chapter seven     

[INDENT] "You have no idea what you're going to make, do you?" Eunmi only scowled at Doojoon's statement as he smirked at her while sitting on the kitchen countertop. He watched as Eunmi was pacing back and forth speedily.

[INDENT] Eunmi nearly screamed in annoyance. Why did she have to say that out loud? She didn't even know how to melt butter, for God's sake!

[INDENT] "Don't worry about it, princess."

[INDENT] Eunmi turned to look at Doojoon. "I can help, if you want. Just looking at you, I can tell that you've never even touched a knife or pot in your life." Doojoon said with a devious smirk as Eunmi blushed.

[INDENT] "Y-yah, I'm no princess." Eunmi said with a red face.

[INDENT] Doojoon hopped off of the countertop and stood in front of Eunmi. "Yeah, I guess I can't call you that. I'm pretty sure even princesses know how to use microwaves."

[INDENT] "YAH!"

[INDENT] Doojoon laughed and replied, "Hey, I'm just kidding, miss. I'll help you anyway, no mater what you say. Just tell the others that I volunteered to help. Those idiots never help me cook anyway."

[INDENT] Eunmi couldn't help but laugh. She could imagine the super hyperactive Yoseob burning something on accident. "Let's go look for ingredients. Maybe we can get inspired to make something." Doojoon said with a smile. Eunmi trailed after him to look around in the kitchen.

[INDENT] In the end, Eunmi and Doojoon found multiple bags of noodles, packets of cheese, kimchi, some bok choi, eggs, and fish cakes.

[INDENT] "I supposed we're eating ramen today." Doojoon said as he set everything down on the kitchen countertop.

[INDENT] "Ramen? What's that?" Eunmi asked as she watched Doojoon.

[INDENT] Doojoon laughed. "Of course you wouldn't know what ramen is; only commoners eat such a thing." Eunmi frowned at the statement as Doojoon continued. "Ramen is basically like instant noodles. Usually they come with packets of powders to make the ramen taste better."

[INDENT] "Ah, I see." Eunmi said. "And what about everything else we found?"

[INDENT] "Oh, those? We'll just put everything in a giant pot. And we can boil it in the middle of the table with a portable stovetop so everyone can serve themselves instead of giving individual bowls of ramen."

[INDENT] "Even the cheese?" Eunmi asked as she scrunched up her nose. She wondered why they even collected the processed cheese in the first place.

[INDENT] "Oh, the cheese? We can have that as an optional topping. The others can decide whether or not they want the cheese."

[INDENT] Eunmi smiled. "Alright, so where do we start?"

[INDENT] "Hmm... let's see..." Doojoon said as he looked at the ingredients on the countertop while scratching his chin. "We can boil the noodles later, since it doesn't take long for them to cook. Everything else except for the cheese, kimchi, and eggs, we can slice them right now."

[INDENT] "But um..." Eunmi said shyly as she looked down. "I... I don't know how to use a knife."

[INDENT] Doojoon smiled. "It's alright. I can teach you, miss! I'll teach you well." He winked at Eunmi and took her hand. Then, he did something unexpected: he kissed her hand softly. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you won't get hurt, araso?"

[INDENT] Eunmi carefully nodded as a whirlwind of thoughts swirled in her head. What was that all about? He's sure acting strange... I must be careful... Eunmi thought.

[INDENT] Doojoon went underneath the stovetop to get a giant pot and a portable stovetop from the bottom cupboard, and placed them on the counter. "There, that's all we need. I'll go put some water in the pot. Eunmi, can you take out some small dishes from the left side cupboard to put some kimchi in them?"

[INDENT] "Yeah, sure!" Eunmi replied as she got some clean chopsticks from one of the drawers and carefully placed the kimchi in four small dishes.

[INDENT] Doojoon then set the pot on the portable stovetop and turned it on. "Done with the kimchi, Miss Eunmi?"

[INDENT] Eunmi turned to him and smiled. "Yup!"

[INDENT] Doojoon's heart melted a bit from Eunmi's smile. She should smile more instead of keeping that fragile, deer-in-the-headlights look, He thought. He went up to her and got two of the dishes. Eunmi followed him and put them on both sides of the pot.

[INDENT] "What's next?" Eunmi asked. She wiped her hands on the pink apron.

[INDENT] Doojoon answered, "We now have to slice the bok choi! Can you get the cutting board for me? It's in the same place as the pots." Eunmi opened the cupboard again to retrieve a large cutting board. Meanwhile, Doojoon got a knife from the knife holder that was in one of the bottom drawers.

[INDENT] "You ready to learn?" Doojoon asked.

[INDENT] Eunmi nodded. "Yup!"

[INDENT] Doojoon put one bok choi on the cutting board. "Grab the knife handle." He said, and Eunmi followed his instructions and held the knife tightly.

[INDENT] "Hey, you don't have to hold it so tightly. Here, let me show you." Doojoon pressed his chest on Eunmi's back, wrapped his arms around her body, and held her hand on the knife.

[INDENT] Eunmi nearly stopped breathing by Doojoon's sudden contact. She accidentally inhaled his scent and could identify his scent as a mix of sweat and dirt.

[INDENT] "We're just going to separate the leaves and the stalks since th