Chapter 42

* * *

Na Seyoung and I sat across from each other at a table in one corner of the practice kitchen, putting our heads together to decide the theme for our group assignment.

Since the assignment carried a fairly large portion of the grade, we had to approach it carefully.

Na Seyoung crossed her arms with a serious expression as she sank into thought.

Her first impression was somewhat indifferent and easygoing. She had a plain face without makeup, short hair, and a tall frame.

But when I looked more closely, her eyes held a strange mixture of softness and warmth.

I couldn’t help feeling a human sense of fondness toward her.

Regardless of skill, she was the only one who had chosen me as a partner even though everyone else avoided the freshman.

Of course, it didn’t matter much to me who I teamed up with.

But being grateful for someone’s simple goodwill was a different matter.

Seeing how serious she looked, I spoke gently.

“I’m fine with whatever theme we choose, so let’s go with whatever you want, sunbae.”

I had no intention of putting pressure on her, but Na Seyoung’s expression stiffened slightly.

It seemed she suddenly felt some responsibility to help this freshman.

For some reason the sight felt oddly cute.

Not cute in a romantic sense of course.

“Hmm.”

After thinking for a long time, Na Seyoung spoke firmly.

“Instead of making things unnecessarily complicated… how about we go with home style?”

“Home style?”

“It’s a kind of reverse thinking.”

Her opinion was clear and practical.

Other teams would probably choose flashy and difficult themes to stand out.

So we would do the opposite.

Choose the simplest and least popular option and take advantage of that gap.

Home style meals could be prepared without special techniques or rare ingredients.

Most dishes could be made without a major risk of failure.

On the other hand, the flashy dishes other teams might choose involved complicated processes and many variables.

Even a small mistake could ruin the entire dish.

“Professor Baek is strict. Instead of choosing something difficult and messing it up, he’ll probably value knowing your limits and doing your best within them.”

“That makes sense. But then what would we actually show with this assignment?”

“We compete with sincerity instead of fancy tricks. Ordinary food can still carry warmth and honesty.”

“…”

“It might not look flashy to others, but among flashy dishes it might actually stand out. That’s the reverse approach.”

Her reasoning was convincing.

Honestly speaking, in her eyes I probably looked like a clueless chick of a freshman.

It was a practical decision meant to reduce the risk of failure and secure a stable score.

I nodded.

“You’re thinking of Korean home style cuisine, right?”

“Of course.”

Once the general direction was decided, Na Seyoung began leading the planning more concretely.

“Since it’s a full table setting, we’ll need rice and soup as the base. Then a main side dish, supporting side dishes, kimchi, and a dessert…”

“What should we make?”

“Hmm… do you know anything about Gangwon cuisine? I’m pretty confident with Gangwon food.”

“Gangwon cuisine?”

The question caught me slightly off guard.

Before I could respond, Na Seyoung continued.

“Yeah, it’s probably unfamiliar. If it feels like too much, we can choose something else…”

But I shook my head.

“No, sunbae. Gangwon cuisine sounds good.”

“R-really?”

The suggestion surprised me at first, but a certain memory had already surfaced.

“Yes. How about gondre rice and Chodang soft tofu?”

“Oh? You can cook those?”

“Yeah. I think I could actually make those pretty well.”

My answer made Na Seyoung’s eyes widen.

It seemed unexpected that I confidently named specific dishes.

“If you can handle those, that’s great!”

“Is there anything else we need?”

“Hmm… then you can take care of the rice, soup, and dessert. I’ll prepare the side dishes. Is there another Korean dish you’re most confident about?”

“…Tteokbokki?”

I had simply answered honestly.

But Na Seyoung froze for a moment.

Then she burst into laughter.

Her shoulders shook as she laughed, completely different from the serious impression she had given earlier.

“Then we can use that as the dessert. Shall we start?”

“Yes.”

The planning went much smoother than expected.

A faint look of relief appeared on Na Seyoung’s face.

Perhaps she had been worried that communicating with an inexperienced freshman would be difficult or that we might clash while choosing dishes.

And so our preparation for the group assignment began.

* * *

After gathering the ingredients, I rolled up my sleeves and took a quiet breath before starting to cook.

Even though my mind felt calm, my fingertips were slightly tense.

Today’s dishes were Chodang soft tofu and gondre rice.

They looked simple.

But the weight of the memories behind them required delicate hands.

The reason I thought of these dishes was Gaeul’s grandmother.

A long time ago, back when everything still felt young and fresh.

I once visited Sokcho with Gaeul to see her grandparents.

Gaeul’s grandmother was the social center of the neighborhood.

Or in the old expression, she had connections everywhere.

Whenever we walked through the narrow alley together, she greeted everyone warmly first.

Her hearty laughter always brightened the surroundings.

But what impressed me as much as her lively personality was her generous cooking.

She always prepared an enormous amount of food whenever we visited.

The table practically bent under the weight of it.

Thanks to that, every visit was enjoyable.

But it also created difficult situations.

“Wow, this is really delicious! Your cooking is amazing, Grandma.”

“You like it?”

The moment I praised her food, it became the signal for another dish to appear on the table.

Her eyes sparkled as the corners of her mouth lifted.

“Eat more.”

“…Yes?”

“Just eat this one too.”

“…Then I’ll eat it later.”

“Later? Then I’ll bring something else.”

“P-please spare me!”

Whenever we finished eating, another dish appeared.

Even if we emptied our bowls, they were refilled again.

It felt like magic.

I had never eaten that much even at unlimited barbecue restaurants.

That was the first time I learned never to casually say something was delicious.

Her love and sincerity were that overwhelming.

Among all the dishes that filled my stomach to bursting, two remained especially vivid in my memory.

Gondre rice and Chodang soft tofu.

The gondre rice arrived in a rustic stone pot, releasing a warm nutty aroma.

The gondre greens between the grains were tender rather than tough.

And the Chodang soft tofu.

White tofu floated gently in the clear broth like clouds.

The nutty flavor of soybeans remained vivid, yet the texture slid down the throat like silk.

The taste was mild yet comforting.

As if her warm heart had been poured directly into the food.

Remembering that flavor, I carefully adjusted the brine and placed gondre greens on top of the soaked rice.

Hiss.

The rice cooker began releasing steam.

The nutty scent of rice and the slightly bitter aroma of gondre filled the practice kitchen.

At the same time, soft white steam rose from the pot where the tofu simmered.

The gently forming tofu looked warm and comforting, almost like her smile.

Lost in those memories, I eventually finished the rice and soup.

Steam rose from the cold stainless steel counter.

I gently stirred the gondre rice so the grains wouldn’t clump, then neatly placed it in a bowl.

Not pressing it too tightly.

Not leaving it too loose.

Next to it I carefully scooped the soft white Chodang tofu like fluffy clouds.

Making sure the tofu kept its shape and didn’t break apart in the clear broth.

At a glance it looked quite decent.

It might still be far from my grandmother’s cooking.

But at least the sincerity was there.

At that moment Na Seyoung quietly approached and peeked at the counter.

Her eyes held a hint of curiosity.

“How’s it going? Nothing too difficult?”

“It’s going well. But since I’m not sure if the seasoning will match the side dishes you made, could you taste it?”

I was confident about the dishes.

But in a full table setting, harmony mattered most.

I wanted to confirm the balance with her side dishes beforehand.

“Sure.”

Na Seyoung nodded and picked up a clean spoon.

She slowly began tasting the dishes one by one.

Watching her savor each bite, I felt nervous.

‘How will food filled with those memories taste to someone else?’

* * *

To be honest, Na Seyoung felt worried about Kang Chan.

For a freshman who had only just enrolled and should still be learning the basics, a third year assignment would naturally be difficult.

She felt a little guilty judging his ability without seeing it properly.

But the gap in experience was impossible to ignore.

She deliberately gave him dishes that looked simple and straightforward.

But in cooking, nothing was harder than the basics.

Basics meant relying purely on ingredients and precise technique without flashy tricks.

Without experience, even a small mistake could affect the entire flavor.

And those subtle differences were difficult to notice alone.

Maybe that was why.

Even while cooking, Na Seyoung’s eyes kept drifting toward Kang Chan’s workstation.

Shhhaaa.

Kang Chan had rolled up his sleeves and was concentrating on cooking over the hot flame.

Sweat ran down his forehead.

His face was flushed.

His hands moved busily between knife and ladle.

His movements and knife work didn’t actually look clumsy.

But a trace of anxiety still lingered in Na Seyoung’s mind.

‘He’s working hard. But what if he needs help and just doesn’t want to say anything?’

The thought crept in.

Maybe it was unnecessary worry.

But as his partner and senior, she couldn’t relax without checking.

With that concern, she stepped away from her station and walked toward him.

The closer she got, the stronger the nutty aroma of gondre became.

Na Seyoung leaned closer and carefully examined the finished dishes.

In fact, the menu he had chosen was far more difficult than it looked.

It left no room for flashy techniques.

If done poorly, the flaws would appear instantly.

The dish relied entirely on fresh ingredients and the chef’s honest skill.

The gondre rice glistened beautifully, each grain showing the texture of the greens.

And the Chodang soft tofu.

A white broth gently simmered while preserving the delicate texture of the tofu.

‘It looks convincing… but how does it taste?’