We decided not to cross the line.

Episode 102. Ceasefire

"U... my head feels like it’s going to split open..."




I opened my eyes to sunlight pouring in through the window.

My head felt like it was about to crack, and my whole body was heavy as lead.




Sitting on the bed, I

carefully retraced what happened last night.





"You’re awake?

Are you feeling okay?"





"Uh... Hoonji.

Did I drink a lot yesterday?"





Though he spoke brusquely,

he handed me a cup.

After taking a sip, I found it was honey water.





"Why are you asking me that?

Ask Miguel, who drank with you."





'Ah... right.

I ran into Miguel on his way home from work, and we drank together.'





I hurriedly followed Hoonji out of the room.

Reading his expression,

I trailed after him closely.





"Hoonji..."

"Did I do anything stupid after drinking yesterday?"





"Anything stupid?

You laughed in the street, staggered around,

yelled at me,

and then...

you said never to cook again and died a heroic death."






"Me?

I yelled at Hoonji?

What was that about cooking?"





"Do you really not remember saying you never wanted to eat the bean sprout soup I made again,

and that I should never cook again?

Or..."

"Are you pretending you don’t remember?"





"Hoonji... did you make that up just to tease me?"





"Come on...

you trampling all over my pride as a cook...

What did you say?

You made it up?"






'They say drunk words are honest words...

So I must have blurted out my true feelings while drunk... '





"Hoonji..."

"No matter what I said last night,
 
that wasn’t how I really felt.

Really.

If I said anything hurtful...

please forgive me just this once. Please..."





"So you don’t usually think my cooking tastes bad?"

"No. Absolutely not!





I was even thinking of having Hoonji handle all the cooking."

"Really?

No... but then your cooking skills, Jeong-a, won’t improve..."





The corners of his mouth began to lift.

"Well... hearing what Hoonji said, I guess that does make sense."

"Wow... but what is all this?"





On the table were





a pack of instant rice, 3-minute soup, seaweed, and pickled perilla leaves,

a spread made from the food Hoonji had brought from Korea.





"I just threw together a simple meal with things I brought from Korea.

Go wash up and come out."

"Okay, Hoonji!

I’ll wash up quickly and come out, and then let’s eat breakfast together."

 



When I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror,

my makeup had come off.





I didn’t remember taking off my makeup before bed last night,

so I was puzzled.




Leaving the bathroom feeling refreshed,

I asked Hoonji,




"Hoonji, did I wash my face before bed yesterday?

I don’t remember, but all my makeup was gone."




"I wiped it off for you with cleansing wipes.

If you just go to sleep like that, you might break out, and it’s bad for your skin."





"Ah... I see!"
 
After staring at him for a moment,





I cupped his cheeks with both hands and kissed him on the lips.

As if we’d never fought in the first place,





we enjoyed a rare, pleasant breakfast with Korean food.




"Why did you suddenly change your mind?"