“Yeobo,” he says, “we didn’t raise our daughter to turn her back on the people who need her.”
“But ...” Mrs. Ha’s bottom lip trembles.
“You know she won’t be safe here for long.” He gently cups his wife’s cheek. “The Amheuk will not be satisfied with conquering the Realm of Four Kingdoms. The Mortal Realm will be next unless it is stopped.”
My heart pounds at every pulse point. I don’t want to hear this—to face this. I want to tear off my skin. I want to disappear. I don’t want to save the worlds. I can’t choose to be good.I can’t.I’m no good.
Don’t think, Sunny. Stop thinking.
“You’re right,yeobo.” Minju’s mother presses her lips into a firm line. “We should be helping her, not holding her back.”
“And we will help.” Mr. Ha looks around the table with a determined smile. “But first, let’s celebrate Hangawi with our daughter and her friends.”
Thank gods.
My avoidance muscles were beginning to cramp from the strain. A short reprieve from the tension sounds like heaven.
“Yes.” With a matching smile, Mrs. Ha mimes putting food into her mouth. “Please eat. There’s plenty more in the kitchen.”
“There’smore?” Captain Seo squawks in surprise.
I can see why the captain’s iron composure cracked. The table is filled withjapchae,jeon,galbi jjim, and a dozen differentbanchans. And our rice bowls are piled so high that they’re shaped like long capsules.
I’ll worry aboutall thislater. Or maybe never.Neversounds like a better plan.
For now, I’m going to stuff my face with extraordinary amounts of homemade food. I go for thejapchaefirst. It’s my number one favorite food. Soy sauce, garlic, and toasted sesame oil coat each strand of bouncy vermicelli. And the strips of marinated beef and the rainbow of sautéed vegetables—spinach, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and onions—are perfectly seasoned. Every bite ofjapchaeexplodes in my mouth in a symphony of flavors and textures.
“It tastes just like how my mother used to make it,” I whisper.
Before sentimental tears sting my eyes, I grab a giant piece of braised short rib and bite into it. The meat falls off the bone and melts in my mouth. I nearly moan from the richness of thegalbi jjimand the burst of umami flavor. Then I make sure to taste each kind ofjeon—bites of egg-battered fish, oysters, and gray squash, pan-fried to a golden brown—dipped in a tart, sweet, and nutty seasoned soy sauce.
These foods transport me back to my childhood, where I took love, comfort, and safety for granted. And sharing this Hangawi table with my friends is a privilege I don’t deserve but will cherish forever.
I manage to swallow past my tight throat, thanks to the savory beef and taro soup.Focus on the food, Sunny.I take my own advice and eat like there’s no tomorrow.Shit. Bad choice of words.I ignore the slip and clean off the last grain of rice in my bowl.
Mrs. Ha looks at my bowl and smiles. “My cooking wasn’t to your liking?”
“This is the best meal I’ve had in a century.” I grin back at her. I might have secretly unbuttoned my jeans in the middle of the feast.
“I have to agree with Sunny.” Captain Seo leans back in her seat with a hand over her flat stomach. “This was amazing. Thank you so much, Mr. and Mrs. Ha.”
Mr. Ha doesn’t respond right away, his gaze turned toward the night beyond the windows. “Oh, yes. Of course. We are so happy to meet Minju’s friends. It would’ve been unthinkable for us to send you off on your journey without filling your stomachs first.”
“We will definitely need the energy.” Minju exchanges a loaded glance with her father.
“Girls, can you help me clear the table while Minju chats with her father?” Mrs. Ha asks in a shaky voice, standing from the table.
“Please sit down, Mrs. Ha.” Captain Seo bolts to her feet and jerks her chin at me. I struggle to my feet, feeling like I ate my weight in food. “You’ve already done too much. We will take care of cleaning up.”
“That’s lovely of you to suggest.” She piles empty dishes onto a metal tray. “But I won’t understand a word of what they’re talking about. That’s what happens when both your husband and your daughter are renowned scholars.”
My gaze shoots toward Minju and Mr. Ha, who have already moved to a corner table near the front of the restaurant. They bend their heads toward each other as they speak in low voices, their faces shining with twin expressions of passionate curiosity and determination. Whatever lies ahead, they will consider every possibility and make sure we’re as ready for it as we will ever be.
We? Who is thiswe?
“Please promise to stand back and tell us what to do,” I concede to Mrs. Ha. “The captain and I’ll do all the work.”
“You girls are very sweet.” Mrs. Ha puts one last plate on the tray and clasps her unsteady hands in front of her. “Come this way.”
