Chapter 19: Michelin Two-Star

Min-jae showed me another post.

[Join the boycott of market butcher shops]

• Choe Dae-gam isn’t the only problem
• The butcher next door charged the same prices—something’s fishy
• They definitely colluded
• Let’s boycott all market butchers this time
• Mega Meat is cleaner

489 likes

It had been posted just ten minutes ago, yet nearly five hundred people had already seen it.

“Hyung, this isn’t a joke. There are 1,500 Gayeong-dong moms in that group.”

Comments continued pouring in.

• I’m only shopping at Mega Meat starting tomorrow
• I’ll share this with the moms from my kid’s Grade 1 Class 3
• I posted it in the kindergarten group chat too
• Yeah, all market butchers are out
• What about Jun-ho’s place at the entrance of the market alley?
• They don’t sell pork belly there, so they might be unrelated
• Right, they only sell special cuts

“Huh?”

All of a sudden, our shop was being mentioned.

• Jun-ho’s Butcher Shop seems different
• They don’t sell pork belly in the first place
• The son also runs online sales, and the meat tastes good
• Oh, then that place should be fine?
• Either Mega Meat or Jun-ho’s
• Yeah, one of the two

Min-jae stared at the screen, stunned.

“Hyung… we just became the beneficiaries.”

I looked at the phone in awe.

“Wow… 2025 moms… are terrifying.”

“Hyung, why terrifying? This is good for us.”

“No. Their information network and solidarity…”

In 2157, individualism was so extreme that collective action like this almost never happened.

By future standards, the Mom Cafes of 2025 had influence comparable to small regional media outlets.

I needed to remember this.

For neighborhood businesses, once you’re on the bad side of a Mom Cafe—

You’re finished.

But right now—

Ding!

In the middle of becoming the Mom Cafe’s chosen butcher—

Online order notifications began ringing.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

“Hyung! Orders are exploding!”

[Order memo: I came here after seeing the mom cafe. I want to buy from a place I can trust.]
[Order memo: I was looking for a shop with clear origin labeling.]
[Order memo: You don’t seem involved in the market butcher collusion, so I trust you.]

My father rushed over, startled.

“What’s going on? Why is the shop suddenly getting so many calls?”

“Dad, it’s the Mom Cafe.”

“Mom Cafe?”

“It’s like an online hideout for mothers. Our shop got mentioned there—”

Ding!

“Hyung! Fifty orders in thirty minutes!”

Min-jae shouted.

*****

“Hyung, I can really come with you, right?”

Min-jae asked excitedly from the passenger seat of the truck.

“There’s no reason you can’t… but you’re quitting as soon as you find a job. Why bother?”

“Come on, hyung! I’m still your only employee.”

“You’re quitting the day after tomorrow. What are you even going to learn in Majang-dong?”

Min-jae grinned.

“You know my life philosophy. Whatever you do, do it properly.”

“Alright, fine.”

I drove along the quiet pre-dawn road.

“Hyung, is President Choe from Majang-dong really that picky?”

“He’s handled nothing but beef for thirty years. Even famous chefs buy meat from him.”

“Oh… then I really need to look carefully.”

“Look? Just carry the meat properly.”

“Yes, sir! I’ll show you my porter skills today.”

Min-jae slapped his bare forearm.

“By the way, hyung—how do you tell good meat from bad?”

“You just… know, once you’ve seen enough.”

“Ayy, hyung. You’ve got something, don’t you? You never ran a butcher shop before, but you’ve been good at judging meat from the start.”

I wanted to explain, but couldn’t.

“It’s nothing. I just grew up in a butcher shop.”

“Then every butcher’s kid in the country should be a meat genius.”

“…Is that so?”

“Just say you don’t want to teach me.”

“……”

We cut through the dawn air toward Majang-dong.

“Oh! Jun-ho, you’re here early? And you brought a handsome friend too.”

Min-jae grinned brightly at President Choe’s greeting.

“Hello. This is my junior, Min-jae.”

“Nice to meet you! Kim Min-jae, the only employee of Hidden Gem Butcher Shop!”

“Haha, welcome. Wait a moment—I’m helping a customer first.”

Inside the shop, a man in his forties was examining carcasses with an assistant.

Min-jae suddenly grabbed my arm.

“Hyung! That guy!”

“What?”

“That’s Chef Park Seong-ho! He’s on TV all the time—winner of Top Chef Korea!”

Now that he mentioned it, the face looked vaguely familiar.

“Really? Is he that famous?”

“Hyung, don’t you even watch Netflix? You’re totally cut off from society. Are you a monk or something?”

“…Do you think I have time for that?”

Since I came from 2157, there was no way I’d know—or care—who the celebrities of 2025 were.

Back then, people like him wouldn’t even rank above the bacteria under my toenails.

“Hyung, he runs a Michelin two-star restaurant called Nayeon. I’m glad I came today.”

“Shh. Keep your voice down.”

I was more interested in the meat he was examining.

I stepped closer and lightly brushed it with my fingertips.

*****

[Korean Beef – Grade 1 Heifer]
Cut: Whole carcass
Grade: 1
Time since slaughter: 26 hours
Freshness: 94 / 100

Meat Analysis
Marbling: ★★★☆☆
Juiciness: ★★★★☆
Tenderness: ★★★★☆
Flavor: ★★★★★

Aging Prediction
24 hours: Improved
72 hours: Greatly improved
Optimal aging: 14 days
Projected change: +47%

Notes:
Appears average now, but has top-tier aging potential.
Sirloin and striploin expected to undergo dramatic change after 14 days.

*****

‘Damn it… if only I’d arrived ten minutes earlier.’

Picking up Min-jae on the way cost me a treasure.

The early bird gets the worm.

But Chef Park’s expression wasn’t bright.

At a moment that should’ve sparked eureka, the two were stiff.

Chef Park crossed his arms.

“The marbling’s lacking, don’t you think?”

“Yes. The color’s a bit dull too.”

“President Choe, let’s pass on this one. Anything else?”

…What?

This so-called top chef failed to recognize a hidden gem.

I almost laughed out loud.

As soon as he moved away, I stepped in.

“President Choe, I’ll take this one.”

“After seeing Chef Park reject it?”

“Yes. It looks good to me. Everyone sees differently.”

“Well… I don’t mind, but it feels risky.”

Chef Park turned around.

No malice—just the smug shadow of a condescending veteran.

“Young man, may I give you some advice?”

No thanks.

Butchers didn’t ask chefs how to butcher.

“Ah… no, it’s fine.”

“Marbling aside, the color’s bad. Meat like this stays tough even after aging.”

He kept going despite my refusal.

“Hyung, if the chef says so, it must be true.”

“Whose employee are you?”

“In Culinary Masters, a chef ignored Chef Park and got eliminated in Episode 2.”

Chef Park puffed up.

“That’s just TV editing. Anyway—”

“I see.”

I nodded half-heartedly.

“I’ve handled meat for twenty years. This kind has limits, no matter how you age it.”

He raised his voice deliberately.

I smiled politely.

“Y-yes, I understand.”

When he turned away again, Min-jae whispered urgently.

“Hyung, are you sure? That’s Chef Park…”

“It’s fine. Trust me.”

“Wow. Look at that confidence.”

Chef Park turned again, now annoyed.

I whispered to Min-jae.

“This meat will be completely different after 14 days. I’ll sell it to regulars then.”

Chef Park scoffed.

“A lot of food movies, huh? Aging isn’t magic. You haven’t been in this business long, right?”

He looked at his assistant.

“This is why amateurs are dangerous. They think TV makes them experts.”

“That’s right, Chef.”

That crossed the line.

I smiled.

“Then… want to make a bet?”

“…A bet?”

“If you’re so famous, why hesitate?”

Chef Park hesitated.

“If I age this for 14 days and you agree I’m right, you buy the whole thing from me at retail price.”

He burst out laughing.

“Interesting. You run a butcher shop?”

“Yes. Hidden Gem Butcher Shop. Online and offline.”

“Fine. I’ll take the bet.”

“And if I lose?”

“I’ll give you as much special pork cuts as you want.”

“Special cuts?”

“Yes. I’m confident in those.”

Business cards were exchanged.

[Restaurant Nayeon | Owner Chef Park Seong-ho]

“Contact me in 14 days.”

“Wait.”

“How do we prove it’s the same meat?”

The carcass number was recorded. Photos were taken. Signatures written.

No excuses.

Fourteen days later—

This meat would speak for itself.