God of cooking

Chapter 6: In 92nd Street in New York (2)

This does not belong to me It is translated by KobatoChanDaiSuki  

He tried to follow the pickpocketer with all of his strength, but there was no way to catch a local of the place. The pickpocket moved from alley to alley and soon disappeared from his sight.

"What the fuck......"

Jo Minjoon looked around without any strength. It never happened before in Korea, but it wasn't even an hour and he became a victim of pickpocket. 'When I was warned to be careful of the pickpockets, would I be one of those victims?' He thought like that. I was absent minded.

'I didn't hold New York in much regard'

He was at a loss for words. He didn't have much cash but all of his cards were on the wallet. He couldn't even take a cab properly.

Jo Minjoon went back to the place he got robbed without strength. The beggar that was seated on the floor said with a smile.

"Do you need this?"

While he was saying that, on the beggars fingers was the 5 dollar bill Jo Minjoon gave him. Jo Minjoon let a out sigh and answered. It was quite a while since he interacted with a foreign man but it was pretty fluent.

"It's okay. It's pettier to give and take. Get something to eat with that."

"Do I look like a beggar?"

It didn't look like he was asking because he was uncomfortable. He asked as if he was really curious. Jo Minjoon scanned the blond man around his forties. An old coat and a tattered scarf. To look at it as a vintage fashion. His clothes seemed too humble. He was seated on the floor and also, the hat was placed as if he was begging for money so he seemed the more humbler.

"Are you not?"
"I also have a house."
".......At least you aren't homeless. The 5 dollars. Can you give it back?"
"Didn't you just say so. That giving and then taking is the pettiest. As I got it being treated as a beggar, I'm taking those 5 dollars as the cost of it."

The man was saying that while having a big smile, so Jo Minjoon didn't particularly have anything to say to him. In the first place, there was nothing he could do with 5 dollars.

Jo Minjoon sighed and sat besides the man. The man opened his mouth.

"I'm Lucas Dean. What's your name?"
"Jo Minjoon. First name Jo and name is Minjoon."
"Korea? Japan?"
"It's Korea."

Lucas glanced at the travelling bag Jo Minjoon had and said.

"It looks like you came to sightsee, but you got it all ruined from the start."
"......Can't do anything about it. Except to be on the streets."

He couldn't call home saying that as soon as he got to the US he got pickpocketed. In fact, his mother was really worried before he left...

"Did it become roaming?"

Jo Minjoon took out his cellphone. He prepared it beforehand, but fortunately the internet worked just fine. After reporting the loss of his cards, he was wondering wether to call the police or not. Lucas told Jo Minjoon.

"The police won't even care about pickpockets. It's a minor matter. Even more if you are a foreigner."
".......It's a scary place."
"Do you have somewhere to go?"

Jo Minjoon shook his head. Looking at Jo Minjoon, Lucas smiled and asked.

"Would you be willing to stay in a beggar's house?"

Lucas's house wasn't even 20m away from where he was. He went inside the house made of red bricks and opened his mouth.

"For it to be a beggar's house, it is quite splendid."
"Stop with the beggar this and beggar that. It makes me sad listening to you."
".......Thank you."
"Oh, please. Don't thank me like that.
The house of the supposed beggar was quite good. The ceiling was high and the floor was made of marble. Was it a 230 yard house? If he combined the second floor's rooms, then it would be even bigger.