Having a famous chef as your wife does come with its own perks.

She often wakes up in the morning from a shower of kisses across her face. The morning sunlight might blind her eyes when she tried to open them, but her smile is more blinding yet Joohyun can’t help but to mirror the same expression on her face. She felt her lips on her own pair, and she tried her best to kiss her back in her sleepy state.

“Good morning,” whispered Seungwan after she got her full attention. “Have a nice sleep, love?”

“Very nice,” muttered Joohyun, still heavy with sleep before groggily stretching her body in bed to fully awaken her system. “Until you disturb our beautiful sleep.”

Seungwan widened her smile from the mention of two. She tucked a loose strand behind her left ear before pressing her lips against her forehead. “I’m sorry for disturbing your beauty sleep, my Queen, but breakfast is served. It's better to be eaten while warm.”

Her face mirrored her expression as she let Seungwan help her to sit on the side of the bed. She watched Seungwan gently place her hand atop her slightly swelling belly, catching her whisper of ‘good morning, baby’ before she gave them a loving kiss. Joohyun chuckled from the sweet gesture as she brought her hand to the strands of her soft hair, running through her fingers against her brown locks. “So sweet of you to do that this early, Mommy.”

“I need to make a good impression in front of our child, Umma,” shrugged Seungwan, dripping with cockiness as she prevented Joohyun from replying by kissing her lips. “Come on, your breakfast is growing cold.”

Joohyun only rolled her eyes before she took her offered hand. She lets Seungwan guide her to the dining room, where a plate of her warm breakfast is already served on top of the dining table. It’s a portion of eggs Benedict, with shining hollandaise sauce glistening on top of them.

“Such a fancy breakfast,” commented Joohyun while she took a seat, once again letting Seungwan help her with her chair. “I’m expecting something humble and simple, like pancakes.”

“You can eat that in any morning you like,” answered Seungwan as she kissed the top of her head. “For now, let me pamper you with my cooking.”

“You always pamper me, love. Don’t sell yourself short like that, especially to me,” replied Joohyun lightheartedly, which somehow managed to make Seungwan blush on this fine morning. Joohyun chuckled—satisfied with her reaction—before she took a bite of her fine breakfast. “Perfect like usual. As expected from the nation’s food gastronomy prodigy like you.”

Seungwan rolled her eyes and prompted a chuckle out from , because Joohyun knew how much she hated to be called like that. “Don’t go full on food critic on me. It’s just eggs Benedict.”

“Which people often fail in making it this perfect,” teased Joohyun once again, although it is based on fact. 

Sometimes the eggs are too runny, sometimes a little bit overcooked. Not to mention how the hollandaise sauce was quite hard to execute perfectly. But Seungwan, by only using the stuff she got in their home that looks nothing compared to her kitchen, manages to execute all of the elements perfectly. If that wasn’t a natural talent, then Joohyun doesn’t know what else.

She was about to take her fourth bite when she noticed Seungwan stayed in the kitchen to wash the dirty pans and pots instead of joining her at the dining table. “You don’t eat your breakfast, love?”

“Don’t worry, I have eaten,” answered Seungwan, along with the sound of the running water coming from the tap. She probably noticed Joohyun’s unconvinced gaze because she let out a heavy sigh. “Please, do you really think that was the first batch you are currently eating? I was serious when I said I wanted to pamper you with my cooking, you know?”

Joohyun giggled from her protest. Seungwan might be considered as a Messiah in the culinary world. But with limited tools, it can be pretty difficult for someone as talented as her to craft a perfect dish.

Her wife finally joined her in the dining room after she was done washing the dirty dishes. Joohyun was halfway done with her breakfast, and they got wrapped in a comfortable silence because Seungwan chose to watch her eat when something came into her mind. “The article is out this week.”

“What article?” asked Seungwan, along with a raised eyebrow.

“My review on your restaurant,” reminded Joohyun as the moment of realization came down upon her. “You don’t seem like you were pretty nervous.”

“You praised me and my cooking skill almost on a daily basis,” snorted Seungwan before she flashed her a -eating grin. Joohyun rolled her eyes, although she tried to cover her smile by continuing eating her breakfast. “I think I already know what you are going to write inside your article.”

“Hey, I did the review without any bias,” warned Joohyun, although it wasn’t enough to make Seungwan falter because the -eating grin is still there. Joohyun let out a defeated sigh, accepting her bitter fate. “Besides, I did that because of your stupid plan. What exactly do you have in mind regarding this?”

“Well,” started Seungwan carefully, catching her attention. She watched her hand reaching out to grasp her palm, and Joohyun just let her. Although her raised eyebrow is a clear indication that she was curious about what Seungwan will say. “This week will be our third year of marriage, and I might have secretly already reserved the whole restaurant for us to celebrate.”

She raised her eyebrow further, ignoring the way her heart fluttered just for a moment. “What do you mean by secretly?”

Seungwan guiltlessly flashed her a smile. “My staff have no idea about this. You can consider this as a test for them—to see if they can operate the restaurant without me, because clearly, I will be pretty much occupied and unable to be in the kitchen that often once our baby is born.”

Her eyes blinked in disbelief before she let out a scoff. “Now I understand why you are infamous for being crazy and notorious in the kitchen. I will pray for the well-being of your whole staff.”

The said person threw her head to the back as she let out the loudest laugh of the morning. Seungwan still giggled when she brought her palm close to her lips and kissed each of her knuckles softly. Her eyes landed on her, and Joohyun forgot to breathe for a second. “And about my proposal, will you go out on a date with me to have dinner at my restaurant and celebrate our wedding anniversary?”

“Yes,” whispered Joohyun, and it was enough to bring a smile out of Seungwan’s face. Seungwan leaves her chair to kiss her, but before their lips touch each other, Joohyun stops her by slightly pushing on her shoulder. “I have a really terrible morning breath right now.”

“And we have been together for years,” Seungwan rolled her eyes from the ridiculous statement. “I don’t mind.”

Their lips met, and fireworks burst in her heart. Joohyun smiled from the kiss, loving the sweet physical contact they currently share right now. Seungwan ended the wholesome moment with a kiss on her forehead, and Joohyun wouldn’t ask anything better.

“You tasted like eggs Benedict, by the way.”

Joohyun laughs from her silly comment. God, she really loves her dork so much.

---

The plan is perfect. Everything is perfect. Now the only thing she needs to do is to execute this perfectly.

Seungwan already got the message she needed from Joohyun, saying that she was on her way here to her restaurant. She giddily smiles, and can't wait for what is going to happen.

As soon as she entered the place, her hunch immediately proved to be right. All of her staff are currently circling around the dining hall. Her eyes are able to catch a glimpse of the culinary magazine she believes contains an article Joohyun wrote about her restaurant. Seungwan bit her bottom lip, trying to contain her smile. She doesn’t know acting is this hard. She needs to compose herself or else this plan will not work. “What’s with the commotion?”

“Chef!” squeaked Seulgi in surprise—all of her staff, if she needed to be honest—when Seungwan announced her arrival at the restaurant. “We were just talking about the article.”

“What article?” frowned Seungwan, when she knew exactly what article they were talking about right now. She read it last night before she went to bed, with Joohyun beside her. Safe to say, she needs to apply foundation on her neck to cover the bite mark Joohyun planted on her skin.

“Bae Joohyun’s review about our restaurant,” answered Yerim this time as Seulgi passed her the magazine for her to read the article.

“Oh,” replied Seungwan as she pretended to read the article in front of her staff. Seungwan memorizes every word Joohyun has written about her restaurant, including the reason why she deserves her third Michelin star in such a short time. “Okay, and?”

“And?” Seulgi asked back in disbelief, before happiness plastered on her expression. “Chef, this is great news! We just got approved by the number one food critic in this country!”

Seungwan really can’t help it as she looks at every expression her staff currently wears. She gives them a proud smile. After all, they deserve this huge praise. “Well then, before we start opening our restaurant, I want to say thank you and congratulate each one of you for getting yet another great achievement for Kingdom Come. Hold your heads high, because you deserve this, and you should be proud of yourself. From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely say thank you for working hard and for making this happen.”

All of her staff cheered in happiness after she was done with her speech. Some of them hugged each other, some of them cheered for her name, some of them cried in happiness. The same kind of view that she got when they were granted their third Michelin star months ago.

“That was new coming from you, Chef.”

“Please, you guys deserve this,” Seungwan playfully rolled her eyes as she patted the shoulder of her sous chef. “You deserve this too, Sooyoung.”

Sooyoung only chuckled and nodded her head from her praise. It’s funny how her sous chef somehow shared a similar trait like her, even though at the first glance they looked far different from each other. Seungwan pointed her head towards the crowd, and it was enough for Sooyoung to understand her signal as she clapped her hands loud enough to gain the staff's attention.

“I know it’s a happy time, but we still have work to do tonight,” started Seungwan as she shifted her tone back to her professional self. “Tonight is going to be different because someone has booked the whole restaurant for a special occasion.”

“A special occasion?” asked Seulgi in confusion. “But there’s nothing like that in the reservation book, Chef. And I thought we are no longer accepting reservations.”

Seungwan was about to reply when the sound of an opened door caught her attention. And it seems like it also caught the attention of her staff too, because they were gasping loudly when they saw who just entered the restaurant. Seungwan smiles from the sight at the entrance, she can feel her heart thumping faster than usual.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” said Seulgi suddenly after she cleared nervously and after she was told by the others to say something. At least, that’s what Seungwan heard from the hushes of voice behind her. “The whole restaurant is reserved for tonight.”

Joohyun only raised her eyebrow from the welcome she just got. But when her eyes landed on Seungwan, her gaze softened. “Hey.”

“Hi to you too,” greeted Seungwan as she approached her. She can feel their curious gaze on her back, and Seungwan tried her best to ignore them. Wow, doing this to her staff is fun. “Nice trip?”

“It’s not bad,” admitted Joohyun truthfully. “But it’s not nice either.”

She chuckled softly from her answer as she breached her personal space and kissed her lips out of the blue. Seungwan heard a much louder gasp coming from her staff, but Joohyun’s lips are enough to distract her and stay focused on their kiss.

“You did that on purpose, didn't you?” deadpanned Joohyun after she broke their kiss.

“Welcome to Kingdom Come, my Queen,” grinned Seungwan who said yes, she did that on purpose. She offered her palm for Joohyun to take. “Shall we?”

Her wife playfully rolled her eyes, but she did take her palm and let Seungwan lead her to the dining hall. The sight of her shocked and surprised staff almost made Seungwan burst out in laughter, if only Joohyun didn’t warn her to behave by pinching her waist.

“Well,” started Seungwan, with a -eating grin on her face, of course. “Let’s entertain your question.”

“You guys are dating?” asked Seulgi as she practically screamed out her question.

“Married, actually,” corrected Seungwan as she showed off her wedding ring for her staff to see. The gesture made Joohyun roll her eyes because she also needed to show her wedding ring to them, and the sight of her reluctance made her giggle. “We are going to celebrate our third year of marriage tonight. That’s why I booked the whole restaurant and didn’t tell you guys. Sorry about that.”

All of them are gasping like they are a bunch of fish trying to survive on land. The next question comes from Yerim. “How? Since when?”

“The first time we met each other was actually when I’m still working in France,” answered Seungwan sheepishly, knowing it would further surprise them. 

“I was writing a special column about French cuisine when I heard about a Korean chef working in Marseille,” continued Joohyun as she absentmindedly played with her fingers while reminiscing about their past. Seungwan still remembers about their first encounter. She just bought some ingredients from the market when she spotted a struggling Korean woman trying to order in French. Seungwan decided to help Joohyun, and her decision somehow leads her to a path of happiness. “We grew closer and eventually, she couldn't stand the thought of having a long distance relationship with me. That’s why she decided to open a restaurant here and marry me.”

Seungwan frowned at the explanation. “That was not the real story.”

“I still have a reputation to keep as a food critic,” whispered Joohyun harshly right beside her ear, just for Seungwan to listen. “Let me have this.”

She rolled her eyes as she forced herself to accept the lie. They both know the real reason is because Joohyun can’t always go back and forth from Seoul to Marseille just to meet Seungwan. And she still has a dream to chase, which resulted in a strain on their relationship for months. Seungwan eventually realized what she really wanted when she saw Joohyun in front of her door, soaked in rain as she waited for her to come home. With the approval and encouragement from her mentor, Seungwan braves herself to come home and open Kingdom Come in her birthplace.

“Why did you keep this information from us?” Sooyoung asked the question this time.

“Because you guys—especially you, Sooyoung—are nosy,” deadpanned Seungwan, causing all of them to blush in embarrassment. “And I found out how much of a big deal Joohyun is in here. That’s why I don’t want to burden you with the information that I’m actually the one who won her heart.”

Beside her, Joohyun grimaced. “Cut down with the cheesiness, love.”

“Why? You always like it when I say that,” grinned Seungwan filled with pride, which got a roll of eyes from Joohyun as her reply.

“So this is your second time visiting here, Ms Bae?” asked Seulgi while scratching her head in confusion. “It’s just weird that you two have been together for so long but you almost never come here.”

“It’s her third time, actually,” corrected Seungwan once again. “She is the first customer who visited and dined in this place before we officially opened it the next day.”

“And I’m actually helping her in choosing who will work together with her in the restaurant because it’s her first time searching through applicants,” added Joohyun. This time, there is a -eating grin on her face. Seungwan only rolled her eyes. “Seeing how this line up stays the same after two years, I guess my choices were correct.”

Seungwan only chuckled before she lovingly kissed her cheek, pulling Joohyun closer by the waist until their hips attached. “Now that we have answered some of your questions, I have an announcement to make.”

All of them fall into silence, and somehow it makes her nervous to say what she wanted to say, what she has been secretly planning all this time. But Joohyun reminded her about her existence beside Seungwan by slipping her arm around her waist, and it was enough for her to use it as encouragement and continue.

“For tonight's service, I will be the customer instead of the cook as I plan to have a lovely dinner with my wife. Sooyoung will be in charge of the menu she wants to cook for us tonight, so I ask the rest of you to help her like how you usually help me during our regular service,” explained Seungwan as the people gathered in front of them answered ‘yes, Chef!’ immediately. “And in a few months, my involvement in the kitchen will be less active with Sooyoung taking over my duties when I’m away because we are currently expecting our first child.”

There is a beat of silence before the crowd in front of them cheers loudly. All of them congratulate her and Joohyun regarding the happy news. Seungwan laughed as she thanked them for the kind wishes before telling them to disperse to start focusing on their duties for tonight. She was about to join Joohyun at the table she chose when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

“Chef?” 

“Yes, Sooyoung?” asked Seungwan as she turned around, finding worry in her sous chef’s expression. “What is it?”

“Are you sure about this?” Sooyoung asked her back. She noticed the slight tremble in her voice. “Don’t you think it’s a bit too fast for me to step up into your role? It’s not like I’m not ready for that. It’s just—this is too sudden-”

“Do you know what Joohyun told me when she recommended your name and basically forced me to have you as my sous chef?” Seungwan cut through her ramble, and it was enough to make Sooyoung stop. “She said that you are the next big thing in the culinary world and I would regret it if I didn’t take you under my wing. Joohyun spoke highly about you, and I understand why after we worked together in our first month. You are a talented chef, Sooyoung, and the brightest cook I have ever worked with.”

Sooyoung stayed silent from her speech, but the worry in her eyes dissipated. And it was enough for Seungwan to accept.

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course, Chef,” nodded Sooyoung. This time, there is no tremble in her voice.

“Then I need you to trust yourself because I trust you,” Seungwan gave her shoulder a tight grip to let her know that she was dead serious with her words. “Can you do that, Chef?”

“Yes, Chef!” answered Sooyoung with resoluteness in her voice, something that is more than enough to bloom a proud smile on her face. She gave her shoulder another pat, and was about to go to her chair when Sooyoung stopped her again. “Do you and your wife have any request for tonight’s dinner, Chef?”

“No chicken dishes and alcoholic drinks, please. And-” Seungwan paused when Joohyun gave her a meaningful smile. She can’t help but to chuckle. “Surprise us, Chef.”

Her answer was enough for Sooyoung to nod and leave them alone to go to the kitchen. Seungwan eventually joins her wife in their table, frowning when she hears Joohyun giggle as she sits on her chair. “You sound exactly the same as your mentor back then.”

“Now I actually understand him, honestly,” added Seungwan, which makes Joohyun laugh. “He informed me last week that he will come here to visit us and see how I’m doing so far with Kingdom Come. Shall we welcome him together? I think he will be ecstatic to learn that we are currently expecting our baby. He did root for our relationship back then.”

“Now I'm a regular at your restaurant?” teased Joohyun while raising her eyebrow. Seungwan simply rolled her eyes. “Sure. I have thrown my French skill to the bin, though.”

“I can be your translator,” grinned Seungwan as she reached for her palm and took it in her grasp. “Just like the old time.”

Joohyun only gives her a chuckle and makes no effort in replying to her because Taeil suddenly visits their table and makes his presence known by bowing his body. “Good evening, ladies. I was informed by the Chef that there will be no alcoholic drinks throughout the dinner course for tonight. While we wait for the appetizer to come, do you have any request for what you want to drink?”

“The tea you made for me last time was very nice,” responded Joohyun, which caught Seungwan interest because her wife rarely ordered the same menu if she visited the restaurant more than one time. “I will have that.”

“Of course, ma’am,” nodded Taeil, mentally noting her answer. “Do you have any requests, Chef?”

“I’ll have the same tea, Taeil. Thank you,” answered Seungwan while dismissing him at the same time. After Taeil accepts her answer and leaves them alone at their table, she continues. “It’s very surprising for a food critic with a caliber as high as you to repeat the same order, after all.”

“Oh? What is this? Did I just see an executive chef who doesn’t know the talent of her own bartender?” smirked Joohyun, who is somehow successful in teasing her because Seungwan can feel the blush growing on her face. “You should probably consider opening a tearoom to accommodate his talent in brewing tea. I think people will like it when they have a vast choice in what to drink while enjoying their food.”

“I will think about that after I tasted the tea myself,” replied Seungwan and made Joohyun giggle because of her words. Not long after, Taeil arrives with a pot of tea and two cups. He put the small jar of sugar cubes and a smaller pot of milk on their table first, before placing each cup on their side of the table. He carefully shakes the tea inside the pot before pouring the warm liquid to fill the empty cup. Seungwan did not miss the gesture. “Do you receive any professional training in brewing tea, Taeil?”

“My family often does a tea ceremony on a special date, such as a birthday. I was required to learn about the ceremony, like it or not,” answered Taeil as he finished doing his task in serving their tea. “Please taste the tea first before you add certain things into your cup. Enjoy your drink.”

Seungwan reaches for the cup after Taeil leaves them alone once again. She inhales the steam coming off from the liquid, getting to know the scent of the tea she is going to drink first. She sips her tea afterwards as Seungwan can’t help but to feel curious.

Now she understands why Joohyun ordered this again.

“See?” grinned Joohyun proudly as Seungwan set her lips into a thin line. “I know you will like his tea. Should I expect a tearoom in Kingdom Come next month?”

She can only chuckle from her question. That is a new matter for her to think about later. Right now, she wants to focus solely on this moment. Spending a lovely evening with her beautiful wife as they celebrate their wedding anniversary. Their wedding ring sparkles underneath the chandelier, Seungwan can’t fight the urge to not brush the small diamond with her thumb.

“Some of the things changed in your restaurant,” muttered Joohyun softly as her eyes looked around the interior of the dining hall. Seungwan raised her eyebrow because everything still stayed the same when Joohyun visited the restaurant for the first time. “Or maybe, I just forgot how it looked during my first visit.”

“It has been a while,” chuckled Seungwan in agreement. Her mind takes her back to when she finally introduces her restaurant to Joohyun, a day before the grand opening. 

“Do you remember when you tried to pop open this really fancy champagne your mentor gave you to impress me, and the cork almost hit this chandelier?” reminded Joohyun with a laugh as she pointed to the lights above them. Seungwan still remembers everything. She stood behind the bar, and Joohyun sat on the bar stool and just let her do her thing, only for her to almost ruin everything when the damn cork suddenly jumped out from the bottle and almost hit the chandelier. “You should see your expression back then. It was really funny.”

“That was such a horror,” Seungwan shook her head from her own stupidity. From almost sabotaging her own effort. “I feel like my soul jumped out from my body when I watched the cork fly.”

Joohyun continues to laugh from the memory until Seulgi interrupts their moment by bringing them the first dish of the night. “Good evening, ladies. I hope both of you are starving right now because your special dinner course is going to start. For the appetizer, we have bruschetta topped with a fresh tomato salad, caramelized balsamic vinegar, and Grana Padano cheese. Enjoy your food.”

“Thank you, Seulgi,” Seungwan gave her a smile before she checked on the plate of food that was in front of her. She carefully measures and checks everything, trying to see what she is going to get on the first bite she will take. The tomato salad looks sublime. The balsamic vinegar is in a proper consistency after being caramelized. “Not bad.”

“A fresh hors d'oeuvre,” added Joohyun after she did the same thing to her own plate. The perks of being involved in a culinary world—they can’t help but to always check what they are going to get. “I wonder what she prepared for us for the whole course to give us bruschetta as our opener.”

“Probably something heavy,” replied Seungwan as she took the bread in her grasp and waited until Joohyun did the same thing. “Cheers, love.”

Her wife chuckled before she gently bumped her bread against hers as they eventually took their first bite. After a moment of silence, Joohyun gave her nod of approval to tell Seungwan that she enjoyed this, along with an appreciative hum. “This is really good.”

“I wish she gives us more Grana Padano for a proper mix of flavor,” muttered Seungwan after she took a piece of grated Grana Padano and put it in . “But, it is good.”

“What do you mean with more Grana Padano?” responded Joohyun in disagreement. “The amount of things she gave us in the bruschetta is perfect. Please don’t be a food critic after you are done with your cooking career.”

Seungwan chuckled with her comment. “Why? Because we will have a lot of fights?”

“Obviously,” snorted Joohyun, pointing out the disagreement they just have regarding their appetizer. “Your taste is too European. Throw that French tongue of yours to the trash bin before you want to switch careers to be a food critic.”

This time, she can only laugh from her sneer. Seungwan might have forgotten about the fact that Joohyun is the most reputable food critic in the country for a moment, because the woman in front of her is supposed to be her wife instead of who she is in front of everybody else. But Seungwan doesn’t mind the slightest. Without Joohyun’s help and her judgment towards her cooking, Seungwan wouldn’t be here in the first place.

Taeil comes to visit their table once again after they are done enjoying their bruschetta and Johnny already cleared the empty plates, with two flutes of apple cider for both of them to wash their palate with. He asks if they want to add more tea into their pot after he serves them. And before Seungwan could answer, Joohyun quickly replied with a ‘yes, please’ and stunned her from the answer.

“Are you sure you liked his tea a lot or it's just your pregnancy craving asking for more?” asked Seungwan as she raised her eyebrow in amusement.

“Maybe,” shrugged Joohyun while she covered her smirk by taking a sip of her apple cider. “I do eat for two, remember?”

“Remind me to ask Taeil to teach me how to make his special tea after we are done with our dinner,” chuckled Seungwan as she also took a sip of her apple cider. And it tasted like heaven for her European tongue. “Because I have a feeling you will ask me to make that tea a lot during your pregnancy.”

“Hear that, tiny bean?” asked Joohyun as she looked down to her belly that had started to show on her dress. “Mommy is going to treat us a lot after tonight.”

Seungwan smiled from the sight as a wave of happiness suddenly struck her. That’s her family, something that she promised to protect and care for all her life. And seeing Joohyun look so happy while talking with their baby is enough to make a huge flower of love sprout in her heart. 

“We are sorry for the long wait,” Seulgi announced her presence on their table as she came with a tray for their next course. 

There is a huge plate of fish along with a huge pot beside them. When Seulgi puts the soup plate in front of them, Seungwan already has a hunch of what the next dish is going to be. And Seulgi explained the food she wanted to hear while serving them in the exact way like how they did it in Marseille. 

“Here we have bouillabaisse. Four kinds of fish and sea urchins boiled and simmered with special spices made by our Chef,” explained Seulgi as she poured a ladle of soup on each of their plates. The next thing she took out from the tray is a collection of sliced bread with rouille spread on top. “Do you have any request on how much bread you want on the plate, ma’am?”

“Three for me, please,” answered Joohyun with such giddiness in her voice. Seungwan only nodded her head, signaling to Seulgi that she wished to have the same amount of bread on her plate as Joohyun.

Seulgi gives them three pieces of bread each. She then put a small bowl filled with rouille at the other edge of the table, in case they want to add more sauce on their soup. The plate of fish comes after, along with potatoes after Seulgi filets them so it will be easier for both of them to eat. Knowing how much bones the fish has in bouillabaisse, Seungwan can’t help but to give her a proud smile after cleanly separating the meat from the fish. “That’s a great technique of fileting, Seulgi. Please do the same for the others so all of you can enjoy your dinner peacefully without having a fish bone stuck in your throat.”

Her maître d’ hotel blushed from her praise and tried to cover it with a wide smile. “Please enjoy your soup.”

Seungwan nods her head and watches her leave their table. Joohyun already tasted the soup when Seungwan was about to have her first try. She can only chuckle and sipping her soup when Joohyun nods her head. “This takes me back to when you tried to convince me that French food can also taste as good as Korean food.”

“Hey, you liked the bouillabaisse I asked you to try near the port,” reminded Seungwan as she reminisced about the time when she became a tour guide for Joohyun in Marseille because she got free time from work. 

“I’m just appreciating your hard work in walking around the city with me,” teased Joohyun before she laughed because Seungwan was pouting. She was really sure that Joohyun loves the food she recommended to her on that day. “I’m just playing with you, love. Of course I loved the food you wanted me to try. Stop pouting like a baby, please? And this bouillabaisse is actually very good.”

“It is,” Seungwan nodded in agreement. “She can handle unfamiliar spices and turn it as good as the one in Marseille. I would say she did a pretty good job in making this bouillabaisse.”

“The amount she cooked was a lot, though. Did she make it for the others too?” asked Joohyun with a slight worry on her face. When Seungwan answered her question with a nod, she let out a relieved sigh. “I’m glad this gem will not turn into a waste.”

“I don’t tolerate wasting food in this restaurant,” stated Seungwan in her serious voice. “And I make sure that the others share the same sentiment.”

She noticed Joohyun went silent after Seungwan said that. That’s why she raised her head to ask her if there was something wrong, but what she got was a small smile and gaze that could make her heart tremble so easily. Joohyun whispered ‘I love you’ to her, and Seungwan couldn't erase the smile adorning her face until Johnny came to their table to clear their empty plates, along with Taeil to refill the tea in their pot.

The next dish is a homage to the classical fish and chips. Fondant potatoes are placed at the center of the plate, with battered fried fish on top and a good amount of tartar sauce acting like the crown for the whole dish. There is a slice of lemon at the edge of the plate to help with the greasiness coming from the fried fish.

“Oh, I’m starving,” remarked Joohyun like they weren’t just eating bruschetta and bouillabaisse a few minutes ago. “Finally real food.”

“Bruschetta and bouillabaisse were not real food?” asked Seungwan with an amused smile as she decided to only add lemon juice on one of the two fish and chips.

“I’m eating for two, if you forgot about that,” replied Joohyun, which brought a chuckle out from . She cut through her fish and chips and gathered everything on her fork for a good first bite. Just like Seungwan, Joohyun decided to not add the lemon juice yet. A few moments of silence, until Joohyun breaks the ice with a satisfied hum. “Please raise her salary after tonight. God, everything is so light. How did she do that?”

Joohyun’s reaction is enough to make Seungwan feel curious as she takes her first bite. Her wife does not lie when she says everything tasted light. The fish is flaky and melts in , with the white meat breaking apart just right and at the same time doesn’t taste greasy at all. The potato is soft and crunchy with a hint of butter taste at the bottom. The tartar sauce completes everything as they tie every flavor with their creamy and sour taste. “Wow.”

“She keeps impressing us so far,” giggled Joohyun, truly fascinated with the dinner course given to her. “I guess your restaurant will be handled pretty well when you get busy with our baby.”

“From what I see so far, it will,” chuckled Seungwan as she nodded in acknowledgement. “But all of these foods we have been eating are the ones I have taught her and I have developed. She merely just combined one thing with another and made it work. I wish she can come up with something that comes from herself instead of using what I taught her by playing safe.”

“You sounded like you are undermining your own chef, Chef,” Joohyun raised her eyebrow as she said that, while Seungwan merely rolled her eyes from the accusation. “We are not having the main course yet. What if she decided to surprise you later?”

“Honey, I’m not undermining her,” Seungwan tried to defend herself. Thank God Joohyun gave her the chance to do so. “Sooyoung has a lot of potential inside her to be a great cook. I just want her to take her chance in showing us what she really is capable of with her cooking skill by developing something we have never seen before. I really hope she will surprise us in the main course.”

She noticed her eyes softened, and Seungwan slightly relieved from the change of mood. She reached for her hand and held it in her grasp, trying to win her good side once again. Joohyun rolled her eyes, but there’s a smile on her face. “What are we going to do with Mommy tonight, tiny bean?”

“Mommy will show my love to Umma and tell her that she’s the best thing that ever happened in my life,” answered Seungwan, followed by a grin when she saw Joohyun softly blushing from her words. She leaned forward to kiss the diamond on her wedding ring. “Please don’t disturb us with your late night cravings tonight, tiny bean.”

Joohyun laughs happily from the silly wish until they get interrupted once again because Johnny needs to take their empty plates off from the table. Taeil comes with lemon infused water this time, something they will not say no to. 

And somehow, Seulgi follows without any food in sight. “I’m sorry for interrupting your night, ladies, but the Chef told me to wait a little bit for the main course.”

“Oh, of course,” nodded Seungwan with an assuring smile. “She can take as many times as she wants.”

Seulgi nodded from her reply before she changed her gaze towards Joohyun who did not expect that at all. “I’m such a big fan of yours. I always read your review articles and watch every interview you did. You are just—you are the reason why I want to have a career in the culinary world and I just want to say thank you for doing what you did.”

“Thank you for the kind words, Seulgi. I really appreciate it,” Joohyun gave her maître d’ hotel a smile and Seulgi looked super starstruck from her response. Her wife looked at her after and the smile has changed into a -eating grin. “I guess I’m more famous than you in this country.”

Seungwan only chuckled from her words as she let Joohyun have her moment with Seulgi. It was nice to see her wife interacting with people who don't look at her like she is some sort of a scary person, and she was thankful that Seulgi is the one who does that. She knows how much the woman is such a big fan of Joohyun, and to let her talk with her wife is the least she can do to make both of them happy.

As the minute ticks away, Seulgi eventually goes back to the kitchen and brings their main course. When the food came into her view, Seungwan was stunned as she could only stare at her plate with wide eyes, barely listening to the explanation Seulgi is currently giving right now.

“What you have in front of you is a special creation made by our Chef, beef ribs stew,” introduced Seulgi as she further explained about the dish she just served to them. “In here, you will have beef ribs smothered in red sauce that was made from the stew’s broth. On each side, there are rice cubes that perfectly go well together with the ribs. Please, enjoy the main course.”

Seulgi finally leaves them alone, and silence wraps around their table. Seungwan continued to stare on her plate, checking on the food she just got served with. Something that is totally unfamiliar, something that is totally new.

“Does she surprise you?”

“Yes,” whispered Seungwan as she looked carefully at the food in front of her. “This was not on my menu. Like, everything.”

Joohyun chuckled from the other side of the table. “Shall we try?”

She nodded her head as she reached after her cutlery to have her first bite. Her knife easily sliced through the beef, like they were made out of tofu instead of meat. The sauce that was glazing all over the beef is in the right consistency, it was hard to believe they were a stew before. The scent coming off from the steam on the meat and the sauce reminds her of the usual beef ribs stew people cook all over the country. Seungwan gives another look before she finally takes her first bite. 

It was a whole new world.

“You were right,” murmured Seungwan softly, but it was enough for Joohyun to catch her voice. “She really is a great cook.”

“And the most talented we have after you,” replied Joohyun before she took another bite on her main course. “Both of you are actually the same in how you two develop the food you have grown familiar with and make it into something new for us to taste. It will not be such a reach from me when I say that she’s your successor and she can easily become your competitor once she decides to open her own restaurant.”

Seungwan chose to not say anything from her explanation. She checks on the two rice cubes on her plate, noticing one of them is scorched at the bottom. Seungwan raised her eyebrow from the interesting find, because she never thought about this before. 

“Her mind is pretty interesting,” chuckled Joohyun as she also checked on the same thing. “The usual rice and scorched rice. Who would have thought?”

No one, obviously. Except her sous chef.

She took her time in tasting her beef ribs with both rice. Finding how they tasted pretty much the same, but at the same time, there is a distinct difference in terms of texture and the taste it's offered. Seungwan couldn't help but to chuckle as she enjoyed her dinner after wrapping everything inside her mind.

“She can be much better than me,” admitted Seungwan truthfully. “Don’t you think so?”

“That’s for both of you to decide,” shrugged Joohyun as she finished her main course like she just inhaled everything but the plate. “I’m just someone who loves to eat and wrote what I thought about the food I just had.”

A laugh escaped from after Joohyun said that as their night became much better. After they are done with the main course, Taeil gives them another apple cider to cleanse their palate before having a simple wakame salad that tasted so refreshing compared to the quite heavy main course. He comes back again to refill their teapot, something that Joohyun really appreciates as the night becomes lively as they wait for their dessert.

This time, it was Chaeyoung herself who delivered the dessert to their table. “Good evening, lovebirds! Have you enjoyed the night so far?”

“Very much, Chaeyoung. Thank you for asking,” Seungwan smiled widely because of her bubbly attitude, and she failed to notice the slight change in Joohyun’s expression when she did that. “What do you have for us, Chaeyoung?”

“I have prepared hotteok for both of you to close your dinner course!” answered Chaeyoung excitedly as she served the plate of the usual hotteok people sell on the street, but less greasy and somehow looked so appetizing. “Chef and I thought it would be nice to close the night with something classic and simple like hotteok. It’s filled with honey, chopped peanuts and cinnamon. I hope you and your wife enjoy the dessert, Chef!”

“Thank you so much, Chaeyoung. We really appreciate it,” thanked Seungwan before her pâtissier left their table to go back to the kitchen. Seungwan only chuckled before she eventually realized the glare Joohyun gave her. “What?”

“Nothing,” shrugged Joohyun, although the way she took her cutlery shows that it was far from nothing. “You seem awfully close to her.”

“Well, she’s one of my cooks,” answered Seungwan carefully, trying to thread into this matter carefully. “Chaeyoung is just a very friendly cook.”

“Is she?” snorted Joohyun. “You looked so happy when she came here.”

Seungwan raised her eyebrow in disbelief over what she just heard. “Are you jealous right now?” And from the silence she got from Joohyun, she knew she was right. Seungwan let out a sigh as she reached for her hand—asking Joohyun to hold hers. She needed to wait for her wife to eventually relent on her wish, but when she felt her hand on hers, Seungwan immediately grasped her tight. “There is no one in this world whom I love so much except you and our child, honey. Nobody else.”

Her wife did not say anything, but Seungwan noticed the rapid blush growing on her face. She let go of the hold of her hand as she focused back on her dessert. “Just go eat your dessert.”

She chuckled from her embarrassed response. For someone who was jealous towards Chaeyoung, Joohyun does look like she enjoyed her dessert so much. And to be honest, Seungwan understands why. Everything about their hotteok is perfect, from the dough to the sweet filling. It’s a perfect closure for a really good dinner course they just had.

“I’m full,” sighed Joohyun in satisfaction as she leaned back against the backrest of her chair. Her hand is rubbing on her swelling belly, and Seungwan’s gaze is fixed on the wholesome activity. “That was a really nice dinner. Thank you for arranging this, Mommy.”

“You’re welcome, love,” replied Seungwan as she asked for her hand, and Joohyun gave her what she wanted. She kissed each of her knuckles before finishing her gesture with a long kiss on her wedding ring, something that brought happiness to Joohyun as she laughed from the cheesy response. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” whispered Joohyun back, like it’s only for Seungwan to listen. It makes her heart beat faster underneath her ribcage. Seungwan thinks she is unable to erase the huge smile off her face.

Sooyoung suddenly visited their table, breaking the comfort of their romantic bubble but both of them didn’t mind. Behind her professional smile, Seungwan can easily spot the anxiety as she notices how her hands are shaking. Seungwan smiled from the sight as she remembered a moment in the past when her mentor gave her a huge responsibility for the dinner course that night. She was the same like Sooyoung, if not more of a nervous wreck than she was.

“Good evening, ladies. On behalf of the kitchen and the whole staff, I want to say thank you for trusting us to celebrate your wedding anniversary tonight,” started Sooyoung, there was a slight tremble in her voice. Seungwan needs to cover her amused chuckle by taking a sip of her tea. “May I ask if both of you enjoyed the night?”

“Very much,” answered Joohyun as she gave her a loving smile, something Seungwan easily replicates. “It has been a very delightful night for us, Chef. Thank you for serving us with such a beautiful course.”

“Can I ask you about the food?” Sooyoung finally asked the question she wanted to ask. “Is there any input regarding the dishes?”

Both of them exchanged looks at each other. Seungwan flashed her a grin, something Joohyun responded with a raised eyebrow. “Ladies first.”

“You are a lady too,” scoffed Joohyun in disbelief.

“Pregnant lady first,” corrected Seungwan with a cheeky smile. Joohyun can only roll her eyes as she accepted her fate to be the first one to comment.

“Everything is great, Chef. From the composition, the choice of dishes, the amount you serve to us and how they connect with each other in such a wonderful dinner course,” answered Joohyun, showing the reason why she got the reputation as the country’s most renowned food critic. “You gave us dishes to feel nostalgic with our past. You also gave us something new, which is really interesting and we appreciate it a lot. Overall, it’s a really great dinner course and you did not fail in surprising us. Please keep up the good work.”

Seungwan noticed how her face brightened because of Joohyun’s comment. Sooyoung shifted her gaze to her, and Seungwan couldn't help but to chuckle from her hopeful eyes. “I agree with what my wife said. Everything is great, you surprised us with your choice of food. The variety that you offered to us really blew us away with how good they were. It’s a wonderful course, Chef, and I know I just made the right choice in trusting you with such a big task.”

“Thank you, Chef. Thank you, ma’am,” nodded Sooyoung with a huge smile this time. Seungwan just let her enjoy her success. “Do you have any other requests for tonight?”

“Everything is okay. You guys can go home after you do the cleaning. I will be in charge of this teapot and cup,” answered Seungwan with an assuring smile to tell her that it’s okay for all of them to leave both of them alone in the restaurant. “I will also be the one who closes the restaurant tonight.”

“Of course, Chef,” nodded Sooyoung once again before she dismissed herself and left their table.

“Sooyoung?”

“Yes, Chef?” responded Sooyoung as she stayed rooted in her place. 

“We will be adding your beef ribs stew to the menu next month,” said Seungwan as she grinned when Sooyoung looked surprised with her words. “Please prepare everything that’s necessary for the beef ribs stew on Monday so we can start developing the menu as soon as we can in the test kitchen. Got it, Chef?”

“Yes, Chef!” replied Sooyoung before she finally disappeared into the kitchen.

Seungwan can only chuckle from how giddy she looked when she told her that they will add her cuisine to the menu next month. When she turned around, she found Joohyun oddly staring at her with a raised eyebrow. “What?”

“Is it really that good?”

“It is really that good,” admitted Seungwan with a proud smile, Joohyun only chuckled before she took a sip of her tea. “She deserves to have other people try her special cuisine.”

“I agree with that,” giggled Joohyun as she looked at her with a proud smile. “Look at you, being the mentor now.”

“Please, it’s nothing. I’m just giving her a platform to become better as a great cook,” dismissed Seungwan as she rolled her eyes before leaving her chair and walking towards Joohyun. Her wife raised her eyebrow when Seungwan offered her hand for Joohyun to take. “I think it’s a beautiful night for us to dance.”

“Without music?” snorted Joohyun playfully.

She chuckled from her response while her hand rummaged through the front pocket of her blazer, taking out a small remote control and clicked a button. Soon, a soft melody coming from the bar direction filled the silence in the dining hall. “What? Do you think I came unprepared for our dinner? Of course I will do this.”

Joohyun only laughed as she finally took her hand and let Seungwan lead her to the center of the dining hall. The song is romantic and is perfect for moments like this. Seungwan guides her arms to circle around her neck while she has her own hands resting on her waist. She leads the swaying of their dance, and it doesn’t take a long time for Joohyun to follow, something that is easy for her to do because her wife has always been the better dancer between the two.

“You are being so romantic tonight,” commented Joohyun as they continued to sway to the romantic song played by a speaker somewhere. “Is there any reason?”

“I just want us to do this,” shrugged Seungwan, staring deep into her eyes. Her eyes that shine and sparkle because of the chandelier above them, like they were a sea of stars in the galaxy. “Besides, we shared a dance during our wedding. I might want us to do it again. It was a good dance, after all.”

Her wife laughs from her explanation. “You are such a goofball.”

“And I will always be your goofball,” whispered Seungwan as her laugh turned into a soft smile. She let one of her palms change position from her waist to her belly that started showing. Seungwan secretly can’t wait until she can feel their baby kick inside Joohyun. “Are you tired?”

“No,” admitted Joohyun truthfully. She also moved her hand to touch her face. Seungwan leaned into her warmth. “But I feel loved.”

Seungwan smiled, her heart beating so fast underneath her ribcage. She can’t fight back the urge of not kissing Joohyun, that’s why she connected their lips as soon as she said that. It’s their typical sweet kiss, filled with love. But Seungwan will never get bored of that. Never in her whole life. “I love you. Happy anniversary.”

“I love you too,” whispered Joohyun before she gave her another peck. “Happy anniversary.”

She let out a chuckle before she kissed her forehead. Pulling Joohyun closer inside her embrace as they continue to slow dancing in the empty dining hall. Where her whole world collides in a beautiful way, and Seungwan will never ask for something better.

Why would she, when her world is already in her arms?

---

lawd this sequel is long overdue honestly jdsdsdskfks but! since i have been thinking about this storyline ever since i finished with the first one, and how i finally found the motivation to continue, i decided to write the sequel for this story. i think it's a beautiful ending for the first part!

and it's also my first time once again in writing a story that has a lot of dialogue in it, the amount of research i need to do plus the french words that i need to type right skhfkhkfkskfsk gah writing this feels nostalgic honestly like damn i really love culinary theme yall. and i hope you guys love this too as much as i having a lot of fun in writing the sequel!

anyway, please leave a comment and let me know what you think about this story! if you want to interact with me, you can find me on twitter (just follow, i will accept)! feel free to also buy me a coffee!

i think that's all from me. thank you for reading, i hope you enjoy and like this work, and see you in the next story!