MOM’S COOKING, SEUL MI’S COOKING AND LIVING ALONE

It was a typical day at school for Seul Mi that very day. She had been attending Yeogang High school for a month today. She became friendly with her class mates but it wasn’t as easy to get close to them further. They only acknowledge her in class only. Even though the class were named “delinquents” Seul Mi thought otherwise. These guys were great. They were just misjudged by others.

“Hey, what did your mom make for you this time?” she overheard the other guys’ conversation.

“Sandwiches!” Doo Joon said wrinkling his nose disapprovingly. “When will she stop with what Americans have? Eh, Gi Kwang you wanna swap lunches for today?”

Gi Kwang quickly hugged his bento. “No way!” he shrieked. “It’s bad enough what my mum cooks me, but I just can’t live on sandwiches.”

“It’s not filling,” Yo Seob added.

Doo Joon sank down on his chair. “I hate Mondays!” he grumbled.

“Wanna swap lunches with me?” Seul Mi offered. She jerked her head back when the others sat up straight and stared at her. She laughed uncomfortably holding her hands up. “I’m getting a bit tired of my same old lunch,” she quickly explained.

Doo Joon watched her intently. “Okay,” he gave in shortly after. “I’ll swap with you. I wanna know what kind of food your Okasan makes.”

Seul Mi’s face paled. “Omma didn’t make it,” she answered quietly. “I made it myself.”

Doo Joon saw the distance in her eyes. He wondered what he had said to make her turn white all of a sudden. He knew she realised what he was thinking when she quickly turned her mood back to a happy one. She forced upon a smile on her face.

“I guess you don’t want my cooking, eh?” she said with a half laugh changing the subject.

Doo Joon knew there was something she was hiding but it wasn’t his place to ask. He was going to let it slide this once. He shook his head. “I agreed, didn’t I?” he told her.

“Oh man!” Dong Woon cried out in frustration. “How come he gets so lucky?”

Seul Mi looked at him in confusion. “Lucky?”

“We wanna have your cooking as well,” Yo Seob moaned.

Seul Mi bit her lips. Her eyes lit up as if coming up with an idea. “I love ohagi!” she said out loud. “If you bring ohagi tomorrow I’ll swap lunch with you,” she told Yo Seob. She once heard he doesn’t like ohagi but it was what his mom loved cooking for him.

“Ohagi?” Yo Seob yelped. “Why would you want to have that for?”

Seul Mi flicked her finger at Yo Seob’s forehead. “As I said I love ohagi, babo.”

A grin appeared on his face. “I’m definitely getting ohagi tomorrow!” he vowed.

Seul Mi chuckled.

“What about me?” Dong Woon complained.

“And me?” Gi Kwang joined in. The other three started complaining as well.

Seul Mi watched them making a fuss about their lunches. She felt a little happiness that they wanted something from her. For the first time they were getting a little closer.

“I’ll swap with Dong Woon on Wednesday,” she announced quietening the bunch. “On Thursday it would be Gi Kwang. Friday it will be Hyun Seung and then on the next Monday it will be Jun Hyung. Everyone happy?”

Jun Hyung grumbled. “Why am I last?”

“Don’t be childish now,” Yo Seob said. “You can’t always get what you want.”

Jun Hyung glared at him. “You’re only happy because you get to have her food tomorrow,” he protested. Jun Hyung looked at Seul Mi with a puppy face.

Seul Mi laughed. “Okay, okay,” she gave in. “How about on Saturday you come down mines and I’ll make you lunch?” she offered.

The guys’ jaws dropped. A riot began.

“It’s not fair!” Yo Seob whined.

“I wanna be the last one!” said Dong Woon.

“No me!” Hyun Seung cried out.

“I can wait to be the last one,” Gi Kwang said timidly, hoping to get her attention with his cute childish side.

Seul Mi looked from one to another. The only sane one it looked like was Doo Joon who didn’t get into their protest. He rolled his eyes and stifled a yawn.

“No way!” Jun Hyung said with a huge grin on his face. “Anyway, who’s being childish now?” Jun Hyung looked straight at Yo Seob who avoided making eye contact.

“What have I gotten myself into?” Seul Mi muttered under her breath with a sigh. She didn’t think they would behave like this. She must admit she loved the attention she was getting from them. For once she felt good about herself knowing that they were genuinely fighting over her, maybe not her but her cooking. Either way she loved it.

“They never had a girl cook for them,” Doo Joon cut in her thoughts. “Don’t go getting big headed.”

Seul Mi’s face fell. “You sure know how to put a girl down,” she told him. The others weren’t paying attention to them. They were too busy arguing with each other. “So am I guessing you had girls cooking for you?” she asked with interest.

Doo Joon was startled by her question. “Of course not!” he replied in outrage.

Seul Mi grinned. “I was just asking. But your quick reply makes me think otherwise.”

“He has girls making him food all the time but he never accepts them,” Gi Kwang said after hearing parts of their conversation.

“Even though he stays away from the girls they still are after him,” Yo Seob added.

“Shut up!” Doo Joon yelled. The school bell rang at the same time. He grabbed his bag and stood up. Without bidding them goodbye he left the class room.

Seul Mi realised it was lunch time. She too stood up after dumping her books inside her bag and rushed after him. Soon after the other guys did the same. She found Doo Joon sitting on the benches on the roof top.

“Why do you like high places?” she asked him. She sat herself opposite him on the bench.

“Because it feels like freedom,” he answered.

Seul Mi looked up at the blue sky and took in a breath of fresh air. “Ah, I understand what you mean but I still don’t like high places.”

“Then what are you doing here?” he said.

“Did you forget our lunch agreement?”

Doo Joon smacked his head. “Oh, yeah, I totally forgot!” He opened up his bag and got out his lunch box. Seul Mi did the same. He held the box out to her. “Here you go.”

Seul Mi smiled. “Here is mine,” she said handing hers to him and receiving his. Their hand brushed against each other. Seul Mi felt a little tingly feeling. She quickly pushed the thought at the back of her head not wanting to think about it.

Doo Joon also felt a little tingle. His eyes widened. He blanked his mind not wanting to think about it. They both let out a breath of relief when the guys came in through the door at once because they felt the uncomfortable aura coming. The guys cried out when they got stuck. Seul Mi covered hiding a laugh that was about to escape. Doo Joon on the other hand was laughing openly. She was caught off guard upon hearing his laughter. She had never seen him as close as this before. His eyes glittered. His laughter line showed on the side of his mouth. She as looked away when he looked at her. She touched her cheeks feeling her face warm up.

Doo Joon stopped laughing. Was she blushing? He thought. The guys managed to get through. They sat around both of them.

“Kwaenchana?” Gi Kwang asked sitting himself next to Seul Mi.

Seul Mi waved her hands. “Keromyo,” she quickly replied.

“You sure? You went red there.”

Seul Mi wanted to kill Gi Kwang. How can he put her in the spot? “I’m fine,” she said through her teeth. Gi Kwang opened his mouth to ask more. She sent daggers with her eyes. He closed his mouth and looked away.

“Let’s see her lunch then,” Yo Seob asked as he took out his camera from his bag. Everyone got out their lunches.

~~***~~

Meanwhile their mothers sat in a cosy restaurant sipping tea after having their lunch. They made a habit to meet for lunch and discuss their sons together once in a while. The mothers got on well just like their sons got on well with each other.

“I tried making Yuichi ohagi but he refused,” Mrs. Yang said in disappointment.

“I made my son sandwiches but he’s always complaining,” Mrs. Yoon said.

Mrs. Yong put down her cup on the matching cutlery with a sigh. “When will our sons start appreciating our lunch? You don’t see other rich women making lunches for their children? I didn’t want to leave my job to a maid.”

“I agree with you,” Ms. Lee said. “It wouldn’t feel right if we can’t do something easy like that for them.”

“I have never had any complaints from my other children,” Mrs. Hyun Seung announced.

The other women agreed. “If only there was some way or somehow they would be thankful to us,” Mrs. Yoon said with wishful thinking.

“Or someone,” Mrs. Son added.

~~***~~

Yo Seob drove to his place as fast as he could. When he got there he went straight to find him mum. “Omma, Omma!” he called.

He found his mum painting in her studio. She had a basket full of fruits in front of her. He skidded to a stop in front of her. “Omma!” he practically yelled.

His mum was startled by his shout that her brush jerked making her ruin her painting. He looked at the painting and jeered.

“Mianhae,” he quickly apologised.

His mum raised her head trying very hard not to shout at him. “What is it, dear?” She picked up the paper she was painting and screwed it up. She threw it at the nearest bin and took out another paper. She began again picking up her brush.

He then remembered why he was here. “Omma, what are you going to make for tomorrows lunch?”

His mom frowned wondering why he was so keen on knowing what he was having for lunch tomorrow as he used to dread it. “The same as today’s.”

Using his fingers he combed his hair back. “Is there a chance you can make ohagi for me?”

His mom’s hands faltered once again causing her to smear her painting. She was indeed shocked as he had assumed she would. “Wha-what did you say?” She was afraid that she must have heard her son wrong.

“I know that you might not want to make it anymore but can you please make it for tomorrow?” he pleaded.

His mom stared at him in stunned expression. “Uh…sure.”

“Komawo!” he went up to his mom and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You’re the best!”

He left her feeling dazed. She speculated if she was dreaming or not. Few seconds later he came skidding back into the room. She was definitely not dreaming. He lost his balance and fell on the floor. He tried to grab onto the table but instead he knocked down her basket of fruits.

Mrs. Yang touched her forehead feeling a headache coming at his clumsiness. She gave him a questioning look.

“Mianhae,” he once again apologised while picking up all the fruits.

“What is it now?”

“Can you make loads for tomorrow?”

“As you say,” she replied. She was annoyed by his disturbance but also was happy at the same time.

He left happily again making her wonder what had gotten into him with the sudden keen interest in her cooking.