E L E V E N

Words of the Day – “Sous Vide”

Unease stirred the back of Miyoung’s neck as she waited for the man to speak up. Today was one of those rare times that Kyungsoo had specifically asked her to come to the restaurant early in the morning. Normally, she’d initiate the gesture—in a much later time, of course. Besides, she hated getting ordered by him, but after that talk she had with her father three days ago, she didn’t have a choice but give it a shot in case it had something to do with it.

As much as she hated the idea, her father didn’t give her any more options to choose from. Exactly how was he going to supervise her? She couldn’t think of anything that she really needed supervision with—especially not from him.

If ever this meeting had absolutely nothing to do with the deal, she could already think of a few ways to beat the crap out of this man, either physically or with words. Being awake and out of her house at six o’clock in the morning wasn’t really her cup of tea. They were all alone and that was another thing that bugged her insides.

“So, I had a talk with your dad.” Kyungsoo finally spoke up, propping his palms on either side of him on the table where he leaned.

She hadn’t been wrong. He did call her over regarding the deal. Miyoung had sworn to herself that if he ever took advantage of this set-up to potentially make her life any more miserable than it already was, she was going to throw hands, for real.  “And?” She coldly replied, slumping her back on the chair, creating a faint cracking sound.

A daunting smile raised on Kyungsoo’s face when their eyes locked as if saying ’s going down, . “I heard you did a placement during university? Three months, was it? And it was for a publishing company, right?” His tone was genuinely curious yet playful, in a triggering way—at least for Miyoung, it was. Every sentence that came out of the man’s mouth triggered the out of her like always. He always managed to do it so effortlessly.

Kyungsoo adjusted himself on the edge of the table, arms crossed against his chest. “So, tell me some things you’ve learned from school and from your placement in that publishing company that you could apply here in SCORCH.” His expression turned vividly professional but still with a hint of a smirk. Miyoung didn’t always get tongue-tied that easily but today, it required her no effort to clamp her lips in a tight straight line.

Memories, unpleasant memories, flashed into her system like a painful stab in the gut. Her pride and ego were badly compromised during those times. She didn’t want to discuss it. She didn’t really want to tell anyone about it. Not him, especially. Not Doh Kyungsoo.

Aside from the rare occasions where she was permitted to join the publishing team in big conference meetings and help organize book reading events, her main priorities at the time were tedious paper works, phone calls, coffee—lots of coffee errands. Like, a lot of them. She also spent an awful lot of time in front of the photo-copying machines and printers. She even had to go shopping for some of the senior members of the team, either for their personal needs or gifts to send to authors and other important people who had worked with the company.

“The placement was more focused on … finishing the hours that I was required to have. I ca—I can give you a copy of my thesis if you want. I aced the defence and I—” She swallowed hard, quickly regretting even mentioning the required hours she needed in the placement. “What does that have to do with this? What do you want from me, Doh Kyungsoo?” She burst, throwing her arms in the air to show her frustration. “Fine, I was just a pathetic underdog during my placement. I was nothing but an errand girl. Are you ing happy now? It’s not like it was my choice, I wanted to do more. I could have done more.”

She abruptly broke the eye contact with his expression turned softer as if sympathizing. Before she lost the last bit of her patience, she stood up and walked to the door. “I don’t need you to feel sorry for me. If you’re here to just make fun of me for the hell I went through, I’m just going back home. It’s so early, no one’s even here yet and I don’t want to be alone here with you to—”

“Everyone has to start from the bottom so I don’t feel sorry for you one bit. That’s totally normal, what you had to do in the publishing company. Maybe you’re the one who felt sorry for yourself because you didn’t think you deserved to start somewhere.” He spoke, making her pause. “You want everything served to you, fully garnished and plated for your comfort.”

Miyoung’s mouth fell in disbelief. She whipped around to face him again, throwing him a glare. “What does that supposed to mean?”

The man leaned away from the table and walked over to her.

He slid his hands in his pockets before slanting towards her, the gap between their faces decreasing as he moved. “Can you make a rough guess of how many plates and bowls and pots I had to wash? How many cuts and burns I’ve had on my hands and arms. How many failed dishes I had to make over and over and over again before they got approved? How much criticisms I had and have to swallow up to this day.” He said firmly, his gaze intensifying with every word that slipped out of his mouth. “You see, that’s the most crucial yet most undocumented part in someone’s career. I wasn’t born a chef but I worked my off so I could die as one and even then, I still don’t feel like I’m there just yet.” His words pierced like daggers into her chest.

She could feel the passion in all of the things that he was saying and she wasn’t so sure if she’d ever seen him this way. She didn’t understand, she didn’t appreciate culinary arts. It wasn’t her kind of art but somehow, his demeanour was something familiar to her. Passion—she’d forgotten how it felt to have one. She used to live for it ... until she realized her