The Chef From the Apocalypse Enters the Food Industry - Chapter 8

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

Chapter 8. Win-Win! (2)
Sssssss—
The aroma of coffee spread widely through the air.
“Hah… the scent is particularly wonderful today. What’s the occasion?”
“I think it’s because the roasting turned out well.”
“Is that so? It really is lovely.”
Inhale. Inhale.
The Cafe Owner breathed in several times.
Seeing him smile with his eyes closed, he genuinely seemed to love this aroma.
He was someone so deeply passionate about coffee, after all.
“Ahhh… wonderful.”
He lamented that he needed to save money to open his own shop, yet whenever good beans appeared, he spent his savings buying them instead.
When I suggested he could buy them later, he said it wouldn’t taste the same if not now.
He complained that bean prices had become astronomical lately, making it even harder to save.
Yet he endlessly sought out new beans and continued tasting them.
Without a single day off.
Some might call it foolish.
‘But I understand.’
When you become obsessed with something, that’s simply how it goes.
It wasn’t bad to become obsessed without regard for profit or consequence.
Having something to be obsessed with was actually a form of happiness.
Even in my previous life’s apocalypse, there were quite a few like him.
Those people survived the longest. Until the very end.
If this world was indeed what they call a parallel world…
Then I hoped those people also received the same fortune as me and lived well…
‘Ugh. What pathetic sentimentality.’
What pulled my wandering mind back was a notification.
[The Persistent Trap’s duration is 3 hours.]
That rich aroma the Cafe Owner was savoring.
While coffee naturally possessed its own fragrance, the trap embedded within it was amplifying that scent.
A so-called persistent trap skill.
I had applied the trap skill I’d used before to this place as well.
And thanks to that, the aroma continued spreading.
‘3 hours. Perfect.’
And then there were the samples the Cafe Owner had prepared.
“Ten cups should be enough, right?”
“Yes. Ten espresso cups—once we do a tasting round, everyone will be desperate for more.”
“I really hope that happens.”
“It will.”
“Alright. Since you’re helping me like this, I have to give it my all. Let’s do this!”
“Fighting!”
“Fighting!”
With those cheers of encouragement, the coffee business started first.
* * *
‘Quite the crowd.’
The coffee truck had always been the first to open for business.
He opened as early as possible in the morning, selling morning coffee from the start. He also prepared simple sandwiches to sell, but today he boldly skipped that.
A line of customers wanting just coffee stretched long from early morning.
-Wow… what flavor is this… how is it like this?
-Why? What’s it like?
-You try it too!
-Huh? Wow…!
-Hey, you’re having another?
-Of course. This is the real deal! It’s insane!
The reviews were unanimously glowing!
A cup of coffee from the coffee truck cost 2,000 won for an Americano.
Beyond that, he made various types, but none exceeded 3,000 won.
That coffee was delivering the highest satisfaction!
‘It would be stranger if business didn’t go well.’
Thanks to that, the line stretched long and reached all the way to where I was standing.
The coffee shop had hit the jackpot right from the start.
* * *
Jin-woo, who arrived first, clicked his tongue at the sight of the long line.
“Phew. What’s going on with the coffee truck?”
“You’re here?”
“Yes! I was planning to grab a cup of coffee first, but… it looks impossible today?”
“Yeah, today’s definitely not happening.”
“That’s a shame.”
Jin-woo, who had been juggling both studies and part-time work.
For him, a cup of coffee was like a potion.
So of course he was disappointed to miss it.
I extended my hand toward Jin-woo.
“Here.”
“Huh? What’s this?”
What was in my hand was an Americano.
“The cafe owner gave me a cup. It’s gotten a bit cold, but it still tastes good.”
“Wow… how thoughtful! Thank you!”
“That’ll be 3,000 won.”
“Huh!?”
“Just kidding. Go ahead and drink it.”
“Hehe. I knew you’d say that!”
Jin-woo took a sip with a warm smile.
!!!!
The reaction came immediately.
The moment he tasted it, he was startled, his eyes darting between the coffee cup and me. Astonishment and admiration were written all over his face.
“What did you do, hyung?”
“What could I have done?”
His instincts were sharp, I had to admit.
“No, but this taste… wow…”
“It’s different, right?”
“Yeah. It’s insane.”
“It’s the power of fresh beans. The owner was fortunate enough to get new beans.”
I had no intention of revealing that I’d touched the beans.
For now, it would remain our secret.
But the taste was undeniable.
“Wow… no wonder the line was so long. Are you using new beans every day from now on?”
“That’s right.”
“I won’t be able to afford this for a while. Actually, maybe not ever.”
Regret was evident in Jin-woo’s expression as he gazed at the coffee truck.
“If it comes out faster, that’s all that matters, right? Since it’s coming out early, you could study earlier too.”
“That’s true, I suppose? If I get out early, I can study more. Though I’ll be tired.”
“Wouldn’t the coffee give you energy instead of making you tired?”
“…You really know how to hit with facts.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“Anyway, you’re so self-centered. Ah, that’s not a compliment.”
“Oh. Playing ahead, are we?”
“It’s called growth!”
Jin-woo was making jokes more than usual today.
But his eyes weren’t smiling. He was cautiously glancing back and forth between me and the signboards.
“But what are those…?”
“Oh. I brought them from the Gourmet Alley. They’re like advertisements or something?”
“…Is that allowed?”
“If I did it, it must be allowed, right?”
“But this… you’re blocking the shop space… ahem.”
He was trying to say I was blocking the storefront.
Jin-woo started to speak but held back.
Then he let out a deep sigh.
“Why are you going this far…?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“How can I not worry about this!”
“If someone has to use it, it should be me. You shouldn’t worry about such things, should you?”
“But still!”
“Just come, enjoy your meal, and leave happy. That’s what I’m most grateful for.”
“…Sigh, you really are generous.”
That settled the matter.
I had a duty to make my first customer of the day leave satisfied and happy.
“So you’re leaving just like this today?”
“Why would I do that?”
“But why don’t you have the tables set up like usual? And I don’t see the Ramen Case sign either.”
Jin-woo was right. I hadn’t set up the sign or the tables.
Why? Because I had another way to overcome this situation.
“But I have this instead.”
I attached what I’d prepared in advance right in front of the register.
My secret weapon to solve the sign crisis!
“Huh?”
Jin-woo was the first to be surprised.
* * *
‘Perfect!’
Bang Owner tapped his own head repeatedly. It was a gesture of praise.
He felt proud the entire way back to his shop.
‘Only I would think this far ahead. Sheesh. Everyone else just stuffs their bellies and sits idle—do they think business runs itself?’
Before long, he had become a magnanimous owner who cared about the Gourmet Alley.
Though in truth, it was all for his own shop.
But who would know that?
“You’re back, boss?”
“Yeah.”
“Something good must have happened today, sir.”
“Does it look that way?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Something good? Well, there was! Hehe.”
Bang Owner broke into a wide grin.
Seeing that, the Part-time Worker made a tired expression and excused himself to do some cleaning.
Bang Owner, left alone, chuckled to himself.
‘Without tables, will business even happen? Some customers will line up but then head straight to the alley! From then on, they’re my customers. Should I even increase the ingredient order today?’
Click. Click.
He actually placed an increased order with his ramen supplier.
It was a calculated decision.
‘Where else would the customers who stop coming to the Ramen Shop go? They’ll naturally come to the more upscale Ramen Restaurant!’
The hope that he’d attract far more customers than before.
With that hope, he continued to smile.
* * *
Time passed, and it was lunchtime.
For some reason, customers weren’t coming.
“Hmm… no customers?”
“Well… weekday lunches typically don’t get many customers, you know?”
“Right? That’s because it’s a weekday lunch, isn’t it?”
“Exactly!”
It must be because it was a weekday.
‘I’m going to have to throw away some of these ingredients.’
The ingredients I’d prepped earlier now seemed like a waste.
After lunch rush ended, it was break time.
Bang Owner stepped outside the shop briefly and spotted someone wearing the same expression as himself.
The Cafe Owner across the way was wearing a gloomy face.
“Hey. Why are you looking so down?”
“What about you?”
For the record, they were friends.
Childhood friends who’d stuck together since they were young.
“Why am I?”
“You’re looking gloomy too. What, did you go get beaten up somewhere again? Want me to help?”
“You’re insane.”
For the record, their personalities were similar too.
Birds of a feather, as they say.
“Ha. When we were kids, you’d always ask for my help whenever I said something like that.”
“Stop bringing up ancient history. Anyway, why do you look so bad?”
“Is it that obvious?”
“How could it not be? You’ve never been able to hide your expressions.”
“Business has been strange lately.”
“Huh? Your spot was doing decent though, wasn’t it?”
“That’s the thing! Sales have been cut in half since this morning. Lunch? Nothing. Not a single customer!”
“Hmm…”
The Cafe Owner’s business suddenly wasn’t doing well.
That was strange.
“Hey, shouldn’t business improve once you put up a sandwich board?”
“You’re a cafe though.”
“Come on. We paid the same amount, didn’t we?”
“It’s Merchant Association money anyway.”
“Regardless! The advertising should be working, but it’s not at all, is it?”
“…Hmm.”
Something felt off. Something was definitely strange.
5:30 PM.
I reopened the shop after the break ended.
It was still quiet.
Six o’clock—the peak hour that should have been bustling.
Only scattered customers occupied the tables, and business was far from booming.
Seven o’clock.
No customers. People who should have come for a late dinner simply weren’t showing up.
Seven thirty.
By this point, Bang Owner’s mental state had completely collapsed.
There were fewer customers than usual.
‘What is this? What’s going on? Why is it like this?’
By the numbers, he should have had more customers than usual.
Even on weekdays, this time slot was always packed.
Unlike other shops in the area, customers would arrive fresh from finishing their academy classes.
The age group attending academies was quite young.
Thanks to that, his ramen was quite popular.
Yet they weren’t coming.
It was around this moment that he sensed it.
‘Something’s wrong.’
Something wasn’t adding up.
The culprit was obvious.
‘It’s that bastard!’
He quickly rushed outside the shop.
“What’s up? Are you closing early too?”
“I don’t know, just come with me.”
“Huh?”
His friend, the Cafe Owner, happened to be closing up early as well.
He dragged his bewildered friend along.
They headed toward the Food Truck Zone.
* * *
‘I was right!’
Why were bad premonitions never wrong?
“Huh? What’s with that line?”
….
Seeing the long queue, Bang Owner was certain something had gone terribly wrong.
He needed to confirm it.
He tried to stride forward.
“Hey! What are you doing! Get in line!”
“What?”
He was blocked.
“Get in line, sir.”
“I’m not here to wait in line—I have business at that shop over there….”
“That’s exactly why you need to wait in line! Do you know how long these people have been standing here?!”
“…Sigh, fine.”
I glanced around and realized everyone was staring at us.
If I didn’t join the line, I’d be cursed out by the crowd.
I reluctantly moved to the back and took my place in line.
‘What is this situation?’
I’d come this far—I couldn’t back down now.
I needed to confirm it.
Wasn’t it said that knowing your enemy and knowing yourself ensures victory?
With the resolve of executing a general for the greater good, I stood in line.
The long queue moved faster than I expected.
And there stood Bang Owner at the register!
Right in front of him.
‘Huh…?’
I was overwhelmed by just two lines.
[Cup Ramen for Sale.]
[Takeout Available!]

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