My signature dishes, pineapple kimchi stew and tofu kimchi, were met with universal disapproval. Even Yoo-ri, who had been the only one willing to try them, hesitated at the sight of them and eventually put her spoon down.

‘It actually tastes good, but they haven’t even tried it!’

I felt a surge of indignation, but everyone had already rejected my food.

Just then, Kang Do-hee, suddenly picked up a spoon and took a bite of the pineapple kimchi stew.

Slurp─ Clank.

She put her spoon down loudly.

“Little Fool. You’ve crossed the line.”

Do-hee spoke in a cold voice.

“What…?”

“Your cooking is an insult to the ingredients. Stop it.”

“Insult?”

My face hardened at her words.

“Yes, it’s fine if you eat it like that, but when you offer it to others, you should consider the average palate.”

Tsk.

A sharp sound came from my clenched teeth.

“What you’ve done is to play with perfectly good ingredients. Nothing more, nothing less.”

It felt like my ten years of cooking experience in my studio apartment were being completely denied in an instant.

After all, there was a time when I called myself the “Baek Jongwon(famous Korean chef) of the homemade cooking.” At least I had always prided myself on my culinary skills.

“Oh really? Then how good are you?”

I spat it out at her, my pride wounded.

At that, Do-hee snorted and got up from her seat.

“Fine, I’ll teach you what real cooking is.”

Kang Do-hee headed to the kitchen, and I followed her, eager to see how good she really was. The other party members, equally curious, joined us.

‘Ha, I’ve never seen you cook in-game, so what could you possibly know?’

Kang Do-hee’s character is primarily a physical combat type. Delicate tasks like cooking don’t suit her at all.

Sure, she might talk big, but at best, she’d probably just make instant ramen or burn fried eggs.

Click, click, click—

Kang Do-hee skillfully turned on the gas. She tilted her head slightly, seemingly dissatisfied, and then spoke to Shin Se-hee.

“Flower Garden. Turn up the heat a bit here.”

“…Alright.”

Remembering the pineapple stew from earlier, Shin Se-hee obediently increased the flame.

Whoosh—

Kang Do-hee judged the heat, then poured a bit of oil into the wok and started to swirl it around.

Swirl—

I crossed my arms and watched her. Surprisingly, she looked so adept that cold sweat began to trickle down my forehead.

‘…She seems to know a bit about cooking, but! She hasn’t really started yet. Once she gets into actual cooking, she’s bound to fail!’

As she heated the wok, she began to speak.

“Good food isn’t about being unique or creative. Did you think it was fine to mix everything because it all gets combined in the stomach anyway?”

“…I, it wasn’t on my own —!”

“Sure, there can be such recipes. But if they haven’t become popular, it means they don’t suit the general palate.”

She seemed satisfied with the oil’s temperature. With skillful hands, she grabbed a knife and sliced the leftover pork from the kimchi stew into bite-sized pieces.

Then she promptly tossed them into the wok.

As the meat sizzled in the hot oil, a savory aroma filled the air along with the delightful sound. When the meat was halfway cooked, she added minced garlic and sugar.

Soon, the color of the meat deepened.

“To create something new, you should at least get a cooking license first.”

Kang Do-hee sprinkled soy sauce into the wok. As a result, the oil sizzled and flames danced up into the air. With a quick flick of her wrist, she skillfully stirred the ingredients.

Sizzle─

Sizzle─

Sizzle─

The meat and garlic shot up into the air and then gracefully returned to the wok, creating a smooth rhythm. The flames lightly charred the surface, and the soy sauce enhanced the flavor even more.

“Wow.”

“Amazing.”

“This is insane.”

Sounds of admiration came from behind me. I clenched my lips tightly.

‘Ha, it’s all just showy tricks!’

That’s all it was—mere showmanship.

I’m not incapable of doing such things. I choose not to. After all, Is not necessary in home-cooking.

Kang Do-hee added green onions, red pepper flakes, and green chili peppers, quickly stir-frying while adding a bit of water to evenly distribute the seasoning. Finally, she added a spoonful of sesame oil and sprinkled sesame seeds on top as a finishing touch.

Kang Do-hee then offered me the completed stir-fried pork.

“This is cooking, Little Fool.”

.

.

.

Kang Do-hee quickly whipped up several dishes using the available ingredients.

There was a soft tofu stew made with soft tofu and eggs. A glossy pudding-like steamed egg dish. And the pineapple, simply grilled to enhance its sweetness.

“Wow, this tastes even better than what you get at restaurants!”

Yoo Yoo-ri exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she used her chopsticks.

“Hm, d-definitely… This is good enough to pay for.”

“Do-hee, you even have a talent for cooking? This is amazing! You’re like a professional chef!”

The atmosphere became relaxed as everyone forgot the awkwardness and enjoyed the feast.

Meanwhile, I, the host of this gathering, sat with a stern and serious expression, staring at the dishes before me.

Alright, I admit it. They look pretty good.

The soft tofu stew had a harmonious blend of chili oil and semi-cooked egg yolk, emitting a delicate steam. The fluffy steamed egg had a pudding-like texture, topped with finely chopped green onions for an aesthetic touch.

And the pièce de résistance was the stir-fried pork.

The smoky aroma was so intense that it proudly proclaimed it was no ordinary dish from the very first whiff.

‘But ultimately, it’s just appearance. Ordinary dishes won’t satisfy me.’

After all, I’ve developed a refined palate from ten years of cooking for myself. I scrutinized the dishes like a strict judge on a cooking show.

I picked up my chopsticks, lifted a piece of the stir-fried pork,

and brought it to my mouth.

Nom.

“…Ah.”

An involuntary exclamation escaped my lips. I closed my mouth a moment too late, but doing so only made the flavors more pronounced.

‘Yes, taste.’

Taste, after all, is a stimulation of the tongue, transmitted to the brain.

The tantalizing aroma that tickles the nose and the burst of juicy flavors that explode on the palate. Even without an abundance of seasonings, an umami explosion captivated my taste buds.

And my brain spoke.

“Give me more.”

.

.

.

This dish was perfection, a flavor that would appeal to anyone, regardless of their preferences.

“Little Fool, what do you think?”

Kang Do-hee, arms crossed, looked down at me with a haughty gaze.

My lips tightened as a wave of defeat washed over me. The decade of culinary experience I had accumulated couldn’t bring myself to lie and say this dish was anything but delicious.

“……I concede defeat this time.”

I uttered the words in a barely audible voice, holding back a surge of frustration.

Kang Do-hee nodded, as if she had expected this outcome.

“I see you’ve learned something. If you want to cook in the future, start by studying popular recipes. Begin by following them exactly.”

“……Ugh.”

Could I just stand there and let my culinary skills be undermined like this?

No.

Later.

Someday.

Another opportunity would arise.

And when it did, I would seek my revenge for this defeat.

I sharpened my resolve inwardly.

“Junior. It’s okay. No one can be good at everything. I’m a mess at plenty of things too.”

At that moment, Lim Ga-eul gently interjected, patting my shoulder. I turned to look at her with dead eyes.

“They say failure is the mother of success, right? If you keep going…”

“But, Senior, you haven’t even tried it yourself…”

“Hey, hey, Junior! It’s just that… there’s a lot of mothers! Yeah! Quantity over quality!”

Lim Ga-eul brushed off the awkwardness with a joke, avoiding eye contact as she did so.

.

.

.

For now, the cooking incident at the gathering was settled with Kang Do-hee’s stern education. Awkwardness among the party members dissipated, and the atmosphere turned into a pleasant one, with everyone eating and drinking together.

‘Yeah, it seems like they sacrificed me for this moment, but since they wanted to see this, I’ll let it go…’

I forced myself to gather my scattered thoughts and emotions. Then, looking at them, I spoke up.

“For now, the five of us will be the initial members of our party.”

Hearing this, the party members turned their heads towards me. Upon hearing my words, Shin Se-hee asked a question.

“Hmm? Our party doesn’t have a healer yet, right? And I’m not a combat class, so don’t we need to recruit someone specialized?”

“Well, we’ll slowly find a healer later. And as for specialties, that’s for later too. Until then, sorry, but I hope you can use potions. Since everyone has their own spatial pocket now.”

“Then shouldn’t we recruit temporary party members separately?”

Lee Yoo-ri asked me, suggesting recruiting temporary members like when I was recruited as a temporary party member in the Carmela Forest.

Considering Yoo-ri’s words, I thought for a moment.

“Temporary party members… Like in a game, where you just recruit them and use them whenever you want and then abandon them…?”

Of course, it’s not a bad idea. Most users in Velvet Stars progress through the game like that.

And after some contemplation, the conclusion that emerged from my mind was surprisingly firm.

I nodded decisively.

“Yeah, we won’t recruit separately. If they’re not people we’re going to be with from the beginning to the end, we won’t recruit them to the party.”