That same evening, as Ga-young was finishing the touches on dinner, her doorbell rang—almost too loudly than usual. Maybe it was just her anxiety playing tricks. Her first time preparing a meal for someone. She hadn't even tasted it herself; she wasn't in the right state of mind to invite more disappointment. There was so much effort spent on it, and besides, it all looked great. There was no way it could go wrong. That was what she believed.
Still in her apron, she rushed toward the door, taking a very deep breath before cracking it open.
The first thing she saw was a bouquet of lilies.
Startled, she stepped backward. Min-jae peeked his head from behind the bouquet.
"I searched everywhere, my queen, but none could compare to your blooming beauty. I couldn't find a flower worthy enough to bask in the same sunlight you stand in," he said with a deep bow.
Ga-young giggled. "What is this?" she asked, her cheeks already cherry red.
Min-jae opened his arms for a hug.
She hugged him tightly, leaning into his chest.
"How was your day?" he asked softly.
She pulled back slightly, looking up at him. "It would've been perfect if I didn't have to miss you."
He smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "That's the highlight of my day. I kept wanting to run to you every second that passed."
Ga-young nudged his arm playfully. "You can't be serious," she said, pulling him inside.
Min-jae paused dramatically, holding his chest. "You did all this…" He looked at her. "For me?"
Ga-young attempted to walk away, but he pulled her back, holding her tightly. "Where have you been all my life?"
"Hey!" Ga-young giggled, trapped under his arms. "Aren't you being too dramatic?"
He pulled back slightly. "I'm not even being dramatic enough."
Ga-young smiled and dragged him to the table, pulling out a chair for him.
"I even get princess treatment? I'd love to come back here every minute."
"Shut up," Ga-young said, chuckling as she served his food. She hesitated before handing it to him.
Min-jae was so obviously full of uncontained love. As he took his spoon, Ga-young stared at him intensely, almost like she was staring daggers into his soul.
He swallowed his first bite. His eyes brightened. He looked at her. "Hey, Choi Ga-young! You never told me your tutor was Auguste Escoffier," he said, taking another bite.
Ga-young looked at him curiously. "Is it really that nice?" she asked, eyes wide.
"I could have this all day. I've never tasted anything like it before," he said, taking another full spoonful and exhaling as if savoring the food.
"Really?" Ga-young said, picking up a spoon. "Let me taste it."
Min-jae immediately pulled the plate away. "No," he said firmly, then softened. "It's… it's mine."
She looked at him and then exhaled. "It's bad, isn't it?"
"No!!" he replied instantly.
She sat opposite him. "I'm sorry. I wanted to make it the best. I really did," she said with her head low.
Min-jae crouched down beside her, raising her chin gently. "Hey! It's perfect. It really is. I can see how much effort you put into this, honestly." He paused. "Do you have any idea what my first meal looked like, let alone tasted like? It was tasteless, raw, too crispy, too salty—and worst of all, it was tteokbokki," he said, shaking his head disappointedly.
Ga-young chuckled softly. "Are you saying that just to make me feel better?"
"No! I wish I was, actually. I don't even want to remember it. Seok-min and Hyun-woo never let it go," Min-jae said, pinching his nose.
Ga-young laughed this time. "It couldn't be that bad."
"It in fact was," he replied.
She exhaled. "At least let me taste it so I can know where I went wrong."
Min-jae hesitated. He knew it wasn't something she'd want to taste, but refusing would only make her think it was worse than it was. Reluctantly, he slid the plate toward her.
Ga-young took the first bite. Her mouth froze open. It was terrible—spicy and salty all at once, an overwhelming clash that made her eyes water. She couldn't even swallow.
Min-jae immediately passed her a cup of milk.
She downed it in seconds and took a moment to collect herself. "How the hell did you eat that?" she said, still fanning her tongue.
He chuckled softly. "I took small bites. And a lot of water." He shrugged. "But it was still the most perfect meal I've had."
Ga-young's expression softened. "You suffered through that for me?"
"I'd suffer through worse," he said simply.
She nudged his arm. "Are you making fun of me?"
Min-jae laughed, holding his mouth, and soon she found herself laughing too.
"I'll just make us ramen instead," she said between laughs.
"No! You must be exhausted from all the cooking. I'll make the ramen," he suggested, taking off his coat and rolling up the sleeves of his white button-up.
"I would disagree, but I love your cooking too much to argue," Ga-young said with a shrug.
Before she could make sense of the moment, he scooped her into his arms with ease.
"Why?" she said, surprised, a blush creeping up her face.
"I don't want your feet to work for even another second," he replied smoothly, carrying her to the kitchen and settling her on the counter, his arms fixed on either side of her. He stared at her; she stared back. He smiled, eyes soft, tucked another strand of hair behind her ear, and followed it with a light peck on her cheek. Then he turned to the cupboards.
He grabbed the noodles and ingredients and immediately began performing his magic. As he cooked, Ga-young's eyes never left him. She wasn't the strongest soldier at that point—he was even better looking when cooking than when he was seriously reading a proposal, and even that made her melt. Suddenly, he turned to her, spoon in hand, and approached.
She stared at him.
"It's missing something," he said, offering her a taste.
She nodded after tasting it. "Salt?"
He just giggled softly.
"No?" she questioned curiously.
He kept smiling at her.
"Why?" she sulked. "I have no idea."
"No, you just look very pretty when you're curious," Min-jae said smoothly.
Ga-young hit his chest softly. "What's that?" she said, blushing.
He just kept smiling.
"Your food is burning, Mr. Chef," she said.
Min-jae simply turned the cooker off and then leaned in, their faces inches apart. Ga-young moved her head slightly back.
"I got you something," he said simply, pulling out two matching bracelets from his pocket.
Ga-young's eyes widened, her hands flying to her mouth.
Min-jae smiled, taking her hand and slipping one of the bracelets onto her wrist.
Ga-young's eyes were already watering. "I can't believe you still have this. I told you to throw it away."
"I couldn't," he said, still smiling, handing her the second bracelet.
She slipped it onto his wrist and immediately hugged him.
"I hope you aren't crying," he said teasingly.
"I never wanted to actually cry like I do now," she replied softly with a smile.
He patted her head gently, smiling himself.