The sound of the door opening wasn't very loud, but it was heard in the kitchen where Dan was preparing dinner. Startled, another member of the household appeared, a tired-looking Chunn entered the kitchen, smiling and greeting.
"I'm back."
"You're home late today, Chunn. Are you tired?"
Although it had only been four nights, the scent of newness between them hadn't yet faded. However, their greetings felt natural, as if they had lived together for a while. This surprised Chunn.
"Yeah, a little. How about you, Dan? How was the restaurant today?"
"Busy as usual, and we ran out of some dishes by mid-afternoon. Oh, what are you holding there?"
Chunn entered the house carrying a bag of treats he had received from a kind uncle. While they had been sitting outside the house together, Chunn had eaten a few pieces, out of politeness. It seemed the uncle knew Chunn liked them, and when he left, he handed Chunn a new bag, telling him to share them with the people at home.
"It's- uh, a snack. Khanom-Phing."
Chunn tried to pronounce it correctly, thinking that pronouncing "Phing" was difficult.
"Hmm? Where did you get it, Chunn?"
"A kind uncle gave it to me."
"Really? That's nice. It would be good with some bael tea."
Chunn wondered if eating puffed snacks with bael tea was a necessary pairing or if these two people just had the same taste. The more he experienced this planet's food culture, the more intriguing it became.
But how much longer would he find it interesting?
He had been in this world for four nights now. If tonight's dinner wasn't good enough, he could say goodbye to this world tomorrow. Chunn thought this as he watched Dan working in the kitchen, head down, occasionally looking up.
In truth, he had begun to like this world, but not to the extent that he could call it an attachment, like how Mimew felt.
And it was true that he had grown fond of Dan, the young man with cooking skills, but it didn't reach the level of love or attachment that the departed aunt had felt for her uncle.
His contract with this world was limited to food. If the food wasn't delicious, he could bid farewell to this third planet in the solar system.
In the evening, during dinner time, Dan, who didn't know any better, thought it was just a normal mealtime. But for Chunn, it was a crucial moment for the fate of humanity.
And the fate of humanity rested in the hands of Dan, the young owner of the rice and curry restaurant where Chunn lived with.
"Um... What's for dinner, Dan?" Chunn asked.
"Today, we have some leftover Nam Prick (shrimp paste chili sauce) from lunchtime sales. I thought I'd make a Keang Liang (a kind of Thai curry) out of it."
"Huh? Leftover Nam Prick? And you're making a curry out of it? Can food transform like that?"
Chunn remembered the Nam Prick. He had eaten it twice, and though it was a little too spicy, he marveled at its taste. Hearing that the remaining Nam Prick could be transformed into another dish made him even more amazed.
For Chunn, the ingredients used to prepare the food were already transformed once. They were cooked and completed. He thought that should be the end of it – either eaten or thrown away.
But the fact that the ingredients were turned into one dish, and then used as the base for a new dish was like a second transformation!
Wow, it was like a level of Frieza from Dragon Ball – with multiple forms! He had traveled across many planets and galaxies but had never encountered anything like this. It was mind-blowing.
Dan laughed, "It's not really a transformation, Chunn... Well, now that I think about it, it's true – the Nam Prick is transforming."
Chunn took off his outer suit jacket and hung it on the living room wall, then leaned against the kitchen counter to watch Dan cook. The stool by the counter with a clear view of the stove had become his regular seat.
Thoughts about deciding the fate of the world tonight were brushed aside after he learned that the leftover shrimp paste chili sauce, which is called Nam Prick in Thai, could be transformed into a kind of curry.
As for Dan, after seeing Chunn come home in a suit every day, he made a hanging spot for the jacket, so it wouldn't have a musty smell.
Dan continued explaining, "In the past, people would eat Nam Prick with their lunch, and sometimes they made too much and had leftovers, both the sauce and the vegetables. So, in the evening, they would dissolve the remaining sauce in water and heat it up."
As he spoke, Dan cooked, putting a non-stick pot on the stove, and adding about a liter of water, which would evaporate as it boiled, making it just enough for two people.
"The old folks would use the leftover Nam Prick, dissolve it in water, and cook it over a fire," Dan said.
"Now people had developed a more specific recipe for the curry, using a special blend of spices, adding galangal and shrimp. The curry, which was made from leftover chili paste, had become a unique dish outside the traditional recipe." Dan continued
Chunn seemed to understand. Dan looked at him and smiled as if he was passing on the teachings of his grandmother to Chunn. Dan realized he hadn't made the Keang Liang at home for a long time.
Since Chunn became his housemate and dinner buddy, Dan enjoyed cooking much more, as he didn't have to worry about making too much food. Thai food was not designed to be a personal dish but rather a family portion, which made it delicious.
When his grandmother was around, they could eat anything they made. However, when living alone, Dan didn't cook some dishes. It was only five days since Chunn moved in, allowing Dan to choose a wider variety of dishes to cook.
While waiting for the water to boil, Dan chopped the remaining vegetables. In reality, the young corn and pumpkin had already been steamed when they were sold with the lunch menu set, but they were chopped so that when added to the pot, the curry would soak into the vegetables and their sweetness would seep out as well.
Dan opened the refrigerator and took out the remaining half-pack of straw mushrooms, and some wild lemon basil leaves. He washed the mushrooms and sliced them in half, while he washed the lemon basil and shook the water off. He liked the strong aroma and taste of it.
"Wow, so many vegetables," Chunn commented while watching Dan chop the vegetables.
"It's similar to a leftover vegetable soup from the past. You can actually put any vegetables in it, but pumpkin, corn, and straw mushrooms are essential. Technically, I should add a calabash as well, but I don't like it, so… no." Dan explained.
Chunn frowned, "The chili paste transforms into curry for its second stage. Can it transform into a third stage, Dan?"
Dan thought for a moment, "Well... I don't think there is a third stage."
"Oh, so there are only two stages?"
"Yes."
"That's too bad. It would be amazing if there were a third stage."
"Don't worry about it. If we had one round of leftovers and then another, we would feel terrible wasting the food. Let's just eat it all," Dan said.
"Yeah, that's true," Chunn agreed. However, since living with Dan, there had never been any leftovers in their home. They finished their meals every day.
When the water was just boiling, Dan added the remaining Nam Prick to dissolve it in the water, then added some more crushed Thai chilies. He mixed everything together and slowly scooped out the foam. After that, he added the mushrooms.
"Do you prefer minced pork or pork pieces?" Dan asked Chunn.
The young man appeared very thoughtful about the options, "Um... I like both. What should we do?"
Dan chuckled, "Then let's just use both. Anyway, there's only half a pack of pork neck left, it won't be enough for two people."
Having said that, Dan added the sliced pork neck to the pot and formed the minced pork into balls, dropping them into the water as well. He waited until it was almost boiling again, and when the pork was cooked, he added the cooked pumpkin and tender corn.
Normally, if these vegetables were not yet cooked, they would be added before the pork. However, since they were already cooked, he added them later. He didn't want them to disintegrate by being in the pot for too long.
"What about these green leaves?" Chunn asked.
"These are lemon basil leaves. They cook quickly, so we'll add them later, just enough to wilt them."
"Wilt?" Chunn asked.
"It means to let them become slightly limp, but not completely disintegrated."
"Oh…" the young man in the striped shirt made a confused face.
When everything in the pot was cooked, Dan added the lemon basil leaves last, stirring them in until they wilted but retained their bright color. This was what he called wilted vegetables. It reminded him of a time when his grandmother taught him to cook and said, "Wait for the vegetables to wilt."
"What does 'wilt' mean, grandma?" young Dan asked.
"Wilt is just wilt," his grandmother replied in her old-fashioned way, not knowing how to explain it to a primary school child.
"Does it mean to make them sad, grandma?" At that time, Dan was amazed that vegetables could look sad. He glanced curiously at the pot while his grandmother laughed at his innocence.
Alright, they had a vegetable dish which is also a soup. What should be the main protein dish? Dan thought. Actually, there was already pork in the curry, but for two young men, the pork neck and minced pork might not provide enough protein.
He wanted to make another dish, but it should be something quick and easy, with protein.
"Chunn, do you want an omelet or a boiled egg?"
The young man replied quickly, his eyes sparkling, "An omelet, please! I love omelets."
Chunn was still thinking about the tomato stir-fried eggs he had with Dan on the first day. The next day, he got to eat Nam Prick and an omelet, just as delicious as Dan had told him. He had eaten several impressive dishes, but the omelet was his favorite... at least for now.
Dan took three eggs from the fridge, grabbed a Chinese wok, turned on the heat, and added oil. He then quickly whisked the eggs in a bowl until they were frothy. At first, he turned to grab the sugar jar, but today he decided to try seasoning the omelet with something else.
Dan took a jar of pickled garlic out of the cupboard. Chunn looked at him, frowning.
"What's that, Dan?"
"Pickled garlic. Haven't you seen it before?"
"Garlic, pickled, used for many dishes."
"What does 'pickled' mean?"
"Um... it's a way to preserve food so it lasts a long time."
"Does it mean that the garlic has been in this jar for a long time?" Chunn pointed out.
"Um... yes, it's been a while," Dan thought, this guy had a clear Thai accent, but he wasn't Thai. He was fascinated by simple dishes and didn't even know about pickling garlic. He was an odd person.
Dan chopped half a head of pickled garlic and added it to the beaten eggs, along with the pickling liquid. The pickled garlic liquid had a slightly sweet taste and helped make the eggs fluffy.
Dan turned back to the pan, which was filled with hot oil. He used a fork to drop a bit of the egg mixture to test the heat. When the egg dropped into the oil and immediately puffed up, he knew it was ready. He poured the beaten eggs which were seasoned with pickled garlic, into the pan, keeping it about two inches above the surface.
Dan didn't know why the distance was necessary, but his grandmother had taught him that way. He assumed it was because the higher the eggs fell, the more they would spread out and puff up as they hit the hot oil. He then turned the exhaust fan to the highest setting.
The only thing Dan didn't like about making omelets was the smell of the oil. The odor of frying eggs wasn't bad, but it was annoying when it lingered around the house. Even without curtains, he still didn't like it. Turning the exhaust fan on full blast sometimes wasn't enough to keep the smell away.
Regardless, the combination of Keang-Liang and omelet was still the best. Dan waited a moment, knowing the pan was hot and the oil was hot, and the sweet pickling liquid in the eggs would cook quickly, possibly burning if not flipped in time. He counted to ten and then swiftly flipped the omelet.
"Wow..."
Even though Chunn had seen it a couple of times, he was still amazed every time he watched Dan flip the omelet. It was perfectly cooked, and he thought that one day, he should ask Dan to teach him how to do it, just in case the world ended, and he had to cook for himself.
Dan divided the garlic omelet onto two plates and arranged them at his and Chunn's spots. He ladled the curry into two bowls, one for himself and one for Chunn. Chunn, who knew what he was doing, went to get rice from the pot and set out two plates, along with forks and spoons.
"Let's eat," ChonDan said.
"Um, let's eat," Chunn agreed.
As always, Dan waited for Chunn to take the first bite to make sure he wouldn't choke or if he did, Dan could help him. Chunn didn't choke, and his face lit up with excitement.
"This omelet is so delicious! Why is it different from the ones before, Dan?"
"Because today, I used pickled garlic liquid to season it."
"Oh... and there's something crunchy in the omelet too?"
"That's the chopped pickled garlic we added. How does it taste?"
"It's sweet and tangy, almost spicy but not quite."
"It's a spicy taste from garlic. However, when it was fermented, the spiciness decreased significantly," said ChonDan.
"It's amazing, the same omelet but using different seasonings. The taste is different too." Chunn looked at the remaining Nam Prick from lunch that transformed into a vegetable-rich soup.
"How do we eat this, Dan?"
"Just scoop it up, and you can scoop the vegetables you like with the soup."
Dan didn't just talk, but he showed Chunn as well.
Chunn followed, choosing a piece of pumpkin first because he liked the yellow color. As soon as it entered his mouth, a variety of flavors attacked his taste buds and made his cheeks puff up, catching him off guard.
"Ah-ah-ah!"
"Whoa, Chunn, are you choking? Do you want to drink water first?"
"It went up my nose."
"Oh... it has black pepper. When you scoop it, don't do it too hard. It will go up your nose."
"Even though I choked, it's really delicious, Dan. The vegetables absorbed the soup's flavors perfectly. The soup is first salty, then hot and spicy, followed by the sweetness from the vegetables. It's a very delicious vegetable soup. I've never had such a delicious vegetable soup before."
Dan smiled contentedly. "If you like it, eat more. There's still plenty left in the pot."
Chunn slowly scooped minced pork to eat with rice and an omelet, then scooped some soup again, but this time, he took it slowly to prevent choking like before.
And then, Dan began to eat as well.
"Hey, Chunn, you said you were tired today, right? Did something happen at work?"
"Uh... I met one of a senior."
"A senior...? Was he mean?"
"No, not at all. He seemed nice, but it was difficult to understand him."
"Ah... so you didn't know how to talk to him, huh?"
"Something like that."
"Why don't you try taking lunch to eat with him tomorrow?"
"Come again, Dan?" Chunn stopped mid-reach for the omelet. "Taking lunch... you mean for me to eat with Mi ... I mean, with my senior?"
Dan nodded. "Yes, take lunch to eat with him. I'll make extra for you."
Chunn wondered, "How would that help? Eating lunch together will make it easier to talk?"
"Chunn... do you think we're close now?"
"Well... I think we're closer than anyone else I've had in my life."
Chunn's answer made Dan feel both shy and surprised. They had been together for only five nights, and Dan thought they were closer than anyone else who had come into his life before.
Perhaps it was because they lived together in the same place and Chunn had never shared space with others. Dan pondered this to himself.
"So, do you know why we've become close?"
"Uh..." Chunn seemed puzzled, "I didn't really think about it before. But when you asked if we were close, I just realized that we are."
Dan grinned, "It's because we've been eating together, isn't it?"
Chunn looked surprised, "Does sharing a meal really make people closer on this Earth?"
Dan felt that Chunn spoke strangely once again.
But Chunn was caught up in his own imaginary world where he believed his company was a malicious entity destroying the planet, and he was a tired worker serving this company.
Well, Dan thought, even if Chunn is a little odd, he's still a good person.
"Eating together lets us talk to each other. Food makes it easier for us to converse. Haven't you noticed? In the past four days, every time we sat down to eat, you'd ask how my day was, and I'd ask about yours. We'd chat and eat until we were full."
Chunn thought about the events of the past four nights and the events earlier that day when the uncle invited him to sit and eat some snacks, drink tea, and talk.
Indeed, when people opened their mouths to eat, it was as if they also opened their hearts to converse.
Could food be a tool for building relationships? There was so much to learn on this Earth. Sometimes, the most dangerous weapon might not be a space gun or a solar bomb, but the food itself.
"Uh-huh... I understand now," Chunn grinned.
"Alright, then. Tomorrow, I'll pack lunch for you to eat with your senior. It'll make it easier for you to talk to him."
"Thanks, Dan."
"No problem, just pay me back at the end of the month."
"Will do," Chunn smiled. "Thank you, anyway."
"Are you full?" Dan asked.
"Perfectly full," Chunn replied.
"Did you enjoy tonight's meal?"
"It was delicious."
Dan asked again, "So that means...?"
Chunn grinned, "Yes, we can spare the world for another night. I still want to have dinner with you tomorrow."
Dan almost laughed, "So tonight, the world is safe once more."
Chunn helped Dan clear the plates, "Yes, thanks to your Keang-Liang and omelet."
Alright then. One person understood that all he did was cook dinner for a weary office worker, helping him get through another difficult day at work.
The other person understood that his housemate was calm and had a grasp of everything, and tonight, they managed to spare the world once more.
Regardless of how Dan thought or what Chunn understood, the world did not end that night. Thanks to the warm Keang Liang and the pickled garlic omelet.
Now, let's see how much longer this world will survive.
…