Chapter 100

Chapter 100: When Many Gather, Each Raises Their Voice (4)

A silence fell over those remaining in the courtyard of the annex.

They were not people who had a prior relationship. There was no common topic to discuss, nor any will to do so.

When Dam Ho folded his arms and closed his eyes, the silence in the courtyard became suffocating. Namgung Su did not like the atmosphere and furrowed his brow. For some reason, it felt as though Dam Ho had intended this.

Hae So-wol stared at Dam Ho. For some reason, she could not take her eyes from him. Though Dam Ho must have felt her gaze, he did not open his eyes.

"Hoho! Well now."

Cho Yeon-woon scratched his head with a sheepish smile.

The situation had become awkward for Eun So-cheong and Bang Jin-bo. Though they were more mature than others their age, they were still essentially children. They did not yet have the nerve or situational awareness to break through such a stifling atmosphere.

It was Dam Ho who broke the awkward silence.

"Jin-bo."

"Yes! Hyung."

Bang Jin-bo answered as though he had been waiting. To him, Dam Ho's voice was the most welcome sound.

"Is the meal ready?"

"Ah, just a little more preparation."

"I'm hungry."

"Yes! Please wait just a moment."

Bang Jin-bo hurried to the hearth. Eun So-cheong followed behind him.

On the makeshift cutting board lay the fish, half-prepared. The pan placed over the hearth had already turned red.

It was more than hot enough for cooking—in fact, it was overheated. If he put the ingredients in now, they would burn immediately.

"In times like this…"

Bang Jin-bo poured oil onto the pan.

Sizzle!

The oil spattered in all directions as it touched the surface. Some of it splashed onto Bang Jin-bo's bare skin. But Bang Jin-bo did not grimace even once, focusing entirely on his cooking.

Bang Jin-bo forgot everything.

The uncomfortable situation, the many eyes watching him.

When he stood before the hearth, only the roaring flames were visible.

'I must focus on the fire.'

No matter how great a cook one might be, one could not create truly excellent cuisine without understanding fire.

One had to understand fire, to feel it.

Bang Jin-bo felt the flames rising from the hearth with his entire body. Sweat poured from his forehead and his whole body, but instead of a grimace, a smile hung on his lips.

'Jin-bo truly enjoys cooking.'

Eun So-cheong stared at him.

She could feel the world that Bang Jin-bo inhabited—a world of feeling the fire, of conversing with his knife and ladle. The sight was so dazzling it brought tears to her eyes.

"Ah!"

Eun So-cheong gasped without realizing it.

She had never known that a person so absorbed in something could be so beautiful. Though young, Bang Jin-bo had firmly decided on his future and was advancing toward it without wavering.

Swish! Swish!

Bang Jin-bo scored the surface of the fish fillets. Though they were already paper-thin and seemed as though they might tear, the fish fillets maintained their form.

It was precise knife work that would not tolerate even the difference of a single sheet of paper.

The thin fish fillets were placed into the searing oil.

Sizzle!

The oil bubbled, and the fish fillets curled to the side opposite the cuts. And upon the oil's surface, flowers bloomed.

"Wow!"

Eun So-cheong, watching Bang Jin-bo cook, gasped in admiration.

"Just a moment, the wine…"

Cho Yeon-woon felt around his waist, confirmed the wine bottle was there, and smiled.

One could tell just by looking. The dish Bang Jin-bo was making was the ultimate accompaniment to wine.

"Hoho!"

Cho Yeon-woon laughed like a villain.

Normally, Eun So-cheong would have scolded him, but at this moment, she said nothing.

The same was true for Hae So-wol.

Though she did not gasp aloud, she was captivated by the world of cooking that this boy, Bang Jin-bo, was revealing.

Hae So-wol's amazement was even greater.

'Amazing mental fortitude. If that boy had taken up the sword, he would have become an excellent swordsman.'

The skill with which he scored the fish fillets was extraordinary. Moreover, his intense concentration, unaffected by the chaotic surroundings, was remarkable.

Though he was somewhat heavyset, if he were to learn martial arts now, he would surely achieve no small measure of accomplishment.

On the other hand, Namgung Su wore a displeased expression.

Dam Ho had created the silence, and Bang Jin-bo had broken it.

All eyes were focused on them. Conversely, he was being completely ignored.

For Namgung Su, who had been the center of attention from birth, such an unfamiliar atmosphere was naturally unwelcome.

But until the negotiations inside the annex between Namgung Chang and the others concluded, he had to endure and wait.

Even in that time, Bang Jin-bo's cooking continued.

Clack clack clack clack!

The knife moved so fast it was nearly invisible. The prepared vegetables were julienned in an instant.

Bang Jin-bo placed the julienned vegetables into the oil as well. The hot oil cooked the vegetables in the blink of an eye.

Bang Jin-bo began to lift the julienned vegetables out with chopsticks. When he arranged them on the plate by color, a stunning presentation emerged.

At the center of the plate, the fish fillets served as an ornament.

"Whew!"

Cho Yeon-woon whistled at the sight of snowflakes blooming in a five-colored garden.

The final touch was the secret sauce made from his father's recipe. When the thick sauce was drizzled over it, the flavor of the fish fillets deepened even further.

"Hehe! It is done. Bang Jin-bo's special dish—Five-Color Snowflake Fish."

"I have never seen anything like this. Did you come up with it yourself?"

"It was written in my father's recipe book. But this is the first time I have made it."

Bang Jin-bo scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Jin-bo, you truly are amazing."

"Hehe!"

"Oh my! Look at you lot, lounging about. You little ones, flaunting your romance in front of adults. The grown-up games can wait ten years, so please hold off for now."

At Cho Yeon-woon's teasing, Bang Jin-bo and Eun So-cheong's faces turned crimson.

Eun So-cheong glared at Cho Yeon-woon.

"You are terrible, really!"

"Stop chatting and let's eat Jin-bo's food. My mouth is watering and I can hardly stand it."

Cho Yeon-woon produced the wine bottle and claimed a seat at the table. He called out to Dam Ho.

"Friend, come quickly. If Jin-bo's hard work gets cold, it won't taste as good."

Only then did Dam Ho walk toward the table. Bang Jin-bo and Eun So-cheong also quickly took their seats.

The uninvited guests, Hae So-wol and Namgung Su, could only stand and stare.

Bang Jin-bo waved to them.

"There is not much, but please join us. Come, sit."

Hae So-wol and Namgung Su stared at each other blankly for a moment. A moment later, Hae So-wol walked toward the table, but Namgung Su did not move.

He had no desire to sit at the same table as the unknown Dam Ho. His pride would not allow it.

Once Hae So-wol took her seat, the meal began.

"Wow! This is incredible!"

Cho Yeon-woon was the first to exclaim. He could not contain himself and took a sip of wine.

"Absolutely!"

Eun So-cheong's eyes widened.

Hae So-wol, after tasting a single bite, nodded to acknowledge Bang Jin-bo's skill.

Hae So-wol's gaze turned to Dam Ho.

Dam Ho was eating silently, his eyes half-lidded. Bang Jin-bo smiled watching him.

She thought the two of them looked remarkably well together. They looked different and felt utterly different in temperament, yet somehow they seemed alike.

Hae So-wol asked without realizing it.

"What is your relationship?"

"…"

When Dam Ho looked at her silently, Hae So-wol smiled faintly.

"I was merely curious."

"We are…"

When Bang Jin-bo hesitated, Dam Ho's voice came.

"Jin-bo is my brother."

"Is that so?"

"Yes!"

"You look well together. You could pass for true siblings."

Perhaps Hae So-wol's words were unexpected, for Dam Ho stopped eating and looked at her.

Hae So-wol did not avert Dam Ho's gaze. She even smiled slightly. She was beautiful, not by intention, but by nature's grace.

Bang Jin-bo stared at her, momentarily entranced. Had Eun So-cheong not pinched his side, he would have continued gazing for some time.

"Tsk tsk!"

Cho Yeon-woon clicked his tongue at the two of them, his brows furrowed in disapproval.

After rubbing his side for a moment, Bang Jin-bo noticed Namgung Su standing alone. Namgust Su's figure somehow looked lonely.

"Just a moment…"

Bang Jin-bo suddenly scooped portions of food onto a separate plate.

"Jin-bo."

Eun So-cheong looked at him with a puzzled expression. But instead of answering, Bang Jin-bo picked up the plate of food and walked toward Namgung Su, who stood alone.

"Um…"

"What?"

Namgung Su scowled. Gathering his courage, Bang Jin-bo held out the plate.

"P-please have some of this."

"…"

"It should still be enjoyable."

"Ha!"

At Bang Jin-bo's cautious words, Namgung Su let out a sudden sigh. His face plainly showed his annoyance.

"This is truly absurd. Are you pitying me and bringing me this garbage?"

"Why are you…"

"Then how else could you bring such pathetic food?"

"Pardon?"

"How absurd. Did you think I would eat this if you brought it to me? That a lowly cook of unknown origin like you would offer me such cheap food and I would put it in my mouth?"

"That… that is…"

Bang Jin-bo stammered.

He had offered the food out of pure goodwill. He had not expected it to anger Namgung Su this much.

In Namgung Su's eyes, emotions that were rarely visible were laid bare.

He had thought he had grown somewhat close to Hae So-wol. But Hae So-wol had gone over to Dam Ho's side without a moment's hesitation. And she was sharing a meal with Dam Ho. She was even smiling a smile she had never once shown him.

That sight had set a fire in Namgung Su's heart. And Bang Jin-bo's goodwill had poured oil on that flame.

Namgung Su hurled the plate of food to the ground and crushed it under his foot.

Bang Jin-bo could only stare, mouth agape.

The food he had prepared with all his heart had been trampled and defiled under someone's foot.

Tears surged up in an instant.

Bang Jin-bo could not even muster anger. He could only stare at Namgung Su in a daze. But that expression only inflamed Namgung Su further.

Namgung Su himself was startled. He was realizing for the first time that such inferiority lurked deep within his heart.

That made him even angrier. Namgung Su suddenly grabbed Bang Jin-bo by the collar.

"What do you think you are, you fat wretch?"

"I… I…"

Bang Jin-bo stammered.

Suddenly, Namgung Su raised his hand. He looked ready to strike Bang Jin-bo.

Bang Jin-bo closed his eyes tightly without realizing it.

At that moment, a chilling voice rang out.

"Let go."

Namgung Su's hand froze in midair.

His gaze turned to the owner of the voice. Dam Ho, sitting at the table, was the one who had spoken.

"What did you just say?"

"Let go. Before I break your hand."