F O R T Y – F O U R

Word of the Day – “Curdling”

Kyungsoo felt the cold air that enclosed his car—the cold air that he had created himself, and the only thing that kept him conscious enough to even drive home. The night went on with Miyoung never telling him anything and he had no nerve to speak up first. She was keeping something from him and it seemed like she wanted it to stay that way.

If only he didn’t see that text message.

He almost wished he didn’t. Maybe not knowing anything was better.

When he came into the apartment, Miyoung was settled on the couch still in the clothes she was wearing the entire day. “Oh, you’re home. I just got home too. After The Alley Cat, Sooyoung dragged me for karaoke—and don’t even start with me, I didn’t sing, unfortunately to you so you can’t grill me about it. She was too pushy; I was surprised she didn’t succeed in pulling Mr. Park along. I mean, that would have been thoughtless of her since he has a little son to come home to.” She huffed a collapsing tone.

Kyungsoo forced himself to nod as he strutted to the bathroom.

“Are you okay?” He heard her say flatly. Shortly though, he felt her presence on his right-hand side while he proceeded to apply toothpaste on his toothbrush. “How was the closing? Did any more guests arrive after Mr. Park and Sooyoung?” Miyoung asked, leaning on the door frame while lazily pinching two fingers on the fabric of his sleeve to get his attention more.

Once again, Kyungsoo could only afford to move his head for a no. He started brushing his teeth while Miyoung stood there still, her strong gaze warming every inch of his body but he fought the urge to give in and bring it up.

“Okay, what is it?” Miyoung hissed sharply and he continued to brush his teeth—even strong and harder this time until he could already taste blood. “You know what—is this about Mr. Park? Yeah, he was touchy-feely and all, I get it. I’m not dumb. But I have no interest in him at all. It’s not like I can just openly tell him to off when he acts like that because then I would lose my job. And it’s not like he’s doing something extremely wrong for me to complain.” She brought up a different dilemma that Kyungsoo had already initially forgotten.

 Kyungsoo rinsed his mouth and stared at the sink as the bubbly water washed away. “It’s not about that but since you’ve brought it up—yeah, it made me uncomfortable how he acts around you. Are you gonna wait for something extremely wrong to happen before you say something?” He firmly argued before walking away to back to the living room. He whistled to signal Chef to follow him and they both made their way to the kitchen.

As he began preparing the cat’s food, Miyoung arrived in the kitchen and stopped him from opening the can. “Can I feed my hungry cat first since you didn’t even bother doing so when you got home before I did?” Kyungsoo asked, sounding harsher than he had planned in his head.

Their eyes met as Miyoung took a step back, falling open. “You’re doing this again—you’re hiding something from but it shows, Doh Kyungsoo. There’s something wrong but you wouldn’t just tell me, instead you’d give me cold-shoulders like you always do—”

“You’re hiding something from me too, dammit!” Kyungsoo set the can down the counter making a thudding noise. “What the hell are you talking about?” Miyoung asked, tears already building up in the corners of her eyes. “And can you please not raise your voice at me? I’m not going to take such treatment from anyone, not even from you!” She added. Kyungsoo felt weak all over his body as he leaned against the counter. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it, I jus—”

Miyoung pushed him off and opened the canned food herself. “All you needed to do was to answer my question so we can talk about it but you’ll go miles and miles away from the issue just so you could show your frustration like that to me when I already get it, I already know there’s something wrong. There’s no need to rub it in.” She placed the food on Chef’s bowl at the corner before grabbing the empty bowl of water. She walked past Kyungsoo and refilled it for the cat.

“Miyoung, I’m sorry.” Kyungsoo grabbed her hand before she could move past him again. He watched her hand tremble as she held the bowl. “The only thing I could think about that I hid from you is—” She looked away way too late when he had already seen the first tear that cascaded down her cheek. She pushed his hand off before walking back to the cat. She placed the water bowl beside Chef and him on the head while watching him eat.

“It’s about my dad, isn’t it? Did he tell you something? Did he call you? Texted you?” She asked but she proceeded to focus her attention on the cat.

“I saw his text on your phone this evening. About … decisions and SCORCH.” Kyungsoo finally admitted as he kept his gaze down to the floor.

Miyoung stood up, letting out a loud sigh. “So, the worst way to find out then. No context or whatsoever.” She laughed meekly before walking to the bed. They kept their distance from each other as silence filled the entire apartment. She sat on the edge of the bed while Kyungsoo remained leaning on the kitchen counter.

“Okay, then,” Kyungsoo looked up in her direction. “Te—tell me the context.” A worn-out laugh escaped his mouth as he hugged his arms together as if comforting himself. “The context in my head when I saw that message was that I will be—” He swallowed hard to collect himself together enough to go on. “That I will not be chosen … but rightfully so this time because who am I to stop you from keeping a relationship with your only family, right?”

This time, it was Miyoung who had no words to give out. The silence continued as Kyungsoo waited for her. Perhaps, he got the right context … and that terrified him even more.

Kyungsoo released an amused but miserable huff of breath. “We both know why you moved back to Korea in the first place. For him and for SCORCH. And—” He reached up to feel the hotness on his forehead. He felt sick all over. He felt like fainting. He felt like he was close to throwing up right there but he held everything back in. “And I’m not going to be in your way again. Not anymore.” He heard himself mutter in the end.

“SCORCH is the one thing that my mom cared about the most and the only thing that she had left that’s still alive … and felt like her.” Miyoung finally spoke up, although hushed.

And Kyungsoo was trying to destroy that one thing. And he even took Miyoung along with it. He made her do things that her late mother would have been hurt for.

He was being selfish all this time. He was vengeful for his own reasons and personal resentment towards Ra Wonsuk but he never took into consideration what she really thought. What she felt. What she cared for.

And she may not appreciate SCORCH Steakhouse & Bar the way a business owner or a chef would … but she cared for it like it was her own mom. It was her mom. SCORCH was everything that her late mother was and any person felt it the moment they step foot into that restaurant.

Miyoung sobbed hard as she pressed the back of her hand against . “I’m scared for it to all go away sooner or later. And then I have nothing left of her. And it’s all because I neglected it.” Her voice was shaky. Worried. Terrified. She looked up at him and smiled bitterly. “Kyungsoo, I’m happy for you that you are your own person now, away from SCORCH and you don’t feel trapped in my father’s manipulation anymore. You can leave everything behind and start anew like you did with The Alley Cat and it’s something to be proud of. But—” Her words broke again as tears overcame her.

“Bu—but you can’t do the same.” Kyungsoo finished the words for her,