my mandu | jensoo

thirty five

As they finished cooking, Jisoo volunteered to tackle the aftermath, washing the dishes and tidying up the mess. It was her speciality, honed from years of practice at home. Jennie would cook, and she would clean; it was their things.

"Let me warn you again, Jisoo," Chaerin began, her voice a curious blend of anxiety and pride, "don't you dare break my plates! Each one is precious. They've got stories, and some were really hard to acquire." She hovered nervously, her gaze flitting from one delicate dish to another.

"That one," she said, pointing to a porcelain plate with intricate designs, "is from China. I brought it back from a business trip last year. Be extra careful with it!"

Chaerin's eyes sparkled as she continued, her tone softening, "This yellow pot? It's from Italy, a tiny shop in Florence. The blue one over there? I found it in a quaint market in Switzerland."

She lingered on each piece, her voice weaving tales of distant lands and cherished moments making Jisoo unknowingly smile at how much the elder woman sounded so in love with these plates like they were her children.

"And this," she said, lifting a hand-painted bowl, "is from a village in Spain. I spent hours haggling for it."

Jisoo nodded, absorbing the weight of each item's history. She carefully picked up the Chinese plate, feeling the smooth, cool porcelain under her fingers.

"Wow, I didn't know you had to put so much effort into buying these? I thought having money alone is enough?"

Chaerin shook her head. “No, young lady. You really are still young. Let me tell you something, kiddo: money can’t buy everything. Some things require effort, persistence, and a bit of luck. That’s what makes them truly valuable and memorable. That’s what makes them special.”

Jisoo nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the lesson. “I’ll keep that in mind, ma'am. Can I ask you a question?”

“You already did.”

“What-” Jisoo began, but Chaerin’s laughter cut her off, filling the kitchen with a warmth that softened the edges of the evening.

"Just say it. Stop acting like I'm going to bite you."

Jisoo smiled. She could tell that the elder was slowly warming up to her, judging by the way she started to joke with her.

"Uh, I was wondering if you love these stuff a lot?"

Chaerin raised an eyebrow, a look of mock disbelief on her face. “Are you seriously asking me that? They’re like my kids.”

Jisoo laughed softly. “And why is that? I mean, why do you love them so much? Don’t get me wrong, I’m just curious-”

"Why do you love my daughter?"

"Huh?” Jisoo blinked, caught off guard by the question.

“You just do, right?” Chaerin continued. “I’m sure there are a lot of reasons behind your lovey-dovey love story, but that’s not what matters right now, right?”

Jisoo was momentarily stunned, searching for words. Chaerin was right; there were countless reasons she loved Jennie, but none of them seemed crucial at this moment.

“You can like things without having a deep meaning behind it, and that’s okay. Not everything needs a reason.”

Jisoo's mouth formed an 'o', finally getting her point.

“But to answer your question, I just love collecting these. It’s like how some people love collecting art from all over the world. Who knows? One day, you might start liking this kind of stuff, too. Just an old person’s thing, I guess.” She shrugged, a twinkle in her eye.