“So, what are we going to do then?” Minhi, the owner of the Chinese restaurant, asked with sparkling eyes. She is very excited to be in this so called war.

Silence.

Every heads on the table turned to Eunmi, the French restaurant’s owner. She gulped and grinned.

“Don’t know?” Italian restaurant’s owner, Jaeri asked again. Eunmi shook her head innocently.
“Don’t know,” they all chorused and sighed together.

“Hey, at least we know that they’re not opening the hotel soon,” says Hyerin, Korean restaurant’s owner. She lazily picked up the remote of Beauté de Corée’s TV. She turned the TV on and the voice echoed throughout the restaurant as the news broke in.

“Today, the biggest company of South Korea, Kwon Hotels & Co. has finally opened their new hotel,” the announcer said. Hyerin choked on her drink while the other were sitting there with their mouth wide open.

“Turn up the volume!” Eunmi ordered. Hyerin quickly turned up the volume and they listened carefully to the announcer.

“This is the Maeum Hotel at the street of Myeongdong. This will be the first hotel ever made by President Kwon’s daughter, Kwon Seung Ah. Seung Ah ssi, how do you feel?” the reporter offered her microphone over to Seung Ah, who smiled professionally and took the mic.

“I thank you all very much for the support. I believe I won’t be able to achieve this without the cooperating neighbors,” Seung Ah started. Hyerin scoffed but the others quickly glared at her to make her shut up. “Today is the grand opening of Maeum Hotel in Myeongdong. Everyone are invited to come and feel for themselves how this Maeum Hotel isn’t any worse than the other Maeum Hotels.”

Maeum Hotel is one of Kwon Hotels & Co.’s works. It is the most successful of all the hotels chain they ever made and it even reached overseas. Maeum Hotel is known for its’ glamor atmosphere and rich feeling with reasonable price, unlike the other expensive hotels. That’s why Seung Ah herself is very sure that there will be peoples coming to stay despite it’s only the opening. The girls are pretty much panicking by now. This is very unpredictable. Who would have thought that the hotel is already opening?

“Well, Seung Ah ssi, can you explain if there are maybe something different in this Maeum Hotel than the other?” the reporter asked again. Seung Ah nodded.
“Yes. Unlike the other Maeum Hotels, here in this Maeum Myeongdong we have one restaurant that holds the most famous cuisine. We have Italian cuisine, Japanese cuisine, Chinese cuisine, French cuisine, the Sweets and Desserts, and of course, our very own Korean cuisine,” Seung Ah explained. The girls are now very panicking as they heard her say that. Doesn’t that mean that it is the same as us?

“Yah, snap out of it guys!” Eunmi snapped her fingers in front of them. “That—that’s only what she wants us to think! It might not be that good if we come there ourselves!”

“For God’s sake, unnie. That is perfect! How could you not expect us to at least—freak out?” Minri, the owner of the pastry shop exclaimed. The others nodded in harmony, agreeing with her. Eunmi tapped her chin in confusion too. The others are now very—very frustrated.

Suddenly Eunmi stood up and grinned. The others looked at her, confused. Has she finally lost her mind?

“Lu Han! Take care of the restaurant!” Eunmi said to the pretty boy-slash-waiter in front of the cashier. Lu Han put a thumb up signaling that it’s okay. Eunmi turned to the confused ladies and gestured them to stand up. “Come on, we have a hotel to visit.” She grinned again.

“Woah,” Ho Sook, Japanese restaurant’s owner gaped. The girls were standing before the Maeum Hotel. Nervous? Yes. The girls stared at the building after them in awe.

“Uhmm, keep calm unnies. Their foods may be not as good as ours!” Minhi cheered them up.

“Why hello, dear neighbors,” a voice said. The six of them quickly searched for the source of the voice and there she is. Kwon Seung Ah. Like what they saw in the television, she was wearing a white business suit, plus that professional smile too. The girls are all startled by her sudden appearance.

Seung Ah was stunning—as always. She glanced at all of them and she stopped at Minri.

“Minri,” she said smiling a little… happily?
“Seung Ah~” Minri replied grinning. The others stared at both of them in confusion. Minri noticed them and chuckled. “I went to the same kindergarten and elementary with Seung Ah.”

“Why didn’t you told us earlier….” Ho Sook stared at Minri. Judging. Minri laughed and ignored the question.

“Would you like to come in? The restaurant is not up for business yet, actually. But we can let you six come in,” Seung Ah offered. They followed her inside and admired the awesome architecture of the hotel. Just like the name, it is a hotel that moves your heart. The architecture was so simple yet looks so expensive. The floors are clean and the windows are clear. The furnitures are all designed with the heart symbol, the official symbol of Maeum Hotels.

Seung Ah led them to a room. The door was nothing out of ordinary. Maybe that’s because they haven’t finished it yet. Seung Ah pushed it open and entered the room, followed by the six owners. They all admired the unordinary restaurant’s feature. It looks like the are underwater even though they are in the seventh floor. All of them were staring at the restaurant here and there, except for Eunmi. She watched Seung Ah suspiciously.

“What do you want, Kwon Seung Ah?” Eunmi blurted. The other 5 turned their head to her in shock and Seung Ah stopped walking. She turned around and smiled.

“Please, take a seat first,”  Seung Ah said. They all took a seat in around a table and looked at Seung Ah anxiously as she called the waitress and whispered something to her. The waitress nodded and walked away.

Seung Ah turned to the six and smiled—exceptionally at Minri.

“Minri, what are you doing as a job, now?” Seung Ah asked. Minri’s face brightened and clapped her hands excitedly.
“I have a pastry shop called Sucre around here. Come and have a taste! You know how I have always loved sweets, right?” Minri said chuckling. Seung Ah nodded and chuckled too. For once all of them can see the genuine happiness that she have—the last time.

The food came out. It was a bento box and Ho Sook’s eyes widened.

“Isn’t this just like Ho Sook’s best dish? I remember she always shoved it to my face when I visit,” Jaeri said. Ho Sook stuck out her tongue at Jaeri.
“Boo, unnie. Not all bento boxes are the same. And mine is really good!” Ho Sook said proudly. Jaeri rolled her eyes and chuckled as Ho Sook hit her arm playfully.

They began to eat, and as they took the first bite, the silence came. The bento boxes’ foods are definitely not the same as Ho Sook’s. The taste are 100% different, but there is just this thing that stunned them by eating this.

“Why are you asking us to eat this?” Hyerin asked, fully alarmed by now. Seung Ah who was just now resting her head with her right arm suddenly smirked. She straightened up and leaned back on her chair.

“Aren’t you coming to declare a ‘war’?” Seung Ah asked back. The six girls widened their eyes almost at the same time. “Well, after eating that, you all still dare to challenge me?”

The owners lifted their heads to see Seung Ah. That brightness in her eyes are now gone, replaced by a pair of eyes that looks like it has no life. Suddenly Eunmi stood up from her seat.

“This is bull. Let’s go back,” Eunmi said clenching her hands. She walked from the table and opened the door rather harshly, leaving the others. One by one they stood up and leave. Minri was the last to go. She turned around to see her friend worriedly and saw that Seung Ah’s eyes are now filled with grief.

“Sorry, guys, should have not suggested coming there,” Eunmi sighed as she rested her head on her hands. The six of them are now gathered again in Minhi’s restaurant, Clover. They are eating their lunch—stuffed bun.

Hyerin patted Eunmi’s back assuringly.
“Don’t worry unnie. It is necessary to go there. After all, we need to see how good our opponent is,” Hyerin said. “And who knew that Kwon Seung Ah could be such a ?” she said again in higher tone.

Minri stayed quiet all this time. It looks like she’s thinking hard. Minhi stared at her continuously.

“Unnie, are you okay?” Minhi asked. Minri got startled and then she nodded and smiled.

“It’s just.. I don’t get it. Seung Ah was a cheerful and lovely girl then, but why—“ Minri sighed not continuing what she was saying.

Minhi patted her back and grinned. “It must be because of how she was brought up all this time, unnie. Don’t pressure yourself. What we need now is how to defeat that delicious foods,” Minhi said. “I swear, that bento are slightly better than Ho Sook unnie’s.”

Ho Sook glared at Minhi but then she lowered her eyes.
“I admit, it was delicious,” Ho Sook sighed.

“Well, I have a suggestion,” Jaeri said gathering the attention to her. “What about we make new menus and then hold some special events—like sales or something like that?”

The others looked at each other. They nodded agreeing at what Jaeri said.
“It may be not enough but  it won’t hurt to try,” Eunmi said.

“WOOHOOO THE WAR IS ON!” Hyerin exclaimed loudly. The others including Minhi’s customer all stared at her. Judging.

First chapter!! <3 I am so excited to do this and I've been doing this for two days~ TTvTT finally the story's started guys!! If you are wondering where is the chapters, the chosen's profile is now in their respective teasers~ Also, for the next chapters, I will use the owners' perspective. Nah, I will not be using 1st person POV. So then, I'll see you in the second chapter! Ppyong! <3

edlyns.