A red sports car running along the coastal road of Jeju Island.
Inside, Lee Yong-bok looked at the sunlight streaming through the window. His master's degree in culinary arts, earned after spending years in London. But beyond all of that, what excited him the most was this place, his hometown.
As soon as they arrived at the Jeju Island villa, they heard Yongbok's mother's voice.
“Yongbok!”
“Mom!! It’s been a while haha”
The mother approached her son, wiping her eyes slightly, and hugged him tightly.
“Thank you for your hard work. I’m so glad to see you back.”
"It's all thanks to Mom..."
"You speak so nicely, how could you~ Come in quickly. Are you hungry? I prepared dinner."
"Wow, why did you prepare so much?! I can't even eat it all~"
"Haha, it's been a while since my son came, so you showed off your skills, right?
"Hey~ Yongbok is here! Come out and have dinner together~"
That's how the dinner started.
Yongbok looked at his parents and said.
“Mom, I’m going to open my own restaurant. I’m going to pour out everything I’ve learned.”
“Yes. You can do it. Just tell me what you need. I’ll help you financially, too.”
"Well... if you help me... haha I'll be grateful."
"You know you're going to have to pay your mom back later, right? Haha."
After a while, Yongbok's mother added with a playful look in her eyes.
“Once you’ve settled down… how about starting to think about marriage?”
Yongbok took a deep breath and then laughed in vain.
"What marriage, Mom? I'm 26 years old, lol"
"Hey! Some of your friends have already gone."
“I… will marry cooking^^”
Mother sighed.
“Ha… I knew that, but seriously”
"I ate well~!! Mom, coffee?"
"Lee Yong-bok!!!!!"
Yongbok was whining and slyly dismissing his mother's attack on marriage.
---
A few days later, 'La Felix' is located in the heart of Jeju.
The sign with the restaurant's name sparkled in the sunlight.
White tone interior and the sea seen through the window.
As soon as it opened, word of mouth spread and reservations started flooding in within a day.
Yongbok muttered as he prepared the dishes with Michelin-level care.
“It has to be perfect… because this is my restaurant.”
The guests' exclamations continued.
“Oh my god, is this really a dish you can eat in Jeju?”
“I admit.. and look at the main chef.. he’s so handsome.. is this real? LOL”
"I'm so happy to see you all again haha It's so good~"
As much as the cooking, Yongbok's appearance also became a hot topic ^-^
But the reality wasn't all that pretty.
Dishwashing that lasts until dawn, a flood of reservation calls, and struggling employees.
Yongbok rested his chin on his hand in front of the dishwashing tub late at night.
“This is a bit… too much.”
"Ugh... We need more staff... TT Please hire more. Sob sob."
"hmm..."
Eventually, he decided to hire new employees.
---
A few days later, the interview day arrived.
The applicants gave answers that did not satisfy Yongbok at all.
“I’m really interested in fusion cuisine!”
"Um... what kind of fusion cuisine?"
"Uh... What is that Kimchi stew? There's something like that, right? Haha."
Yongbok's expression gradually became colder.
‘… What is this… I don’t like any of the applicants…’
Last applicant.
A door that opens suddenly.
A bewildered woman came in, her face frozen with an unfamiliar tension.
“I… I! I’m Jin Seo-yeon.”
Yongbok raised his head.
“Why do you want to work at our store?”
Seoyeon scratched her head and looked around.
“…It’s just… here… it’s… so… cool.”
For a moment, it was so absurd that I started laughing.
“Because it’s cool?”
“Yes… Something… was good. The atmosphere and… this kind of thing! If you just tell me to do it, I’ll do anything.”
Yongbok raised the corners of his mouth for a moment.
“…pass”
Seoyeon's eyes widened.
"yes yes???"
Yongbok pointed toward the kitchen.
“I need help right now. Would you be able to start tomorrow?”
Seoyeon nodded with a bewildered expression.
“Yes! Of course!!!! Then… I will work hard!!!!!”
So, the first new employee of 'La Felix', Jin Seo-yeon, enters the restaurant.
Their awkward first meeting began.
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Please give lots of love to the new work 🥰