"His character is a little bland, I must say."
"I know right! It's like they put a lot of focus on the female lead and just stuffed the leftovers for the male lead."
"The story is centred around the woman, it is quite natural that she would be given more attention."
"That's what takes away from the story, though. Imagine putting everything into one single aspect and leaving the rest as is. It's going to create a very sharp distinction and in a story where everything has to blend together, it doesn't work too well."
They spent the fifteen-minute intermission, discussing the storyline of the action thriller movie.
With the popcorn sitting right in front of Kim Dokja, he supposed he might as well start eating it. He asked Yoo Joonghyuk to try it and the man pulled a very disappointed expression, almost pained.
"I'd have a happier time chewing cardboard," he said dully after he swallowed the popcorn kernel he had put in his mouth upon Kim Dokja's insistence.
"It can't be that bad," Kim Dokja tried some more. The popcorn tasted fine. Maybe a little cold now, but fine nonetheless.
"That's because you're not a very picky eater, Dokja-ssi," Yoo Joonghyuk said. "And did you say it was butter? It's just some grease and tons of salt."
"Well, it's a good thing I got a small one then," Kim Dokja shrugged.
"I'll make you better popcorn," Yoo Joonghyuk declared. "And show you a better movie."
"Thanks," Kim Dokja beamed. He didn't doubt Yoo Joonghyuk's ability to find something that would suit both their tastes better, food or movies. "I'll look forward to it."
They walked out of the theatre very indignant.
"That was such a crappy ending," Kim Dokja said, annoyed and Yoo Joonghyuk nodded in agreement, equally pissed off.
Both their predictions were wrong, in a way. Kim Dokja would say he was closer and more reasonable, but Yoo Joonghyuk told him that he wasn't and that he was just projecting his own issues onto the movie. Kim Dokja threatened to force-feed him some more popcorn and he dropped it, but not without a smug smirk.
"The professor? What bullshit!" Kim Dokja huffed. "The professor, are you serious? He barely had any screen time. And is having psychos the answer to everything?"
"A plot twist for the sake of having a plot twist," Yoo Joonghyuk said exasperatedly. "And a pathetic attempt at executing it."
"I know! That's not the point of a story. Just because it says thriller, doesn't mean you have to surprise your audience at the end. I don't mind plot twists, but they've got to do it right. What the heck was that?"
They complained about the movie to their heart's content on their way out of the theatre and to the car. It was time for lunch and Mr Kang, Yoo Joonghyuk's dutiful driver, waited for them to decide where they wanted to go for lunch.
"If you don't have a reservation made, can we go somewhere I suggest?" Kim Dokja said as the car pulled out of the theatre's parking lot.
"Of course," Yoo Joonghyuk nodded and Kim Dokja gave the address to the driver.
Their conversation went from trashy movie plots to famous directors to brand deals and advertisements done in movies and shows and from there to television sets and sales these days.
At some point, Yoo Joonghyuk became the one doing most of the talking and since it was interesting, Kim Dokja didn't mind listening. At least it wasn't some pointless, boring rambling about plotlines and tropes. What Yoo Joonghyuk said was more informative and oddly satisfying to know.
Kim Dokja was eager to show Yoo Joonghyuk the place he'd chosen for their lunch.
"I know it doesn't look like a lot," Kim Dokja said when they got out of the car in the tiny street. "But it's the best place in town in terms of food. It's our usual spot, we meet up hear every few weeks, me and my friends."
"The dumpling place?" Yoo Joonghyuk said and Kim Dokja nodded.
"I usually get them to-go for you, so I thought you'd like to taste it hot. You do say that dumplings are meant to be eaten hot."
"I don't say that. . .I simply think that dumplings taste better when you eat it hot, not warm and reheated."
"More or less the same," Kim Dokja waved it away. "Come on, now."
The street was small so Mr Kang had to drive around to find a place that was shady enough so that the seats wouldn't be blistering hot when they returned after having their food.
Kim Dokja said he could join them at the restaurant but Mr Kang refused and said his wife had packed him lunch, so he'd have that and it was disrespectful to eat food brought from home in a restaurant.
The restaurant was almost empty when they walked in.
The owner was a little confused when he spotted Kim Dokja, a regular, with Yoo Joonghyuk, who looked a lot like yet another regular but was obviously not the same person.
"You're famous," Yoo Joonghyuk muttered when Kim Dokja showed him to the usual large table he and his friends took every time they visited the place.
"I've been coming here since I was in college," Kim Dokja said. "They know me well. And they don't do takeaways, but they make an exception for me. They're nice people."
"You've mentioned."
"I have?"
Yoo Joonghyuk nodded.
Just as Kim Dokja had expected, Yoo Joonghyuk didn't mind the run-down little restaurant. He was more interested in the steaming hot dumplings that had been brought to their table.
They were similar when it came to Murim dumplings, both the Yoo Joonghyuks he knew.
Kim Dokja watched Yoo Joonghyuk's shoulders relax slightly when the aroma of the dumplings and other side dishes surrounded them.
It was endearing, how Yoo Joonghyuk's cheeks would bulge a little as he feasted happily on the dumplings.
"Why do you like them so much, Joonghyuk-ssi?" Kim Dokja asked, catching the man off guard.
Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes moved from his dumplings to Kim Dokja. He chewed the food in his mouth, swallowed quickly and took a sip of water before speaking.
"They're delicious."
What a Yoo Joonghyuk-like answer that was.
"True, they are quite delicious," Kim Dokja said. "But there's got to be a reason why it's your favourite. A lot of food is delicious, why this one?"
Yoo Joonghyuk's chopsticks stilled for a few beats, and then he picked up another dumpling.
"I remember having these as a child," Yoo Joonghyuk said finally. "There was someone who would make it for us, me and my younger cousin, that friend of yours. I'm not sure if he remembers, he was too young, maybe six? Seven?. . .She left the estate when I was twelve, so I think he must have been seven. It's a pleasant memory and it's delicious."
"Are you talking about Namgung Minyoung?"
Yoo Joonghyuk's eyes snapped up to him again.
"You know her?" he said.
"I've met her a few times," Kim Dokja told him. "Yoo Joonghyuk—My friend, Yoo Joonghyuk, she was the one who took care of him when he left home."
Yoo Joonghyuk's mouth twitched downwards but he got it under control quickly.
"And you said he ran away, so he was probably in contact with her," Kim Dokja continued. "Was she your caretaker?"
"Not exactly, but she did fill in that role," Yoo Joonghyuk said, a distant look in his eyes. "She was closer to us than our parents were. And she did have a soft spot for the younger one."
"Do you want to know about her?" Kim Dokja said before he could stop himself. Yoo Joonghyuk looked a little too lonely and it just didn't sit right with Kim Dokja.
"She doesn't stay in Seoul anymore. She moved to the seaside a long while ago. I've been there and I still remember the address. I don't think she'd mind if you visited her."
Yoo Joonghyuk's gaze softened and he gave Kim Dokja a tiny smile.
"I know where she lives," he said. "I used to keep tabs on them before and I can find them just as easily anytime I wanted. . .But I appreciate the thought, thank you."
Yoo Joonghyuk transferred a dumpling from his plate onto Kim Dokja's and it took him a few seconds to comprehend what had just happened.
Right, this Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't his Yoo Joonghyuk, even if they did have a few similar traits. His Yoo Joonghyuk would have stabbed him before he shared his dumplings; everyone had their own portion, no one was taking anything from anyone.
"If you know, why don't you go give her a visit?" Kim Dokja said. "Yoo Joonghyuk goes there for vacation with Mia. And since she took care of you—"
"She's always liked him better," Yoo Joonghyuk cut him off. "And I was a little...hard-headed as a child."
Kim Dokja gave one of his dumplings to Yoo Joonghyuk and Yoo Joonghyuk raised an amused eyebrow.
"I didn't mean for you to try to get even," he said.
"I wasn't doing that," Kim Dokja muttered. "I was trying to comfort you."
And he stuffed a spoonful of broth before Yoo Joonghyuk could say anything and force him to talk or explain himself.