~Chapter 9~
The Customer Who Ordered Egg Rice
Sizzle—
Lee Seojin was in the middle of preparing a new egg rice dish.
Two eggs sizzled on the frying pan.
This time, he was using the regular eggs supplied by the restaurant.
Because Yoon Tae-an had glued himself to Seojin’s side to observe his cooking methods closely, Seojin hadn’t had the chance to open his inventory.
‘It won’t have the same flavor like this.’
He briefly worried, but once he immersed himself in cooking, the intrusive thoughts disappeared, and he focused completely on the task at hand.
Lee Seojin turned off the heat.
The eggs were a little underdone compared to his ideal, but it didn’t matter. By the time he served them over rice, the residual heat would cook them just right.
Yoon Tae-an kept a hawk-like watch on Seojin’s every move.
The fried eggs lay atop a bowl of rice like a soft blanket.
Seojin added a spoonful of soy sauce, a spoonful of sesame oil, and stirred everything together before presenting it to President Jo Sang-man—with some well-aged kimchi on the side.
“Oh, here it is,” Jo Sang-man said, delighted as he accepted the egg rice.
‘Wait, what’s different about this?’ Yoon Tae-an thought.
In his mind, there was no real difference between what Seojin had made and what he himself had prepared earlier. So why had his been rejected?
“Let’s try it,” Jo said, taking a spoonful.
Munch, munch.
Everyone stared at him in anticipation as he chewed thoughtfully.
Even Seojin felt nervous. The eggs he used this time were of lower quality than yesterday’s. Naturally, he worried the taste might suffer.
But then—
“Yes, this is it,” Jo Sang-man said with satisfaction.
Yoon Tae-an’s angry gaze swung toward Seojin, but Seojin didn’t notice—he was too lost in his own thoughts.
‘But the eggs were different…?’
Why did it still taste good?
He had assumed that Jo’s enjoyment yesterday had come from the high-quality eggs. Apparently, that wasn’t the case.
“These eggs might be a little old—maybe not super fresh—but it still tastes amazing. This is the flavor.”
Jo kept spooning egg rice into his mouth, praising it.
“This, this balance is incredible. The golden ratio. When you make egg rice at home, sometimes it’s too salty, sometimes bland. Even when the seasoning is right, the rice can be soggy or too greasy. But Seojin’s hits the trifecta perfectly.”
Hearing that, Seojin had an epiphany.
He had an exceptional palate. Even with a single bite of egg, he could instantly sense its texture and richness. That’s why he paid attention to every detail: the frying level, the amount of soy sauce, the rice temperature.
Yoon Tae-an, by contrast, used the same ordinary eggs and just cooked them “enough.” That’s it.
But those small details—the doneness, the seasoning, the rice ratio—made all the difference.
Yoon Tae-an still looked clueless, unable to understand what had gone wrong.
But the difference was real.
Seojin even lightly seasoned the eggs with flavored salt right before they finished cooking, so they wouldn’t taste bland on their own.
He never followed fixed amounts for soy sauce or sesame oil.
Rice portions, too, were flexible. If the eggs were small, he reduced the rice so that everything stayed balanced.
Too little soy sauce? It’s bland. Too much? Salty. Too much sesame oil? Overpowering.
Since he’d already seasoned the egg with salt, he adjusted the soy sauce accordingly.
Even the egg’s doneness mattered.
If overcooked, the yolk hardened and separated. If undercooked, the texture turned unpleasantly slimy.
And finally—eating just egg rice could feel monotonous. That’s why he served it with well-aged kimchi as a side.
Even for something as simple as egg rice, Seojin put in this level of care.
Gulp.
Watching Jo devour the bowl, Jang Youngshim swallowed unconsciously.
Then, a tray holding egg rice and kimchi slid in front of her.
It was Seojin.
“This is for you, ma’am.”
“Huh? For me?”
“Yes. I remembered you saying you wanted to try it, so I made an extra bowl.”
“Oh my.”
Youngshim’s eyes turned heart-shaped.
From the moment Seojin had joined the restaurant, she’d liked him. He was sincere, upright, and even when scolded harshly by the chef or the boss, he endured and did his job steadily. That quiet strength had won her respect.
She hadn’t let herself grow too fond of him, knowing he probably wouldn’t be around long.
But this simple gesture made her heart open wide.
“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
She sat at the table beside Jo and took a bite.
“Mmm!”
A hum of happiness escaped her lips.
“I thought you were just a decent guy, but you’re actually a pretty good cook too.”
“N-not at all,” Seojin replied shyly.
But her praise was sincere.
She was genuinely shocked that such a simple dish could taste this good.
Meanwhile, Yoon Tae-an stormed off to the kitchen, face red with fury.
Seeing that, Seojin sighed. ‘Today’s going to be exhausting again…’
By then, Jo had finished his bowl clean.
“Ahh~ that hit the spot. Seojin.”
“I’ll clear the dish for you.”
“No, no. Sit down for a second.”
Seojin sat across from him, and Jo made a surprising suggestion.
“What do you think about adding this egg rice to the menu?”
“…Sorry? Egg rice?”
“Yeah. Serve it with the usual side dishes and maybe some broth. Sell it cheap—say 4,000 won.”
Youngshim tilted her head.
“At that price, wouldn’t most people just make it at home?”
“Not if we give them a generous portion. Once they try it, they’ll think differently.”
To that, she nodded in agreement.
“True. The taste is worth the price. But to a first-time customer, ordering plain egg rice might feel awkward.”
Seojin offered a suggestion.
“What if we add grilled ham as a side dish?”
“Grilled ham?”
“Yes. Most people eat it like that at home. And instead of just calling it ‘Egg Rice,’ we name the dish ‘Egg Rice with Grilled Ham.’ That makes 4,000 won feel more reasonable.”
Bulk ham sold for restaurants was cheap. Grilling and serving it as a side made financial and culinary sense.
Jo clapped the table.
“Perfect. Let’s go with that.”
Seojin thought that was the end of it—but it wasn’t.
“From now on, Seojin, you’ll make all the egg rice.”
“Huh? You want me to cook?”
“Of course! We have to give them this exact flavor. Otherwise, what’s the point?”
Youngshim nodded furiously in agreement.
“But the head chef…”
Everyone knew Yoon Tae-an refused to let anyone else cook. He liked that Seojin had a wrist injury—it meant he couldn’t try to get in the kitchen like other assistants.
Hearing Seojin’s concern, Jo raised his voice so Yoon could hear.
“I’m the boss here! What I say is law! From now on, Seojin cooks the egg rice!”
When the boss says jump, you jump.
And just like that, Seojin was officially in charge of a new menu item.
On one wall of the restaurant, a handwritten sign was hastily taped up.
It read: “Lee Seojin’s Egg Rice with Grilled Ham – New Menu”
Most customers didn’t even glance at it.
That made Yoon Tae-an feel quite pleased.
‘Of course. Who would order egg rice? Looks like the boss is finally losing it.’
Even after the lunch rush and through the break until the dinner peak, no one ordered egg rice.
Every table in the restaurant was full—except for one last empty seat.
Ding-a-ling—
The door chimed as a woman with long, flowing hair entered alone.
In an instant, every diner turned to look at her.
That’s how stunning she was.
Her beauty was so captivating that people, young and old, lost themselves just looking at her.
Yet the woman herself seemed burdened by the attention. She lowered her head and quietly took a seat in the corner.
Jang Youngshim approached her, wearing a strangely playful smile.
“Welcome~ What can I get you?”
The woman’s face flickered with a moment of recognition and warmth as she looked at Youngshim.
‘Mom, seriously…’
The customer was none other than Irael, Jang Youngshim’s daughter.
This was her first time visiting the restaurant where her mother worked.
Before, no matter how much Irael said she’d stop by, her mother had firmly forbidden it.
Why?
Because every time Irael showed up, Youngshim had to quit.
People mesmerized by Irael’s beauty would try to set her up with their sons or match her into blind dates, constantly prying and pestering. Some even begged Youngshim to introduce her daughter to them.
At first, she brushed it off. But they never gave up—not for one month, not for two. Eventually, she had to leave her job every time.
That’s why she had always been against Irael visiting her workplace.
But today, Youngshim herself had invited her.
With two conditions:
Pretend you don’t know me.
Order the egg rice.
Irael wasn’t thrilled about it.
When she got the message, she had just returned from the Field, where she’d been working as “Delicate,” and she was starving.
She had sworn to treat herself to something absolutely delicious.
And now her mom wanted her to go to her restaurant and order egg rice?
Seriously?
Still, she adored her mom too much to say no.
So grumbling under her breath, she found her way to Onjeong Korean Cuisine.
“…One egg rice, please.”
“One egg rice—coming up~!”
Youngshim practically sprinted to the kitchen and shouted, “Egg rice, one order!”
Yoon Tae-an’s eyes bulged.
‘Egg rice? Who the hell would order that?’
Curious, he peeked out into the dining area. There was a lone woman sitting with her head lowered.
All the other tables were full, and the only solo customer was her.
‘Tch. Must be clueless.’
He clicked his tongue disapprovingly.
Meanwhile, Seojin meticulously prepared the egg rice, grilled some ham, and plated the set.
Youngshim transferred it onto a tray, added a bowl of soup, and brought it out.
Basic side dishes and water were already set on Irael’s table.
“Enjoy your meal~”
As soon as Youngshim walked away, Irael mixed her egg rice.
The yolks burst and melted into the rice, while the firm egg whites broke apart and combined with the grains.
With each stir of her spoon, the nutty aroma of sesame oil rose into her nose.
She hadn’t expected much, but the smell alone made her mouth water.
Still, it was just egg rice.
She’d only come because her mom asked, and after finishing this, she planned to eat a proper meal elsewhere.
With little anticipation, Irael scooped up a bite and placed it in her mouth.
In the kitchen, both Seojin and Yoon Tae-an were sneaking glances at her, curious about the reaction from their first official customer.
The moment Yoon saw Irael’s face, his heart thudded. His mind went blank.
Meanwhile, Seojin clenched his fist as he saw Irael’s eyes go wide in surprise.
