chasing girl wonder

al dente

"Are you really going to circumcise those sausages?" Moonbyul watched Lisa's swift cutting of the sausages in three inches, laying them sideways on the cutting board and slicing through the middle to create the four legs. "Oh, she did."

Lisa put the knife down and stared at the octopus sausages she made. The clock struck eleven thirty-five and sweat dripped from her right temple. She mechanically raised her right arm to wipe the sweat off against her shirt sleeve. "Is sausage alright to be served with fish cakes?"

Moonbyul blinked. "I'm pretty sure there are fish cakes in the form of sausages, and somebody sells hotdogs with fish cakes stuffed in them." When Lisa did not seem convinced and remained stuck, she said, "Dawg, you're only cooking friggin' instant noodles. Why are you making this complicated?"

"You know I never cook a single thing half-assed even if they're just friggin' instant noodles, man," Lisa argued, wearing a scowl.

"Depends. If you're making that for those idiots, you won't bother making that sauce and asking if sausage is alright to be served with fish cakes." Moonbyul took the bowl of sauce that Lisa mixed earlier—a mix of gochujang (chili paste), sugar, soy sauce, gochugaru (chili powder), and minced garlic—and smelled it. "Another one of Lisa's specials. Who are we seducing tonight?"

An alarm went off and Lisa pointed at the stainless-steel saucepan behind Moonbyul. "No one. Get those boiled eggs and peel them for me. Make sure you do it cleanly and don't let the yolk spill."

"If you want perfectly peeled soft-boiled eggs, you should've asked Jinnie to help." Moonbyul let out a snort before following Lisa's command.

"I'll pay you extra if you don't mess up!" Lisa responded.

"My homie, the only extra I need is for you to explain what's going on here," Moonbyul said, pointing at the table.

Lisa purposely misunderstood the comment and quipped, "A tteokbokki-style Shin Ramyun."

"I fucking hate the way you always dodge your way out of these things."

"What things?" Lisa asked while busily throwing the sausage into the pan to steam them. She glanced at how Moonbyul was doing with the eggs and when she was satisfied, she moved on to the noodles—throwing in the fish cakes—and then to the small skillet where she added the sesame seeds to toast.

Moonbyul said, "Mushy things. Or... The good things you do for everyone around you."

That made Lisa lose focus for a few seconds. But the sesame seeds could not be overburnt and the noodles overcooked, so she breezily switched the range knobs off and moved the pan and skillet over to the table, atop the pot trivets.

Noticing Lisa's reaction, Moonbyul diverted the topic and announced smugly, "No dents! No yolks spilled! I'm your dawg!" Lisa casually gave her a thumbs-up. "Toasted sesame brings a different kind of high."

"Do you have nori for seasoning?" Lisa picked up her stride to check on the sausages.

"We have nori, kombu, wakame—"

"Just nori, please," Lisa said.

"If you're so damn polite to ask, then sure." Moonbyul took a pack from the shelving. "Oh, wait, do you need the angel hair cut or the sheets? Or do you want me to cut them into a heart shape or something?"

"Oh, please don't bother. I don't need that aesthetic," Lisa said through pursed lips, shooting daggers Moonbyul's way.

Moonbyul stifled a laugh and threw a pack of angel hair cut nori at Lisa who caught it with both hands. She waited for Lisa to finish mixing the sauce into the noodles, placing everything in the bowl and garnishing it with the toasted sesame seeds, seaweed, and scallion, before shooting her shot—one she was sure to throw right inside Lisa's court in a sweeping win. "Now, now, are you going to ask me to serve that, or are you willing to do it yourself?"