Salt and Fire (Ep. 1) – The Decision
“How’s this spot?” The realtor pointed to an old izakaya.
A dark brown sign. Grease-stained fryer. Water-spotted dishes.
Stacks of nabe pots gave away its former menu—mostly hot broth and soy. “I’m a German chef,” Taehos said, running his fingers along the sink edge. “Isn’t this kitchen a bit small?”
The realtor scratched off some dried soy sauce with his thumbnail. “Oh chef, size isn’t what matters. Right across the street, ‘Old-town’ is tiny—and the MZ kids line up all day. What matters is marketing.”
Taehos’ phone buzzed. His Instagram had around 300 followers, built over a decade of German cooking. ‘Chef~ Let’s collab! DM me please ^^’ He ignored it.
He measured the fryer, the oven, the range. If he removed the dishwasher and hand-washed instead, there’d be room for everything. He walked over to the bathroom. Then visualized the food path: kitchen to table, dish to sink. “This area’s full of office workers,” he said. “They’d enjoy beer-friendly food. I think German cuisine could work here.”
“Of course!” the agent replied. “MZs are flocking to this neighborhood. Super trendy now. You’re making a smart move.”
Taehos sat down on one of the wooden chairs. He tied his shoelaces.
“I’ll take the place.”
“Excellent! I’ll contact the landlord and the previous tenant. Let’s set a signing date.”
Ten tables. Ten burners. Two 20-liter deep fryers. Microwave on top of the oven. He opened the dishwasher. The smell of mold hit him hard.
“Planning not to use it? Isn’t it a hassle washing by hand? Nobody does that anymore.”
“If dishes sit in the washer too long, the flow slows down. And you need more dishes in total.”
He closed the washer. Under the sink, dishes were stacked far beyond what ten tables would ever need.
The realtor tilted his head. “Well… anyway, we’re moving forward with the contract, right? It’s almost lunch hour. Look outside—people are flooding in.”
Taehos tapped the store’s landline with his finger.
“Call me when the date’s set.”
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