Taewon-First Step To Adulthood

Sorry Sir!' he said in mock obedience. The boy's stomach growled again. I sighed.

'What do you wanna eat?' I asked.

'Pizza!' the boy replied immediately.

'Yeah right!'

He looked crestfallen.

'Whatever you want,' he said sadly. 'Ahjusshi,' he added.

I skimmed through the refrigerator. At least it was stocked well. Why did that babysitter ahujmma make spoilt noodle for the kid? I shook my head in disgust as I picked out some ingredients. I left some water on the stove for boiling. The kid was standing next to me, looking on in awe as I cut the vegetables smoothly.

'Ahjusshi, you can cook?' he asked. I smirked at him as I put the vegetables in the boiling water. Even Mona was salivating. I smirked.

'Let that boil,' I said. Meanwhile, I diced some chicken and added the pieces to the soup along with the spices.

'Is it done?' the kid asked, dreamily staring at the pot.

'Give it fifteen minutes,' I replied. 'How long has your babysitter has been gone?'

'Two hours,' he sighed.

'When does your mother get back?'

'9:30 pm usually,' he yawned. I check my watch. It was just 7pm.

'Better hope your babysitter comes back soon,' I said. 'How come your mother didn't leave any cooked food?'

'She usually comes home and cooks dinner,' the kid said. 'Choi ahjumma makes the snacks but they taste awful.'

The kid's phone started to vibrate.

'It's Mee,' he said, checking the caller ID.

'Don't tell her I'm here,' I warned.

'You're telling a kid to lie?'

'Just don't tell her,' I hissed.

'But lying is wrong!'

'Think of it as the first step to adulthood,' I replied. 'Desperate times call for desperate measures. Pick up the phone and put it on speaker.'

He answered the call.