The restaurant I had reserved wasn’t too far from the company.
About a 20-minute drive?
The location being in Gangnam made it quite accessible.
“…Is there a restaurant in a place like this?”
“Yes, that’s why it’s a hidden gem.”
“This is hidden a bit too well.”
After parking the car at a nearby paid lot, I entered the building’s basement with Heavenly Yuah.
There was no sign or store name—just a bizarre place.
This spot, where it seemed questionable whether it was an actual restaurant, was our destination.
It wasn’t surprising that Heavenly Yuah was confused.
After all, this wasn’t a proper restaurant to begin with.
And anyone who hadn’t been tipped off beforehand would have no clue to find it.
“But this is the real hidden gem. Let’s go in.”
Once inside, a man who looked about 50 stopped us.
His demeanor was so off that it was hard to imagine this as an operating restaurant.
“What’s the matter?”
“Ah, it’s you.”
“Huh? Who?”
“It’s me, Siwoo. I made the reservation today, remember?”
“…Siwoo? Now that I hear your voice… but your face isn’t the same?”
“I’m in disguise.”
“Ho, a disguise… I knew you became an actor, but why the disguise? Well, come to think of it, you’ve always been…”
The owner was confused because the person was different from the one who made the reservation, but upon hearing it was me, Siwoo, he scratched his head.
After all, it would be more surprising if he’d recognized me right away dressed like this.
Fortunately, the owner knows my voice well. Otherwise, I might have had to come without the disguise.
“Come on, come on~ Let’s get to the seating. I said I have a companion.”
This man is genuinely kind but talks way too much.
If I let him go on, he’d likely talk until the end of the world, so I should cut him off while I can—especially since Heavenly Yuah was with me. If he starts going on, it could be troublesome.
So I interrupted with the comment about my companion, which seemed to spark his curiosity.
Once he glanced behind me and realized the companion was a woman, his eyes glinted with recognition.
“Wow, our Siwoo has grown up. Could it be… this?”
“Teacher Yuah, this is Heavenly Yuah.”
“Teacher? Is she an actor too? Wow, our Siwoo…”
“Yes, she is the illustrious teacher, Heavenly. Yu. Ah.”
“…Could it be… Heavenly Yu, the goddess of Cannes?”
“Yes, Teacher Heavenly Yuah.”
“Ah, but her face… seems different?”
“She’s in disguise.”
“Ah, that’s right. You can’t even compare her to you since she is a legend… But let’s just get seated.”
I sensed a strange misunderstanding, so I revealed my companion, Heavenly Yuah.
Although he doesn’t usually spread strange rumors, in my family, there’s always someone who does. If my father finds out I’m here with a woman, he’ll likely call immediately, asking whose charming woman has stolen my heart.
And if I tell him it’s not like that, he’ll visibly become deflated and will likely end the call.
Therefore, it’s better to clear up any misunderstanding from the start.
“Aa, look at me. Our Siwoo is on a date with Heavenly Yuah, and here I am, acting this way. This won’t do.”
“No, it’s not a date.”
“You came here alone with her, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“So it is a date, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
“Alright, alright. Now hurry up and go to Room 1. How can you leave a woman in a place like this on her own? That’s unforgivable for a man.”
“No, this place belongs to Uncle.”
“I’m not listening.”
It feels like the misunderstanding has grown bigger.
Or maybe revealing it was Heavenly Yuah had something to do with it?
Most reasonable people wouldn’t assume I’m dating someone like Heavenly Yuah.
The man may act silly, but he isn’t stupid.
Still, I should remind him to not gossip after we leave.
“You seem really familiar.”
“Ah, yeah, we are. He’s an acquaintance of my father.”
“Ah, I see.”
This isn’t a proper restaurant. It’s just a place with two rooms.
We sat in the first room.
As soon as we sat down, Heavenly Yuah, overcome by curiosity, began peppering me with questions.
I had somewhat expected it. Even to me, this didn’t feel like a normal restaurant.
“It’s not really a proper business. The owner just runs it as a hobby.”
“So, does it actually work?”
“Even if it didn’t, who cares? This building belongs to the owner.”
“Oh, I see, like that…”
This place is less about business and more about treating guests who are acquaintances.
Reservations are a must because without them, the owner doesn’t even bring the ingredients. That’s why they don’t cater to just anyone.
The menu features duck boil because the owner’s favorite dish is duck boil.
What was it called again? The last master duck boil chef in the world?
Not someone else saying that, but the owner himself.
His pride as a duck boil master is immense.
And yet, thanks to this hobby, the owner’s duck boil is truly extraordinary.
“An interesting person, isn’t it?”
“Well, he can afford such hobbies. Anyway, you can expect the best. This place is on an entirely different level.”
Though I don’t usually enjoy soups, this duck boil here left me no choice but to raise both hands and legs in surrender.
It’s that impressive.
And our owner has, once again, not disappointed me.
“Enjoy your meal.”
The owner set down the delicious-looking duck boil with a pot and flashed a smug smile. It would have been much better if he hadn’t, but when enjoying something this good, we can forgive him a little.
With Heavenly Yuah here, the owner must be in quite the mood.
“Wow.”
“How is it?”
“Stunning.”
“Really?”
“All this while, what I have eaten wasn’t duck boil. That was… something similar to duck boil? This is real duck.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
Indeed, the owner’s duck boil was spectacular.
It seemed to completely ensnare the heart of the duck-loving Heavenly Yuah as well.
On top of that, today the owner seems to be pulling out all the stops because of the special guest.
How on earth is this just two servings?
Of course, if the combined attack of me and Heavenly Yuah were to focus, we could finish it instantly.
“Missing some wine would be a shame.”
“You’re right. If we had a good wine to go with it, it would…”
“Exactly!”
It’s a pity there’s no wine to cater to Heavenly Yuah’s preference.
Though you might question wine with duck boil, she can surprisingly pair it with anything—someone who successfully combined kimchi stew and wine.
But on days like today, when I’m driving, alcohol is a no-go.
Without such skills, it’s disappointing.
If I had that inner strength, we could have easily had wine regardless of driving. However, there’s no way to conjure skills that I don’t possess, so I decided to enjoy the duck boil quietly.
“We’ve finished.”
“Did it meet your expectations?”
“Yes, it was wonderful.”
“Great. Come again then. I’m sure Teacher Yuah would be welcomed by the owner.”
Despite having eaten a whole duck, Heavenly Yuah still seemed a little wistful.
It clearly touched a soft spot.
“You’ve seemed rather down lately.”
“Ah, was it obvious?”
“Yes, quite.”
With her mood much improved, I decided to bring up her earlier demeanor.
Tongue-and-stomach attacks are always effective, judging by her reaction.
“Still, teacher, what’s wrong? You’re on a great streak on the drama field.”
“C’mon, do people’s moods stay consistent? Some days are good, some not so much.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“But why have you been feeling so down? From what you said earlier, things were going well, right?”
“Hmm…”
Feeling emboldened, I asked further, but she hesitated.
Then she began her narrative after some deliberation.
It was a highly personal matter so I was slightly taken aback.
It was a story related to Heavenly Yuah’s family life.
Had I known, I probably wouldn’t have even asked.
“…You mean, so for nine years… you haven’t gone home?”
“Yes, somehow it turned out that way.”
Heavenly Yuah moved to Korea nine years ago and debuted as an actress, and she hasn’t been back home since.
While she hasn’t cut all ties, she hasn’t visited home either.
Considering she debuted at fourteen, it’s quite an unusual stretch of time.
“My father is still against my acting work. Probably will be for quite some time. So there’s no way I can go back home, is there?”
“Ah, yes, that could be true.”
A father opposing his daughter’s career in acting—it’s not such a rare case.
In most such cases, after the daughter achieves success, the father eventually relents.
Heavenly Yuah has won an Oscar for Best Actress at Cannes, yet it’s still like this. That seems strange.
Still, this is Heavenly Yuah’s family matter.
Whatever is happening, I sense this is not a realm for my interference.
“So, are you feeling depressed because of this?”
“No, it’s not because of this. It’s not like it’s been a day or two, right?”
“Exactly.”
If this issue has been around for such a long time, it’s hard to believe it’s only affecting her now.
Seems like this story was meant to be more of a background explanation leading to the main point.
The reason for her sadness is something else.
“Actually…”
“Yes.”
“Recently, I had a video call with mom, and she looked a bit unwell.”
“Ah, really? Is she seriously sick?”
“No, nothing like that. She just looked tired.”
“Ah…”
“When I was younger, if mom looked tired, I would give her a massage myself. But now, it’s hard to meet, isn’t it? So, it just left me down.”
She has been feeling down lately because, during a recent video call, her mother didn’t look well.
Though she’s not sick, she seemed tired.
Unlike her father, she is close to her mother but felt it was difficult to visit, so it was weighing on her mind.
“Hmm…”
“Um, excuse me for asking, but could I see a photo of your mother? If it’s not too much trouble?”
“Yes, sure. Here you go.”
“….”
“Isn’t my mom beautiful?”
“Uh, yes, definitely.”
My goodness. Is that actually the Demon Queen?
Alright, considering the looks of Heavenly Yuah and the Heavenly Demon, this might not be as impossible as I originally thought.
But still, can this be real?
And if it’s the Demon Queen, then…
“Right now, isn’t Teacher Yuah… twenty-three? Twenty-four?”
“Twenty-three. The same age as Siwoo, isn’t it?”
“Aah, that’s right. Twenty-three. Just in time.”
What an odd situation.
It’s just as Heavenly Yuah turned twenty-three that her mother, who looks identical to the Demon Queen, started to look unwell.
Could it be… no, even if so, how can it be this similar?
But given this world and the Martial Forest’s strange synchronization rate, just letting this go…
“Unreal. Actually, it’s funnier that I haven’t thought of this until now.”
Time has passed quite a bit.
Even I had almost forgotten about the Demon Queen.
At least there’s one fortunate thing—Heavenly Yuah is still twenty-three.
Even if this world follows the path of the Martial Forest, it’s not too late.
