Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: New Year's Franchise Training
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"Oh my! It's so delicious~."
The customer's wide-eyed stare brought a proud smile to my face.
"Haha. Thank you."
"What's the recipe? I wasn't expecting much since you had to whip it up on the spot... but it's way tastier than I thought."
As if I'd known something like this would happen when I came here. Naturally, I racked my brain in the kitchen over what to make.
But I'd dealt with situations like this plenty of times in my past life. And quick thinking is my specialty.
'The ingredients from the course meal—I tasted them all and memorized everything. Figuring out what to make from that was a piece of cake.'
The pumpkin used as a garnish for the main dish, stewed sweet and savory with cinnamon powder for the appetizer.
And since most places serve ice cream for dessert, there couldn't be a better choice than pumpkin stew ice cream.
"Ah~. That's a trade secret. Just a little hint for you here."
The serving was mostly done anyway, and I'd been mingling with the customers, exchanging greetings, so I had plenty of time to explain the recipe.
I chatted amiably, and I could feel the other nearby customers perking up their ears.
"Peel the pumpkin and chop it finely, then add a heap of sugar and honey. Simmer it down with some ginger, and when it's almost fully reduced, stir in the cinnamon powder."
"Ooh~."
"Then just top the pumpkin stew with ice cream and add some fancy garnish. Done. Easy, right?"
"Yeah. Simpler than I thought—worth trying at home."
"It's delicious even when you make it at home~. Give it a shot sometime."
I flashed a bright smile in response, and the customer seemed charmed by my friendly vibe, her eyes sparkling.
"My goodness. You're even sharper in person than on TV. Got a boyfriend? If not, I'd love to introduce you to my son~."
"Ahaha... Better not."
"Why? You'd be perfect as my daughter-in-law."
Getting flustered by a comment like that would mark me as a rookie. I replied without missing a beat, face unflustered.
"What if I end up getting along better with you than with your son~. He'd get jealous."
"Huh? Hahaha! You're right~. Can't have that, ahahaha."
The customer burst into laughter, exchanging glances with her companions. Phew. Dodged another one today.
"Enjoy your meal~."
With a quick bow, I moved on—most of the tables had gotten their greetings.
All but one.
The solo table where the troublemaker from earlier sat alone, quietly picking at his bowl.
I strode over without hesitation.
He flinched at my approach but pretended not to notice. All his earlier bravado was gone; he seemed lost in thought, wondering when to slip out.
"How is it? Does the dessert suit your taste?"
"......"
I approached with a smile first, but got no reply. No surprise there.
Still, kill the haters with kindness, right? A little courtesy like this could turn even this guy into a regular someday.
Of course, someone who goes around picking fights at restaurants on purpose wouldn't be won over that easily.
Most complainers cool off if you apologize and comp them something. Call it a habit ingrained in my body.
I watched him grudgingly shovel in the dessert and didn't forget one last kind word.
"Enjoy it, and have a great day. Happy New Year—wishing you all the best."
With a bow, I turned away.
Back in the kitchen, I plated the leftover pumpkin stew, topped it prettily with ice cream, and decorated it.
"Here."
I handed it to the server in front of me, who looked puzzled and asked,
"Everything's already been served, though?"
"Exactly."
I glanced at her white shirt, still stained with clear wine marks, and continued.
"Take a break and enjoy this for a bit."
"......!"
Her eyes went wide, like it was the last thing she expected.
But I'd had this in mind from the moment I started making the dessert.
Managing troublemakers is important, but taking care of your staff's morale is just as crucial.
"Chef Bong. This okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. I told you to head home early today."
Bong Kang-min approached, and the server waved her hands frantically.
"No, no. I'm not hurt or anything. I can't serve like this, but I can help with cleanup in the back."
She probably didn't want to leave her colleagues short-staffed.
Even so, a short break with something sweet would help ease the post-shift crash a little.
"Eat up. The ice cream'll melt if you wait~."
"Yeah, yeah. Song Chef went out of his way to make it for you. Take it to the back, eat slow, and rest up!"
Prodded by Bong Kang-min and me, she hesitated before thanking us and taking the plate.
Her eyes were a bit red, like she might tear up. Yeah. How often does someone get wine dumped on them in life?
It soured my mouth, thinking how cruel it was to dump that on someone else's precious kid.
Once the server was gone, Bong Kang-min turned to me.
"Whew, Woo-yeon. Your dessert was good."
"When did you try it? I don't remember saving any for you, Chef Bong."
"It's in my kitchen—think I wouldn't sneak a taste? You too, man. Save me a plate before I grab it myself next time?"
"Ah, I was gonna after taking care of everyone else. Just hold on a sec."
For real.
Some might say prioritize the owner, Bong Kang-min. But my priorities were different.
He didn't seem to mind at all. More like, "Oh, yeah? Should've waited then," without a care.
"You're even looking out for my staff—I'm grateful. I figured you for the cold corporate type. Turns out you've got a warm side too?"
"Haha. Not because I'm some saint."
From experience, pushing and abusing staff gets you nowhere.
Save on labor and benefits short-term, sure, feels good. But burn them out, and service quality drops, little things start slipping.
Penny-wise, pound-foolish.
"That's the cheapest way, honestly."
Hope that doesn't sound too harsh. But as a person-to-person thing, and as a businessman, this is the right path.
People sometimes think welfare and profits are opposites. Long-term, that's just self-sabotage.
Overwork staff, reputation tanks, hiring good talent gets harder, and the business crumbles.
"Hmm. Makes sense when you put it like that."
Bong Kang-min nodded, then apologized sheepishly.
"Sorry anyway, Woo-yeon. You made time on a rare good day, and I dragged you into this mess. Even put you to work in the kitchen. I'd have nothing to say with ten mouths."
"Nah~. It's been ages since I cooked in a restaurant kitchen—super fun. If anything, sorry for the unnecessary fuss from the misunderstanding."
"No way! Don't sweat it. You're a pro at handling customers. Does your place get a lot like that?"
"Fair share."
I chuckled.
"Blogs are all the rage now. Power bloggers demanding free food is standard... and plenty try to charge per post."
"Whoa~! Yeah, I hear Naver blogs make decent side cash."
"Don't get me started. Even when we say no ads, some barge in insisting on 'blog promo' anyway."
"Man, world's full of weirdos."
Bong Kang-min shook his head, clucking his tongue.
"Anyway, make sure your staff's okay. I'll head out now. Stick around longer, and I'll end up doing a signing session."
"Yeah, go on. Leave cleanup to me—you must be beat."
"Thanks. Appreciate it."
I smiled, bowed, and headed for the back door when Bong Kang-min called out.
"Woo-yeon!"
"Yeah?"
I turned to see him panting, like he'd run over. In his hand—a bottle of wine?
"Here."
"This is......"
"Expensive stuff. Got caught up and rushed you out, but it's the last day of the year. Gotta mark it somehow."
He pressed the wine into my protesting hands, insisting,
"Drink it tonight, watching the new year roll in on January 1st! Got it?! Don't let it go to waste saving it for our next meetup!"
Feeling the warmth in his words, I couldn't help but grin.
"Will do. Thanks."
"Alright. Take care!"
Bong Kang-min spun around at a call from inside, waving hurriedly.
Click.
The door shut, and I turned slowly. The wine bottle weighed down one hand.
"Funny how......"
Before regression, how'd I spend New Year's Eve around then? Probably working or catching up on sleep alone.
'I never made a big deal of it. Back then, I was obsessed with the business—days, nights, weekdays, weekends, no difference.'
Thinking that made the changes from my past life feel all the more welcome.
My steps felt lighter as I walked. The night air chilled my cheeks, but I wasn't cold at all.
"Whew, happy New Year, everyone—starting off rough~."
"No problem!"
"Hello!"
"Yeah, yeah. Nice to see you."
I tapped the mic, tested it, and adjusted.
"Alright... First off, I'm Song Woo-yeon. A warm welcome to everyone joining The Song's new franchise owner training program."
I bowed, and applause erupted here and there. Kinda embarrassing.
"It's been forever since I personally dropped by a training session like this. Why? Everyone gets all tense when I show up."
"Ahahaha."
They laughed it off at my joke. Sounds fake? It's true.
"So I've stayed away as much as possible. You guys just hit the rare jackpot—bad luck. Think of me as your pre-opening jinx-breaker."
As I spoke, I scanned the franchise owners.
'Ah. There he is.'
A familiar face stood out among them. Impossible to forget.
'Running into you again, huh.'
I greeted him silently in my head.
That was exactly why I'd made this rare personal visit.
Ji Sang-woo.
To meet that man.
'I was shocked when I saw his name on the franchise owner list.'
Because... before regression, Ji Sang-woo left an unforgettable, intense impression on me.