The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Chapter 12. Regarding Miracles (3)
“Thank you. Thank you so much… I don’t even understand what’s happening here. But I’m truly grateful. I mean it from the bottom of my heart.”
The Old Gentleman approached me as I stood there smiling for a long while.
He drew closer to me.
Every word of gratitude he offered carried genuine sincerity.
The Old Lady, who had belatedly grasped the situation.
How could she possibly be left out?
Regardless of age, the very act of bowing their heads and thanking me with such genuine hearts became a warm greeting to me.
Could that greeting have become another small miracle for me?
Ding—
[You have delivered sincere emotion through your cooking.]
[You have obtained the title 【Cooking Infused with Sincerity】.]
[Inspiration for cooking springs forth abundantly.]
[The effectiveness of therapeutic cooking increases by a base 20%.]
[Experience points increase significantly.]
[You have leveled up.]
‘…Huh.’
I had obtained a title in succession.
This had never happened in my previous life.
It’s quite remarkable.
But what mattered most to me here was not such rewards.
Whoosh—
I dismissed the notification with a glance.
I wanted to capture in my eyes the image of these two people who resembled each other so much.
Simply looking at them filled my heart with warmth.
* * *
After a brief moment.
I continued explaining, hoping they wouldn’t feel burdened.
“There should still be some stew left in the Kitchen.”
“That precious thing, you mean?”
“Precious, indeed.”
“No. You’ve given us such a miracle… how could it not be precious?”
“Haha. It’s a miracle that the two of you created together. You must finish all the remaining stew. Every last bit. Do you understand? That’s how the effects last until the very end.”
“…Effects.”
“Yes. Effects.”
“I understand now.”
“Then that settles it. Hehe. If you run out, just let me know then.”
“But with everything that’s happened, how could I ask for such a thing?”
“Oh, please do. It would be best if you continued having it for a while longer.”
“How could I… wait, what exactly is this… huh… hehe.”
The Old Gentleman felt burdened.
Yet he did not refuse.
Refusal was not an option.
It was a matter concerning not himself, but the Old Lady.
“Old Gentleman, this is a critical time. Please don’t worry about anything else and make sure to take good care of her.”
“…Thank you. I’ll keep my lips sealed.”
“Ha ha. Yes, that’s right.”
In the meantime, the Old Gentleman brought his index finger to his lips.
A gesture meaning he would stay silent.
Truly, he was remarkable.
‘His perceptiveness is impressive.’
The miracle wrought through my cooking.
Did I not understand what he meant by keeping quiet about it?
It was his own way of showing consideration.
In truth, it didn’t matter to me if he spoke of it.
‘Who would believe him anyway? Even if they did, it wouldn’t concern me.’
It didn’t matter if someone tried to exploit my abilities for their own purposes.
I was confident I could stop them with my own hands.
In this world where no other Hunters existed besides me.
I was certain I could handle any threat that came my way.
Which was precisely why I had taken this action.
Even if the secret eventually came to light, I could deal with it then.
“I’m not sure how to repay you….”
“Repay? I did this because I’m happy to see the two of you together like this.”
“But then we’re the only ones benefiting.”
“That’s right. It’s such a good thing for just us….”
“Then that’s enough.”
Even as we spoke, the Old Gentleman held my hand firmly.
* * *
After being held there for a while, I stepped outside.
‘Phew….’
Only then did I feel the exhaustion seeping into my body.
My limbs felt heavy and weak.
Of course. The process had been long—reinforcing the ingredients as I prepared them, then completing the cooking.
I simply hadn’t shown it, not wanting to be a burden.
Even for me, it hadn’t been easy.
“Heh heh heh….”
Yet even so.
Laughter continued to spill from my lips.
The walk home felt wonderful.
No, I suppose you could say the world is truly wonderful.
My heart feels warm.
‘This is nice. So very nice.’
Since my awakening.
Though I live comfortably in this world now.
A solitude had always lingered in one corner of my heart.
Perhaps it was the resentment I carried from my past life.
Comrades I lost.
Years of hardship.
Hunger.
Misfortune.
All of these things were tightly compressed within my chest.
‘Whether you call it trauma or being bound to the past, it doesn’t matter.’
I thought it was a resentment I would carry my entire life.
Even while laughing, chattering, and finding joy in business, I believed it was a knot I could never untie.
That heaviness buried deep in my heart.
‘…It felt so good. Good enough to think about countless times.’
That moment when I brought warmth to those two people.
It had surely faded away.
The two Old Gentlemen thought they had received a gift from me.
But perhaps it was I who received the gift.
Because that moment was such a precious gift to me.
“It’s good. So good.”
So I couldn’t help but smile.
I was able to return home, continuously overflowing with happiness.
It was a day when I finally untied one piece of the resentment I had carried for so long.
* * *
“What, did something good happen?”
“It did.”
Throughout the entire time I was running the business.
Perhaps he found it strange that I was humming.
Jin-woo looked at me with curiosity.
“What is it? If there’s something good, tell me too.”
“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”
“Aw, how stingy.”
“Tsk. Stingy, you say. If you knew, you’d be hurt.”
To understand this, you’d have to experience the apocalypse.
And asking you to experience that would be asking you to die.
Of course you can’t know. No, you shouldn’t know.
Still, this Jin-woo had good instincts in other ways.
“Oh! It’s been a while since the two of you came out?”
“Half right.”
“Come on. I think I got it.”
“Let’s say you did.”
Jin-woo was right.
The two of them had been waiting since early dawn.
‘I was startled to find them standing there before I’d even opened the truck door.’
Before I could even open it, they handed me a bundle wrapped in cloth, full of things.
-Gentlemen, it’s cold. You should have come slowly…
-Heh heh. Then I wouldn’t see you.
-When you get old, you don’t sleep much. Besides, for some reason I feel energetic, so it’s fine.
-That’s a relief. But what is this…?
-It’s jujube tea.
-The wife has been brewing it diligently since you left.
-It’s not just any brew. This one helped out quite a bit beside her. She said your hands mustn’t get hurt, so she spent a long time preparing the jujubes?
-Hmm…
-I’ll drink it gratefully.
Two thermos bottles filled with homemade jujube tea.
The jujube tea made with such care.
I drank it down eagerly.
With each swallow, a pleasant warmth spread through me.
“Hey, you’re not going to give me even one sip of that?”
“No way. Absolutely not.”
“How stingy!”
“Huh. You gave me a cup of coffee today, didn’t you?”
“Tch.”
“You don’t seem to appreciate how precious this is. Should I take it back?”
“I’m sorry, hyung!”
“That’s right. Kekek. That’s how it should be.”
By the way, today I didn’t even have coffee and drank the tea first.
The tea was hot.
So hot that my chest burned.
It was wonderful.
“Ah…”
As the two Gentlemen handed me the jujube tea,
they kept saying this wasn’t enough and to just ask for anything I needed.
But for me, this jujube tea was repayment enough.
“Welcome!”
“Could you give us a bowl?”
“Of course!”
And so began today’s business.
My first customers were two Old Gentlemen.
* * *
Time flew by swiftly.
Before I knew it, a week had passed.
The weather was perfect. Business was thriving.
I found myself smiling constantly as everything unfolded beautifully.
The number of customers continued to grow.
And so did my workload.
Distributing waiting tickets.
Preparing ingredients.
Roasting coffee beans.
There was so much to do.
‘Do I really need to hire staff?’
What I had mentioned in jest before
—the question of whether I needed to hire someone for the Food Truck—was now growing into a serious concern.
‘I need to make a decision.’
The work was relentless.
Even I couldn’t sustain this pace indefinitely.
To consistently serve my customers food of the same quality,
I needed to expand my workforce soon.
But it wasn’t just about hiring help.
‘I started with takeout as a stopgap measure, but…’
What I truly wanted was to open a Restaurant.
This Food Truck was merely a stepping stone.
From that perspective,
‘I need to start expanding both my staff and my Store.’
The next phase after the Food Truck.
It was time to think seriously about securing a location for a proper food business.
‘I have enough capital.’
Fortunately, I had sufficient funds as ammunition.
About 500 customers came daily—the maximum number I could handle with my current preparation capacity working alone.
Each customer purchased one cup of instant noodles for 3,000 won.
My daily revenue was around 1.5 million won.
Subtracting just the Food Truck rental fee,
and accounting for the surprisingly high cost of ingredients, I was left with approximately 800,000 won daily.
In a month, I could earn about 24 million won in pure profit.
‘Wow, when I look at it like this, it’s absolutely insane.’
Monthly net profit in the twenty-millions.
That figure includes my own labor costs as I work day and night without rest.
It’s such a large sum that I can’t help but whistle at it.
‘With this much money… hmm…’
If I save for just a few more months, I’ll have more than enough for the deposit.
Besides, I’ve already registered the Food Truck as a business.
‘It’s almost been three months now, so I should be able to get a loan soon, right?’
Since I’ve been recording daily sales, I could start qualifying for a small business loan.
I still have the qualifications of a small business owner, so if I do this right, I should be able to get a loan at a decent interest rate.
‘I’ll cover the deposit with my own money. If I take out a partial loan for renovations… it’ll be tight, but it should work.’
Now the question is where to open the Store.
Until I started the Food Truck, I hadn’t really thought about location.
‘If possible, I’d like it to be near this Food Truck Area.’
This place that’s become half my home.
I found myself wanting it to be here.
My thoughts on this could only grow more resolute.
“Go on, take this.”
“Oh my. You don’t have to give me something every time like this.”
“Hey. If I don’t have to take it, then I’ll have a cup too…”
“Just take the coffee!”
“Tsk… Give me a ticket instead. I’ll hand them out today.”
“…Hmph. You’re clever. Just half a cup again today?”
“Hehe. See? I knew you’d give me something. Come on, give me the ticket. Half a cup.”
“I can’t keep up with you.”
“Now you know? Oh my. I’m going.”
The regular customers who keep coming by so diligently.
The warmth and affection woven among them.
All of it held me fast with an adhesive strength.
“Hehe. It’s a pleasant sight. Anyway, go on and take it.”
“I still have what you gave me yesterday. Though they took half of it over there.”
“Then you should take it. Hehe.”
“Then I’ll gratefully enjoy it.”
“Good. And is there anything else you need?”
“If you keep asking if I need anything, I won’t even accept the jujube tea?”
“Hmm… I understand. I understand. You’re stubborn.”
“I know what you mean, but as you can see, business is going very well. I wish every day was like today.”
“Is that so? Hehe. I just worry that you’re working too hard, young one.”
“It’s not hard work. Hehe.”
“Then that’s good. I’ll come back later for two bowls today.”
“Yes! I’ll make it especially delicious for you! I’ll see you when I open the Store later.”
“Hehe. Thank you.”
“I’m the grateful one!”
It’s not just the regulars either.
“One bowl for me!”
“One for me too! Make it spicy today!”
“Yes! Order received! Here’s the spicy cup ramen. And this is the black garlic stamina ramen.”
Customers arriving with their precious waiting tickets.
They are no less precious to me than anyone else.
‘They’re all precious.’
Each and every one of them is a good customer to me.
Someone might say I’m being too virtuous.
‘Just try living in the apocalypse for a month—no, even just ten days.’
I guarantee it.
When survival itself is the urgent reality.
The struggles and conflicts that unfold within it.
A cliff edge where even the slightest misstep means falling.
Experience that apocalyptic life for just ten days, and your values will change.
Sometimes the happiness found in peace that seems like nothing at all.
A single word of gratitude, a simple thank you.
Each one of those would become precious.
I knew this as clearly as truth itself.
‘After I clock out today, I need to prep the base. Before opening the store, I should try to find part-time staff. Maybe I’ll talk to Jin-woo first?’
Perhaps that’s why.
I’m determined to keep going, if only to hold onto this happiness.
To protect it.
I continue boiling the ramen as it bubbles up.
And I kept my attention on my surroundings.
‘Huh…?’
My instincts caught something odd.
* * *
‘Who are those people? Well, well. Bang Owner is out here?’
A mix of strangers and familiar faces.
The one who caught my attention most was, of course, Bang Owner.
Even though he knew I was looking at him, he was quietly avoiding my gaze.
Instead, he was busily guiding these unfamiliar people around.
‘Hmm… they’re all well-dressed people.’
The strangers were all wearing formal suits.
Suits—clothing that business owners who value mobility rarely wear.
Meaning they weren’t from this line of work.
And Bang Owner, unusually kind-faced, was pointing to various places around him with his hand as he spoke to guide them.
Some of the men in suits had pulled out notepads and were slowly writing something down.
‘I wonder what they’re talking about…?’
Shhhhk— Swish—
I didn’t stop my cooking.
Instead, I tilted my ear to listen.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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