Chapter 113 – Result – Part 21

Chapter 113 – Result – Part 21

The CEO asked, sounding curious.

“What kind of benefactor?”

Park Inhyeok’s face, recalling Woojin, showed an even deeper smile.

As a synesthete and observer, Woojin had explained the acting to him, allowing him to grasp the character perfectly.

Furthermore, the criminal he had supposedly caught committed cruel acts under the guise of the Righteous Path, causing a stir in the world.

Woojin had dumped it all on him. No, it felt more like Woojin had prepared a meal for him and even put the spoon in his hand.

“He’s the benefactor who created a turning point in my life.”

“So who is it?”

Park Inhyeok smiled slightly.

“It’s a secret.”

Just then, there was a knock from outside, and someone entered.

It was Park Inhyeok’s manager.

“CEO, Inhyeok’s interview time is almost here…”

“Right, they’ll be waiting anxiously, so we can’t be late. Go do well.”

Park Inhyeok bowed slightly to the CEO and then left the office.

“Alright, take another look.”

The manager handed him the pre-interview script.

The questions and answers were all written down.

Park Inhyeok, who was already familiar with the content, flipped through the pages and then, as if losing interest, let his hand drop and asked his manager, “

Brother, if someone is in their twenties, they’d probably want a car, right?”

“Only in their twenties? A car is always the dream for adult men. But why do you ask? Are you changing cars?”

Park Inhyeok smiled slightly and nodded.

“I want to get a sports car.”

“Which one?”

“Well…”

Park Inhyeok got into the elevator, recalling Woojin’s image once more.

It was to match a car that suited Woojin.

He usually seems gentle, but when he focuses and executes something, what should I say…?

He’s subtly sexy.

And the way he broke through the criminal’s front door…

‘A thug…’

Park Inhyeok let out a hollow laugh and spoke as if he had made a decision.

“Red would be good.”

Compared to what he received from Woojin, spending that Righteous Path money wasn’t a waste.

“Red is good. Inhyeok, you’re really not hurt anywhere, are you?”

“Yeah, I’m really fine, big brother. So don’t worry.”

* * *

Standing tall in a large supermarket, Woojin was looking around, wanting to try something he had always wanted to do.

And he moved towards the place with the fewest people.

It was a tasting corner where a waiter was grilling tteokgalbi.

“Welcome. Please try some. It’s really delicious.”

Woojin used a toothpick to bring a piece of tteokgalbi, cut slightly larger than his thumbnail, to his mouth.

“It’s delicious, isn’t it?”

Woojin chewed the tteokgalbi and nodded slightly.

The initial ‘It’s really delicious’ was meant to give a placebo, and the subsequent ‘It’s delicious, isn’t it?’ aims to make the customer feel a sense of obligation by focusing on the act of eating, thereby inducing a purchase.

A strategy of the unconscious, either taught by a superior or self-initiated, for the purpose of making a sale.

Of course, it could also simply be to let people taste it.

Woojin said,

“It’s so savory, could I have a little more?”

“Of course.”

This time, Woojin didn’t just pick one, he skewered two in a row on a toothpick and brought them to his mouth.

“If you buy now during the event, you can get one more with the two-plus-one offer, Ira.”

Woojin nodded.

“It is a day to flex, but just give me one.”

Woojin then focused on going around the sampling corners.

After wandering around for 10 minutes.

Woojin rubbed his stomach.

“It’s like a meal.”

He felt full, as if from the leptin secreted by his fat cells.

Satisfied after doing what he wanted, Woojin began to pick out various ingredients for the food he would make for his family.

He returned home and checked the time.

3 PM.

When Woojin said he would prepare dinner, his family agreed to be home by 6 o’clock.

Woojin put down the groceries and put on the bear apron he had bought with them.

Then he began to move his hands in earnest to make food.

“Oh, right…”

He raised his head and mumbled like someone who had forgotten something.

“At times like these, I should hum.”

Woojin started humming along to the rhythm.

“Three bears in one house~♪”

“……”

“Dad bear is~♪ fat……”

Woojin, who was chopping carrots, paused for a moment and blinked his eyes.

“Why is Dad bear…”

Woojin erased the thought as if he didn’t need to worry about it, and started humming again.

Woojin’s humming and the sounds of cooking filled the kitchen.

Sunlight streaming in from outside gently enveloped Woojin.

***

As it approached 5:30 PM, Woojin had almost finished preparing all the food he had planned.

At that moment, Woojin’s head turned towards the entrance.

Woojin’s feet quickly moved to the living room. Then he jumped and lay down on the sofa.

He picked up the remote control and turned on the TV, his hand went limp, and his eyes closed.

Ding-dong-ding-dong-

Click.

“Mmm~ What a delicious smell!”

The person who came in from outside was his younger sister, Bomi.

Bomi, who was smiling at the smell of food, found Woojin seemingly asleep and immediately closed her mouth, which she had opened.

Then she smiled again and said in a small voice,

“My brother is so handsome even when he’s asleep.”

Bomi carefully took the remote control from her brother’s hand, as if she didn’t want to wake him and it might slip at any moment.

And just as she was about to press the power button.

“Your brother isn’t sleeping.”

Bomi turned around again and looked at Woojin lying on the sofa.

With his eyes closed and looking so relaxed, he really seemed to be asleep.

Bomi couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

“Dad isn’t sleeping. You wanted to try this, didn’t you?”

Woojin slowly opened his eyes, sat up, and scratched his head.

“How did you know? You figured it out because I’m not Dad, right…?”

Bomi shook her head and laughed.

How should I put it? Was it a silly kind of fun?

A laugh escaped me every time my older brother did this.

“Big brother, what did you make? It smells so good.”

“This and that. The main dish is tenderloin steak.”

“Steak?”

“Yeah, I knew a place that sells aged steak. I bought it from there.”

“Big brother, you knew how to do something like that?”

“It’s my first time trying it, but I don’t think it’ll taste bad.”

Bomi raised a finger and wiggled it.

“If big brother made it, it’ll be 100% delicious. It can’t be anything but delicious.”

I was confident that even if the first dish my older brother made wasn’t good, I’d still eat it deliciously.

Because it was food my older brother made for me.

So Bomi helped Woojin set the plates on the dining table, and when Mom and Dad returned home, they couldn’t help but gape in surprise.

“Woojin, did you do all of this yourself?”

Dad joked and made a fuss.

“It looks like the table legs are going to break! Is the dining table okay!? Huh? I feel like I’m at a cafeteria! Hahaha!”

On the dining table, there was japchae, abalone butter grill, croaker pancake, burrata cheese salad, and even the sour dongchimi from home, all neatly arranged.

“Please wash up.”

Woojin placed the tenderloin, seasoned with pepper and salt, into a frying pan with olive oil.

It was tied with string to prevent the meat from losing its shape.

He also added onions so that the onion aroma could subtly infuse.

For texture, he first used medium heat for 1 minute, flipping it four times.

Then, for texture, he seared the outside over high heat until crispy, then reduced the heat, covered it, and waited for 3 minutes.

Mom watched him with a pleased expression.

She had been very worried when Woojin first returned, but she was so proud to see him adapting well.

“Woojin, is there anything Mom can help you with?”

At his mom’s words, Woojin smiled faintly and shook his head.

His family’s words always sounded like a gentle song.

It’s fine. It’s almost done, so please wait a little longer.

After 15 minutes, Woojin’s family was able to sit around the dining table.

Thanks to our Woojin, we get to enjoy such luxury. Here, Woojin, would you like a drink too?

At his dad’s words, who had brought out soju, Woojin did not refuse.

Pour.

Woojin politely received the drink his dad poured for him.

Cheers.

His mom and Bomi held up water glasses, while Woojin and his dad held up soju glasses.

Ahhh…

His dad, who had emptied his soju in one gulp, cut into the steak.

The plate with the steak also had onions, cooked bell peppers, and asparagus.

His mom, dad, and Bomi began to cut their food.

But.

He hadn’t even moved the knife a few times, but the meat cut easily.

The inside of the meat had a uniformly spread light pink color, which Woojin had cooked to medium-well.

Bomi, who had brought the steak to her mouth, looked at Woojin.

What? Where did it go?

Huh?

I put it in my mouth, but the meat disappeared.

Why is this so delicious… No, no! Our son is an amazing cook, isn’t he?

He had intended to praise it as delicious even if it wasn’t, but it was so delicious that the thought completely vanished.

The meat was truly tender and juicy.

Brother, are you perhaps attending cooking classes without telling us?

“Is it good?”

Bomi, who was munching on meat, closed her eyes and shook her head from side to side.

“It’s really good.”

“Try something else.”

Dad, who had been tasting other dishes, suddenly exclaimed.

“My son could open a restaurant! There’s nothing my son Ira can’t do! Hahahaha!”

Mom, who was surprised by Woojin’s food, Cotton Swab, also smiled contentedly.

“Woojin is much better than Mom.”

Woojin shook his head.

There were many delicious things, but nothing in the world could compare to the food Mom made.

Or the way Dad looked at him.

And Bomi’s smile.

These were things that nothing in the world could compare to.

The food was delicious, and the family looked happy.

Woojin also enjoyed his steak, filling his stomach and feeling full, but he also felt something else being filled.

It wasn’t the effect of the hormones secreted as food entered his stomach; it was a feeling of his heart being filled.

***

After the meal, Mom rolled up her sleeves and stood up.

“Mom will do the dishes.”

“Mom, I’ll do it.”

Woojin ultimately stopped Mom and Bomi from getting up.

Woojin, wearing a bear apron, stubbornly insisted on making the food and doing the cleanup himself.

Dad, who was watching him with a satisfied smile, sat on the living room sofa and rubbed his stomach.

“Thanks to our son, we ate very well!”

Just then, Dad received a call.

“Oh, Yongseok. What, meat? Hey, if you’re going to call, you should call early. And I can’t eat most meats. My palate is too refined. I can’t eat it unless our son cooked it for me.”

Dad began to brag to his friend.

“I thought our son was just good at studying, but he’s a chef, a chef! You know him well, right? Our son’s face, too, huh?! How handsome he is!?”

Bomi, who was watching Dad, wanted to shout.

‘Brother also filmed a movie! A Synesthete! Tell them that too!’

However, Woojin’s words that their parents might worry unnecessarily forced her to keep it a secret.

And so, Woojin made clattering sounds as he did the dishes in the kitchen.

“Woojin, just do it roughly. Roughly.”

At Mom’s words, Woojin responded ‘Yes.’ ‘Yes.’ like a parrot, but there was no such thing as ‘roughly’ for him.

[Breaking news. Do you remember the incident three years ago where a young child was kidnapped and locked in a warehouse? The criminal, who was moved to a general ward due to severe self-harm, has escaped, and their whereabouts are unknown…]

Dad flinched and quickly changed the channel.

Dad, Mom, and Bomi’s gazes quickly returned to the kitchen.

Woojin, who was turning off the water in the sink,

was shaking his hands dry, tap… tap…