Key grunted in frustration as he fastened the chef's neck tie, completing his uniform. He had less than a minute before head Chef Song Seunghyun entered the kitchen, and he still had to tidy his work station. Key was employed as a junior sous chef at La Bella Napoli, a high class Italian restaurant situated in central Seoul, a post he had held for a little over six months.

"Junior Sous Chef Kim, are you ready for service?" A voice boomed throughout the kitchen, and Key knew instantly that his boss had arrived. "Or do I need to get the beans?"

"I'm ready, chef." Key answered, quickly wiping down his workstation, the thought of the beans sent a shiver down his spine.

"Today is my first day." Key smiled brightly as he explained to the front of house staff why he was trying to enter the restaurant before it officially opened for service. "My name is Kim Kibum, but everyone calls me Key." Key was dressed down in jeans, a modest teeshirt and leather jacket, his brand new chef's whites stored in his bag, ready to change into before his shift started.

"Oh, Head Chef Song asked us to seat you first." The young waiter said, his gaze not quite meeting Key's eye.

Key nodded, following the waiter into the restaurant, wondering how someone so young managed to gain employment within the restaurant. "Okay." Key glanced at the young waiter, he couldn't have been any older than nineteen, although the suit he was wearing as part of his uniform made him look older.

"Please sit here." The waiter bowed his head, indicating to a table situated in the centre of the restaurant.

Key nodded again, placing his bag on an empty seat before taking a seat himself. He looked around the restaurant, there were 15 tables, each seating between four and eight, more than enough to keep him busy. He also knew that the restaurant was one of the most exclusive restaurants in Seoul, a months wait, if you were lucky, to get a table.

"Ahem."

Key looked up as he heard the cough, the same waiter from before was stood at his table, along with two other waiters, all three with plates in their hands. He watched with interest as the three plates were placed on the table in front of him, wondering if the food was for him, or some elaborative welcoming event. "What is this for?" He asked.

The waiters simply bowed their heads before leaving the table, leaving Key with the food. Key shrugged, reaching for the cutlery, he might as well enjoy the food that had been presented to him.

"Junior Sous Chef Kim."

Key tore his sight from the food, dropping the cutlery as though they were red hot. He saw an older man stood where the waiters had been, dressed in the same chef's whites as Key himself had. "Yes, Chef."

"Do you recognise these dishes?"

Key nodded, "garden salad with balsamic dressing, quattro formaggio pizza, and seafood pasta with tomato and mascarpone sauce."

"These are three of the dishes that we have to offer in our restaurant. These dishes may someday be your responsibility."

Key nodded, eyes trained on the chef. "Yes, chef."

"Where is your uniform?"

"In my bag." Key grabbed his bag, holding it up so that the senior chef could see.

"Are you wearing jewellery?"

Key nodded, instantly feeling guilty, knowing that jewellery, no matter how sentimental it's value, was not allowed in the kitchen. "I was going to take it off when I got changed."

"Don't bother. I will not let you in my kitchen on your first day." The chef turned his attention away from Key. "Waiting staff Lee, take this food away and bring the prepared materials."

Key saw the young waiter hurry over to the table, collecting the three dishes and taking them into the kitchen, returning a minute later with an empty wine bottle, a set of chopsticks and a metal mixing bowl half filled with beans.

"Using the chopsticks, transfer the beans to the wine bottle. Move into the staff area, I don't want you making the restaurant look messy." The chef his heel, moving away from Key ('No doubt to shout at some other poor unsuspecting employee' Key thought bitterly).

"Sorry." The young waiter said, "follow me."

Key groaned, collecting his belongings and following the waiter to the staff area.

Key readied his chopping board and knives, the cooker closest to him already switched on and ready for use. The rest of the staff filed in around him, the waiting staff standing in the restaurant the other side of the hot plate.

"I expect one hundred and ten percent today, anyone who believes they cannot match this, should leave now." Head Chef Song boomed, the same speech as Key had heard every day for the past six months. Not once had anyone actually left.

"Yes Chef."

Key nodded as he spoke, making sure he spoke loudly and clearly, hoping to be allocated one of the more complex dishes on the menu for once.

"Junior Sous Chef Kim."

"Yes Chef." Key looked up, meeting the gaze of his senior.

"Chicken Parmesan with rocket garnish. Panacotta."

"Yes chef." Key said, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice, the dishes were neither complex or popular. At least he wasn't given the least popular (and simplest) dishes on the menu. He had suffered through cooking the simple garden salad and spaghetti and tomato sauce for nearly four month of his employment.

"Cook me your best dish."

It was Key's second day at La Bella Napoli. Head Chef Song had allowed Key to dress in his chef's whites (Key had hurriedly hidden his jewellery before entering the restaurant), and was now demanding Key cook for him.

"Yes Chef." Key answered, looking around the kitchen.

"Use any of the ingredients that are here. Your performance in this test will allow me to assess what you will cook during service hours." Chef Song took a seat to the left of Key's workstation, watching his every move.

Key huffed, shuffling over to the refrigerators. He had been tested for the past three years at culinary school, so this shouldn't be a problem, but the head chef was far more intimidating than the teachers at school. Key rifled through the refrigerator, pulling out the ingredients that he would require to make his best dish, eel salad.

Key placed the fresh vegetables on the counter, before gingerly stepping over to the tank where the fresh eel were, taking the slippery creature from the iced water and taking it back the station. Key started to work on preparing the creature, being careful of the gall bladder and it's bitter contents (Key was tempted to burst the yellow pocket so that the food would be as bitter as the man eating it, but thought better of it). Once the eel was prepared, he set about making his marinade, carefully coating each piece of eel before setting it on a non-stick baking sheet and placing it in the oven, turning his attention to the rest of the ingredients.

Key set to work on the vegetables, shredding the lettuce with a well-trained hand before mixing it with rocket and watercress and arranging it in a loose ball in the centre of the plate. Next he turned to the dressing, pouring the correct levels of oil, honey and balsamic vinegar into a small pot before adding chilli flakes, testing the dressing before deciding that it was suitable. Key carefully drizzled half of the dressing over the vegetables before collecting his eel from the oven, carefully removing them from the baking sheet and laying on the plate, drizzling the remainder of the dressing over them.

"I'm finished." Key announced, setting the plate in front of Chef Song.

Chef Song gave the plate a look. "Presentation is decent," he said before reaching for the cutlery, taking the knife and fork into his hand and cutting a small amount of eel.

Key could feel his heart race as Chef Song placed the eel in his mouth, eye's narrowing in disgust as the head chef spat the eel onto the floor.

"The eel is over cooked, the marinade is far too sweet, and the dressing too acidic." The chef criticised. "I would not serve this to even my worst enemy."

Key blinked, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to escape at the chef's harsh words. He had been criticised before at school, but never had his teacher spat out his food and said such horrible words.

"You will prepare vegetables for the other chefs. If you can do that well, then I might let you prepare dinner for the staff." Chef Song said, "clean up this mess before service."

Key nodded, taking the plate from Chef Song and dumping the contents in the bin. Rather than getting more upset, Key was determined to show Chef Song wrong, to show him exactly why he was the top student in his class.
 

Hello! My first chaptered SHINee fic that isn't random drabbles!

In case it isn't clear, italicised text in this chaper is flashbacks to Key's first days at La Bella Napoli.

I hope you enjoy reading this.

Please comment/recommend.