Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three: End of the Advertisement and Return to the Country

The next day, they changed the shooting location to an outdoor café where they were to dance.

During the break, a foreign male dance partner kept approaching Hyori, asking her name, where she was from, which hotel she was staying at, and continuously inquiring about her information. It wasn't until Hyori mentioned that she was married that he expressed regret at not meeting her earlier.

After the shooting, he even took a photo with Hyori and asked for her phone number. Hyori tried to avoid it but ended up giving him her email instead.

On the way back to the hotel, she said to the camera, "I told him I was married, but he still asked for my phone number. I was a bit flustered, but this kind of thing happens a lot. When shooting, there are often foreign co-stars who ask for my phone number. In such cases, I usually give them my email but don't reply. In fact, I don't reply because I have to respond in English. Hehe! That's how it is." At the end, Hyori laughed a bit embarrassedly.

Finally, the advertisement was finished. Back at the hotel, Hyori and her team quickly packed their bags and returned to Korea.

......................................................................................................................

Hyori returned from Thailand today, and Lee Shin-haeng drove to the airport to pick her up, not calling her to give her a surprise.

At the airport, he parked the car and walked into the hall to wait. Today, he was wearing white sneakers, dark blue jeans, a white graphic sweater, and a black jacket, with a black patterned beanie on his head. His simple attire had a unique charm, making him stand out even when he was just standing there.

"Flight from Thailand has landed, please prepare to meet your loved ones..." the airport announcement sounded.

Hyori, dragging her suitcase and wearing sunglasses, followed the crowd. Suddenly, Manager Mi-ya pulled her aside and said, "Hyori, look over there, by the exit."

Hyori, still a bit groggy from the flight, was a bit dazed. Over there? What? She looked in the direction Mi-ya was pointing and immediately saw Lee Shin-haeng standing out in the crowd.

"Ah~ Oppa." Seeing him there to pick her up, Hyori immediately perked up. "Mi-ya, I'm going ahead. I'll bring the luggage home tomorrow." Without waiting for a response from her manager, she quickly dragged her small suitcase toward Lee Shin-haeng.

Seeing her approach quickly, he stepped forward to catch her, hugging her and taking her suitcase.

"Oppa, why are you here?" He rarely came to pick her up; usually, he would wait at home with a cooked meal, so she was quite surprised.

"I missed you!" Lee Shin-haeng said, leaning down to peck her on the lips.

Hyori reached up to grab his chin and smiled, "You're so sweet, but I like it. Let's go."

Lee Shin-haeng nodded to Manager Mi-ya, then led Hyori out of the hall and toward the exit.

Driving away from Gimpo Airport, the two had only been apart for a few days, but it felt like a long time. On the way, Hyori chattered like a happy little bird, recounting her experiences in Thailand.

As they were talking, Hyori noticed that the car wasn't heading toward their home and asked, "Oppa, aren't we going home?"

Lee Shin-haeng, while driving, replied, "We haven't had Korean food in a few days, and you must be thinking about it, so we're eating out today."

"Wow~! Oppa, you're the best." Hyori exclaimed happily, "Where are we going to eat?"

"We're going to 'Six Great Generals' for traditional beef soup."

"Six Great Generals" is a new restaurant brand specializing in traditional beef soup, herbal meat wraps, beef tripe soup, and various nourishing dishes. As the name suggests, "Six Great Generals" strives for excellence in six areas: affordable prices, continuous improvement in taste, clean and hygienic environment, friendly service, charitable activities, and strong support among franchise stores.

The store has a deep red exterior with a prominent white sign. If you look closely, you'll see the Chinese characters for "traditional beef soup." The interior is clean and fresh, with both table and floor seating, accommodating about 100 guests. The walls are decorated with large menus and simple introductions to the main dishes, all with Chinese translations, making it easy for non-Korean-speaking tourists to understand and order, and giving them a sense of familiarity.

"Six Great Generals" has many branches, including one near the airport and in Mudeung. However, Lee Shin-haeng thought the airport branch was too crowded and small, so they went to the Mudeung branch.

Lee Shin-haeng and Hyori entered, and a staff member greeted them, asking how many were in their party.

"Just two, we'll take a table," Lee Shin-haeng said to the staff.

"Sure, please follow me."

After finding a seat, the staff member handed them menus.

Lee Shin-haeng looked at the menu and ordered the restaurant's signature beef hot pot, herbal meat wraps, braised beef brisket, and a seafood scallion pancake that Hyori loved, along with a bottle of makgeolli rice wine.

"Hehehe!!!" Hyori laughed happily when she heard there was wine.

After ordering, the food didn't take long to arrive.

As soon as the dishes were placed, Hyori eagerly picked up a piece of meat wrap and put it in her mouth.

"Wow~!!! So delicious."

"Take your time, no rush. Have some hot soup first."

The beef hot pot, made with spicy beef broth, is the restaurant's pride and joy. The spicy beef broth was once a royal dish served to strengthen the body during hot summers. In the past, when beef was extremely precious, spicy beef broth was only served to distinguished guests. The broth at "Six Great Generals Myeongdong" is made by simmering beef bones for 16 hours at high temperatures, then adding generous amounts of braised beef brisket, scallions, tofu, mushrooms, onions, and chili peppers, along with vermicelli, which is popular among Chinese tourists. The hot pot is served with a small gas stove.

One sip of the soup reveals the reason for its excellent reputation. The rich aroma of the beef broth is infused with a mild spiciness, the braised beef brisket is tender and flavorful, and the vermicelli is chewy. For those who can't handle spiciness, the restaurant can adjust the level of spiciness. This dish is not only delicious but also has various health benefits due to the perfect blend of ingredients, such as antibacterial, fever-reducing, cold-fighting, fatigue-relieving, and mood-stabilizing effects.

Unlike regular meat wraps, the pork belly is marinated in a special brine with six Korean herbs, including Siberian ginseng, licorice, and bay leaves. This not only eliminates the meaty smell but also enhances its nutritional value. The small portion is served on a plate, while the medium and larger portions are served with a gas stove to keep the meat warm. The meat, cut to the perfect thickness, emits a light aroma of Korean herbs and is smooth and melts in your mouth.

Page AD starts

Page AD ends