Lee Seob’s Love

Chapter 60. I Need You (1)

Translator: Aura

Early in the morning, Minkyung opened the side door leading to the restaurant and stood there for a while. She heard the clink of utensils against the stainless steel countertop. When that sound penetrated her ears, along with the delicious smell of broth, she truly felt at home.

Until Minkyung went to university in Seoul, Kang’s Makguksu was a small and shabby restaurant. There were less than 15 tables, but even then it was only full in the summer. In other seasons there were many days when it was not even half full.

The upper floor of the building, a space slightly smaller than the first floor used as a store, was home to Minkyung’s family. Every morning, her father would go out to buy groceries and her mother would go down to the restaurant kitchen.

Minkyung used to wake up at that time too, wash her face, sit at her desk and turn on the stand light. The sky was dark, but not as black as the night. The early morning hours, when the end and beginning of the day overlapped, before the sunlight completely displaced the night. Minkyung loved that time.

The clanking sounds of the kitchen downstairs, the scratching of pencil on notebook, the occasional hiss of the boiling pot, the breathing of her younger brother in a sweet sleep, the sound of the quilt rustling… The soft sounds of dawn were comforting, like a warm blanket.

Once the sun peeked through the window, the dawn sky quickly cleared. As soon as the sunlight illuminated the room, her younger brother Minhae, with whom she was five years apart, would wake up, rub his eyes and stretch. After helping him get ready for school and making the bed, she would go downstairs with him. The air in the kitchen was always warm, even in the cold winter. The salty and slightly sweet smell of the broth permeated the entire place. Her father chopped the vegetables, while her mother made the dumplings or the dough for the mung bean pancakes.

— My babies, have you slept well? Come and drink water first.

Minkyung and Minhae drank a glass of lukewarm barley water, then the four family members sat at the table with a simple breakfast and ate happily.

When Minkyung entered the second year of high school, the number of her family members, which had been four for a long time, changed. The twins, the youngest children, were born. It may be a little embarrassing, but her mother said with sincere pride,

— It’s because your father loves me so much.

Their parents also created a menu to celebrate the unexpected birth of the twins. Some couples who wanted to have children came to the restaurant and specifically ordered that menu. They hoped to attract the energy of the healthy twins. For a time, Kang’s Makguksu was called ‘Unexpected Twins Makguksu Restaurant’.

After the birth of the twins, the dawn became a little ‘livelier’ with the two babies whimpering. Minkyung rocked them one by one, fed them with bottles, and changed their diapers. Minhae also took pretty good care of his younger twin brothers. Although they were now exceptional athletes, she had literally raised them…

While Minkyung was immersed in her memories, her mother noticed her standing at the door and asked,

“Did you sleep well? Why don’t you sleep more?”

“It became a habit for me to wake up at this time.”

Minkyung looked around the kitchen as she drank warm barley water. The smells, sounds and temperature were familiar, but the appearance of the kitchen was not. Kang’s Makguksu was several times larger than before. As Sejong City, which is a 10-minute drive away, grew and the influx of people increased, sales at Kang’s Makguksu also increased significantly, leading to the construction of a new building for the restaurant. But that was already a few years ago.

Her mother noticed Minkyung looking around the kitchen, so she asked,

“Hmm… Do you want to eat? What would you like?”

“No.”

“So, are you looking for something?”

“No. It’s just that the store is too big.”

Minkyung took another look at the dazzling kitchen facilities and said,

“The kitchen turned out incredible. Kang’s Makguksu has been very successful.”

“Phew, that’s right. We’ve been successful. It’s been a long time now. So you should come home more often. We still have to pay a little less than half of the loan we took out for the construction of the new building, otherwise we could financially support the twins… Oh, I forgot.”

She wiped her hands on her apron and quickly walked over to Minkyung.

“No matter how much I think about it. Did you tell your company about your twin brothers?”