Seoul Kitchen: Chapter 21 (Patreon)

What a Lovely Night

They say that to experience Night City to its fullest, you have to wait till the sun goes down. For Chef, no truer words could have been said as he breathed in the wonderful scent filling the air. The sun has set and night once more took over yet the denizens of Night City has yet to sleep, after all the day has just begin.

If things get busy during the early hours of the day, Night City was whole other beast as people flocked the Cherry Blossom Market. Under the harsh neon lights of advertisement and street art alike, people from all over the city came to mingle. From the loveliest of street thugs to high rolling corpos, it did not matter. Be it for illicit dealings or maybe just a night out with the guys and gals, everyone was just out for a good time.

With the laughter and energy buzzing in the air, things looked calm yet Chef couldn’t help but find himself feeling unease. As he opened up for tonight, Red’s world lingered in his mind. Why the hell did she want him to go home early today? It stuck him as odd but after living in Night City for so long, he knew well enough to listen.

And so, he decided to start the second part of his shift a bit later in the night. At first, it would sound like he was going against his regulars warning. Afterall, why deliberately open up later rather than closing early? The answer was simple, he wanted to go home with Rebecca today.

Despite the lackadaisy atmosphere, he knew trouble was brewing in the horizon so why not go home with a bit more protection? A couple was a far less tempting target than a lone person and he worried for her. While Rebecca was a better shot and fighter, she was still mortal. He didn’t want her to get hurt so why not walk with her back home?

Maybe he was a just sucker for romantic stuff but it was a nice change of pace. He get to have a date with his girl, experience Cherry Blossom during the night and cover each other one their way back home. It was a win-win.

His customers also didn’t mind as they enthusiastically clamored for his attention, “Six Dak-kkochi skewers and two coke please!” A young girl ordered before turning around and talking enthusiastically to the guy holding a sleek looking camera just behind her.

He chuckled, waving at the camera before he tossed the skewers in the grill. He was getting more and more of these food bloggers, not that he mind. He just found them amusing, so long as they didn’t disturb the other customers.

As he handed the plates of skewer and bottle of cola to the blogger, a familiar voice would call to his attention, “Seems like you’re getting popular, Chef.”

Looking up, he found himself face to face with the towering forms of Maine and Dorio as they  stepped in next. Smiling, he greeted them warmly, “Ey, Maine! Dorio!” Leaning over the counter, he clasped hands with Maine and gave him a shoulder bump, “Glad to see you here,” he then added as he gave him a pat.

The two were a sight for sore eyes and they didn’t come alone as the rest of the gang was here as well. Waving from over the crowd, Rebecca shouted, “Oy! Chef!” All while clinging to Yang’s back of all things, “Save some skewers for my friend over here! I owe her one!” she told him as the two exchanged fist bumps before laughing like they were close friends.

“Wait, what about me!” Pilar butted in, “I saved your ass multiple times, where’s my treat!” he then asked her as he made a scene out himself as he waved his long gangly arms around. Even Kiwi

“Eh, familial obligations,” Rebecca brushed, making the man pout and badger her even more for a treat.

Chef could only chuckle and shake his head at the ridiculous sight. “The gangs all here huh?” He asked as the couple while  he flipped the skewers already on the griddle. Dipping a brush in a glass of marine, he slathered it all over the meat to give it a little bit more that wonderful flavor.

“Yup,” Dorio nodded as she held on to Maine, hugging him closer to herself, “Job finished a bit early so we thought I’d be fun to drop by our favorite food stall and maybe lend a helping hand,” She then added with a grin.

He grinned back as he waved them in, “Well hop on in cause the lines only getting longer!” The night was still young and there were many more mouths to feed.

-x-x-x-

With friends by his side, the night went by in blink. As he ran out of skewers, he could close down his shop early. Even then, it was already past midnight and things were starting to wind down. Aside from a few Karaoke bars and the likes, things over at the Cherry Blossom Market were a bit more calm; perfect for a drink with friends and loved ones.

Sitting by the foot of the giant statue, Chef along with the rest of the Edgerunners drank and ate to their hearts content. With a grill set up and a box of iced drinks, they had everything for a party. It was a small one but sitting there, sipping coke while the world pass by, it felt just perfect.

He and Maine decided to sit by the way side, just letting the rest have their fun. Rebecca was having a drinking competition with Yang while Pilar was puking his guts out. Lucy and Dorio meanwhile were having a laugh as Kiwi had to ward off a few fan girls who recognized her as the fox lady. He had a laugh as well as Kiwi didn’t notice the Fox Ear headband on her head. Tonight is a wonderful night.

Taking a sip from his cola, he asked Maine, “So, heard you got yourself some shiny new chrome,” breaking through the silence.

Glancing over to the man, he wondered if he actually got it; that Sandevistan that would have been the chrome of a legend in another time. He didn’t looked any bulkier, in fact, he looked a bit slimmer? He was still the broad muscular friend he knew but his clothes were a bit loose.

The man snorted as he cracked open a cold one before he answered, “Had gotten myself a new toy,”

“Oh?” He replied, quirking a brow at the man. He hadn’t really known the man that long but he talked to him long enough to know he was a man who liked his chrome, “Did somebody steal it?” He then asked, frowning at the thought.

“Nah, it’s just that I decided against it,” He answered once more, taking him by surprise. Turning to the man, he took a good long look at him as the edgerunner took a sip from his drink. Setting his drink aside, he sighed, “Now, I’m stuck with a pretty trinket to look it. It’s a damn shame cause it’s a Sandevistan and a fine one at that. It’s not you’re on the shelf variant, but a full blown Military Grade one, complete with all the bells and whistles that the army wants.”

He nodded as he looked down on the ground, thinking about it. What had changed that made Maine chose not to slot it in? Looking back at him, he then asked, “Mind if I ask why you decided against it?” grinning, he jested, “I mean, that thing must have cost an arm or a leg… and I hope it’s not literally.”

“Might as well be,” The man laughed back as he shocked his head. Leaning back a bit, he then continued, “As for why…” before pausing as he glanced over to the group, at Rebecca in particular. Smiling, he then said, “Would you believe seeing you two love birds made me think twice?”

“No shit?”  He then said, surprised by his answer.

The man nodded, crossing his arms as he started telling him of his tale, “When we got it from my supplier, Dorio nearly had a fit. She didn’t want it near me cause it was a bit too much,” Reaching inside his coat, he continued, “She knew it was a Sandevistan but not that monster. Actually, here, let me show what it looks like,” before he pulled out a still bloody implant fresh inside it’s plastic cocoon.

It was a thing of beauty, a cybernetic implant made to push the very limits of human speed beyond its normal limits, “God damn,” he whistled, “Is that even a Sandevistan?”

After living her for a decade, he had seen his fare share of chrome. Shops often showed them off, the newest and latest craze for the masses to consume. Sandevistans were on the rare side but not so uncommon but this, this looked more like a whole bunch of them rather than a singular one. Sandevistans were small, just a single vertebra while this was an entire spinal column.

“Oh it is though it’s packing a few more surprises than I thought it’d be,” He replied, tucking it back in before patting his coat, “It’s a Sandevistan-Khereznikov hybrid. It doesn’t only make you faster but makes you think faster.” He explained.

“Each vertebra, a combo of the two and this is the full length that was supposed to go inside me,” He told them as he opened his eyes, a somber look washing over his feature. Grimacing, he then said, “This the type of shit that would push you past the edge, the fine line between a man and a monster.”

He nodded, feeling the weight of his words. Cyberpsychosis, an all to familiar specter that loomed on anyone to ever touch chrome. It was an insidious disorder, consuming the very sanity of those afflicted with it. Nobody wanted to talk about it… but everyone knows its just a matter of time if you push just a bit to hard.

“Naturally we fought. She even throw some hands and nearly beat me senseless,” He chuckled feeling his cheeks. Taking a quick glance, he noticed he was sporting a pretty nasty bruise under that ridiculous sunglass of his, “But after all that…. When she had me pinned to the ground, I realized that shit…” He whispered, glancing over to Dorio who laughed and smiled with Rebecca and Yang as she joined in the fun, “I might actually lose her,”

There was a pause between them as he processed his words. Slowly, he reached out to his shoulder before giving him a comforting pat, “You made the right choice Maine,” he praised him. It was one thing to listen to a loved one, it was another to swallow one’s pride and actually follow those words especially in sensitive matters like this.

“Yeah,” Maine replied, a warm smile spreading over his face as he watched over his girl, “I think I did.”

Briefly thinking over it, Chef called out to Maine, “Hey Maine,” Quirking a brow, the larger man turned to him, quietly asking him what it was. Licking his lips, he then asked, “What if I take it off your hand?”

A/N:

Having difficulties with the other story chapter I was supposed to make, made something to get my brain flowing.