?”
“Who else is here besides you?”
“Is my reaction excessive? Did I get drunk and make a scene, cling to you, or cry my eyes out?”
“With alcohol addiction, frequency is more important than quantity.”
“Oh ho, now it’s alcohol addiction?”
Mr. Park, who had been watching them, chuckled and chimed in.
“You’re going to come along anyway, so what’s the big deal?”
“Who said I’m going?”
“Tsk tsk, you two bicker so well together.”
Mr. Park probably had no idea they had broken up because they didn’t get along at all.
“That’s how married couples are. They bicker, then? Sometimes things get heated, they’re all lovey-dovey, then they bicker and fight again.”
Now they’re a married couple? Heena thought to herself.
“Mister, it’s not like that….”
No matter how much she denied it, the elders just laughed heartily.
Well. Thinking about the kiss by the wall last night, it was true that they weren’t nothing….
Her head started to get muddled. Then what were they?
Exes who kissed? Her brother’s friend who she kissed? Neighbors who kissed?
No matter what label she tried to attach, it sounded absurd.
Heena glanced sideways. Yohan, meticulously reviewing the document on his tablet, seemed to have no intention of denying or confirming anything.
What was he thinking? Knowing Seo Yohan, there was no way he wasn’t thinking about anything. Unless he was experiencing an overload from thinking too much.
“Uh, well….”
Mr. Park suddenly hesitated before speaking.
“If you two really aren’t anything…”
“Yes, we’re really nothing!”
Heena, feeling a prick of guilt, jumped up and waved her hands.
“I have a blind date opportunity for you, are you interested?”
“…Excuse me?”
A snort of laughter came from beside her. She quickly glanced sideways and saw Seo Yohan covering his mouth with his hand, clearing his throat.
It was infuriating. Why was he laughing?
“He’s a very upstanding young man. He’s in town now, but he’ll be transferred to Seoul soon. You’re going back to Seoul too, aren’t you, Jeong’s granddaughter?”
“Th-that’s true…”
“Hmm. Then, how about meeting him casually?”
Casually? Heena was intrigued. Even if it was a blind date arranged by an elder, she didn’t think it would create an awkward situation, and although she wasn’t interested in dating, she was annoyed by the jerk who had laughed at her.
“There aren’t any young ladies in our village. So it’s a shame to let such a good man go to waste. But then, as if by divine intervention, Jeong’s granddaughter dropped down from Seoul? It feels like destiny.”
Seeing how eager Mr. Park was to set them up, the guy must be really something.
“Then, as you said, should I meet him casually?”
“Yes! That’s the spirit! You should meet many men when you’re young to make a good marriage!”
Heena once again rolled her eyes and glanced sideways. Seo Yohan, as if uninterested, was still staring at his tablet.
*T/N: Kim Cheomji is a character from a Korean folktale known for his diligence and resourcefulness, often associated with food and cooking. Mr. Park is using this nickname playfully to refer to Yohan’s cooking skills.
