| CHAPTER ELEVEN |

Excited, Not

Later that day, Jiwon did manage to go to the supermarket. Despite that she had initially used that as an excuse to call it a day with her Park & Co. co-workers earlier, it was true that she needed a bunch of stuff. She was about to reach her first month in South Korea but not once had she attempted to cook a proper meal for herself. No matter how she tried to avoid it, she was starting to feel even more lonely. Instant or delivery food weren’t enough to feel the void.

She needed homecooked meals.

She craved for it.

Jiwon wore her comfortably humble attire for supermarket—grey sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt. She didn’t even bother to do her hair or makeup. Bare face and a high bun were her grocery shopping combo, always been. She arrived at the supermarket late afternoon, giving her just enough time to prepare and cook everything by dinner time. She normally ate at eight o’clock or much later, depending on how late she worked. Weekends, she never kept track. She scrolled throughout the entirety of the recipe she looked up on her phone. She was never a good cook but Aunt Hayoung was.

She wanted to try making her aunt’s favorite dish – Sundaeguk.

There was a bigger chance that she would fail but at the same time, she wanted to feel home. She wanted to feel her, even just from her favorite dish. “Okay okay, let’s start with the veggies.” She pushed her cart to the nearest section, fruits and vegetables. “Perilla—uh , I actually hate that one.” She paused again to look down her phone. She wanted to find a replacement but it seemed like an important part of the dish seeing that the recipe she looked up had Perilla leaves and Perilla powder on its ingredients list. She ended up getting it anyway.

Whatever, she needed to cook it as close to home as possible.

After grabbing a few more ingredients had been listed off, she moved on to another area. “Ox bone broth, please have it, I’m not about to boil some ing ox bone toni—oh, no.” She arrived at one aisle and saw an old man picking up some fallen products. “Sir, let me help you.” She rushed to him immediately and started picking everything else up, including the ones on the man’s hands. “Aigoo, young lady. Thank you so much. You’re so kind.” He beamed still kneeling down.

Jiwon quickly put them back up the sleves. Her eyes then landed beside the man, on the floor by his grocery basket. A crane. “Oh, let me—” She offered to help him get up this time, realizing the situation. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder and supported him on the hips with the other arm. Once the old man was up, she picked up his crane for him. “Here you go, sir.”

The man laughed in delight, nodding in gratification.

Jiwon looked around, hoping to find anyone who went with him. “Your basket seems heavy now, sir. Do you want me to help you? You’re with anyone?” She offered and asked. He chuckled in between nods, looking down to his full basket. “Yeah, I didn’t want to push a cart while having my crane. That would have been hard. I’m alone but I think I will manage, thank you.” She didn’t accept the rejection. Instead, she grabbed his basket. “Sir, you know what, let me at least walk you around until you’ve paid. Can I? I literally have nothing much to do and I just started anyway.” Jiwon looked over to her cart.

The man looked at his watch. “Well, hm, how can I refuse such kind offer then?” He laughed. His laughter was contagious, it almost felt so familiar. Like home. “I’m Kim Jiwon, by the way.” She bowed politely to introduce herself. She then put the man’s basket right down the space in her cart. “I’m glad to have bumped into you, Miss Jiwon. I’m Saeho.” He introduced back. The two of them started walking along the aisles. “Did I hear it right; you were looking for the ox bone soup? They usually have the freshly made ones if you ask them back there in the meat section. It would be better than the pre-packed ones.” Saeho suggested. “What are you making?”

Jiwon smiled in approval while glancing at the meat section. “Oh really? That’s good to know, sir. I was planning to make Sundaeguk. I actually have no idea how to make it but it’ll be fun trying tonight.”

A sudden laugh escaped the man’s lips. He pointed down his basket and looked at her in anticipation. “Hm?” She asked, moving her eyes to where he was pointing down to. It took her a moment or two, to realize what he meant. Looking down his basket, she observed that he had some familiar stuff in there—including the main ingredient, blood sausage. “Omo, are you making one too, sir?” She asked, covering to laugh along with him.

He looked ahead of him as they continue walking. “It’s all about how you make the paste, it needs to be really good and everything else will work out. It’s my son’s favorite, actually. I’m visiting from far away just to cook it for him tonight. He had a long tiring week so I thought to come by and surprise him with it.”

Jiwon looked down, a solemn smile forming on her lips. That was so sweet of him. How she wished she could have a parent like him too. Or even just any kind of family who could treat her like so, well she used to have one until six months ago. It was envy. She was very envious of his son. She was envious of all sons and daughters who were given these gifts – good parents. She looked up at him, a softer smile this time. “That’s so sweet. You must be such a great cook then.”

By the time two of them had gotten everything they needed, Jiwon managed to get a lot of information from the man regarding the ingredients. She already knew she was going to cook her Sundaeguk very well tonight. After they had both paid, they made their way out of the supermarket together. Jiwon bowed politely at the man. “It was really fun getting to know you, sir.” She looked at the bus stop sign beside her. “Why don’t you take a cab there, sir? It would be hard to take the bus with those bags.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I kind of used up all the cash I had brought here with me for this dish by accident and I could only afford a bus fare for today. It’s okay, don’t worry about me, young lady. You go ahead and get cooking. Good luck okay? And drive safely.” His kind laughter only made her even feel worse. “You, uh, don’t have a card to pay for the cab? Sorry for asking. I just really don’t think it’s good for you to take the bus.” She shyly laughed, already regretting asking such a personal question like that.

“Aigoo, well, I don’t own cards. I can’t right now, sorry it’s uh—a bit complicated and embarrassing to explain but I can’t, as of now.” he laughed. Jiwon shook her head, realizing just how bad it was to ask. “Oh my god—sorry for even asking, I’m so sorry.” She slapped her forehead, guilt eating her up entirely. “What about I drive you to your destination then? Please don’t say no, it would be my pleasure.” She finally offered.

She wanted to offer since the beginning but she didn’t want to seem nosy.

But now, after knowing the situation better, she knew she needed to do it or else she won’t be able to sleep knowing that she left a poor old man like him just go to wherever he was going with all those grocery bags with him. The man looked down to the grocery bags on the floor. “Well … since I’ve had a great time chatting with you the whole time, I think a fifteen-minute drive with you would be pleasant too. Miss Jiwon, you’re such a kind lady, I wish my son dated women like you more.” Jiwon tried her best to laugh at what he said to hide her discomfort.

Oh god, parents will be parents.

With her remaining strength, she took all three grocery bags of his with her one hand while she held her own stuff on her other. She put the bags separately on her back seat before helping the man into the car. She asked him for the address and she typed it in her GPS. Nice, it was pretty close to her unit too. Literally like a ten-minute walk away. It must have been luck but it felt like destiny. She thought maybe her Aunt Hayoung made her meet the man so she wouldn’t have ed up on the Sundaeguk. She would have most likely done a bad job if she didn’t get all of those words of advice from the old man, Saeho.

When they arrived at the destination, Jiwon parked at the side of the road. “Aigoo, you’re an angel Miss Jiwon. Thank you so much. Okay, let me just call my son now so he could help me with these bags.” The old man took his phone out and phoned his son. Jiwon on the other hand already went out to get the bags out. She peeked at the window before opening the door for him. He stepped out together with his cane, his phone still against his ear.

“He’s not answering again, he’s probably not home again. I always mess up my surprises because he doesn’t like staying home. Well, I can just go in and start cooking until he comes.” Jiwon frowned, seeing the disappointed look on his face. He looked like he really wanted to surprise his son, it was like the sweetest thing ever. He looked up with that same bright unbothered smile, as if he didn’t just look crushed earlier. “I know you’ve done so much for me, Miss Jiwon. But do you mind just giving me one last favor and help me get the bags up until we get to the door? I’m so sorry. I feel so bad, how could I repay you?”

Jiwon eagerly shook her head. “Oh god, no worries, Sir. I’d love to help you. Like I said, I have nothing much to do aside from cooking later and lucky you, I live very close here so I’d still get home soon after.” She quickly carried two bags and the man grabbed the other one.

She pressed on the car key fob to lock her car before walking into the building with the man. When they got to the fifth floor, where the unit was location, he led her to the very last unit. There was a big box right in front of it.

“See, he always gets these important packages but he always comes home late, I always worry that someone would steal these. Sometimes, he orders expensive stuff for work.” Jiwon laughed in amusement as the old man flicked his tongue in dismay. “Ooh, that is heavy.” Jiwon kicked the box very lightly just to see how heavy it was and it didn’t even budge. “Anyway, I’ll get this in too.” Saeho turned around to look at her. “Alright, Miss Jiwon, it was very very nice meeting you and I want to thank you a lot for helping me.” He gently patted her arm.

“No problem sir.” Jiwon smiled in satisfaction. It really did feel good to help a stranger tonight, it was a fulfilling task indeed, at least for her. She took a few steps back and watched the guy open the door. She could be walking away now but she wanted to make sure he was in, safe and sound first. “You go ahead, young lady.” He briefly turned to her as he carried each bag into the unit. Lastly, the box.

She knew it. He wasn’t going to be able to lift it at all. “I’ll go ahead after I help you get that