NOVEL NEXT #011
#011
Suddenly, my nerves sharpened with a “kyaak,” and I hastily took out my phone as a thought struck me. I realized I hadn’t received the quest reward earlier. I was excited to see what they would give me this time.
: *Putting Kim Sehyun in Danger*
Quest Rank: C
You have completed the quest. A reward will be given!
Reward: Temporary Cooking Skill Unlock (Specific Recipe)
…What? Suddenly a cooking skill?
I opened the skill window with round eyes, going “toing.” When I clicked on the cooking skill and expanded the available recipes, I saw a section shimmering in rainbow colors.
The [Sweet and Sour Vitamin C Citron Tea] recipe was… shining very brightly.
Just as I was wondering why citron tea, I remembered that a new quest had appeared in addition to the reward earlier.
: *Even a Villain Says Thank You*
Quest Rank: E
Shin Haejun helped you earlier. Let’s make citron tea as a modest gift and offer it to him!
TIP:
Only 5-star or higher citron tea will be accepted
It should be when Kim Sehyun is not present
Reward: ???
No way, after completing a C-rank quest, all I get is a cooking skill for the next quest?
Of course, being able to implement a game skill in reality is an amazing reward. But of all the skills, why citron tea?
‘Would Shin Haejun even eat something like citron tea?’
He seems like the type who would never eat homemade food from others…
No, that’s not it. If it’s food with my skill, it’s definitely a 5-star epic grade dish. The charm of the Yeonsoo character was that Michelin 3-star worthy dishes would pop out left and right.
‘One taste and he’ll be addicted.’
Couldn’t I tame him with his taste buds?
I laughed sinisterly and called a taxi.
***
The essence of the cooking skill is understanding the freshness of ingredients and mixing them in precise ratios.
Having raised my cooking knowledge skill to rank 1, I could instantly assess the freshness of all cooking ingredients in this world, at least while using the skill. So I bought the freshest citrons from the market, along with fresh meat and vegetables for myself while I was at it.
Then I solemnly scrubbed the citrons and took out a cutting board and knife.
‘Focus, focus.’
Limitless Nine’s cooking system borrowed the format of rhythm games. In the game, you didn’t need to prepare ingredients, just assess freshness, but when you start cooking in earnest, a rhythm game window would appear on the screen. The key was to stab the falling chips in the air with the knife.
Jjaran! One, two, three!
As I expected, when I started cooking, chips rolled in front of my eyes with a popping electronic sound. As I stabbed them with “yap yap,” the citron was dismantled in real-time and the citron peel was neatly sliced into strips.
The problem was… Lee Jaeha’s body lacked reflexes. My eyes could clearly see the beat, but the hand holding the knife couldn’t keep up with my brain.
[Yeonsoo] Sweet and Sour Vitamin C Citron Tea ★★★☆☆
In the end, the final product was 3-star. This wouldn’t meet the quest requirements even after aging, so I had to make it again.
‘Stay calm.’
There wasn’t much ingredient left, so I had to go back to the market. With a very ominous feeling, I swept up all the citrons in the market.
[Yeonsoo] Sweet and Sour Vitamin C Citron Tea ★★☆☆☆
[Yeonsoo] Sweet and Sour Vitamin C Citron Tea ★★★★☆
The bad feeling was right. As if mocking me, the citron tea came out very inconsistently, from 2-star to 4-star.
Angry, I tried using white X sugar, Q X sugar, and even bought and soaked organic whatever, but it was no use. In the end, the problem was that the sliced citron was too crooked, or the sugar poured in was less or more than required in the mixing barometer that appeared during the process.
“Damn it! What kind of quest is this!”
What does Lee Jaeha even have? Does he have wealth, high rank, or cooking skills?
If he doesn’t even have reflexes, what am I supposed to do?
‘If it was someone else’s problem, I would have felt sorry, but it’s so frustrating because it’s happening to me right now…’
I shook my fist and then slammed the knife onto the cutting board.
Seeing ten bottles of citron tea lined up in front of me, I felt like I was going crazy. If Lee Jaeha gains weight by winter, it will be all because of the failed citron tea.
“This is really, really the last time.”
Author, if you have any conscience, give me some luck for the last try. If not, I won’t let this slide.
I held the knife handle tightly with both hands and prayed for luck for a moment. Then I stabbed the beat again towards the well-washed, white citrons.
Babam! [Yeonsoo] has successfully made 5-star Sweet and Sour Vitamin C Citron Tea ★★★★★!
I had placed my phone next to me, and a notification about the 5-star cooking success exploded with fireworks in the game window. Just as hitting a malfunctioning appliance is the answer, threatening the uncooperative author works. So they immediately bestowed luck!
I had this irrational thought as I carefully wiped off the moisture on the surface of the newly made citron tea bottle.
‘I guess I can take it after aging it for about 3 days?’
I was very, very curious about what scenario the author was planning to write with this citron tea.
***
When the citron tea was completed, my cooking skill window returned to its original state. Now, even if I hold a citron and press the cooking skill, nothing happens.
“…I should go, right?”
The C-rank quest reward had hit me from behind, so I wasn’t very motivated, wondering how little the E-rank quest reward would be. I hesitated as I went out and headed up to the apartment above.
The door looked exactly the same as mine, but as I carefully pressed the bell at the entrance that felt like a devil’s lair, someone slowly came out from inside.
“Who is it?”
“…Who are you?”
A middle-aged woman wearing an apron looked at me and asked. I was naturally expecting Kim Sehyun or Shin Haejun to come out, so I was inwardly flustered to see someone else. As a result, I blankly returned the question, asking who she was.
“I’m the housekeeper here. Who are you? Did you have an appointment?”
“Ah, I’m Sehyun’s friend… Um, is Sehyun inside…?”
I carefully asked, remembering one of the conditions. The housekeeper shook her head.
“Sehyun is out right now. It would be better if you came back another time.”
“No! I have something I must deliver. Can I come in for a moment?”
“Young Master Haejun might not like it… but come in for now.”
I took off my shoes, clutching the paper bag containing the citron tea to my chest. As I entered the living room, I saw Shin Haejun sprawled leisurely on the sofa, looking at a tablet.
“Um, Young Master Haejun. Sehyun’s friend is here.”
There’s no way an S-rank Esper couldn’t sense my presence. The fact that he let me in suggests he’s not in a bad mood.
Seizing the opportunity, I abruptly held out the paper bag to Shin Haejun.
“Thank you for the other day in the dungeon.”
“I didn’t do it to help you.”
“Still, you ended up helping me. Since it was a freezing dungeon then, I prepared this simple thing…”
Thinking he wouldn’t spit while smiling, I pointed at the citron tea with a bright smile. Shin Haejun’s mouth twitched slightly.
“I really made it with all my heart! I only used good ingredients, so you can trust and drink it.”
“I actually had something to say to you.”
“What… is it?”
Trying to act submissively to this guy who’s younger than me and constantly overbearing made me feel sick to my stomach. Separately, the presence of an S-rank Esper was extraordinary, and just him standing up felt like a mountain was about to crush me.
“Um…”
“Why do you keep hovering around Kim Sehyun?”
“…Pardon?”
I asked blankly with my mouth open. Shin Haejun glared at me with a very displeased face.
“Yesterday, Kim Sehyun couldn’t guide properly. He said you keep clinging to him. He’s worried because you’re his friend, and he can’t concentrate on guiding because he has something to worry about. I made a pair contract with him because he’s an S-rank guide with a high matching rate, but this is very troublesome.”
“I… What does that have to do with me…?”
I asked in a very careful voice, fervently praying that this wouldn’t seem like I was raising a rebellion.
“Kim Sehyun’s condition is bad because of you.”
“Uh… I think Sehyun is overthinking it. I don’t like Sehyun, or you, Shin Haejun. In the first place, does it make sense to say I’m clinging when we’re long-time friends?”
I don’t care how they bicker, but would you please just accept my citron tea? I mumbled while glancing down at the bag containing the citron tea.
Shin Haejun then picked up the bag with an annoyed face and took out the citron tea inside. The citron tea, even tied with a pretty ribbon, gleamed bright yellow.
Shin Haejun seemed momentarily taken aback by the citron tea, which was clearly homemade with great care. However, he quickly returned to an irritated gaze, grabbed my arm, and walked briskly to the kitchen.
“Um, Young Master… Kyaak!”
The housekeeper, who had been standing nervously beside us, screamed at Shin Haejun’s action. Shin Haejun, standing at the kitchen entrance, had thrown my heartfelt citron tea into the sink, shattering it.
“Don’t do useless things again.”
This was Shin Haejun’s warning.
I blankly stared at the citrons shining sweetly like they were boiled in honey among the shattered glass pieces.
‘What if the housekeeper gets hurt while cleaning this up…?’
Lights flickered in my dazed mind.
The struggle to achieve 5 stars, the irritation towards Shin Haejun who doesn’t value food…
And a piece of memory that resurfaced.
‘Don’t do useless things and just focus on your work.’
‘Is this all you prepared to give to your seniors?’
After completing the probation period and becoming a full-time employee, I learned that I had to pay something called an employment fee, so I carefully prepared gifts. However, what I prepared fell short of the seniors’ standards. I realized this when I saw my gift thrown in the trash. It was the worst realization.
Shin Haejun’s action was no different from stabbing and digging up the place where that memory was buried.
‘Did you make me do all this just for this?’
Above all, I couldn’t contain my anger towards the author that was welling up.