"My daughter told me about them," he explained. "Apparently they're not even officially available for sale yet, but some lucky people have already managed to get their hands on them."
Mansu's face lit up.
"Exactly! Those fortune cookies!"
He pointed dramatically.
"Now can you please make the bill before I start advertising them for free?"
Taesung laughed and headed toward the counter.
A few minutes later, he returned with the invoice.
The moment Mansu glanced at the total, a flicker of concern crossed his face.
It disappeared almost immediately.
Still, Tae noticed.
Without saying anything, Mansu removed a set of keys from his pocket and handed them over.
"Tae, could you grab my wallet from the truck?"
"Sure."
Tae returned a few moments later and handed it to him.
Mansu pulled out a thick envelope of cash and counted the money carefully before passing it to Taesung.
Then he added several bills from his own pocket.
As Taesung began preparing the receipt, Mansu lowered his voice.
"Could you list a slightly lower amount for the flours on the invoice? I'll still pay the full price."
Taesung blinked.
Mansu scratched the back of his neck.
"If the chef sees the actual amount, he might faint."
The joke landed poorly.
Taesung stared at him.
Silence.
Awkward silence.
Mansu cleared his throat.
Tae looked away.
A nearby employee coughed.
Finally, Taesung sighed.
"...Alright."
Only then did Mansu relax.
Tae glanced at him curiously.
"What are you looking at?" Mansu asked.
Tae lowered his voice.
"If the money isn't enough, couldn't you just ask Mrs. Kwon for some more?"
Mansu immediately shook his head.
Mrs. Kwon hadn't given me money for the flours," he whispered back. "That was Zeon's pocket money."
Tae looked surprised.
"Really?"
Mansu nodded.
"Mrs. Kwon offered to pay, but Zeon was adamant about covering the flour costs himself. He already knew they'd be expensive."
He glanced toward the invoice.
"The other ingredients aren't that costly and are easy to source."
Then he smiled softly.
"And honestly, I don't want him worrying about this. If he finds out I paid part of it, he'll spend the next month trying to repay me."
Tae couldn't help smiling.
"That sounds exactly like him."
"Right?" Mansu laughed. "He's practically one of my kids."
"I understand now," Tae replied.
Across the counter, Taesung cleared his throat.
Both of them turned toward him.
"Unfortunately," he said, "I couldn't help but overhear everything."
Mansu immediately looked embarrassed.
"Ah..."
Taesung smiled.
"So I'll contribute too."
He picked up the invoice and made a few adjustments.
"I'll give you a little extra discount."
For a moment, neither Mansu nor Tae knew what to say.
Then both smiled.
"That's incredibly kind of you," Tae said.
"Thank you," Mansu added sincerely.
Taesung waved them off.
"Now sit down and wait. We'll start packing everything into sacks."
The two of them moved toward a nearby bench inside the store.
As workers carried cocoa beans, almonds, pistachios, cashews, dried cranberries, and dozens of other ingredients across the warehouse floor, Tae and Mansu sat quietly watching the organized chaos unfold around them.
On the other hand, after the final school bell rang, Aeryun and Chaerin rushed straight to Chaerin’s house.
Aeryun was the kind of friend who would do everything in her power to make sure you looked your absolute best whenever needed. And for Chaerin, this was a very big deal—it was her first official date.
The moment they entered her room, Aeryun flopped dramatically onto the bed. She stretched out diagonally across it, one arm dangling off the side while the other rested behind her neck.
Pointing toward a perfume bottle displayed on a shelf like a decorative piece, she declared,
“No matter what happens, you have to wear that perfume today.”
Chaerin followed her finger and gasped.
“Oh my God, you're right! I've kept it as a decoration for so long that I completely forgot it existed.”
She picked up the bottle carefully.
“There you are, my citrus-and-woody-notes perfume. I haven't worn you in years.”
Holding it up dramatically, she announced,
“But today is your time to shine!”
Aeryun nodded approvingly.
“Exactly.”
A few moments later, she sat up.
“By the way, can I use your landline? I should call my mom so she doesn't worry.”
“Of course,” Chaerin replied.
Aeryun picked up the receiver and dialed home.
“Hey, Mom. It's Aeryun calling from Chaerin's house. I just wanted to let you know I might come home a little late. I'm helping Chaerin get ready for her first date.”
On the other end, her mother laughed warmly.
“Wow. I remember that feeling. Being young and in love. Those were the days.”
She sounded completely lost in nostalgia.
Aeryun was about to respond when she heard another voice behind her.
“What date?”
It was Chaerin's mother.
Aeryun nearly dropped the phone.
In a panic, she immediately placed the receiver back on the stand.
Meanwhile, her mother continued talking, completely unaware she was no longer being heard.
“I remember when your father and I used to—”
A few moments later, she paused.
“Aeryun?”
Silence.
“Aeryun?”
Still nothing.
She sighed.
“Kids these days never listen.”
Then she returned to whatever she had been doing.
Back in Chaerin's living room, Aeryun stood frozen.
Chaerin's mother crossed her arms.
“What date?”
Aeryun swallowed.
“I-I was asking my mom if I could go to a café later with Chaerin.”
“And what did your mother say?” she asked.
Aeryun forced a smile.
“She said yes... but only after I finish my homework.”
“Good,” Chaerin's mother replied. “Where are your homework books?”
“At home,” Aeryun answered immediately. “Comfortably sitting on my shelf where they belong.”
Then she added,
“H-O-M-E. It's literally in the name.”
Chaerin's mother stared at her.
The silence was painful.
Aeryun winced.
“Yeah. That was a terrible joke.”
She slowly started to walk.
“Anyway, I'll just go home and get my bag.”
“Wait,” Chaerin's mother called out.
Then she turned toward her daughter.
“Chaerin, go get Aeryun's bag.”
“Mom—”
“Go.”
Chaerin groaned and disappeared upstairs.
Meanwhile, Aeryun smiled brightly.
“I'll come back later this evening for our café date.”
Chaerin nearly choked.
“Our café date?”
“Of course.”
Aeryun nodded seriously. The homework excuse was completely made up, but if it helped cover for Chaerin and Joonho's date, she was willing to commit to the lie.
“I'll be doing my homework then.”
Chaerin forced the fakest smile imaginable.
“Sure.”
A short while later, Aeryun finally arrived home.
She reached for the doorknob.
Locked.
She frowned.
Then she banged on the door.
“Mom! I'm home!”
No answer.
“Mom!”
Still nothing.
The elderly neighbor from across the street stepped outside.
“Hey, Aeryun. What's wrong?”
“I think my mom went somewhere,” Aeryun replied. “The house is locked.”
She glanced toward the neighbor's porch and noticed piles of vegetables spread across a table.
“Wow. You really love vegetables.”
The old man laughed.
“No. My grandchildren are visiting today. I'm making a lot of dishes.”
“Oh.”
Aeryun nodded.
“That makes much more sense.”
Then she hesitated.
“If you don't mind, can I use your phone to call my mom?”
“Go ahead.”
Aeryun dialed her mother's cellphone.
Her mother answered almost immediately.
“Mom! When are you coming back?”
Her mother glanced at the caller ID.
“Oh, so you're at Mr. Choi's house.”
“Yes.”
“I'll be home tonight.”
Aeryun nearly screamed.
“Tonight?”
“Yes.”
“What am I supposed to do until then?”
“Weren't you supposed to be at Chaerin's house?”
“Long story.”
“Where are you right now?” Aeryun asked.
“At the hospital.”
Immediately, Aeryun's expression changed.
“What happened?”
“One of my friends was in a car accident. I'm listed as one of her emergency contacts.”
Aeryun's heart sank.
“Is she okay?”
“Yes. Thankfully it's nothing serious. Her family hasn't arrived yet, so I'm staying until they get here.”
Aeryun sighed in relief.
“Thank God.”
Then she asked,
“So how do I get inside the house?”
“The spare key is in the secret spot.”
“The what?”
“The secret—”
Suddenly, loud voices erupted in the background.
A nurse urgently asked people to move aside.
Someone was crying.
A stretcher rolled past.
In the confusion and chaos, the phone slipped from her mother's hand and crashed onto the floor. The screen cracked on impact.
By the time someone picked it up, the display had gone completely black except for a single green line running down the screen. The phone was no longer usable, and the call abruptly ended.
“Mom?”
Nothing.
“Mom?”
The line was dead.
She tried calling again.
No answer.
The old neighbor looked at her.
“So? When's she coming back?”
“Late.”
His face immediately fell.
Then Aeryun quickly added,
“But I'll probably go back to my friend's house.”
His expression brightened again.
“Good.”
He laughed.
“I need you out of my hair. I don't have enough room for another grandchild.”
Aeryun laughed too, though she wasn't entirely sure he was joking.
Not wanting to inconvenience him, she thanked him and headed off.
The moment she was out of sight, she quietly sneaked back toward her own house.
If there was a spare key hidden somewhere, she was determined to find it.
She checked beneath the doormat.
Nothing.
Inside flowerpots.
Nothing.
Behind garden decorations.
Nothing.
Under outdoor furniture.
Still nothing.
After nearly thirty minutes of searching, she finally gave up.
Wherever the "secret spot" was, it clearly wasn't obvious.
Hungry, tired, and increasingly annoyed by the afternoon sun, she wandered down the road without any particular destination in mind.
Then she spotted it.
A giant decorative fish structure near a park.
The inside was hollow.
Aeryun stared at it thoughtfully.
“Perfect.”
She tossed her bag inside first before climbing in herself.
The shade immediately felt cooler.
Settling comfortably against the curved interior, she pulled out the chocolates Hannah had given her.
One by one, she unwrapped them.
First, Neon nae salam-iya.
You're My Person.
Then, Cheonsaeng-yeonbun.
Match Made in Heaven.
As she quietly munched on the chocolates, the warmth of the afternoon and the cool shade of the giant fish slowly lulled her to sleep.
Before long, Aeryun was fast asleep inside the giant fish, completely unaware of what the rest of the day still had in store for her.
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