Aromas swirled through the open air, their rich and comforting scent enough to make anyone's stomach growl and grow hungrier by the minute. It was already mid-afternoon by the time the cooking wrapped up, the sun having mellowed into a gentler glow over the field.
A colourful spread of delicacies now filled the long tables. Among the sea of dishes laid out, the most easily identifiable were the glazed ribs, rolls of kimbap, platters of kimchi pancakes stacked high, and a bubbling seafood broth that sent up little puffs of steam every time someone lifted the lid.
Everything looked as if it had been prepared with both care and appetite in mind.
Jihoon spotted the people who had gone off hiking earlier beginning to return from the trail. Most of them were older residents chatting amiably as they made their way back to the clearing, with a few younger men walking alongside them, faces flushed and winded from the climb.
