CHAPTER 60
So he chose to begin with something small.
“Mrs. Kang, may I help?”
Kang Yujin looked up from the vegetables she was preparing for dinner. She hesitated. “Duri told me you’re supposed to rest.”
“But you’ll be done before he gets back,” Noeul protested gently.
Yujin studied him.
“That’s true,” she admitted. “Are you sure you feel strong enough to help?”
“Yes.” A spark of excitement entered his voice. “I love cooking. I was always the one in charge of meals at home.”
“Were you?”
“Yes.”
“Then perhaps I’ve been wasting valuable talent.”
Noeul smiled faintly. Yujin handed him a basket of vegetables.
“Start with these. Please wash them for me.”
The task disappointed him slightly. He looked from the vegetables to her. “That’s all?”
“For now.”
Noeul narrowed his eyes. “You don’t trust me.”
“I’ve known you for three weeks, Noeul. I don’t trust you with my kitchen yet.”
A small laugh escaped him. “Fair enough.”
Without complaint, he took the vegetables to the sink, filled a large bowl, and began washing them carefully. For a while, the kitchen rested in peaceful silence.
When he finished, Noeul dried his hands and turned toward her. “Mrs. Kang…”
Yujin looked up.
Noeul bowed. “I’m sorry it took me so long to say this, but thank you. For everything.” His voice softened. “I will be forever grateful.”
“You don’t owe me gratitude forever.”
Noeul straightened. “I do.”
“No.” Her answer was gentle but firm. “I’m glad I could help my son’s friend. Consider it repayment for all the years you spent taking care of my son, too.”
“I didn’t really do much,” Noeul replied softly. “Duri was always strong and mature.” He paused, affection warming his voice. “He grew into an incredible person, Mrs. Kang. You did an amazing job raising him.”
Yujin smiled. “Thank you.” She glanced at the vegetables he had washed, then toward the cutting board. “Do your hands still hurt?”
“Sometimes.”
“Today?”
Noeul flexed his fingers experimentally. “Not much.”
She considered him for a moment. “There are more vegetables to prepare.”
Noeul followed her gaze to the knife and understood. For several seconds, he simply stared at it.
“We can leave those for me.”
Noeul remained still.
A knife was only a knife. He knew that. But his body remembered another kitchen. Another hand closing around a handle.
Blood.
Chung-Hee grabbing his wrist.
Noeul swallowed. “I can do it.”
“You don’t have to prove anything.”
“I know.”
He reached for the knife. His fingers trembled slightly when they closed around the handle. Yujin said nothing.
Noeul placed the first vegetable on the cutting board.
One cut.
Then another.
Nothing happened.
His breathing eased. Yujin returned to the stove as though the moment had been completely ordinary. Noeul was grateful to her for pretending it was.
“I really didn’t do much for Duri,” he continued after a while. “He was always strong and mature, even when he was younger.”
Yujin could hear the affection and admiration in his voice. Leaning against the counter, she studied him. “If your mother were here, I would praise her in exactly the same way.”
Noeul glanced up. “Thank you.”
“But since she isn’t…” Something playful entered Yujin’s expression.
Noeul immediately became suspicious. “What?”
“I’ll compliment her differently.”
He waited.
“My son has excellent taste in men.”
Noeul froze. The knife stopped halfway through a carrot. He carefully set it down, his face flushing. “You…” His eyes widened. “You know?”
Yujin laughed. “What mother doesn’t know who her child is in love with? Besides, my son never stops talking about you. Noeul hyung did this. Noeul hyung said that. Noeul hyung beat me at this.”
She mimicked Duri’s voice badly enough that Noeul laughed. “Now I see where Duri gets his humor.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“I accepted it as one.”
Noeul shook his head, smiling. The smile faded slowly. “You’re not…” He hesitated.
Yujin waited.
“You’re not angry that he likes a man like me?”
Her expression changed. Not offended. Confused. “A man like you?”
Noeul looked down. “You know what I mean.”
“No, actually. I don’t.”
He didn’t answer.
Yujin leaned against the counter. “I did a wonderful job raising Duri, remember? You praised me yourself a few minutes ago.”
Noeul looked at her.
“So I trust him. I won’t interfere in your relationship,” Yujin continued before he could respond. “That’s between the two of you.” She smiled warmly. “But I know how deeply my son cares about you. And from what I’ve seen these past weeks, I understand why.”
Noeul lowered his gaze. He wasn’t ready to answer that. Yujin seemed to understand, so, naturally, she ruined the seriousness herself.
“And if everything works out, perhaps one day you’ll call me eomma.”
“Mrs. Kang!”
Yujin laughed. Noeul covered his face with one hand. “Please stop.”
“You’re very easy to tease.”
“You really are Duri’s mother.”
“I should hope so.”
Noeul laughed again. This time, the sound came more easily. He looked around the kitchen, then at the ingredients spread across the counter. “How about I cook tonight?”
Yujin raised an eyebrow. “You’re taking over my kitchen already?”
“You said you’ve been wasting valuable talent.”
“I did say that.”
“You can sit and watch.” Noeul gestured toward the stool. “Would you like coffee or tea?”
Yujin stepped away from the counter with exaggerated surrender. “What a pleasant surprise. Fine. A hot Americano.”
“Sugar or milk?”
“Both.”
Noeul stared at her. “Then it’s barely an Americano.”
“Are you criticizing your host?”
“I’m criticizing your coffee.”
Yujin smiled as she sat at the kitchen counter. “What are you making for us?”
Noeul glanced around, checking the ingredients. For the first time in weeks, the question excited him. “You’ll see.”
He picked up the knife again.
This time, his hand didn’t tremble.
Yujin settled onto the stool, satisfaction evident in her posture. “I like surprises.”
Duri came home to find the two of them laughing in the kitchen. He stopped just inside the doorway and, for a second, simply watched.
Noeul stood at the counter adding the final touches to dinner, sleeves pushed back, concentration written across his face. Yujin sat nearby with her Americano, clearly enjoying herself.
“Welcome home,” his mother called.
Duri crossed the room and kissed her cheek. “How was your day, eomma?”
“Much more entertaining than usual.”
His gaze moved immediately to Noeul. “Did you enjoy hyung’s company?”
Yujin followed his eyes and smiled knowingly. “Very much. Now go change. Noeul has a surprise for you.”
Noeul glanced over. “Don’t make it sound dramatic.”
“That means it’s dramatic,” Duri said.
“Go.”
Duri laughed and disappeared toward his room.
Yujin set the table while Noeul plated the food. Each dish was carefully arranged, the portions adjusted almost instinctively to suit each person. When Duri returned, he stopped again.
“Rouladen?”
Noeul tried not to look too pleased with himself. “You once told me it was your favorite dish from Germany.”
Duri stared at the plate. “You remembered?”
“How could I forget, you brat?” Noeul teased. “You complained about missing it nonstop.”
“I was thirteen.”
“You were annoying at thirteen.”
“I’m still annoying.”
“That too.”
Yujin laughed as Duri took the seat across from Noeul. “I learned how to make it years ago just to make him stop talking about it,” Noeul explained.
Duri looked at him, something softening in his expression. “You actually learned it?”
Noeul shrugged. “I had to protect my sanity somehow.”
Yujin took her first bite. Her eyes widened. “This is excellent.”
Noeul smiled. “Really?”
“Don’t look so surprised. You know it’s good.”
“I haven’t made it in years.”
Duri was already taking another bite. “It’s perfect.”
“Now you’re exaggerating.”
“I’m in love. I’m allowed.”
Noeul froze for half a second. Duri immediately noticed, and the teasing disappeared from his face. Noeul looked down at his plate. Then, unexpectedly, a faint smile appeared.
“You’re still annoying.”
Duri relaxed. Yujin looked between them and wisely concentrated on her food.
For several minutes, the table felt almost ordinary. They ate and talked about Duri’s day. Yujin complained about something she had ordered online arriving in the wrong color. Duri accused Noeul of conspiring with his mother against him. Noeul denied it badly.
For a while, the laughter came easily.
Then Duri noticed Noeul had stopped eating.
“Noeul,” Yujin asked gently, “didn’t you like it?”
Noeul looked down at his plate. “I think cooking tired me out.” He pushed the food away slightly. “I’ll save it for later. Maybe I’ll have some tea.”
Yujin nodded. “No problem.”
Noeul stood and carried his plate toward the kitchen. “Mrs. Kang… Duri.”
Something in his voice made them both look up. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.” He hesitated. “You already know, don’t you?”
Duri said nothing. Yujin looked down at her hands.
Noeul sighed. “It’s been more than three weeks since you found me.” The words still caught in his throat, but he forced himself to continue. “I think I need to leave.”
Duri went still. Yujin remained silent.
Noeul leaned one hand against the counter. “I don’t mean tonight.”
Duri’s shoulders relaxed by barely anything.
“And I don’t mean because I’m ungrateful.”
“Hyung…”
“Let me finish.”
Duri stopped.
Noeul looked at him. “I love being here.” Noeul gave a faint, embarrassed smile. “Probably too much.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means this place is easy.”
Duri frowned. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“It isn’t.” Noeul searched for the right words. “That’s exactly the problem.”
Duri stared at him.
Noeul looked around the apartment. “At first, I needed this.” He gestured vaguely toward everything around them.
“You. Ji-Woo. Mrs. Kang. Someone nearby all the time. Someone reminding me to eat. Someone outside the bathroom door. Someone checking whether I remembered where I was.” His voice softened. “I still need you.”
Duri’s expression tightened.
“But I don’t want needing you to become the reason I stay.”