In South Korea, even the awakened ones had their own rankings.
These rankings were often measured by their past activities and recognition.
Some of the superstars among them included Choi Sung-hyuk, the annihilator of the Terror Guild, Kim Tae-yang, the Bloodborne of the Iron-Blood Guild, and Ha Min, the saintess of the Gojoseon Guild.
Among the numerous awakened individuals, there were superstars, and people admired these superstars.
“Nice to meet you! I am Ino Junichi from Japan! Hahaha!”
Ino Junichi, known by the title of the Immortal, was a superstar from Japan.
He received overwhelming support among the older awakened ones, and his achievements made it obvious why he was so revered.
…But someone like that knows who I am?
“Nice to meet you…?”
I greeted him back, but I still couldn’t wrap my head around it.
Is this some kind of hidden camera prank? Or is someone impersonating Ino Junichi?
The fact that he spoke Korean fluently was suspicious from the start.
‘His appearance definitely matches Ino Junichi…’
He looked exactly like he did on TV.
I knew he occasionally visited Korea, but to think he would come here like this?
As I stood there bewildered, Han Seok-jun bowed his head slightly.
“I apologize for the sudden visit. We also extend our sincere apologies to the staff at the orphanage.”
“No, no. Please come inside.”
Director Wi Ji-hye led everyone inside.
However, Kang Hanul and Ino Junichi didn’t seem to have any intention of going in.
“Could it be…!”
Hanul saw the leftover food in the container and turned his gaze to me.
“Yes, I brought it.”
“Can we eat it?”
“It’s leftovers, but if you don’t mind that, go ahead.”
“Oh, thank you!”
At that moment, Ino Junichi also approached me with a gentle expression.
“May I have some as well?”
“Yes, you can have all the leftovers. But your Korean is really good.”
“I’ve learned it through exchanges. I’ve known Ara Hongryeon since the early days. Haha.”
Junichi awkwardly smiled, but soon he was startled by Hanul’s scream-like exclamation.
“Nooooo!!!”
Jeong So-yeon shook her head as if she had anticipated this reaction.
“Team Leader, this isn’t our guild, you know?”
“How can I resist eating something so delicious! I can’t understand! How does Kyu-seong’s food keep getting tastier?!”
In response to Hanul, Junichi quickly grabbed a slice of pizza and shoved it into his mouth.
Then he widened his eyes and stared at me.
“…!”
His mouth was busy chewing, but his gaze stayed on me.
Oh? Guild Master Han Seok-jun is also subtly eating some.
“I’ve never tasted food like this before! Is this really something a human can make?”
Junichi was so excited that his Korean got tangled. The guild members, as if anticipating his reaction, smiled.
“Hahaha! How do you like it, Junichi? South Korea has Kyu-seong! As long as Kyu-seong is here, no country can surpass ours!”
“Ugh!”
Junichi’s face turned red with frustration. Wondering if he was angry, I watched as Junichi picked up a piece of sweet potato and began eating furiously.
“Umm~~~!!”
What was that noise?
He let out a sound like a cow’s moo and bulldozed through the remaining food.
Hanul was startled and shouted.
“Junichi, you rascal…!”
And then a fierce food fight was about to begin.
“Cough! There’s nothing left….”
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much food left.
In the end, Hanul and Junichi, who could only taste a bit of the food, sucked their fingers in regret.
“Phew, Awakened Kyu-seong.”
“Yes, Junichi.”
“Do you have any plans to come to Japan? I promise you the best treatment using all my authority.”
“Haha… I appreciate the offer, but I’m sorry.”
His eyes seemed to have turned around, as he was trying to recruit me out of nowhere. Of course, I knew it was a joke, so I responded with a smile.
“Hey! Junichi!”
But Hanul seemed to take it seriously.
“How dare you try to snatch Kyu-seong from us? If you want to take Kyu-seong, you’ll have to get past me first!”
“Haha! You’ve grown, Hanul. How about we have a match like old times? If I win, I’ll take Awakened Kyu-seong with me.”
While watching the joke between the two, I glanced sideways and noticed something unusual.
Guild Master Han Seok-jun’s face was stiff, and So-yeon looked tense, glancing back and forth between the two.
‘Wait, was that not a joke?’
The atmosphere suddenly became strange.
In the end, I had to step in to mediate.
“Uh… Wasn’t that a joke?”
“Hmph! Junichi doesn’t joke! He really wanted to take you away!”
“Hahaha! Anyone would be tempted after seeing the item effects of these foods! Plus, they taste so great that I couldn’t resist!”
The aura of the strong still lingered around us.
At that moment, Han Seok-jun, who had been watching silently, stepped forward.
“Kyu-seong has already politely declined. Let’s end the jokes here.”
“Cough! I apologize, Awakened Kyu-seong. My joke went too far.”
Surprisingly, Junichi, who seemed unlikely to back down, apologized. It was unexpected to see him glancing at Han Seok-jun, who was slender but authoritative.
‘Is he afraid of the Guild Master?’
Han Seok-jun, who instantly took control of the situation, looked different. Come to think of it, the Guild Master also had quite a reputation back in the day.
But for Junichi, a level 8 awakened one, to be afraid of our Guild Master?
It seemed like there was something I didn’t know.
“…Please visit Japan sometime. I’ll make sure to treat you well.”
“Hey, Junichi.”
Despite the lingering regret, Junichi handed me his business card. Hanul, who didn’t like even that, said something, but Junichi persistently passed the card.
For me, having more connections would be beneficial.
“I apologize for the sudden visit. We will be leaving now.”
The people from Ara Hongryeon and Junichi took a photo with the children at the orphanage and prepared to leave.
While wrapping up this unexpectedly interesting encounter, Hanul subtly asked,
“Is this the end?”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t you have anything more?”
Oh dear, he must have really enjoyed it.
But unfortunately, this time, we really had nothing left. Usually, we would have extra snacks for Ara, but today, we didn’t bring any due to the heavy luggage.
“Hmmm, it’s a shame, but it can’t be helped. We’ll have to wait for another chance.”
“Yes. By the way, when is the guest planning to return to Japan?”
“He’s a busy man, so he’ll probably leave tomorrow.”
At Hanul’s answer, Junichi nodded. Then, with a sudden realization, he looked at me with a hopeful expression.
“If I stay longer in Korea, can I have more of Awakener Kyu-seong’s cooking?”
“I don’t have much free time either, but I could treat you once more.”
“Oh! In that case, I’ll gladly stay longer! If it takes a few days, I can go back to Japan and return! Haha!”
Other guild members, who were listening to our conversation as we left the orphanage, perked up their ears.
With a sleepy Ara on my back, I said,
“How about tomorrow?”
“I’ll make time, no matter what!”
“I have plenty of time too, bro!”
“Would it be okay for me as well?”
Junichi, Hanul, and even So-yeon chimed in.
Although he didn’t say anything, the Guild Leader Han Seok-jun’s eyes were also shining with interest.
“Then, see you tomorrow morning at the guild building.”
“Oh! Really? Thank you, Kyu-seong!”
It seemed like Hanul was more excited than the guests I intended to entertain.
Caught by Hanul, I chuckled awkwardly as I was shaken from side to side.
“Oh! Can I bring my younger brother?”
“Younger brother? Kyu-seong has a younger brother?”
“Yes. He’s a cook, and he knows my produce the best. If it’s not too much trouble, may he do the cooking?”
“Of course! Is it alright, brother?”
At Hanul’s words, the guild leader smiled and nodded.
Unexpectedly, I brought my brother into this, but wouldn’t it be better for him to get some feedback from others rather than just researching at home?
“Well, I have a personal chef I brought from Japan. If it’s alright, may he learn from Kyu-seong’s brother?”
“Oh, I would actually appreciate that. My brother will learn a lot too.”
If he’s Junichi’s personal chef, he must be a highly skilled artisan, possibly renowned in Japan. Cooking with such a person would surely be a great learning experience for Jae-seong. However, it might also be quite pressuring.
‘I should ask him first and bring him only if he wants to come.’
For now, I should return to the dungeon and prepare the ingredients. This unexpected plan wasn’t bad at all.
Everything could be a foundation for Jae-seong’s future restaurant. The people here might become future customers.
“Then, see you tomorrow!”
* * *
-What? Hyung! What are you talking about…?
When I contacted Jae-seong to tell him about tomorrow’s event, he was shocked.
“If you can’t do it, that’s fine. You don’t have to come.”
“Hmm…”
“Oh, and there’s an Awakened from Japan named Ino Junichi. His personal chef will also be participating.”
“Ino Junichi? Let me look him up.”
The call paused for a moment. During that time, I also quickly looked up Ino Junichi and found some related information.
‘Shimomoto Orie?’
Information about Junichi’s personal chef also came up. Surprisingly, she was a young woman with an impressive career.
‘She’s won every award there is. And she’s about our age, so Jae-seong might feel intimidated.’
I worried that Jae-seong might feel daunted seeing someone of similar age with such great achievements. However, contrary to my expectations, Jae-seong’s voice on the phone was full of excitement.
“Brother! I’ll definitely go!”
“Really?”
“Yes! I can’t believe Shimomoto Orie is in Korea!”
“You know her?”
“Of course! Anyone serious about cooking knows her. She’s a culinary genius who has dominated various cooking competitions despite her young age! I never thought I’d get to see her in person…”
I hadn’t realized she was that renowned. In the world of the Awakened, she must be like a rising star from a famous overseas guild.
“Brother, thank you so much! Wow, I have to get her autograph tomorrow.”
“…Jae-seong, you’re going to cook, not attend a fan meeting. Don’t forget that.”
“Of course! I won’t disappoint you!”
It had been a while since I had seen Jae-seong this excited. He sounded like he was about to meet his favorite idol.
“I can’t wait.”
“For what?”
“Brother! I’m coming to your dungeon right now.”
“What? Now? It’s late at night.”
“I need to prepare in advance! It’s tomorrow morning!”
It seemed like I had really ignited Jae-seong’s passion.
Cliche Novel 