Seoul Kitchen: Side Dish 7 Part 2

It’s Cheaper Than Whey 2

The thing about the Animals as a gang was that they never ever come alone. They always come in packs. It’s what made them a formidable force inside the concrete jungle that was Night City. They always had each other's back when things went to shit. 

Unfortunately for Chef, that was exactly what was causing his current headache. There were simply far too many of them hanging around his shop. Wiping the sweat dripping down his face as he shoveled the latest batch of burgers to go, he eyed the crowd just outside. 

Watching the sea of muscle as they cheered and hyped up Old Johnny, he wondered if he made a mistake by not putting his foot down and refusing Sasquatch those five hundred burgers. There were so many of them and he wasn’t sure how long he could take it. 

One Animal Pack quickly turned to a dozen and before he knew it, his place became what looked like the unofficial hangout spot for the Animals. Squeezing past the line and climbing up the counter Rebecca shouted, “Ok people, time to give Chef a break!”

Despite their protest, a quick glare backed by Gut’s had them backing away, finally giving his much deserved rest. Mouthing a silent thank you, he plopped down on a chair and let out a sigh of relief. His arms and legs were killing him. With how many burgers he flipped, he must have already hit his daily quota.

As he slumped on his chair, Rebecca pulled down the roller shutters before she marched up to him. Hopping over the counter, she grabbed hold of his shoulder and spoke out those words that had been plaguing him, “Chef, they have to go.”

“I agree,” He nodded. He should have really thought this one through. 

Nodding back, Rebecca continued, “Look, I know you’re all for giving people food but wait what?” Giving him a bewildered look, she quickly pulled away and grabbed him a glass of water. Forcing the drink on his hand, she checked on him. “You’re not running hot…”

“Becca, I’m fine,” He assured his girl as he took a drink. The ice cold water was a welcome reprieve from the sweltering heat of the grill. “But yes, I agree,” He sighed, “They really have to go.” They were simply too much even for him.

Dragging a chair over, she sat down. “You’re usually the one to never turn people away so I’m surprised you’re actually saying no,” Rebecca noted as the edge of her lips quirk up, “Had a change of heart?”

“Oh don’t get me wrong, I still want to feed them,” He replied. Past the ridiculous amount of food they demanded, they weren’t half bad. They might be utterly ravenous, more akin to stomachs with muscle bound legs, but they paid well. They even brought with them steel chairs and tables, though he wasn’t sure where they got them, to replace some of the chairs they broke with their weight. “The problem is they’re scaring people away.”

They had effectively muscled out, pun intended, everyone else because no one wanted to wait behind them when they made their order. Only the true die hard fans and those willing to wait in the line had stayed and even they were starting to filter away.

They were also rather intimidating with their imposing stature. Even he felt a little uneasy with some of them given the wild look they had, some they had assured him was just a side effect of Hyper Testosterone. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that one…

“They’re loud, rowdy and violent,” He grimaced, cringing at the sound of someone big crashing down on the ground before a roaring cheer filtered in, “I’m actually surprised that they hadn’t started a fire fight with the Tyger Claws yet.” 

It was a miracle all on itself that the Tyger Claws were letting them be. All of them might be a bit much for them, but everyone had their limits. He shuddered to think what would happen if the Animals caused a downturn in business in every other store in the area…

“Tell me about it,” Rebecca muttered as she got up and started pacing around, “We’re just one stray bullet away from igniting this powder keg.” Stopping mid pace, she turned to him and crossed her arms, “If you want them gone, why haven’t you kicked them out then?”  

“It’s… difficult,” Chef replied as he passed her the view outside. WIth the camera zooming in their guns, another problem he had with them cropped up. They don’t exactly use small arms when it comes to fighting. Their muscles weren’t all for show after all.  

Rebecca opened her mouth to argue, before snapping it close. Giving it a thought, she waved it off as she continued pacing. “Aside from that.”

Frowning, he sighed, “While they’re bad for everyone else, I don’t want to cut them off just because they were a bit of a nuisance.” It simply wasn’t fair for them when he didn’t have a proper cause. “They still deserve to eat well, just that I want them away from most of my other customers.” If they could just eat their meals elsewhere, maybe things wouldn’t be so bad.

“How though?” Rebecca asked, “They absolutely fucking love it here.” That was the difficult question. How was he going to get them all to leave?

Giving it some thought, he snapped his finger. “Does Dorio know the pack leaders?” He asked. The plan was a bit rushed, but it was the best he could do right now.

“She broke ties with them after she set out with Maine,” Rebecca hummed before she reluctantly added, “But she should know some of them? They’re a close knit group after all. Maybe more than the Mox.”

“Good, can you tell her to come meet me after closing hours?” Chef replied as he got up, “I think it’s time we talk with them.”

-x-x-x-

It would take a bit of wrangling, along with the promise of good food in the venue, but he eventually got just about every Pack Leader that frequented his shop all in one room. It was a tough crowd even when he had Rebecca and Maine’s gang to back him up here. If he wanted to solve his current problems though, he had to face it head on. 

Clearing his throat, he called for their attention. The idle chatter and small talk quickly died down as all eyes were now on him. “I know it’s all on short notice, but I'm glad you could all come for this meeting,” He started.

“Why wouldn’t we?” Sasquatch piped up, “Us Animals take care of our own.” At the chorus of nods and agreements, she grinned, “Since you’ve helped us get good food, we treat you as one of our own.”

“That’s actually quite kind of you,” He replied, taken slightly aback by their kindness, “But we’re getting a bit sidetracked here.” Taking a moment to prepare himself, he broke the news, “I’m going to be honest with you guys. Most of you have to go.” 

Shouts of dismay and pleading quickly filled the room. “Oh come on,” Sasquatch Lieutenant argued, “We’ve been paying good money, haven’t we?”

“We can pay extra if you want,”Another quickly offered, “Just don’t cut us off man.” Seeing the desperation in their eyes made him feel like he was kicking a bunch of pitbull puppies, “Those corpo bastard’s been squeezing our balls here!” They shouted, earning shouts of agreement from the rest.

“Food has been expensive this past few months,” Sasqutch admitted, “Once we tasted your food, we realized how they’ve been fucking us offer.” Bowing down, she pleaded, “So please Chef, don’t do this. We need this.” Her example was quickly followed by the rest.

“I’m not cutting you off,” Chef assured them, but the sense of unease didn’t quite go away. Scratching the back of his head, he explained, “It’s just that you guys eat, like a lot.”

“Well, yeah,” Another pack leader answered, “These muscles need protein after all.” 

“Which is a problem,” He replied, “I want to keep feeding you, but Seoul Kitchen’s just one single store.” They had quickly overwhelmed everyone else. “If I keep cooking the way I do now, how else is everyone going to get their fair share?” He argued, making the pack leaders go away. He was giving them a fair shake, but how about everyone else? 

“The good thing is, I have a solution to this problem,” Chef smiled, earning a few questioning looks from the crowd, “But I need your cooperation with this. All of you.”  

The clan gave each other a look, before they nodded in agreement. “So, what’s the plan then, Chef?” Sasquatch asked.

“How do you feel about getting hooked up to my supplier?,” He offered with a smile.