The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 28

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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 28. A Young Guest (2)
I couldn’t stop here.
I continued the story I’d started as a mere excuse.
If the connection I’d forcibly drawn from my past life ended here,
then I felt I needed to weave it differently from this point forward.
So I had to keep talking.
“So here’s the thing. If it’s not overstepping my bounds… would you be able to bring Yeon-hee here this weekend?”
“Pardon?”
“We’re planning a modest party at the newly opening restaurant.”
“A party?”
“Yes. A party. Where we all prepare delicious dishes together, bring them, and enjoy eating and celebrating together.”
“Why would we…”
“Because I wasn’t able to treat Yeon-hee properly that day. I felt regretful that I couldn’t convey all my gratitude and appreciation.”
“That’s…”
“I’m asking you this earnestly.”
I bowed deeply.
Then, without even waiting for an answer, I left.
* * *
‘That’s enough.’
Even if it was forced, it didn’t matter. Even if I’d gone mad over coincidence, it didn’t matter.
Though I’d spilled the words out like rapid fire,
I was able to say what I needed to say.
Was it a burden? Probably.
But this time, my heart felt refreshed.
And.
‘Perhaps… there might be others besides that person. Haha. I hope I’m not losing my mind.’
Amid feelings that were strangely both joyful and melancholic,
“Oh, hyung?”
“Let’s finish up together.”
“Sure!”
I returned to reality.
Jin-woo, cleaning up the restaurant alone without showing any signs of fatigue.
This person was one of my landmarks in my current reality.
I patted his shoulder as a gesture of gratitude.
“It must have been tough doing it alone, right?”
“No way. Not at all! Well, hyung, you kept the kitchen so clean anyway. There wasn’t much to clean up.”
“And here I thought you were buttering me up for a raise?”
“Ah, you caught me. Darn!”
“Hehehehe…”
Within that moment, I was able to close out my day.
The restless unease that had lingered for more than a day—it was gone now.
Because somehow, I felt like everything would work out well.
* * *
The day of the modest party had arrived.
Our restaurant, stepping inside.
Now with a small hideout prepared in one corner, this place had transformed into an entirely new appearance, completely different from before.
A real restaurant.
“Wow. This is amazing.”
“You saw it yesterday too, didn’t you?”
“No matter how many times I see it, it’s wonderful. I finally have my own store!”
My store. Why did this word tingle with such moving emotion?
“That’s right. It’s my store.”
“Sigh. I really didn’t know where to start at first!”
“But once we decorated it, doesn’t it look amazing?”
“Exactly! It really does look great!”
We bustled about arranging the space.
There were plenty of tables.
The tables and chairs we’d prepared for the store opening were already installed.
All we had to do was arrange them so everyone could sit together.
The moment all the arrangements were complete.
“Alright, let’s test the stove to make sure it works properly!”
Whoosh—!
We lit the fire.
“Wow…! I was worried since we built it quickly, but look at this!”
“I told you they were professionals. Haha.”
All the remaining equipment worked perfectly too. Good.
“What should I do?”
“You need to make the drinks, Owner!”
“Right! I’m only confident with coffee, but I’ll do my best this time.”
“It already sounds delicious without even tasting it!”
“Haha. Thanks.”
Everyone moved about busily.
Jang Owner and I would handle the cooking. The Coffee Truck Owner—or rather, Older Brother Woo Guk-won, as we’d decided to call him—would take care of the beverages.
The clinking sounds rang out with a pleasant rhythm.
“Ooh… this is impressive.”
“Oh! The Old Gentleman has arrived!”
“Yes. The building owner is here.”
“Haha. Building owner? What are you saying? I only lent you the space. Just the space.”
“That’s right. You all decorated it beautifully. Hoho.”
“That’s right. You all decorated it beautifully. Hehe.”
Amidst the bustling preparations, the two elderly gentlemen entered hand in hand.
A smile naturally bloomed at the sight of the two of them, still looking so good together.
“I’m here! Oh, I thought I’d arrived pretty quickly, but why is everything already done? I was supposed to help too….”
“You’re here? Sit down. You’re a guest today.”
“Really? First-guest treatment?”
“Should we skip it?”
“I’ll sit here quietly like a good little thing!”
“Kekekek….”
Jin-woo arrived, and then the regular customers I’d invited beforehand began to show up.
One by one, they took their seats at the tables we’d prepared in advance.
“Here you are, gentlemen. A special budae jjigae prepared just for you two.”
“Ohhh! Such an honor!”
“This is only natural. Now, I shall treat our guest as the ultimate master of konjac cuisine.”
“Wow!”
“Jin-woo, how about stamina food for you?”
“I’m a guest today, so there’s no work for me to do?”
“You’re just going to leave after everything’s done?”
“Ugh… to be caught like this. How frustrating.”
“Take all that frustration and work it out while you’re cleaning.”
I’d prepared dishes suited to each person’s taste.
That was more than enough to lift the atmosphere in here.
In the midst of it all, I needed to take care of us too.
I pulled out a surprise gift.
“Here, Owner.”
“Huh…!”
“That’s right. Older Brother, this is a gift for you.”
“What is this?”
“Coffee beans. Hawaiian Kona, no less!”
Hawaiian Kona.
One of the legendary three premium beans, no less.
These days, the name itself is practically the price.
I’d managed to source one of them with great difficulty. Even if I didn’t win first place in the competition, I did place.
For reference, the first-place beans go for thousands per kilogram.
Even this much had cost me dearly.
There’s no way Older Brother wouldn’t know the value of this.
“Wha…! How did you even get this!”
“I couldn’t source much. Jang Owner here pulled some strings for me.”
“Huh….”
Exclamations upon exclamations followed.
“Hey, why is Older Brother called ‘Older Brother’ and I’m called ‘Jang Owner’?”
“It hasn’t grown on you yet?”
“Come on, get used to it! Here, Older Brother. Doesn’t this smell incredible?”
“Exactly! We haven’t even roasted it yet and the aroma is already amazing!”
“Hmm… let’s stabilize it first and then brew a full batch to see how it turns out.”
“This evening?”
“Hey, we can at least get a cup out of it!”
“Then let’s give it a shot!”
Jang Owner encouraged Older Brother with enthusiasm.
I poked him in the back.
“Huh? What? Don’t tell me there’s something for me too?”
“As you can see, both my hands are empty.”
“Ugh… that’s disappointing!”
Disappointment spread across Jang Owner’s face, which had been filled with excitement.
Before the disappointment could consume his entire expression, I let out a soft laugh and led him away.
“Why the kitchen? Is there more food coming?”
“There is. If we’re going to serve this properly, I need to prepare it ahead of time. Actually, we’re running a bit late as it is. Haha.”
“What is it?”
“Since we’re doing Hong Kong cuisine, right? Then this is essential. Hong Kong pudding.”
“Pudding!?”
“Hehe. Just watch carefully.”
What I handed to Jang Owner was a recipe.
And not just any recipe—his special one.
Hong Kong egg pudding, to be precise.
The cooking method itself is simple, but the taste varies dramatically depending on what ingredients you add and how you adjust the proportions.
It’s commonly sold in Hong Kong, but it’s still rare in Korea, so I prepared it.
‘This is ginger pudding. The brown sugar is just a bonus.’
I carefully controlled the gelatin consistency by adding ginger in just the right amount.
A subtle recipe that captures the flavor using brown sugar instead of regular sugar.
As I began making that unique Hong Kong pudding, a delicate aroma spread throughout the space.
This required more effort than I expected.
‘The recipe itself is so intricate, after all.’
Even though I had prepared the groundwork beforehand, I still had to explain things step by step.
“Look, even though it seems easy, you have to control the gelatin consistency carefully. And you need to use the brown sugar properly too.”
“Right. It doesn’t look as simple as I thought?”
“Exactly? But don’t worry. I’ll teach you until you understand. This is a gift for you, Jang Owner.”
“Wow…! Thank you. A recipe, no less. I never would have thought of that.”
I continued explaining for quite some time.
Throughout it all, everyone enjoyed themselves.
It was a joyful gathering where everyone savored the flavors of the food.
Meanwhile, others took time to appreciate the aroma of the coffee that Older Brother had brewed.
And so they spent time in the same place, yet each in their own moment.
They were all people from different generations, living in different circumstances.
But in this moment, the warm space we had prepared together and the even warmer dishes made us all one.
The pinnacle of such moments had arrived.
“Hello!”
“…Hello.”
I saw Yeon-hee enter with a slight bow of her head.
And beside her, that person looking at me with an awkward expression.
In this moment, the greatest gift I could give these two was one thing.
“Welcome!”
It was a warmer greeting than any before.
* * *
You could call it perfect timing.
‘This wasn’t the recipe I prepared for this, though.’
I had a gift prepared for these two sitting awkwardly.
As they began eating the dishes, I brought out the freshly completed pudding.
“You’ll love this.”
“Wow…!”
“This is pudding, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Hong Kong-style pudding, no less.”
“!!!”
It was the dish that person had loved most in their past life.
Would their taste be the same this time?
“It’s delicious!”
“…It really is delicious.”
The surprised eyes grew even wider as they ate.
The atmosphere blossomed into warmth and joy.
* * *
Much time had passed.
Good people gathering made for a good time.
As everyone chatted away, I found myself with some leisure and approached that person.
In the midst of our conversation, the topic turned to Yeon-hee, who had fallen asleep beside us.
“Don’t Yeon-hee’s parents worry even when she comes home this late?”
“…They don’t exist.”
“I see.”
This was the same. In my past life, Yeon-hee’s parents had passed away in a sudden accident. For Yeon-hee, it was an unexpected parting. She had suddenly become an orphan.
That person, who was in Hong Kong, chose to return to Korea the moment they heard the news.
‘This is the same as before. They were determined to come to Korea no matter what.’
What differs is the method.
During the apocalypse, they had crossed China and returned due to monster outbreaks.
I returned too late to see Yeon-hee.
This time, it’s the opposite.
I succeeded in returning to Korea quickly.
That’s why, unlike my past life, the two of us can be together.
“So you’re raising her alone?”
“Yes. I imagine that will continue in the future as well.”
“…That’s quite a remarkable resolve.”
“For me, it’s only natural. My older sister raised me that way from childhood, after all.”
Hana had changed from before.
This time, she succeeded in embracing Yeon-hee.
That person, whose only virtue was a sense of responsibility, had ended up taking Yeon-hee under her wing.
Her eyes appeared resolute.
“You must have it tough.”
“Tough? Not at all. I don’t find it difficult. Rather, I learn so much from Yeon-hee. I’m happy about it.”
Before long, the conversation deepened.
The dishes that Yeon-hee enjoyed.
We were in the midst of discussing those.
Perhaps it was the drink that had gone to her head.
With flushed cheeks, she revealed the feelings she had kept hidden, as if embarrassed.

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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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