Hunters Keep Coming To My House - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

“Did Mr. Cha Jae-joon do all this?”

“Yes! I did it, Ms. Yeon-oh.”

“It turns out you love cooking.”

“I truly pursue what I love till the end.”

Cha Jae-joon nodded proudly with a satisfied expression. And no wonder, the dishes arranged on the living room table right now were truly shining. 

It was almost unbelievable how such dishes could come out of my refrigerator.

After finely chopping X-fam, and adding potatoes and kimchi, Cha Jae-joon made a flavorful X-fam potato stew. There was also a bulgogi made from the remaining beef if there was any left, and a tender egg custard. 

Even the side dishes were of high quality, considering the main menu. There was kimchi made by me, which Cha Jae-joon may not like, but he made it appetizingly. Also, bean sprouts side dish and cabbage kimchi were purchased from a side dish store. He even made stir-fried kimchi with sesame oil.

It was a table full of richness with limited ingredients. I had planned to just fry some X-fam and have it with fried eggs for breakfast, but it turned out to be more grand than I expected. And all of this was orchestrated by Cha Jae-joon.

I got to enjoy this meal without even getting a drop of water on my hands because, when I entered the kitchen, Cha Jae-joon had chased me out, as if he was driving me away. 

Though he said one person would be enough for assistance, suggesting I take a break, I refused to let a guest take over the cooking duties. But Cha Jae-joon insisted firmly.

“I did it because I wanted to. So please don’t feel burdened, Ms. Yeon-oh. Have fun with Arvani. Even after playing with me, he still has plenty of energy. You’ll have a hard time, Ms. Yeon-oh.”

Then he winked at Arvani, whom I was holding in my arms. Arvani, in turn, seemed to understand it amazingly well and urged me to play with him while snuggling in my arms.

I had no choice but to return to my bed with Arvani. Later, when I came out at the mention of breakfast, a generous feast was set. This is what made me change my opinion of Cha Jae-joon a little bit, or maybe a lot. From a crazy guy to someone I wanted as my butler.

Well, I wasn’t particularly good at cooking. At best, I could make kimchi stew by cutting kimchi, pouring water, and adding soy sauce or red pepper powder. So, how tempting was it for Cha Jae-joon to showcase such diverse culinary skills?

‘Even that kimchi stew is in a state of turning into kimchi soup.’

People who can cook in such situations are truly precious. Precious enough to have the bad thought of confining them to my house and having them cook for me.

Sip. I swallowed my saliva. However, it seemed I wasn’t the only one who did that. From the entrance where Kang Yoon-soo and Jung Tae-il came in at the mention of eating, there was also the sound of saliva spilling over.

And then…

Gurgle.

“Ah…”

A sound echoed from Han Seung-hoo’s stomach, who was carrying a full tray of white rice. 

Whether it was because the house was quiet or because everyone was just looking at the food, the sound was truly distinct. Since the sound of swallowing saliva was audible, the gurgling sound spoke for itself.

Han Seung-hoo blushed, and he quickly disappeared into the kitchen. Seeing this, Kang Yoon-soo and Jung Tae-il burst into laughter simultaneously. It was the first time they seemed so flustered, and I found it a bit cute.

“Our Seung-hoo was hungry.”

“Kang Yoon-soo, stop teasing him.”

“Okay, okay, let’s not provoke Seung-hoo for too long.”

Although a formidable aura could be felt from the kitchen, Jung Tae-il and Kang Yoon-soo ignored it neatly and began debating how long Han Seung-hoo could hold out if he got upset.

Of course, it was more like Kang Yoon-soo making noise alone, and Jung Tae-il agreeing, but still. Listening to their conversation, I eventually had to speak up.

If they keep teasing Seung-hoo like this, there might be a big problem if they end up fighting at my place.

“Both of you, stop teasing Seung-hoo and take your seats.”

“Yes, Ms. Yeon-oh.”

“Got it.” 

Jung Tae-il and Kang Yoon-soo listened well. As soon as they heard me, they quietly took their seats where the rice bowls and utensils were set, waiting for everyone to gather.

I glanced alternately between the kitchen and the living room. 

‘With five people, the house seems small.’

When I first saw the house, it seemed so spacious that I worried about how to fill it. But now, with people filling it, it felt lively and warm, and I realized that a house truly came to life with people.

Honestly, the thought of them leaving and the house returning to its quiet state made me slightly, very slightly, uneasy. However…

‘I have Arvani with me.’

These days, a well-behaved and cute pet is better than a person. Smiling at the thought of Arvani comfortably sleeping on my bed, I joined everyone in the living room.

Though unintentional, I found myself sitting in a position almost equivalent to the head of the table. It felt awkward. In other dining settings, I was always relegated to a corner, so sitting right in the middle brought an unfamiliar discomfort, making every move feel unnatural.

It felt odd… In other dining situations, I would always sit in a corner, so being in the center now made every action seem forced and awkward. If someone asked me to walk right now, I probably would have taken uneven steps. To overcome this awkwardness, I began humming a song in my head.

Unintentionally claiming a seat of honor, I felt awkward, but just as I was about to succumb to the discomfort, Cha Jae-joon and Han Seung-hoo took their seats, placing the final dish of seaweed on the table. With the addition of the seaweed, it truly became a feast.

Everyone looked at me. I took a deep breath and spoke.

“Enjoy your meal, everyone. I can’t guarantee the taste since I didn’t prepare it.”

“Oh, Ms. Yeon-oh.”

“Anyway, let’s eat!”

With my words, everyone picked up their chopsticks. Han Seung-hoo took the closest kimchi, Jung Tae-il went for the X-fam potato stew, Kang Yoon-soo chose the egg custard, Cha Jae-joon took the white rice, and I reached for the sesame leaf first.

However, everyone else had already taken their first bites in silence, and I was the only one who hadn’t taken mine yet because…

“Um…”

The kimchi leaves didn’t separate easily. If I were eating alone, I would have grabbed two without hesitation, but with a crowded table, I had to be mindful and conserve the limited side dishes.

As I struggled with the sesame leaf, Jung Tae-il, sitting across from me, extended his chopsticks and skillfully picked up a leaf for me.

“Oh, thank you.”

“….”

Jung Tae-il silently watched me for a moment and then reached for the leaves under his bowl, probably wanting some himself. It wasn’t to help me, but he ended up assisting me. I ate with a slightly awkward expression.

Because I was in a rush and feeling embarrassed, I failed to notice the expressions of the three people, excluding Jung Tae-il, who missed the chance to catch my expression.

However, Jung Tae-il noticed.

The usually expressionless Jung Tae-il’s lips curved up ever so slightly. It was a somewhat satisfied expression.

Thus, the breakfast continued with a mix of satisfaction, awkwardness, and regret. However, when I was busy finishing the rice in my bowl, a sudden question crossed my mind.

‘Why isn’t there a buff effect on this?’

Is it because I didn’t make it?

I enhanced all the ingredients in the refrigerator like like 3X Water and Dawn 807, so I thought there should be a combination bonus triggered while cooking. But…

‘Why are these dishes so ordinary?’

Is this also different depending on the situation? 

Or should it have been checked in advance? 

I pondered carefully, using a ladle to scoop up the X-fam’s potato stew in front of me. 

If the food is this delicious, it will undoubtedly provide a good buff, I thought. 

I should explore this point further when I try cooking alone next time. 

I shouldn’t open my mouth unnecessarily right now because there are more than a few people who can spark their eyes at me. 

Even if Han Seung-hoo already knows, the others still don’t know that I made the detoxifier. 

I vaguely deflected the question when they asked, blocking Han Seung-hoo’s mouth. 

There are things I don’t know yet, and there’s no guarantee that they won’t exploit this information. 

I had many worries in various ways. 

Let’s examine the situation now that my nose is clear. 

I took a deep breath and took a bite of the stew. 

The spicy and salty taste of the stew spread in my mouth, so I quickly scooped up a big spoonful of white rice and put it in my mouth. 

X-fam is indeed the best. 

It’s delicious no matter where you put it. 

Thus, a disturbing yet peaceful morning meal continued. 

Everyone enjoyed a satisfying meal, and we even enjoyed the dessert prepared by Cha Jae-joon. 

I momentarily let my guard down, savoring this peaceful time, not realizing what would happen next. 

I never dreamed I would meet that mysterious real estate agent again.