UNKNOWN GUEST

#73 Guest Among The Chos

I hesitated at the entrance as Dr. Cho gestured for me to remove my shoes. Slipping them off, I took in the sight of the living room—a space that immediately radiated warmth. It was the kind of place you'd expect in a home where winters stretched longer than usual. 

Soft, warm lighting bathed the room, and everything—from the furniture to the little decorations—gave off a cozy, homey vibe. A place you could easily sink into and never want to leave.

I took a few steps forward, just as Hana, Dr. Cho's younger sister, shot a comment from the dining area. "We shouldn't have waited for her this long! She's already eaten, and I'm starving over here."

Oh. My. God. Just pull me out of this house right now! Another wave of embarrassment washed over me. Dr. Cho and I shared a quick glance, my eyes immediately darting to the floor. I needed an excuse, something, anything to explain this situation. 

But before I could muster up any response, Dr. Cho's grandmother cut in. Her sharp eyes flicked between us, and the disapproval was instant, like she could sense we were up to no good. "You both were out this late... and didn't have dinner?"

I felt Mr. and Mrs. Cho's eyes on me, and suddenly, the room felt much warmer. Not in a comforting way, though. It was more like a spotlight had been turned on me, and I was the main act.

Before I could melt into the floor, Dr. Cho jumped in, rolling her eyes, "I said no to him! I haven't been home for what, like 8 or 9 days? I wasn't about to miss tonight's dinner. So, when he asked, I refused."

I could see her grandmother's expression soften a bit, though she still wasn't entirely convinced. Mr. Cho then turned to me, his voice steady but welcoming. "Come on, join us."

Oh no. Please. Anything but this. I glanced at Dr. Cho, silently begging for her help, but, of course, she simply shrugged with that innocent, 'what-can-I-do' expression she'd perfected. I sighed, knowing there was no way out of this. With a nod, I walked toward the dining table, falling into step beside her, feeling like I had just walked into a trap.

As Grandma Cho sat at the head of the table, we all found our places. Dr. Cho, Hana, and I were on one side, while Mr. and Mrs. Cho sat across from us. Mrs. Cho removed the lid from a container, revealing grilled meat, another filled with rice, and yet another with a mixture of vegetables in a red, spicy-looking gravy.

 Mrs. Cho noticed my curious stare and chuckled nervously, "Sorry, if it's not anything fancy..."

I shook my head quickly, "No, no. Everything looks great, and I'm sure it will taste the same. I was... just wondering what this is. I haven't seen anything like it before."

She smiled, clearly relieved. "That's kimchi, a Korean pickle... sort of."

"Ah, okay," I nodded, feeling slightly more confident. I pointed at the other container, "And this one?"

"Kimchi jjigae," she answered with a knowing smile.

I tried to mimic her pronunciation, "Kimchi ji... ja..." I trailed off, confused. Dr. Cho, sitting beside me, rolled her eyes with a teasing smile.

"Jja... Jjigae," she said, slowly breaking it down.

"Jji... Jjigae. Kimchi jjigae." I tried again, more confidently this time.

Hana gave me a thumbs up from across the table. "You're a fast learner."

Mr. Cho interrupted the language lesson, "Alright, let's start eating."

After serving themselves some rice, the rest of the family followed suit. Dr. Cho took the rice container and served some into her bowl before dishing some into mine. I smiled, "Thank you." She then passed it to her sister as we all settled in to eat.