Seoul Kitchen: Chapter 36

Can I Trust You?

While Toga ate, he pulled Rebecca aside to their shared room. He made sure to hide their meals, seeing how the teen was eyeing them. He made a mental note how he needed more eggs as the batch he made wasn't enough for the girl's bottomless pit of a stomach. Locking the door behind, he shared his plan to his output.

He spoke of it in length, making sure not to omit any details. He only had the rough outline right now, having to hammer in some details as Rebecca questioned her, but it should be more than enough to give her judgment. After all, he was going to bet everything on it.

As he finished telling her his plans, his lover could only look up at him in disbelief. "So let me get this straight, you want to buy the Cherry Blossom Market?" She asked, "Not just your lot or a couple handful of stalls but the entire market."

"That's the plan," He nodded back as he sat down on the edge of their bed before resting his cheeks against his fist, running the numbers on this little project. He didn't really need all the stalls as not everyone was selling food but he wanted to make sure that there was no place that he couldn't reach.

"I've tried thinking of other methods, but this is the only way I know where I could force every last one of them to accept my help," He admitted but this one idea he had was the one that could work. The people of Night City simply wouldn't understand any action borne from charity; a lesson that had been hammered to him time and time again. It was a jaded view of things but could he fault them given that they had to deal with the Mega Corps on a daily basis?

Left at his wit's ends, he had to take drastic actions. "If they can't be convinced by an act of charity, then I'd just force it down their throat through the lease," He told her. If he was the owner of their lease, he could dictate the terms like who could operate within the market or where they could buy ingredients from. "They'd eventually come to terms with it."

Taking a deep breath, Rebecca let out a heavy sigh as she walked over and placed her hands on his shoulder. Looking him in the eyes, Rebecca told him, "Chef, I know you could be a bit insane, and I love you for that but you have to admit, this might be a bit too much, even by your standards." Pulling away, she shocked her head as she paced around the room as she threw her. "I don't even know where to start!" She shouted as she threw her hands up.

"The cost alone would be astronomical and then there's the owners," She pointed out, a fact that was lost to him. Space was premium inside the city, more so in one of the most lucrative spots inside Japan town. His stall alone broke his finances but of course, it wasn't just money which he should be worried about.

Scratching her head, she grimaced, "The fucking Tyger Claws have their paws all over the place and I doubt they'll willing part with a lucrative piece of real estate just because someone rich came along and offered to buy the property." Just like the Yakuza of old, the Tyger claws were not above from moving into the real estate game. Japantown was their turf and the market was one of the more profitable establishments not owned by the Mega Corps.

Leaning against the glass window overlooking the city and resting her forehead against it, Rebecca muttered, "You'd need something big to convince them to hand over the ownership of the market."

"I'll admit," He began, resting his elbows on his thighs as he leaned forward, "That I don't have the money for it. I actually owe the Tyger Claws some favors," He shared. They weren't just his customers, they were also his greatest benefactors.

Since he can't deal with Corpo's, he had to deal with the more unsavory elements of the city. Amongst the various factions, the Tyger Claws were simply the best option out of the crappy bunches. They had the influence and money to get what he needed. "They're the reason why I even have a stall in the first place."

"Then why are you making more deals with them?" She asked, as turned around to face him, worried written all over her face. "What are you even offering them as collateral?!" She asked, her voice raised. "Chef, I know you want to help, but you just can't throw yourself into the fire just to help a few more."

"I know," Chef replied as he looked down at his hands. Clenching his fist, he closed his eyes as he told her, "What if I told you I have something they'd want." Looking up to her, he added, "In fact, it's something that anybody in this city would kill for if they find out." He could feel it at the edge of his senses, the power that became part of him all these years; powers he had hidden from those even closest to him.

Rebecca paused as she looked at him, eyes questioning as she lowered her hands. Reaching out to those stars in his mind's eyes, he whispered, "Rebecca, I've been keeping a secret from you and I think it's about time that you find out." Plucking an apple out of thin air, he offered it to his lover.
She stared into his hands, eyes wide. Letting out a wry smile, he said, "Don't worry. I'm not running out of apples anytime soon or ever if I'm going to be honest." He had been pulling food out into existence for years and it hadn't shown any signs of slowing down. "Here, let me break it open for you," He told her as he placed his thumb over the top before pulling it apart, splitting the fruit in half.

"How…" Rebecca whispered as she walked over before reaching, grabbing the offered half off his hands. "Did that apple just appear in your hand?" She asked, inspecting the fruit before taking a bite. "This… this is real," She mumbled in amazement as she took one bite after another, finishing it down to the core.

"As real as it can get," He replied, feeling the weight on his shoulder lighten as he finally let another into his secret. "Want another one?" He offered as he made a basket of apples this time around. From Granny Smiths to Golden Delicious, they were spoiled for choices.

Just as Rebecca was about to reach for another, she paused. "Wait, is this your "supplier"?" She replied, giving him an incredulous look as she exclaimed, "You've been making food this entire time!?"

"Well, I am a cook," He chuckled before he trailed off. Digging in deep, he pulled out several food items in quick succession as he shared, "But kidding aside, yes, and it's just not food." A bottle of expensive wine, a pack of sack of potatoes, a link of sausage and even a whole cheese wheel amongst a list of ever more ridiculous items appearing out of thin air.

"I can make drinks, raw ingredients, preserves," He listed off before he pulled out a tin can, one without label and whose contents only he was privy to, "Heck, I can even make canned food if I wanted to, complete with the label." Setting the can aside, he told her. "If it's food, I can make it."

Rebecca took a moment, just staring at the bounty he made before them. "Wow, Just…" She whispered as she sat down beside her, "This is a lot to take in. You can literally make food appear out of thin air!" She shouted.

"It never gets old," He replied as he took a bite from his half of the apple. "All I have to do is think of it and I could have the most opulent and decadent meal I could conceive, almost like magic," He whispered wistfully. It was magic for all intent and purpose. Just one thought and he'd have a feast. He had a feeling that he could fill a pool with soda if he wanted but he never had time to test it out given how dangerous it was.

From the predatory Mega Corporations to the very people he was planning to offer his service too, danger lurked at every corner.. There were so many things he had to hide, so many secrets he had to keep. He was lucky that no one had caught on to him just yet.

It wore on him that he never had someone he could trust… until now. Looking up to Rebecca, he smiled, "This is what I'll offer, a deeper access to this gift." He wasn't so dumb to know just what his powers were worth. However, it always hinges on what he could sell. If he ever wanted to get more out of it, he needed people he could trust, people who he could work with.

"But if anyone was going to learn my secret, then it'll be the one I love the most," He told her as he slid off the bed and got to his knees. After all this time, he had someone who he loved, someone he would give his life to and it would just be wrong if he were to share it to another before her.

"Rebecca, I'm sorry it took so long. I was just so afraid. I have so many more to tell you…" He whispered, his emotions roiling inside his chest. He wanted to tell her but there were still lingering doubts. Those voices would be silenced however as she felt her warm hands on his cheeks.

Smiling back at him, she slowly pulled him against his chest as she stroked his back. "But you don't need to tell them all," She whispered, hushing him as he tried to speak up. "Chef, It's ok," She reassured him as she kissed the top of his head. "If you're not comfortable about sharing your story, then don't," She told him as she hugged him tightly, "Don't force yourself for my sake."

Feeling her comforting hug wrapped around his frame, he felt all the worries melt away. Any doubts or troubles became but a distant memory as he hugged her back. "It doesn't matter how you got your gift or who you were before I met you when I know who you truly are," She told him.

"Just because I know you have strange abilities or a story before all this, doesn't mean it'll change what I know about," She chuckled as he poked his cheeks, "You're impulsive, all too trusting, and a bit of a gonk, but you are the kindest and sweetest man I know. "

Pressing her forehead against hers, she promised him, "You are my crazy, puppy dog of an input and nothing would ever change that." Closing his eyes, he just held her, feeling her warmth as she stroked his hair.

As he finally gathered himself, he apologized, "I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Rebecca."
"There's nothing to forgive silly," Rebecca laughed as she bopped him on the nose. Shaking his head, he smiled as he pulled himself to her. Leaning down, her lips met his as they kissed passionately. There were no more words to be said, excuses to be made as their hearts spoke for each other.

Pulling away slowly, they shared a moment of silence together; just holding each other for comfort until he chuckled. "If you're trying to convince me that I should keep my secret, you're doing a pretty poor job," He told her as he got up, pushing her against the bed. "After all, I finally have someone I know I could have my back," He added as he kissed her in the neck only to pull away as he laid down beside her.
"You tease," Rebecca as she rolled atop him and laid her head against his chest, "But if you're ok about it, I'm not going to stop you.

"I do have to warn you that this would get a little strange," He told her as he kissed her on the forehead.

"Well I did watch my input make an apple out of thin air so I doubt anything could top that," She fired back, making him laugh. What was his origin to the creation of something out of nothing?

"Hmm, now where do I start?" He hummed back, finally ready to tell her his tale.

"How about in the very beginning?" She suggested.

"Alright," Nodding as he closed his eyes and remembered the days before everything; before the day he met her or even the day before he woke up in the cold, unforgiving streets of Night City; He started at the very beginning, "It all started when I first saw the love of my life…"