“Ugh! Should I go in or not?”

Hwang Tae-su was experiencing an internal conflict he had never faced, not even during his teenage years—now, at the age approaching forty.

“Hyungnim, are you okay?”

The bulky man accompanying Hwang Tae-su finally spoke up, puzzled by his odd behavior—pacing back and forth for over thirty minutes.

Hwang Tae-su scowled.

“Do I look like some thug or gangster to you?”

“Huh?”

“How many times have I told you to call me ‘President’? How long are you going to keep calling me ‘Hyungnim’?”

“Ah! My apologies, Hyungni— I mean, President.”

“If I hear that again, I’ll have to give you some serious discipline. Watch yourself.”

“Understood, President!”

After glaring at the bulky man, Hwang Tae-su fell back into deep contemplation.

‘Should I go in? But what if I go in and they find some excuse to pick on me? Damn it. If only the food weren’t so damn good, I wouldn’t be struggling like this. That monster sure can cook ridiculously well.’

Just as his internal conflict intensified, Hwang Tae-su sniffed the air.

Despite the torrential rain, the savory aroma of frying oil wafted towards him. And mixed within that scent—

‘Mugwort pancakes!’

Big chunks of mugwort pancake, steaming hot, torn apart by hand. A piece, broken into smaller bits, mercilessly thrown into the mouth.

The slightly bitter mugwort aroma mingling with the rich, savory oil scent, creating a taste of heaven.

Of course, it wasn’t heaven just yet. To reach true paradise, one needed makgeolli to go with it.

Just as the greasiness started climbing up the throat, a single gulp of makgeolli would wash it all down—ah, what a perfect combination.

“Damn, it’s so good it could kill three people while two are eating.”

“Huh?”

“Ah, wasn’t talking to you guys.”

“Oh, I see.”

Everything else aside—this was mugwort pancake.

His absolute favorite among all pancakes.

That’s right, Hwang Tae-su, you’re a man! When did you start acting so cowardly?

Weren’t you the one who didn’t even flinch when a sashimi knife was stuck in your stomach?

Yeah! Let’s go in!

Go in and declare it loud and proud!

‘Damn it, let me have some pancakes too.’

Surely, they wouldn’t actually kill me… right?

‘Haa… they might actually kill me.’

As he let out a long sigh, a sudden splash of rainwater hit him.

“Hey! Do you know how much this shirt costs?! Hold the umbrella properly, you—huh?!”

Standing before him, with an expressionless face, was Monster #2.

“What are you doing here?”

“Huh?!”

“I asked, what are you doing here?”

“Ah, uh… well, that’s, um… Ah! I was just passing by. What a coincidence running into you here. Ha ha ha!”

“Quite the coincidence, considering this is a dead-end alley.”

“Ah… ahaha… well, so it is. I must have taken a wrong turn.”

Park Yeon tilted his head, then glanced at the bulky man holding an umbrella over Hwang Tae-su.

“Is your ultra-precise high-tech sensor malfunctioning?”

“Huh?! Ah… no.”

“Good. Then I sincerely apologize once again.”

“Ah, no need.”

“As a token of my apology, let me offer you something in return.”

“N-no, really, it’s fine.”

“No, I insist. I’m unfamiliar with how to properly apologize in this place, so I’d like to do it in my own way. Please, allow me.”

The bulky man hesitated and looked toward Hwang Tae-su. At that moment, Park Yeon suddenly remembered that he, too, owed Hwang Tae-su.

“Ah, now that I think about it, I owe you a debt as well, President. You let me use your ultra-precise high-tech sensor-equipped elevator. I must repay you as well. Come, follow me.”

Hwang Tae-su and the bulky man, looking uneasy, followed behind Park Yeon.

The pancakes in the basket looked incredibly appetizing.

His mouth watered just looking at them.

Gulp!

“Are you just going to stare at them?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been staring at them for a while. You can eat.”

“Ah, yeah. Thanks, President Lee. And, um…”

He glanced over.

“What should I call you…?”

“Just call me whatever’s comfortable.”

“Then… how about Seo-jun?”

“Seo-jun ‘ssi’ would be more appropriate.”

“Ah, I see. Seo-jun ‘ssi.’ Thanks for the meal.”

After settling the matter of formal titles, Hwang Tae-su turned back to the basket of mugwort pancakes.

Just how good would these be?

Would they taste exactly as he imagined?

Or perhaps even better?

‘Why am I hesitating? I just have to eat and find out.’

Seeing is believing.

The only way to know was to try.

After wiping his hands thoroughly with a wet napkin, Hwang Tae-su reached for a steaming hot pancake with trembling hands.

“Hot, hot, hot!”

“There are tongs and scissors. You could use those.”

“Boss Lee, pancakes aren’t meant to be cut. They’re meant to be torn apart, like kimchi.”

Ignoring Yeon-jun’s remark, Hwang Tae-su grabbed hold of the pancake again.

“Hot, hot, hot, hot!”

The heat was intense.

But he had to endure it.

Beyond this trial lay paradise.

Riiip!

Finally, he succeeded in tearing the pancake apart.

Sniff sniff!

As the mugwort pancake was torn, a rich, fragrant aroma immediately rose up.

Now, into the mouth.

Chomp!

“Hot! Haaaah!”

It was burning hot.

But it was delicious.

Gulp!

Swallowing the pancake in a frenzy, Hwang Tae-su grabbed another piece.

“Hoo, hoo!”

He wouldn’t repeat the same mistake. This time, he’d eat it differently.

After letting it cool, he dipped it deep into soy sauce sprinkled with chopped peppers and green onions.

Then, making sure not to let any drops of soy sauce fall, he quickly popped it into his mouth.

And then—

He trembled as he shouted.

“Damn, this is insanely good!”

“Good enough to make you swear, huh?”

“Huh?”

“You just swore.”

Startled!

“D-did I?”

“Yes.”

“Ah… my apologies, Seo-jun ‘ssi.’ I curse so much it just slips out sometimes. I’ve gotten old enough that I should fix it, but it’s not easy.”

“There’s a kid outside, so I’d appreciate it if you could be mindful.”

My nephew heard that from outside.

That meant you were dead.

“Y-yes!”

“It seems to suit your taste.”

“Ah, yes. It's delicious. But what should I call you…?”

Hwang Tae-su began the process of sorting out titles with Park Yeon.

After some thought, Park Yeon spoke.

“Call me teacher.”

“Teacher…? Are you a teacher?”

“No, I'm not a teacher. But the police call me that.”

Monster #2 was definitely crazy.

That made him even scarier.

‘Guys like this have no hesitation.’

It was always the ones who shoved a blade into their gut.

And this guy wasn’t just about stabbing—he’d punch you right through. Even if he asked to be called ‘father’ instead of ‘teacher,’ there would be no choice.

“Ah, understood. From now on, I will call you Teacher Park. Teacher Park.”

Park Yeon smiled.

“Thank you. Now, please enjoy your meal.”

“Yes.”

Hwang Tae-su, devouring the mugwort pancakes as if possessed, glanced at Seo-jun and spoke to Yeon-jun.

“Boss Lee, do you happen to have makgeolli?”

“Ah! Of course. Makgeolli goes with pancakes. Please wait a moment, I'll bring some.”

Clang!

The chime rang as Choi Sungkyun entered the shop. Seo-jun greeted him warmly.

“Team Leader Choi, you’re here.”

“Yes. I happened to be passing by, so I thought I’d check in. Luckily, you're still open.”

“We still have customers.”

“Customers?”

“Over there.”

Seo-jun pointed.

There sat a completely drunk Hwang Tae-su, being coaxed by his bulky subordinate.

“President, are you okay? Are you really sure you won’t throw up?”

“You bastard, I told you to call me hyung! And what throw up?! I’m perfectly fine!”

“Yes… hyung. But it's really time to go. It's quite late.”

“Go where?! We’re drinking more! I, the great Hwang Tae-su… am still alive! I don’t get drunk this easily! Damn it, what do you take me for?!”

“Yes, yes. We all know you’re not drunk, hyung. But Boss Lee needs to close up soon.”

“What? Seo-jun?”

“Hyung, you should call him Seo-jun-ssi.”

“What else would I call Seo-jun? Anyway, Seo-jun! Is this true? Are you really closing?”

“No. You can keep drinking.”

Smack!

“See?! Seo-jun said the place is still open!”

“……”

Hiccup!

“Hyung-geon.”

“Yes, hyung.”

“I told you to call me President, you bastard!”

“……Yes, President.”

“Do you know why I like mugwort pancakes?”

“I’m not sure.”

Smack!

“Because they taste good, you idiot!”

Choi Sungkyun glanced at Hwang Tae-su and his subordinate with a hardened expression.

“Those are the loan sharks from before, right?”

“You remember.”

“Did they come to cause trouble again? I thought I made myself clear last time…”

“No, we invited them.”

“You invited your creditor?”

“President Hwang cleared all the debt. We called them here so they could thank him in return.”

“Ah, is that so? That’s surprising. I thought he was just a thug.”

“I thought so too, but apparently, he’s running a scholarship foundation these days.”

“Oh, a scholarship foundation? Is he planning to run for city council?”

“Maybe. Anyway, what would you like?”

“That fried rice I asked you to freeze earlier—do you still have it?”

“Of course.”

Though he said so, Seo-jun intended to make a fresh batch.

Frozen food always lost its flavor.

Sizzle!

He poured oil into the pan and added finely chopped vegetables.

For the record, adding potatoes to vegetable fried rice deepens the flavor. Since there were some leftover potatoes, he finely diced them and tossed them in.

At this stage, a pinch of salt was essential.

Once the vegetables were sufficiently cooked, he added the rice and a spoonful of oyster sauce.

Sizzle!

Now all that was left was to stir-fry it thoroughly.

No sugar was needed. The sweetness from the caramelized onions was enough.

‘It’d be good to make some egg soup, too.’

Something was missing. Egg soup wasn’t a complicated dish, so adding it seemed like a good idea.

So, using pre-portioned Arutus eggs, green onions, and a pinch of salt, Seo-jun quickly whipped up a simple egg soup.

“Wow, this looks delicious… Huh? Egg soup?”

“Yes. It’s on the house.”

“Haha, I was just thinking I wanted some soup.”

“They say once you start craving soup with meals, you know you're getting old.”

“Is that so? Well, they’re not wrong. At some point, I just couldn’t eat rice without soup anymore. I guess I really am getting old. Anyway, thanks for the meal!”

Choi Sungkyun took a spoonful of the fried rice and put it into his mouth.

The rice was perfectly fluffy and flavorful.

Next was the egg soup.

“Hmm.”

To his taste, it was slightly salty, but it paired perfectly with the mild vegetable fried rice.

“This is good.”

With just that brief comment, Sungkyun focused back on his meal.

As Seo-jun left the kitchen and passed by, Sungkyun tilted his head.

“Uh, Boss.”

“Yes?”

“Do you wear cologne?”

“No, I don’t. Why?”

“I feel like I’ve smelled this scent before.”

“Then maybe it’s just my fabric softener. They all smell pretty similar.”

“It feels too familiar for that.”

“Maybe it’s just your imagination?”

Still uncertain, Sungkyun chuckled and nodded.

“Yeah… maybe I’m imagining things. There's no way.”

“Do you need anything else?”

“No, this is enough.”

“Then enjoy your meal.”