Kimchi for the Chairman

“The Chairman has been completely off his food lately, and he suggested it might be nice if you tried making some green onion kimchi.”

Manager Kim kept bowing his head as if merely relaying the message was mortifying enough.

In short, it was a classic case of wanting to have their cake and eat it too. Forcing the newly arrived bride into unseasonal kimjang to put her through the paces of married life while also scoring some proxy filial piety—killing two birds with one stone.

“What am I supposed to do? I’ve only ever eaten kimchi. I’ve never made it.”

“Oh heavens, of course I’ll handle it, Madam. I’m sorry, but if you could just stay beside me for a moment.”

The more she turned it over, the more unpleasant it became. Using an innocent servant as a shield while not lifting a finger herself—that was Hyun-ju’s rotten nature.

Putting on such refined, elegant airs, only to bare her true lowly colors the moment she decided the other person no longer needed careful handling. Do-yeon found herself clenching her molars without realizing it.

“I’m so sorry for catching you on your way out……”

And with Manager Kim constantly reading her face even though he had done nothing wrong, the urge to shout at the person responsible boiled up from beneath her sternum.

The massive stainless-steel bowl heaped with green onions looked so excessively fresh and green that Do-yeon’s anger only swelled. Had they hauled in an entire plot from some farm they knew?

If she could, she wanted to storm into the Chairman’s study right then and demand answers. Chairman, the kimchi these days is really excellent—couldn’t you just buy some?

But like a mature adult, Do-yeon forced down the emotions surging up from her gut.

“I’ll help trim them at least.”

“Oh no, I can finish this alone in no time.”

There was far too much Do-yeon still had to do to simply flip the table according to her temperament—whether it was green onion kimchi or her actual work.

“I’m worried she’ll come in midway to check on us. I absolutely hate getting nagged.”

Watching the restless Manager Kim, Do-yeon rolled up her sleeves cleanly.

Ah. Right.

Only after thoroughly washing her hands at the sink did Do-yeon make a belated “oh no” face. She should have set her bag down first, but she had been so thoroughly blindsided she had forgotten.

Fortunately, Team Leader Lee, waiting a step behind, removed the bag hanging from Do-yeon’s body.

“Team Leader, did you report to Representative Kang that I was about to step out of the office for a bit?”

“Yes.”

Already holding a stalk of green onion, Do-yeon spun it in front of her eyes, studying its structure. At least it had been cleanly washed, which was a relief.

After confirming with Manager Kim that she only needed to peel the outer skin, her pure white fingers began moving without hesitation. A look of momentary satisfaction crossed Do-yeon’s face as she gazed at the cleaned green onions.

“Then could you contact him for me? Tell him my schedule changed and I can’t make it today.”

“Understood, Madam.”

It wasn’t particularly because she was worried about Mo-jun. He was hardly the sort of free man who would wait for her or come meet her just because she said she would stop by the office briefly.

But their prenuptial contract contained every conceivable clause. Among them was the “duty of direct notification.”

It was a little ambiguous, but this counted as unavoidable circumstances, right? She was being bossed around by his own family against her will.

Swiftly and accurately trimming the green onions, Do-yeon gave Team Leader Lee a look that said he could leave now.

“I’ll help as well.”

“No. Don’t go suffering through someone else’s in-law hardships for no reason—go wait comfortably outside. I’ll contact you when it’s done.”

Now there were two faces awkwardly watching her for cues.

Irritation rose again, but Do-yeon did not lose her artificial smile. There was a great deal she planned to have Team Leader Lee do going forward, and she had no intention of getting his hands wet with work not on the job description this early on.

Team Leader Lee disappeared looking reluctant, and once Manager Kim finished setting up the surroundings and joined in, the prep work visibly accelerated.

“How is the youngest Madam so quick with her hands?”

“Maybe because I’ve handled a lot of flowers.”

“Oh my, using hands that only touched nice things for this kind of menial work……”

“It’s all just to make a living—what’s good or bad about it?”

Manager Kim was not the chatty type, but he knew how to keep conversation going appropriately so the atmosphere would not grow awkward.

Anyway, green onions were plants too. They did not bear fruit, but if you kept growing them, they flowered as well.

Handling the fresh green leaves after so long, the shoulders that had stiffened with irritation loosened, and her mind calmed. It had not even been a month since she had set flowers aside for wedding preparations, yet it seemed she had wanted to work quite a bit in the meantime.

“Should I just chop these roughly?”

“Oh my goodness, please just stay put, Madam.”

With a much brighter expression, Do-yeon even picked up the knife. Manager Kim freaked out and tried to stop her, but in the end could not break her stubbornness.

Even if it had not started of her own will, cooking was more fun than expected. Maybe because there was someone to clean up afterward, so there was no real burden.

Of course, she did regret a little not listening to Manager Kim.

“These onions are particularly spicy this time.”

Every time she sliced through the firm vegetables with a crisp sound, a stinging pain spread around her eyes. Ignoring it and continuing to move her hands, even her nose began to burn.

When Do-yeon, who had sniffled lightly, instinctively tilted her head back—

“Are you crying?”

A presence at the doorway, then a familiar face strode into the kitchen. Perhaps because of the physiological tears, Mo-jun’s face looked distorted.

A large hand wiped Do-yeon’s eye area.

“……Why are you here?”

“And why are you doing this in the kitchen?”

It was startling enough to hold her breath for a moment. Mo-jun’s face as he coldly asked back was more rigid than usual.

The moment she saw his furrowed brows, a realization flashed through Do-yeon’s mind.

Ah, this is the arranged-marriage cliché.

In countless dramas, the protagonists entered loveless marriages. And even if the wife they did not get along with was being mistreated by the in-laws, the husband would always come chasing after in anger—even though he himself was usually the one who said the harshest things to her.

When the husband got angry and demanded the background, the wife would pitifully keep her mouth shut, as if it would hurt her pride to snitch with her own lips.

But Do-yeon could not relate to that behavior pattern.

Shouldn’t you say what needs saying at the time and collect the compensation you deserve? Pride does not feed you, so better to at least secure some practical benefit.

“I was going to make some green onion kimchi for the Chairman.”

“Who.”

“Kang…… Mo-jun’s aunt.”

“Of course.”

She stammered a little, remembering the instruction to drop the surname because it sounded cold, but she had conveyed all the important points. There was no chance of things going wrong here.

Mo-jun sighed and took the knife from Do-yeon’s hand as if snatching it, setting it down.

“Stop and let’s go out.”

Go out? Now?

At the too-sudden timing, Do-yeon quickly scanned the surroundings. Completion was right around the corner.

“I just need to mix in the seasoning and it’s done……”

Her words trailed off with regret.

“Why, while you’re at it, why not boil some pork too.”

Then Mo-jun looked down at Do-yeon with an incredulous expression. Even a faint irritation clung to his furrowed eyes.

“Does green onion kimchi go with boiled pork? Isn’t it more of a jjajang thing?”

Do-yeon, who had grown attached to the green onions, looked to Manager Kim as if seeking agreement. No sooner had the words ended than Mo-jun let out the sigh hanging from his chin.

“Boiled pork or jjajang, just get out for a bit.”

Mo-jun closed the distance in an instant and whispered lowly into her ear. When she only raised her eyes to check, he irritably lowered his lids.

The situation was wrapped up quickly.

“Manager Kim, call the staff and have them clean this up.”

As if he had never been sharp, Mo-jun soon regained his leisurely face. He made a call somewhere, and before long styrofoam boxes piled up like a mountain on one side of the kitchen.

“If Aunt says anything, just use me as the excuse. The Chairman only eats Muyoung Hotel kimchi anyway, so it’ll be fine.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

While the staff moved busily, Mo-jun personally turned on the water. At the unspoken demand to wash her hands, Do-yeon obediently extended them.

Finish what you were making and send it to the annex.

Leaving those words of unclear intent with Manager Kim, Mo-jun pulled Do-yeon’s shoulder into an embrace.

Until they completely exited the vast grounds along the long driveway, no one opened their mouths.

After driving a long while in silence, when they hit the first traffic light—

“Thank you.”

Looking at the driver’s-seat headrest, Do-yeon spoke first. Somehow it felt embarrassing to meet his eyes.

“I only did what was natural.”

She had been afraid Representative Kang Mo-jun would give exactly this kind of awkward answer.

The man in the seat beside her looked very calm. It was enough to make her think that the displeasure he had shown in the kitchen might have been mere showmanship.

“Where are we going?”

Watching the scenery flowing by quickly, Do-yeon belatedly asked about the destination. There must have been a reason he had told her to change clothes and come out.

“The hotel.”

The voice that spat out the short answer was strangely alluring. Glancing sideways, Mo-jun was just then loosening the neck of his necktie.