The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 15

—————

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

—————

Chapter 15. People Don’t Change So Easily (2)
[The prepared trap has been activated.]
The next evening, I finished my preparations earlier than usual. Yet I didn’t leave.
I only pretended to go.
It was because of my suspicions.
The moment I vacated the space, an alert chimed.
‘Just as I thought. They took the bait.’
I couldn’t help but exult at this.
When I returned to look, the scene was absolute chaos.
“Ahhhhh! What is this?!”
“A m-monster!”
The Ruffians were trapped inside.
They thrashed about frantically in every direction.
‘They’re experiencing hallucinations.’
The trap that conjured illusions had been triggered.
It showed them their deepest fears.
If they feared ghosts, they saw ghosts. If they feared insects, insects crawled all over them.
Since they cried out about monsters, it seemed they harbored a primal dread of such creatures.
‘How fascinating.’
I never expected them to see monster illusions in a world that wasn’t even an apocalypse.
Perhaps the illusion was more potent than I anticipated.
The Ruffians displayed their aggression.
“Don’t come near! Don’t come near me!”
“Arghhhh!”
Hisssss— hisssss—
The spray paint cans they each held in their hands.
“No! Stop! Don’t spray me!”
“Ahhhhh!”
They began spraying it everywhere in panic.
Their entire bodies became covered in a riot of colors.
How much had they sprayed?
Pssshhhhh.
The spray paint cans sputtered with the sound of empty air, completely depleted.
By then.
[The trap skill has been deactivated.]
The trap that seemed like it would confine the Ruffians forever had finally ended.
“Huff… huff…”
“What…?”
The monster that had chased them, the forest that kept returning them to the same spot whenever they tried to escape—all of it vanished.
And then, the truth was revealed.
“Has the sun risen?”
“…Morning already?”
For these people, this was the time they would normally feel the time difference.
It was early morning.
* * *
The Food Truck Zone was crowded with people from early morning.
It was for the opening rush of Kim Seon-woo’s Food Truck, the Ramen Case.
Normally, they would have yawned and swallowed their boredom.
But not today.
-Hey, what are those guys doing among themselves?
-This is chaos!
-What is that?
From early morning, people who looked like ruffians sprayed lacquer all over each other.
They moved frantically and screamed, bewildered by what they were seeing.
Then, as if they suddenly came to their senses.
“Aaahhhhh…!”
“C-crazy… this is all… ugh…!”
They let out screams.
Then they looked around frantically.
After staring blankly for a while.
“Did we get possessed by a ghost or something?”
“Let’s… let’s… go….”
They left in a line, one after another.
Even though ten minutes had passed since they left, people were still buzzing with conversation.
Thanks to the unexpected spectacle.
There was someone greatly mistaken about this.
It was Bang Owner, who had come out early in the morning.
‘Oh. People are gathering? Did I do well?’
He cheered upon hearing the people buzzing.
He thought the job had been done properly.
‘With this much commotion, the lacquer must have been sprayed well. Hehehehe. I’m done. Really.’
I should keep this as photographic evidence.
As proof that the Food Truck Zone’s ‘environment’ was poor.
Thinking he should give the kids a bonus, Bang Owner turned on his phone camera and moved forward.
“Hehehehe.”
He didn’t even hide the laughter that came naturally.
Bang Owner was shocked as he moved ahead.
“Huh?”
What? The Food Truck should be covered in lacquer.
The surrounding area should be a mess filled with garbage.
‘Am I unharmed?’
Not just unharmed—I’m perfectly fine!
As if nothing had happened at all.
I was startled and bewildered.
“What, what is this!”
“What do you mean, what?”
An answer came abruptly from behind me.
“You failed, that’s what.”
I turned around to see Kim Seon-woo.
Though he was clearly smaller in build than me, he somehow loomed like a giant.
As I flinched, I heard Kim Seon-woo’s quiet voice.
“You… you are…”
“Stop playing games, will you?”
“Hiiiek…!”
What is this? Just a single sentence.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
The moment I heard him, my heart began pounding as if it would burst.
‘W-what is this guy really…’
Bang Owner, who had just realized what fear was.
I dredged up the ruffian instincts I’d buried since my school days.
The survival instinct of the weak fleeing the strong!
“N-next time…”
That was the moment I attempted to escape.
An alarm that I couldn’t hear rang out.
[Skill 【Trap】 activates.]
“Aaaaaaaah…!”
I began thrashing about wildly.
As if dancing.
* * *
“Heeaah… hah…”
What is happening here?
Had it been ten minutes? I couldn’t tell.
After thrashing about for a while, I suddenly felt my vision clearing.
-Kekekek… what is that?
-Is he performing?
-If this was prepared as a performance, then…
The moment I regained my senses, the voices I heard made it difficult to maintain my composure.
Laughter echoed from all around.
“Ugh…”
What in the world is happening?
I couldn’t understand the cause, nor could I grasp what was happening at all.
I wanted to go to the Food Truck and vent my frustration.
‘…I can’t go. I’m scared.’
For some reason, my feet wouldn’t move.
It was the lingering effect of Kim Seon-woo’s relentless discipline.
Bang Owner’s face flushed red as he retreated like a fleeing coward.
[The trapped target is fleeing.]
[Successfully driven away.]
[Experience points obtained.]
“Well, off you go.”
* * *
The heaviness in my chest lifted considerably.
“Welcome!”
“Two bowls, please.”
“Yes, I’ve noted your order for two.”
Orders came in one after another.
Today’s special was scallion ramen.
It was a day themed around stamina-replenishing dishes.
‘If Bang Owner had eaten this, he would’ve felt energized.’
I would’ve given him two bowls for free if he’d come.
Unfortunately(?), Bang Owner didn’t show his face at all.
Regular customers trickled in sporadically.
I served dishes to Janus and the two Old Gentlemen.
“Jin-woo, we need more takeout cups!”
“Yes, sir!”
I replenished the bowls as they ran out.
I spent the time with Jin-woo, who was organizing things.
Before I knew it.
“Wow… Lunch rush is already over?”
Time had passed quickly.
“Fast, right?”
“Seriously. I had no classes today, so I thought I’d help out, and wow…! Do you do this every day, hyung?”
“I have to. It’s how I make my living.”
“How you make your living….”
Slurp. Slurp.
Jin-woo hadn’t tired of ramen despite eating it daily, already finishing two bowls.
As he ate, he seemed to be pondering something.
‘That’s unusual for him to be so serious.’
It seemed the word “livelihood” had lodged itself in his mind.
I understood. In my past life, I too had once been a fresh-faced newcomer to society.
It took quite a long time before I secured employment.
The frustration and helplessness I felt back then.
‘I never want to experience that again.’
Even if someone told me they understood, I couldn’t believe them.
It’s something I truly despise.
Everyone says they go through such a phase.
But it must be quite difficult for Jin-woo as well.
‘I should give him another bowl.’
Sometimes actions speak louder than words of comfort.
As I prepared to use my Enhancement Skill to serve him a special bowl of ramen, Jin-woo asked me something unexpected.
“Do you enjoy cooking, hyung?”
“Do I enjoy it?”
“Yes. Every time I see you, it’s nothing but hard work. When I watch, it seems like you’re working even after you go inside. Growing ingredients, prepping them every time—I see you bringing in prepped materials.”
Prep. Ingredient preparation. Sauce and seasoning preparation—the foundation required for cooking.
In simple terms, mise en place.
Since I aim for things done my way rather than with predetermined ingredients.
This ramen also required more preparation than one might think.
Jin-woo must know this too. He’s asking if it’s worth doing despite being so difficult.
“It is hard, isn’t it?”
“But you do it anyway?”
“If I add the answer to your first question, it becomes simple. Because I love it.”
“Do you really love it that much?”
“Yes. I truly love cooking.”
After my awakening, I said my path was the food service industry.
‘But even if I hadn’t awakened, maybe I would have cooked someday?’
Whether sooner or later, I would have cooked.
Regardless of what kind of cooking it was.
Cooking itself.
That’s what I love so much.
And the moment I serve that cooking to my customers.
Is it greed to hope my sincerity reaches them?
“Hmm….”
Jin-woo stared at my face for a long while.
His lips moved silently for quite some time.
It was the moment he seemed to have made a decision and was about to speak.
“What if, you see. If I….”
“Hmm?”
A group of people arrived at the entrance of the Food Truck Zone ahead.
It seemed they were carrying documents to post and banners to hang, their arms full of supplies.
My attention was momentarily diverted.
“Something just arrived. Anyway, what were you trying to say?”
“…No, it’s nothing. I’ll tell you next time.”
“You’re such a bore.”
Jin-woo hesitated again, as if lost in thought.
‘He clearly has something he wants to say?’
I was prepared to listen to whatever Jin-woo wanted to tell me.
But it seemed he still lacked resolve. His hesitation appeared to grow stronger.
In moments like these.
‘Let me leave it be for now. If he finds his resolve, he’ll come to me with whatever’s on his mind.’
Sometimes, doing nothing was the right answer.
I shouldn’t push him in any direction. After all, when people make their own decisions, they tend to have fewer regrets.
With that thought, I stretched my arms wide and then.
“It looks like everything’s ready. Want to go check it out together?”
“Me too?”
“Yeah. Let’s go see before break time ends.”
I headed toward the bulletin board with the official notice.
‘That was fast?’
I had already anticipated the contents of the official notice.
[Youth Mall Grand Opening Cooking Competition!]
To commemorate the opening of our Suwon City Youth Mall, we are pleased to announce a new cooking competition in collaboration with the Eatery District.
The qualifications for competition entry are…
It was an official notice for the Youth Mall opening commemoration cooking competition.
On the banner stretched above it.
Congratulations) Cooking Competition Held! (Celebration
I had already guessed from seeing those words written there.
“The Youth Mall is opening soon.”
“It’s fast.”
“That’s what I’m saying. Usually everything moves slowly, but today it’s really moving fast.”
“So this Food Truck Zone really is disappearing. Phew.”
“I see. There’s also an application for moving into the Youth Mall written here. I heard those from this Food Truck Zone get bonus points?”
“Hmm… If there are bonus points as expected, it might not be so bad.”
“But those bonus points aren’t everything, you know.”
“Is that so?”
“We just have to hope we get accepted, that’s all.”
The Food Truck Zone Owners each reacted differently.
Half worry, half excitement.
Amid the rush of so many emotions, I found myself staring intently at all the official notices written there.
Ding-
Something unexpected appeared.

—————

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

—————