The dining hall was filled with a cozy warmth. Geon-woo, Woo-jin, Hyeon-ju, and Joe sat gathered at a table connected to the kitchen.
"Hang on, make some room here."
Geon-woo grunted and moved a large dish as he searched for a spot. The table was already crowded with side dishes prepared by his mother, So-yeon.
"Here, put it down here."
Woo-jin hurriedly pushed a few bowls aside to clear a space. Geon-woo lowered the bowl with a sigh of relief.
"Ah, there we go!"
So-yeon emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate of golden rolled omelets.
"Here is more."
"Yes! One more round!" Woo-jin cheered like a kid. Geon-woo grinned and nodded.
"Whoa, these look incredible."
So-yeon laughed at them. Woo-jin clasped his hands together and shouted his thanks. Geon-woo gave a small bow.
"Thanks for the food, Mom."
Hyeon-ju and Joe followed suit with their own thanks.
"Please, everyone, eat up."
Geon-woo already had an entire egg roll in his mouth before she finished speaking. So-yeon smiled and placed a few pieces on Hyeon-ju's plate.
"Here you go, Hyeon-ju. Try some of this."
"Oh, thank you."
Hyeon-ju took a bite and her eyes went wide.
"Did you use our kimchi to make this?"
So-yeon nodded with a smile
.
"Whoa. It tastes completely different from when I make it."
So-yeon chuckled. "It is not that hard. I can teach you sometime."
"Really? That would be cool!" Hyeon-ju smiled brightly.
So-yeon seemed to remember something as they ate. "Oh, I wanted to ask... about the orphanage. Does Mr. Choi run the whole place?"
Hyeon-ju nodded. "Yes. Grandpa grew up very poor so his dream was always to help people once he made enough money."
"I see. So... are you Mr. Choi's granddaughter?"
Hyeon-ju looked slightly awkward. "Oh... uh, no. I was placed in the orphanage after my parents passed away."
So-yeon's face tightened with regret. "Oh, I am so sorry. I should not have brought that up."
Hyeon-ju offered a reassuring smile. "No, it is fine. Really."
"I am sorry," So-yeon whispered. She tried to shift the mood. "So, tell me, what kind of foods do you like, Hyeon-ju?"
"Well, I really love rolled omelets!"
Right then, Geon-woo swallowed a whole omelet in one go. So-yeon reached for the plate to give some to Hyeon-ju but it was empty.
"Hey! Where did all the omelets go?"
Geon-woo was still chewing with bulging cheeks. The very last piece was gripped between Woo-jin's chopsticks. Woo-jin froze with the egg roll inches from his mouth. He looked at Hyeon-ju and sheepishly pushed his plate toward her.
"Uh... here."
Geon-woo finally swallowed. "Oh," he muttered.
Hyeon-ju looked at the half-eaten omelet and laughed. So-yeon let out a long sigh.
"My goodness, you two. You should have left some for Hyeon-ju!"
"That is right. I really wanted some of those," Hyeon-ju added.
So-yeon stood up. "I will make more. Do not worry."
"Oh, no, it is fine!" Hyeon-ju tried to stop her but So-yeon shook her head.
"No, no. It will not take long. You just sit tight."
Joe had been eating quietly at the end of the table. He slid a small plate forward with two intact rolled omelets on it.
"Take these. I set them aside when I saw these two idiots start inhaling them like vacuum cleaners."
Hyeon-ju chuckled. She saw the sincere look in Joe's eyes and accepted the plate.
The stove clicked on in the kitchen. Geon-woo called out.
"Make them big, Mom! Really thick!"
"I hear you," So-yeon called back.
"And make a lot!"
"Okay, okay! I will make them huge."
A few minutes later, a fresh batch of omelets was brought to the table. "Hurry up and eat."
Hyeon-ju's phone vibrated in her pocket as they resumed eating. She checked the screen.
[THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, AT DAWN. GO TO THE BOOKSTORE AND RETRIEVE ALL THE CASH.]
Hyeon-ju's eyes turned cold. The warmth of the dinner faded away.
The atmosphere at the table mellowed again. So-yeon's gaze lingered on Joe. She was curious about him. She spoke up hesitantly.
"Excuse me... would you mind if I asked you something?"
Joe's chopsticks hovered as he looked at her. "Go ahead."
"Your name is a bit unique. I was wondering if you were from abroad."
Joe paused for a heartbeat. "I came from Japan."
"Ah, I see. I thought your presence felt a bit different."
So-yeon scooped a large portion of side dishes onto Joe's plate.
"I heard you have been looking after Geon-woo and Woo-jin. These boys are immature so I am sure they are a handful. Thank you, truly."
Joe's eyes flickered. He looked down at the mountain of food on his plate.
"It is nothing. The boys have been following my lead well enough."
Woo-jin snickered from the side. "Mom, do you have any idea how scary this guy is? He is basically hunting us."
Geon-woo nudged Woo-jin to shut him up. Joe did not retort and took a bite of the food.
It was warm.
Joe chewed and swallowed in silence. He had spent his life in cold rings and dark alleys. A home-cooked meal was a foreign comfort he had not felt in a long time. So-yeon kept a kind smile and watched his plate to make sure he was well-fed.
It was a harmonious dinner but the darkness was growing deeper outside.