The First Customer
A little girl with red sauce smeared across her cheek, greeting the customers. The man felt his exhausting day melt away, if only for a moment. He smiled without meaning to and took a seat at one of the tables.
What was on the menu, he wondered.
He searched for a menu board, but there wasn’t one anywhere on the table.
“Don’t you have a menu?”
“Ah, I’m sorry. We were planning to open tomorrow, so… Just a moment, please.”
The menu board sat on one side of the kitchen. Jungwoo was about to retrieve it and bring it over when a small voice piped up.
“Daddy’s stir-fried pork is weally, weally yummy!”
“Hmm?”
At some point Seia had toddled right up to the customer and was eagerly recommending a dish.
“Stir-fried pork?”
For a second the man wondered if that was even on the menu, but then he noticed the appetizing red dish on the neighboring table, glistening invitingly.
“Ah, you mean jeyuk-bokkeum?”
“Yes! Daddy’s is the bestest!”
The aroma filling the restaurant suggested the cooking skill here was more than decent. These days most eateries were run with cold, systematic precision, yet this place carried the warm, nostalgic scent of old-fashioned home cooking.
If the second boss of Seona’s Restaurant was recommending it, then jeyuk-bokkeum was clearly a must-order.
“Hmm… Then one jeyuk-bokkeum, and for the stew…”
He naturally turned toward Jungwoo, the restaurant owner, to finish his order, but he felt a sparkling gaze fixed on him from below. It was as if the little girl was insisting he place the order with her.
A chuckle slipped out of him. It was the kind of laugh that simply could not be resisted.
“One jeyuk-bokkeum, and what stews do you have?”
“St-stew?”
At the word “stew,” Seia’s already large eyes grew perfectly round. They darted toward Jungwoo, silently begging for help.
“Seia, sweetie. Can you remember what Daddy made for you?”
“Umm… kimchi jjigae… and doenjang jjigae?”
There had been many others, of course. Sundubu jjigae, budae jjigae, bean-sprout soup—whatever Jungwoo had felt like making on any given day, he had prepared it all for her.
The customer, who had simply been watching their exchange, found a gentle smile lingering on his own face. Before he knew it, he had jumped into the conversation.
“Seia, which one did you like the most?”
“M-me? Umm… they were all yummy…”
The man had unintentionally asked the one question that was hardest for her to answer. He worried he might have given the child too heavy a burden, but the way her little brow furrowed in serious thought only made her look even more adorable.
In truth, she couldn’t quite wrinkle it properly yet. These days, whenever she was deep in thought, she would try to copy what she had seen somewhere and make a little “hmm” sound while attempting to scrunch her forehead. Jungwoo had always done it naturally, but the customer—who was seeing Seia for the first time—simply watched, wanting to savor that cuteness a little longer.
“I’ll have the kimchi jjigae.”
“Yes, understood.”
Deciding he shouldn’t tease her any further, the man looked around the interior of the restaurant.
These days, countless cooking tools crafted from magic stones—harvested by hunters from magic beasts—flooded the market. Yet here, there were almost none of those devices in sight. He hadn’t examined every corner, but most of what he saw looked like the kind of things he remembered from his childhood home.
Utterly ordinary.
And because of that, the cooking tools felt strangely special.
...It reminds me of the old days.
His wandering gaze finally came to rest on Seia. She was sitting in what looked like her own personal seat, her round little head turned away from him, swinging her legs that didn’t quite reach the floor in a steady rhythm.
It’s like something out of a fairy tale.
Outside that door lay a brutal world, yet the moment you stepped inside, everything became impossibly peaceful. It felt like an entirely different realm.
A place completely isolated from the outside, in the best possible way.
“Your jeyuk-bokkeum and kimchi jjigae are ready.”
Seia reacted first. She carefully climbed down from her special seat and spread both arms wide, clearly intending to carry the dishes herself.
Jungwoo smiled at the sight, but unfortunately it wasn’t possible. It was too dangerous.
“Seia, this is very hot, so it’s dangerous. Okay?”
“Okaaay.”
All she wanted was to bring the finished dishes to a customer, yet she looked so disappointed at being told she couldn’t. Still, no meant no. He could not entrust her with something this hot.
“Please enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you.”
The jeyuk-bokkeum and kimchi jjigae gave off a fragrant aroma, steam rising in gentle curls. The high-quality meat and the sauce full of care, cooked for exactly the right amount of time with perfect heat control—the appetizing visuals alone were enough to make the mouth water.
The man was a hunter, after all. He possessed a body stronger than ordinary people and wielded the power of magic. Yet the moment he lifted a spoonful, he found himself blowing on it with a soft “hoohoo,” cooling it like any ordinary person.
It felt like stepping back in time. The taste was a little less refined than modern food, and it took longer to prepare. But precisely because of that, it carried a depth of sincerity.
He scooped up a generous spoonful of jeyuk-bokkeum with rice and took a bite. The chewy yet tender meat harmonized perfectly with the spicy-sweet sauce. Even the freshly cooked rice had a natural sweetness that could be enjoyed on its own.
“...Delicious.”
It wasn’t simply good. The thought came to him that this place was like a safe zone, cut off from the world, where no external threats existed. That was why it felt so extraordinarily special.
There were definitely restaurants that tasted better than this one. To say otherwise would be a lie. But he believed there was no place more special than this restaurant.
“It’s yummy, right!”
“Hmm? Ah, yes. It’s delicious.”
He wasn’t sure whether she was asking if it was good or declaring that it was. Either way, it didn’t matter. This dish, made with such heartfelt care, was both delicious and comforting.
Today was not a special day for the man. It was just another ordinary, repetitive, and somewhat tedious day. Clearing a gate, collecting magic stones, fighting magic beasts. Just as yesterday had been ordinary, he had hoped today would end the same way.
Yet in the middle of that boring, repeating daily life, he felt as if he had discovered something unique. And it was in the most ordinary of places.
He savored the taste of the freshly cooked rice and jeyuk-bokkeum that had been on his spoon, then lifted another spoonful of the spicy kimchi jjigae. Fresh vegetables and well-fermented kimchi simmered until tender, yet still retaining their crisp texture at just the right level. The moment it touched his tongue, the spicy broth cooled him from the inside out, perfectly balancing the slight richness of the jeyuk-bokkeum.
“Ahh…”
He had only taken one bite, yet he could no longer hold back. The man, who had been looking toward Seia again to order something more, suddenly caught himself and turned back to Jungwoo.
“Boss.”
“Yes?”
“Could I get a bottle of soju, please?”
“Ah, yes. Of course.”
He wasn’t usually one to drink. What good came from it? He only drank on days that couldn’t be called ordinary—especially good or especially bad ones.
Filling his glass alone, the man let out a small chuckle and murmured, “Today really is a special day.”
A day didn’t have to be happy or sad to be special. A day like today could be special too.
The tingling sensation sliding down his throat washed away the spiciness and grease in an instant. And this idea of a “special day” applied to Jungwoo and Seia as well.
“I should at least give him a service dish.”
Just watching someone eat his food with such relish filled him with unexpected pride. Besides, this was the very first customer Seona’s Restaurant would ever have.
“Since he ordered spicy dishes…”
What would be good? After a moment’s thought, a rather nice idea came to Jungwoo’s mind. Something light, savory, and packed with nutrition—the very dish he often made for Seia.
He cracked three eggs, added milk instead of water for extra softness, and whisked them thoroughly. He seasoned them properly with salt and added a pinch of black pepper to eliminate any potential fishy smell. Finally, he finely chopped some green onion and onion and mixed them in. That was all the preparation needed.
It was an extremely simple dish, but back in the day Jungwoo could finish an entire bowl of rice with just one rolled omelet. Seia was the same. She wasn’t a picky eater to begin with, but if the jeyuk-bokkeum and kimchi jjigae were relatively strong in flavor, the rolled omelet offered a gentle, clean taste.
While the customer was enjoying his jeyuk-bokkeum, kimchi jjigae, and a light drink, Jungwoo quickly prepared the rolled omelet. He whispered softly into the ear of Seia, who was once again watching the customer with eyes full of curiosity.
“Seia.”
“Yes?”
“Can you take this to the customer for me?”
“Okay!”
Her answer was so energetic that even the customer, lost in the flavors, looked over. Realizing what was happening, he smiled and turned back to his meal.
Seia carefully balanced the rolled omelet on her small palms and walked toward the customer with utmost caution.
“Mister customeeer—”
“Yes?”
“Daddy says this is for you.”
“Haha. Is that so?”
The rolled omelet was so large that even both of her little hands weren’t quite enough to hold it properly. Knowing she absolutely must not drop it, the tiny girl’s steps were more careful than they had ever been.
“Thank you. I’ll eat it well.”
After thanking the young waitress, the man immediately picked up a plump piece of the rolled omelet and put it in his mouth.
“Did they use… milk?”
It tasted exactly like the one from his memories. His mother used to make rolled omelets with milk instead of water too.
“Ah, do you dislike milk by any chance?”
Jungwoo’s startled voice came from behind the counter. The man waved his hand and answered.
“Not at all. It’s delicious. It brings back good memories.”
A flavor that brings back good memories.
It was the highest praise possible. Nostalgia for the past always tasted sweeter when it rose naturally like this rather than being deliberately dug up.
Jungwoo let out a sigh of relief and continued the conversation with a faint smile.
“A flavor that brings back good memories? That’s high praise indeed.”
“It is. The way it settles the stomach is nice, but it’s rare for something to settle the heart as well. It tastes like the ones my mother used to make occasionally. The milk and everything.”
For a moment, the man’s expression grew tender.
“My daughter likes it too. The one with milk in it.”
Jungwoo’s gaze toward Seia was filled with affection.
The man gave a light laugh. “I suppose all parents are like that.”
“They are.”
Seia had already come around the counter and was looking up at Jungwoo. Her eyes clearly sought praise for having successfully delivered the rolled omelet.
“Hehe. You did well, our Seia.”
As he stroked her head, a satisfied “Mmm” sound came from behind them.
“Daddy.”
“Yes?”
“That customer looks like he’s sick!”
How should he explain this?
In a way, it was similar to being sick, but it was more of a happy kind of sound.
“Um… that’s a sound of admiration.”
“Ad…miration?”
“Yes. It means Daddy’s cooking was really tasty.”
“As expected of our daddy!”
When the dishes Seia herself had approved of received recognition from someone else, she seemed even more excited than Jungwoo.
The start was good. They say a good start is half the battle, after all.