God-Given Business Genius

“You’re too slow.”

“Ugh…”

“Fifteen minutes have already passed.”

Han Mi-ae’s face fell at my words.

“The smaller the shop, the more crucial turnover becomes. Plus, when it gets busy, you’ll be overwhelmed.”

Han Mi-ae nodded sluggishly at my statement.

“You need to practice cooking large batches quickly in advance.”

This is advice I always give to novice owners.

Start by practicing to cook one serving quickly and accurately. Once you’re comfortable with that, move on to five servings, then ten… and so on.

Depending on the size of the shop, if you can quickly prepare up to 30 servings, you’ll have much more breathing room.

‘Moreover, when you’re rushed, the taste is likely to change. Practicing large-batch cooking is essential to prevent such situations.’

Pushing her to cook 20 servings in 15 minutes, Han Mi-ae seemed to be hitting her physical limit.

“Can’t we take a short break?”

“Hmm.”

I glanced at the clock. It was getting quite late. After a moment’s consideration, I nodded.

Han Mi-ae let out a deep sigh and barely managed to lean against a chair.

“Oh my, every bone in my body aches.”

“You’re working hard~.”

Just then, Kim Jong-chun walked in through the shop door. Han Mi-ae’s face lit up at the sight of the takeout coffee cup in his hand.

“Have this while you work.”

“Oh, thank you. It’s already such a big favor to lend us the shop like this, and you even keep looking after us…”

“It’s nothing. We’re just helping each other out.”

Kim Jong-chun smiled good-naturedly.

“Besides, isn’t Woo-yeon a bit of a Spartan? You need something like this to catch your breath for a moment.”

Han Mi-ae nodded vigorously in agreement. I may have been a bit harsh, but come on, this is nothing.

“I also received recipe training from Woo-yeon right before opening the shop. Whew, it was indescribable.”

“Really? That’s impressive. I’m struggling even with 15 servings…”

“That’s the crucial point. Once you break through 15 servings, 20 and 25 come quickly.”

“Wow, that would be great.”

Han Mi-ae and Kim Jong-chun chatted away, sharing their experiences of hardship. Is it really that difficult? Hmm. Back in the day, I could whip up 30 servings in the blink of an eye.

‘Well, it’s true that thanks to the boss, she’s getting through this grueling training well.’

Franchise owners tend to develop a sense of camaraderie, whether they realize it or not.

Even though their businesses differ, it’s enough to feel a sense of unity from being on the same boat called .

As I watched Han Mi-ae chatting excitedly with Kim Jong-chun, I slipped into the kitchen.

This is perfect timing.

I should show them my secret weapon while they’re both here.

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“…and now I’m running this soup rice shop. Life really is unpredictable.”

“I know, right? I never imagined I’d meet Woo-yeon like this… The way connections work is truly amazing.”

Han Mi-ae murmured, clutching her coffee cup tightly.

Initially, she had formally called her “CEO Song,” but after Song Woo-yeon said it made her uncomfortable and told her to speak casually, she now used her name comfortably.

However, in her heart, she always referred to him respectfully as “CEO Song,” and for good reason.

The tteokbokki recipe Song Woo-yeon taught her was similar to her own but had a much deeper umami flavor.

If her previous version tasted like homemade tteokbokki with a slightly bland flavor, Song Woo-yeon’s version was closer to what you’d expect from a restaurant.

“Is this the tteokbokki you just made?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Haha. Thanks to you, I’ve been eating plenty of tteokbokki lately.”

Kim Jong-chun picked up some tteokbokki with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth.

“Wow. I’m not usually a big fan of tteokbokki, but this is really delicious.”

Han Mi-ae couldn’t hide her proud smile at those words.

“What’s the secret? I’d like to try making it at home.”

“There’s no real secret. We use broth for seasoning, and there’s more red pepper powder than gochujang.”

“Oh, really? I thought tteokbokki got its flavor from gochujang.”

“The broth flavor is largely determined by gochujang. That’s why I used to use more gochujang. But when Woo-yeon suggested using more red pepper powder, we tried it, and it tasted much better.”

Kim Jong-chun made small sounds of appreciation as he kept swallowing the tteokbokki.

“Mm, delicious. Do you need to add a lot of MSG? I have some miwon at home.”

“We do use some, but not as much as you might think. I heard MSG doesn’t have much impact on sweet seasonings. Instead, we use a lot of sugar.”

“Ah, I see~.”

Kim Jong-chun smiled sheepishly, saying he wanted to make it for his wife at home. Seeing him enjoy the food so much boosted Han Mi-ae’s confidence in her cooking.

She began to feel a vague expectation that if she worked this hard, things would go well when they reopened after remodeling.

It also motivated her to practice more and hone her skills.

Just as she was thinking it was time to stop resting and get back to the kitchen…

“Huh?”

A deliciously spicy aroma tickled her nose.

“Woo-yeon, what are you… oh?”

Peering into the kitchen, they saw Song Woo-yeon plating food. It was unclear how long he shad been cooking.

‘We didn’t chat for that long, did we? How did he make so much in that time?’

It was an astonishing speed.

“This is…”

“Boneless chicken feet.”

Song Woo-yeon smiled gently as she placed the plate on the table. A savory red broth filled the dish, with neatly arranged chicken feet that might otherwise look unappealing.

“Try some.”

“Wow. Why chicken feet all of a sudden?”

Kim Jong-chun was surprised but readily reached out. Without hesitation, he picked up a chicken foot and popped it into his mouth.

“Whoa, it’s spicy!”

The sharp, spicy flavor immediately stimulated his tongue. Song Woo-yeon silently handed him a glass of water, which he gulped down.

Han Mi-ae also hesitated before trying one.

‘It’s spicy!’

As expected, the first sensation was a spiciness that almost brought tears to her eyes. But that wasn’t all.

‘It’s deliciously spicy. The chicken feet are chewy, and there’s no gamey smell at all.’

Usually, controlling the gamey odor is the biggest challenge with these specialty parts. It was amazing how he had managed it.

“Phew. It’s spicy, but I keep reaching for more.”

Kim Jong-chun kept looking for water but continued to reach for the chicken feet. Han Mi-ae was in the same boat.

The chewy texture was really appealing.

“It’s good, right?”

“This flavor really makes me crave soju! If only we weren’t opening the shop tomorrow, I’d have a drink right now.”

Kim Jong-chun looked at the chicken feet regretfully. Han Mi-ae agreed. It’s a perfect flavor to go with soju.

It might be a bit too intense as a side dish for rice.

“But why chicken feet all of a sudden?”

Song Woo-yeon grinned as if she’d been waiting for this question.

“This is going to be ’s trademark.”

“Huh?”

Chicken feet at a snack shop?

“Is this the new menu item?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Song Woo-yeon nodded and continued.

“Right now, the snack shop caters to office workers and students. To expand our customer base, we need menu items like this that go well with alcohol.”

“Ah…!”

“This area has a lot of family customers, so it’s difficult to run a business selling only tteokbokki for dinner. Otherwise, we’d have to stay open late and serve things like ramen for second and third-round customers. But that would make the lunch business difficult.”

“I see.”

“So this is the solution I came up with.”

Song Woo-yeon pointed to the chicken feet as she spoke.

“Tteokbokki shops selling chicken feet isn’t uncommon, so it’s not that out of place. Plus, chicken feet are perfect as a drinking snack, which is ideal for the evening business.”

“Now that you mention it, I think they used to sell chicken feet in Sindang-dong too.”

“Not just there, but they often sell them together at markets too.”

Han Mi-ae was once again amazed at how this young person knew about Sindang-dong tteokbokki and market tteokbokki.

“It’s delicious… If it’s like this, even I would come to eat it.”

“Right?”

Song Woo-yeon responded as if she had expected this reaction.

“Woo-yeon. I thought you were only good at soup rice and tteokbokki. When did you learn to make chicken feet?”

When Kim Jong-chun expressed his admiration, Song Woo-yeon thought for a moment before answering.

“When I was… about twenty-eight?”

“What?”

“It’s just one of those things.”

Kim Jong-chun and Han Mi-ae, as always, thought Song Woo-yeon was making a silly joke, considering she was still far from turning twenty-eight.

“Well then, shall we start again?”

Song Woo-yeon clapped her hands to change the atmosphere.

“We don’t have much time to master this chicken feet recipe either.”

“……”

Han Mi-ae suddenly realized that she would have to recreate this chicken feet dish exactly. Sure, the chicken feet were delicious, but…

“Ahem. Well, I should be going now. Woo-yeon, can I take some of the leftover chicken feet with me?”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

“Thanks. Hang in there, Boss Han!”

Kim Jong-chun tactfully made his exit. Han Mi-ae thought his retreating figure looked quite irritating.

“Let’s start by teaching you how to make the sauce.”

“…Okay!”

Han Mi-ae managed to nod.

Once again, the hellish training was about to begin.

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The cold had subsided, but the mornings and evenings were still chilly.

Song Woo-yeon warmed her fingers with a warm breath, “Whew.”

“One fish cake, please.”

“Coming right up~.”

She took the fish cake along with some broth and took a sip. She felt the warmth spreading throughout her body.

As she exhaled once more, “Whew,” that’s when it happened.

“…One fish cake, please.”

A gloomy voice came from beside her.

Greasy hair that hadn’t been washed in who knows how long, thick round glasses. Wearing a worn-out jacket and sweatpants with stretched-out knees. Even his shoes were slippers.

In that shabby appearance, Song Woo-yeon could easily recognize the neat office worker from her memories.

Found you.

You, become my colleague.