Episode 3: A Bite of Warmth at the End of a Weary Day

Episode 3: A bite of warmth, at the end of a tiring day In the late evening, the sky in Seongbuk-dong darkened to a leaden color, and a cold, bone-chilling late autumn rain began to drizzle. The yellow leaves of the hundred-year-old ginkgo trees were wet from the strong rain and stuck flat to the old sidewalk blocks, and the steep alleys were engulfed in a lonely silence as pedestrians stopped coming and going.

The front window of the 'Moonlight Oven' was covered with white, transparent fog, and beyond that, a soft orange incandescent light was leaking out, shining warmly on the asphalt floor where rainwater had collected. Inside the kitchen, Minwoo, who had finished organizing the showcase before closing, was carefully wiping down the transparent glass dome containing freshly baked 70% dark brownies. The brownie, which was completed last night with the addition of the moonlight magic of the cacao fairy Sasha, was cooling in the residual heat of the oak charcoal fire, and was constantly carrying the captivating bittersweet scent of cacao from inside the kitchen to the alley outside all day long.

Sasha, who was sitting on the corner of the counter licking a jar of sugar, waved a cinnamon stick and said. “Giant baker, look out the window! When it rains, the density of the air increases and the scent of cacao spreads three times farther! This scent must have flowed down the hill of Seongbuk-dong like fog in the raindrops to the entrance of the subway station. I’m sure the child couldn’t help but smell this smell, right?”

“Well, I don’t know. In a huge city like Seoul, meeting someone you broke up with ten years ago again on a rainy night like this….” It was the exact moment when Minwoo trailed off bitterly. Jalang- Jalang. The old brass bell hanging above the door rang deeply, making a clear and cheerful sound.

“Welcome, Moonlight Oven….” Minwoo's low voice, which was about to give a final greeting, froze in midair. The joints of his fingers, which were holding the tongs, were shaking uncontrollably. The person standing in the doorway was a woman wearing a dark beige trench coat soaked in rainwater. Cold raindrops were falling from the pole of the old black umbrella held in my hand to the floor. The face revealed through the rain-soaked black hair that stuck to the cheeks was bloodless and white, weighed down by endless overtime work and the harsh hierarchy of a large architectural design office.

There was deep fatigue and indescribable loneliness around his red, bloodshot eyes, as if he was about to collapse at any moment. Although ten years had passed, Minwoo was able to recognize her in just 0.1 second. My heart was pounding as if it would break my ribs and burst out.

“……Seoyeon?” At Minwoo’s low, trembling call, the slender shoulders of the woman who was staring blankly at the showcase trembled. She slowly raised her head and faced Minwoo’s face. “Huh…? Hey, did you finish it? I was wondering if there was any bread left… Oh my?” Seoyeon's eyes widened in an instant as she continued speaking. A heavy breath escaped between wet lips.

“You… can’t it be… Han Min-woo…? Is it really you, Min-woo?!” “Yes, it’s me. Seoyeon….” The three seconds of silence between the two were heavy and distant, as if ten years had been compressed in one go. At that moment, a small shadow stirred behind the lid of a large white porcelain flour jar placed in the corner of the kitchen counter, and the cacao fairy Sasha flashed a cinnamon stick and sent a desperate glance towards Minwoo.

‘Giant baker! What are you doing standing there so stupidly?! 'Don't just keep your mouth open like an idiot, but hurry up and grab my wet coat and give me a warm brownie!' Minwoo barely came to his senses due to Sasha's silent shouting. Minwoo hurriedly put down the tongs, grabbed a dry, fluffy towel, and ran to the counter.

“It’s raining a lot… my clothes are all wet. First, wipe the rain water with this towel. It’s so cold today.” “Thank you… Minwoo.” Seoyeon took the towel with trembling hands and brushed off her shoulders and wet hair. Her cheeks were stained with transparent moisture that was unclear whether it was rainwater or tears.

“Seo-yeon, sit down at the window table over there. I’ll bring you a cup of warm tea to warm you up.” Minwoo guided Seoyeon to a wooden table for two by the window. Then I returned to the kitchen and quickly boiled water. The finest Earl Gray tea leaves with a strong bergamot scent were steeped in freshly boiled purified water, and a piece of 70% dark brownie baked this morning was gently warmed for one minute in the residual heat of an oak oven. White powdered sugar was sprinkled on top of the warm brownie, and as a side dish, a scoop of freshly whipped mascarpone vanilla cream was neatly placed on top.

Sasha, who was secretly watching from behind the flour pot, took advantage of Minwoo's touch and sprinkled some sparkling silver moonlight powder over the edge of the plate. Minwoo carefully placed the steaming cup of black tea and plate of brownies in front of Seoyeon.

“Try it, sir. It’s Moonlight Oven’s signature 70% dark brownie.” When Minwoo deliberately smiled like he did in high school ten years ago, a very faint smile appeared on the corners of Seoyeon's pale lips. “Chi... You’re still being mischievous. I heard a rumor that you became a pastry chef, but you were really baking bread on this hillside.”

“I happened to inherit my grandfather’s old brick oven. Come on, eat it before it gets cold. If you get cold inside, you’ll get sick.” Seoyeon held a silver dessert fork with trembling hands. Then I gently cut off the corners of the brownie. Crunchy! The thin surface crumbled to a crisp, and the freshly warmed, thick chocolate ganache released warm steam and revealed the smooth inside. The rich scent of fermented butter and the bitter scent of cacao gently wrapped around the bridge of Seoyeon’s nose. Seoyeon carefully put a piece of brownie into her mouth.

well… … ! Seoyeon's eyes stopped for a moment. Behind the crispy crust on the outside, the rich, warm chocolate flavor that melted like snow as soon as it touched the tongue filled my mouth like a huge wave. The bitterness of the 70% cacao, which was heavy without being overly sweet, followed by the sweetness of the vanilla bean and the nutty flavor of the beurre noisette butter that gently wrapped around her mouth, melted her frozen tongue, went down her tired esophagus, and gently caressed her hardened heart. Thump, thud. Clear, transparent teardrops fell from the corners of Seoyeon's eyes like raindrops and spread to the side of the brownie plate.

“Seo-yeon…? Where does it hurt?” As Min-woo was shocked and embarrassed, Seo-yeon lowered her head, covered her face with both hands, and began to sob like a child. “Ugh… Ugh, Minwoo… I’m sorry. I had a really hard time today.” Seoyeon’s slender shoulders shook sadly.

"I came to work early in the morning, heard all kinds of insults and insults from my boss, and my first public architecture design project, which I had prepared all night for three months, was scrapped overnight because of the tightrope walking of executives... I was walking alone in the rain, and it felt like there was not a single person on my side under this huge Seoul sky. For the past ten years, I have shed bloody tears while paying off student loans while caring for my sick mother after my house went bankrupt... Tonight, I really got into trouble. “I was so out of breath that I wanted to jump in.” Seoyeon raised her tear-stained eyes and looked at Minwoo.

“But down the alley, a familiar, warm chocolate smell was blowing through the wind. It was like the smell of brownies you would secretly take out of your pocket every time I cried in high school… I followed the smell as if I was possessed, and you were really here.” Seoyeon wiped away her tears as she took another bite of the brownie with a fork.

"This taste... is the same as it was ten years ago. No, it's ten times warmer than then. Just one bite of this bitter sweetness... I feel like all the frozen core in my heart is melting. Minwoo, thank you. Your brownie saved my life tonight." Min-woo’s eyes also turned red at Seo-yeon’s tearful confession. Minwoo reached across the table and warmly held the back of Seoyeon's ice-cold hand with both hands.

“Don’t cry, Seoyeon. It’s okay now.” Minwoo's deep and strong voice filled the window on a rainy night with affection. “If it’s okay with you, come here anytime. Whenever you’re tired and tired, I’ll always be waiting in front of this red brick oven, baking the warmest and most cozy brownies in the world.” At Minwoo's sincere promise, Seoyeon smiled the most dazzling smile in the world even amid her tears. The two shared a cup of warm Earl Gray tea and talked quietly into the night about the many stories they had buried in their hearts over the past ten years.

The sad story of Seo-yeon, who couldn't even leave a contact number due to her sudden night-time flight when they broke up, and the steadfast heart of Min-woo, who had been waiting for the oven every single day for a long time, became one in the sound of rain. In the hands of Seoyeon, who got up from her seat, Minwoo placed a small kraft paper box neatly filled with four pieces of freshly baked and cooled brownies.

“Put it in your bag when you go to work tomorrow morning. Whenever you feel tired and tired, take it out and chew it thoroughly.” “Yes… thank you, Minwoo. I was afraid of morning coming every day, but I think I’ll be looking forward to tomorrow morning.” When Seoyeon opened the door with a smile and walked out, inside her shopping bag was a bag of fragrant cinnamon sticks that Sasha, who had secretly flown in from behind the flour jar, had secretly inserted, filled with moonlight powder and shining softly. Behind the flour jar, the fairy Sasha, who kept wiping away her tears with a small handkerchief, folded her hands and smiled brightly into the moonlight.

Even in the darkness outside the window with the cold autumn rain, inside the 'Moonlight Oven', the warmth of the two people regained after ten years was burning like a lamp that would never go out, along with the sweet scent of cacao.