NOVEL NEXT 11
The door creaked open as Kim Jong-chun walked in.
“Why is Woo-yeon in the kitchen today instead of the dining area… Good grief!”
Kim Jong-chun was startled by the scene in the kitchen.
“What, what’s going on?! Why are all the ingredients out?”
“Oh, you’re here, Jong-chun…”
Lee In-cheol barely managed to wave, his face etched with exhaustion.
Beside him lay scattered bowls and spoons used for tasting, with ingredients spread out everywhere.
Hmm. We should have tidied up as we went along, but I guess I got caught up in the moment too.
Scratching the back of my head, I answered the astonished Kim Jong-chun.
“We’ve standardized the official recipe.”
“The recipe? Didn’t you already have one?”
“It was purely based on intuition. The boss can adjust the seasoning on the spot because he’s been in the food business for a long time and has a keen palate, but that’s difficult for most people.”
“I, I see.”
“We’ve been causing this ruckus trying to find the most delicious recipe for a single serving.”
I shrugged. After tasting the soup so many times, my stomach felt ready to burst.
“And this is the final, final, final version of ‘Hapjae Soup’ that the boss and I came up with together.”
I pushed forward a stone bowl sitting nearby.
“Try it.”
“Oh, okay.”
Kim Jong-chun took the spoon I handed him and sipped some of the broth.
“It’s delicious no matter when I eat it. Mmm.”
“How is it?”
At Lee In-cheol’s question, Kim Jong-chun tilted his head.
“It’s delicious. But I can’t tell much difference from usual?”
“That’s right. Not many people can detect subtle differences in taste.”
In truth, we didn’t need to struggle this much. But Lee In-cheol kept insisting, “This isn’t the best yet!” and overturning our work, causing us to fall far behind schedule.
I continued, pressing my fingers against my forehead.
“In a restaurant recipe, the single serving isn’t the most important.”
“Then what is?”
“The recipes for 10 servings, 20 servings are much more crucial. The taste should be similar even when cooking in large quantities.”
“Huh? Can’t you just increase the amount from the single serving recipe?”
What an ignorant remark. Only a complete cooking novice would think that way.
“Oh, is that not right?”
Seeing Lee In-cheol and me looking at him incredulously, Kim Jong-chun laughed awkwardly. How should I explain this…
“Ahjussi, you can cook one serving of ramen well, right?”
“I’m great at it.”
“What about 10 servings of ramen?”
“…I’ve never cooked that much.”
“Right? But when making 10 servings of ramen, would it taste good if you just used exactly 10 times the water for one serving?”
“Ah!”
Explained like that, Kim Jong-chun seemed to grasp the concept. He might not have cooked 10 servings, but he’d probably made 3 or 4 before.
If you honestly triple everything for 3 servings, you’d end up with ramen soup.
“I see. There are small differences.”
“Especially in our soup restaurant, since we use blended broth. The broth mixture needs to be slightly adjusted according to the number of servings.”
Kim Jong-chun nodded in understanding. Lee In-cheol clicked his tongue and muttered.
“This guy… he’d probably just pour water over two cup noodles and wait six minutes.”
“Hey! I’m not that bad!”
“That’s exactly your level, you fool!”
As Lee In-cheol and Kim Jong-chun bickered, I stood up abruptly.
Clap!
I clapped my hands to get their attention, then smiled.
“Shall we start preparing to open?”
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Time flew by quickly.
During business hours, I busily managed the dining area, and at night, I watched Kim Jong-chun receive cooking lessons from Lee In-cheol.
Having lived his entire life detached from cooking, he was as much of a beginner as we expected.
Still, thanks to the standardized recipe, he managed to recreate the taste without much trouble…
We were teaching him more rigorously to perfect the small details that were lacking.
March 31st, the big day.
It marked exactly three months since I started the bet with Lee In-cheol.
After closing up together, we gathered around the central table in the dining area. There was a solemn atmosphere.
Lee In-cheol and I sat facing each other, with Kim Jong-chun squeezed between us.
“Song Woo-yeon. Are you confident?”
“Of course.”
To be honest, I was a bit nervous. I had a vague idea of the sales, but since managing the revenue was Lee In-cheol’s role, I hadn’t checked it regularly and didn’t know the exact amount.
‘Plus, the restaurant is too small.’
Although we had maximized the turnover rate, there was a clear limit due to the number of tables in the restaurant.
But showing such inner thoughts would disqualify me as a businessperson.
“If we don’t exceed 30 million won in sales, the only conclusion is that you’ve been embezzling, boss.”
“You brat! I don’t play games with numbers!”
Lee In-cheol pulled out the cash from the register and placed it on the table.
“Alright! Including today’s sales, if we calculate this month’s revenue…”
Lee In-cheol put on what looked like either a magnifying glass or glasses and began counting the money.
The sound of rustling bills filled the restaurant.
Thud.
When the stack of money had made a full rotation in Lee In-cheol’s hands, he placed it on the table.
“Song Woo-yeon…”
Stop lowering your voice for dramatic effect, boss. My palms were sweating from the tension.
“What’s your real identity?”
“What do you mean?”
“This month’s sales… exceed 35 million won!”
35 million won… 3 million 5 hundred thousand won?!
“Wooooooah!”
Kim Jong-chun let out a belated cheer.
“We, we did it! Sales increased tenfold!”
“Hahahaha! That’s right! In just three months!”
Lee In-cheol laughed boisterously. I alone wiped away cold sweat, trying to maintain a calm facade.
“See? I told you we could do it.”
“You rascal. I saw you clenching your fist.”
“When did you see that while wearing a magnifying glass?”
“Magnifying glass? Hey, these are glasses!”
Lee In-cheol shouted, taking off his glasses to show me.
“I thought they were a magnifying glass because of your age.”
“You, you disrespectful youngster!”
Lee In-cheol pretended to be angry, snorting through his nose. Seeing him like that, my tension dissipated as well.
“Haah…”
Despite trying to hide it, I must have been quite tense. My shoulders felt stiff, likely to be sore until tomorrow.
As I rolled my shoulders to loosen them up, Kim Jong-chun, who had been sneaking glances from the side, suddenly stood up.
“Right! On such a great day, I can’t just sit still! Woo-yeon, I’ll treat you to a hot bowl of soup. Wait just a moment!”
“Ah. You’re aiming for when I’m in a good mood?”
When I pointed out his obvious ploy, Kim Jong-chun laughed and replied.
“It’s all strategy, strategy. Of course.”
“Well, alright. You know I always evaluate food taste coldly, regardless of my mood, right?”
“Of course…!”
Kim Jong-chun nodded vigorously and dashed off to the kitchen.
“You’ve done well, Song Woo-yeon. This is truly remarkable. Who else could turn around a failing soup restaurant in just three months… If someone had told me this story, I would have accused them of lying.”
“I don’t make bets I can’t win.”
“Look at this kid, all puffed up with success!”
Since he wasn’t wrong, I grinned. Before my regression, it took a full two years to reach this level. This time, it only took three months.
It was a good start.
If we continue on this path, someday we might even be able to face Hyeonmu and his crew…
Thud.
My thoughts were interrupted as Kim Jong-chun set a bowl of soup in front of me.
“Here you go, one bowl of soup~”
I glanced at Kim Jong-chun, who stood before me like a student waiting for his homework to be graded.
The steaming soup looked quite appetizing.
I stirred the contents with my spoon. The milky broth revealed and then hid pieces of meat, rice, and what looked like green onions.
“Ahjussi.”
“Yes?”
“The green onions are cut too thick. Are you still practicing your knife skills?”
“I’ve been trying, but…”
Kim Jong-chun smiled awkwardly and continued.
“Actually, my wife doesn’t know I’m working here yet. She thinks I’m coming home late because the industry is busy this time of year. It’s awkward to suddenly start practicing knife skills in the kitchen at home. …I’ve been practicing whenever I can find time, but am I still that clumsy?”
Tch. It’s hard to criticize given the circumstances.
If that’s the situation, I could understand why he lacked time to practice his knife skills. I nodded in acknowledgment.
“Your knife skills aren’t bad. It’s just that in an open kitchen, customers can see everything, so that’s why I mentioned it.”
“Right, right.”
“In reality, the green onions are often pre-cut. As long as you can make the blanching look impressive, it’s enough to catch the customers’ eyes. It’s fine.”
While Chinese restaurants captivate with their flashy fire shows, and sushi restaurants draw attention with master chefs crafting sushi before your eyes…
For a soup restaurant, the show is undoubtedly the massive broth pot and skillful blanching.
If you do just that well, customers will think, ‘This is a proper soup restaurant.’
Slurp.
I took a big spoonful of soup. As I chewed slowly, savoring the taste, I looked up to find Kim Jong-chun uncomfortably close, waiting.
“…How does it taste?”
Gulp.
Even after swallowing, I remained deep in thought.
“Is it not good?”
Lee In-cheol couldn’t hold back and interjected. I saw Kim Jong-chun waving him off.
I leaned back in my chair, crossed my arms, and tapped my elbow with my fingertips.
“Ahjussi.”
“Y-yes?”
“…You should tell your wife the truth soon.”
“Huh?”
His eyes widened in confusion. I continued with a gentle smile.
“Before you start a business with your severance pay, you should discuss it with your wife, right?”
“……!”
Realizing this was a sign of approval, Kim Jong-chun covered his mouth with both hands. His eyes glistened with emotion.
“This works out well. Our sales bet ends today, and you’ve mastered the basics to start your own business.”
It was a day when everything fell into place.
“It’s time to discuss specific contract terms.”
The moment had come to launch