S214

Society Protocol Season 2 14

Master of Living

After finishing his meeting with Pastor Hwang, Min-hyuk helped Mi-hee sort food ingredients at the restaurant.

Since he couldn't cook anything himself, he did the easiest tasks: peeling potatoes and slicing onions.

It was difficult at first, but his skills improved the more he did it.

So, he started to enjoy it.

The potato peeler, which looked like a miniature hand plane, seemed like the greatest invention in the world.

Min-hyuk decided that he absolutely had to buy a potato peeler when he returned home.

With a potato peeler, you could peel not only potatoes but also apples, pears, and radishes.

He imagined that if it were ergonomically designed, it could even peel off dead skin cells.

Mi-hee watched Min-hyuk, who was engrossed in peeling potatoes while lost in these fantasies, while she boiled some noodles.

He grinned as if he were crazy, lost in his imagination, but what could she do?

"I just have to feed him well and take care of him, like raising a puppy."

That was the thought Mi-hee had. The noodles were being boiled in a large cauldron, and they had to be stirred continuously with a large spatula just under a meter long.

When the water boiled and foam rose, cold water was poured in using a ladle.

If not stirred properly, the noodles would stick to the bottom.

Once Min-hyuk finished peeling the potatoes, he felt a sense of accomplishment mixed with a hint of regret.

It was clearly visible on his face.

The butler, who had been stir-frying fish cakes nearby, turned off the gas stove and carried an aluminum pot containing onions in front of Min-hyuk.

Then, he demonstrated how to peel the onions with a kitchen knife in front of Min-hyuk.

After peeling the onions, he taught him how to cut them into pieces on the cutting board next to them.

First, he cut the onion in half, then pushed the semi circled onion with the knife as if slicing it into pieces.

However, the shape had to be preserved. When I changed the position of the knife and sliced it again at a 90-degree angle, the desired square shape appeared.

Putting it in a plastic bowl completed the mission.

Min-hyuk’s eyes sparkled and his vitality returned as a new challenge arose.

Peeling onions was harder than he had thought.

He felt a sense of disappointment whenever the skin peeled off in thick layers.

The first few times, the skin came off thick, but as time passed, he gradually got used to it.

As soon as he finished peeling, he began slicing on the cutting board for the first time.

His fingers holding the onion were extended, making it look dangerous.

A deacon approached and shook his head. Min-hyuk felt slightly discouraged.

He curled his left fingers and began slicing. Even to Min-hyuk, that looked much safer.

He had finally come to accept the proper way to slice onions.

Now, he had to slice slowly. The onion sliced without much difficulty.

However, maintaining its shape was hard. As he began slicing slowly, Min-hyuk eventually succeeded.

He started slicing the onion at a very fast pace, and the shape was coming out properly.

The church deacons serving food were in high spirits when the handsome Min-hyuk entered the kitchen.

However, they were watching him with bated breath because he was so clumsy.

But he wasn't doing it reluctantly out of dislike; he was having so much fun that it was quite endearing.

Once he finished slicing the onions, a sense of accomplishment washed over Min-hyuk, but at the same time, a touch of regret washed over him.

Now, they pushed the potatoes they had peeled earlier back at him.

They had initially intended not to entrust Min-hyuk with dicing potatoes because it is difficult, but seeing him adapt, they felt they could trust him with the task.

He sliced the potatoes in half just like the onions, then cut them by pushing the knife without disturbing their shape.

Then, maintaining that shape, he rotated the knife 90 degrees and sliced again.

Unlike the onions, the potatoes offered resistance.

They felt a nature trying to block the knife from entering.

So, the hand gripping the knife tightened even more. It felt like it would be even more dangerous. If he were to slip, he would cut his hand.

However, Min-hyuk completed the mission brilliantly.

Although everyone was busy with their own tasks, all eyes were on Min-hyuk, and as he performed so well, Deacons were holding back their urge to applaud.

It was just like the heartwarming feeling parents have when a child builds a house with building blocks.

For the first time in his life, Min-hyuk tried cutting with a knife.

Even when he worked part-time at a cafe, he only carried coffee and wiped cups, and he never had any occasion to cut with a knife at home.

However, cutting with such a large quantity while watching experts demonstrate felt like a major training exercise.

Now that he had conquered potatoes, he had to challenge himself with the most difficult task.

That was the carrot.

He peeled the carrots, gathered them, and cut them lengthwise.

Instructions were given that carrots should be cut into smaller pieces than potatoes or onions.

As he cut the carrots lengthwise, a carrot board was created.

Then, a deacon overlapped the carrot boards by 30% to create a staircase-like structure. And he began to slice.

The carrots, slightly overlapping like sideways steps, were cut into long strips.

Then, he began to mince the long strips. The carrots were finely chopped.

And so, one process was completed. Min-hyuk realized something while slicing the carrots.

While potatoes were a bit annoying to peel off because they stuck to the knife, carrots were harder than expected, so he gripped the knife even tighter.

He realized that if he slipped, he might get seriously hurt.

Min-hyuk cut the carrots with tension.

As the angles shifted slightly, he began to produce shredded carrots that were thin on one side and thick on the other.

Min-hyuk exerted his concentration to the fullest.

Then, he began to slice the carrots into even thicknesses.

And when he started mincing the carrots, he felt a kind of gratification.

Min-hyuk immersed himself in shredding the carrots, wondering if he had been born just to cut carrots.

“Your boyfriend is really diligent.”

“He’s the type of person who works hard at everything.”

The church deacon spoke to Mi-hee as he transferred the stir-fried fish cakes into a large basin.

Mi-hee was rinsing her noodles in cold water while watching Min-hyuk, who was so engrossed in slicing carrots that he had forgotten he was with her.

Min-hyuk had now finished slicing the carrots. He felt like he needed to keep swinging his knife.

He began looking around to see if there was anything else to slice. He spotted pumpkin and eggplant.

“Shall I slice the pumpkin and eggplant too?”

Min-hyuk, who had now developed a taste for knife skills, asked a question that seemed to be directed at no one.

The deacon, who was frying pancakes nearby, spoke up.

“Then, could you slice the pumpkin thinly, and cut the eggplant into quarters, then cut it in half?”

Min-hyuk was excited by the new order.

Slicing the pumpkin was harder than he had thought. It was because it was cylindrical, so it looked like it might roll.

However, the sensation of slicing was so smooth that it felt different from slicing carrots.

He felt almost no resistance with the eggplant. It felt just like cutting through a thin steamed egg dish.

Min-hyuk felt as though he could slice through everything in the world.

As Mi-hee poured the sauce over the noodles and mixed them with her hands, she looked at Min-hyuk and felt as though she were looking at a child.

[Sometimes you are incredibly reliable, but at times like this, you look like a baby.]

Min-hyuk felt proud as he gazed at the massive mountain of vegetables he had chopped.

They were all poured into a large pot.

Mi-hee transferred the bibim-myeon she had made into a bowl.

One of the deacons sprinkled the chopped cucumbers and sesame seeds over the dish and took the tray away.

Mi-hee began boiling the noodles again.

This time, the noodles were a little thicker.

The vegetables Min-hyuk had chopped became jajangmyeon and were placed on the congregation's tables.

For Min-hyuk, the jajangmyeon tasted even better because he had made it himself.

After finishing their meal, Min-hyuk held Mi-hee's hand and took a walk around the prayer retreat.

The sky was filled with stars that could not be seen in Seoul. And it seemed as though the Milky Way was faintly visible as well. A sense of happiness washed over them just by walking together in silence.

They had no particular worries or concerns. At least not at this moment.

After finishing their walk and holding a brief worship service, the people fell asleep as a group in the chapel.

Some of the couples went into the small prayer bungalows near the chapel to sleep.

Parents with children also slept in the annex.

The sounds of snoring and tossing and turning could be heard.

However, Mi-hee, watching Min-hyuk lying down beside her, felt good.

It was because she felt as if they were on a retreat together, or perhaps at a sauna.

Neither of them had been able to go on the retreat.

Min-hyuk felt the same way.

It was because Min-hyuk had to teach a few classes and couldn't go on the retreat on weekends, so he worked part-time as an extra.

Lying with his eyes fixed on the ceiling, Min-hyuk reached out his hand to Mi-hee.

Mi-hee reached out her hand as well. The two lay there holding hands.

Hot emotions surged through them, but they did nothing more.

Their hearts continued to pound, but just holding hands conveyed a sense of warmth.

Min-hyuk intended to keep his eyes open and hold her hand all night like that.

However, perhaps because he had woken up at dawn, taken the bus, walked up the mountain, and chopped vegetables in the kitchen, he fell asleep without realizing it.

Mi-hee watched Min-hyuk start snoring. The snoring was so loud that she wanted to block his nose. Aren't the others sleeping too, not just herself? Yet Min-hyuk snored very loudly.

Mi-hee gently pushed Min-hyuk's face with her hand.

Then, a loud "pfft" sound of breathing was heard, and the snoring subsided.

The sound of the surrounding believers offering prayers of thanksgiving to God could be heard faintly.

Although Min-hyuk had fallen into a deep sleep, it was fascinating and admirable that he did not let go of her hand.

Mi-hee placed Min-hyuk's hand against her face. It was large and warm.

She thought she could faintly smell onions around his forearm, but she didn't mind.

And so, Mi-hee fell asleep as well.

The sleeping position in the chapel was somehow linked to the wake-up time.

Those near the door quietly rose first, tidied up their spots, and went outside.

The day slowly dawned, and the sound of birds chirping could be heard.

Min-hyeok opened his eyes immediately.

He had thought he shouldn't sleep, but he opened his eyes in surprise, thinking he had dozed off for a moment.

However, the day had already broken.

Mi-hee was sleeping soundly beside him. They were not holding hands.

It seemed Mi-hee was drooling slightly while sleeping.

For a moment, he thought about wiping it off, but decided against it, fearing she might wake up.

As he tried to sit up, he suddenly felt a sensation in his lower back, legs, and, above all, his right arm and wrist.

He had been chopping with excitement, but he might have overexerted himself.

Min-hyeok quietly rose from his seat.

Then, he tidied his blanket, found his shoes, and quietly went outside. The believers were moving about, finding their tasks. Most of them were there to go out to the fields and work.

Some people were waiting in minivans, presumably commuting somewhere.

Dogs tied up near the barbed wire fence barked at Min-hyuk.

When the believer on guard gestured for the dog to be quiet, it soon fell silent.

It seemed to be around 6 a.m.

It wasn't a place where people just lazed around idly.

This place, too, was bustling with activity, much like a society.

Walking toward the dining hall, I saw the deacons gathered there to prepare food.

The members were different from those for the evening shift.

Fortunately, they didn't call Min-hyuk to do the chopping.

Even Min-hyuk, who had been so excited the day before, vowed that while he would still feel respect for those chopping, he would never again be so excited about it.

Then, he remembered the phone he had left charged.

He went back to the store to look for it, and it was still there.

When he turned it on, it was receiving a signal properly.

However, there were over 30 missed calls. There were also quite a few text messages.

He had come down for a vacation after finishing filming, but the messages said that he had suddenly landed an ad deal and had a meeting with the client.

The new boss hadn't sent them himself.

It was just his assigned manager.

But he had to work.

Wasn't that his dream?

And he thought that if he succeeded, he would gain the strength to help Mi-hee as well.

Although, farming and slicing potatoes here would be happy enough.

Min-hyuk sent a text to his manager saying he would be back in Seoul by evening.

And then he turned off the phone again.

Min-hyuk began walking slowly toward the chapel.

It was because he wanted to see Mi-hee sleeping a little longer.