<Episode 41>
[This Month’s New Menu: Nostalgic Tteokbokki]
I added the newly unlocked “Tteokbokki” to the menu board. Looking at the board, which once only listed red bean bungeoppang, now filled with all kinds of menu items, made me feel strangely proud.
“The smell of the tteokbokki is insane.”
“Boss! We can eat upstairs, right?”
Drawn by the sweet and spicy aroma of tteokbokki, customers streamed into the shop with flaring nostrils. Those who received their reserved orders carefully carried them upstairs one after another.
‘The shop feels so much livelier now that it’s bigger.’
Before, customers either ate standing up or took their food to go. But after the second floor was added, people sat together, chatting while they ate.
Tteokbokki costs 40,000 won per serving.
It wasn’t cheap, yet orders flooded in nonstop.
But I wasn’t worried at all.
‘Tteokbokki doesn’t need constant preparation like bungeoppang.’
As long as I made a large batch in the morning and kept it simmering over low heat, that was enough. Compared to bungeoppang, which required pouring batter and flipping each piece, or fish cakes that had to be skewered individually, it was incredibly convenient.
And the new menu brought another noticeable change.
“Babe, I got up at dawn to reserve tteokbokki.”
“Really? It’s so hard to reserve this! Thank you, honey.”
“They say it makes people honest with each other. Today I’m going to tell you my deepest feelings.”
Couples started visiting the shop in significantly larger numbers.
Apparently, the tteokbokki’s effect (Honesty +85%) had become famous among couples as an item that could help them confirm each other’s true feelings.
“I told you before. You’re my true first love. You believe me now, right?”
“Noona…! You’re the only one for me too. Want to run gates together tomorrow? I’ll support you properly.”
Watching couples come downstairs with flushed faces and tteokbokki sauce smeared around their mouths, I tightly shut my eyes.
‘Not jealous at all. Not jealous at all.’
“Unni, are you okay?”
“I’m really not jeal–! Huh? Ahaha, of course I’m fine.”
Ari looked at me suspiciously.
Thankfully, at that moment, the door opened, and Hunter Kang Min and Hunter Lee Suhyeon walked in.
“Noona! I heard there’s a new menu? I was wondering why reservations suddenly got even harder. The place is packed.”
“I guess everyone’s curious. You reserved tteokbokki, fish cake, and red bean bungeoppang, right? I’ll get them for you right away.”
After receiving their food, Kang Min declared they would eat upstairs and dragged Suhyeon along with him.
The moment they left, Ari glanced at me and quietly grabbed a cleaning rag.
“I’ll go clean the second-floor dining area!”
Before I could respond, she dashed upstairs.
Apparently, she wanted to chat with Suhyeon, even if only briefly.
‘Kids really do become friends quickly.’
Unlike a few days ago, when they could barely stand each other, Ari and Suhyeon had become inseparable best friends.
Suhyeon’s inviting Ari out to lunch had become a daily occurrence, and after work, the two of them were often spotted wandering around the Hunter Management Bureau together, chatting endlessly.
‘Kang Min Hunter joked that they looked like conveyor-belt sushi.’
Still, despite the teasing, he seemed genuinely happy that Suhyeon had found a friend her own age.
According to Ari, he had even given them a generous allowance and told them to go buy something delicious.
As I checked the remaining reservations, I noticed a familiar figure outside waving energetically.
It was my friend, Shinhye.
“Huh? Shinhye! What brings you all the way here?”
“Today’s my day off, so I came to visit. Your shop got huge!”
“We expanded to a second floor recently. It’s really nice seeing you here.”
She said she’d come to have dinner with me after work, but after seeing how crowded the shop was, she immediately tied on an apron and offered to help.
“I’m not an Awakened, so I can’t make the food, but I’m confident in handling customers.”
“It’s your day off. You really don’t have to help.”
“Come on. Haven’t I run a café for years? This is nothing.”
As expected of a veteran café owner, Shinhye adapted instantly.
She checked the reservation list, prepared pre-packed orders in advance, and helped Ari by portioning tteokbokki and serving fish cake broth.
“You’re seriously good at this. I almost want to hire you.”
Even Ari nodded vigorously beside her.
Adding just one extra worker had dramatically increased the shop’s efficiency.
‘This is why every business needs experienced staff.’
“Excuse me! Could I get a refill on the fish cake broth?”
Hunter Yoon Kanghyuk, who was eating tteokbokki and fish cake in a corner of the first floor, raised his hand high.
Seeing who it was, Ari pouted.
“Ah, that ajusshi again.”
“Who is he? Someone famous?”
“He comes here all the time. It’s like he died because he couldn’t drink fish cake broth in his past life or something. He asks for refills every single visit. Today’s already his fifth refill.”
Ari grumbled that if not for the generous tips he left, she would have thrown him out long ago.
‘Hunter Yoon Kanghyuk is admittedly a little excessive.’
Despite Ari glaring at him every time he requested another refill, he stubbornly continued asking.
“Ari, take a break. I’ll bring it to him.”
“Really? And you can speak casually, you know. You’re Haneul unni’s friend.”
“Is that okay? Alright then.”
Shinhye nodded and walked over, carrying a paper cup filled to the brim with fish cake broth.
“Here’s the broth you requested. Enjoy.”
She set the cup down with a gentle smile.
‘With Shinhye serving it, it looks less like fish cake broth and more like a café latte.’
That café-owner aura was truly something.
I watched the scene with satisfaction when…
“Y-Y-You’re beautiful!”
Hunter Yoon Kanghyuk suddenly blurted it out at full speed.
“Pardon…?”
Looking at his table, I noticed the empty remains of the tteokbokki.
Apparently, the tteokbokki’s special effect had struck again.
“AAAAAH! I’m so sorry!”
Realizing what he had just said, Yoon Kanghyuk jumped to his feet and fled the shop.
Shinhye stared blankly at his retreating form before covering her mouth.
“Oh my… how adorable.”
Come to think of it, Shinhye’s ideal type was a giant bear-like man with a gentle personality.
I stared, dumbfounded, at this completely unexpected pairing.
The tteokbokki’s effect was truly terrifying.
***
There was another major change as well.
I had officially started learning how to shoot.
The day I entered a gate to unlock the special effect, Hunter Lee Hyunwoo watched me shoot slimes and made a serious suggestion.
“From what I can see, Hunter Haneul has talent. How about learning properly? I can introduce you to a suitable instructor.”
An S-Rank Hunter had acknowledged my talent.
After thinking it over, I eventually agreed.
‘I need a way to protect myself, too.’
For now, my missions mostly involved gathering materials and hunting weak slimes, but there was no telling what future gates would require.
Learning how to use a weapon in advance certainly couldn’t hurt.
‘Learning is fine. The problem is…’
I still had one concern.
The instructor Lee Hyunwoo introduced.
He had a little too much enthusiasm.
I pulled out my phone and reread the messages I’d received.
[Hello! This is Choi Ganggeon, the strongest shooting trainer in the Management Bureau ^0^ Hunter Lee Hyunwoo introduced me to you.]
[It’s truly an honor to hear you’re interested in shooting! Guns are such beautiful weapons!]
[Ah! What time would be good for training tomorrow? Personally, I’m available anytime :D]
After hesitating for a long time, I eventually scheduled the session for 8 PM the next evening.
[GREEEEAT!!!!]
[I happen to be free exactly at 8 too! Things lining up perfectly right from the start feels like a great sign!]
I forced an awkward smile and put my phone away.
Somehow, I already felt drained before training had even begun.
***
The next day, at 8 PM.
A sharp whistle echoed through the training room.
“One more lap!”
“Huff, huff! Teacher, this is too hard…!”
“A strong body is the foundation of accurate shooting!”
After closing the shop, I nervously entered the training room.
The trainer I met there, Choi Ganggeon, was exactly as energetic as his text messages suggested.
The problem was that he was ‘too’ energetic.
“WHAT!? How have you survived this long with such a weak body!?”
“We need to build your basic stamina immediately!”
The moment he saw my body composition report, his expression became grave.
Then he immediately sent me running laps around the gym.
‘He’s literally a personal trainer from hell!!!’
He reminded me of the trainer from a gym I briefly attended years ago.
The kind who shouted “Just one more rep!” even when I was screaming that I couldn’t continue.
It felt like I had willingly walked back into that same hell.
“Huff… haa… huff…”
I really couldn’t do another lap.
It was my first day, and I had already run twenty laps around the gym.
My lungs burned.
My vision spun.
Finally, I slowly collapsed onto the floor.
Trainer Choi Ganggeon approached and clicked his tongue.
“Your stamina is severely lacking.”
“I’m F-Rank, after all…”
“That’s not the issue! Before Awakening, I worked as a fitness trainer. Even then, I never saw anyone quite like you.”
He looked at me with genuine pity.
“I’m sorry to say this, but your stamina is at the level of a slug.”
“A-a slug?”
“But don’t worry!”
He pounded his chest proudly.
“I’ll personally make sure your stamina improves dramatically!”
He was clearly passionate about fitness.
His trapezius muscles were so massive that his neck was nearly invisible.
At that point, he looked more like a professional bodybuilder.
I quietly averted my gaze from his intimidating muscles.
“Alright! You’ve rested enough!”
“Now then, shall we begin the real workout?”
S-Stop.
Please just kill me…!
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