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Wheein never thought that being good at cooking would lead her to where she was right now. She wasn’t an expert, not at all. She has never studied to be a chef, neither wanted to become one. Wheein was an artist… or at least was trying to become one. But to do so she needed money; money that she didn’t have right now. That’s why she started a rather… peculiar job.
It was well known that students her age (aka young, tired and without-time-to-even-sleep) didn’t know how to cook, or at least didn’t have the energy to learn how to even boil instant noodles to feed themselves. So, Wheein decided she’ll cook for them, for the right price of course.
Her business started as a joke with her best friend, Hyejin, who lived alone and run on a daily six-coffee-coup diet, which obviously wasn’t healthy at all. Wheein, being the amazing friend she was, and also having (miraculously) a lot of free time, decided to go to her house and cook for her something with more greens than a matcha latte. Hyejin ate with so much appetite that day that Wheein joked she probably should start feeding her at least once a week. Of course her friend thought it was a great idea and immediately offered her money, but Wheein was too shy to accept it.
– Wheein-ah. – said a very serious Hyejin. – You, and this amazing meal, are literally the only things keeping me alive right now. You took at least three or four hours of your day to go to the grocery store, buy all the ingredients, come here and cook for me. The least I could do is pay you for all your work.
She wasn’t wrong though, it did take her some time to prepare everything, but only because she searched for the best and some rare ingredients. She wasn’t going to make some chicken nuggets with fries; If she was going to feed her best friend it was going to be something nutritive and tasty.
In the end she accepted the money and also to be Hyejin’s chef again next week. She thought it’d be a one or two-times thing, after all her friend would be free of her exams very soon and would have more time to take care of herself… Probably. What she didn’t expect was her phone getting bombarded with messages from other students asking her if she’d cook for them too.
At first she thought it was some kind of prank, but after receiving the 12th message that day she had to call the only possible culprit.
– Hyejin-ah, what the fuck?!
– Hello to you too, my dear and lovely Wheeinie. – answered a sleepy and slow voice. – To what do I owe the pleasure of this screaming call?
– Oh, no, don’t you dare to try to play dumb with me, you know exactly what you did! – exclaimed a very upset Wheein. – Why does half our college have my number now? And why is everybody asking me to cook for them?!
– Ahh, that, yeah. – the younger of the two had the audacity to laugh about her friend’s anger. – I thought I could help you with your business, so found a lot of people who are willing to pay good money for a home-cooked meal, you know?
Wheein was speechless. What was she supposed to do now? The business idea was nothing but a joke between them, she didn’t think Hyejin would take it seriously. Yet here she was, not knowing how to answer the pile of text messages she was receiving and seemed like wouldn’t stop any time soon.
– Fuck, Jin-ah, what do I do now?! I’m just cooking for you, not for a bunch of strangers! What am I supposed to tell them?! – she was starting to get, not only angry, but nervous as well. She wasn’t an extrovert like her friend, she barely left her own room and now she has to interact with people she didn’t even know?
– Yah, Jung Wheein, relax! If you don’t want to do it, then don’t. You can tell them that you’re really busy with college and can’t take any more orders, they don’t have to know you won’t be cooking for anyone. But, hear me out, some of them were willing to pay even 40.000 won for a whole meal.
This caught Wheein’s attention. That was a lot for just a meal, and she kinda needed the money right now. Art supplies weren’t cheap, and her professors kept asking for more and more things for each class. Sometimes she even had to juggle her bills, having to decide between paying for hot water or a brand-new set of charcoal pencils.
– I know you need the money, Wheein-ah. And these are desperate students that just want to come home and find a nice warm dish waiting for them. You could even cook when they’re not around, if you’re that uncomfortable. – kept saying her friend after she didn’t hear an answer from her. – So, take a couple of requests, accept the money and don’t think too much about it.
Hyejin was right (she would argue that she always was), it was a good opportunity for her and she didn’t need to exhaust herself by doing it. Just answer a couple text messages, agree on a price, some terms and conditions and she’ll be all set.
– I hate it when your ideas make so much sense, but yeah, I guess I could do it. – she heard the soft laugh of her friend through her phone, knowing that she just won another argument against Wheein. – But if anything goes wrong, I’ll blame it all on you and you’ll have to talk to all this people! Okay?!
– Love you too, Wheeinie, let me know if you need any help. – Hyejin blew a kiss through the line and laughed again before hanging up, leaving her friend alone to sort her thoughts and the incoming messages on her phone.
Surprisingly, and against all odds, her “business” started strong and kept a pretty steady pace. She cooked for two or three people per week, trying to not neglect her life as a student too. Most of them were students who lived alone (just like Hyejin told her) or with a roommate, and in these cases, she charged double, of course. She had a set of ground rules too, after all, she tried to be very professional for everybody’s sake: (1) she gave the person a list of possible menus, they could negotiate the meals but she wouldn’t cook anything that was outside her knowledge; (2) once she started cooking no one could bother her in the kitchen, unless they needed a glass of water or something to snack on; (3) and the most important rule of them all: no socializing. Once she was done cooking, she was out of there. She didn’t want to talk about their days, share the meal she just prepared or knowing anything more than the names of the people she worked for; she was there to cook, get paid and go home.
This set of rules worked pretty well too, no one questioned them and actually were happy to follow what she said, considering they’d get a nice dinner out of it. The first three months passed by without any incident and she made enough money to live without having to worry too much about rent or bills. Hyejin would tease her, saying that she should get at least 20% from her profits, since she was the one who gave her the idea. Instead, Wheein made her the “Official Taster” of the business, giving her the honor of sampling the new dishes she’d learn.
But, of course, things don’t always go as planned. One day she received a call from an unknown number, thinking it’d could be a new client she answered it.
– Hello? – asked a skeptical Wheein.
– Hey, hi! Is this Jung Wheein?
– Yes, this is her, who am I speaking with?
– Hi, I’m Moon Byulyi. Hyejin-ah gave me your number and told me you made home cooked meals for students, right? Do you have time this week by any chance?
It wasn’t unusual for Hyejin to spread her number across the whole campus, promoting her dishes and advertising her as some sort of meal savior. She knew her best friend had good intentions, but sometimes she wished she’d give her some kind of heads up, just to be mentally prepared to talk to strangers through her phone.
– This week… hold on, let me check really quick. – she looked her schedule up and, surprisingly, she had a free spot. It was getting harder to fit new people in, but a med student canceled his meal telling her about some internship he couldn’t miss or something like that. Wheein didn’t really care, to be honest. – Would this Thursday at 5pm work for you? It’s the only day I have some free time.
– Yes! That’s perfect! By any chance, do you know how to cook tteokbokki? I know you have other meals but I just love it so much and I’ve been craving it since forever.
– Ah, yeah, I could make that, no problem.
– You’re the best. I’ll text you my address and door code, I won’t be home until 7 so make yourself comfortable and use whatever you need. And text me your bank details too, are 50.000 won okay? I know you buy all the materials and stuff, so let me know if that’s enough.
Wheein was speechless, that was a lot of money just for a plate of tteokbokki. Who was this woman and why did she want to spend so much money? She could probably buy at least a week worth of meals with all of that.
– D-do you want something more? Tteokbokki is not an expensive dish. I could make you some dessert, a lot of side dishes too for that money…
– That’d be great! – said the other woman very cheerfully. – Some bingsu would be nice, and just go wild with the side dishes, I’m not a picky eater. I gotta go now but I’ll text you the details later. Bye, and thank you Wheein-ssi!
Byulyi ended the call as fast as she gave all the instructions. The younger woman was a bit astonished with their conversation, usually people would take a lot of time to decide what they wanted to eat, and even more time to negotiate the prices. But this woman went straight to the point, she was all business and Wheein liked that to be honest. She didn’t need a tragic backstory about people being miserable because of college and didn’t even have time for anything (she was living that same life too). Just tell her what you wanted, what are you willing to pay and she’ll get down to business.
Thursday came and she was looking for the address while trying to balance the grocery bags in her hands as well as her phone. Moon Byulyi sent her the money even before trying the dishes, and that raised some suspicion. Normally, people would wait until she was done cooking to pay her. But Byulyi also said she wouldn’t be home until late, and just wanted to get over with it. Anyways, money was money and the younger girl would not complain about it.
Once she found the apartment, she punched in the code and let herself in. A friendly dog welcomed her, and she scratched her head after putting the bags down.
– Hello there, you pretty thing. – Wheein took the name tag in her hand, on it was written the dog’s name. – Yongkeey, a lovely name for a lovely dog. Are you going to keep me company while I cook for your mom? Come on, show me your home.
The place was tidy, almost spotless, which was a first for Wheein. Most of the places she has visited were chaotic; dishes and clothes everywhere, layers and layers of dust covering everything, various books and papers taped around the walls or tables… Pretty standard for people who were living their college life alone, if you thought about it.
But this place was nothing like that, everything was stored where it should be, the curtains were up and a window was open, ventilating the place. The kitchen was wide and there were pots, pans, different utensils and an apron waiting for her in a corner. Wheein put the apron on, which had a picture of two bunnies.
– Cute. – she said softly to Yongkeey, who sat near her. – Well, let’s do this.
She put some music on and took her time cooking, preparing each element of the dish from scratch. She wasn’t a big fan of tteokbokki, but her grandmother taught her how to make it when she was younger, so the dish had a special place in her heat. And she was having fun cooking it, dancing to her favorite songs, exploring the beautiful kitchen the host lent her and playing with Yoonkey when she had to wait for the sauce to simmer.
She was just beginning to shave the ice for the bingsu when a scream almost gave her a heart attack. The dog also jumped in surprise, going almost a meter up from where she was lying down. Standing by the kitchen door was a woman looking at her like she was seeing a ghost.
– WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY KITCHEN?!?! – the woman had some kind of tube in her hand and looked like she wanted to hit Wheein with it. But maybe the fear was bigger than her rage, because she was rooted in her spot and looked like she couldn’t move.
– M-miss Moon?! It’s me, Jung Wheein! W-we talked on the phone other day! – her hands went up, as if she was getting robbed. Why did this woman react like this? She couldn’t have possibly got the wrong department, could she? Maybe she should have trusted her guts when she felt that the phone call was odd.
– W-what did you call me?! – the woman seemed to recognize de name and slowly lowered the tube she was holding.
– M-miss Moon? Are you not Moon Byulyi? – Wheein asked fearfully, her heart was still pounding inside her chest, and the dread she felt was still hosted in her throat.
The question seemed to make the other woman react, taking her out of her stupor. She finally dropped the tube and that same hand went to rub the bridge of nose while she leaned on the nearest wall.
– I’m going to fucking kill her. – she muttered to herself.
– I-I’m sorry, ma’am, a-am I in the wrong house? I’m sure this is the address Byulyi-ssi gave me… Is this not the Seowon Building? Department number 619?
A heavy sigh left the woman’s mouth and her hand went from her nose to covering her eyes.
– Yeah, you’re in the right home. – she sighed again and finally looked back at Wheein with merciful eyes. – I’m so sorry for screaming at you, I just wasn’t expecting anyone to be here. My name is Kim Yongsun, Moon Byulyi is my stupid friend who is always doing some shit behind my back. So I’m really, really sorry if she said or made you do something inappropriate.
Now that Wheein was a bit less frightened she could finally take a good look of Yongsun. And she was gorgeous. She had long honey-colored hair and wore some sort of businesswoman attire: black tight slacks that defined her hips, a cream-colored blouse with the first two buttons open and a grey jacket hanged from one of her arms.
– A-ah, don’t worry about it, she just asked for, uhm… a meal? I, ehm… I cook for college students who can barely hold their lives together, b-but you clearly have yours sorted out because your home is pretty clean and neat… N-not that I was snooping around! I just saw the living room and your kitchen, and they’re really pretty a-and… Shit, I’m talking way too much, sorry. – Wheein cringed once she stopped talking and turned around, avoiding the other woman’s gaze. She always did this when she saw a pretty girl, she’d get all shy and nervous. It was like her brain disconnected from her mouth and left her to ramble nonsenses.
Yongsun chuckled watching the scene, Wheein was cute and she was glad she wasn’t a thief or something like that. She knew her best friend, Byulyi had pulled hundreds of pranks on her before and she thought this could be another one of them. But this girl didn’t look like someone who was into that, and for once she was kind of thankful for Byul.
– What are you making? It smells delicious in here. – She got closer to the shorter woman and looked over her shoulder, checking what she was cooking.
– Ah, uhm… Tteokbokki? I mean, it’s already done if you’d like to eat it. I was making some bingsu before you arrived. – Wheein shivered feeling the closeness of Yongsun behind her. Suddenly, two hands grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around. She saw the woman’s jacket fall on the floor before meeting her eyes.
– Did you really cook all of this by yourself? – asked Yongsun in awe. Wheein could only nod getting nervous once again. – Oh my god, I could actually kiss you right now.
She was pulled into a tight hug, feeling Yongsun laugh freely and happily next to her ear. It didn’t last more than a few seconds before she pulled back, but Wheein could feel her cheeks getting red and flushed. She didn’t understand what was going on but she would never refuse a hug from a gorgeous girl.
– Wheein-ssi, tteokbokki is my favorite meal in the whole world! This is the best thing that could have happen today! I’m going to change into something more comfortable and we’ll eat. Go sit down, I’ll set the table right away! – exclaimed the taller woman before jogging to her room, not forgetting to pick her jacket and the tube up on her way.
Wheein didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t expecting to stay and eat with the host of the house, as one of her ground rules was to go away right after she was done with her job. It was probably a misunderstanding, after all Yongsun wasn’t aware she’d be at her home, since Byulyi clearly didn’t tell her. And, of course, if she didn’t tell her this basic piece of information, she would not be aware of the way her services worked. She’d just explain this to the other woman and she’ll be off.
– Yongsun-ssi? – she called, slightly raising her voice so the other woman would hear her from her room. – I’m not sure I should stay any longer, I already bothered you enough. I’m not used to stay and eat with my, uh… clients? So I’ll get out of your hair.
She waited a couple of seconds but didn’t receive any reply. Wheein was getting antsy, she wanted to go home but also didn’t want to be rude and just leave without saying a proper goodbye. Not after scaring the living shit out of Yongsun…
She was still thinking what to do when said woman reappeared into the kitchen, this time she was wearing grey sweats and a white shirt with the image of a dragon stamped on it. The shirt was tight, hugging her silhouette indiscreetly, and Wheein had to look anywhere trying to ignore the warm sensation nesting on her lower belly.
– Did you say something? – asked Yongsun while tying her hair into a messy ponytail.
– Ah, yeah, I was telling you I should probably go home, I wouldn’t want to intrude anymore. – replied Wheein playing nervously with her hands.
– Don’t be silly, Wheein-ssi, you made all of this by yourself and all I did was giving you a hard time. Please, accept this as my apology for screaming at you. – the smile she gave Wheein was enough to convince her. She didn’t know she could be this weak for a girl (that’s a lie, she totally knew) and was about to break every single rule she imposed on herself.
– A-are you sure? You don’t have to feel obligated to do it…
– Wheein-ssi. – said Yongsun in a very serious tone that left no room for more arguing. – Take that apron off and go sit down, I’ll bring our dinner.
The woman practically ripped the article of clothing off her body and pushed Wheein out of the kitchen and into the dining room. Soon, she was left alone while Yongsun was busy preparing everything. She felt awkward standing in the middle of the room without knowing where to look or what to do, so she just followed the taller woman’s order and sat down.
The room was as beautiful as the rest of the department; a well-lit area with a minimalistic decoration. There were a couple of framed pictures hanging from a wall and three small lamps hanged above the table. A rubber plant and a calathea ornata decorated a corner of the room and they looked very healthy, healthier than a lot of students she’d met during her cooking rounds.
She kept looking around and soon enough Yongsun appeared carrying a tray of silverware, chopsticks, plates, cups and napkins.
– Help me, please? I thought I could bring everything at once but I may have miscalculated.
Wheein stood up quickly and took some of the things in the tray. Both women set the table in silence and once they were done, Yongsun went back to the kitchen. This time, when she came back, she was carrying two bowls of tteokbokki, some side dishes and a jug with water. She finished setting the table and sat right across Wheein.
– Well, Bon Appetite. – said Yongsun smiling softly at the shorter girl. She ate a bunch of rice cakes, but immediately put her chopstick away. Her hands went to her mouth and she looked directly into Wheein’s eyes.
– I-is everything alright, Yongsun-ssi? Did you not like it? – she asked nervously. Wheein didn’t know what to think or say under the gaze of the other woman. Was her food that bad? No one complained before though… Did she put too much salt? Was it too spicy? What if…?
– Wheein-ssi, marry me.
– W-what?! – Yongsun interrupted her trail of anxious thoughts in the most unexpected way. Of all the things she could have said, that question was definitely not an option in Wheein’s mind.
– This is the best tteokbokki I’ve ever eaten in my life, and let me tell you, I’m and expert when it comes to it. Everything is perfect! It’s tasty, not too spicy but also it doesn’t lack flavor, the rice cakes are the perfect mix of chewy and soft… I could eat your tteokbokki for the rest of my life, so please, I’ll do anything to make you stay.
All Wheein could do was laugh. She’s been nervous all evening and Yongsun’s confession finally untied the anxious knot inside her belly. Everything that’s been happening was so absurd and illogic, from Moon Byulyi’s phone call to the host of the house screaming her lungs out thinking she was a thief. And now this gorgeous woman was asking her to get married because her cooking skills were decent?
– Oh my god, Yongsun-ssi, you’re one of a kind, aren’t you? – answered Wheein while she dried the tears that ran down her face for laughing so hard. – This is not how I expected my day to go at all.
She couldn’t stop giggling, and across the table Yongsun was smiling really hard. Both women were amused with the other now that the ice was broken.
– Tell you what, how about we redo our introductions and after eating this amazing tteokbokki I invite you for a drink? You’re really cute, Wheein-ssi, and I’d like to get to know you better. – Yongsun shot her a flirtatious smile and a wink, and Wheein didn’t need anything more to fall into the woman’s game.
– I guess we could do that. – Wheein chuckled once more and extended her hand. – Hi, my name is Jung Wheein and I’m an art student who cooks for a living.
Yongsun took her hand and brought it to her lips, leaving a soft kiss in her knuckles.
– Hello, Wheein-ssi, my name is Kim Yongsun but you can call me unnie. I’m an architecture student who falls for pretty girls who can cook tteokbokki. Wanna go for a drink?
– I would love to.
They looked at each other once more, soft but playful smiles adorning their faces. It felt like the beginning of something interesting, and both of them were ready to take it.