Seoul Kitchen: Chapter 5 (Patreon)

Trust is a Rare Commodity

It was a successful day by all measures with all the food he sold but all things would come to an end as his day came to a close. He had been working for close to 10 hours and that was enough for him and so too for his temporary employees. He was looking to feed a lot of people but that doesn’t mean he’d neglect himself. He had done what he could, now it was time to close.

It took a bit to get the crowd to disperse but eventually, they’ll disperse. Of course there were some stragglers left behind, those seeking to have a bite of the pizza that everyone in the city probably knew about now.

“Are you still selling pizza?” A cold hollow feminine voice called out from behind him. He nearly jumped off his skin in surprise as he turned around and came face to face with a small diminutive girl with the coldest stare he’d ever seen.

“Scared me there,” He laughed out, making the emotionless girl smirk. Gathering his wits, he calmed himself before replying, “Unfortunately we’re closed but you can have this,” He then offered her the sole box he had himself. It wasn’t like he couldn’t make more of it at home.

“How much?” The girl asked as she took the box before opening it and staring at it with an almost reverent look.

“Since we’re close, it’s free,” He told her with a smile, “Plus seeing your smile is more than enough for me.” He wasn’t quite sure why Lucy and Dorio suddenly laughed but he was just being honest.

“I won’t forget about this,” The girl replied as she gave him a polite bow before walking away with her pizza in hand. Weird girl…

“Really Chef, you just gave away your share of the pizza to a random girl,” Rebecca would call out from behind him with an annoyed smile on her face, “Just like that?”

He chuckled in turn as he rubbed the back of his head, “Honestly, I’m a bit tired of seeing pizza right now,” He told her, “Maybe next week when I get to cooking pizza again.” He had enough pizza for the week. He needed to broaden his horizon a bit. Maybe he should do Ramen tomorrow.

Looking back to his shop, he then said, “Speaking off, I really need to find a way to limit the craziness,” He had a bit of cleaning afterwards to get everything spotless. “I don’t think I can handle that craziness,” he then said. Rebecca deflated with a sigh as an exasperated smile stretched across her face at his words.

“It definitely was,” Maine chuckled as he balanced a large stack of pizza boxes in his hands, “But this makes up for all the craziness for today. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to just any pizza now.”

As promised, he gave them the rest of the pizza that was sold. Kiwi was hauling off her loot with Lucy while Pilar was trying to figure out how to fit everything in his tiny MaiMai. Everyone was smiling despite looking all sweaty working in the kitchen.

“Hey, I did promise to cook y’all something whenever you drop by from now on?” He told him. He made a promise and he was going to keep it.

“Well you better!” Maine chuckled, shaking his head and muttering something he didn’t quite catch. Walking off to Dorio, he waved as he bid them farewell, “Anyways, me and Dorio’s going back to our house now. See y’all tomorrow!”

That just left him with Rebecca, Kiwi and Lucy; the two of which were just waiting for a cab to take them and their stack of pizza. As he reached up and started to close the shutter to his shop, he told them, “I still don’t fucking get it,” locking the door close he then continued, “Why the hell is my shop way more popular now?”He get that it was the lower price that got them but he wasn’t sure why. He just wanted to know.

The three would share a look before Kiwi reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose while Rebecca looked as if he had just the stupidest question. “Do I tell him or you wanna teach your boy toy what’s his deal,” Kiwi asked as she turned to Rebecca which had him blushing.

“I told you, he’s not my input!” Rebeccca fumed as she pouted much to the amusement and laughter of the other two. Cross her arms across her chest, she shooed them off, “Go mess with someone else or something.”

“Fine,” Kiwi replied as she and Lucy finally got their ride. “Go get him tiger,” She shouted as one parting tease left him and Rebecca with rosy cheeks.

“That woman, I swear!” Rebecca growled out as she stomped, fuming at the older woman , “One of these days, she’s going to find someone that can take her heat and throw it back at her. One day!” She swore, shaking her fist in the direction which the taxi of the two went off.

“Hah,” he chuckled, shaking his head as he said, “You two sound so much like siblings.”

Rebecca scoffed at that as she fired back, “I already have a handful with my bro, you really want me to handle auntie as well?”

“Fair enough,” He nodded before looking back at his shop. Scratching his head, he then asked once more, “So, what’s the secret here? I kinda get it’s the price that reeled them in but I don’t why?” He hated how he missed something so obvious but at least he got someone to ask.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Rebecca asked as she stared at him. Shaking her head, she then told him something he didn’t think someone would label him as such, “People no longer see you as Scav bait.”

Frowning, he argued, “But I’m not a Scav?” He looked down on himself. Scavs were quite noticeable despite their normal, everyday cloth appearance. They were always twitchy, their eyes looking at people as if they were nothing more than meat to be harvested and butchered. They were unsettling and one he stayed clear off, along with just about every other gang in the city.

Meanwhile, he didn’t look any bit like that. He looked more like the guy they’d harvest from rather than the one harvesting. “I’m not even gang material really either. I have a gun and all but it’s not like I’ll shoot them to steal their organs,” He replied with a shrug.

Sighing, Rebecca told him, “No, listen. I know you mean well but the thing is, it’s just as suspicious as hell,” gesturing at the shop behind him, she then explained, “To the people of Night City, there’s no such thing as a free lunch so when free lunch actually comes around, they don’t know what to do.”

He frowned but he didn’t argue at her reasoning. Despite how absurd it sounded to him, he had to remember that this was a far more brutal time. This was an age of paranoia, where the trust between people in the society has broken down. To them, trust was the rarest commodity and one he couldn’t give unlike the food that freely flowed from his powers.

“To them, you look like bait,” Rebecca pointed out, “Bait to lure them in a false sense of security before the true Scavs come crawling out of the woodwork to do their dirty deeds,”

“I guess,” He sighed, his shoulder sagging as he accepted his situation. It was fucked up but in hindsight, it was pretty clear. He should have known but maybe there’s still a bit of an optimist inside him, one that says things can change.

Reaching up to give him a comforting pat on the shoulder, Rebecca then smiled as she told him, “Now that your a shop selling for cheap but not to cheap, you’re far more respectable,” He snorted at that making her grin at him as she teased him, “You no longer screams suspicion, now you scream unscrupulous merchant looking to kill the local competitors before the big branch comes in~!”

“Choosing between the lesser of two evils huh?” He asked before he blinked. Turning to her, she then asked, “Wait, if I’m Scav Bait then why the hell did you drop by my shop?” He could still remember her barging into his store just yesterday.

“As if I’d get scared with whatever you're packing,” Rebecca laughed out as she nudged at him. He rolled her eyes at him in turn; this horny minx was just too adorable for her own good.

“Nah, she’s just a reckless badger that has no sense of danger,” Pillar then shouted, reminding them he was still there. Shaking his head, he told them,“I swear give her the chance and she’d throw down hand with Eve,”

“I’m not that bad,” Rebecca scoffed before grinning as she pulled out her shotgun and whipped it out in public. Aiming up at the sky, she laughed, “Besides, it’s not like Eve can handle what I’m packing!” He whistled at the sight of the highly customized gun. He might know much about guns but her weapon of choice was just as eye catching as Rebecca

“Look at this bad girl! Isn’t she amazing?” Rebecca then said as she presented her gun like how a woman would hold her baby. It was honestly cute seeing her like this, all smiling and enthusiastic about the subject at hand.

“Got a name for her?” He asked her.

She smirked as she whirled it around, showing off how easily she could wield it despite her diminutive size. “Before I tell you her name, I want to tell you what she is,” She told him dramatically, caressing as she introduced her weapon, “She’s far too big to be called just a gun. Too big, too thick, too heavy, and too rough, it was more like she’s just a large hunk of iron and thus she was named, Guts!”

He laughed as she asked, “Berserk, really? Also, shouldn’t she be the Dragon Slayer?” He wasn’t quite expecting that of all things but Berserk was an old series. He was quite happy to see something from his time survive through the harsh corporate wars.

“Wait, you know about Berserk?” Rebecca gasped out as she leaned in close, eagerly awaiting his answer.

He raised his hands as he admitted, “I know but I haven’t read about it,” Seeing her crestfallen expression, he then explained, “I don’t want to get traumatized reading about Casca.”

Rebecca growled out as she raised her fist to the sky and shook it, “Fucking Griffith,” She cursed and he nodded as well. Fucking Griffith indeed. Shaking her head, she then turned to him with an amused smile, “I knew I liked you for a reason Chef. You might be the biggest gonk I’ve ever seen but you're not half bad.”

“Chef?” He asked with a smile of his own, “I’ve been hearing you and the rest call one but I’m not a Chef, I’d need a restaurant for that.” He then told her. It was flattering but he was just a guy that knows how to cook a bit.

Smirking once more up to him, she then told him, “Why don’t you save up for one then? Maybe raise the price just a tiny bit so you can pocket a bit more~?.”

Caught off guard by her answer, he let out a soft chuckle. Shaking his head, he looked back at her with a smile as he asked, “You really want me to raise my price huh?”

The smaller girl smiled back smugly as she fired back, “Well somebody has to knock some sense into ya.”

“Maybe someday,” He answered. Looking around at some of the more established restaurants, he then mused, “But a restaurant would be nice to have.” He had to admit that despite his want to help, a bit of fame and comfort wouldn’t hurt. A restaurant would go a long way in helping make a lot of food as well as provide a safe haven for anyone.

Turning back to his shop, he started checking the locks. There might be no money due to having no cash register but that wouldn’t stop any thief; there are still other things worth stealing in his kitchen. There was also the worst case scenario, someone deciding that his hole in the wall store was worth burning to take out the competition.

As he was about to bid her a goodbye, Rebecca suddenly spoke up, “So, closing shop eh?” Glancing away, she asked him with a whisper, “Got something to do this evening?”

Stroking his chin, he tried to remember if he had any promised errands to do or a place he’d be dropping by later. “Aside from dropping by to do some errands, back home to exercise and sleep I guess,” He shrugged.

Admittedly, his life was a bit dull. He had no stomach for the excitement of a gun fight, thus he was stuck as a normal citizen. It was just work, a bit of free time, self care before heading back to sleep. This was his life…

Blinking, Rebecca then asked in surprise, “Wait, you don’t have a favorite watering hole?”

He held up his hands as he answered, “I’m not really someone that drinks.” He did love the taste but he really didn’t see the reason to indulge on it.

“Welp, we’re gonna fix that!” Rebecca then shouted as she grabbed him by the collar and started dragging him away. With a determined look on her face, she marched on declaring, “No choom of mine’s going to go to bed without a drink or two!”

Surprised by her strength, he was forced to walk with her. It was almost comical how he, a two hundred pound man of muscle and a bit of pudge, was dragged along by a girl that was probably no heavier than a hundred pounds but here he was. Chromes, he swore, were bullshit; He wished he considered getting more of them if not for the toll on the mind.

“H-hey!” he protested, trying to pry himself off the girl's gorilla-like grip but to no avail. Seeing no escape, he sighed as he asked her, “Can you at least let me get this apron off?”

Rebecca laughed uproariously as she told him, “Come on, It’ll be fun!” Looking back at him, she gave him a thousand watt smile as she told him, “Trust me.” For a moment, he felt his breath taken away as everything melted away. There were just the two of them at that moment and he felt his tongue go stupid.

Tilting her head at him, she snapped her fingers and broke him out of his trance. With a heavy breath, he reluctantly agreed, “O-k fine,” Looking away from those deep green eyes of hers, he then told her, “Just one drink,”  He hated how he stuttered, his heart picking up as he started double guessing himself yet… things felt just right. He didn’t want to miss this for the world.  

“Just one, I promise,” Rebecca told her and he nodded along, following her like a lost duckling. Little did he know, it would be quite the bold face lie as he found himself drinking heavily with her.