The Omnipurpose Restaurant in Dungeon City

A moment of silence.
“Um… Are you open for business right now?”
The boy was the one who broke the silence.
His consecutive questions gave the impression that he had entered without knowing exactly what kind of place this was.
‘Well, even I don’t know what’s what in this situation.’
Did he come in thinking it was a real restaurant because I had decorated the base to look like one?
In fact, as I had answered earlier, it was a restaurant if you could call it that.
It was decorated with reference to real restaurants, and cooking was possible.
I even had business experience, having provided food to other users and NPCs when it was still a game before the possession.
‘But that was when it was a game.’
Isn’t it a bit different now that it has become reality?
Besides, honestly, I didn’t have the mental capacity to care about other people right now due to the sudden possession.
‘Let’s tell him we’re not open and send him back.’
Just as I was about to apologize and send back the custo-guest who had come all this way.
Grumble-!
“Ah….”
“….”
Another moment of silence.
The boy, with a reddening face, wrapped his arms around his stomach as if trying to hide it.
Even so, the sound that had already echoed couldn’t be erased.
Oh my, that’s quite loud. You must be very hungry.
Sigh, it can’t be helped. Just this once.
“We’re not open for business, but I can make something simple for you.”
Change of plans. After hearing such a sound, it would be too cruel to just send him away.
Glancing outside, it seemed quite late, and my Korean sentiment wouldn’t allow me to let a child who didn’t even look like an adult go hungry.
‘Or wait, would someone that age be considered an adult here?’
He looked about 16 or 17 years old, which would be considered adult age in this world.
‘But that’s that, and to my eyes, he’s still a kid.’
Seeing a high school-aged kid looking tired and worn out, with shabby clothes and a hungry stomach, it would be a bit… heartless to just tell him to leave, right?
“Th-thank you very much.”
The boy, still red-faced, nodded and added in a small voice.
“But, how much will it cost…?”
It seemed his pocket situation wasn’t very generous.
Well, his appearance already suggested as much.
Or maybe he was intimidated by the modern-looking base that was different from this world.
“Don’t worry about the cost. I can’t charge for something that’s not officially for sale.”

“What? For free?! Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
Why would I charge for a meal from a kid who clearly doesn’t have much money, even at a glance?
And though I didn’t say it, there was one more reason.
‘Somehow, he looks familiar.’
There was a strange sense of familiarity in the boy’s face.
Feeling familiar with someone I’m seeing for the first time after being possessed?
An expert in possession (avid web novel reader) should notice this much right away.
‘It means he’s a character I often saw in the game.’
I wasn’t planning to charge for the meal anyway, but meeting an actual character from my life’s game, I couldn’t possibly charge even more because of fan sentiment.

“But getting a free meal feels wrong…”
“Then how about keeping me company while you eat? I was about to have a meal myself, and it was getting lonely eating alone.”
I proposed this condition to both confirm how different the game knowledge was from the possessed reality and to ease the boy’s burden. Only then did he nod.
“Then I’ll gratefully accept. Um… should I call you Chef? Or Owner?”
“Please call me Jin. Since I run this place alone, I’m both the chef and the owner.”
Actually, I’m neither, but.
Ah, Jin was this character’s name. It’s just one syllable from my real name.
“So you’re Owner Jin. It’s amazing that you run this alone. I heard restaurants need quite a bit of manpower.”
“I have my ways. You could call it a trade secret.”
“Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to pry.”
“No, no, it’s fine. Actually, it’s not something others can easily understand or imitate even if they see it.”
“Phew, that’s a relief. Oh, by the way, my name is Kyle. I’m a commoner without a family name, so please feel free to call me casually.”
Kyle.
The moment I heard that name, it clicked in my head.
The memory that had been vaguely familiar just from seeing his face became complete like a puzzle with the last piece fitted in when I heard his exact name.
‘So this is that rival Kyle!’
Kyle was a kind of rival character.
He’s the type of character who grows at a similar speed to the protagonist, occasionally meeting, competing, or cooperating, stimulating the desire for growth.
It might be easier to understand if you think of that famous game where you beat up wild monsters, kidnap them, trap them in small balls, and even make them fight.
Of course, I’m not saying Kyle is a psychopath with a broken personality who does such things and then claims we’re all friends.
‘He’s more of a main character than I thought.’
Judging by his poor appearance, he seems to be in his novice adventurer days.
Despite this, in the game, he’s talented enough to reach the top floor of the dungeon along with the protagonist.
It means he’s the seed of a big shot who can rise to S-rank adventurer or above. Literally a different breed.
Thinking about this, a certain plan suddenly popped into my head.
Maybe it could solve the dungeon problem.
“Then, please have a seat at this counter.”
But that’s that, and first things first, I need to serve the promised meal.
While organizing these thoughts in my mind, I guided Kyle to the counter seat.
“Wow, you can see the whole kitchen from here.”
“You have a good eye for noticing the key point.”
Kyle looked around curiously at the open kitchen and the directly connected counter seats.
It was certainly a style that was hard to find in this dungeon city.
In an era where technology and information are assets, a closed and independent style was the norm.
Jin grinned and said proudly.
“It’s about style and romance.”
There were plenty of reasons I could give for having an open kitchen.
Providing entertainment while waiting for food by showing the cooking process.
Stimulating sight and smell to raise expectations or aim for additional orders.
Ability to adjust food on the spot by communicating directly with customers.
Clearly demonstrating cleanliness and the state of ingredients.
And so on, there are many reasons, but?
It was a game base that I didn’t even know I’d be possessed into, so how could I have considered all that?
I just did it.
Because it looked cool.
Because it was romantic.
‘Anyway, it’s super stylish.’
A chef cooking can be as impressive and spectacular as a variety show.
Of course, you should be able to watch it.
Kyle still seemed to not understand what I meant, tilting his head, but he’d soon understand when he actually saw it.
Beep-
“Whoa, suddenly cold air?! Is this… a magic tool?”
“Ah, this is called an air conditioner. It’s a magic tool that blows cold air.”
“So it’s called an air conditioner! Such cool air… It must have been made by a renowned craftsman, right?”
Should I tell him it’s worshipped as a god every summer? Might that be considered idolatry?
By the way, this thing actually works.
I thought it might not turn on since it was decorative furniture.
This was another piece of good news.
It meant that other furniture I bought for game convenience was likely to work properly too.
Anyway, now that I’ve turned on the air conditioner for the guest.
‘What should I cook?’
Normally, I should ask Kyle, the custo-guest, and prepare the food he wants.
But I already said it wasn’t officially for sale, and if I ask here, he’ll probably just feel burdened and mention some cheap food.
‘In the end, I have to decide on something appropriate.’
I observe Kyle briefly.
A growing boy who looks about high school age.
‘It’s when they eat the most.’
Even I, as a modern person, would eat school lunch and then immediately go to the snack bar for hamburgers and drinks when I was a student.
Kyle, living as an adventurer in a medieval fantasy world, would probably eat as much if not more.
But looking at him, he’s clearly a novice adventurer, so his pockets must be light, and he’s likely not eating well regularly.
Considering the labor protest sound his stomach was making earlier, he might have skipped a few meals.
‘In that case, I should definitely feed him some hearty meat.’
What does a hungry high school boy like most? Isn’t it obviously meat?
At an age when all-you-can-eat meat is preferable to a plate of the finest cuisine from a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
I think it’s the best choice, especially since a poor adventurer would hardly get to eat meat to their heart’s content.
‘So the question is what kind of meat dish to make.’
Since he’s still a young boy, stronger and more stimulating flavors would suit his palate better.
For a body tired from adventure, stimulating flavors would be easier to eat and digest well.
There are a few dishes that come to mind for that, but considering cooking time and preparation process, the most appropriate dish for the current situation is obviously.
‘Nothing but Jeyuk-bokkeum (Spicy Stir-Fried Pork).’
The eternal companion and masterpiece of Korean men.
The absolute champion of lunch, occupying one of the three imperial thrones.
It’s time to introduce Jeyuk-bokkeum to this world.
“I’m thinking of making a dish where pork is stir-fried with seasoning… I mean, sauce. Is that okay? Or is there any food you can’t eat?”
Just checking before I start.
“No, it’s fine. I can’t complain about food I’m getting for free. It’s not something to brag about, but I’m not from a wealthy enough background to be picky about food.”
I know. The fact that Kyle is from an orphanage is mentioned several times in the story.
Still, I wondered if there might be any food he couldn’t eat due to physical or physiological reasons, but it seems there’s nothing to worry about.
If there’s no problem, then nothing can stop me now!
‘Well, to be honest, I’m a bit nervous.’
I’ve cooked quite a bit as a hobby both in the game and in reality, and Jeyuk-bokkeum is a dish I can make without much difficulty, but.
‘It’s the first time I’m making it after being possessed.’
To put it bluntly, my entire body has changed, so who knows how this will affect my cooking.
If something as impossible as possession can happen, who knows if I might turn into an alchemist-type chef who causes explosions or creates unidentified monstrosities every time I cook?
To be honest, until just now, I was putting on a bit of a show in front of Kyle.
But there was also a reason I could put on such a show.
[Activating the Omnipurpose Chef Skill]
[Adding additional effects to the completed dish]
Thank goodness. It’s working properly.