The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 128

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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 128. Skewer Shop
This man—he used to run a skewer shop.
‘Even with his nerves, he was someone who worked hard.’
Once I showed him, his hands moved quickly. I’d say his posture in front of the grill was excellent.
And the most important thing was something else entirely.
‘He made his own sauce instead of using commercial products. The taste was… hmm… a bit lacking, but.’
That detail stuck with me, which is why I remembered him.
When all the surrounding street vendors used ready-made products, he alone used his own sauce.
Even though the taste was unfinished.
That choice alone—to make and serve something of his own creation—deserved respect.
‘The sauce was rough. There were sections where the seasoning spiked. The ingredient ratios weren’t balanced. Goodness, now that I think about it… it was pretty much a mess. But still, it wasn’t… bad.’
Yet there was direction to it. I could read what he was pursuing.
Whether he knew that himself, I couldn’t say.
But I certainly never expected him to find his way here.
I watched him from beyond the kitchen counter.
“…You’re the Skewer Shop Owner, aren’t you?”
His eyes widened for a moment.
“Ah, you remember me.”
He seemed relieved.
Like someone who’d just survived something. It was clear he’d been wrestling with something for quite a while before coming here.
Coming here itself didn’t seem like an easy decision.
But he said nothing.
‘I don’t know what he wants to say, but his lips won’t open.’
The Owner opened his mouth at the counter, then closed it again.
He seemed to be trying to speak, but the words caught somewhere in his throat.
I watched him for a moment, then moved about the kitchen busily.
“Would you like a bowl?”
“Pardon?”
“It looks like you’ve closed up your kitchen…”
“I’ll just boil you some ramen.”
I set the pot on the heat.
While the water boiled, I pulled out the noodles. I used only half the broth packet, adjusting the rest separately.
I sliced two green onions and placed them on top, then added bean sprouts.
‘Make it feel like a hangover cure. Let it refresh his spirit.’
When the time was right, I turned off the heat.
That was all.
“Enjoy.”
“Thank you for the meal.”
The Owner carefully picked up his chopsticks and took a bite.
“Ahhhh…”
His expression had shifted.
I hadn’t done anything particularly special—I’d simply infused it with warmth.
Yet that alone caused his shoulders to drop, as if whatever tension he’d been gripping so tightly was finally releasing.
“…This is delicious.”
“Ramen is naturally delicious.”
“Haha. You’re right. It’s naturally delicious. I’ll enjoy it.”
The Owner took another spoonful. This time, he appeared far more at ease.
* * *
He stood before the counter and spoke.
“Actually, I came here today to ask for something.”
“To ask for something?”
“Yes… I know it’s shameless. The very fact that I’m saying this is…”
I said nothing.
“But… I couldn’t find anyone else to ask. No matter what I tried.”
“Hmm… So there’s something you wish to ask for.”
“Yes.”
He paused there, then looked at me.
“I… want to learn cooking. From you… however I can….”
I found it unexpected.
‘It’s rarer than I thought for someone to walk through the door like this.’
Usually, requests of this kind come through someone you know, or if not that, through careful DMs or emails.
In truth, all of that is about preserving pride.
‘Coming in person is something even those with dignity find difficult.’
Even when someone genuinely needs it, those who come in person despite their pride and excuses are truly rare.
Yet this man had come.
That alone…
‘Seems like he’s worth having a conversation with.’
There was reason to talk.
So I untied my apron and led the Skewer Shop Owner, who stood with his head bowed low, deeper into the store.
* * *
“What happened?”
I asked as soon as we settled in.
What was the story behind this.
“Ever since the Night Market, I’ve kept trying.”
The Owner’s hands, resting on his knees, clenched and unclenched briefly.
“Kept trying?”
“I treated it as training. I increased the time standing before the grill, kept refining the sauce, and continued making skewers.”
“And then?”
“I went to festivals in other areas. They sold—just the basic grilled ones.”
“There’s a difference between what sells at festivals and what sells in a store, though.”
“I only realized that later. And that was the most important part, you know.”
The Owner chuckled briefly before composing himself.
“But that feeling back then… For the first time, it felt like I was actually accomplishing something.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I grill quite quickly, you see.”
“Quickly?”
Back then, this man wasn’t fast at all. He’d been flustered, unable to keep up with the backlog of orders.
“Yes. That grilling technique you taught me back then. I practiced it relentlessly. And through all that practice, I became able to work faster.”
“Oh… You worked hard at it?”
“Yes… I really did work hard at it—hard enough to think I’d die doing it.”
He must have. Back then, it was truly a mess. And now he says he’s gotten faster. That’s impossible without effort.
‘Since what he learned from me back then was grilling… it seems he focused entirely on the grilling technique.’
As I was piecing together the situation, the Skewer Shop Owner continued.
“That speed was a real advantage at the Festival. Orders came out so quickly that the line moved fast.”
“So you gained some confidence from that?”
“Yes. That’s why I opened a store.”
“A store?”
“…Yes. A store.”
He paused for a moment.
“It was harder than I expected.”
“Wasn’t that something you anticipated to some degree? Even Festival business is still business, after all.”
“Well, yes. But this… ”
The Owner’s gaze lowered toward the counter.
“When you actually experience it, ‘working yourself to death’ and ‘hardship’ are quite different things.”
I let that statement hang in the air.
Beyond the counter, the Owner’s shoulders had dropped lower.
Lower than when he’d first sat down.
With each word, it seemed like something accumulated inside him was slowly leaking out.
‘This kind of thing needs to leak out.’
So I let him continue. Let him speak more.
“I lasted one season. Then I lasted the next season too. I tried everything I could think of, but… ”
His voice had flattened. Not emotionless, but the voice of someone who had exhausted their emotions.
“The business just wouldn’t improve.”
“Hmm… What do you think the reason was?”
The Owner’s expression became thoughtful for a moment.
“At the Festival, people eat as they pass by. They catch the smell and eat on impulse. But at a store, people come specifically looking for you. I didn’t understand that difference when I went in.”
“You didn’t understand the difference?”
“No. There was no reason for people to come on purpose… ”
The Owner nodded.
“Just grilled skewers aren’t a reason for people to seek you out intentionally. When you look at it coldly, anyway.”
I thought to myself that this was someone who knew how to diagnose their own problems.
“That’s right. So I came to find you. After worrying and worrying some more… I’ve set aside my pride and dignity. Please… just once more, like back then. Would it be possible if you helped me just this once?”
Help. Had anyone ever desired my assistance with such desperation before?
‘… No.’
Definitively not. Even in my past life, it had been an exceedingly rare occurrence.
Because of that, I could give him an answer.
“Let’s give it a try.”
The Owner lifted his head.
“R, really?”
“Yes. Really.”
The Owner blinked once. Then again, slowly.
“… Thank you.”
Then he offered his gratitude in a quiet voice.
It had been quite some time since words of thanks carried such weight.
“Actually, I won’t know what to teach you until I see it myself. I need to observe the problem directly.”
“Still, just knowing you’ll look is enough.”
“Besides, I’ve been wanting to watch the grilling process again myself. Something about it bothered me when I saw it at the Night Market.”
“Ah, I see.”
The Owner looked bewildered for a moment, then nodded as if understanding what I meant.
“And if you show me your store, that should be sufficient. You’ll need to practice it directly, after all.”
“Oh, come anytime. We actually don’t have customers right now, so even now would be fine.”
“Is that so? Then would it be alright if I stopped by after closing up tonight?”
“I, I’d be happy to!”
The Owner nodded several times.
“Then I’ll see you later.”
“Yes, yes! I’ll prepare everything!”
As he stood up, his movements appeared noticeably lighter than when he’d arrived.
He walked toward the entrance, glanced back once, then simply bowed and left.
The door closed.
‘An unexpectedly entertaining visit.’
* * *
‘How did he find a store in this location?’
Once night fell, I set out.
What was interesting was the address the Owner had sent me.
It pointed to a familiar place.
The New City District.
“Since it’s close, I can just walk there.”
Unless it’s quite far, I prefer to walk.
I thought of it as getting some fresh air, but when I actually started walking, I arrived faster than expected.
It meant that the New City District and my restaurant were that close to each other.
It also meant that Jang On-gyu was nearby.
Back then, I couldn’t have secured it even if I’d tried.
I’d even given up after searching for this location for a while.
That’s what made me curious.
The moment I saw the Owner, I asked to break the awkward silence.
“I’ve arrived.”
“Ah, welcome!”
“Yes. But how did you manage to secure this location? When I first opened my restaurant, I looked into this area too, but it wasn’t easy to find. I eventually gave up and went to the outskirts instead.”
“It seemed that way at first.”
The Owner said as he walked.
“So it’s different now?”
“That’s right. It’s probably because, like me….”
His words paused before continuing.
“You could say we’re transients. Since Jang On-gyu’s Representative created this new commercial district, people who tried it and failed are starting to leave.”
“I see.”
That’s when I understood.
A Chef from the Apocalypse Ventures into the Food Industry
Author |
Heunghaeng
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Samyang C&C
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Editorial Department
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G720:N+A063-20260206001
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No part of this book may be used in any form or by any means without the written permission of Samyang C&C – Dream Books.

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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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