Chapter 5: The Cellar

Se-ra took one look at Do-yoon's neck and put down the kimchi.

"Oh," she said. "Oh, I see."

"It's a rash," Do-yoon said.

"From my brother's stubble."

"Yes."

"That's what I'd say too." She patted his arm as if he were a small, sad horse. "Don't worry. I'm on your side."

"There aren't sides."

"There are always sides, Do-yoon-ssi."

Se-ra was twenty-six, and she ran Haeryong's marketing with a scarf, a laptop and no mercy.

She sat the two men down at the kitchen island, unpacked three containers, and handed Do-yoon chopsticks.

"Eat. Mom made it. She wants to know if you're thin because you're stressed or because you're rude."

"Both," Jae-wook said.

Do-yoon stabbed a piece of radish and chewed with great dignity.

It was perfect.

It tasted like a family dinner he had never been allowed to have.

"Your grandfather," Se-ra said to Do-yoon, easily. "Did you know he used to leave Mom's kimchi on your family's doorstep?"

Do-yoon looked up.

"What?"

"Every Chuseok. Anonymous. Mom thought it was the housekeeper doing it. Grandpa Hwan would stand at the window and watch your street."

Jae-wook and Do-yoon looked at each other.

The silver cufflink was in Do-yoon's breast pocket.

He hadn't taken it off since the lift.

"I never knew that," he said slowly.

"Weird, right?" Se-ra said. "This whole feud. If I hated someone, I wouldn't send them kimchi."

Under the island, a large foot touched Do-yoon's ankle.

He didn't move away.

Jae-wook's foot slid up the inside of his calf, slowly, and stopped behind his knee.

Do-yoon put his chopsticks down very carefully.

"Se-ra," he said, "I'm going to get a bottle of wine."

"You don't need to."

"I do."

He stood.

At the cellar door he glanced back.

Jae-wook was getting up too, with a perfectly innocent face.

"I'll help," Jae-wook said. "He doesn't know where anything is."

"Take your time," Se-ra said brightly, and went back to the kimchi with her back to them.

The cellar steps were cold stone.

Down below, the air smelled of oak and old cork, and rows of bottles lay in racks under a single amber bulb.

Jae-wook shut the door behind them.

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