The smell of freshly cut and sauted vegetables lingered in the air of the small kithen where the sweaty bodies of the cooks squeezed close to one another as they tried to fit in the room and get their job done. The kitchen was usually all over the place, "highly unprofessional" would the owner say, scolding the staff with the sweetest and most adorable smile on her face. However, today, her daughter had come to help and coordinate the kitchen.
Hyunjin was a perfectionist, wanted everything to be in running order around the kitchen. Her mother's noodles was the beggining to her passion for cooking and when she opened a noodle bar near their old family house downtown, Hyunjin knew the love she had for food and cooking wasn't something ordinary.
"Mister Ryang is here!" she heard her mother call out from the front and she nudged Sanghoo, the head cook, reminding him to keep his workplace organized despite the many people outside waiting to be served.
"The usual?" Hyunjin scremead back, laughing as everyone ran around. During the weekend her mother's shop was full of people, some of them even waiting outside just so they could come in and order.
"Yes, honey. For three this time, his grandchildren are here from Hanam."
Mister Ryang was a very special client who frequently came to their shop and often looked for company rather than food. After his wife passed away, he was left alone as his daughter had moved to another city to live with her husband and start a new life. So he spent his free time in the noodle shop, enjoying the homemade food he so much had missed and meeting new people, making their day with his unique character and sense of humor.
"Alright mother."
Whenever Hyunjin found some spare time, she would always help her mother. Especially after she got into the culinary school she dreamed of going to, she was a great help to the head cook — they wouldn't really trust her in the kitchen before she started studying, the girl was very clumsy — and the rest of the staff. She even had promised to take over the business once her mother was old and tired and couldn't keep up standing at the cash register day.
"Here you go!" her voice echoed above others' and her fingers tapped on the small bell on the counter as she tried to get her mother's attention.
Even if the noodle bar was going very good and was one of the most popular in the region, Hyunjin's father never approved. He believed women should stay behind, raise the children and look after the house while the man did the work. Thus, it only made sense he was mad when he found out his wife was working, that she was running her own shop without asking for his permission.
But he didn't leave. Why would he?
The money coming out of the noodle bar made him forget all about his ancient believes and although still not approving of his wife working, he managed to stay quiet. And, of course, the money she brought home did take some of his bitterness away.
"Alright. Thank you, honey." her mother replied and wiped off the sweat on her forehead "You should take a break now, Eunyoung said your phone is blowing up."
Hyunjin laughed, it was probably her friends sending in their orders. They knew she would be working with her mother today and would never forget the promise she had made the first time she worked there; to bring everyone food after her shift ended. It was kind of like a tradition that stopped after Jiwoo's passing, yet Haseul somehow had managed to convince everyone to join her tonight on the roof of her home and eat noodles, look at the stars and talk. Remnisce about the old times, catch up on the many things going on in their lives.
Grabbing a bowl and a pair of chopsticks, the girl moved at the back of the bar for a while. Her stomach grumbled when she brought the first mouthful to her lips and she whined, she had barely eaten breakfast this morning.
"Let's see." she sighed, scrolling through her notifications.
Hyunjin slurped down the noodles, humming when their rich taste enveloped her taste buds. She nodded and furrowed her eyebrows when one strange notification popped up.
"please.accept wants to send you an audio file."
The moment she had been waiting for. It was finally here yet the timing seemed completely off. Hyunjin couldn't think of what today meant, Jiwoo had a habit of sending her files at a particular day. The day all girls went wrong.
"Hyunjin-ah," the girl coughed when hearing Jiwoo's voice "How you've been?"
Hyunjin put the noodles aside, bringing the speaker close to her ear as she walked to the window. Even if she knew it was coming, something about hearing the redhead's voice again had her sweating.
"I hope you and Heejin have been doing well," said Jiwoo "Considering you did so much to get her and keep her."
Everything was suddenly feeling hot. The girl wanted to jump out of her clothes, let her body cool down under cold water in the shower.
"Welcome, Kim Hyunjin," the redhead sighed "To the path of the truth."
-kimwig
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12 REASONS WHY | LOONA
Fanfiction"If you're listening to this, you're one of the reasons why." Jiwoo was always viewed as the happy girl, the energetic one of her friend group. She had no reason to be sad, people thought, and if she was, she was being dramatic. But what if she real...
