***

"Thank you, Teaching Assistant!"  

"Next time, don’t skip it. Go ahead."  

"Okay!"  

Jae-hee gestured toward the undergraduate who noticed her and gave a light bow, then stepped into the department office.  

"Busy, Teaching Assistant Kang?"  

"Ahem. I’m a little busy, Professor Seon."  

"I can’t believe the person whining about their paper a few days ago is the same person now."  

Jae-hee grinned and placed the coffee carrier on the table. Soo-jin’s eyes lit up as she grabbed her favorite iced Americano.  

"As expected of our Professor Seon. Your taste is amazing."  

"Where’s Ji-young?"  

"I sent her on an errand to the administration office. She’ll be back in a bit."

Soo-jin made a big fuss, praising Jae-hee’s thoughtfulness. Even though Jae-hee acted indifferent, she always took care of those around her. It was obvious from how she always bought coffee that matched Soo-jin’s taste, even while constantly teasing her. Watching Soo-jin stick a straw into her drink and gulp down the coffee with satisfaction, Jae-hee, sipping her warm Americano, tilted her head.  

"Aren’t you cold?"  

"How can you not know, Professor?! Don’t you know ‘eoljuk-a’?"  

"…Frozen-to-death Americano?"  

"Wrong! It’s 'Even if I freeze to death, it's Iced Americano*!'"  

*얼죽아 = ‘eoljuk-a’

얼어"(eoreo) comes from the verb "얼다" (eolda): to freeze

죽어도" (jugeodo): conjugated verb, "죽다" (jukda) - to die + "어도" (eodo) - even if or despite. 

Jae-hee said 죽은 (jugeun) - dead

아이스 아메리카노 (aiseu amerikano) - "iced Americano”

Korean slangs/expressions are usually formed by taking the first syllables or letters of words and creating a meaningful phrase or acronym.

"Kids these days really love shortening everything."  

"Even older people use this phrase, okay? Professor Han and Professor Jung both say it. You’re just behind the times, unnie."  

Feeling yet again how out of touch she was, Jae-hee resolved to study trending slang as she sipped on her coffee through the straw.  

"Hey, do you have time this weekend?"

"Time? ...Did you just ask a graduate student if they have time? A graduate student who lives 24 hours like 48... and a professor’s personal house elf like me?"  

Soo-jin, whose face was a dull color from working late into the night and getting up with the rising sun, made Jae-hee laugh. As Jae-hee grinned at her, Soo-jin began to feel a growing sense of resentment. Then, Jae-hee shared some good news with Soo-jin.  

"You said you wanted a housewarming, right?"  

"…?? Really?"  

"My wife wants to do a housewarming with you and my grad school friends."  

"…Really?"  

"Are you coming?"

"Of course! A housewarming for the couple of the century's newlywed home...! I’ve been invited to their house!"  

"…Can you stop calling us the 'couple of the century'?"  

"Why? The headline of the article back then was ridiculous. 'The marriage of a dragon from a small pond and the third-generation chaebol, Juliet and Juliet’s love story!'”  

"Ugh, stop it!"  

Soo-jin giggled and wickedly laughed while watching Jae-hee cover her ears in pain. With a mischievous smile, Soo-jin continued to chatter excitedly.  

"The cherry on top was 'Cinderella doesn’t go to the prince, but to the princess’ arms.'"  

"Ah, seriously, why do reporters do that?"  

"They must’ve done it because both of you are so stunning. That leaked wedding photoshoot was such a hot topic!"

The photoshoot, which the couple themselves barely looked at after hanging it in their living room, was sensational enough to spawn hundreds of articles. Jae-hee recalled how they had rejected all the stiff, tearful shots and ultimately decided to use the first photo taken, which captured their happy smiles. She smiled wryly at the memory. Still, the leak had helped solidify their official relationship, so that was at least some consolation. As Jae-hee shook her head, her ponytail swayed lightly.  

"If it’s your study-abroad friends, does that mean professors will be coming too?"  

"Sang-woo oppa, Tae-ho oppa... Dr. Jung and Shi-yeon unnie."  

"A study-abroad fam, huh? Alright~!"  

Watching Soo-jin’s cheerful demeanor, Jae-hee laughed. She wondered what kind of housewarming it would be. Even as the host, Jae-hee felt excited, so how much more excited would Soo-jin be? Smiling a little, Jae-hee found herself looking forward to the event.

***

"…What’s this?"  

"What do you mean, what’s this?"  

"Are you… cooking yourself?"  

Seeing Yoo-jin with her hair half-tied and wearing an apron, Jae-hee was surprised and walked toward her. Yoo-jin looked at Jae-hee, who had her hair roughly tied back with a yellow rubber band and was wearing a brown sweatshirt with their alma mater’s logo prominently displayed, thinking she should pick out some clothes for her later. 

She replied,  

"Have you ever seen a housewarming where they order takeout?"  

"…Don’t they usually order takeout?"  

The only housewarming Jae-hee had experienced was back in Soo-jin’s shabby one-room apartment during college, so she blinked and stared at Yoo-jin. Wasn't housewarming supposed to be an event where you eat something nice and casually give the host a gift, even if it wasn’t as loud and lively as an American home party? Remembering how Soo-jin had proudly hosted a "jajangmyeon* party," ordering black bean noodles from here and there with one sweet-and-sour pork as a token addition, Jae-hee scratched her nose. And wasn’t it an unwritten rule that guests brought Spam or rolls of toilet paper as gifts for the host?  

*black bean noodles

"That might work, but it’s usually better to prepare a proper meal and serve it."  

"…Aren’t you supposed to just order a lot of jajangmyeon?"

"Mm, no."  

No…? Jae-hee froze like a statue, her face showing the shock of betrayal. For four years, Soo-jin had deceived and teased her, someone who was clueless about Korean culture and had very few Korean friends. Even after Jae-hee left for the U.S., she continued to be the butt of jokes because of Soo-jin’s antics. Now, learning this new truth, Jae-hee bit her lip hard.  

‘Kang Soo-jin, you’re dead meat, seriously.’  

She recalled Soo-jin’s evil, gleeful laughter. Seething inside, Jae-hee firmly resolved to assign the final graduate school project next week as a translation of a German original text. Then, she mentally buried Soo-jin in the farthest corner of her heart. 

Whether she knew or not, Yoo-jin calmly explained,  

"It’s polite to treat your guests properly."  

"Mm, then… let’s do it together."

"You can't cook. Move aside."  

Once again, Jae-hee was left speechless. She wasn’t exactly a great cook, but she certainly wasn’t bad enough to lose to Ha Yoo-jin, who couldn’t even season food properly. It felt absurd like being called a fool by another fool. Jae-hee started to retort but swallowed her words.  

With nine years of experience—four years in a dormitory in Korea, another four in the U.S., and one year of living alone—Jae-hee might not have been a master, but she could confidently say she cooked better than Yoo-jin. Realizing that Yoo-jin’s overconfidence came from her own reactions, Jae-hee sighed internally. She had always responded positively, saying it tasted good even when it didn’t, and now Yoo-jin seemed to have learned that her cooking was delicious. What was she supposed to do about this?  

After washing her hands, Jae-hee quickly stood beside Yoo-jin.  

"Then I’ll be the assistant, the assistant."  

"Assistant?"  

"Mm, assistant. You’ll be the head chef."

Seeing Yoo-jin grin at the mention of "head chef," Jae-hee realized her flattery had worked. She looked at Yoo-jin with an eager expression. In response, Yoo-jin handed her a basket of potatoes. Jae-hee began peeling them as instructed. Judging by the sheer number of potatoes, it seemed they had bought an entire batch freshly harvested from Gangwon Province.  

"Are we having some kind of potato party...?"  

"Do you hate potatoes?"  

"Not exactly, but..."  

Just imagining a table overflowing with potatoes made her throat tighten. Thinking of a carb-heavy feast, Jae-hee carefully chose her words to avoid upsetting Yoo-jin.

"…There's no need to go overboard. Hmm, something like what we used to eat every night during our master's program would be enough, I think."  

"Who serves ramen and kimchi pancakes at a housewarming party?"  

Jae-hee recalled the not-quite parties they'd had in the dorm's shared kitchen, eating ramen and kimchi pancakes. Hmm, maybe it was too simple for a housewarming party. Having realized that the housewarming party with the swindler Kang Soo-jin had been a farce, this would be Jae-hee's first proper Korean-style housewarming. Feeling clueless, she scratched her nose.  

"…So, what are you making?"  

"…Salmon salad, roast chicken, bouillabaisse, gambas al ajillo… and kimchi pancakes and potato pancakes."  

"…” 

There it is, a house serving kimchi pancakes as party food.

The strange mix of Western and Korean dishes, upon hearing it, seemed tailored to both Jae-hee's and the study-abroad group's preferences. With dishes that evoked memories of their time overseas, combined with bouillabaisse packed with all sorts of expensive ingredients, it did sound perfect for a housewarming. Quietly, Jae-hee peeled the potato skin in response to Yoo-jin's words. Scrape, scrape—she deftly removed the skin, glancing over as she noticed Yoo-jin, while preparing ingredients, occasionally sneaking a side glance at something. Following her gaze, Jae-hee saw a stack of papers beside Yoo-jin.  

"What is that?"  

"…Don't look."  

Feeling mischievous, Jae-hee reached out to snatch the papers, but Yoo-jin was quicker. She grabbed them and hid them behind her back, retreating a few steps. Putting the potato peeler down, Jae-hee approached Yoo-jin.  

"Ah, get away!"  

"Why~ Let me see. What is it?"

Even without looking, Jae-hee could guess that it was a recipe. However, Yoo-jin's embarrassment only made her want to tease her more. Jae-hee wrapped her arms around Yoo-jin's waist. Unable to escape, Yoo-jin struggled, and Jae-hee, as if the papers no longer mattered, began tickling Yoo-jin's waist.  

"Ah, stop it!"  

"Hmph!"  

Thud! Yoo-jin’s forehead collided hard with Jae-hee’s nose, causing her to groan and slump to the ground. Startled by her unintentional strike to a vulnerable spot, Yoo-jin looked down at Jae-hee with wide, rabbit-like eyes. Jae-hee, who had suffered a merciless attack from Yoo-jin’s forehead, held her nose, suppressing another groan.  

"Are you okay?"  

"…Ughhh…"  

"…Jae-hee?"  

The pain, which made it obvious a bruise would form, was undeniable. Jae-hee tried to brush it off and stood up, pretending to be fine despite the pain. But having earned herself this punishment for her antics, Jae-hee’s eyes welled up slightly with tears as she attempted to reassure Yoo-jin. Yet before she could speak, Yoo-jin shouted urgently upon seeing her face.  

"Hey, you, blood! Your nose is bleeding!"  

"Huh?"

Drip. A warm liquid flowed down beneath her nose, along her philtrum. Yoo-jin, frustrated by Jae-hee’s blank stare, hurriedly grabbed a napkin and pressed it against Jae-hee’s nose. The white napkin was instantly stained red with Jae-hee’s blood. Seeing the deep crimson color, Yoo-jin’s complexion turned pale, while Jae-hee clumsily touched beneath her nose. When she looked at her fingers, they were smeared with blood.  

"Does it hurt a lot? Oh, what do we do…"  

Unlike Yoo-jin, who was making a fuss, Jae-hee appeared indifferent, which only added to Yoo-jin's frustration. Overwhelmed with guilt, Yoo-jin lashed out in anger she didn’t mean to feel.  

"Why are you just standing there? Say something, you idiot!"  

"…Well… Isn't this what they call a ‘nosebleed fighting spirit’?"  

"…It’s called ‘fighting spirit through injury’ you fool."  

"This is the first time in my life I’ve gotten a bloody nose from being hit by someone…"

Not knowing how to react, Jae-hee eventually broke into a bright smile. Her carefree grin, like that of a neighborhood fool, made Yoo-jin let out a deep sigh. She handed Jae-hee the napkin and told her to wait for a moment. Obediently following Yoo-jin’s instructions, Jae-hee pinched her nose and plopped down in her seat. She rubbed the sore bridge of her nose. She thought she had seen somewhere that doing this could help stop the bleeding...

Yoo-jin returned with the first aid kit in a panic, feeling like she had abandoned a child by the shore. She collapsed in front of Jae-hee, who was absentmindedly rubbing her nose. Inside the first aid kit was a collection of medical supplies thoughtfully chosen by the family doctor, who had visited a few days earlier after Jae-hee had fainted. Yoo-jin carefully found the medical gauze, rolled it up, and gently held Jae-hee's cheek.  

When Yoo-jin looked at her seriously, Jae-hee finally blushed, embarrassed. Yoo-jin’s usually pale face now had a shadow of worry. Her stiff eyebrows were furrowed in frustration, and her lips, slightly parted in anxiety, revealed a glimpse of her tongue. Her red lips kept drawing Jae-hee’s gaze.

Jae-hee anxiously glanced at Yoo-jin, fearing that she might think she was strange. However, Yoo-jin seemed completely unaware of Jae-hee's nervousness as she slowly leaned closer. Jae-hee's heart raced. The closer Yoo-jin got, the more an urge she hadn't had before began to grow. Ah, I want to kiss her. The thought of Yoo-jin being shocked if she knew crossed Jae-hee's mind, and she stared at Yoo-jin intently.  

But Yoo-jin was so focused on stopping the bleeding first, calmly inserted the gauze into Jae-hee's nostrils.  

"Ugh!"  

"Sorry, did it hurt?"  

"Just a little..."

Still, for Yoo-jin, who had come so close first, Jae-hee would gladly let her nosebleed again. She absentmindedly touched her nose, a little disappointed. Since not much blood had flowed, it stopped as soon as the gauze was inserted.  

"Really... Thank goodness."  

Seeing Yoo-jin sigh in relief, Jae-hee gave a gentle smile. Looking at Jae-hee’s beautifully curved eyes, her sense of guilt grew. Although it all started with Jae-hee's joke, seeing the blood now made her feel like it was entirely her fault. Moreover, it was the first time in her life that she had gotten a nosebleed from someone, and of all people, it had been her wife. With a heavy heart, she reached for the napkin soaked with blood, but Jae-hee quickly snatched it away, almost as if she anticipated it. She then neatly packed up the first aid kit.

"Chef, I caused the trouble, so let me finish it."  

"...I was the one who was wrong."  

"It was my joke, so don't worry about it."

Jae-hee grinned, playfully mimicking an awkward assistant. Yoo-jin's murmured apology, in a voice as small as an ant's, was quite endearing. Watching Jae-hee's playful response, Yoo-jin stuffed the paper into her apron pocket and stood by the sink, wanting to apologize properly but unable to overcome her stubborn pride.

Yoo-jin struggled to tear her gaze away from Jae-hee and began preparing her own ingredients. When Jae-hee picked up the potato peeler again, Yoo-jin flinched. Noticing Yoo-jin’s unease, Jae-hee, unsure of how to calm her down, seemed to come up with a clever idea and smiled mischievously. Slowly, Jae-hee tilted her head and gently tapped Yoo-jin’s temple.  

“...What?”  

“Chef is the boss, right?”  

“...Hm?”  

“Since an employee got hurt at the boss’ restaurant, the boss should take responsibility.”  

“...How should I take responsibility?”  

“You could file it as a work injury, but then the workers' compensation insurance would increase. The insurance agency would also come for an investigation, looking into everything and issuing correction orders. It might be too much of a burden for the boss. Don’t you think? So, it’s better to settle things privately with the employee. The employee will agree to the settlement as long as the boss meets the conditions.”

Jae-hee turned her body toward Yoo-jin and closed her eyes. Then, tapping her lips lightly with her index finger, she mischievously said,  

“The employee thinks a kiss would be enough.”  

“...”  

Jae-hee knew well. This was all a result of her own prank. Still, she wanted to turn this situation, which was disadvantageous to her, into an advantage. She had a strange feeling that Yoo-jin would willingly go along with it. Considering Yoo-jin’s recent changes, it seemed like a gamble worth taking. As she was about to open her eyes, wondering what kind of expression Yoo-jin was making, a delicate hand grabbed Jae-hee’s waist. Then something soft touched her lips. A sweet vanilla scent gently spread.  

“...Huh.”

Thinking it was a truly soft kiss, Jae-hee enjoyed the moment, but an unexpected development occurred. Without realizing it, Jae-hee's lips parted as Yoo-jin's tongue moved boldly, advancing inside. Just like a few nights ago, when Jae-hee had explored her lips recklessly, Yoo-jin started to noisily rummage inside Jae-hee's mouth.

Churp, chup. A sticky sound of saliva, one that could never be heard in the kitchen, echoed oddly. Jae-hee, thinking of Yoo-jin, who was shorter than her, instinctively bent her waist slightly. Yoo-jin, who had been standing on tiptoe, now explored Jae-hee's lips more comfortably. As if responding, Jae-hee also entered Yoo-jin's mouth. Unlike their soft lips, their movements were not calm as they persistently rummaged through each other's mouths. The rough breathing of the two filled the kitchen.

Holding her breath with one nostril blocked, Jae-hee was on the verge of losing consciousness from lack of oxygen, reluctantly pulling her lips away. Then, Yoo-jin, who had lightly placed a bird-like kiss on Jae-hee's lips, perfectly finished the moment, placing a hand on her flushed cheek and looking at Jae-hee. An awkward atmosphere lingered, and Yoo-jin quickly turned her head, reaching out with unfocused eyes. She grabbed whatever she could, bringing over carrots and potatoes to begin chopping them. 

Jae-hee, who had been staring blankly at Yoo-jin, realized that the vanilla scent from Yoo-jin's lips was now on her own. Her face turned red, and from her face to her ears and neck, there was no place left unblushed. Like a tomato, Jae-hee picked up the potato peeler again and muttered timidly. 

“...Boss... I think the settlement is too much.”

“...I’m the kind of person who gives double for the settlement. I don’t like any complaints afterward. So... are you... dissatisfied?”  

“...How could that be?”  

They played around with trivial things, fought over nothing, quickly reconciled, and shared affection. It was the daily life of an ordinary newlywed couple. Neither Yoo-jin nor Jae-hee realized it, but they were no different from any other couple. Whether Yoo-jin, who didn't consider it love, or Jae-hee, who did, neither of them realized that they were a shy tomato newlywed couple, living an utterly normal day.

After finishing everything so they could serve food as soon as guests arrived, the two collapsed onto the sofa. Yoo-jin, exhausted from preparing the food, leaned her body deeply into the sofa. Likewise, Jae-hee, who had secretly adjusted the seasoning to keep Yoo-jin's pride intact, was also completely drained and buried herself into the sofa. As Yoo-jin's sleepy eyes kept threatening to close, she shook her head to stay awake and said,  

“Today... do it like before.”  

“Just hearing it makes me nervous.”  

“...But don’t get too excited.”  

“Got it.”

Speaking with a teasing tone, Jae-hee pulled herself closer and sat right next to Yoo-jin. Yoo-jin, too tired, calmly accepted Jae-hee's movement. Then, she slowly tilted her head and leaned on Jae-hee's shoulder. Jae-hee lightly leaned her head on Yoo-jin’s.  

“Ah... I forgot the alcohol.”  

“That’s fine. Sang-woo oppa was supposed to bring it, so you don’t need to worry about it.”  

“Huh? Really? ...Why?”  

“There was a little issue. He’s going to bring really cheap stuff! So no need to worry about the alcohol.”  

For the housewarming invite, as promised to Jae-hee, Sang-woo proudly pounded his chest, saying she could trust him with the alcohol. Jae-hee, who had always been perfectly in sync with Sang-woo when it came to alcohol, decided to trust him. He said he would prepare something luxurious to make up for it, so yeah, no need to worry. Judging by his confident answer, it seemed like something had happened... Thinking of Sang-woo, who knew a lot about alcohol, Yoo-jin reluctantly nodded.  

“I’m going to drink.”

“On a day like today, if you drink because you’re in a good mood, you’ll remember what happens when you pass out, right?”

“Yes~”  

“Stop drinking before you lose your memory. Promise me!”  

“Mm-hmm.”  

They made a pinky promise, but somehow, it felt like the words she was saying were slipping away before they even reached Jae-hee’s ears. Nevertheless, Yoo-jin was exhausted so she didn’t add anything else and simply nodded. 

After changing out of the sweatshirt and into a burgundy blouse and jeans that Yoo-jin had picked for her, Jae-hee felt excited at the thought of meeting the drinkers again after a long time. Moreover, seeing Yoo-jin lean on her comfortably, just like during their dating days, Jae-hee’s mood was happily stirred.  

Hoping the guests would be a little late, Jae-hee hummed a tune while gently leaning her head on Yoo-jin’s.

****

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