Chapter 6
“No, this is more than enough.”
“That’s a relief. I had fun preparing it, so please enjoy!”
I placed the jjajang ramen and dumplings on the folding table, then quickly put another pot of water on to boil.
Now it was my turn to cook the Hot Chicken Stir-Fried Noodles.
I dropped the noodles into the pot and rummaged through the freezer for cheese to use as a topping—but once again, I felt a prickling sensation on the back of my head.
By now, I should’ve been hearing someone eating.
But it was strangely quiet.
“Is the food… not to your taste?”
When I cautiously turned around, I saw the man with his head lowered.
His shoulders trembled slightly, and he shook his head.
Then why wasn’t he eating…?
Wait—
I suddenly realized I had given him chopsticks.
“…Ah.”
Of course.
That was my mistake. Not many cultures use chopsticks.
“Sorry. Here—use a fork.”
I quickly placed a fork on the table and took back the chopsticks.
Theo’s large fingers awkwardly reached for the fork.
Soon, the faint clinking of metal against the plate tickled my ears.
Slurp, slurp—
Thank goodness. He’s eating now.
Alright, time to finish my own dish.
I drained most of the water from the pot and added the bright red sauce.
Unlike jjajang ramen, Hot Chicken Stir-Fried Noodles are best cooked by leaving almost no water and stir-frying the noodles like a griddle dish.
That’s what enhances the flavor, the smokiness, and the spice.
Sizzle—crackle—ssshhhh—
After stir-frying the noodles, I dumped all the pizza cheese on top.
The cold cheese instantly melted and clung to the noodles, but the spicy aroma still hit my nose mercilessly.
Carrying the pot as it was, I walked over to the table with light steps.
Of course, I didn’t forget to sprinkle seaweed flakes and sesame seeds.
“Would you like to try this too? It might be really spicy though…”
“I’b fide. I’b okay.”
With his mouth full of jjajang noodles, Theo politely declined.
No matter what culture he came from, it seemed like he had a habit of refusing first.
Should I insist three times?
…No way. It looks too good. I’ll just eat it myself.
The moment I sat down, I wrapped up a mouthful of noodles and shoved it into my mouth without thinking about visitor satisfaction or anything else.
The savage spiciness hit my tongue and spread through my entire body in an instant.
“Kgh—this is amazing. It’s spicy. It’s insane. This is the taste.”
Tears and a runny nose filled my face from the overwhelming sensation.
Just as I was about to take another bite, I felt a sharp gaze from across the table.
Theo was staring straight at me.
“…Want a bite?”
“N-No, it’s fine.”
“Then why are you looking like that?”
“….”
Honestly, what an untruthful person.
If you want some, just say so.
I pushed the pot toward him again.
“I’ll ask one more time. Are you sure you don’t want any?”
“…Then I’ll just have one bite.”
Theo’s face turned as red as the noodles.
With his huge build and handsome face, I never expected him to be this shy.
“Eat it before it gets cold. The cheese stretches—it’s really good.”
His large hand carefully reached for the pot.
With a single forkful, he accidentally picked up half the remaining noodles.
His sharp eyes widened in surprise.
“…It’s okay. Eat more.”
I smiled warmly, like a grandmother feeding her grandchild.
After hesitating, Theo finally took a big bite—
…and immediately started coughing.
“—Kgh! Cough—!”
“Are you okay? It’s really spicy, right?”
“I’m fine—cough—!”
Tears began streaming from his dark, jewel-like eyes.
Damn it. I should’ve known better than to give something this spicy to someone who isn’t Korean.
He was even sniffling now—it must’ve been seriously spicy.
“It’s too spicy, right? This is one of the spiciest foods… Water won’t help. Here—have a dumpling.”
“I-I’m fine… sniff.”
He definitely didn’t look fine.
I hurriedly handed him a dumpling.
He needed something mild in his mouth to calm the heat.
After refusing a few times, he finally accepted it.
“Better, right? Not as burning now?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Chew well. It’s juicy—it’ll taste good.”
I took one myself.
The soft dumpling burst with rich meat juices, coating my tongue.
The chewy texture was perfect.
After so long without proper food, the taste felt overwhelmingly emotional.
Theo also stopped crying and began chewing with a surprised expression.
“It’s good, right?”
“Y-Yes.”
As expected. Dumplings exist in many cultures—they’re a universally good food.
We silently finished everything on the table and enjoyed the luxurious feeling of being full.
Not long after, the system window appeared—almost as if praising my effort.
{Mission Complete! Welcome Your First Visitor}
-
Bath (1/1)
-
Meal (1/1)
★ Reward: 1,000,000 points
“…Wait.”
How many zeros is that?
One, ten, hundred… thousand… ten thousand… hundred thousand… a million…
A million points?
I alternated between staring at the number and Theo’s face, a huge grin spreading across mine.
The reward was supposed to range from 100,000 to 1,000,000 based on satisfaction.
So this meant… maximum satisfaction.
I didn’t expect that at all—not after making him cry with spicy food.
Even 100,000 would’ve been enough for me…
I had no idea what exactly pleased this stoic man so much—but getting a million points made me feel like I was floating.
“Thank you.”
“…What for?”
“For everything.”
I don’t know who you are, why you came here, or where this place even is—
But thank you anyway.
Thanks to you, I can eat more than just rice, kimchi, and seaweed now.
I grabbed his hand and shook it enthusiastically.
His expression stiffened in confusion.
“…I should be the one thanking you. The meal was excellent.”
“I know—well, I mean… I also enjoyed eating with someone for the first time in a while.”
“Same here. Especially dining with a young woman—it’s been years…”
“Oh? How come?”
“I’m a mercenary. There are only men around me.”
Theo quickly turned his head, pulling his hand away shyly.
A blush spread from his neck to his ears and forehead.
Judging by his reaction… it might’ve been years since he even held a woman’s hand.
Wow… he looks like that, but he’s so innocent?
Is that even possible?
…Well, this is another world, so maybe it makes sense.
No way someone like this exists on Earth.
His dark lashes trembled slightly with his uneven breathing.
He avoided my gaze, but unlike before, he didn’t seem wary anymore.
The atmosphere between us had become comfortable.
I took a breath and gathered my thoughts.
“Um… can I ask you something?”
“Yes.”
“…Where is this place?”
“…?”
His eyes widened.
He muttered to himself:
“Is it normal for NPCs to not know anything? I heard unexpected things happen when entering another world, but this is too much… It really feels like I’ve entered a game. That window appearing and everything…”
“I’m curious about that too. Do you know anything?”
“…You heard that? I thought I only thought it.”
He looked shocked.
“Listen, I only found out today that I’m apparently an NPC. And that my apartment became a shelter.”
“…What?”
“So I don’t even know where this is. I was living here normally—but suddenly the outside scenery changed. Especially that gray dust—I’ve never seen it before.”
“You’ve never seen the gray dust?”
Theo’s face turned pale.
He looked outside, then back at me, and sighed deeply.
“…Judging by the scenery, this is probably the outskirts of the Valdehart Empire.”
“The… what?”
“…The Valdehart Empire. The only functioning nation across the continent and its 29 islands.”
“One continent… and 29 islands? Do you have a map?”
“Not with me.”
“That’s a shame…”
A vague map formed in my head.
“I see… Then how did you get here? It doesn’t seem like you came here knowing the location.”
