Chapter 17 – My Grandfather, Kim Yun-seok (2)

Billowing smoke rose from the chimneys, and the smell of grease vibrated the moment one stepped through the entrance.

People busily went back and forth carrying food ingredients.

Seeing English written on the sacks and the UN mark stamped on them, they seemed to be American supplies.

While children who had lost their parents wandered the streets shouting ‘Give me chocolate’ to soldiers, and people dressed in rags from hunger were everywhere to the point that eating one meal a day was considered a luxury, this place was quite detached from the war.

‘A sixtieth birthday feast in a house like this in the midst of this chaos…’

Kim Yun-seok was looking around, wearing a bitter expression.

Right then.

“Dr. Kim Yun-seok!”

*Tap.* Someone lightly tapped Kim Yun-seok’s shoulder from behind. It was Han Guk-yeong, an internist.

“How did you end up here, Dr. Han…”

“Professor Jo Dong-ki told me to visit, so I came.”

‘I wasn’t the only one he was trying to turn into his minion.’

“Professor Jo?”

“Yes. They said the person holding the sixtieth birthday feast today is a close friend of Professor Jo, so he told me to go pay my respects. By the way, what brings you here, Dr. Kim Yun-seok?”

“For me, Professor Jo also…”

“Fufu, I see. Then let’s head inside.”

His cold sneer hinted that he already knew something.

“Just a moment! Let me check your invitations.”

As they tried to enter, a man stopped the two of them.

“Here it is. And this friend is my colleague.”

Han Guk-yeong coped familiarly. He pulled the invitation out of his inside pocket and showed it to the man.

“Please go in.”

Having verified the invitations, the man let the two inside.

‘Just how rich are they… No, you wouldn’t be able to lead such a luxurious life during a war with just money, would you?’

The outside of the mansion was splendid, but the inside was even more splendid than the outside.

Dazzling chandeliers on marble pillars, and a spiraling staircase leading up to the second floor, where a wine party was already taking place.

People holding wine glasses while dressed in splendid Western attire.

It felt as if he were at a social gathering of European nobility.

“Judging by your look, you seem quite surprised.”

Han Guk-yeong nudged Kim Yun-seok’s shoulder, as if he himself were accustomed to this kind of atmosphere.

‘Should I just go back?’

“The beautiful wine in the golden cup is the blood of ten thousand people; the beautiful side dishes on the jade tray are the fat of ten thousand people.”

Kim Yun-seok recalled a passage from the Tale of Chunhyang.

“………”

“What are you doing? Let’s eat too!”

“…… silence …”

“Ah, that is not a place for us to go, but there will be a separate place where food is prepared, so follow me.”

Just as Kim Yun-seok was about to head up to the second floor, Han Guk-yeong grabbed him by the wrist.

‘Damn it, it’s not like this is the Joseon Dynasty, is there a social hierarchy here too? As expected, coming here was a mistake!’

“Yes.”

Kim Yun-seok followed Han Guk-yeong with a displeased expression.

A moment later.

When they stepped into a separately prepared inner room, the place transformed back into Korea.

A long table, easily three meters in length, arrived, laden with food to the point that the table legs could bend.

And more dishes followed.

The table was filled with all kinds of seafood, meat, and various Korean dishes. Except for the spots to place the spoons and chopsticks, it was packed with food.

On top of that, bowls of rice piled high.

“Thank you for coming to Elder Yun Tae-seok’s sixtieth birthday feast! Although we haven’t prepared much, please eat plenty, and if you run short, let these people know!”

Once all the tables were set, a man wearing a bow tie appeared and invited them to eat.

‘This is not preparing much?’

Kim Yun-seok was bewildered. With so much food, he did not even know where to start placing his chopsticks.

“What are you doing? Why don’t you start eating?”

Sitting down, Han Guk-yeong picked up his spoon and spoke.

“Before that, may I ask you one thing?”

“Ask away.”

“Just what kind of person is Yun Tae-seok that he can hold such a luxurious feast in the middle of this chaos?”

“Heheh, what will you do if you know?”

“Pardon?”

“Just eat. You’ll find out slowly later anyway. Come on, let’s eat! It is not polite to put on airs when there is such good food, is it?”

*Munch, munch—*

Giving an enigmatic answer to Kim Yun-seok’s question, Han Guk-yeong tore off a chicken leg and shoved it into his mouth.

“………”

“The side dishes are good, would you like a drink?”

With his lips coated in grease, Han Guk-yeong offered a drink.

“I have to go back to the hospital in a bit.”

“Ah! Are you working night shift today?”

“Did our hospital ever have a separate night shift? Do you not know it’s a 24-hour emergency system?”

“Hahaha, why get so flared up over a joke?”

“……”

“Try this seasoned bellflower root. A ten-year-old wild bellflower root is as good as wild ginseng!”

*Chomp, chomp,* Han Guk-yeong put the bellflower root into his mouth.

“Eat plenty.”

“Wow! This is raw anchovy salad? Mixing freshly caught plump anchovies with vegetables and red chili paste is a real rice thief.”

“…… silence …”

Seeing Han Guk-yeong eating so greedily, Kim Yun-seok did not even want to pick up his chopsticks.

“Well, I plan to rest today, so I must have a drink! Eat up then before you go! I will go meet some people!”

Perhaps tired of Kim Yun-seok who showed absolutely no response, Han Guk-yeong stood up with his glass and disappeared somewhere.

‘I should pack some of this food to give to our Cheol-woo and distribute to the children at the orphanage!’

*Rumble—*

Although his stomach clock rumbled because he hadn’t eaten properly all day.

Gathering things together, Kim Yun-seok could not bring himself to eat the food, but picked up a plastic bag nearby and began to put food inside.

Kim Yun-seok shoved the food into the bag, hid it inside his overcoat, and hurriedly stepped outside.

*Thump—*

Just as he was trying to leave the mansion in a hurry.

*Clatter—*

He bumped into a foreign man, and in the end, the bag of food hidden in his chest spilled out onto the floor.

‘Ah… I’m doomed.’

Yun-seok’s face turned red as a tomato.

He could only look at the food scattered on the floor with a devastated expression.

At that time.

“I am sorry!”

The man took off his hat and bowed politely.

Wearing a fedora and a neatly tailored suit, judging by his attire, he was a Western gentleman.

Despite food getting smeared on his clothes, he showed no sign of displeasure and instead apologized to Kim Yun-seok.

“Mr. Brown! What is going on?”

At that, a middle-aged man rushed over and attempted some clumsy English.

“It is nothing. Do not worry about it.”

“Your clothes are a mess, how can you not worry about it?”

The man immediately glared at Kim Yun-seok.

“I am sorry.”

“What a disgraceful display this is!”

The man barked.

“Mr. Baek! Didn’t I say it was my fault? Stop it.”

At that, the man named Brown firmly rebuked the man.

“I-I apologize.”

“I will take care of the clothes myself.”

“Ah, yes.”

The man glared at Kim Yun-seok as if to kill him. Judging by how he had no choice but to step back, one could deduce that the man named Brown was a VIP here.

“………”

Kim Yun-seok, wearing a troubled expression, bent his back to pick up the food.

“Mr. Baek, come here!”

“Yes, Mr. Brown.”

Brown gestured toward the man named Mr. Baek.

“Clean up all the dropped food and pack some fresh food for this gentleman.”

“Pardon?”

“If you keep questioning me like that, shall I speak directly to Mr. Yun?”

“I-I apologize. I will do so!”

As Brown raised his eyebrows, Mr. Baek startled.

“Would you mind waiting a moment while they pack the food, Mr….”

“I am Kim Yun-seok.”

“Do you speak English?”

“Yes. I can speak a little.”

“I see! I would like to treat you to some wine as an apology, would you like to come upstairs?”

“No. I have to go back to the hospital, so I cannot drink alcohol.”

“Oh! If you work at a hospital, are you a doctor?”

“Yes. I work at the UN hospital.”

“Oh my God! Gustafsson is there, isn’t he?”

“Yes. He is our hospital director.”

“I see! Gustafsson and I are close friends! I was planning to visit the hospital soon.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Now that I think about it, my introduction is late. I am American. I visited Korea for business last month.”

“Is that so.”

“Indeed. It is very nice to meet you, Dr. Kim!”

Brown reached out his hand to request a handshake.

“Yes. Nice to meet you.”

“Grandpa!”

At that moment, a blue-eyed child ran down from the second floor. He was a cute boy wearing suspender pants and a New York Yankees baseball cap.

Apparently, he was Brown’s grandson.

“Oh! It’s our Peter!”

Brown opened his arms and welcomed the boy warmly.

Meanwhile,

the man named Mr. Baek returned with food packed in a bag.

“Take this.”

The man handed the bag to Kim Yun-seok as if giving alms.

“Thank you.”

“Hmm, this is not a place where people like you come to beg, so if something like this happens next time, I will kick you out immediately.”

Mr. Baek threatened.

“I wouldn’t come back even if you told me to next time. Because I don’t want to spend even a single minute or second in a place like this.”

“What? What is this person blabbering about now? A food thief, of all things?”

“Well, when even the country’s thieves are doing perfectly fine, does a bit of food like this matter? Anyway, I will eat well.”

Kim Yun-seok glared fiercely at Mr. Baek and turned his steps away.

It was right then.

*Ah!*

Peter let out a single scream and collapsed to the floor.

*Murmuring—*

Startled by the sudden, unexpected situation, people crowded around.

“Peter! Baby! What is wrong?”

Startled, Brown yelled as he lifted the collapsed child.