Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Will It Go as Wanted?

Early dawn when darkness hadn’t yet cleared.

The peak of the low neighborhood back mountain behind Jin Myeong Gak.

Jin Myeong was sitting quietly cross-legged on the rock.

“Huu...”

White breath was long sprayed out between his lips.

The weak internal energy drawn up from the dantian was slowly circulating along the meridians of the whole body, but today Jin Myeong’s breathing couldn’t be even like usual.

‘...Your food is amazing! But it’s not perfect. There exists a very small crack that finely goes against the tip of the tongue, breaking harmony.’

Namgung Wi’s voice was circling his ear and disturbing Jin Myeong’s mood.

“······.”

Jin Myeong’s brow furrowed.

In fact he also felt a sense of alienation even very finely.

But hearing it directly through Namgung Wi’s mouth, his pride being hurt was unavoidable.

No matter how much he reincarnated, that fellow’s taste was still sharply alive.

‘What on earth was the problem?’

Jin Myeong firmly closed both eyes and continuously groped the cooking process.

The angle and speed the knife touches the cutting board, the momentary temperature when lard melts on the heated wok and mixes with chunjang, the time when the vegetables’ moisture evaporates and the sweet taste condenses.

The cooking process drawn in his mind was perfect.

Of course the limits the ingredients of this world possess clearly existed.

But what Namgung Wi detected probably isn’t the limit coming from the quality of ingredients.

It meant a clear defect was hidden somewhere in the cooking itself, his own cooking process.

The fellow didn’t exactly say that, but Jin Myeong clearly felt so.

‘Where did the gap arise?’

He fell into thought biting the tail of thought.

And one thought suddenly flashed through Jin Myeong’s mind like a flash.

“······!”

Flash, Jin Myeong’s two eyes opened.

‘Was the insufficient internal energy not perfectly keeping up with the cooking timing.’

A very fine momentary moment.

When handling extreme firepower, a momentary delay that occurred because the energy didn’t extend to the end in time.

That fine physical limit and disconnection of energy was the culprit that broke the harmony of the cooking and created the fine off-taste.

“I see···”

A bitter yet refreshing smile spread on the corner of Jin Myeong’s mouth.

The problem was trying to imitate the technique of the previous life as is trusting only the senses of the previous life.

Since he knew the cause, the clue to the answer was visible.

What Jin Myeong needs now is not vast internal energy.

The most important is the method of flexibly regulating and arranging the limited energy to match the characteristics of the cooking made on site.

The state of ingredients, the degree of moisture, the heat pouring from the stove.

The sense of appropriately flowing into the breathing handling the wrist and flame matching the variables that change every moment.

“...In the end it’s harmony.”

Jin Myeong closed both eyes again.

He began adjusting the flow of qi while recalling the momentary moments when ingredients meet the flame.

Instead of forcibly pushing qi between the muscles and meridians leading from the right shoulder to the elbow and wrist, he gently placed it, and delicately refined the length of the breathing drawing up the heat of the dantian to control the firepower.

“Sseueup··· huuu···”

His breathing began to strangely resonate with the surrounding air.

He recalled that situation of frying chunjang in front of his eyes.

“Huu...”

Concentration of naturally loading and removing energy matching the rhythm of cooking.

In that way the moment the principle of cooking and the regulation of energy meshed into one.

Tuduk.

With a fine bursting sound inside Jin Myeong’s body one firmly blocked acupoint opened softly.

“...!”

A bit of progress from enlightenment.

Suuuu.

The turbid qi wrapping the whole body was discharged as sweat, and the heavy and stiff body became much lighter.

“...Heuum.”

Jin Myeong slowly opened his eyes.

At some point dawn was breaking and dawn light was coming over the ridge.

He couldn’t fix all defects at once, but he found the correct path to advance forward.

Jin Myeong stood up from his seat with a satisfied face, lightly shook his body and began descending the mountain.

*

Jin Myeong’s steps approaching in front of Jin Myeong Gak after descending the mountain stopped dead.

“Huh?”

Jin Myeong’s gaze headed toward the front of the restaurant.

In front of the restaurant Bong-gu was holding a broom and diligently sweeping the floor.

Seuk seuk

Coming out much earlier than work time, picking up even trash and cigarette butts while sweeping.

“Tsk, what crazy humans...”

He clicked his tongue looking at the disposable coffee cups placed at the corner of the building, then immediately cleaned them.

“······.”

A faint smile spread on the corner of Jin Myeong’s mouth watching that appearance from a distance.

Even in the Blood Cult of his previous life he had used numerous kitchen underlings, but a fellow this quick-witted and sincerely taking care of his own front was rare.

Jin Myeong slowly moved his steps and approached in front of the restaurant.

“...?”

Bong-gu who turned his head at the footstep discovered Jin Myeong and was startled, tucked the broom he was holding under his armpit and deeply lowered his head.

“Hyung!! Good morning! Good morning!”

At the loud greeting Jin Myeong lightly tilted his chin.

“What are you doing coming out this early?”

“Ah! I was just simply cleaning! Hahaha!”

Bong-gu smiled good-naturedly and scratched the back of his head.

“But is it the way back from some exercise from dawn like this?”

“Yeah.”

When Jin Myeong answered shortly, starlight full of respect began sparkling in Bong-gu’s two eyes.

“Indeed···! To work in front of the flame every day like that ordinary stamina wouldn’t even be enough, it was all the result backed by such unknown dawn exercise! Indeed respectable!”

“...”

Jin Myeong of a strange expression let out a small hollow laugh inwardly.

‘Well, it’s not particularly wrong words.’

Anyway only the method is different, isn’t the fundamental reason to train the frail body and complete perfect cooking.

When Jin Myeong indifferently nodded quietly, Bong-gu was highly encouraged by the fact that he correctly guessed hyung’s secret routine.

“Respect!”

“...”

“Then please enter, hyung!”

Bong-gu stepped aside to one side and made way.

Jin Myeong nodded his head again and passed Bong-gu.

Then he paused.

‘Shall I lightly test the newly realized operation of qi.’

Jin Myeong looked back at Bong-gu.

“I’m trying to make something simple, will you eat?”

At those words Bong-gu blinked his eyes.

“······Yes?”

He was thinking of eating even triangular kimbap simply at the convenience store after finishing cleaning since his stomach was gradually getting hungry.

But.

‘Jin Myeong hyung’s cooking?’

Bong-gu who had opened his eyes to a new dimension of cooking after eating the food Jin Myeong made.

“Ah, from morning me hyung’s cooking··· is it okay?”

“Yeah.”

At that moment, Bong-gu’s face opened widely like a child who owned the whole world.

“Thank you!! Unconditionally, I’ll gratefully eat whatever you give!!”

“Follow.”

“Yes!!”

Bong-gu quickly stood the broom he was sweeping in front of the restaurant against one side of the wall, then closely followed behind Jin Myeong and hurriedly ran inside the restaurant.

A moment later.

An excited voice of Bong-gu rang from the kitchen.

“Uoooo! Jackpot, hyung! Too delicious aaa!!”

“...”

***

Namgung Wi’s office.

Early morning when morning sunlight began leaking through the blind gaps.

“...”

Namgung Wi’s two eyes who stayed up all night were bloodshot red, and the neat hair was disheveled.

In the dim morning light, only the smartphone screen was illuminating his tired face.

Hwaaaaaaak!!

In the screen Jin Myeong’s appearance inside the kitchen was being played without rest.

Namgung Wi with bloodshot two eyes wide open couldn’t take his eyes off the video.

‘What on earth is the identity of that fine crack I felt.’

Watching, and watching again.

He replayed hundreds of times staying up all night but the answer wasn’t visible.

That bizarre sense of alienation.

But it absolutely couldn’t be analyzed with video alone.

Knock knock.

At that time, with a careful knock sound the office door opened.

“Chef.”

Chief Choi entered inside with a stiff face.

Namgung Wi just slightly turned his gaze and looked at him.

“What’s the matter.”

“The ‘Sura’s Kitchen’ production team··· went to Jin Myeong Gak.”

At those words Namgung Wi paused.

“...Jin Myeong Gak?”

“Yes.”

Chief Choi sharply frowned.

“It seems they’re trying to pull in the chef of Jin Myeong Gak to gather topicality somehow. Clearly... a trick to maliciously shame chef and make him a laughingstock!”

“...”

“You must protest to the broadcasting station right now and declare leaving. Daring to use chef as a sacrifice for viewership business! Damn bastards!!”

Chief Choi’s voice trembled with anger.

“······.”

But Namgung Wi only quietly stared at Chief Choi’s agitated appearance.

And a moment later.

“Keukeuk···.”

A low hollow laugh leaked between Namgung Wi’s lips.

“Keuk keuk keuk··· hahahaha!”

A hearty laughter that even seemed stained with madness.

“Che, chef···?”

Chief Choi only blinked both eyes in dumbfoundedness.

He even got scared whether stress reached the extreme and he finally lost his mind.

“Hahahahaha!”

“······.”

Namgung Wi who stopped laughing soon supported the sofa and slowly raised his body.

In the bloodshot two eyes revealed under the disheveled hair a strange vitality was flashing.

“Will that work?”

“···Yes?”

“The chef of Jin Myeong Gak, that friend. Chief Choi also seems to know now.”

“······.”

At that moment, Jin Myeong’s indifferent face flashed through Chief Choi’s mind.

‘...Don’t act arrogant saying come and go, come here yourself and eat it.’

He was a fellow who fearlessly had a momentum fight even when Namgung Wi came directly.

“To begin with a fellow who has no interest in others’ evaluations.”

Namgung Wi let out a deep sneer.

“But swayed by broadcasting station guys’ hands? Well, will it really?”

“...”

“Well, we’ll know if we watch.”

“······.”

Chief Choi was still making a confused expression.

On the other hand, Namgung Wi was leisurely crossing his arms and holding a strange smile on the corner of his mouth.

***

Morning.

There was still over an hour left until opening time, but the alley in front of the restaurant was already forming a bustle with people who flocked.

Not only foreign tourists, but also YouTubers and people from other regions who came out of curiosity after seeing Namgung Wi’s humiliation video that heated YouTube and various SNS joined.

“Okay okay! Stick close to the wall and line up in one line!”

Bong-gu rolled up his burly forearm and was diligently going back and forth in front of the restaurant organizing the waiting line.

Thanks to his bear-like build and fierce impression, even people who were chattering as they pleased lined up obediently.

Just when Bong-gu was organizing outside and entered the restaurant wiping the hall tables.

Ding!

The restaurant door opened and a group of three or four suddenly entered the restaurant.

“Eoeo? What is it? Business hasn’t started yet. You have to line up and wait outside!”

Bong-gu put down the mop with a tak, frowned sharply and approached.

A huge build over 190cm and a fierce face that even ordinary gangsters would make way for.

When Bong-gu blocked the front, the people who were pushing in with good momentum were startled.

“Ah, th, there we are...”

One of them hurriedly took out something from his pocket with a tightly tense face.

“Not restaurant customers, we came from K broadcasting station! Here is my business card and employee ID!”

Kim PD politely held out the business card with both hands.

Bong-gu’s brow who received the business card narrowed.

“K broadcasting station entertainment department··· cooking survival ‘Sura’s Kitchen’ production team?”

Bong-gu’s two eyes who read down the program name written on the business card widened round.

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