Seoul Kitchen: Chapter 38

A Cup of Noodles

As the final applicant left, bag in hand and waving at him as they slipped into the evening crowd, Chef smiled. Shaking his head, he slipped back inside his shop and closed the shutter behind him. "Crazy Bastard," He chuckled as he reminded himself to get these all recorded in a brain dance, "Talk about making an impression."

Glancing at the mountain of empty instant cup noodles piled atop the table, he picked three before tossing the rest in the trash. With Chibi Kiwi shredding the failed applicant's resume in the edge of his sight and his rag gliding across the counter top, the day finally came to a close; He finally got a crew to man his shop.

"They really made it hard to choose huh," He mused out loud as he grabbed the glasses piled up in the sink basing before washing them. Running the cold tap over the clear glass, he wiped them clean before picking up and scrubbing them with a soapy sponge. "All over qualified," He whispered in disbelief as he gestured for Chibi Kiwi to stop.

Silently commanding her, he had her pick resumes at random. From merc's out of luck to corpos looking for a job in his hole in the wall of all places. He could have honestly picked any candidate and he would have had a great cashier or good cook. Amidst the sea of options, how would one choose?

Glancing back at the three cups, he found himself smiling fondly. The answer was simple, you just let them eat. It's how they treat food that he truly saw who they were.

-x-x-x-

Looking up at the candidate's arachnid-like eyes, Chef gulped nervously. With more chrome in their face than flesh, it's as if what little skin was left was simply tacked on to give the man a semblance of humanity; A hallmark of the Maelstrom. Still, he had to remind himself that appearance could be deceiving as he stared at the Master's of Business Administration in their resume.

Scolding himself silently, he apologized, "I'm sorry for staring," Gesturing at the man's eyes, he told them, "I know it's rude but…" Being under the gaze of their unblinking stare got to his nerves. One of the few things that really scared him in this city was the Maelstrom gang. They had a… reputation, one he didn't want to test.

Raising his hands, the man gestured for him to stop as he replied, "Yeah, I get that alot." Despite their monotone voice, he could still hear the disappointment in their tone. "It's just part of the parcel for being a gang member," The man admitted, "Or one trying to have a life beyond the gang."

He nodded back, respecting the man's honesty. Unlike the rest of the applicant's, the man didn't bother hiding who he worked with. While he didn't know if he lied or not, he could know who the man was. Standing up, he walked over to the counter top and picked the cup noodles he had prepared for the man.

While it would appear as nothing more than just another freeze dried noodle, it was anything but. He merely bought empty cups and filled it with chicken soup and noodles. He had to stop himself from adding more chicken and carrots lest the illusion of a cheap meal was broken.

"I'm sorry for not having anything else on hand," He lied, bringing the cup over and sliding to the man who looked down on the offered food. "Supplies ran out so this is all I can give you right now, I'm sorry," I apologized as I handed them some chopsticks.

"Something for your trouble," he offered as sweat dripped down the back of my neck. He watched as the man kept staring, unmoving, before their shaky hands reached out. Grabbing the cup, he slowly lifted up the cup to his lips and took a sip. The lights in his chrome dimmed as he breathed in the scent before he dug in. He ate with gusto, slurping the noodles as a hungry man would until nothing was left.

He drank the rest of the broth before setting it down. Giving him a slight nod, the man gave him a simple reply "Thank you." While still stiff, the man's shoulder eased up as he adjusted on his seat; He was the one.

Smiling, Chef let out the breath he didn't know he was holding as he asked him, "So, what made you want to apply?" While he could have the best, in the end, he didn't really need them. If he was going to work with people, he wanted someone that would respect food.

-x-x-x-

While others took a taste out of respect, or declined respectfully, there were those that pissed them off; those that wasted food. Noticing the casually dressed man's gaze of barely restrained disgust, Chef kept his tongue for now. Sometimes, people just didn't like a certain dish. Be it personal reason or taste, he could respect that.

"Shit happens, huh?" The man replied as he looked down on the dish. Grabbing the dish, he took a taste, noticing the slight grimace in their lips, before they set it down. "Tasty," The man told him with a smile that didn't reach their eyes.

"I'm glad you like it," He told the man as observed him, throwing the typical questions but there was something about the man that made Chef uncomfortable.

He looked like your typical man of the street, plain brown hair, dull eyes and unremarkable features, yet something ticked Chef off. He couldn't quite grasp it as it was but there was something about the man that made him… fake.

He almost chalked it off as nerves until the man left, leaving the cup behind. He could excuse the man not liking the dish but to give such a bold face lie? He had Chibi Kiwi put a note on the man. "Fuck that guy," he muttered.

The guy was as clean as a whistle, as far as Night City standards go with minor crimes such as jay-walking and a few counts of assault, but he could not respect a man who wasted food. At least have the decency to finish what you started.

-x-x-x-

There were certainly a few bad apples that soured the interview. From turning their nose to the offered food, to even throwing it away when they left the store, but those were overshadowed by the man he would call his shop's guard. The man ate and he ate well.

Chef watched, bemused, as the man demolished the cup. Tipping back his head, the man downed it before setting it down and letting out a satisfied sigh. "Those are some of the best noodles I've had!" The man declared before he started looking around, "You still have some in the pot, Mr. Chef?"

"They're cup noodles?" He lied, but he had a feeling that the man already knew the truth, "But please, just call me Chef, Mr. Wells." How could he hide it from the heavily decorated Merc? He might be above his paygrade.

With his top knot, hard eyes, and the Samurai jacket the man wore, he couldn't mistake the legend for anyone else. This was Jackie Wells, in the flesh. Night City legend or one in the making. Having talked with the man, he could see why they made quite the impression on a certain someone.

"If they're cup noodles then I'm a Corpo Bastard from Arasaka," The man laughed. Grinning back at him, the man introduced himself. "And if we're going with that, then call me Jackie." Looking down at his cup with melancholy, he apologized, "Pardon the language compa, there's just somethings you can't shake off from the streets,."

"None taken," He replied before taking the cup, "Here, let me fill that up for you." Almost immediately, he saw the man's eyes lit up.

Giving the man another fill from the pot he had in the stove, "Gracias," The man thanked him as he dug in once more. Chewing, he asked, "Kidding aside, I'm now curious why the hell did you dress this beauty with something so cheap? You should dress her up, no?"

"You wouldn't believe how some people treat food if you didn't make them pretty," He replied as a look of understanding washed over their features.

"More for me then," The man replied with a knowing grin. Leaning closely, he whispered conspiratorially, "... Did you keep the leftovers somewhere? I'd be a shame to let it all go to waste."

"Are you sure?" He replied, surprised by the request. He was thinking of what to do with the leftovers but the man beat him to the punch.

"Hey, nothing a good boil can't kill," The man reasoned with a shrug, "Plus, it'd be a shame to have it go to waste." Finishing the cup, the man looked all too eager for another bite.

Unable to hold it in, Chef laughed before he shook his head. "I think you and I would make great friends," He replied, setting the cup aside as he grabbed himself a bigger bowl for the man. "One last thing before I make my decision here," He told them as he poured them a generous portion. "I just want to ask why a highly decorated Merc like you wants to apply here of all places?" He asked. He expected an Edgerunner or two, not him.

"I'll be honest with you, choom," The man replied as his easy going smile slipped off his lips, "You have good food and my girl wanted me to slow down," He told him as a fond smile once more stretched across their face, "Something about her seeing my death. Crazy girl…"

He nodded in understanding. A man in love can go to great lengths just to make their beloved happy. Despite the enthusiasm he had, he looked like he was merely forced to do this. "I just need a place that would hire a guy like me for at least half a year. I don't really care about the pay so long as I have a job" He admitted as he graciously received the bowl, "Think you could give an old dog like me a chance?"

He smiled back as he sat down once again. "Well, I think your girl would love the good news then," He told them as he extended a hand to the man, "You're hired." The man grinned as he slapped the offered hand before pulling him close, patting him on the back.

"Just be sure to give a heads up if you're going back to the streets," He told him as he awkwardly hugged him back.

"Will do Chef, Will do," the man laughed. The man might be more of a temporary hire, but given their qualifications, he considered it steal. At the very least, he'd had some lively company to talk to on a slow day, if he'd ever have one.

-x-x-x-

Chef certainly had an eventful day. With his cook, cashier and guard, Seoul Kitchen should work a bit faster. He'd take a hit in his finances but nothing his future meeting with the Tyger Claws couldn't fix. Shaking his head, he waved away such thoughts for now as he started locking up. It was still early but the day had ended and he really wanted to spend some time with his girl.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard a voice call out to him, "Hey!" Turning around, he saw someone he never thought he'd meet, "H-hey, are you still hiring?" A teenage boy wearing an Arasaka Academy uniform asked as he panted, hands resting on his knees.

He already had all the employees he needed, but his presence got him curious. Why was he looking for a job? "I am…" He lied as he eyed the boy. He was scrawny, barely reaching up to his chest. "But aren't you a bit young Mr…?" He pointed out, gesturing at his uniform.

"David, David Martinez," The boy introduced himself as he gave him a polite bow. Straightening back up, he looked away and scratched the back of his head. "And yeah I know… but can you atleast give me a chance?" He asked, "I'll do the dishes, serve food. If you need a cook, just teach me. I'll learn!" He told him, almost desperate in his tone.

"Woah there, slow down," He replied, placing his hands on his shoulder; Something which seemed to snap him out of it, "Do you need help?" He asked, looking him in the eyes.

"Yes-! No, I just…" The boy grimaced before he sighed, "Look, I just need a bit of cash. Some… school stuff. My parents cut me off from my allowance," They lied, "I saw the advert and thought, why not give it a shot?"

Chef nodded. Financial troubles did plagued the boy's early years, shaping his insecurities later on. Still, he didn't have a position. He wasn't the legend that he would be in the future, he was just a school boy; a bright school boy, but one still. Thinking long and hard, he replied, "You know what… why not?"

An apprentice cook wouldn't be that bad of a deal. Besides, someone had to do prep work but first, he needs to see just how dedicated the boy is. He knew what he could become, not who he was. "But I won't have you working while schools are still going," He told them before asking, "How do you feel about delivery?"

With their eyes lighting up, they replied, "You won't regret this!" Chef might not have expected him, but life was full of surprises like this. Now he wondered, where would the boy go if they had a far more normal life? His lovely kitchen definitely had a few colorful characters that he'd be keeping his eyes on.