How the Rank 0 Chef Survives 011: Clumsy Steps Toward Friendship
Thud, thud. The three of them walked through the cave, and whoosh—the path ahead had clearly been swept by a burst of flames.
Molrangkau casually flicked her fingers a few times, unleashing waves of fire that effortlessly cleared the monsters in their way. Thanks to her, the trio could stroll along so leisurely.
Whoosh—flames continued to pour endlessly from Molrangkau's staff, yet she kept stealing glances at the person beside her, barely paying attention to what lay ahead.
"La la la~"
Walking next to her, humming a tune, was the black-haired chef, Hura.
Heh heh, I just came looking for some cooking tools, and now treasure? What a windfall. And I don't even have to lift a finger—it's like a double windfall!
Hura happily trod the flame-cleared path Molrangkau had paved.
After hesitating for a long while, Molrangkau finally spoke up to him.
"Um, hey."
"Yeah? What's up?"
"Y-you're Hura, right?"
Molrangkau avoided his eyes, fixing her gaze somewhere vague as she cautiously broached the subject.
"Yeah, that's me."
"I-I'm Molrangkau."
Don't shake. Don't shake. Stay calm. It's no big deal.
She tried desperately not to tremble, extending her shaking hand.
Hura blinked at her.
"......? You already said that."
"Ah, haha. R-right, I did."
Molrangkau quickly withdrew her hand and laughed awkwardly.
"But who are you even looking at when you talk? Is there something on the floor?"
"Uh, uh-huh. Gotta watch my step in the dark so I don't trip."
Clunk.
"Ah!"
No sooner had she spoken than her foot caught on something, pitching her forward.
Thud.
"You okay?"
"...Y-yeah..."
Hura instinctively caught Molrangkau as she stumbled, and she bowed her head in embarrassment.
"Haha! How do you trip right after saying that?"
"R-right? Haha!"
Molrangkau laughed awkwardly along with him, then smacked her own head once Hura looked away.
What am I doing? Idiot! Idiot!
She wasn't used to this at all. No, it had been years since she'd properly talked to anyone besides her parents or her doctor. And now it was with a guy her own age. Everything felt awkward and clumsy.
How do friends even work again?
She'd dropped out of school and holed up in her room for years. She knew how to push people away, but approaching them? Not a clue. And with her friendless, gloomy school days, making friends felt like an insurmountable wall—one far bigger and thicker than any final exam she'd faced.
Watching her meaningfully from behind was Geum Taeyang, who was tactfully hanging back to give his master and the beautiful woman space to chat.
Geum Taeyang's eyes sparkled as he caught Molrangkau smacking her head when Hura wasn't looking. He quickened his pace to naturally fall in beside her.
"Any worries on your mind, ma'am?"
"Ah, it's nothing!"
The two whispered so Hura couldn't hear, as if by prior agreement.
Even as they did, her staff spewed flames wildly, sweeping away the monsters ahead.
"Don't say a word—just follow my lead."
"Wh-what?"
"Trust me, just once."
Whisper whisper—after passing on some advice, Taeyang fell back again.
"Ahem. Ahem."
Molrangkau cleared her throat, gathered her courage, and extended her hand to Hura once more.
"We haven't done proper introductions yet. I'm Molrangkau."
"True enough. I'm Hura."
Hura took her offered hand casually.
"Hm? Your hand's shaking."
Shake shake shake.
"Uh, uh-huh. I've got essential tremor. It's genetic. Haha!"
"I see. ...You sweat a lot too, huh?"
Hura asked, feeling the dampness in her grip.
"Y-yeah. Hyperhidrosis too."
"Must be tough."
"Yeah..."
With that, their conversation fizzled, and Hura's humming filled the silence again.
I did it!
Out of Hura's sight, Molrangkau clenched her fist tightly. She glanced back, and Geum Taeyang sidled up beside her again.
"You want to be friends with our master, right?"
"Y-yeah. How do I do it? I'm kinda bad at this stuff..."
"Simple. Just say, 'Let's be friends.'"
"What? Just like that?"
"Yes."
Geum Taeyang nodded confidently. People usually warmed up gradually, but there were exceptions to everything. He was certain no man would turn down a stunning beauty like her asking to be friends.
But she hesitated, unconvinced.
"B-but in books and dramas, they don't just become friends right away..."
Even in her bleak school life, she'd found solace in reading and dramas. When she wasn't logged into the fantasy world, that's what she did. And there, friendships always built slowly.
"Sometimes they bond over shared interests and little details, but for you, Lady Molrangkau, just saying 'friends' is enough."
"...Really?"
"Of course. Trust me."
Molrangkau nodded reluctantly, and Geum Taeyang fell back once more.
"Um, hey."
"Yeah?"
"D-do, do, do you,"
"......?"
"L-like, like chi-chi-chicken?"
"Sure. Who doesn't like chicken?"
"Haha, right?"
Molrangkau smacked her head again, recharging her courage. By then, they'd reached a vast stone chamber housing the dungeon boss—a menacing beast awaiting intruders.
"Kyahahaha! Intruders! I'll make you regret coming this far! I am the master of this dungeon, Phr—"
Whoosh!
"Kieeeek—!"
"So, um, chi-chi-chicken friends—"
"...Wasn't that the boss? Looked pretty tough."
Hura stared dumbfounded at the dungeon boss, now instantly roasted.
"Don't mind it. Beginner dungeon, so it's weak."
Molrangkau waved it off casually.
"More importantly, chi-chi-chicken friends..."
"Huh? Friends?"
"Uh! Yeah! Friends! What kind of friends do you like?"
"Hm... What kind of friends I like..."
As Hura crossed his arms thoughtfully, Molrangkau smacked her head again in self-reproach.
Idiot! So close!
Pondering her question, Hura gave his answer.
"Easier question: What kind I don't like. I hate people who drop the formalities right away on first meeting and act rude just because they're older."
Hura truly despised those who treated him carelessly solely due to age, wielding it like a badge of authority since it was all they had. He was thinking of the rude customers from his part-time jobs, but to Molrangkau, it hit differently.
She'd been the one to speak informally from the start—and nearly killed him.
"Ah... I see..."
She mumbled, deflated.
"Huh? Something coming out over there?"
Stomp, stomp. After the merciless flames claimed the boss, a reward chest popped out from behind a hidden wall.
Hura left the crestfallen Molrangkau and headed toward it.
He opened the chest.
◈ One of the rings worn in life by the legendary ancient emperor, Minare.
◈ So old that most of its functions have been lost.
◈ Equip: Luck +1
"Whoa! Check this out!"
"Ah, that. Standard reward. You take it... or whatever."
She tacked on the formal speech too late—it was pointless.
Yeah... I'm the problem. Who am I kidding, thinking I could be friends?
Dejected, Molrangkau trudged to the wall and squatted down.
"Where's the treasure?"
"Huh?"
Hura's question snapped Molrangkau back to why they'd come. She'd been so fixated on befriending him that she'd forgotten the treasure entirely.
"Treasure! Right!"
And she recalled their deal: one treasure for potential friendship.
If I give him treasure, maybe he'll be friends...?
Molrangkau hurriedly pulled clues from her inventory: treasure map, ancient tome, worn letter, the crown of the ancient emperor Minare.
But they all pointed only to this place—Minare's dungeon—and offered no further hints.
"...Gotta find it myself, huh?"
Molrangkau muttered. Hura, peering at the clues she'd laid out, heard her and stood.
"Then let's split up and search."
* * *
Molrangkau roamed the vast stone chamber, diligently hunting for treasure clues. Her mind ran a simple algorithm.
Everyone likes treasure. So everyone likes the person who gives treasure. Find treasure, give to Hura. Hura likes treasure, likes giver. Thus, treasure = friends with Hura.
"Where could it be..."
As she focused intently on the search, a shadow approached.
"Pardon the intrusion, ma'am—no, Lady Molrangkau."
It was Geum Taeyang.
"What. Busy."
Molrangkau brushed him off, frantically scanning the stone walls.
But his next words forced her attention.
"Do you like our master?"
"Wh-what? Who's liking who?!"
Molrangkau startled, her voice rising.
Hura called from across the room, where he was searching.
"Find something?"
"No, master! Just a gross bug that startled Lady Molrangkau a bit."
"Got it. Shout if you find anything."
"Yes, master."
Molrangkau grabbed Geum Taeyang's collar roughly, shoving him behind a statue.
"Haha, calm down."
Geum Taeyang chuckled leisurely, even as his back hit the statue.
She gripped his collar, glaring fiercely with her blazing red eyes.
"What nonsense. Who's liking who? I just want to be friends."
"Heh heh, I meant like as a friend."
"...Oh, right?"
Molrangkau's face flushed in embarrassment.
"No worries. Easy to mishear. So, you want to be friends with our master?"
"Yeah."
"Heh heh, good. Everything starts with friendship."
Geum Taeyang straightened his clothes.
"Looks like you're still clumsy at realizing or expressing your feelings."
"Cut it out. What does a summon know?"
Molrangkau shot him a sharp red glare.
"Oh my. Didn't our master say he likes polite people?"
"...Even summons know stuff."
Geum Taeyang smiled in satisfaction.
"Good. Willing to change—that's a start."
"What? What're you talking about?"
"Heh heh, I'm an expert at this."
"Expert at what?"
"Just follow my lead, and you'll be friends with our master. I guarantee it 100%."
"...For real?"
Molrangkau eyed him suspiciously.
"Of course. Making friends is easy. And if you want to be lovers with our master, that's a bit harder, but totally possible—"
"Not that, you idiot!!"
Clang!
Molrangkau's shout echoed through the empty chamber.
"There! Find something?"
"Darn! Another cockroach! Lady Molrangkau burned it, so no worries."
"Phew, okay..."
Hura sighed in disappointment and resumed searching.
Confirming that, Molrangkau snapped at Geum Taeyang.
"Wanna die? I just want to be friends! Nothing more!"
"Didn't you just imagine it for a second?"
"I didn't!"
"Shame."
As she fumed, Geum Taeyang muttered to himself.
"Hm... Beautiful like a rose, powerful fire mage. Perfect match for our master as a spouse..."
"What?"
"Haha, nothing. Anyway, you want to be friends?"
"Yeah!"
"Then just do as I say."
A sly smile crept across Geum Taeyang's lips.