TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 95
I clearly came as a guest, but here I am working.
“Huh?”
When I came to my senses, I was standing in front of a mirror wearing a white chef’s uniform.
The reflection in the mirror showed me wearing transparent plastic gloves on my hands and a white bandana on my head.
Malik, who was looking at me with a proud smile as I stared blankly at the mirror, said to me.
“It suits you well.”
“Pardon?”
“I said it suits you well. Honestly, I’d love to tell you to bury your bones here for life.”
I looked at the gloves on my hands and asked.
“What is this?”
“Work attire.”
“So, why am I wearing this?”
“Didn’t you say you came to eat?”
“Didn’t you say you’d feed me?”
“I have no intention of feeding you for free.”
Malik said this as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Malik, who had called me here only to spout this absurd nonsense about not giving anything for free. Even Gomtangi, whom I left at the Pet Hotel, would probably make more sense than this.
I naturally took off the gloves and bid my farewell.
“It was nice meeting you. Well then, I’ll be off.”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Home.”
“Hmm… You can’t do that.”
Malik uttered something ominous.
While admiring Fairy Unit 1, where the Young Lady was seated, and muttering “Impressive…,” Malik pulled a Small Paper out of his jacket pocket and showed it to me.
[Friends of the Forest (Snack Bar) – Settlement Statement]
Recipe Fee: 500,000 Gold
10% of Sales: 50,000 Gold
Other. Idea Contribution Earnings: 100,000 Gold
Total: 650,000 Gold
“?”
It was just a Receipt with a few numbers written on it, but was it my imagination, or did it seem to glow? I rubbed my eyes and looked at the Receipt in Malik’s hand.
“Proprietress, because of your gracious halo, I can’t see it well. May I take a closer look?”
“Then is it okay if I remove a few zeros?”
“No, Proprietress.”
I carefully put back on the plastic gloves I had taken off and prepared myself for work. What kind of workplace starts at 3 PM? A happy smile spread across my face at the thought of an early finish.
“A worker with the looks. A worker with endless stamina. This Ricardo is right here, so who else would you hire?”
“It’s just for one day. The chef had an urgent matter and had to take a leave.”
“Call me anytime, and I’ll even lick your shoes.”
Malik grimaced with a disgusted expression and said.
“I refuse.”
“I don’t want to either.”
“…?”
“It was just a polite remark.”
Leaving the flustered Malik behind, I turned to the Young Lady, who was patting her stomach, and said.
“Young Lady, please stay here and watch. I’ll make some delicious Tteokbokki and bring it to you.”
“Okay.”
Malik lightly grabbed the handle of the Young Lady’s Wheelchair and shook his head.
“Lady Olivia will be slacking off with me.”
“Pardon?”
“She needs to taste-test the Mint Chocolate Tteokbokki we’re launching and give her feedback on Fairy Unit 1.”
At Malik’s polite explanation, the Young Lady nodded ambiguously and muttered.
“Ricardo told me not to follow strangers…. Or did he? I’ve seen him before, so he’s not entirely a stranger.”
“We won’t go far. We’ll just have a chat in the break room behind the Kitchen.”
“Don’t speak informally to me.”
“You don’t speak informally either.”
“Eeeek…”
“So, Ricardo… What should I do?”
The Young Lady looked at me with pleading eyes. I gave her a Small Smile and said.
“Once again, it’s only me doing the work, right?”
“Yes.”
“…Have a good time.”
And so, I ended up working.
I had thought in my Previous Life that it would be nice to open a Restaurant with my Recipe, but I never imagined the day would actually come.
Looking at the flood of Guests, I felt a strange Emotion.
It felt like I had checked something off my Bucket List, but for some reason, it also felt like I was at a loss.
Thinking about the Receipt tucked in my chest pocket gave me a surge of energy, but the reality of coming to eat and ending up as a laborer made me feel depressed.
“Next Guest.”
“Older Brother! You’re so handsome!”
“I know.”
A Female Student in an Academy School Uniform shouted at me. Judging by her youthful face, she seemed like a Freshman who had just enrolled this year. I wasn’t particularly excited or happy. I had to focus on work.
Without much enthusiasm, I served nearly three times the standard portion into the Female Student’s bowl.
The Female Student looked at me with a surprised expression.
“Uh…?”
“You’re beautiful too, Miss.”
“Thank you!”
I winked and moved on to the next Guest.
The next Guest was a Male Student who seemed to be around the same age as the Female Student from earlier. Watching the Female Student leave with her bowl full, the Male Student looked at me with hopeful eyes and said in a loud Voice.
“Brother…! You’re so handsome!”
“Yes.”
I served the exact standard portion into the Male Student’s bowl. He looked at me with a pitiful expression.
“Is this how it is?”
“I’m sorry. The Store’s policy is to serve the standard portion.”
“…”
The Male Student sat at a Table, looking dejected.
It was a Store operation method that would have made Malik furious, but what could I do? If he trusted me enough to leave the Store in my hands, I had to repay that trust.
I felt a little sorry for Proprietress Malik, but I hoped he’d understand that my ingrained Gender Discrimination left me no choice.
Looking at the long line of Guests, I shouted energetically.
“Next Guest!”
At this point, I might as well give it my all.
It wasn’t as hard as I’d thought.
Maybe because I had experience working part-time at Restaurants as my main job in my Previous Life, the seemingly endless line of Guests became manageable as I served them one by one. Thanks to my strong body, I even started to pick up speed.
To the point where I could fry Tempura with one hand and make Tteokbokki with the other, I was evolving into a Monster of the Culinary Business.
‘Come to think of it… This is impressive.’
I admired the Clerks who silently replenished the ingredients beside me.
Including me, the Store had four employees.
One Clerk handling orders and serving.
One assisting in the Kitchen.
And one managing the cash register, making a total of three Clerks.
It was undoubtedly a small number to handle so many Guests, but I had believed Malik’s confident words to not worry, and this was the result.
The employees’ work efficiency was beyond excellent—it was awe-inspiring.
The Clerks moved as if they were one body.
The attitude in serving Guests was impeccable.
Their ability to handle Troublesome Guests was also outstanding.
‘How much do people like that earn?’
They were certainly talents worthy of Malik’s Boast.
One team like that.
Then two teams.
Ten teams.
By the time we had served over twenty teams.
“Next Guest, may I take your order?”
“…I am”
A familiar Voice reached my ears.
A Voice as clear as if it carried the essence of fresh fruit.
Instinctively, I raised my head. Surprised by the Voice of someone I never imagined meeting here, I looked up and saw a Girl with pink Hair.
“Oh?”
A Female Student with pink Hair clutching a Worn Pink Wallet tightly. Watching her deeply contemplate the price list, I spoke.
“Oh? We meet again, Miss Yuria.”
The Protagonist of this Novel.
It was Yuria.
*
I could read the Emotion of bewilderment on Yuria’s face as our eyes met.
As if she were a guilty person, Yuria shrank back, hesitating and fidgeting her lips without any intention of ordering.
The longer Yuria hesitated, the more the grumbling of the Guests lined up behind her reached my ears.
-What’s going on?
-Why isn’t she ordering?
-Ugh, it’s cold. Hurry up already.
The complaints of hungry Guests.
Some of the Guests, who had become slaves to the Tteokbokki I made, emptied their bowls and lined up again.
To be considerate of such loyal Guests, I carefully asked Yuria.
“Excuse me, Miss Yuria.”
“…”
“Miss Yuria?!”
“Yes?!”
Yuria, snapping back to her senses, was startled by my call.
I carefully pointed to the grumbling Guests with my finger.
“You need to place your order.”
“Ah… That is”
“Personally, I recommend adding Tempura to the Original Tteokbokki. What would you like to do?”
“Ah… Yes.”
Yuria hesitated for a moment before correcting her order.
“By any chance, do you have the flavor I had at the Academy before?”
“At the Academy?”
“Yes… The one you made at the Academy back then.”
“Ah. One moment, please.”
I delved into my memories.
It seemed to be around the time when Yuria was being subtly ostracized by her Friends at the beginning of the semester.
They called it Subtle Bullying in short.
A sneaky form of ostracism.
I remembered how, back then, when Yuria entered the class, the chattering Students would suddenly go silent, and she avoided the School Cafeteria.
Because it was awkward for her.
During lunchtime, she would quietly go outside to eat a packed lunch or skip the meal altogether.
At that time, I too was being subtly ostracized, so I often cooked for Yuria, who ate alone.
I recalled sneaking her into the Dormitory to cook for her.
Back then, I was a delinquent Student skipping classes to chase Fortuitous Encounters at the Academy.
Recalling what Yuria was referring to, I nodded.
“Are you talking about the Rose Tteokbokki?”
“Ro… Rose?”
“Tteokbokki with a spicy yet creamy flavor. It’s made with a light red sauce.”
“Ah…”
Yuria nodded.
“I think that’s it.”
I gave Yuria a Small Smile and whispered.
“It’s not originally on the menu, but I’ll make it specially for you, Miss Yuria. And as for those two over there.”
I turned to Mikhail and Ruin, who were awkwardly standing behind Yuria, and spoke.
“Go hungry.”
“What?”
“Next Guest!”
I decided not to sell to them, knowing they’d surely complain about the taste.
“Get lost!”
Mikhail and Ruin stared at me with dumbfounded expressions.