Oh... Ohhh, that’s incredible!
As Matsusage Yukata—or rather, Kurata Toro—found himself captivated by the fire show, a background actor’s line came in at a perfect moment.
"Impressive, right?"
"What?"
"The cooking. You see, Minjun’s menu is like our diner’s hidden blade."
"A h-hidden blade?"
To attach such an impressive name to it... Well, with skills like those, it wasn’t unthinkable.
Mm-hmm.
Toro nodded, playing along with the actor’s comment.
"Regular customers might come for the owners’ cooking, but for us, this is the moment we’re really waiting for."
It was, in a way, a special opportunity that came to frequent patrons.
At those words, Toro’s gaze immediately landed on the “Son’s Menu” board.
‘So, all of these are the special dishes?’
What should I order first?
While his eyes darted back and forth in indecision—
"I recommend the stir-fried pork, tonkatsu... and kimbap."
"...That’s exactly what’s written in the recommendations."
"Haha! Isn’t that how it always goes? But seriously, they’re so good!"
What a smooth talker.
Kurata Toro nodded at the man’s words and slowly raised his hand.
"Excuse me. I’d like to order, please."
"Yes, sir!"
Whoosh!
At Kim Minjun’s reply, the fire flared up spectacularly once again.
At the same time, a sharp, mouth-watering aroma filled the air, mixing with the savory smell of meat. That must be the stir-fried pork.
"Stir-fried pork, tonkatsu... and kimbap, please."
"Got it! Order received!"
Was this one of those dishes where the size couldn’t be adjusted?
As he wondered that—
"We can remove ingredients from the kimbap if you don’t like them. Burdock, cucumber, carrots... ham, pickled radish, and so on."
"Ohh, then leave out the ham, please."
"Got it! It’ll be ready soon, so please wait a moment!"
Minjun’s spirited reply made Toro smile with satisfaction.
‘This is a great place.’
This, I can trust.
Toro chuckled softly and turned back to the menu board.
‘The mains are covered... Let’s look at sides or drinks.’
As expected of a menu under “Son’s Specials,” there was no alcohol.
‘Milk? Why is there milk? Oolong tea seems like the safest bet...’
While he deliberated over which side to pick—
"Cheongyang Fire Tteokbokki, coming up!"
Finally, the dish he’d been waiting for made its appearance.
But.
‘What in the world is that smell?’
The first thing that hit him was the spiciness—the kind that made his nose tremble in fear. The heat radiating from it almost seemed to glow red, though that was probably just his imagination.
One thing was certain: ordering the mini size was the wisest choice.
"This is it, this is it! I have to finish it today!"
"If you eat it once, you’ll feel unstoppable all day!"
"Oh, Minjun! There’s noodles in it today?"
"Yes, we happened to have some left. It’s a bit like rabokki today."
But for the regulars, it seemed normal.
The moment they saw the medium-sized Cheongyang Fire Tteokbokki, they started clapping.
And then—
"Minjun! Four glasses of milk over here!"
"Yes, got it!"
Hearing the milk orders, Toro realized—
‘So that’s it!’
Now he understood why milk was on the drinks menu.
With a dish like that, if you didn’t wash it down with milk, you were in danger.
"Um, I’ll have milk as well, please!"
"Got it! Order received!"
With another bright response—
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.
The milk, the Cheongyang Fire Tteokbokki, and the side dishes were placed in front of Toro.
"Uh, excuse me... I didn’t order any side dishes, though."
"Oh, the kimchi, bean sprouts, and seaweed are included. This is a Korean restaurant, after all."
"Ah... so that’s the way it is in Korea."
"Yes, and we offer unlimited refills on side dishes, so let us know anytime you need more."
Unlimited refills?!
Toro was genuinely amazed.
‘But still.’
Even though it was a mini size, the sheer presence was overwhelming.
Looking at the Cheongyang Fire Tteokbokki dominating his field of vision, Toro swallowed nervously.
‘This feels like disarming a bomb.’
One wrong move, and it would be dangerous!
I need to follow the eating technique of the regulars.
Glancing over—
Toro turned his head to see how the regulars were eating it. And there they were.
"It’s so spicy! Way too spicy! Help me!"
"It’s been too long since I last had this! I can’t handle it!"
"Do Koreans seriously not know how to tone things down?!"
Their faces were red, mouths spouting words of pain like fire-breathing dragons.
And yet, despite the complaints, wide smiles bloomed across their faces. At the same time, they mixed bean sprouts and seaweed into the tteokbokki.
‘So that’s how they balance the spiciness.’
But on second thought—
‘Is it really that spicy?’
It looked spicy, sure, but...
Part of him wondered if they were just exaggerating.
‘It’s just red rice cakes and red noodles, after all.’
Instead of overthinking it, it was time to challenge it.
Steeling himself, Toro grabbed a piece of noodle and rice cake together and put them in his mouth.
At that very moment—
"M-milk! Milk! Four more glasses!"
It wasn’t Kurata Toro anymore.
The real Matsusage Yukata’s instincts had taken over.
*****
"That was really insanely spicy."
The production director, Aitake Ura, gulped as the memory of the heat resurfaced.
Just the thought made his mouth water and his body temperature rise.
That Cheongyang Fire Tteokbokki was absolutely maddeningly spicy.
Undoubtedly, it was the spiciest dish he’d ever eaten in his life.
But the problem wasn’t that it was simply spicy.
‘It’s deliciously spicy.’
There was an addictive quality that kept you coming back for more.
That inexplicable, perfect balance was truly exceptional.
And to top it off—
"Since everyone seems to be struggling with the spiciness, we’ll serve a little something as a bonus."
Like salvation descending, mozzarella cheese blanketed the tteokbokki.
"Yes, this is it! This is what I’m talking about! I can’t live without this!"
The regulars cheered with joy.
Munch, munch, munch.
Even the most refined gourmet couldn’t help but keep eating. The combination was flawless.
‘Ugh, I want to eat it too.’
Aitake Ura quietly smacked his lips.
It was the kind of charm that made even those who feared spicy food want to try it.
The deep crimson of the tteokbokki was a work of art.
It looked like food straight out of hell—
And now he understood why depictions of such “underworld cuisine” were so tempting.
‘But that’s not even the real thing.’
The Cheongyang Fire Tteokbokki only came in mini size.
No matter how spicy it was, it would only cause brief pain.
True happiness always followed right after.
"Your stir-fried pork, tonkatsu, and kimbap are ready!"
The camera captured the full glory of the recommended dishes from the “Son’s Menu.”
Stir-fried pork sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Tonkatsu beautifully adorned with parsley.
Glossy kimbap glistening with sesame oil.
The rich, nutty aroma of Korean cuisine pleasantly tickled the nose.
‘We were all knocked out by that food too.’
It sounded silly, but—
Kim Donghu’s cooking was a taste of nostalgia.
To be precise, it evoked memories of home.
It was like rediscovering a mother’s homemade touch.
Especially when you wrapped a generous bite of pork in lettuce,
and right as your throat was about to clog up, you washed it down with water.
‘The flavor of the pork, the freshly cooked rice... that combination was insane.’
But, as mentioned before, it didn’t stop there.
The handmade, perfectly tenderized Western-style tonkatsu.
Drenched in a sauce crafted from just the right ratio of mayonnaise and ketchup—
It opened a whole new world of tonkatsu rarely found in Japan.
‘And finally, the kimbap! The kimbap is the real MVP!’
While the other dishes triumphed with their intensity and boldness,
kimbap’s secret weapon was its familiarity.
No matter when you ate it, it never felt overwhelming.
It was the kind of food you could pop into your mouth whenever you felt peckish.
Even staff members who ate sparingly ended up devouring three rolls each.
‘The extras are having a field day today.’
Bzzzz.
The camera panned to the background actors.
But none of them had the luxury to care about the camera.
‘Normally, someone would mess up by accident at least once.’
But when food is that delicious, that doesn’t happen.
Everyone was genuinely savoring the meal, not just acting like customers.
"Bean sprouts, more bean sprouts and seaweed, please!"
"Got it! Coming right up!"
It was an unfamiliar taste—
But somehow, it felt like home.
And beyond that, it felt so comfortably familiar.
‘If a place like this existed near my house, I’d really be in trouble.’
Toro—no, Matsusage Yukata—thought sincerely.
This was a dangerously good flavor.
The kind that makes you gain weight fast.
The kind that makes you spend money without regret.
This was true gourmet cuisine.
‘The sheer power coming from this thin slice of pork is unreal.’
Stir-fried pork and tonkatsu.
No matter how much he ate, he never got tired of it.
And when his tongue started to go numb from the strong flavors—
‘That’s when the kimbap comes in.’
But you can’t just eat it plain.
‘Dip it in the Cheongyang Fire Tteokbokki sauce…’
This was a trick he’d picked up from watching the regulars.
The relatively mild kimbap enhanced with a spicy kick!
And the harmony with the bean sprouts and seaweed?
‘If only this place were really my home.’
Toro finally understood why the diner was called “Our Home.”
If such a place existed, of course you’d want to live there as a regular.
The name was only natural.
‘Isn’t this perfect... just perfect…!’
Chomp, chomp.
He couldn’t stop eating.
Even though this was more food than he’d usually eat,
it somehow kept disappearing into his stomach without limit.
‘Is he really an actor? Or was he actually a chef?’
Matsusage Yukata looked at Kim Donghu.
Munch, munch.
As he chewed on a mouthful of tonkatsu, a sudden thought occurred to him.
‘But his acting is just too good for that.’
Why does this space feel more like a diner than a film set?
It was because of Kim Donghu’s presence.
He blended into the role so naturally.
Yet he never overstepped or tried to stand out.
‘He understands the essence of The Noble Gourmet perfectly.’
The casual, yet impeccably crafted performance.
It felt like he truly was the son temporarily running the family diner.
‘...I keep feeling the urge.’
Maybe that was why.
For the first time in a long while, Matsusage Yukata felt an irresistible urge.
‘I want to ad-lib.’
To be precise, it wasn’t “wanting to” as much as it was “needing to.”
His gaze fell on the double-starred menu item—
The one right below the recommendations. He couldn’t resist any longer.
"Uh, excuse me! One kimchi pancake, please!"
A brief silence.
But—
"Got it! Order received!"
Kim Donghu was a professional.
He flawlessly handled the sudden ad-lib.
Seeing that, Matsusage Yukata—no, Toro—grinned widely.
"Kimchi pancake... that sounds delicious."
Today, yes. A little overeating wouldn’t hurt.
****
At the same time.
Somewhere in Korea.
"...So, how are the overseas sales for our Spicy Fire Noodles progressing?"
"The period since the launch has been quite short, so the numbers are still modest. We’ll need to monitor the situation a bit longer."
"We didn’t gather all these people here just to hear that, you know. Seriously."
A company was holding a meeting, grappling with concerns over the international expansion of their Spicy Fire Noodles.