Alpha Culinary Love

Jiyeon crossed her arms and leaned against the counter, watching as Yura poured wine like she was conducting an art form. "You know," she said, "you could've helped more than just opening a bottle."

Yura's smirk widened as she swirled the liquid in her glass, her eyes locking on Jiyeon's. "I'm helping, emotionally. Someone has to make sure the vibe stays light around here. Otherwise, Kang might actually implode under the pressure of your expectations."

Kang, sprawled out on the nearby chair, groaned dramatically. "I've already imploded. I'm just here as a shell of my former self, thanks to both of you and this war zone you call a kitchen."

Jiyeon shot him a glance. "You've survived worse, Kang. Don't be so dramatic."

"Oh, really?" Kang sat up, feigning shock. "Worse than Yura trying to chop onions and setting off the fire alarm? Worse than you making us remake a dish five times because the truffle-to-lobster ratio wasn't 'elevated enough'?"

Yura took a slow sip of wine, completely unfazed by Kang's complaints. "That was artistic experimentation. You should be grateful you witnessed my creative genius in action."

Jiyeon snorted. "If your idea of genius is nearly burning down my kitchen with onions, I'm very worried about what your next 'experiment' will be."

"Oh, please," Yura rolled her eyes, "I can totally cook. I just… choose not to because I'm too busy running a multi-million dollar company."

Kang couldn't help himself and let out a bark of laughter. "Yeah, that's it. Busy CEO by day, culinary hazard by night."

Yura raised her glass in mock toast. "Exactly. But let's be real—Jiyeon, you love being in control in the kitchen, so why would I deprive you of that joy?"

Jiyeon smirked, but there was a glimmer of truth in Yura's words. The kitchen was her domain, and though she complained about the chaos, there was something exhilarating about perfecting every detail. However, the thought of Yura trying to help always sounded like a recipe for disaster.

"Well," Jiyeon said, relenting slightly, "if you really want to help, you can handle the non-fire-starting tasks next time."

Yura tilted her head, pretending to ponder the offer. "Hmm, like taste-testing? Because I'm pretty much an expert at that."

Kang interjected with a mock groan, "You've already done enough damage with taste-testing. Remember when you insisted the crème brûlée needed 'just a bit more crunch' and then had the brilliant idea to torch it twice?"

Jiyeon let out a sigh, rubbing her temples at the memory. "Yeah, I'm never letting you near a blowtorch again."

Yura shrugged innocently. "I stand by my instincts. That crunch was exactly what it needed."

"You mean it was exactly what your dentist needed," Kang added with a smirk. "I bet he's still scraping sugar off your teeth."

Yura, ever unbothered, threw her arm over the back of the chair and leaned back as if she were lounging on a beach rather than facing criticism. "I'm an innovator, Kang. You wouldn't understand."

"Right," Kang scoffed, "because setting kitchen equipment on fire is the new trend in haute cuisine."

Jiyeon rolled her eyes. "Can we at least keep the next trend flame-free? I'm running out of fire extinguishers."

Kang sat up, suddenly grinning as if struck by a mischievous idea. "You know what we need?"

Jiyeon raised a brow, already sensing whatever Kang was about to suggest was going to be ridiculous. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but go on."

"Cooking competition," Kang said, a gleam in his eye. "Between you and Yura."

Yura nearly choked on her wine. "Me? Compete against Jiyeon? That's like throwing a goldfish into the ocean with a shark."

"Exactly," Kang said, clapping his hands together. "It'll be hilarious. Jiyeon can't refuse a challenge, and you, Yura, you can show off that 'genius' you've been talking about."

Jiyeon crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at the thought. She loved competition, but pitting Yura against her in a kitchen sounded like it could end with an actual fire.

"I'm not sure 'hilarious' is what we're aiming for here," Jiyeon said dryly.

"Oh, come on," Yura chimed in, her smirk returning. "What's wrong, Jiyeon? Afraid I'll actually beat you?"

The challenge lingered in the air, and Jiyeon could feel the bait being thrown right at her competitive side. It would be an easy victory. But the thought of Yura scrambling in the kitchen, panicking over her missteps, was too tempting to pass up.

Jiyeon let out a sigh, as if it pained her to agree. "Fine. One round. But we're keeping this civil."

Kang jumped up, clearly too excited about the idea. "I'll be the judge. We'll make it fair."

"Fair?" Yura snorted. "With Kang as the judge? He's practically your sous chef."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Kang clutched his heart in mock offense. "Hey, I can be impartial! I have a sophisticated palate, you know. Just ask my weekly takeout orders."

Jiyeon chuckled, but she still wasn't convinced. "Alright, but no sabotaging each other. Last thing I need is someone slipping ghost peppers into my dish."

Yura's smirk grew even wider. "No promises."

Kang started clearing a space on the counter, acting like this impromptu cooking showdown was about to become a televised event. "Okay, ground rules: You each have one hour to make a dish with the same main ingredient. I'll pick the ingredient. The winner gets… I don't know, eternal bragging rights?"

Yura tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Or, how about, the winner gets to pick one thing the loser has to do?"

Jiyeon eyed her suspiciously. "And what exactly would you make me do if you win?" Continue reading on empire

"Oh, I don't know," Yura said casually. "Maybe something like… letting me redecorate the entire kitchen."

Kang burst into laughter, and Jiyeon paled visibly at the thought. "Now you're really playing dirty."

"That's the fun of it," Yura replied, raising her glass once again.

Jiyeon grinned, leaning in slightly. "Alright, but if I win, you're cleaning the entire kitchen after."

Yura raised an eyebrow, but she nodded. "Deal."

Kang, now standing between them like a referee in the culinary ring, rubbed his hands together. "This is going to be legendary. The ingredient for today's battle…"

He dramatically opened the fridge, scanning the contents as if choosing the fate of the competitors. After a long, drawn-out pause, he turned around, holding up a single eggplant.

"Eggplant?" Yura asked, eyeing it skeptically.

Jiyeon just grinned. "Perfect."

Kang placed the eggplant on the counter like a prize to be won. "Eggplant it is. The timer starts… now!"

As the clock began, Yura shot Jiyeon a competitive glance, and Jiyeon, ever the professional, cracked her knuckles and got to work.

And that's when the real chaos began.

Yura looked down at the eggplant as if it had personally offended her. "I've never cooked an eggplant in my life," she muttered, grabbing the vegetable and inspecting it with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

Kang, who was already bouncing between the two competitors like a hyperactive child, chimed in. "That's the fun part! It's about improvisation, Yura. Unleash that culinary genius you've been bragging about!"

Jiyeon, already slicing her eggplant with practiced precision, couldn't help but smirk at Yura's clear discomfort. "You could always back out now and save yourself the embarrassment. I'll still love you, even if you butcher the dish."

Yura shot her an indignant look. "Oh, please. I've been watching you cook for months. How hard can it be?"

Kang, now munching on a bag of chips he had found somewhere, grinned. "Famous last words."

Yura frowned as she searched for a knife. Her movements were a bit too careful, like she was afraid the eggplant might explode if she handled it wrong. Jiyeon, on the other hand, had already moved on to sautéing garlic in olive oil, her kitchen prowess on full display.

"This is a joke," Yura muttered under her breath as she began hacking into the eggplant. "This thing is tougher than I thought."

Jiyeon couldn't resist. "Didn't know you were so delicate, Yura. Are you sure your manicures can handle it?"

"I'll have you know," Yura shot back, "I have perfect knife skills when I'm actually trying." She sliced a bit too aggressively, and a piece of eggplant flew off the cutting board and onto the floor.

"Clearly," Jiyeon said, her voice dripping with amusement.

Kang, now watching with keen interest, laughed so hard he nearly choked on his chips. "This is so much better than I expected. I'm going to need a front-row seat for this disaster."

"I'm fine!" Yura snapped, as she scooped the eggplant off the floor with all the grace of a toddler trying to salvage a dropped toy. "I'm just… warming up."

Jiyeon's smile widened as she flipped the garlic in her pan. "Keep telling yourself that, CEO."

As the minutes ticked by, Yura managed to wrestle the eggplant into submission, though her movements were still a bit clumsy. She threw a glance at Jiyeon's dish—a perfectly charred eggplant steak, garnished with a drizzle of balsamic reduction and a sprinkle of freshly chopped herbs.

Yura's confidence faltered for a moment, but she was never one to admit defeat so easily. "It's not about the looks," she muttered, stirring her pan furiously. "It's about the taste."

Kang gave her a sideways glance. "Yura, you're burning it."

"I know," Yura snapped, quickly lowering the heat. "It's called a smoky flavor."

Jiyeon let out a soft laugh, knowing full well that Yura was in way over her head. But despite the mess and the insults flying, there was something undeniably endearing about watching her wife struggle through the process.

Even if Yura's dish ended up being a charred disaster, Jiyeon couldn't help but admire her determination. And the thought of Yura cleaning the entire kitchen afterward made the whole ordeal even more satisfying.