Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Late afternoon.

Warm sunlight streamed into the food cart.

It was almost time for evening.

Unlike the cold air of Kang Jae-min's hospital room, this place was slowly filling with warmth as they prepared for the coming dinner service.

Hong Man-gi was trimming the fresh vegetables that had just been delivered, while Lee Yu-han stood beside him with an awkward but serious expression.

"Here, you have to wear this."

"Oh, this looks cool!"

Lee Yu-han took the clean apron Hong Man-gi handed him and looked deeply moved.

It felt like only yesterday that he had been wandering around dungeon entrances as an F-rank Hunter or being treated like nothing more than a porter.

Now, he finally had a workplace of his own.

Even though he was only helping at a food cart, the chance to work alongside Hong Man-gi, someone he deeply respected, was more valuable to him than anything else.

"I'll work hard, Hunter Hong Man-gi!"

Lee Yu-han answered energetically and clenched his fist.

His eyes were full of excitement and anticipation for this new beginning.

At that moment, something fluffy spoke to Lee Yu-han.

It was Poming.

"Puwaaah~! Poming has arrived! Huh? Who's this person standing next to Chef?"

"Lee Yu-han. He's the new assistant cook."

When Hong Man-gi introduced Lee Yu-han, Poming narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Ah! Mr. Lee Yu-han? So you're replacing Mr. Kang Jae-min?"

Poming's eyes widened for a moment.

Then she crossed her tiny arms and began circling around Lee Yu-han.

She even sniffed at him like a small guard dog checking out a stranger who had entered its territory.

"Hmm~ For a new temporary partner replacing Mr. Kang Jae-min, you're pretty handsome."

There was a mixture of curiosity and subtle wariness in Poming's voice.

Perhaps it was because she had already formed a bond with Kang Jae-min through all their constant bickering.

It seemed she was not completely happy about this new person suddenly appearing.

Lee Yu-han looked slightly embarrassed by Poming's sudden appearance and the way she was staring directly at him.

He awkwardly greeted her.

"Ah, yes. Hello. My name is Lee Yu-han. I'll be helping here for a while starting today. You're a summoned creature... right?"

"For a while? Hmm?"

"I've never seen a summoned creature before. Haha... cute, ah, no. You're very cute."

"Hmm... cute, you say?"

Poming looked Lee Yu-han up and down.

He still had that slightly timid atmosphere common among F-rank Hunters, along with his worn clothes.

Poming's tiny nose twitched.

"So, Mr. Lee Yu-han, do you know how to cook? Not just anyone can work at our Chef's shop, you know? Especially since you have to pass Poming's very strict taste standards!"

Poming put her little paws on her hips and questioned Lee Yu-han like a strict interviewer.

Lee Yu-han waved his hands in panic.

"Ah, honestly, I'm not very good. At home, I can barely cook instant ramen for myself...."

"Ramen?"

Poming's eyes sparkled.

Ramen was something she had recently taught Hong Man-gi about and mastered herself, or at least she believed she had.

"Oh-ho, ramen, is it? Then you must be pretty confident with ramen, right? Our Chef is quite good at making ramen too. Shall we see just how skilled you are, Mr. Lee Yu-han?"

Poming encouraged him as though she were about to test him.

Hong Man-gi watched the two from the side and chuckled.

He found Poming's sly behavior cute, and he was also curious about how Lee Yu-han would respond.

'Hmm....'

Lee Yu-han hesitated for a moment.

He had always lived with his shoulders lowered as an F-rank Hunter.

Strangely enough, however, confidence began to rise inside him while standing in front of this tiny summoned creature.

Perhaps it was because of what he had experienced in the BX-01 Dungeon.

"Ramen! Yes, I'm confident when it comes to ramen. Especially my own 'Yu-han Special Ramen'!"

Without realizing it, Lee Yu-han puffed out his chest.

"Oooh~ Yu-han Special Ramen? That's quite a grand name! So what is it?"

Poming asked with sparkling eyes.

"Well, first of all, it's stir-fried ramen. Instead of just boiling it, you stir-fry the noodles in a special sauce."

"Stir-fried ramen?"

Hong Man-gi joined the conversation with interest.

"That sounds pretty good. I was thinking we could have something simple before opening for dinner anyway. Want to make it for us?"

Lee Yu-han's face immediately brightened at Hong Man-gi's suggestion.

He finally had a chance to show what he could do.

And of all people, he could show it to Hong Man-gi, someone who was quickly becoming his role model.

"Yes! Sounds good! Then what ingredients do we have?"

"Open the refrigerator. We should have almost everything. Ramen, eggs, green onion, garlic, onion... Ah, there's still some butter and milk left too. We also have red pepper powder, soy sauce, and sugar."

Hong Man-gi pointed toward the refrigerator.

"Oh! That's more than enough! I'll make it properly!"

Lee Yu-han adjusted his apron with a determined expression and stood in front of the cooking counter.

His gaze looked even more serious than when he entered a dungeon.

Hong Man-gi and Poming began watching his movements with equal amounts of expectation and doubt.

* * *

"All right, I'll now begin cooking 'Yu-han Special Ramen'!"

Lee Yu-han shouted energetically like the host of a cooking show and picked up a packet of ramen.

His movements were still clumsy, but he was strangely full of confidence.

"First, you boil the noodles. When the water boils, put them in. The important point here is that you shouldn't cook them completely! Take them out when they're about eighty percent done and rinse them lightly in cold water. That keeps the noodles nice and springy."

Lee Yu-han placed the noodles into the boiling water and gently separated them with chopsticks.

Poming stretched her head over his shoulder and carefully watched every single movement.

"Leave the rinsed noodles in a strainer for a little while to drain. Now it's time to make the sauce!"

He lightly coated a frying pan with cooking oil, then added minced garlic and the finely chopped white part of a green onion.

[Sizzle]

The savory smell of garlic and green onion began spreading through the food cart.

"Hmm~ The smell passes the test!"

Poming said while sniffing the air.

"If you add a little butter here, the flavor becomes much richer."

Lee Yu-han took a piece of butter from the refrigerator and dropped it into the pan.

As the butter melted, the rich aroma grew stronger.

"Then add one spoonful of red pepper powder and stir-fry it lightly over low heat. That brings out the spicy aroma. This is the basic base of the special sauce."

The red pepper powder mixed with the oil and turned into an appetizing red color.

"Now add two spoonfuls of soy sauce, half a spoonful of sugar, and about three spoonfuls of milk. That's the secret to making it smooth without becoming too greasy."

The sauce began bubbling in the pan.

Spicy yet sweet, savory yet smooth.

Hong Man-gi and Poming swallowed at the same time.

"Wow... it already smells delicious."

Poming swallowed again.

"Now add the noodles we drained earlier and stir-fry them quickly! Make sure the sauce coats everything evenly!"

Lee Yu-han skillfully shook the pan, mixing the noodles with the sauce.

The thick sauce coated each noodle, creating an appetizing appearance.

"And finally! The finishing touch!"

Lee Yu-han placed two beaten eggs into another pan and began making scrambled eggs.

"You can't overcook the eggs. The important thing is to keep them soft and fluffy!"

He piled the finished scrambled eggs on top of the stir-fried ramen.

Then he sprinkled finely chopped green onion over it for some color.

"Finished! Yu-han Special Ramen!"

Lee Yu-han proudly placed the finished dish in front of Hong Man-gi and Poming.

Glossy red noodles were covered with yellow scrambled eggs and green onion.

Just looking at it made their mouths water.

The two silently stared at the ramen for a moment.

They seemed surprised because it looked far better than expected.

"Huh. Well, the appearance definitely passes."

Hong Man-gi spoke first.

"The smell is incredible too! Hurry and taste it, Chef!"

Poming urged him.

Hong Man-gi picked up some noodles and egg together with his chopsticks and put them into his mouth.

'!!!!'

The moment he tasted it, Hong Man-gi's eyes widened.

'What is this? It's seriously delicious!'

The sauce was spicy yet sweet, salty yet smooth, and it blended perfectly with the springy noodles.

The soft scrambled eggs covered the dryness that stir-fried ramen could sometimes have, while the garlic, green onion, and butter added depth to the flavor.

It was difficult to believe that this surprisingly polished dish had been made by an F-rank Hunter who claimed to know nothing about cooking.

"Wow, Yu-han. This is seriously... amazing. Didn't you work in cooking before becoming a Hunter?"

Hong Man-gi could not hide his surprise.

Poming also began devouring the noodles.

She stuffed noodles into her tiny mouth so quickly that she looked completely frantic.

"D, delicious! What's with this?! It has a completely different charm from Poming's 'Spicy Cream Sweet Ramen'! This, this is a revolution!"

Poming even had tears in her eyes as she continued praising it.

"This isn't just ramen! It's a real dish! It's not dry, it's not greasy, and that spicy-sweet flavor keeps making me want more! The scrambled egg was a genius move! How did you even think of this?"

Lee Yu-han raised his shoulders proudly while smiling shyly at their explosive reactions.

"Haha, I just tried putting different things together until I found my own recipe. I'm glad you like it."

"Like it? That's an understatement!"

Hong Man-gi said without stopping his chopsticks.

"We should add this to our menu right away. We'll keep the name 'Yu-han Special Ramen.'"

"What? With my name?"

Lee Yu-han asked in surprise.

"Of course! You made it! And with flavor like this, I'm sure the customers will love it too. What do you think, Poming?"

"Agreed! Completely agreed! Poming guarantees it! This is definitely going to be a huge hit! Mr. Kang Jae-min is going to be shocked when he comes back!"

Poming bounced excitedly.

Her jealousy toward the unexpected talent of their new companion seemed to have completely disappeared.

Hong Man-gi also placed down his empty bowl with a satisfied expression.

"Good. Then starting today, we're officially selling 'Yu-han Special Ramen.' Lee Yu-han, you'll be responsible for making this ramen from now on."

"Yes! Understood! I'll do my best!"

A bright smile spread across Lee Yu-han's face.

It was the moment he was recognized not as an F-rank Hunter, but as a proper cook at the food cart.

The food cart filled warmly with the smell of ramen and the laughter of the three.

Just as the atmosphere grew even warmer with excitement over the new menu and their growing companionship,

[Jingle]

The old bell at the entrance rang through the silence of the night.

Hong Man-gi, Lee Yu-han, and Poming all turned toward the entrance at the same time.

The tent slowly opened.

A person carefully stepped inside, his back facing the faint light of the streetlamp.

As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, his appearance became clear.

He was not ordinary.

Worn and torn Hunter clothes.

A face covered in what looked like dried blood and dust.

And more than anything else, a cold and empty aura surrounded his body.

It was not the warmth of a living person.

'He's here....'

Hong Man-gi immediately understood.

Another lost soul had found its way to his food cart tonight.

Unable to see spirits, Lee Yu-han tilted his head.

"It sounded like someone came in, but there's nobody there?"

At that moment, Hong Man-gi lightly patted Lee Yu-han's shoulder.

"Someone did come in. I'll explain everything to you little by little."

Hong Man-gi quietly stood and slowly approached the new guest.

The atmosphere inside the food cart subtly changed again.

A cold and sorrowful presence began seeping into the warmth that had filled the place.