Alpha Culinary Love

"Oh, I'll survive?" Jiyeon hissed, her voice a mix of sarcasm and frustration. "That's reassuring. What happens if I don't? What if I crash and burn in front of these people? I'll be a laughingstock! I might as well set myself on fire and roast marshmallows while I'm at it."

[

Calm down, Pyro. You won't fail if you just stop being a whiny little brat and follow my lead. You've pulled off crazier things before.

]

Jiyeon paused, chewing the inside of her cheek as the reality sank in. Of course, she couldn't really argue with the System. It had been right before, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"Fine," she grumbled. "But I swear to god, if I pass out from exhaustion or die from stress, I'll come back as a ghost and haunt you until you're nothing but a voice glitch."

[

Charming. But I think you'll live. Now, here's what we're going to do.

]

Jiyeon exhaled sharply, her hands already twitching with nervous energy. She was in for a wild ride, whether she liked it or not.

[

First things first. Location. You're going to host the pop-up dinner at

The Rose Manor

. You know, that fancy estate that only the super elite get access to. Think of it like a Michelin-star event, but even fancier.

]

Jiyeon blinked. "The Rose Manor? Are you

insane

? Do you have any idea how much it costs just to

breathe

near that place? Let alone rent it out for a private dinner!"

[

Of course I know, genius. But don't worry, I've already pulled some strings.

]

"Strings? What strings could you possibly pull? You're a disembodied voice in my head!"

[

Wow, someone clearly doesn't appreciate the power of connections. Let's just say I have… influence.

]

Jiyeon stopped in her tracks, rubbing her eyes. "Influence. You're literally a floating voice with zero real-world existence. How the hell do you have influence?"

[

I have ways. Ways you can't comprehend. Just accept it.

]

"Yeah, sure, I'll just accept that my talking kitchen appliance voice has mob connections. What's next? You're gonna tell me I need to serve them unicorn steak with moon dust?"

[

Unicorn steak, no. Moon dust… now that's an idea.

]

Jiyeon groaned. "I was

joking

."

[

And I was being creative. Don't stifle me, Chef.

]

She threw her head back, groaning dramatically. "I should've known this was going to be a nightmare the minute you popped back up in my life."

[

Oh, please. You missed me. Admit it.

]

"Like I miss a root canal," Jiyeon muttered. "Alright, fine. The Rose Manor. What else?"

[

You'll need a killer menu. Think high-end but unique. You can't just slap down some foie gras and call it a day. I want you to push boundaries. Impress them. Blow their minds. Make them

weep

with joy.

]

Jiyeon stared at the empty kitchen. "Blow their minds, huh? You're asking for miracles at this point."

[

I'm asking for brilliance, which you have in spades. And remember—truffle dessert. I want it to be

legendary

. Something that'll make their great-grandchildren talk about it.

]

Jiyeon snorted. "Yeah, sure, I'll just whip up a truffle dessert so good it becomes a family heirloom. Easy."

[

That's the spirit! Now, chop chop. You've got a lot of work to do. And don't even think about slacking off. I'll be watching.

]

Jiyeon gave the ceiling one last, exasperated look before trudging back to the living room. Yura was still sleeping soundly, blissfully unaware of the chaotic mess Jiyeon's life had just become.

As she sat down on the couch, Jiyeon whispered to herself, "Why is my life like this?"

[

Because you're the best, baby. Now go make some magic.

]

Jiyeon let out a resigned sigh, staring at Yura as she slept.

Three days. A pop-up dinner. The Rose Manor.

"Well," she muttered under her breath, "guess it's time to go raise some hell."

Jiyeon leaned back into the couch, exhausted just thinking about what lay ahead. She glanced over at Yura, who was still sound asleep, looking uncharacteristically soft and peaceful. Her icy CEO mask always melted away when she was relaxed, and Jiyeon couldn't help but smile. For a woman who could make boardrooms tremble with a single glare, Yura had a surprisingly adorable sleeping face.

"Look at you," Jiyeon muttered to herself, shaking her head. "If only your shareholders could see you now. They'd probably combust from shock."

Just as Jiyeon was about to close her eyes for a few minutes of quiet, she felt Yura stir beside her. Slowly, Yura opened her eyes, blinking against the soft light of the room. Her strawberry-scented omega pheromones lazily swirled in the air, making Jiyeon feel warm and… a little too comfortable, considering the Culinary System's looming demands.

"Did you move?" Yura mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep as she shifted on the couch.

Jiyeon chuckled softly, reaching out to brush a lock of hair from Yura's face. "Yeah, I had to get up and yell at the air for a bit. You were out like a rock."

Yura stretched, catlike and slow, her eyes flicking up to Jiyeon. "What were you yelling about this time?" Her tone was teasing, but there was a hint of genuine curiosity.

Jiyeon hesitated for a second. She couldn't exactly say,

Oh, you know, just the invisible Culinary System forcing me into yet another death-defying cooking mission.

Instead, she opted for something vague, giving Yura a crooked smile. "Just some new ideas for a project. You know how it is."

Yura arched a brow, sitting up straighter. Her CEO instincts were already kicking in, despite her sleepy state. "A project?" she asked, smoothing out her silk pajamas, which somehow still looked immaculate despite her nap. "Are you planning something big?"

"Uh, you could say that." Jiyeon scratched the back of her neck, trying to sound casual. "It's nothing

too

crazy. Just, you know, a pop-up dinner event."

Yura's eyes narrowed, her icy, calculating CEO persona now fully awake. "A pop-up dinner? For who? Where? When?"

Jiyeon let out a breath, knowing this was coming. "Well… it's kind of a high-end thing. At The Rose Manor."

Yura blinked. Twice. "The Rose Manor? The estate that only lets in, like, five people a year? The one that's practically dripping in gold and champagne? You're telling me

you

booked that?"

Jiyeon shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "Yeah, I pulled some strings. No big deal."

Yura gave her a long, skeptical look, as if she were trying to decipher some hidden code in Jiyeon's expression. "You pulled some strings? What, did you offer to cook them dinner for a year? How on earth did you manage that?"

Jiyeon grinned, leaning back into the couch. "Wouldn't you like to know, CEO Queen of the Universe?"

Yura rolled her eyes, though there was a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "You're impossible."

"Yeah, but you love me anyway," Jiyeon teased, giving her a playful nudge.

Yura huffed, crossing her arms. "Well, obviously. If I didn't, you wouldn't be sitting here, taking up all my couch space."

"Oh, come on," Jiyeon laughed, grabbing a throw pillow and tossing it at Yura. "Don't act like you don't love cuddling with me. You were just drooling on my shoulder five minutes ago."

"I was

not

drooling," Yura shot back, her cheeks flushing slightly as she tossed the pillow right back at Jiyeon. "That's a vicious lie."

Jiyeon caught the pillow and grinned. "Uh-huh, sure. You keep telling yourself that, Miss Cold and Composed."

Yura glared at her, though there was no real heat behind it. "I should fire you from this relationship."

"Go ahead, try," Jiyeon said, her grin widening. "You'll just have to hire me back because no one else can cook your meals like I do."

Yura paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Speaking of meals… What's this pop-up dinner really about? Don't try to distract me with your pillow-throwing nonsense."

Damn, she's good, Jiyeon thought. There was no way Yura was going to let this slide. "It's just… an idea I had," Jiyeon said, trying to sound casual. "Something to boost the restaurant's image, you know? Get my name out there with the upper crust."

Yura tilted her head, looking skeptical. "And when is this event?"

Jiyeon hesitated. She couldn't exactly say

in three days, or I'll be mentally tortured by the system

. "Soon," she said, deliberately vague. "Just, uh… working out the final details."

Yura gave her a long, assessing look, her CEO instincts clearly kicking into overdrive. "And who are you inviting? What's on the menu? You know you'll need an excellent team to pull it off. You're not running this thing solo, right?"

Jiyeon rubbed her forehead, feeling the stress already creeping in. "I've got it under control," she assured, though her voice sounded a little too chipper to her own ears. "I mean, how hard can it be? It's just rich people and fancy food. They'll eat whatever I put in front of them as long as I slap some truffle on it."

Yura's lips twitched as if she were trying to suppress a laugh. "Jiyeon, these are not the kind of people who'll be impressed by your usual tricks. They'll expect… the

best

. You realize that, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Jiyeon waved her off, leaning back against the couch. "I've got it. Don't worry. I'll blow their minds."

Yura shook her head, but there was a glint of amusement in her eyes. "You're such a pain."

"And yet, here you are, married to me," Jiyeon shot back with a grin.

Yura raised an eyebrow, looking at Jiyeon with that trademark CEO gaze, the one that could make anyone squirm—except, apparently, Jiyeon. "I'm starting to question my life choices."

Jiyeon snorted. "Please. You love my chaos. Admit it."

Yura rolled her eyes, but her expression softened as she leaned closer, resting her head against Jiyeon's shoulder again. "Maybe I do. Just a little."

Jiyeon felt the warmth of Yura's presence, the softness of her words cutting through the usual cold exterior. She wrapped her arm around Yura, pulling her in closer.

They sat like that for a while, the tension of the looming project temporarily forgotten. For once, there was nothing but the soft ticking of the clock and the quiet comfort of each other's company.

"So," Yura murmured after a few moments, "what's on the menu? You know I won't be satisfied with anything less than perfection."

Jiyeon smirked, feeling a spark of confidence rise within her despite the Culinary System's relentless pressure. "Oh, don't you worry. I've got some ideas that'll make your stock portfolio jealous."

Yura's laugh was soft, but genuine. "Bold words, Chef. You better deliver."

Jiyeon kissed the top of her head. "I always do, don't I?"

Yura hummed in agreement, settling into Jiyeon's embrace. "Just don't burn down the kitchen."

"No promises," Jiyeon whispered, grinning mischievously.