Yiyoung placed the nine side dishes around the table, and placed the pot of curry ramen in the middle. She served some ramen in a bowl and handed it to Muyeol.

“The rest is all mine,” she said as she pulled the pot closer to her.

“Thank you.”

“Yeah.”

Out of curiosity, Yiyoung silently watched Muyeol. She wanted to know his feedback. As soon as he took a bite, she asked, “How is it? Isn’t it good? You love it too, right?”

Muyeol chewed a few times as if analyzing the taste, then swallowed. For some reason, he felt nervous as he watched her wait for his feedback. He seemingly thought about it deeply, then replied,  “It isn’t bad.”

Yiyoung lifted her chopsticks with a smile. “Welcome to the world of ramen!”

“But, have it only once a month.”

“No, I want to have it more than once a month! Why should I do that? How much will you pay me for it?”

Muyeol lifted his head to look at Yiyoung. He recognized the rhythm of her tone and recalled how she used to talk exactly like that when they were in school.

He didn’t know how to respond at first, but then thought about it and said, “$50.”

Yiyoung roared with laughter, holding her stomach in the process.

The $50 held a special meaning for the two of them. They enjoyed their meal, laughing along to their old memories.

As Muyeol washed the dishes, Yiyoung took out a piece of paper from her pocket.

“What is that?” asked Muyeol.

“A shopping list. Do you want to look at it?” Yiyoung held the list in front of Muyeol’s face.

‘Underwear, clothes, clothes, clothes, shoes,’ read Muyeol.

“Are you kidding me?” he asked with a frown, as if he wanted to scold her.

“No, I’m not kidding. I’m going to a mall, and I’m going to shop until my legs hurt. I will look at clothes until my eyes pop out of my skull, and try them on until I feel pain in my shoulders,” Yiyoung said nonchalantly, unbothered by his reaction.

Muyeol lightly rested his head on top of Yiyoung’s head. “How much did you practice?”

“A lot. I did it everyday, so I was able to go to the salon and the market alone. Now, I’m ready to go to the mall by myself, too.”

“Aren’t you trying too hard at once?”

“Not at all. I think I’m just too good. I must have been superman in my previous life.”

Her ridiculous response elicited a laugh out of Muyeol. He kissed her head and said, “Maybe. So, after you make a successful trip to the mall, do you want to go to Istanbul with me?”

Yiyoung lifted her head with a jerk, accidentally hitting Muyeol on the chin. Still in shock because of his question, she hastily massaged his jaw—which was possibly in a lot of pain. “Istanbul? Turkey?”

“I’m not going for any good reason though, so you might have to walk around alone or stay at the hotel alone. Do you still want to go?”

“Yes! I want to go!” Yiyoung almost sang, her voice high like that of a soprano.

Muyeol chuckled and nodded. He’d known she would jump at the chance.

“I had the foresight and got my passport prepared on the day I got my hair done! And—Oh, wait!” Yiyoung ran to the bedroom and grabbed her passport; it was her first one. “Yay! Look, isn’t this awesome?”

“Good!” Muyeol said, trying to not ruin her excitement. “Great job.”

“This will be my first time going abroad. I’ve only ever seen the other countries on the television. Oh my gosh, my heart is fluttering. Oh, what about the weather? What should I wear? That country follows islamic culture, right? Do I need to hide my face?” Yiyoung rambled as she held the passport to her chest, already lost in her dreams.

“What should I do? I’m about to cry…” She frowned, suddenly feeling too emotional.  “I’m so excited about having a meal on the plane!”