Alpha Culinary Love

The room was buzzing with chatter as the guests indulged in their dishes, completely unaware of the storm that was brewing behind the scenes. Jiyeon had been running back and forth between the kitchen and the dining area, ensuring every plate left the kitchen at exactly the right temperature, texture, and visual appeal. Kang and Yura, meanwhile, had taken on the vital roles of Jiyeon's reluctant co-conspirators, trying to keep her sane as the night progressed.

Jiyeon peeked into the dining area from the kitchen door, her eyes scanning the guests. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until her gaze landed on one table where a guest was poking at their escargot like it was an alien creature.

"Oh no," Jiyeon muttered, her eyes narrowing.

Kang, noticing her panic, sidled up beside her. "What? What is it this time?"

"That guy," Jiyeon hissed, pointing with her chin. "Table four. He's—he's dissecting the escargot. What the hell is he doing?"

Kang leaned over to get a better view, his brows furrowing. "Huh. Maybe he's trying to figure out what it is? Not everyone's used to the idea of stuffed snails."

Jiyeon groaned, running a hand through her hair. "I swear, if he complains—"

"Relax," Kang interrupted, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "If he complains, we'll send Yura over. She can dazzle him with her 'customer service' skills."

Yura, who had been eavesdropping from the other side of the kitchen, strolled over with a smirk. "Oh, you want me to handle Mr. Picky over there? I'll charm him so hard, he'll forget how to use a fork."

Jiyeon gave her a skeptical look. "Right. Because charming people with that death glare of yours always works so well."

Yura's smirk deepened. "Jealous of my people skills, are we?"

Before Jiyeon could retort, a server walked into the kitchen holding one of the crème brûlée dishes, a concerned look on his face. "Chef, there's an issue with this crème brûlée. Table six says it's 'not crackly enough.'"

Jiyeon's eyes widened in disbelief. "Not

crackly

enough? What does that even mean? Do they want me to blowtorch it at their table?"

Kang bit his lip to stifle a laugh, but Yura had no such restraint. "You could always hand them the torch, Jiyeon. Let them handle it themselves if they're so particular."

"Don't tempt me," Jiyeon muttered, snatching the dish from the server's hands. "I'll fix it."

As Jiyeon prepped the crème brûlée for another round under the blowtorch, Kang leaned against the counter, casually tossing a dishtowel over his shoulder. "You know, this wouldn't be half as fun if you weren't so intense about every single dish."

Jiyeon shot him a glare that could've melted steel. "I'm not 'intense,' Kang. I'm

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dedicated

. There's a difference."

"Sure, Chef," Kang replied with a grin. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Yura joined in, crossing her arms. "Kang's got a point, though. You do kind of go full drill sergeant when it comes to this stuff. It's entertaining."

Jiyeon waved the blowtorch in their direction, the blue flame flaring for emphasis. "Entertaining, huh? Keep pushing me, and I'll show you just how entertaining this can get."

Kang raised his hands in mock surrender, laughing. "Alright, alright, don't burn the place down. You've still got guests to feed."

Jiyeon grumbled something under her breath as she finished torching the crème brûlée, her mind already racing with the next course. She handed the dish back to the server, who hurriedly took it away before she could have another second thought.

As the final dishes were being plated, Jiyeon took a deep breath, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. "Okay. Last course. We're almost through this."

Yura stepped closer, placing a hand on Jiyeon's arm. "You've done an amazing job, Jiyeon. Look at them everyone's loving the food. You're killing it."

Jiyeon glanced out at the dining room again, the tension in her shoulders easing ever so slightly. The guests were chatting, laughing, and most importantly eating. No one seemed on the verge of sending anything back or storming out in a huff.

Kang, ever the comedian, cleared his throat dramatically. "Wow, Chef. You're not even yelling at anyone anymore. Are we witnessing personal growth?"

Jiyeon shot him a look, her lips twitching. "You want me to start yelling? Because I can still make your life a living hell, Kang."

"Please, like you don't already," Kang shot back with a wink.

Just as things seemed to be winding down, one of the servers rushed into the kitchen again, looking flustered. "Chef! Table eight is asking if they can get the lobster jeon

without

the truffle oil."

Jiyeon blinked, her brain short-circuiting for a moment. "Without… the truffle oil? That's the whole point of the dish!"

Kang burst into laughter, nearly doubling over. "Oh, that's rich. You've got food snobs who don't want the truffle. What's next? They'll ask for ketchup on the coq au vin?"

Yura chuckled, shaking her head. "Maybe they just want to ruin everything tonight."

Jiyeon let out an exasperated sigh. "I swear, this is why I can't have nice things. Fine! I'll make it without the truffle oil. But if they ask for anything else anything I'm sending Kang to deal with them."

Kang grinned, clearly amused. "Oh, I'd love to. I can always offer them my secret recipe for 'truffle-less' gourmet toast. Just bread. Plain. Elegant."

Yura stifled a laugh as Jiyeon threw a towel at Kang's face. "If you even think about it, I will make sure you spend the next week scrubbing grease traps."

Kang dodged the towel, still grinning like a mischievous child. "Can't wait, Chef."

As the final course made its way to the tables, Jiyeon felt the weight of the evening slowly start to lift. The guests were finishing their meals, complimenting the servers, and even better leaving empty plates behind. No more complaints about garnishes or crackliness. No more last-minute demands for truffle-free dishes.

Yura sidled up beside Jiyeon, her voice soft. "See? You pulled it off. It's done."

Jiyeon let out a long breath, her shoulders slumping in relief. "Yeah… I guess I did."

Kang clapped her on the back, a bit too enthusiastically. "Of course you did! And now, Chef, it's time to celebrate."

"Celebrate?" Jiyeon raised an eyebrow, her exhaustion already creeping in. "I don't know if I have the energy."

Yura smirked. "Oh, you'll have the energy. We're taking you out."

Jiyeon blinked, taken aback. "Out?

Now

?"

Kang grinned like a devil. "Yep. No excuses. You've worked yourself half to death all night. It's time to unwind."

Jiyeon opened her mouth to protest, but Yura cut her off with a raised hand. "No arguments. We're going. You've earned it."

Jiyeon sighed, finally relenting. "Fine. But if anyone so much as mentions the word 'truffle,' I'm leaving."

Kang laughed. "Deal. No truffle talk. Just fun."

As they gathered their things and prepared to leave the restaurant behind, Jiyeon glanced back at the now-empty dining room, a satisfied smile tugging at her lips. The night had been chaotic, nerve-wracking, and filled with moments that made her want to strangle her friends but it had also been worth it.

For tonight, at least, she could relax.

As long as Kang and Yura didn't push her too far.

As they left the restaurant and stepped into the crisp night air, Jiyeon felt the tension in her shoulders begin to melt away, replaced with the kind of exhaustion that was almost comfortable. It was the exhaustion that came after a job well done.

Yura, walking beside her, nudged her playfully. "You know, you look almost human when you're not glaring at kitchen staff or trying to set fires with your mind."

Jiyeon snorted. "I wasn't glaring

that

much."

Kang, who was a few steps ahead, turned around with a wide grin. "Please, Chef, you were one more complaint away from spontaneous combustion. I could see the smoke coming out of your ears."

"I wasn't

that

bad," Jiyeon protested weakly, though even she couldn't help but laugh.

"Not bad?" Yura teased. "You almost took out that poor server with a blowtorch."

"He deserved it for bringing back that crème brûlée," Jiyeon muttered, her expression softening into a smirk. "Who sends back

crème brûlée

? It was perfect."

Kang burst out laughing. "I'll never forget the look on your face when he said 'not crackly enough.' It's going down in restaurant history, right alongside the guy who asked for 'less fancy water.'"

"Don't remind me," Jiyeon groaned, covering her face with her hands. "I swear, if one more person asks for 'regular' water, I'll—"

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Yura cut her off, her tone dry. "You'll what? Throw them out of the restaurant? Set their water on fire?"

Jiyeon grinned. "Tempting."

Kang wrapped an arm around Jiyeon's shoulders, pulling her into a sideways hug. "Relax, Chef. You made it through the night without murdering anyone. That's a win in my book."

Jiyeon gave him a side-eye but didn't pull away. "Barely."

The trio continued walking, their banter light and full of laughter as they navigated the quiet streets. Despite the exhaustion, there was something peaceful about the moment something Jiyeon hadn't realized she needed until now. It wasn't often that she got to just

be

with her friends, without the pressure of the restaurant or the stress of perfection hanging over her head.

For the first time that evening, Jiyeon allowed herself to relax, to truly breathe.

And it felt damn good.