Eight Years Later.

Time flies. To those who keeps on moving, trying to survive in the whirlwind of fate, it might feel even faster. To those who stuck, live in the past, time is torture.

To YoonA, life is a struggle. A struggle to live on. A struggle to forgive herself day by day. In her hands, clock ticks awfully slow when she relives the past. Her future feels dark, thank to that one night she decide to act against her better judgment.

As she inhales the cold air of winter, tightening her coat around her thin frame, she smiles. It's a wan smile. It's how she always starts her day these past few years. A little optimism, a dash of courage, just so everything will feel easier inside.

The street might look the same but everything else has changed. Buildings and places, some are no longer there. Just like friends and family. YoonA threads the familiar road with long strides, greetings people she knows. Then she gets into a bus, spending the thirty minutes ride thinking of menus and such, and reaches the traditional market with a renewed excitement.

She always feels welcomed here; among the chatters. The vibrant colors of fresh vegetables and fruits make her feel warm. The smell of newly-cut meats and fresh sea products brings new energy.

YoonA needs no shopping list. She buys ingredients based on instinct and the plan she made on the bus.

She doesn't need to bargain, every vendor in the hectic traditional market know her by name. Every supplier offers the best product at the most reasonable price only for YoonA.

It's like a walk in the garden for her. Therapeutic and fun at the same time. So fun that by the time she finishes, it's already ten in the morning.

YoonA reaches The Seventh Sky, the restaurant where she works, at eleven. Latter than usual because she had to make a stop at this special vendor in town to get imported cheese she can't obtain from the traditional market. Opening the kitchen door, she's greeted by grinning faces and clapping hands of her three coworkers.

“What?” She smiles at them, unceremoniously dropping the paper bags of groceries onto the marble counter.

“Welcome, Chef Im. What shall be on our menu for tonight?” One of them, a young tomboy, bowing while tipping her baseball cap at YoonA.

“Shut it, Amber.” Yoona elbows the rôtisseur as she put her coat on the hanger. When she turns around, she pouts at the smiling faces in front of her. “Not you too Heechul oppa, Kyungsoo! And you, Henry! Stop grinning! Go outside and wait for Uncle Kang. Pick the freshest onion, asparagus and baby potato from his truck!”

“Why? Why can't we celebrate your promotion? Why can't we be happy for our new chef?” Heechul asks as he and Amber starts to take groceries out of the paper bags and put them in groups on the counter.

“Because we don't know for sure yet.” YoonA takes out a big white box from one of the bags and hands it to the young boy by her side. “Fresh Tuna. Use some of it for our lunch, Kyungsoo.”

“Noooooooo.” Amber shouts, dramatically dropping a bag on the counter. “The last time we let Kyungsoo handle raw fish, he nearly killed all of us with food poisoning.”

“Pretty much why he needs another chance to prove himself.” Yoona nods reassuringly at Kyungsoo.

The apprentice trembles, holding the box like it might explode any minute. "But noona...”

“Go. I'm starving.” YoonA smiles, taking out a note from one of the many drawers. While watching her coworkers work, she starts to put the menu plan she made on the bus in writing.

“Please, cook it well. I'm too young to die in the kitchen. And it's not funny to send my dearest Unnie to hospital on her first day as the head chef.” Amber teases Kyungsoo. The latter now as pale as paper, holding the box of tuna with eyes bulging out.

“Eyyy. No one calls me a chef until the owner of this dining says I am the chef, okay!” YoonA throws a pencil at Amber who easily dodges the flying item. “Go Kyungsoo. Fresh Tuna requires almost no effort. Just pan seared or grill it.”

“Y... Y... yes noona.” Kyungsoo moves in a flash to the cooking station.

Heechul just laughs, leaning close to YoonA. “Manager Park  told me the owner is coming over tonight. Congratulation.”

“Oppa, please.”

“What? Our great Chef Baek, said it himself the day he left. If there's anyone who can replace him in the kitchen, it's you. His star pupil.”

YoonA just sighs. While her heart is swelling with anticipation she knows better than to get her hope high. She has run the kitchen well since her teacher left but that doesn't mean the owner can't appoint someone else as a chef. After all, her past have taught her to expect less from life. That fate might take an unexpected turn.

“! Kyungsoo burns his shirt!” Amber's outcry break YoonA's reverie. She looks over at Kyungsoo who's busy trying to take off his flaming shirt. Heechul grabs the fire extinguisher as Amber bends over in laughter. YoonA just grimace at her coworkers' antics, glad that the attention is finally diverted from her.

“Well done, guys. Well done.” Choi Siwon, the owner of the dining come to the kitchen as the staffs start tidying up. They have served the last dish for the night a minute ago, so far getting nothing but compliment from the guests. “The seared tuna salad is magnificent.”

“Is that another new girlfriend of him?” Henry whispers to Amber. YoonA who stands in front of the two doesn't even need to look twice to know that the girl who has her arm linked with Siwon's is not the same girl he brought to the dining a month ago.

“Thank you, Mr. Choi.” YoonA nods, completely aware of a tall man following closely behind the stylish owner and the new girlfriend.

“To be honest, I was afraid that The Seventh Sky will take a dive after Chef Baek left . But you've handled the kitchen very well, YoonA.”

“Wouldn't happen without great teamwork, Mr. Choi. Every staff, from the kitchen to the receptionist table, has worked so hard to keep Chef Baek's legacy alive.”

“Yes. I know.” Choi Siwon waves his hand dismissively. “That's why I have nothing to worry about when I choose a new chef to replace Chef Baek. I know you all, my favorite kitchen brigade, will work well under the new leader.”

YoonA can hear collective gasps from the kitchen staffs behind her. She keeps her smile though, nothing can really surprise her anymore.

“Ladies and gentlemen, meet my old friend Ji Chang Wook. A New York Culinary Institute graduate that I'm sure will bring good changes to this dining. Please work well as a team under his direction.”

The new chef takes a step forward and bows a little. He looks good, more like a fashion model than someone who would spend hours in the kitchen. Well built and seem to be a man of manner too. He seems young and YoonA knows young chef oftens come with big ambition. Siwon has hinted he wants changes in the dining too.

This might be it. Changes come their way. YoonA knows she has to brace herself working under the new chef.

 Bowing, YoonA introudces herself before introducing Amber, Heechul, Henry and the rest of the staffs.

“Call me Chang Wook