➴ restaurant。

@byun wooseok. « FREE CULINARY WORKSHOP! » Miyeon noticed a nondescript poster in the window of one of her favorite restaurants. She had been here time and time again, but this was her first time seeing it. "Free culinary workshop..." She read it aloud, her entire body leaning over at eye level with the poster as she mumbled the contents of the advertisement, nodding her head as she spoke her thoughts out loud, "Oh, so it's going to be the owner teaching!?" How exciting! Miyeon greeted the staff familiarly as she entered the restaurant, bowing with a large grin. "Oh my god, long time no see!" She exclaimed as if meeting an old friend, "You haven't been on hostess shift in so long!" Miyeon reached in to give the hostess half of a hug as she asked, "How have you been?" The two spoke like old friends as the hostess led Miyeon to her table and as she sat down, she exclaimed, "Oh! By the way, I saw that poster in the window about the workshop - is that still happening?"

And that was how she ended up at a culinary workshop early in the morning. Miyeon rolled her feet from heel to toe as she stood outside the restaurant with her hair sticking out in twin braids from a large bucket hat. Her canvas bag slung behind her back looking as if she were about to go on a trip in her wide leg jeans and all. She took a glance at her phone to check the time, then looked at the poster in the window. "It would be SO awkward if I tried to open the door and no one was inside," She mumbled to herself with a chuckle. Despite being quite a regular at the restaurant, Miyeon had never met face to face with the owner, so she was curious to meet him. The closest she's gotten was seeing his large shadow rushing across the restaurant, but she had heard whispers about him from the staff. He was tall and an exceptional cook and, apparently, he's a chaebol!? He had gone abroad to study the culinary arts, and it was that knowledge that made his restaurant stand out amongst the crowd. He sounded fascinating and Miyeon couldn't wait to meet the person behind her favorite restaurant.

Miyeon pulled open the door into the restaurant, noticing the space lit differently than usual. She looked around, amazed at the change in ambiance the restaurant usually had, then her gaze landed upon that large stranger and, given his height, he must be today's head chef! Instantaneously, Miyeon's face lit up in a bright smile as she greeted him, "Hi! I'm here for the workshop..." and she took a look around the empty restaurant, "Am I early?"

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@kim jennie. Summer was always synonymous of a considerable influx of new guests in the opulent Signiel Seoul Hotel in which Wooseok’s restaurant soared to popularity, though this year something else seemed to attract quite the crowd ; The young chef had managed to score the establishment’s first Michelin star during its first year of operation, resulting in the public flocking from every corner of the globe to witness the genius of the man and taste even a single of his well curated dishes.

His expertise wasn’t only valued by patrons but also by past students that never hesitated to reach out to him whenever in need of advices, something the chef insisted on himself, though Eunji had quite the surprising demand when seeking for her mentor’s help; to aid one of her dearest friends to curate the perfect menu for her parents’ anniversary. And while the request seemed quite odd at first, something seemed to inch him into accepting the challenge no matter how hectic his schedule was as of lately.

It was now the end of the evening service, the last few clients finishing up with their dessers while the back of the house staff completed the cleaning of the kitchen that Wooseok noticed the hurried steps of the hostess.

‘Chef! Miss Jennie Kim has arrived for your private appointment — I sat her down at her table’

Thanking the hostess, he was quick to let her know to allow his guest into the kitchen and proceeded to dismiss the kitchen staff for the day, as the service ran latter than originally anticipated. ‘Good work today, everyone! See you tomorrow morning, it’s a full house so get a good night of rest’ he smiled, patting the shoulder of his sous-chef upon reaching for the sink, washing his hand and making himself presentable for his private atelier.

A certain nervousness had built up inside the young chef since his student’s request, wondering if his selection of dishes would uphold the woman’s standards for the event she was planning. Though, only time would tell.

@byun wooseok. Soyeon had look down at her watch.
9:50pm
Awesome, fantastic.

"and then that's why I was never allowed inside the premises again!"
the male laughed as if he had told such a riveting joke.

Soyeon painfully offered him a smile as she took a sip of her drink.
How did she end up here.
She had decided, for one night only, she would peruse the dating app realm to see who would be in her area. Just to see what type of guys are like in the city.
This wasn't what she had in mind.

She was supposed to be going on a date with a six foot tall athlete who supposedly likes going to the animal shelter in his free time.
Yet she was now stuck with a short, acne-proned male with no ambition in life except for trying to find out how many places he can get kicked out of. What a strange concept...

"Soyeon..."
He reaches out for her other hand on the table, her attention going back onto him as she clenches her jaw on what he was about to say next.
"I'm having a fun time. We should keep seeing each other."

Soyeon held her breath, looking down at their overlapping hands.
"I- Well.. "

She was at a lost for words. Every cell in her body is screaming at her to pull a dine & dash but her morals tell her otherwise. She starts to look around to pull out any excuse she can find but all the patrons were blissfully enjoying their own food and their own company to pay attention to her pleading eyes. Her gaze finally settles in on a man looking at her direction, standing near the kitchen. It was a bit too dim to see his face but he seems vaguely familiar to her...
She starts to cough and stammer to her date to buy some time, hoping to grab the other man's attention.

@byun wooseok. she knew that something was amiss when eunji didn't answer her messages an hour before their planned meet-up. she also had suspicions when she didn't find the woman outside the restaurant like they had agreed upon a few days ago.

now, as she stands in front of the hostess of the establishment, a crooked smile dancing upon her lips, jennie wonders if she's being pranked. eunji had promised that she'll be the bridge for her and her new teacher. she was hopeful— expectant, even— that she would not be left alone with a man that she only knew by name. but eunji is nowhere to be found, so jennie, awkward and unsure, purses her lips and says, “hi. i have an appointment with chef byun.” when the hostess tilts her head in inquiry, jennie is then quick to add, “i’m a friend of eunji’s. she’s supposed to come here with me, but there was an emergency. she— she told me that she already notified chef byun about our change of plans. i’m... i’m jennie kim.”

when recognition lights up in the woman’s eyes, the tightness in jennie’s lungs loosen in return. “oh! of course, ms. kim. chef byun’s just finishing up in the kitchen right now so it might take a while for him to cater to you,” the hostess responds with a genuine smile on her face, a hand reaching towards the interior of the room. “let me take you to your seat. is there anything you’d like to drink? we’ll quickly notify chef byun of your arrival.”

“ice cold water is fine, thank you,” is jennie’s quick reply, grateful for the hostess’ warm welcome as they weave their way towards the reserved table meant for her and eunji. it's when she sits down does she realize that this was the same seat she had when she first discovered byun wooseok’s expertise in his field, and as she watches the hostess head towards where she believed the kitchen is located, it hits jennie like a brick that the next person she’ll see is the man himself. for the first time. her new teacher— the person that would help her prepare the best set of dishes for her parents' anniversary two weeks from now. byun wooseok.