Alpha Culinary Love

As the night wound down, Jiyeon found herself sitting in the backseat of the sleek black car that Yura had insisted on taking. She rested her head against the cool glass of the window, letting the gentle hum of the road lull her into a rare moment of calm. After the chaos of the evening, the silence was a welcome relief. Well, almost silent—Kang was in the front seat, telling the driver all about his heroic "rescue" of the event earlier, embellishing every detail to an obnoxious degree.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for me, that dessert table would've gone up in flames. I had to act fast," Kang said, turning around in his seat to give Jiyeon a triumphant look.

Jiyeon groaned, covering her face with her hands. "I wasn't going to set the

table

on fire, Kang. Just that one crème brûlée."

Yura, seated beside her, chuckled under her breath. "You do have a bit of a pyromaniac streak when it comes to food."

"I'm passionate," Jiyeon corrected, sitting up straight and smoothing out the nonexistent wrinkles in her dress. "There's a difference."

Kang raised an eyebrow. "You're

something

, Chef."

Yura smirked, resting her head back against the seat. "You know, I think you should stick to cooking and leave the fire hazards to professionals."

Jiyeon narrowed her eyes at Yura, a playful gleam dancing in them. "I don't hear you complaining when I use a blowtorch to perfect your steak."

Yura gave her a faux-serious look. "That's different. That's an art form."

Kang snorted. "Pretty sure it's only 'art' when Jiyeon doesn't look like she's about to burn the whole kitchen down."

Jiyeon threw her hands up in the air. "I didn't start any fires today! Why are you both acting like I'm some kind of arsonist?"

Kang and Yura exchanged a glance before Yura leaned in, her voice low and conspiratorial. "Because you

do

have a certain look in your eye when you've got a blowtorch in hand."

"Yeah," Kang chimed in, grinning. "The 'I'll set you on fire if you don't like my cooking' look."

Jiyeon rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Fine, whatever. Keep teasing me. Just remember who's the one that controls what you eat tomorrow."

Kang's face went mock-serious, eyes wide. "Okay, okay, Chef. I take it back. You're the calmest, most serene person in the kitchen. An absolute angel with a blowtorch."

Yura bit her lip to keep from laughing. "See, Kang, you do have some survival instincts after all."

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The car glided through the night, the city lights flashing by in a blur. Jiyeon felt the tension ease further from her body as they neared the Rose Manor. The long day was finally coming to a close, and the idea of being back in their home, where no one could critique her plating or give her side-eye over a crème brûlée, was more appealing than ever.

Yura glanced at Jiyeon, her hand reaching out to rest lightly on her knee. "You did really well tonight, you know."

Jiyeon blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in Yura's voice. "Thanks," she said softly, a rare hint of vulnerability creeping into her tone. "I just… I wanted everything to be perfect."

Yura's thumb traced a small, soothing circle on Jiyeon's knee. "It

was

perfect. Even if you were a little neurotic about the table settings."

Jiyeon scoffed, but her heart wasn't in it. "Maybe I went a little overboard."

Kang, never missing an opportunity, piped up from the front. "A little? Chef, you measured the distance between the wine glasses

three

times."

"Once for accuracy," Jiyeon defended herself. "And twice to make sure no one touched them."

"Sure, Chef," Kang said with a dramatic sigh. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

The car pulled up to the gates of Rose Manor, the large, elegant estate rising in the distance like something out of a fairytale—albeit a modern one with high-tech security and a garage full of luxury cars. The sprawling gardens were quiet under the moonlight, casting long shadows over the driveway as the car came to a smooth stop.

"Home sweet home," Yura said, unbuckling her seatbelt with a lazy stretch. She nudged Jiyeon gently with her elbow. "Come on, let's get you inside before you start critiquing the landscaping."

Jiyeon gave her a tired smile, opening the door and stepping out into the cool night air. "I'm not

that

bad."

Yura raised an eyebrow. "You just rearranged the entire restaurant's furniture for the pop-up dinner."

"That was

important

!" Jiyeon shot back, feigning indignation as she shut the car door. "If the chairs weren't lined up properly, people would have noticed."

Kang slid out of the front seat, stretching his arms above his head with a dramatic groan. "If you say so, Chef. Personally, I don't think anyone cared about the chairs."

Yura gave him a nod of agreement. "He's right. No one's thinking about the chairs when they're eating your food. They're thinking about how they're going to survive the

spice levels

you hit them with."

Jiyeon laughed, shaking her head. "Alright, alright. Enough roasting me for one night."

"I thought you liked roasting things," Kang quipped, dodging the playful swat Jiyeon aimed at him.

As they made their way to the grand entrance of the manor, Jiyeon couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Despite all the teasing, all the chaos, the night had gone off without a hitch. And now, all that was left was to crawl into bed and sleep for about three years.

Yura opened the door, gesturing with a grand flourish. "After you, Chef."

Jiyeon stepped inside, immediately hit with the familiar, comforting scent of the manor's lavender-infused air. "Finally."

Kang gave them a mock salute. "I'll take my leave, folks. Got a bed with my name on it back at the guest house. Don't burn the place down without me."

Yura smirked. "No promises."

Jiyeon shook her head with a grin. "Goodnight, Kang. Try not to dream about fire."

"Can't help it," he said, winking. "You're too much of an influence, Chef."

As Kang disappeared down the path, Jiyeon and Yura made their way upstairs, the manor's grand staircase looming before them like something out of a movie set. Jiyeon's footsteps were slow, the weight of the day pulling at her every movement. But it was a good kind of tired—one that came with the satisfaction of knowing the event had been a success.

They reached the bedroom, and Jiyeon immediately flopped face-first onto the plush bed with a dramatic sigh. "I'm never moving again."

Yura laughed softly, walking over to sit beside her. "I think you've earned it."

Jiyeon, her voice muffled by the pillows, muttered, "I'm serious. This is where I live now."

Yura leaned over, brushing a strand of hair away from Jiyeon's face. "I'll bring you food, then. You'll survive on room service."

Jiyeon rolled over, squinting up at Yura. "As long as you don't start messing with the kitchen, I'm fine with that."

Yura grinned. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Jiyeon yawned, her body sinking further into the bed. "Wake me up in a week."

Yura chuckled softly, pulling the blanket over Jiyeon and settling in beside her. "How about tomorrow morning?"

"Mmm," Jiyeon murmured, already half asleep. "Fine. But no early meetings."

Yura smiled, watching as Jiyeon drifted off to sleep. The day had been long, but the night was peaceful, and for once, everything felt perfectly in place.

The next morning, the sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting a golden glow over the room. Jiyeon stirred, blinking slowly as she adjusted to the brightness. The luxurious, heavy blankets that Yura had pulled over her the night before felt like they were holding her captive in a cocoon of warmth, and she wasn't particularly eager to break free.

"Ugh..." Jiyeon muttered, turning her face into the pillow to block out the sunlight. She was sore, her entire body protesting any movement after the previous night's marathon of an event. Despite the exhaustion, though, the quiet of the morning was... nice. Unusually so.

She turned her head slightly to the side and noticed Yura already up, perched at the edge of the bed with a laptop resting on her lap. Her fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard, her sharp eyes laser-focused on whatever document she was working on.

"You're working," Jiyeon said, her voice muffled by the pillow.

Yura didn't look up, but a slight smirk tugged at her lips. "What gave it away? The laptop or my complete lack of remorse?"

Jiyeon groaned, pushing herself into a sitting position. "I thought we agreed on no early meetings."

"No meetings," Yura corrected, tapping a few more keys before shutting her laptop. "This is just catching up on emails. No one in their right mind wants a meeting this early."

"Good," Jiyeon said, rubbing her eyes. "Because if someone tried, I think I'd torch their inbox."

Yura raised an eyebrow, amused. "I'm starting to wonder if you really do have pyromaniac tendencies, Jiyeon."

Jiyeon yawned, stretching her arms over her head. "Only when absolutely necessary."

Yura set her laptop aside and turned to face her, brushing her hair back behind her ears. "How are you feeling? You passed out pretty fast last night."

Jiyeon groaned dramatically, collapsing back onto the pillows. "Like I've been run over by a truck. Why do I keep doing these events again?"

"Because you love them," Yura said, a soft smile touching her lips as she leaned back against the headboard. "Even if you complain, you thrive in that environment. And you know it."

"Yeah, yeah..." Jiyeon muttered. "I also thrive on staying in bed for the rest of my life."

Yura chuckled, sliding down beside her. "That can be arranged. We don't have any urgent plans today. You could lounge around, let Kang handle the restaurant for a day."

Jiyeon raised an eyebrow. "Let

Kang

Continue your journey on empire

handle the restaurant? You do realize that's like asking a toddler to watch a nuclear reactor, right?"

Yura stifled a laugh. "I'm sure he can manage without setting anything on fire. Just one day."

Jiyeon gave her a deadpan look. "You have too much faith in him."

"He did survive last night without causing a major disaster."

"Just barely." Jiyeon shook her head but couldn't help smiling. The idea of a full day of rest was tempting, though, and maybe, just maybe, Kang could manage without burning the place down. "Alright, fine. One day. But if the restaurant is in ashes by tomorrow, I'm holding you personally responsible."

Yura raised her hand, mock-serious. "I solemnly swear it will not be my fault."

Jiyeon laughed, rolling her eyes before letting herself sink back into the pillows, pulling the blanket up to her chin. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some very important napping to do."

Yura smiled warmly, watching as Jiyeon's eyes fluttered closed again. It was a rare sight, seeing Jiyeon so relaxed. Yura was determined to make sure nothing disrupted it.

For today, at least, the world could wait.