Foe To Flame

Chapter 12

Si-O brought Namsoon to a nice Mongolian restaurant after asking Namsoon if there was any particular cuisine she craved. Namsoon immediately blurted out Mongolian cuisine before smiling sheepishly. Truth be told, she had been missing Mongolia more than usual, hence the craving. She has also tried to find a good Mongolian restaurant since she arrived in Korea, but has yet to find any that satisfies her.

"What would you like to order?" Si-O asked. "What about khorhog? It's my favourite Mongolian dish." Namsoon's eyes sparkle just at the mention of the food. "But lamb chops sound good too..." Namsoon spoke slowly, looking over the menu. Si-O smiles. "We'll take everything from Khorhog to lamb chops, please." Si-O said to the waiter. "How about drinks? Any drink in particular you like?" Si-O asked Namsoon again.

"Soyombo! It's my favourite Mongolian vodka." Namsoon immediately replied. "We'll take that then." Si-O said to the waiter. After the waiter was gone, Namsoon looked around the interior of the restaurant. "Si-O, how did you find this restaurant? Have you come here before?" Namsoon asked with her eyes, still scanning the interiors. "This is my first time here."

Namsoon looked back at him and said, "Oh, it's the first time for both of us then." She said, smiling. "Why did you want to eat Mongolian cuisine? Do you miss Mongolia?" Si-O asked. Namsoon tried to study his face to see whether he gave away any hint on why he asked such a question, but she couldn't read his expression as well as his eyes. So she decided to tell the truth.

"Yeah, I've been missing home lately. I've only been away for about a month and a half, but it feels like I've been away for a year." Namsoon said with a sad smile on her face. "I've never left home, ever. So it took a lot of courage for me to fly so far to Korea. But my mom and dad never stopped encouraging me. And Ppappa, too! He is so handsome—the most handsome in Mongolia. I miss him a lot, too." Namsoon continued her story. Si-O listened intently, never once interrupting her.

"Who's Ppappa? Is he your... boyfriend?" Si-O asks hesitatingly. This is the first time Namsoon has seen the CEO hesitate on something. "Hahahahahahaha!" Namsoon couldn't control her laugh. "Si-O, you are so funny. Here, let me show you a picture of him." Namsoon fished out her phone and looked for Ppappa's picture, while Si-O was left looking confused.

Namsoon got up from her seat and went to stand beside Si-O to show him the picture on her phone. "He is Ppappa: he is handsome. Isn't he?" On the phone, there is a picture of a white male horse. Si-O raised his brows and asked, "Ppappa is a horse?" "Yes, Si-O. He is my family's pet horse, and he is my best friend!" Namsoon said cheerfully. Si-O doesn't know why, but his heart felt relieved for some reason.

Namsoon went back to her seat. "Ppappa passed away a day before I was supposed to come here. I almost cancelled my flight because I couldn't bear to leave him alone. My mom and dad had to drag me out of our ger to rush me to the airport." The sad smile returns to her face. Si-O doesn't know what to say. He is never one to console someone.

Fortunately, the same waiter came back with their food on the tray. Namsoon's eyes sparkled again while looking at the feast in front of them. Si-O felt relieved once again. "Wow, the food looked so good. I can't wait to taste it." Namsoon immediately picked up a piece of khorhog with bare hand to her mouth. Si-O followed along, but with a fork.

"Hmmm, this tastes just like the one I had back home. It's so juicy, and the taste is just right." Namsoon closed her eyes to savour the taste. Si-O only smiled and ate his food in silence. "Tsetseg." Si-O suddenly said. "Yes?" Namsoon answered with her mouth full. "Why did you come to Korea?" Namsoon almost chocked; the question took her by surprise. She downed a glass of Soyombo before answering.

"This is a bit embarrassing, but my goal is to marry a handsome Korean man." She said with dreamy eyes. Yep, that might not be the main reason she came to Korea, but marrying a Korean man is still on her bucket list. So this is not considered lying, right? Si-O almost laughed upon hearing her answer, but he composed himself.