Your Baker Absolutely Slays
"Excuse me."
Staff in crisp uniforms neatly placed ornate plates on the table.
Tuna, sea urchin roe, sea bream, and flounder.
The seafood glistened like jewels, oil shimmering on their surfaces.
"Whoa..."
A gasp slipped from my lips.
Food I'd only ever seen on YouTube was now right in front of me.
The fresh ocean scent mixed with the sweet tang of vinegar, tickling my nose.
The ordeal in the fitting room earlier faded from my mind, overwritten by the tantalizing aroma.
"You like it that much? You're drooling. Dig in already."
Cha Eunwol propped her chin on her hand, smirking at me.
I nodded eagerly and picked up my chopsticks.
First up: the tuna that looked the most delicious.
I popped a piece of fatty tuna belly nigiri into my mouth.
"Mmm...!"
No need to even chew.
The moment it hit my tongue, the rich tuna melted away like snow.
The perfectly tempered rice unraveled in my mouth, harmonizing flawlessly with the fish.
"Wow... this is so good..."
I found myself stomping my feet without realizing it.
The incredible flavor made my ears and tail lose all control.
Flap! Perk!
Two distinct outlines popped up clearly over the hood of my Baek Arang hoodie.
My tiger ears on top of my head flapped wildly in delight, while my tail, tucked into my pants, thrashed against the chair cushion, swishing back and forth.
"Hehe... nom."
I stuffed my cheeks full, munching away.
Watching Baek Arang's face beaming like she owned the world, Cha Eunwol screamed internally.
She's killing me... why is she so damn cute? Should I just kidnap her and keep her forever?
Unable to control her rising smile, Cha Eunwol clamped a hand over her mouth.
If she hugged her now and called her cute, that adorable sight would vanish.
"Take it slow. You'll get indigestion."
To hide her grin, Cha Eunwol offered me a glass of water in her calmest voice.
I took the water from her, sipped it, and grabbed the next piece of sushi.
Salmon, flounder, Jeju shrimp.
Each bite unleashed a festival of bliss in my mouth.
But my happiness ended abruptly after just five pieces.
Urp.
My chopsticks froze in mid-air.
"Ugh..."
Fullness was already creeping in.
Not to the point I couldn't eat more, but my stomach was starting to close shop.
I gazed sadly at the plate in front of me.
Top-tier sushi and dishes I hadn't even tasted yet remained untouched.
Sea urchin roe, abalone, eel, king crab... all insanely expensive delicacies that weren't easy to just devour.
No way. Come on, stomach... hold out just a bit longer... I can't leave this pricey stuff uneaten...
I silently cursed and cheered on my gut, but it refused to make room.
In frustration, my ears drooped flat.
I sneakily glanced at Cha Eunwol's plate.
Hers was already empty and forlorn.
With an S-rank hunter's monstrous digestive power, she'd demolished her share in seconds.
I quietly set down my chopsticks and peeked at her reaction.
"Um... Guild Master?"
I cautiously poked her side with my finger.
"Yeah? Not tasty? Want something else?"
"No... it's really delicious..."
I mumbled, dropping my gaze to the floor.
"My stomach's just super small... it's already full... I feel like it'll burst if I finish it all."
"What? You've only eaten five pieces."
Cha Eunwol blinked in disbelief.
"That's why... could you maybe eat the leftovers? I'll just take tiny bites to taste everything..."
It was an embarrassing request, even for me to make.
No matter how young I looked, asking someone to finish my leftovers was rude.
But I couldn't abandon the food in front of me. I wanted to try it all.
Cha Eunwol crossed her arms, looking puzzled.
"I don't mind. You don't have to force it. Just leave it. Worried about wasting money?"
"No, it's not about the money."
I shook my head.
"I just think the chef who made this would be sad if we left it."
"The chef?"
"Yeah. As a baker myself, I get it. Seeing leftover bread makes me wonder if mine wasn't tasty enough, and it bugs me all day. Even though they put so much care into it..."
It was a feeling I'd had countless times working at the hotel and bakery.
Every time customers skipped a bread and it got tossed, my heart ached with regret.
I imagined the chef feeling the same if I left this behind.
Cha Eunwol's red eyes shook at Baek Arang's words.
She stared at her, speechless.
A kid with absurd powers awakened at such a young age. In a situation where she could be arrogant, there wasn't a hint of it.
In this world since the Tower appeared, even idiots who couldn't tell up from down strutted around as "awakened" and threw money everywhere.
But this little one in front of her had grown up right.
She knew gratitude, respected others' feelings—that was true manners—and she practiced it.
A dazzling righteousness impossible to find easily these days.
"Ha..."
A deep sigh escaped Cha Eunwol's lips.
Her gaze softened from playful teasing to endlessly tender.
"Good girl. My little one."
Cha Eunwol ruffled the top of my hood with her big hand.
"Got it. Eat just a bite of what you want. I'll clean up the rest so our chef doesn't get sad."
"Really? Thank you!"
I beamed and picked up my chopsticks again.
Thanks to her kindness, I got to taste every dish left.
"Ugh... so full..."
My steps were heavy leaving the restaurant.
With fullness up to my chin, my belly felt like it was bulging with every breath.
I cradled my rounded stomach preciously with both hands, waddling along.
"Quit whining. I ended up eating your share too. And you call that birdseed?"
"That's my limit... your stomach's just huge, Guild Master."
I pouted, and Cha Eunwol burst out laughing.
"Eat properly at your growing age, or you won't end up big like me?"
I didn't reply to that.
"Pouting 'cause you're full? Head back now? Or wanna hang out more?"
Rubbing my heavy belly, I nodded at her question.
"Let's go back. It was kinda forced, but I got fancy food and clothes out of it, so I'll bake more bread for you."
"Oh, for real? You'll bake more?"
"Yeah. It'll help digestion too. Thinking of kneading some dough in the bakery room."
"Good, good. My place is yours anytime."
Her face lit up at the mention of baking.
She'd experienced the power of my kneading buff bread firsthand. No reason to refuse more.
Win-win for me too, earning cash.
We headed to the parking lot and got back in the sports car.
Leaning into the soft leather seat, food coma hit hard from my stuffed belly.
I dozed off, nodding, as we drove to Baekya Guild headquarters.
Guild HQ first-floor lobby.
After getting out of the car, I rubbed my eyes and headed for the elevator to the bakery room.
Cha Eunwol stuck right by my side, hand on my shoulder, humming a tune.
"What bread you baking? Sweet? Savory?"
"Hm... I'll check the ingredients downstairs first... but with this full belly, something sweet like dessert sounds good."
As we chatted crossing the lobby, a familiar figure approached from the opposite hallway.
Kim Hyunah, her cold face now refreshed, fatigue gone.
"Hey! Kim Hyunah!"
I waved happily.
She looked up from her phone, spotted me and Cha Eunwol, and her steps halted abruptly.
Thud.
Kim Hyunah's eyes shook violently.
Why was Baek Arang—the one she'd hidden away to slowly bond with—walking side-by-side with the guild master, looking extremely close?
And those luxury clothes on Baek Arang were from brands the guild master frequented.
"Guild Master...? Baek Arang?"
She strode over briskly. Her gaze locked on Cha Eunwol's arm casually draped over my shoulder.
"Could you two... explain how you happened to meet?"
To others, it looked like professional business demeanor, but Cha Eunwol, who'd worked with her long, knew instantly.
Kim Hyunah was jealous of me.
"How? Your Hyunah kept hiding her so tight I got curious. So I went looking myself."
Cha Eunwol grinned mischievously, poking at her more.
A perfect chance to see her subordinate show real emotion.
"Snagged some bread, went shopping at the department store for pricey outfits, grabbed a meal. On the way back."
At Cha Eunwol's words, Kim Hyunah's fists clenched, mana rippling faintly.
Cha Eunwol inwardly cheered at the sight.
Her precious subordinate, dulled by overwork lately, was finally showing some spark.
Gonna take some effort to soothe that pout, though.
"Is this the right time to say this...? Your baker absolutely slays."