27

Chapter 27

Every employee in the restaurant Yoo Seongwoon selected wore a hanbok.

“I have a reservation for two under Yoo Seongwoon.”

“Mr. Yoo Seongwoon, I have confirmed your reservation. We will show you inside, so please remove your shoes.”

As Yoo Seongwoon accepted the employee’s service without hesitation, Gio remained a step behind and studied the restaurant.

The restaurant he had chosen was a hanok with a strongly traditional atmosphere, as though it had been painted in ink. The pillars featured elegant curves that preserved the natural beauty of the wood, while the subtle, bittersweet fragrance of hinoki cypress and the lofty, open ceiling put one’s insides at ease.

Instead of noisy crowds of diners, Gio saw a silent, elegantly arranged wooden hallway. The individual rooms visible at intervals along it stood out for their unusually strong sense of privacy.

“……”

This was… a baekban restaurant?

‘The definition of a baekban restaurant I know must have changed over the past thirty-one years.’

Where had his noisy yet comfortable baekban restaurant gone, the kind where one sat cross-legged on a wooden platform and picked apart a yellow croaker?

“Gio, let’s go inside.”

“Are we eating here?”

“Ah.”

Yoo Seongwoon spoke as though making an excuse, though Gio had no idea what concerned him.

“Please ignore the presence of the other people. Even so, this place does a reasonably good job of blocking sounds and signs of other guests.”

“……”

“If it makes you very uncomfortable, shall we move to another restaurant? There are places where we could have an entire building to ourselves.”

What was wrong with this man?

‘Does he consider me a walking nuclear power plant?’

Gio had no idea how sensitive a creature Yoo Seongwoon believed him to be.

“I am not uncomfortable.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

“Is the restaurant divided into rooms?”

“Yes. The rooms aren’t particularly small, so we should be able to eat comfortably.”

“I see.”

Barring extraordinary circumstances, Gio was not someone who refused a free meal.

‘It looks delicious, so everything is fine.’

The extent to which the world had changed over thirty-one years left him with complicated feelings. But with his hungry stomach’s permission, Gio cast aside his anguish and followed Yoo Seongwoon.

“Please press the bell once you have selected your dishes.”

“Certainly.”

“I hope you enjoy your time here.”

The employee, dressed in a softly colored hanbok that looked dyed with flower petals, quietly left the room. After waiting a moment and sensing the presence recede, Gio asked,

“Is this a baekban restaurant?”

“…Ah, yes.”

Yoo Seongwoon did not make it very obvious, but his reaction suggested that he had realized a mistake.

Gio had only meant, “Is such a glittering, extravagant place truly a baekban restaurant?” Yoo Seongwoon, however, appeared to have interpreted it as, “What exactly is a baekban restaurant?”

“A table setting with rice, soup, and side dishes is called baekban.”

“……”

If only for his pride as a teacher, Gio briefly wanted to object. But the misunderstanding did not seem like something a correction could resolve, so he decided to remain silent and listen. He prided himself on this mature judgment.

“The rice is always the same, while the soup changes every day. Today… seems to be seaweed soup.”

After explaining that much, Yoo Seongwoon asked with a suddenly uncertain expression,

“Do you eat seaweed?”

“There is no food I cannot eat or dislike.”

“That’s welcome news.”

Yoo Seongwoon opened the menu lying at the edge of the table.

“All the basic side dishes are the same. What we need to choose is the main dish. The options are mainly divided between meat and fish. Which appeals to you more?”

“At present, I would prefer meat.”

Softhearted Gio could not hunt the animals in the forest. He did not know how to hunt in the first place, and those round, tiny painted animals would surely offer a poor yield even if he caught them.

Gio was happy no matter what he ate and was not remotely picky, but since he had come outside, he did want meat.

‘I should eat it while I have the chance.’

Yoo Seongwoon nodded.

“Then let’s have Gwangyang-style bulgogi.”

He pressed several numbers on the keypad at the edge of the table. It appeared to be a system in which they entered the number corresponding to a dish and the kitchen received the order immediately to prepare it.

After pressing the red button that served as a bell, Yoo Seongwoon looked at Gio again.

“Of all the baekban restaurants I’ve visited, I think this one tastes the best. They don’t use Monster meat either.”

“Is Monster meat commonly used?”

“It’s eaten fairly often. But eating Monsters even when you come to a restaurant feels a little…”

“……”

He seemed to place “restaurants” on a higher pedestal than Gio remembered. As an ancestor who had hibernated for thirty-one years, Gio pondered how to ask about it without sounding strange.

“Why? Do you have a question?”

“…Are restaurants distinguished from other establishments in some way?”

“Hm? Aren’t they, for the most part?”

As though the question were unexpected, Yoo Seongwoon rubbed the back of his neck.

“You’re choosing not to eat at home and relying on someone else to serve you a meal. In my case, the expense is not particularly burdensome, but it becomes somewhat difficult for second-class citizens and below.”

“Does that apply to every restaurant?”

“Generally. Restaurants exist so people can eat, of course, but receiving service is an even larger part of the experience. Many people visit restaurants to eat, as I do, but even more come specifically to be waited upon.”

It felt slightly different from Gio’s definition of a restaurant.

‘Compared with what I knew, it sounds closer to fine dining or omakase. Have all restaurants become upscale…?’

No, wait. Then what about delivery?

“Do people not use food delivery?”

Yoo Seongwoon looked as though he had never expected the word “delivery” to emerge from Gio’s mouth. Gio began to wonder just how ancient the man believed him to be, but he could not be bothered to explain, so he remained silent.

“Delivery is… used frequently. But it’s even more expensive.”

“Is that so?”

“It would be a major disaster if the courier encountered a Monster along the way. Going around them is troublesome too.”

What sort of world treated Monsters like stray cats? The harm they caused did not seem remotely comparable to that caused by stray cats, making it even more absurd.

“That’s why people rarely order delivery unless they’re throwing a party. I’m the same.”

“……”

If a delivery could serve an entire party, Gio suspected it was simply catering.

“…Then do most people prepare their own meals at home?”

“Usually. Purchasing ingredients already costs money. Who can afford to pay for service on top of that? Visiting a restaurant itself isn’t particularly commonplace.”

Had the world ended once and then been rebuilt?

“But we have come to a restaurant.”

“Because I told you I would take you sightseeing…”

“Aha.”

Apparently, Yoo Seongwoon had meant to treat him spectacularly. The fact that errors arose even in such simple communication made Gio reflect seriously.

‘…Do I need to receive social-skills training again? It would be difficult to undergo compulsory education at my age. Should I reenroll in university now?’

The world had changed far too much for a mere thirty-one years. At this rate, everyone Gio spoke with would treat him like an alien from Sirius.

‘Or like a shut-in who lives completely cut off from society.’

Damn you, gods of heaven and earth. The latter possibility was even more chilling because it did not seem entirely inaccurate.

‘Is this how elderly people feel when they cannot keep up with a changing society…?’

Grandmother, I finally understand your feelings. Keeping pace with a rapidly advancing era was truly difficult.

Feeling the realization deeply, Gio watched the employee set their meal before them.

“It is hot, so please move back slightly.”

The employee dropped a single ember into the center of the table.

Fire flared up and took a shape resembling a gas burner. The employee placed a grill over the circular flame, laid several pieces of bulgogi on top, and then left the room.

“……”

There had been nothing there, yet a fire had ignited.

‘The table is made from wood, but it isn’t burning.’

Correction. Gio did not need to reenroll in university, but in kindergarten.

Judging by Yoo Seongwoon’s reaction, this was perfectly ordinary. But to Gio, who had been removed from society for exactly thirty-one years, it was simply astounding.

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“Hmm, this seems to be beef.”

“What other meat could it be if not beef?”

“As I said before, it would most likely be Monster meat. It costs less than beef or lamb.”

“Does it taste bad?”

“It isn’t that…”

Sizzle—

Stirring the meat, Yoo Seongwoon continued.

“It’s simply the overall attitude in society. Plenty of Monster meats have no reason to be avoided unless they come from a poisonous, specialized body part. Even so, Monsters attack people… and most of them look revolting, don’t they? You might say it is difficult to welcome meat from a creature that devours humans.”

“When you put it that way, I understand.”

“But Monster meat is also commonly used in the home. Cheap, plentiful lumps of protein could hardly fail to become popular. I only meant that one would rather not eat Monsters even in a restaurant like this, where people come to be treated well.”

“Is it not dangerous?”

“Not every Monster carries poison in its body.”

Yoo Seongwoon chuckled.

“Well, until around twenty years ago, people apparently wondered how anyone could eat something so dangerous. I was young then, so I don’t remember it very well now.”

“Twenty years is not such a distant past. Public perception seems to have changed quickly.”

“The government and Association did a great deal of work in various ways…”

A government competent enough to change Koreans’ attitudes toward the meat entering their mouths in only twenty years?

‘Why has so much changed merely because thirty-one years passed?’

It was more astonishing than Gio himself evolving into a portrait amid the flames. Yoo Seongwoon might disagree, but that was how Gio felt.

“The government must be competent.”

“Well, they have to be competent if they don’t want their heads taken.”

“……”

“Several heads have already been taken, so only competent people remain.”

Gio shrank back. Hyung, my foot. Why would he tell him that right before they ate meat?

‘…I’ve heard Hunters are living weapons of war. I suppose there’s no reason politicians would be beyond their reach.’

Gio quickly accepted the explanation and stirred the meat with him.

“May we eat it?”

“Yes, I think it’s cooked.”

“Thank you for the meal.”

“I hope you like it.”

“I believe I will.”

Korean bulgogi could broadly be divided into three varieties.

First, Seoul-style. Second, Gwangyang-style. Third, Eonyang-style. Of the three, Gio’s favorite was Gwangyang-style bulgogi.

The bulgogi most people knew, marinated in broth and sauce, was Seoul-style. Unlike Seoul-style bulgogi, which was eaten like hot pot, Gwangyang-style bulgogi was grilled dry on a grate. Every household prepared it a little differently, but most did not marinate it for very long.

‘That preserves the flavor of the meat much better.’

The beef was pounded repeatedly and spread thin to tenderize it. After a quick, fierce grilling, Gwangyang-style bulgogi emerged crisp on the outside and moist within, its juices still vibrant.

“……”

A single piece of bulgogi lifted from the grate.

Without sauce or rice, Gio placed the unadorned piece into his mouth.

“……”

“Well? Is it good?”

“It is exceptionally delicious.”

They were already in a private room. Had Gio been alone, he would have given it a standing ovation.

“They seem to use excellent meat. Its aroma is rich without being gamey, and the texture is outstanding. It appears to have been pounded extensively during tenderization. The fact that it did not tear at this thickness must also attest to the chef’s skill.”

“You… become talkative when you eat something delicious.”

“My apologies.”

It was simply too delicious.

“But I truly mean that it is delicious.”

“So I can see.”

“It is a flavor I would like to recreate.”

The exterior, grilled hard over charcoal as though fried, briefly carried the distinct bitterness of charred meat, but it provided variation to the mild sweetness of the properly seared beef.

The moderate amount of fat threaded through the meat possessed a rich flavor like stock, enough on its own to reveal the quality of the beef.

“The seasoning is properly balanced as well.”

The mellow sweetness worked deep into the meat probably came from pear. Had they grated pear into the marinade to tenderize the beef? Whatever alcohol they had added also lent it a courteous bitterness, doubling the flavor’s sophistication.

“It pairs well with the garlic too. The aroma is pleasant without being overpowering.”

The pungent scent of garlic had penetrated deep into the meat and pricked the back of his tongue, yet one pass over the charcoal had softened its harshness until it melted smoothly. They seemed to use good sesame oil as well, as a fresh fragrance lingered around it.

“……”

“Hm? What is it?”

“I believe they also make their soy sauce themselves.”

“Are you a gourmet? How did you know?”

“Am I correct?”

“Uh… I did hear that from the owner.”

Gio nodded.

“The aroma of chili pepper is unusually strong, so I wondered.”

“Your love of food isn’t for nothing. You have a sensitive palate.”

“The dipping sauce is also… delicious.”

Its ingredients seemed similar to those of the bulgogi marinade, but there was that peculiar sweet-and-tart note. The deep fragrance of plum had permeated the sauce naturally and enriched its flavor.

‘It isn’t plum cheong…’

Perhaps it was vinegar made from plums.

“……”

He lightly tapped the meat against the brown sauce, in which bits of garlic could be seen, taking care not to coat it excessively. Then he ate it with a mouthful of fluffy, steaming white rice…

“……”

“You like it that much?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

White rice was best enjoyed with one’s mouth completely full.

(To be continued)