Chasing Perfection || Lee Know

Stirring The Pot

The air was brisk as Hyejin made her way to the house, the familiar routine settling into her bones. Each day had become predictable—come early, prepare breakfast, leave before he woke up. Then, return in the late afternoon to make dinner.
A small part of her still wondered about the man she was cooking for, but curiosity had started to give way to the mundane. She tried to keep herself focused on the food, on the rhythm of slicing, chopping, and simmering, so she wouldn't get lost in thought.

That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting an orange glow through the windows, Hyejin prepared a new dish: Kimchi Jjigae (Korean stew). It was a comforting, hearty meal that reminded her of the warmth of home—a dish often made during cold nights. But today, she added a twist. A unique combination of ingredients that wasn't typical of the dish, something she had developed over time.

She simmered the pork belly slowly, letting the spices and broth meld together until the kitchen was filled with the irresistible aroma of tender meat, garlic, and chili. As the stew bubbled away, Hyejin carefully added her secret ingredient—just a splash of fermented soy sauce, which gave the dish an umami richness that no one could quite put their finger on.

When it was ready, she ladled the stew into a bowl, garnishing it with fresh green onions and a sprinkle of chili flakes, careful not to overdo it. The dish looked simple, but there was a depth to it, a quiet mastery that only someone who understood the soul of food could achieve.

She was in the middle of packing up, wiping down the counters, when she accidentally left behind a small detail. A recipe card. It was old, worn, and it had her personal notes scribbled along the edges—small tweaks she made to recipes over the years. Nothing big. But it was a piece of her past, her identity, her craft.

By the time she left, the house was quiet again, and Lee Know had not yet arrived. As she closed the door behind her, she couldn't shake the feeling of eyes on her, but she quickly brushed it aside. There was work to do and no time for distractions. She made her exit, unaware that her presence had left a trace.

Lee Know sat in his study, staring at his laptop screen, his usual routine interrupted by an unexpected thought. Dinner. He had eaten it before, but something about tonight's meal had been different. There it was again—the same familiarity felt when he ate yesterday's bulgogi.

He finished his meal quickly, but as he placed his chopsticks down, his curiosity took hold of him. Who was this chef, really?

He leaned back in his chair, tapping the side of his desk, trying to push away the creeping sensation that this was more than just a hired hand. This chef was too precise, too skilled, almost like she had a personal connection to the dishes she was preparing. He could feel it in the rich flavors of the jjigae—the way she had subtly altered it. The spices, the balance, it all spoke of someone who knew more than just cooking. It spoke of someone who had a history with food, a history that maybe even came with pain.

He walked over to the kitchen to get a glass of water, when, his eyes landed on something—the recipe card left behind on the kitchen counter. It wasn't anything major, but it was enough to make him pause. He picked it up, staring at the faded ink, the careful handwriting on the card he somehow recognized even after all these years. There was a name at the bottom, half-faded from years of use: Yoon Hyejin.

His heart skipped a beat.

Could it be? Could this be the same Yoon Hyejin—the one he had heard of in passing, the one with a story that had always seemed too far from reach? His curiosity intensified, and he couldn't resist any longer.

Later that night, Lee Know sat at his desk, typing a quick message to his assistant, JaeYoung.

"JaeYoung, I need you to find out everything you can about the chef. The one you hired for me. I have a feeling I know who she is, but I need confirmation."

It only took a few minutes before his phone buzzed with a response.

"I'll check, sir. I've got a friend who used to work with her in the culinary field. I'll gather what I can."

Lee Know's fingers hovered over his phone. The more he thought about it, the more his suspicions seemed correct. There was a story here, and he had a feeling it was more complex than just a chef-for-hire situation.

He sank back into his chair, waiting for Jaeyoung's response.

The next morning, just before lunch, Lee Know received a detailed message.

"I found her background. Yoon Hyejin. She was the brand manager at a prestigious company, but after she rejected her boss's proposal, he fired her. It wasn't public, but it caused a lot of waves in her industry. She had a reputation for being hardworking, but her career was abruptly cut short. I also found some personal details. She bought an apartment recently. It seems she's struggling with debt, trying to manage the loan payments. That's all I could find, sir, Besides that her culinary training is from one of the top schools in Korea, and she's an impeccable chef. She's not someone who gives up easily."

Lee Know leaned back, processing the information.

Yoon Hyejin. He had suspected as much. She was here, in his house, cooking for him every day, and he had no idea.

The humiliation she must have felt when she was fired, the pride that had kept her from begging for help, and the debt she was now drowning in. It all fit. She had probably accepted this job for the money, but there was no way she would have agreed to do this without her pride on the line.

Lee Know's thoughts drifted back to the meal she had prepared the night before. The flavors, the twist on the jjigae, all of it felt like something more than just food. It felt like a message.

A message that he was about to uncover.