Alpha Culinary Love

Around the restaurant, more reactions started coming in. A table of young office workers praised the

kimchi-stuffed escargot

, calling it "unexpected but genius." A group of tourists raved about the

gochujang-infused coq au vin

, taking photos and laughing as they tried to guess the ingredients in the sauce. The

matcha and black sesame mille-feuille

was easily the star of the day, with almost every table ordering it by the end of their meal.

One elderly woman even called over one of the servers, pointing at her half-eaten mille-feuille. "Tell the chef, this is one of the best desserts I've ever had. So light, but so full of flavor. I want to come back just for this."

Jiyeon, overhearing from a distance, felt her chest swell with pride. It had been worth all the stress, the sleepless nights, and the constant nagging of the system.

[Not bad, Jiyeon. But don't get cocky.]

"Oh, please. Just admit it. We did good," Jiyeon whispered, wiping her hands on her apron as she took another quick survey of the dining room. The atmosphere was lively, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Jiyeon could feel the energy shift, a newfound confidence settling into her bones.

The event was a success.

But, of course, it wasn't over yet. She had to keep up the momentum, make sure the kitchen continued to operate smoothly, and ensure that all the customers left satisfied.

Jiyeon turned to Chef Kang, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Alright, let's keep this going. We've got more customers coming in, and we need to stay on top of everything."

Chef Kang nodded, his expression as serious as ever. "I'll make sure the next batch of dishes is just as good. Let's not drop the ball now."

"Right. We've come too far to mess it up now," Jiyeon said, her voice full of determination.

As the next wave of customers came in, Jiyeon found herself feeling more at ease. The dishes were a hit, the customers were happy, and for once, the system wasn't breathing down her neck about impending failure.

After the rush of lunch service, Jiyeon leaned against the counter, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Chef Kang stood beside her, flipping through the notes he'd scribbled in his little notebook throughout the day.

"Well, the dishes went better than expected," Chef Kang remarked. "But now comes the hard part."

Jiyeon raised an eyebrow. "The hard part? What do you call the last three days of stress cooking and borderline insanity?"

Kang gave her a withering look. "Picking the guest list. The

real

nightmare."

Jiyeon groaned. Of course. The guest list. It wasn't enough to just wow their usual clientele—no, they needed

the

people of influence. The kind who could make or break a restaurant's reputation with a single Instagram post or review. She dropped her head into her hands. "We're gonna be here all night, aren't we?"

Chef Kang shrugged. "Depends on how picky you are."

"I'm not picky, I'm

selective

," Jiyeon snapped, pushing herself upright. "We need the kind of people who won't just appreciate the food but will talk about it. People who'll spread the word. But not the ones who'll show up and act like they're doing us a favor by just existing in our restaurant."

"Right," Kang deadpanned. "So, we're inviting the impossible."

Jiyeon rolled her eyes and grabbed a pad of paper. "Let's get started."

She scrawled "VIP Guest List" at the top, then paused, tapping the pen against her chin. "Okay, who's the first name that comes to mind?"

Kang scratched his head. "Well, we could invite that food critic—what's his name? Oh, right, Park Jin-ho. The guy's got a huge following, but I hear he's a real pain in the ass."

Jiyeon groaned. "Park Jin-ho? Ugh. That guy's ego is bigger than his appetite. But fine. We need the exposure. Add him to the list."

Kang jotted down the name. "Alright, Park Jin-ho. Who's next? Maybe some influencers?"

Jiyeon grimaced. "Do we have to?"

Kang shrugged. "We don't have to, but it wouldn't hurt. Get some pretty faces in here, snapping photos of their plates. You know how the internet works."

Jiyeon sighed, tapping her fingers against the counter. "Fine. What about… what's her name? Oh! Kim Sae-hee. She's one of those beauty influencers, right?"

"The one with the sparkly Instagram feed?" Kang asked, rolling his eyes. "Sure, if you want her to show up, post one picture, and then spend the rest of the night checking her makeup."

"Hey, if it brings in the crowd, I don't care what she does," Jiyeon said, scribbling down the name. "We need the numbers."

Kang rubbed his temples. "Alright, fine. We've got the critic, the influencer… we need a wildcard."

Jiyeon looked up, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Wildcard? What do you mean by wildcard?"

"You know, someone unexpected. Someone who'll shake things up, stir the pot, maybe create some drama. People love drama," Kang said, clearly warming up to the idea. "What about that blogger? What's his name… Minho? The one who got banned from like, three restaurants for causing scenes?"

Jiyeon's eyes widened. "Are you

insane

? He's a walking PR disaster!"

"Yeah, but people follow his every move like it's the latest drama series. You invite him, something's bound to happen, and it'll keep people talking."

Jiyeon pinched the bridge of her nose, weighing the options. On one hand, Minho could single-handedly bring the event crashing down in flames. On the other hand… the guy had thousands of followers, and even negative publicity was still publicity, right?

"Alright, screw it," she finally said. "Add him to the list. But if he starts anything, you're dealing with it."

Kang smirked. "Deal."

They continued brainstorming, throwing out names both famous and infamous. Jiyeon's head spun with the sheer range of people they were considering: food critics, fashion bloggers, influencers, local politicians, and even the odd celebrity chef. At one point, Kang suggested inviting a

former

rival restaurant owner, and Jiyeon nearly threw a kitchen towel at him.

"I'm not inviting someone who tried to sabotage my opening night!" Jiyeon snapped.

"Come on," Kang said, dodging the towel. "Think of the drama! You invite him, there's tension, maybe some passive-aggressive comments, and bam—instant buzz!"

Jiyeon glared. "I'm not running a soap opera, Kang. This is a serious event."

"Serious, yeah, sure," Kang muttered under his breath, but he didn't push the point.

By the time they were done, the list was both impressive and terrifying. Jiyeon glanced down at it, her stomach tightening. "Okay. This is either going to be a massive success… or a complete disaster."

"Hopefully both," Kang said with a grin. "Nothing sells like a good disaster."

"You're a sadist, you know that?" Jiyeon said, shaking her head. "Alright, let's go over this one more time. We've got Park Jin-ho, the critic from hell. Kim Sae-hee, the influencer who'll spend more time taking selfies than eating. Minho, the walking disaster. A couple of local foodies, some bloggers, and… wait, did we put a celebrity on here?"

Kang flipped through the names. "Yeah, I threw in Han So-ra. She's a huge deal in the fashion world, right? And she loves food. Total foodie."

"Fine," Jiyeon said, sighing. "But if she's one of those people who takes a single bite and leaves the rest, I'm throwing her out myself."

"I'd pay to see that," Kang muttered.

They finished reviewing the list, and Jiyeon folded the paper, tucking it into her pocket. "Okay, the guest list is done. Now, all we have to do is send out the invites, prepare for an onslaught of entitled egos, and pray no one dies."

Kang chuckled. "Sounds like a solid plan."

As they were about to wrap up, Jiyeon's phone buzzed. She pulled it out and saw a message from Yura.

Yura:

How's everything going? Need me to help?

Jiyeon snorted. The idea of Yura stepping into the chaos of the restaurant to help deal with a bunch of influencers and critics was laughable.

"Yeah, no thanks," she muttered to herself, typing a quick response.

It's going fine. Just finishing up the guest list. You're safe from this circus.

She put her phone away and turned back to Kang. "Alright, let's start sending out the invites tomorrow. We'll deal with the fallout when it comes."

Kang gave her a mock salute. "Roger that, boss."

As the evening rush began to die down and Jiyeon wiped down the last few tables, she heard the bell at the front door ring. Turning around, she saw a delivery person struggling to carry what looked like the biggest bouquet of flowers Jiyeon had ever seen—roses, lilies, and orchids all intricately arranged in a cascade of colors.

"Uh... Jiyeon?" Chef Kang called from the back, peeking out with raised eyebrows. "Expecting something?"

Jiyeon, equally puzzled, walked over to the delivery person, who handed the bouquet over with a slight grunt. "For you," the person said before quickly exiting.

Nestled among the fragrant blooms was a small card. Jiyeon pulled it out and immediately recognized Yura's neat, elegant handwriting:

"For my hardworking wife. Meet me at our spot. I have a surprise waiting for you. Love, Yura."

Jiyeon's heart skipped a beat.

Our spot?

She knew exactly where Yura meant—the quiet little garden near the river where they'd shared one of their first real conversations as a couple.

"Well, I guess I'm closing up early," Jiyeon muttered with a small smile, her mind already racing with excitement and curiosity.