Chapter 71: Chapter 71
It was a pretty unique restaurant.
Arum unbuckled the safety belt to get off.
The sign of the restaurant was made with thick tree branches, which was harmonious with the surrounding nature.
“Oh, Mother’s Kitchen? What a lyrical sign! Is this run by a poet owner?”
“Guess what? This restaurant is cited as one of the most famous restaurants in the country.”
Before she opened the door of the restaurant, she couldn’t find out which food it was famous for. She couldn’t find anything like a menu board outside the restaurant.
When she opened it, there unfolded a cozy indoor garden before her eyes.
“Wow!”
She was amazed.
The inside of the restaurant was totally different to its outside. She felt as if she stepped into a paradise. There were dozens of water lilies in the artificial pond. The sweet fragrance of lotus tickled the tip of her nose.
“Perfect!”
Hojoon was pleased to see her amazed at the atmosphere of the restaurant.
“Do you like this place a lot? As this is my first date with you, I’ve paid special attention.”
“You’re going to treat me with your company’s corporate card, right? How can you call this a date if you use that card?”
“Nope, I don’t use a company card. I’m paying it with my own card.”
“Have you made a reservation?”
“Of course, this is a famous place that needs reservation in advance. Come this way.”
Even though it’s an early lunch hour, almost all the tables were already occupied.
“You won’t regret the regular lotus meal here.”
As soon as he sat down, he ordered the food right away.
Arum was pretty busy scanning the lunch menu.
Served along with the lotus leaves were soybean stew, stir-fried pork with chilli peppers, several kinds of vegetables, and tofu wraps with pork.
When all the food was put on the table, Arum suddenly got curious.
“Are you sure this is a delicious restaurant?”
“Why?”
“Well, I’m just curious as to how a young guy like you can enjoy this kind of food. Don’t you like pizza or pasta?”
“I never told you I hated this kind of food. Please try it now.”
“Wow, too many side dishes!”
“All the food here is good for your health. So, let’s enjoy it slowly.”
“I’m tasting rice with lotus for the first time in my life. Is it delicious?”
“This might be a luxury food for those who are addicted to instant foods. It tastes so delicious.”
Arum had a spoon of sticky lotus rice. The moment she put it into her mouth, she tasted the sweet flavor of lotus.
“Wow!”
She didn’t have to comment.
“How did you know this place?”
“Just enjoy it. Don’t talk.”
Nodding, she began to eat the delicious food. She had a bite of the homemade tofu, which emitted a spicy fragrance.
When did she last enjoy such good food?
While enjoying the food, she began to ask him about his personal life.
“Where were you born?”
“How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
“Which high school did you graduate from?”
“What was your major in college?”
“What is your father’s occupation? Oh, I know that. He’s a geomancy specialist.”
She kept asking, making him wonder if she was here for an interview or for food.
“Do you really want to show me what your occupation is?”
“Oops, I’m sorry. I’m just curious.”
“Don’t you think you’re not feeling the mood at all while enjoying this great food? I don’t like this kind of dating,” he said, hardening his face.
“Oh, I just mean…”
Noticing his sullen face, she was embarrassed. When she was in a similar situation in the past, she could easily cope with it by avoiding him. But she could not anymore—she just started dating him.
“Let’s pretend nothing happened between us. What’s the point of our dating? Can you stop it here if you don’t want to date me?”
“In just one day?”
“Why? Do you have any regrets?”
“Well, what I mean is…”
She instantly thought to herself, ‘Oh my goodness! His mood changes with every minute! He said first he liked me, and now he said he wanted to break up, and only one day after we started dating.’ She felt she was falsely blamed.
“I asked if you had any regrets.”
“I’m just….”
She stared at his face, at a loss for words at the moment. She saw him pouting his lips. She also noticed him holding back laughter.
“Are you toying with me right now?”
“I really like your facial expression right now. That peculiar expression of yours on your face.”
“Are you a pervert? How can you like my expression now?”
“Your perplexed look! I liked it when you were at the police station.”
“I really can’t understand…”
When she put down the spoon in a bad mood, somebody came in. She was a middle-aged woman dressed in traditional Korean clothes. It looked like she was the owner. She put on a worried look while coming in with a large pot.
“Don’t you like the taste of lotus rice?”
She examined Arum’s face.
“No, not at all. It really tastes delicious.”
She put the pot on the table, which was as large as a basin.
“What is it?” Arum asked while looking at the way she put down the pottery.
She replied, “Well, I happened to have good lotus tea at my restaurant, so I’m offering it to the customers for free today. Just try it.”
The owner put a lotus in the pot on the broad tray, and then poured hot water into it. There came out a fully blossomed lotus out of it at that moment.
“Wow!” Arum exclaimed.
“Lotus tea relaxes you and lowers your blood pressure, and also empties your mind. Do you like tea?”
“No, I drink a lot of coffee instead.”
While she was talking with the owner, the room they were in became filled with the sweet fragrance of lotus.
“Did you see suryon or water lilies outside?”
Arum nodded strongly, “Yes, I did.”
The owner asked, “Do you know why they call it a water lily?”
“Because the lotus is growing in water, isn’t it?” Arum thought that was a logical answer.
But what’s what the water lily meant.
While the lotus tea was brewing, the owner said, “The first letter ‘su’ doesn’t mean ‘water,’ but ‘dozing off.’ Interesting, isn’t it?”
“Does it mean a sleepy lily?”
Hojoon burst into laughter at her innocent smile. Wow! How could she say ‘a sleepy lily?’ How come her knowledge of the Korean language was so limited?
“What the heck is this? Hojoon, you knew it already, didn’t you?”
“I have no idea,” he said, pretending not to know.
The owner gave her the answer, pouring tea in her cup.
“It is called such as it blooms in broad daylight and falls asleep in the night. Just sip this.”
“See! My educated guess is right, Chief!” Arum said proudly, looking at Hojoon.
“Have a good time,” said the owner, bowing to them and getting out of the room.
“I love this fragrance so much.”
Arum got hooked on the lotus.
“The service at this restaurant is so good! I think I’m going to come again next time,” said Arum.
“Do you like it?”
“Yep. I would like to come with my friends. If I do get a boyfriend, I’ll come again.”
Hojoon was embarrassed to hear that, and asked, “Are you going to bring your boyfriend?”
“Yes, you’re right. You’re dating me now, so there are other guys who should want to date me, too.”
“Do as you please. I don’t think you can if you know this place is run my mother.”
Puhaat!
While sipping tea, she choked and spit it out.
“This tea is so hot! Who is running this restaurant?”
“This restaurant is managed by my mother. You already saw my mother.”
“This is a breach of the rules!”
“I already treated you to a nice lunch.”
“Oh my god. You’re far too fast!”
“We’re dating for a long time. I don’t think we have to go through hard times because of our parents’ objection.”
“I wasn’t prepared for this surprise occasion at all. And you said you’re dating me for the first time today, didn’t you?”
She beat her chest with her first, and felt choked.
“Water!”
He gave a cup of water to her.
Receiving it, she said curtly, “Are you giving me a disease and then some medicine? You told me you wanted to split up with me, right? Let’s break up now.”
“Good. I already asked my father a favor.”
“Really?” she felt as if her upset stomach was gone.
“Did he say he had a good idea on how to make Konsu reunite with Yuyoung?”
“You told me you wanted to break up with me, right?” asked Hojoon.
“When did I tell you that? Not me!” Arum now tried to flatter him.
The thing was what she was faced with after lunch.
As she heard from Hojoon that the owner of this restaurant was his mother, she paid attention to even her footsteps.
‘Hope you’re so busy at the moment, so you can’t see me leaving here.’