Alpha Culinary Love

Jiyeon hadn't been seated for more than five minutes when her fingers started twitching. Her eyes darted back toward the kitchen, scanning the scene like a hawk ready to pounce on the slightest sign of disaster. The tea Yura had so kindly placed in front of her remained untouched, cooling as the aroma mingled with the lingering scent of lobster and fresh herbs.

Yura, who had been watching her like a hawk herself, finally broke the silence. "Jiyeon, I swear if you get up from that chair, I will glue you to it."

Jiyeon huffed, shooting her a sideways glance. "I'm not going to get up. I'm just... watching."

"Uh-huh. Sure you are." Yura's voice dripped with skepticism as she crossed her arms. "I know that look. You're already mentally correcting the plating on that table in the corner."

"Am not."

"You absolutely are." Yura smirked, leaning back in her chair with a self-satisfied air. "I could bet you twenty bucks that the second someone drops a plate, you'll be up like a jack-in-the-box."

Jiyeon's lips twitched in irritation, but she couldn't exactly argue. She had seen one of the servers fumble with a tray earlier, and it had taken every ounce of willpower not to jump in and take over. It wasn't that she didn't trust her team; it was just... Well, okay, maybe she didn't trust them

completely

.

"Maybe I should—"

"Nope!" Yura cut her off with a tone that brooked no argument. "You're resting. Sit. Down."

Jiyeon leaned back with a deep sigh, crossing her arms. "I'm not built for resting. I'm built for running a kitchen."

"Which is precisely why you need to learn how to

not

run the kitchen every now and then," Yura pointed out. "Even Alphas need to rest, Chef Almighty."

"I don't need rest," Jiyeon muttered stubbornly. "I need my kitchen not to implode while I'm sitting here."

Yura let out a soft laugh, brushing a hand over Jiyeon's arm. "It won't implode. You've trained them well. They can handle a few hours without you breathing down their necks."

Across the kitchen, Kang's voice cut through the din. "Oh, did I just hear Yura tell Jiyeon to Discover stories at empire

not

breathe down our necks? That's a first!"

Jiyeon groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I regret hiring him."

Yura grinned, clearly enjoying Jiyeon's frustration. "You say that every time, but deep down, you know you'd be lost without him."

"Lost?" Jiyeon scoffed. "I could run this place just fine without his constant commentary."

Kang's head popped up from behind a row of pans, his grin wide and mischievous. "I heard that, Chef! And I, for one, am deeply offended."

"Shut up, Kang," Jiyeon shot back without missing a beat, her voice sharp but with the faintest hint of affection. "Or I'll start docking your pay for every word that comes out of your mouth."

Kang laughed, completely unbothered by her threats. "You'd go bankrupt trying to dock my pay. Besides, what would this kitchen be without my sparkling personality?"

"Peaceful," Jiyeon muttered, rolling her eyes.

Yura chuckled softly, her hand resting on Jiyeon's shoulder in a gentle, soothing motion. "You know he's right, though. The place would be boring without him."

"Boring sounds heavenly," Jiyeon deadpanned, though the corner of her mouth twitched like she was fighting back a smile.

As if on cue, a loud crash echoed from the far side of the kitchen, followed by the unmistakable sound of shattering porcelain. Jiyeon's entire body tensed, her eyes narrowing as she whipped her head toward the source of the commotion.

"Okay, that's it, I'm going—"

"No, you're not," Yura said firmly, grabbing Jiyeon by the wrist before she could even think about standing. "They'll handle it. You

need

to stay put."

Jiyeon looked like she was about to argue, but Yura's grip was unyielding. She knew that Yura was right she'd already been running herself ragged over the pop-up event for days. But it was like asking a shark to stop swimming. Still, the warmth of Yura's hand on her wrist and the steely look in her eyes made it hard to argue.

Jiyeon let out a frustrated sigh, flopping back into her chair. "Fine. But if they ruin the lobster, I'm going to murder someone."

"Noted," Yura replied with a grin, releasing Jiyeon's wrist but not before giving it a playful squeeze. "I'll make sure they all survive. You just sit back and relax, okay?"

"Relaxing is overrated," Jiyeon muttered, glaring toward the scene of the shattered plate.

Kang, bless his chaotic heart, chose that moment to approach with his hands raised in surrender. "Chef, before you murder me, let me just say that the plate broke

before

I touched it."

Jiyeon's glare intensified. "Why is it that whenever something breaks, you're always nearby?"

Kang's grin widened. "Pure coincidence. Or maybe I'm just cursed."

Jiyeon snorted. "No, you're just an idiot."

Kang chuckled, unfazed. "Probably both. But I came over to say that everything's fine. The lobster jeon is still perfect, and the plate was an unfortunate casualty of gravity. No need to get your knives out."

"I'll believe that when I see it," Jiyeon muttered, though she visibly relaxed. Kang might be a clown, but when it came to actual cooking, he knew his stuff.

Yura leaned closer to Jiyeon, whispering conspiratorially. "See? Nothing to worry about. Now, how about you try that tea before it becomes iced tea?"

Jiyeon sighed again, finally lifting the cup to her lips. The warmth of the tea spread through her, soothing the nerves she hadn't realized were so frayed. As much as she hated to admit it, maybe Yura had a point. She

did

need to take a step back every once in a while. Running on adrenaline and caffeine could only get her so far before she burned out.

The kitchen continued bustling around them, but for the first time in hours, Jiyeon let herself relax—just a little. The chaos was still there, but it wasn't her chaos to manage right now. She had to trust her team.

After a few moments of silence, Yura spoke up again, her tone more teasing now. "You know, you're kind of adorable when you're trying not to micromanage."

Jiyeon shot her a look, one eyebrow raised. "Adorable?"

"Yeah," Yura said, her smile widening. "Like a very grumpy, very intense puppy."

"I'm not sure whether to be offended or flattered."

"Flattered, obviously," Yura replied, her voice light with amusement. "I mean, grumpy or not, you're still cute."

Jiyeon rolled her eyes but didn't protest. She took another sip of tea, feeling the tension in her shoulders ease just a fraction more. "You're lucky you're cute, or I'd have you thrown out of my kitchen for calling me a puppy."

Yura laughed softly, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, I'm well aware."

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments, the hum of the kitchen providing a comforting backdrop. Jiyeon was still on edge, but it wasn't as bad as before. She could feel herself unwinding, slowly but surely.

Kang, however, seemed determined to ruin that fragile peace. He reappeared a few minutes later, wiping his hands on his apron and looking far too pleased with himself.

"Hey, Chef," he said, grinning like the cat that got the cream. "I just wanted to let you know that we

did

manage to add a little pizzazz to the last few plates."

Jiyeon froze, her cup halfway to her mouth. "You what?"

Yura snickered, clearly trying to stifle her laughter.

"Relax, relax," Kang said quickly, waving his hands. "No fog machines. Just a

hint

of edible gold leaf on the crème brûlée."

Jiyeon's eye twitched. "You

did

not."

Kang's grin widened. "It's subtle! Barely noticeable, really. Just a touch of... flare."

"Kang, I swear to—"

Before Jiyeon could finish her sentence, Yura stood up, pulling Kang aside with a knowing smirk. "I think it's time for a kitchen intervention. She's too tired to murder you properly right now."

Kang chuckled, backing away from Jiyeon's death glare. "Noted. I'll be in the walk-in freezer if anyone needs me."

As Kang scampered off to escape the wrath of Chef Almighty, Jiyeon rubbed her temples, muttering under her breath. "I'm surrounded by idiots."

Yura chuckled softly, sitting back down beside Jiyeon. "But they're

your

idiots."

"Unfortunately," Jiyeon agreed, though there was a hint of affection in her voice that she couldn't quite hide.

Yura smiled, leaning her elbow on the table and resting her chin in her palm, watching Jiyeon with a mixture of amusement and affection. "Admit it, you love them," she teased, her voice soft but playful.

Jiyeon rolled her eyes dramatically but didn't deny it. Instead, she took another sip of her now-lukewarm tea, sighing as she set the cup back down. "They're insufferable."

"True," Yura conceded, her grin widening. "But so are you."

Jiyeon scoffed, though she couldn't help the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I'm not

that

bad."

"Oh, you're terrible." Yura's eyes sparkled with laughter. "But that's probably why I like you so much."

Jiyeon finally let out a reluctant chuckle, shaking her head. "You're impossible."

"And you're exhausted," Yura said, her tone softening as she reached over to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Jiyeon's ear. "How about we get out of here for a bit? Let Kang and the others handle the rest of the night. You've done more than enough."

Jiyeon hesitated, glancing back toward the kitchen, but the warmth in Yura's eyes was hard to resist. "Fine," she muttered. "But if they mess up, you're covering the damages."

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