Alpha Culinary Love

The morning light streamed into the bedroom, nudging Jiyeon awake. She groaned and shifted, trying to bury herself deeper into the covers, but it was too late—the damage was done. She was awake now, though she could have sworn she'd only just closed her eyes.

Beside her, Yura was already up, dressed in her usual business attire, staring at her phone with a look that could kill a man at fifty paces. Jiyeon squinted at her, the bed feeling suddenly much colder without her.

"You know, if you glare any harder at that phone, it might catch fire," Jiyeon muttered, her voice raspy from sleep.

"Good," Yura said flatly, not looking up from her screen. "It would save me from reading these ridiculous emails."

Jiyeon stretched, groaning as her joints cracked. "Who emails you this early? Satan?"

"Close," Yura replied, her tone still deadly serious. "The board."

Jiyeon snorted, sitting up. "Same difference."

Yura's phone dinged again, and Jiyeon could practically feel the rage radiating from her. "You know," Jiyeon started, smirking as she swung her legs out of bed, "you could just… not answer them. Let them sweat a little."

Yura finally tore her eyes away from the screen to give Jiyeon a withering look. "Do you think I run a daycare? I can't just ignore them."

"Seems like a them problem, not a you problem," Jiyeon quipped, grabbing her phone and checking the time. "Besides, I bet they wouldn't even notice if you ignored them for a few hours. Corporate types love their own voices too much to notice anything outside their little bubbles."

Yura sighed, setting her phone down on the nightstand for the first time that morning. "You're impossible, you know that?"

Jiyeon grinned, throwing on a robe as she padded to the bathroom. "And yet, you tolerate me. So who's the real sucker here?"

"I ask myself that every day," Yura replied dryly, her voice following Jiyeon into the bathroom.

By the time Jiyeon came back out, Yura had already disappeared downstairs, probably to hunt for coffee or to strangle someone over the phone—it could go either way. Jiyeon stretched her arms above her head and yawned, savoring the moment of peace before she'd have to deal with whatever the day had in store for her.

As she made her way downstairs, she could hear Yura's voice—sharp and precise, cutting through some poor soul on the other end of a call. Jiyeon smirked to herself, pouring a cup of coffee before sitting at the kitchen counter. She could only imagine the look on whoever's face Yura was chewing out right now. She always admired Yura's ability to turn any conversation into a battlefield and walk away victorious. The woman was terrifying in her efficiency.

After Yura hung up, she walked into the kitchen, her expression still thunderous.

"Rough morning?" Jiyeon asked, sipping her coffee.

Yura gave her a sideways glance. "Let's just say if I don't get a vacation soon, someone's going to mysteriously disappear."

"Good thing I've got an alibi ready for you," Jiyeon joked. "I'll tell the cops you were with me, watching cooking shows."

Yura's lips twitched, the hint of a smile threatening to break through her usual icy exterior. "You're too soft to cover for me. You'd break in five seconds."

Jiyeon put a hand to her chest, feigning offense. "Hey! I can be ruthless if I need to be. Remember that time I refused to give a table at the restaurant more bread because they were being jerks?"

Yura rolled her eyes. "Jiyeon, withholding carbs isn't exactly criminal behavior."

"Tell that to them," Jiyeon muttered under her breath, causing Yura to chuckle despite herself.

They ate breakfast in a comfortable silence for a while, until Jiyeon finally spoke up. "So, what's the plan for today? Are we drowning in work, or do I get to steal you for a few hours?"

Yura arched a brow. "Steal me? From what?"

Jiyeon smirked, leaning on her elbows. "Oh, you know. Corporate tyranny, boardroom bloodshed… maybe a quick escape to somewhere that doesn't involve you glaring at spreadsheets?"

Yura sighed dramatically. "As tempting as that sounds, I'm drowning in work."

"Of course you are," Jiyeon muttered. "What else is new?"

"You say that like you're not constantly buried under restaurant responsibilities yourself," Yura countered, raising an eyebrow.

Jiyeon waved her off. "I'm a chef. My stress is artfully plated. Yours comes in the form of people with too many opinions."

Yura smirked. "So, in other words, we're both hopelessly overworked."

"Pretty much," Jiyeon agreed, grinning. "But at least my work doesn't involve fighting over meeting agendas."

"No, yours involves shouting at sous chefs and threatening to set the kitchen on fire," Yura quipped.

Jiyeon pointed at her. "Hey, that only happened once."

Yura gave her a look that said she wasn't buying it. "Right. Once."

"Okay, maybe twice," Jiyeon admitted. "But that second time wasn't my fault. The oven had it coming."

Yura shook her head, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. "You're impossible."

Jiyeon grinned, taking that as a victory. "And yet, here we are."

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of light teasing and small moments of calm, both of them content to just exist in the same space, even as they pretended not to notice how much they enjoyed each other's company.

Jiyeon leaned back in her chair, watching as Yura's focus drifted back to her work. She could tell that Yura's mind was already buried in whatever crisis was brewing at her company, but she didn't mind. This was how they operated—separate worlds that somehow fit together, even when neither of them could explain how.

"You know," Jiyeon began, "we should take a trip. Somewhere far away from emails and meetings and spreadsheets."

Yura glanced up from her laptop, raising an eyebrow. "A trip?"

Jiyeon nodded. "Yeah. A real vacation. Somewhere warm, with terrible cell service so no one can bother us."

Yura looked thoughtful for a moment before smirking. "Are you saying you actually want to spend uninterrupted time with me?"

Jiyeon rolled her eyes. "Don't make it weird. I'm saying you need a break before you snap and start throwing people out of windows."

Yura laughed, a genuine sound that was rare but always rewarding when it came. "Fine. But only if you promise not to threaten any kitchen appliances while we're gone."

"No promises," Jiyeon replied, grinning.

"Of course not," Yura muttered, shaking her head with a fond smile.

And just like that, the idea of an escape from their chaotic lives took root, a glimmer of something different—a chance to just be, without the weight of their responsibilities pulling them in opposite directions.

As the morning continued, Jiyeon found herself savoring the quiet. Yura had settled into her work, and Jiyeon had time to ponder the absurdity of their lives. The idea of taking a vacation had started as a joke, but now it lingered in her mind like a stubborn thought she couldn't shake.

"Hey," Jiyeon said suddenly, snapping Yura out of her deep focus.

Yura didn't look up immediately. "Hmm?"

"I'm serious about that trip."

Yura paused, blinking in surprise. "You really want to go on a vacation?"

"Why not?" Jiyeon shrugged. "We deserve it. You more than anyone else."

Yura raised an eyebrow, her sharp CEO mask slipping for just a moment, replaced by a flicker of curiosity. "You don't strike me as the 'relax on the beach' type."

"Who said anything about relaxing?" Jiyeon shot back. "I can find ways to make a vacation just as stressful as work if that makes you feel more at home."

Yura chuckled, shaking her head. "Oh, I'm sure you could. You'd probably turn the hotel kitchen into your personal playground within five minutes."

"Of course," Jiyeon agreed, smiling mischievously. "But I'd only do it if they served me something terrible first. You know, to protect my honor as a chef."

Yura rolled her eyes. "Your 'honor' is far more trouble than it's worth."

"Maybe," Jiyeon said, leaning her chin on her hand as she studied Yura. "But you're still thinking about it, aren't you? The trip?"

Yura's lips pressed into a thin line. She wasn't used to taking breaks. In fact, Jiyeon couldn't remember the last time Yura had a day off, let alone a vacation. But there was something different in her expression now. A small glimmer of consideration.

"Maybe," Yura said, almost reluctantly. "It would be nice to disconnect for a bit."

"There's that dangerous word again," Jiyeon teased. "Nice. Are you going soft on me, CEO Kang?"

Yura shot her a pointed look. "I don't do 'soft,' Jiyeon."

"Uh-huh, sure," Jiyeon replied, not bothering to hide her grin. "Except when it comes to me, obviously."

Yura's eye twitched, though there was a hint of amusement hidden in her gaze. "Don't push your luck."

Jiyeon leaned back, stretching lazily. "Oh, I plan to push all the way until you crack."

"And what exactly do you think will happen if I do?" Yura asked, crossing her arms.

"I don't know," Jiyeon mused, tapping her chin. "Maybe you'll realize that not everything has to be a fight for survival. You could let loose, have fun for once."

Yura stared at her for a moment, as if calculating the odds of Jiyeon ever letting this go. Finally, she sighed. "Alright. We'll go. But if it turns into chaos, it's on you."

Jiyeon grinned triumphantly. "Deal. But I make no promises about avoiding chaos. You know who you married."

Yura shook her head, though the small smile that tugged at her lips betrayed her amusement. "Unfortunately, I do."