Alpha Culinary Love

Kang perked up instantly. "Now you're speaking my language."

Jiyeon, already halfway to the door, cast a smirk over her shoulder. "I'd be surprised if your language consisted of anything other than 'food' and 'sleep.'"

"Hey," Kang protested, following her like a loyal but hungry puppy, "I'm a man of many dimensions. There's food, there's sleep, and... well, those two cover most of it, honestly."

Yura laughed as she sauntered behind them, her hands casually tucked into the pockets of her tailored suit. "You know, you really should be grateful that Jiyeon even tolerates you."

"Oh, I am," Kang replied without missing a beat. "The day she fires me is the day I pack my bags and move to the mountains. Grow my own food, meditate, you know, find inner peace."

Jiyeon snorted. "The only thing you'd grow is impatient waiting for your vegetables to ripen. You'd be at the nearest fast food joint within a week."

They reached the kitchen, a sleek, state-of-the-art setup that gleamed under the overhead lights. Stainless steel counters lined the walls, and the air was already thick with the mouthwatering scents of simmering sauces and roasting meats. Jiyeon had been working with her team for weeks to perfect the dishes for the pop-up dinner, and now the time had come to make sure every last detail was flawless.

She stepped into the kitchen like a queen entering her domain. The moment her foot crossed the threshold, she transformed from the somewhat exasperated, bantering woman into a laser-focused professional. "Alright, let's see where we're at."

Kang, of course, immediately made a beeline for the trays of prepared samples, lifting the cover off a dish of kimchi-stuffed escargot and inhaling deeply. "Ah, heaven."

Jiyeon smacked his hand before he could grab one. "Those are for tasting, not inhaling."

"Same thing," Kang grumbled, but he pulled back, content to wait for her approval before digging in.

Yura leaned against the counter, watching the way Jiyeon's eyes flicked over each dish, checking the presentation, tasting the sauces with a critical precision. Even when she was in 'Chef Mode,' Yura found it impossible not to admire the intensity and passion in Jiyeon's every movement.

"So, what's the verdict?" Yura asked after a moment, knowing better than to interrupt the process but too curious to stay silent.

Jiyeon didn't look up as she responded, her voice calm but focused. "The lobster jeon is perfect—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. The balance of flavors is there. But the sauce for the gochujang-infused coq au vin needs more depth. It's good, but not...

great

."

Kang, hearing the minor critique, chimed in with a dramatic sigh. "I don't know, Chef. Maybe the problem is that it's too perfect. You've got to let the dish

breathe

a little."

Jiyeon shot him a flat look. "It's a dish, Kang, not a bottle of wine."

He waved a hand dismissively. "Details, details."

Rolling her eyes, Jiyeon motioned for her sous chef, Minji, to come over. "We need to tweak the sauce. Add more soy sauce and a dash of rice vinegar. It needs to punch through the richness of the wine."

Minji nodded, already moving to the stove without a word. That's why Jiyeon loved her team—they were efficient, professional, and knew how to take direction without hesitation. It allowed her to focus on the bigger picture.

Kang, however, was not so easily deterred. He popped a piece of lobster jeon into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "You know, it's almost unfair how good this is. You're setting the bar so high that the rest of us mere mortals won't be able to enjoy regular food anymore."

Jiyeon smirked, clearly satisfied by the compliment even if she wouldn't admit it. "That's the idea."

"Ah, of course," Kang said, still chewing. "Make us all food snobs so we can never eat pizza again without criticizing the cheese-to-crust ratio."

Yura, watching the interplay, shook her head with an amused smile. "If Kang turns into a food critic, I'm leaving him at the nearest gas station."

"I'll be right there with you," Jiyeon added dryly. "We can leave him with a pack of instant noodles and see how long he lasts."

Kang clutched his chest dramatically, as if wounded. "My heart! Betrayed by the two people I trust most."

Jiyeon ignored his theatrics, moving on to the next dish. The spicy escargot. The glossy sheen of the gochujang glaze caught the light, the red hues striking against the white plates. She tasted one, her eyes narrowing slightly in thought. After a moment, she nodded, satisfied. "Good. These will definitely surprise people. It's just spicy enough to wake them up, but not too overpowering."

Kang watched her with a look of mock reverence. "You're like some sort of flavor sorceress, Chef. Mixing ingredients and casting culinary spells."

"If by 'spells' you mean carefully calibrated ratios and years of experience, then sure," Jiyeon replied without looking up from the crème brûlée she was now inspecting.

Kang shrugged, grinning. "Same thing."

Yura laughed softly, the sound warm and rich. "It's amazing how different you are when you're in the kitchen, Jiyeon."

Jiyeon paused, glancing up at her with a raised brow. "What do you mean?"

Yura stepped forward, her tone thoughtful. "Out there, you're meticulous, sure, but there's a...

relaxed

chaos to you. Like you're used to putting out fires. But here—" she gestured to the kitchen, "—you're in complete control. It's like watching an artist paint. You know exactly what you want, and everything has its place."

Jiyeon blinked, caught off guard by the observation. "It's my job."

"No," Yura said, smiling slightly. "It's your

passion

. And it shows."

Continue your adventure with empire

For once, Jiyeon didn't have a quick retort. She looked down at the caramelized top of the crème brûlée she'd been about to taste, her expression softening slightly. "Yeah," she said after a moment. "I guess it is."

Kang, sensing the moment had gotten a little too sentimental for his taste, clapped his hands together loudly. "Alright, enough of the heart-to-heart. Let's get back to what really matters.

Food.

"

Jiyeon snorted, handing him a spoonful of the crème brûlée. "Fine. Here, taste this."

Kang eagerly took the spoon, his eyes lighting up as the smooth, creamy texture melted in his mouth. "Oh, hell yeah," he muttered through a mouthful of dessert. "This is the stuff dreams are made of."

Yura, unable to resist, leaned in to steal a taste as well, her eyes widening slightly as the flavors hit her. "Wow," she breathed. "I don't usually like sweets, but this... This is incredible."

Jiyeon smirked, crossing her arms. "Good to know I can still impress you."

Yura shot her a teasing look. "You always impress me. Even when you're threatening to strangle people over candle placements."

Kang, licking the spoon clean, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you've got a weird way of making perfectionism look...

endearing

."

Jiyeon raised an eyebrow. "Endearing?"

"Yep," Kang said with a grin. "It's like watching a cute little control freak in action."

Yura chuckled. "It's one of her most charming qualities."

Jiyeon huffed, clearly unimpressed with the teasing. "If you two keep it up, I'll throw you both out of my kitchen."

"Oh, please," Kang said, waving a hand. "You'd miss me too much."

Yura leaned in closer to Jiyeon, her voice low and teasing. "Admit it. You'd miss us both."

Jiyeon rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the small smile that tugged at her lips. "You're lucky I need you for this dinner."

With the final adjustments made and the dishes perfected, Jiyeon stepped back, looking around at the bustling kitchen. The energy of her team, the scent of perfectly cooked food, the hum of preparation it all came together in a way that made her feel like she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

"Alright," she said, her voice firm but warm. "We're ready."

Yura and Kang exchanged a glance, then looked back at Jiyeon.

"Damn right we are," Kang said with a grin