BCGWR Chapter 23 Part 1

Broken Jar 11

Ji-su’s lips curved into a gentle smile as he stroked Toto, recalling a faint memory. The thought of tasting those three dishes simultaneously after so long made all his negative feelings vanish.

Now, his heart pounded with pure anticipation for the dinner menu.

‘…What a pleasant coincidence.’

Jung Ha-jin, despite their constant bickering while preparing the meal in the kitchen, carefully prepared a separate, lovely dinner for Toto.

In one small, neat white ceramic bowl, he placed blanched and cooled vegetables, cut into bite-sized pieces for Toto. In another ceramic bowl, he put steamed beans, dungeon-grown nuts, and berries. Next to them, he even poured mineral water into a small, clear glass dish for Toto to drink while eating.

“Toto, can you look at Daddy for a moment?”

“Jju?”

The moment Toto, hugging a piece of broccoli, lifted his head, Ji-su pressed the shutter.

Click- Click- Click-

“Oh, how pretty. Our Toto is the best.”

“Jjwi!”

Toto seemed to understand what Ji-su was doing, quietly looking up at him and patiently waiting. After taking plenty of pictures, Ji-su stroked Toto, who had waited so patiently, and praised him.

“Good boy. Good boy. Oh, I’m all done~ Toto, eat deliciously now~”

“Jju!”

Ji-su watched Toto heartily munch on the broccoli with a pleased expression, then uploaded the pictures to Toto’s dedicated SNS account.

With a simple date comment and nothing else, Ji-su uploaded the last picture and put his phone in his pocket.

He hadn’t been able to pay attention to SNS due to being so preoccupied, and despite the guild’s assurances that everything was fine, the commotion persisted, perhaps because Ji-su himself hadn’t made an appearance.

The picture of Toto, uploaded to counter the media’s nonsense and the uncontrollable spread of malicious rumors, saw its likes and comments skyrocket in less than a minute. With all notifications muted, Ji-su ignored SNS and focused on the dining table.

Jung Ha-jin, who had finished setting out the stew and side dishes, finally brought the rice. It was bean rice, which Ji-su disliked, but had been forced to eat since before and could now tolerate.

“……”

As Ji-su stared blankly at the dining table, Jung Ha-jin, pulling out the chair opposite him, said in a low voice.

“Kim Hyun-ah informed me that you don’t have any specific allergies. So, I prepared a meal with the ingredients I could find.”

“Thank you. Did Kim Hyun-ah also tell you about these menu items?”

At his question, Jung Ha-jin shook his head and replied.

“I prepared dishes that were easy to make with the ingredients I had on hand.”

“……Oh, really? That’s strange. These are all my favorite foods.”

“Is that so? That’s fortunate.”

“Yes, thank you very much. I’ll eat well.”

“Yes. I hope it suits Guide Han Ji-su’s palate.”

“……Yes. I think it’s going to be incredibly delicious.”

As Ji-su replied with a faint smile, Jung Ha-jin nodded with an unchangingly expressionless face.

As Kim Hyun-ah had said, he was very blunt. His tone was stiff, as if he were a soldier, and he showed no change in expression at all.

However, Ji-su didn’t find him overwhelming or disagreeable. There was a slight pressure emanating from him as an Esper, but his eyes were gentle, and even though they had just met today, Ji-su felt that he was considerate in many ways to make him feel comfortable.

‘Still, an A-rank Esper is incredible manpower, and to assign him just to take care of me… Sis, really…’

It wasn’t the first time Kim Hyun-ah had been overprotective of her people, but Ji-su felt a bit self-conscious, thinking she was employing such a high-caliber individual for such a task.

Feeling a mix of slight burden and apology towards Jung Ha-jin, Ji-su first picked up his spoon and tasted the soybean paste stew. It was savory, with the rich, unique oil of brisket fully infused, exactly the style he liked.

‘Delicious…’

After tasting the stew first, Ji-su also ate the glossy rice, the steamed eggs, and the bulgogi.

Surprisingly, all the food suited his taste perfectly. No, it wasn’t just suitable; it was exceptionally delicious.

Ji-su, who had been diligently eating with his head down, subtly raised his gaze. Perhaps he had been observing Ji-su’s reactions the whole time, as their eyes met instantly.

Still feeling awkward around him, Ji-su gave a sheepish smile, then swallowed the food in his mouth and spoke.

“……It’s all delicious.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, truly. I’m not just saying it, it’s really delicious.”

“I’m glad it suits your taste. Can I season it this way from now on?”

“Yes, it’s perfect.”

Ji-su finished every last grain of the portion Jung Ha-jin had served him. When asked if he wanted more, he politely declined but didn’t hold back on praising how delicious it was.

Throughout Ji-su’s meal, Toto also seemed to have enjoyed a satisfying dinner. His bowl was so clean, it looked as if he had licked it while no one was watching.

‘In the past, after eating like this, I would exercise all day with my hyungs…’

During his Loveis activities, strict self-management was essential, so a high-calorie meal like today’s necessitated post-meal exercise. Thus, after meals, they would all go to the gym, accessible only to residents of the dorm complex, to work out together.

Ji-su, who disliked exercise, thought that lying idly on the sofa like this wasn’t bad at all. No, rather, it was comfortable and pleasant. So he just blinked blankly, watching a movie he had turned on without much thought.

Toto, sitting on the low table, came into view, diligently washing his face after eating. Ji-su shifted his gaze from the TV to Toto, feeling a sense of peace he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

Perhaps it was due to the brainwashing he had undergone, but the unpleasant feeling of his brain being tampered with had long since vanished.

The dishwasher was taking care of the dishes, and Jung Ha-jin remained motionless like a statue in a plank position for over 30 minutes, next to the sofa where Ji-su was lying.

They say that while Guides don’t experience significant physical changes after awakening, Espers are different, and it was truly remarkable. For reference, Han Ji-su’s personal best for a plank was 9 seconds.

Considering Toto’s official plank record was 25 seconds, it was truly a pathetic record.

“……Esper Jung Ha-jin.”

“Yes.”

“Um… aren’t you tired?”

“Yes.”

“……Ah, I see…”