The Worst Idea Ever.
So-young stared at the crumpled permission slip in her hands like it was a death warrant. The paper smelled faintly of banana milk and the cheap ink was already smudged from where she'd gripped it too tightly during lunch. Across the kitchen table, Li Na was grinning like a fox who'd just found an unguarded henhouse.
"Parent-Teacher Night?" So-young groaned, kicking her legs against the chair. The wooden stool was too tall for her nine-year-old frame, making her feet dangle comically. "I'd rather eat Dae-ho's experimental 'wasabi cookies' again. At least those only made me hallucinate for six hours."
Li Na snatched the paper with her flour-dusted fingers, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Relax, kid. I'll go as your mom."
"Absolutely not—"
"I'll wear a disguise." Li Na rummaged through Grandfather's old belongings and produced a pair of oversized glasses and a wig that looked suspiciously like his old toupee. The synthetic hair stuck out in wild gray tufts, making her resemble a startled owl.
Dae-ho, who had been quietly stealing red bean paste from the fridge, gasped. "You look like a crime boss pretending to be a librarian."
Jeong's mist swirled approvingly around the kitchen light fixture. "She'll fit right in with the other overbearing parents."
Chaos in Classroom 3B.
The elementary school hallway smelled like pencil shavings, industrial cleaner, and the peculiar brand of regret that comes from unfinished homework. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as Li Na strutted through the corridors, her "disguise" now upgraded with a fake mole and a clipboard that said "Very Official Parent Business" in messy hangul.
Teacher Park, a woman with the perpetual expression of someone who had seen too much, adjusted her glasses as they entered. "Ah, Mrs.... Han?" Her voice cracked slightly at the sight of Li Na's getup.
Li Na flashed a smile that showed too many teeth. "Yes. Very normal mother. Definitely not here to investigate educational corruption." She flipped open a wallet to reveal a badge that read "Bakery Inspector" in glitter pen.
Meanwhile:
So-young had been banished to the "Student Reflection Corner" (a sad little chair by the pencil sharpener) for being "too opinionated" about the cafeteria food during nutrition class.
Dae-ho was sprawled in the hallway, sketching unflattering caricatures of the principal after being ejected for asking if the math textbook was "edible in emergencies."
Jeong had taken up residence in the overhead projector, making the multiplication slides mysteriously switch to ghostly bread recipes every time Teacher Park turned her back.
Teacher Park dabbed at her forehead with a tissue. "Your daughter is... spirited."
Li Na nodded solemnly. "We feed her too much sugar. And spite."
The Cafeteria Conspiracy
During the "School Community Feedback" session, Li Na raised her hand with the grace of a seasoned revolutionary. The plastic chair creaked ominously under her as she leaned forward.
"Why," she began, voice dripping with false sweetness, "does the lunch taste like sadness and boiled socks?"
The room went so quiet you could hear the fluorescent lights humming. Several parents subtly pushed their trays away.
Principal Kim laughed nervously, adjusting his tie. "We... prioritize nutrition over flavor—"
So-young yelled from her corner prison: "LIES! The kimchi is from a CAN!"
Dae-ho's voice floated through the doorway: "I saw the lunch lady defrosting pancakes with a HAIRDRYER yesterday!"
At that moment, the PA system crackled to life without anyone touching it. Jeong's voice, distorted just enough to sound supernatural, boomed:
"ATTENTION. THIS CAFETERIA IS NOW UNDER BAKER'S LAW. REPORT TO THE GYM FOR REAL FOOD IMMEDIATELY."
The Great Gymnasium Feast
No one could explain how three gleaming food carts piled high with steaming dishes appeared in the gymnasium. Yet there they were:
The usually surly lunch ladies were suddenly serving proper meals with actual seasoning
Teachers wept openly into their bibimbap ("There's... there's garlic in this...")
Jihun sat in the corner, glaring at his sad store-bought sandwich as the aroma of freshly fried mandu taunted him
Li Na elbowed So-young as they loaded their trays. "Did you...?"
So-young watched Jeong's mist swirl around the kimchi pots like a particularly smug storm cloud. "I might have accidentally left Grandfather's secret recipes open in the staff kitchen last night."
The Aftermath
By the next morning:
The school cafeteria had a new head chef (a retired Han Family cook who threatened students with wooden spoons)
Jihun arrived with an actual homemade lunch ("My dad finally learned to cook!" he grumbled)
Teacher Park announced a "Food Culture Project" (conveniently avoiding math for the next two weeks)
Li Na's text arrived as So-young was brushing her teeth:
"Got us BANNED from Parent-Teacher Night for 'disruptive baking activism.' Worth it."
At breakfast, Grandfather nearly choked on his congee. "You used MY recipes for SCHOOL LUNCH?!" But no one missed the way he secretly donated new kitchen equipment to the school that afternoon.