Archmage's Restaurant - Chapter 88: A Week in Korea (7)

What Rurin pointed at was the night view of the Han River bridge and the buildings beyond in Gangnam. The sun had already set, and the twinkling lights illuminated Seoul, filling her eyes with wonder.

The glittering lights here and there were unlike anything in the other world, including Grayke City, so it was only natural for Rurin to be fascinated.

“Those lights… yeah, you could say it’s a civilization developed through technology in a world without mana.”

“Oh? Well, I don’t care as long as it looks pretty.”

Rurin, rubbing her stomach, withdrew her pointing hand and began rolling around on the mat again. If only she stayed on the mat, but she would roll onto the grass and then back to me like a magnet. She’d snuggle up to me, and when I let go, she’d roll away again, only to charge back at me.

After a while, when I didn’t resist, she nestled next to me and started watching the lights.

Full stomach, a beautiful night view, and a content Rurin by my side—this was a blissful moment. I had finally eaten the *jjajangmyeon* I’d been craving, so there was nothing more to ask for.

We lay there for quite some time.

Eventually, as the night grew deeper, I carried Rurin, who had dozed off again, and left the park.

The streets had become quiet.

“Snore… snore…”

Even the dragon’s breathing was steady. After carrying her for a while, I gently set her down.

“Hey, wake up.”

“Snore… snore?”

Why was her snoring rising in pitch? I knew she had been pretending to sleep all along.

“Did I get caught? Darn.”

“What do you mean, ‘darn’?”

“Because it feels so nice to be carried by you!”

As I playfully shook Rurin’s head, the smell of food tickled my nose. Now that I think about it, I was hungry again. After all, we’d only eaten once today. The “stomach capacity principle” was kicking in—meaning I needed to eat more to regain my energy.

I turned my head to find the source of the smell. Behind me stood a 24-hour *gisa* (driver’s) restaurant. The smell was definitely coming from there.

“This place feels similar to the restaurants in Grayke City. But not as good as ours.”

“Yeah? It does have a humble vibe like some of the eateries in Grayke.”

It had the same structure as the taverns commonly found in Grayke City. Restaurants like these are hit or miss—either everything is delicious, or nothing is.

Since it was late, and this was the only place open to satisfy our hunger, Rurin and I sat down at a table.

Even though it was late at night, there were quite a few men eating. True to its name as a *gisa sikdang* (driver’s restaurant), there were a lot of solitary male diners.

If there were so many people, that probably meant the food was good. The menu had several options. After a bit of deliberation, my eyes landed on something you wouldn’t easily find in the other world.

It was *cheonggukjang* (fermented soybean stew). Of course, Rurin would probably make a fuss if I ordered two bowls, so I didn’t.

“Can I get one *cheonggukjang* and one *jeyuk bokkeum* (spicy pork stir-fry)?”

“Of course. Just a moment.”

As expected of a driver’s restaurant, the food came out quickly. The boiling *cheonggukjang* was served in an earthenware pot.

The *jeyuk bokkeum* was covered in a red sauce and garnished with sesame seeds, making it look mouth-watering. The smell of the *cheonggukjang* was intensely earthy. I knew that many people couldn’t stand this smell, but I liked it. It had been over 15 years since I’d last eaten it, after all.

Facing both the *jeyuk bokkeum* and *cheonggukjang* made me feel like I was truly home. Both dishes were tied to memories of my mother.

“Ew! That’s rotten!”

However, Rurin grimaced, covering her nose as she stared at my *cheonggukjang*. It was the typical reaction of foreigners.

“It’s not rotten; it’s just supposed to smell like that.”

With that, I took a big spoonful of *cheonggukjang* and put it in my mouth. The pork, beans, and tofu melded together with the earthy flavor, filling my mouth. It was delicious.

“Why do you eat weird stuff? If you get a stomachache later, don’t expect me to take care of you! I’ll torment your weakened self. Ohohoho.”

Covering her nose, Rurin cackled mischievously, as if she was already plotting.

A dragon’s wicked smile usually signifies the destruction of a kingdom or something similarly catastrophic, but in Rurin’s head, it seemed to be all about playing tricks on me while I was sick.

Not that *cheonggukjang* was going to give me a stomachache, so it was an empty threat.

“Hey! Stop talking nonsense and eat.”

“But the smell is so annoying!”

Her reaction was stronger than I expected.

“Just try yours first. Here, give it a taste.”

“Mine? Does it smell weird too?”

Finally, Rurin glanced at her *jeyuk bokkeum*, realizing she hadn’t even thought about eating it due to the overwhelming smell of the *cheonggukjang*.

The pork (*uba* in her world) is one of Rurin’s favorite foods. There’s no way she wouldn’t like it. She sniffed at it curiously, and after detecting the savory aroma, she nodded and picked up her spoon.

“This smells just like the food you make.”

Of course. Unlike *cheonggukjang*, I often made *jeyuk bokkeum*.

“It smells fine and tastes great. Though, your cooking is better. But that stuff? I hate it!”

Who could blame my dragon for insisting that my cooking was better every time she ate something else? But she still glared at the *cheonggukjang* with pure disdain.

Did she really need to hate it that much?

“Then try this, too. The smell might be off-putting, but it tastes good.”

Now that it had come to this, I was determined to make her try *cheonggukjang*. I scooped up a spoonful of pork, tofu, and broth and held it out to her.

“Here, say ah.”

“Eww! That’s dirty!”

Rurin hesitated, glancing between me and the spoon.

Then, as if making up her mind, she opened her mouth.

“No! No matter how much you try to feed me, I’m not eating that.”

“Didn’t you say earlier at the *jjajangmyeon* place that you’d enjoy anything I like, even if it doesn’t taste good? That sounds like a contradiction.”

“I don’t know.”

Despite her firm refusal, Rurin covered her mouth with both hands, clearly remembering what she had said earlier, her face scrunching up.

“Really? You don’t remember?”

“Stop talking while I’m eating. Is this *uba*? It tastes the same.”

Suddenly, she became serious about tasting the *jeyuk bokkeum*.

“Oh, so you’re changing the subject?”

“If only I hadn’t said earlier that I’d like whatever you eat. It was just words.”

“Ughhh.”

Unable to deny her own words, Rurin reluctantly plugged her nose and opened her mouth, looking as if she were being dragged to her execution.

“This smells just like food waste! You have no idea how much I hate taking out the trash, and yet you…!”

With her eyes squeezed shut and her body trembling, she opened her mouth. Honestly, it’s not like *cheonggukjang* smells that bad. It’s still food, after all.

“Alright, fine.”

“Huh?”

“Open your eyes. Just eat what you like.”

Acting nonchalantly, I started eating my *cheonggukjang* again. The combination of pork, beans, and the rich broth filled my mouth with a comforting, earthy flavor. Mixing the rice with the stew made for a hearty meal.

As I continued eating, ignoring Rurin, she froze with a conflicted expression, spoon in hand.

“Is it really that good?”

“Hmm?”

“You seem to be enjoying it. It’s just the smell that’s weird, right?”

She paused for a moment.

“…I don’t know!”

In the end, she turned away again, focusing on her pork stir-fry. Well, I couldn’t be sure if it would suit her taste.

It’s a quintessentially Korean dish, after all. But it’s not like *cheonggukjang* is as polarizing as something like stinky tofu or *hongeo samhap* (fermented skate).

“If you don’t know, then just keep eating. I’m going to the bathroom.”

Thanks to all the drinks at the park, nature was calling, so I got up.

“Okay.”

She nodded emphatically as I left for the bathroom. After taking care of business, I returned to the restaurant and quickly hid myself.

Rurin was glancing around cautiously, still holding her nose as she carefully scooped up some *cheonggukjang* with her spoon.

She brought it close to her mouth.

And then… she ate it.

“Huh?”

Letting out a small exclamation, she plugged her nose again and took another spoonful. Our little gourmet dragon must have developed a taste for its earthy flavor. After putting the stew in her mouth, she finally released her nose and began chewing.

She repeated this process, over and over. Her *jeyuk bokkeum* was already gone, and now she was devouring the *cheonggukjang*.

“Hmm.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. After all that resistance, her curiosity must have gotten the better of her. Though the smell was strange, the taste was good. Now, with a look of fascination, she was happily wolfing down the *cheonggukjang*. But as soon as she noticed me, she froze.

Then, in an attempt to cover her tracks, she spat out the *cheonggukjang* she was about to eat.

“Pfft!”

“Hey!”

“It’s nothing. I don’t know anything.”

“What do you mean, nothing? What don’t you know? Geez.”

Feigning ignorance, Rurin quickly backed away from the *cheonggukjang*. But by then, the pot was nearly empty.

***

The next day. My mana had recovered about 50%.

I could use basic offensive spells or even cast something powerful enough to turn this land into a sea of fire, but summoning magic was still out of reach.

Summoning magic consumed the most mana, after all.

In other words, I’d have to stay here another day. Honestly, I was eager to leave this land, where thoughts of my parents constantly lingered, but given my magical limits, there was no other option.

“Huh?”

When I turned my head, I saw something unbelievable.

Rurin was brushing her hair by herself. Yes, brushing her hair. In front of her lay a women’s magazine, open on the floor.

“Rurin.”

I called her, and she glanced over at me—through the mirror, no less. Had she mastered the art of looking at me through the mirror now?

“Rurin, answer me. Answer me.”

“This body is busy right now!”

The fact that she was brushing her hair on her own was incredibly strange. It felt like a dream.

“Did you eat something weird?”

When I approached and placed my hand on her head, she gave me a look as if to say, “What are you talking about?”

“I ate the same thing as you.”

“Well, yeah, but still…”

“More importantly, I like this mirror. Let’s take it with us. Your homeland may be strange, but the bed and mirrors are great!”

As she continued brushing her hair, she stood up and began stroking the mirror, her eyes practically sparkling. Fortunately, even though dragons can breathe fire, they can’t shoot lasers from their eyes, so the mirror remained safe.

“Are you done brushing?”

“How does it look?”

When I asked, Rurin stood up straight and proudly showed me her face through the mirror.

Her hair was neatly combed. Normally, she would be stumbling around, her hair all over the place, complaining about being hungry.

It felt like I had fallen into a bizarre version of Alice in Wonderland. But since she had managed to comb her hair on her own, it was praiseworthy. Not that she was explaining why, but I could only assume it had something to do with the magazine at her feet.

Rurin, waiting for my response, blew a puff of air from her nose, so I gave her a nod.

“Well.”

My words didn’t quite match my actions, which made Rurin puff out her cheeks.

“Let’s just go eat.”

Turning my back, I headed toward the door, with Rurin following behind.

“Hey?”

Still pouting, she looked at me. She had the face of a sulking cat. A dragon making a cat face felt like cheating.

“Don’t you like it? That book from your world said doing your hair like this makes you prettier…”