Alpha Culinary Love

*Beep! Beep! Beep!* The alarm clock blared in the early morning stillness, dragging me from a cozy dream involving a mountain of fluffy pancakes. I squinted at the clock, groaned, and rolled over to find Yura snuggled up next to me, her strawberry-scented hair tickling my nose.

"Morning, love," I murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She stirred, blinking sleepily at me with those big, beautiful eyes. "Morning," she replied, her voice husky from sleep. "What time is it?"

"Too early," I said, reluctantly sitting up. "But we have to get up. Duty calls."

Just as Yura nestled closer, ready to steal a few more minutes of warmth, a loud knock echoed from the door. "Miss Jiyeon! Miss Yura! You need to get up or you'll be late for work!" came the urgent voice of one of the manor's maids.

I sighed dramatically, eliciting a giggle from Yura. "Alright, alright! We're up!" I called back. The maid's footsteps retreated down the hallway.

Yura stretched, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips. "I guess that's our cue. We'd better get going." She leaned in, and our lips met in a tender, lingering kiss. The sweetness of her strawberry pheromones was intoxicating, making it hard to pull away.

Just as things were getting really interesting, I heard the system chime in my head: [New mission: Survive the day without any major disasters. Reward: A surprise!]

Great. Just what I needed—another mission. "Alright, let's get this day started," I said, reluctantly breaking the kiss. "I have a feeling it's going to be one for the books."

We got dressed quickly and made our way downstairs. The dining room was empty, save for a note on the table. "Parents had to leave early, but they'll visit soon. Love, Mom and Dad," it read.

"Guess it's just us for breakfast," Yura said, shrugging.

"More pancakes for us," I said with a grin, heading to the kitchen.

After a quick but hearty breakfast, Yura kissed me goodbye. "Good luck at the restaurant today. I'll see you tonight," she said.

"Thanks. You too. Don't let those board meetings get you down," I replied, watching her leave with a wistful smile.

I arrived at Flavors of Seoul and was immediately greeted by the hustle and bustle of the morning prep. Chef Kang, our head chef and a man of few words but many talents, was already busy orchestrating the kitchen staff.

"Morning, Chef Kang!" I called out.

"Morning, Jiyeon. Ready for another busy day?" he asked, not looking up from the cutting board.

"Always," I said, tying on my apron.

The morning service went smoothly, the dining room filled with the delicious aromas of our dishes and the chatter of satisfied customers. Just as the last of the breakfast crowd was finishing up, a loud crash came from the entrance.

"What the—?" I rushed out to see what was happening and found a group of brigands smashing up the place. Tables were overturned, dishes shattered, and patrons were screaming.

"Hey! Stop that!" I shouted, but one of the thugs grabbed me and shoved me against a wall. Pain shot through my shoulder, but I fought to stay conscious.

"Get out of here!" I yelled to the staff and customers. "Call the police!"

In the chaos, I tried to protect as many people as I could, but one of the brigands pulled out a knife and slashed at me. Pain exploded in my side, and I crumpled to the ground.

The last thing I saw before everything went black was Chef Kang tackling one of the attackers.

When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. Everything hurt, and my head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. I blinked a few times, trying to focus, and saw Yura sitting beside me, her eyes red from crying.

"Jiyeon! Thank goodness you're awake," she said, grabbing my hand.

"Hey, you," I said weakly, squeezing her hand back. "What happened?"

"The restaurant... It was attacked," she said, tears spilling over. "You were hurt trying to protect everyone. They brought you here as fast as they could."

I tried to sit up, but pain shot through my side, and I winced. "Sounds like a typical day in my life," I said with a weak laugh.

Yura leaned in, her lips brushing mine in a soft, tender kiss. "I was so scared," she whispered. "Don't you ever do that to me again."

"I'll try not to," I said, smiling despite the pain. "But you know me. Trouble always seems to find me."

We sat in silence for a moment, just holding each other, when the door opened, and Yura's parents walked in.

"Well, this is... unexpected," her father, Min-Jun, said, raising an eyebrow.

"Did we interrupt something?" her mother, Min-Seo, added, a teasing smile playing on her lips.

I chuckled despite the pain. "Just a little hospital room romance, nothing major."

Min-Jun sighed dramatically. "Jiyeon, I thought we discussed keeping the life-threatening heroics to a minimum. You have a track record now."

Yura laughed, squeezing my hand. "Dad, you know Jiyeon. Always the hero."

Min-Seo stepped forward, her smile turning warm and motherly. "We're just glad you're okay, Jiyeon. You had us all worried."

I felt a wave of gratitude wash over me. "Thank you. I'm just glad no one else was hurt."

Min-Jun crossed his arms, a mock-serious expression on his face. "But really, Jiyeon, how do you manage to turn a perfectly normal day into an action movie?"

I shrugged, wincing slightly. "It's a gift, I suppose."

We all laughed, the tension in the room melting away. Min-Seo looked at Yura and me, her eyes twinkling. "Well, since you're awake and seem to be in good spirits, how about we get you some real food? Hospital food is hardly fit for our Jiyeon."

"That sounds amazing," I said, my stomach growling in agreement.

As Min-Jun and Min-Seo left to find food, Yura leaned in close. "See? Even my parents can't stay serious around you."

I grinned. "It's part of my charm."

She kissed me again, softly this time. "Just promise me you'll be more careful. I can't lose you."

"I promise," I said, my heart swelling with love for her.