Chapter 20: D-day

“Hey, what do you mean, wicked? This is just business.”

“No, you calculated all of that from the very beginning…?”

When I tilted my head, Min-jae glared at me. I thought he would have noticed that much by now. This guy is surprisingly naive in some ways.

“Jun-ho, if I look closely, you have the temperament of a con artist. You weren’t like this before, but you’ve changed a bit since you started the meat business.”

“Huh? That again?”

It was true that I had changed. I was a completely different person, after all. He wasn’t entirely lacking in intuition.

“Otherwise, how could you be so confident? That’s not confidence, it’s total bluffing.”

“Hey, it’s just a hunch. A hunch.”

There was no better way to explain it other than using the word intuition. I wasn’t lying to Min-jae right now.

“What kind of hunch is that? It just looked like sheer guts to me.”

As the car stopped at a traffic light, Min-jae asked seriously.

“But really, quit joking around. Is it possible we could actually lose?”

“No, we won’t lose.”

“Why? How? On what grounds?”

“Because it’s the meat I chose.”

“Wow, your baseless confidence is truly Messi-level.”

“Messi? What’s that… never mind.”

Every time we managed to have a decent conversation, this kid would say something I didn’t understand. Min-jae shook his head.

“Even so, I can’t help but feel that wasting the special cuts is a shame.”

“I don’t feel that way at all. If anything, it’s cheap advertising. Think about how big of an endorsement it is that a Michelin chef tried it.”

“Fine. Just make sure you don’t cut my part-time pay because you lost a bet.”

“What? You weren’t worried about the shop, you were worried about yourself?”

*****

Lunchtime, Jun-ho’s Butcher Shop.

“Jajangmyeon is here!”

The delivery driver opened the door and walked in.

“Yes, please put it here.”

Father, Min-jae, and I. The three of us gathered around a table on one side of the shop. We always ate together like this during lunch. What started because I didn’t want my father eating alone had now become a daily routine.

“Ah, Jun-ho! You should have ordered some tangsuyuk too.”

Min-jae grumbled as he snapped his wooden chopsticks apart.

“Jajangmyeon and tangsuyuk is the unwritten law… you’re a bad boss.”

“Hey, you get paid well, you get free beef every day, you eat all three meals here from morning to night, and I even buy you seasoned raw beef and soju at Uncle Seong-jin’s place sometimes.”

“Even so, a side of tangsuyuk… fine! Wow, you’re stingy, so stingy.”

Father laughed and spoke.

“Let’s order tangsuyuk tomorrow. I’ll pay.”

“Oh! As expected of you, sir!”

Min-jae gave a thumbs up. After talking for a while over the noodles, I set my chopsticks down.

“Father, Min-jae.”

“What is it?”

“I’m going to start selling pork belly.”

The two of them swallowed the noodles in their mouths and stared at me simultaneously.

“All of a sudden?”

Father and Min-jae looked surprised. But my thoughts were a bit different.

“Since the incident with Boss Choi, all the neighborhood butcher shops have been devastated.”

“That’s true…”

“Customers are suspicious of Boss Kim and Boss Lee, so their business isn’t doing well either.”

“You’re right. I passed by Boss Kim’s place yesterday, and there wasn’t a single customer.”

“Exactly. And since we don’t sell pork belly, the people in the neighborhood have no choice but to go to Mega Meat.”

“That can’t be helped.”

“But the interesting thing is…”

I took out my phone and showed them the Mega Meat flyer I had photographed yesterday.

“Mega Meat finally quietly raised their prices.”

“What?”

“2,500 won per 100 grams of pork belly.”

Father and Min-jae seemed to be seeing it for the first time.

“Huh? Wasn’t it 1,980 won until yesterday?”

“Yeah. As soon as their competitors disappeared, they raised the price.”

Father examined the flyer closely.

“It’s true. At 2,500 won…”

“Now we can be competitive even if we sell at the normal price. If we compete solely on quality.”

I tapped the table with my wooden chopsticks. We couldn’t lower our price to 2,500 won. That was roughly the price we paid at wholesale. However, the price difference wasn’t nonsensical anymore.

“The situation has finally reached a point where we can truly go head-to-head with Mega Meat.”

“But Jun-ho, where are you going to get the pork belly from?”

“I’m thinking of asking Boss Choi at Majang-dong. He has a wide network.”

Father thought for a moment and then agreed.

“Good. Let’s give it a proper shot. This might be our chance now that Mega Meat raised their prices.”

“Yes. There’s still a price gap, but it’s not so large that we can’t challenge them.”

Min-jae raised his hand.

“I agree too!”

“Instead… we must compete solely on quality. We can’t beat them on price anyway. Only high-quality pork belly.”

“Of course.”

Father said with a smile. As I was about to stand up after finishing the jajangmyeon, Min-jae asked seriously.

“But Jun-ho, you’re really ordering tangsuyuk tomorrow, right?”

“…”

*****

The 14th day since meeting Chef Park, 7:00 AM.

With an excited heart, I stood in front of the aging room. Temperature 2 degrees Celsius, humidity 85%. It was in perfect condition.

‘Today is the day.’

I opened the door to the aging room. K-3847 was hanging there. The surface had turned a deep brown, but that was the very proof of perfect aging.

I closed my eyes and placed my hand on it.

[Hanwoo – Grade 1 Cow (Aged 14 Days)]
Cut: Entire
Grade: Grade 1
Time since slaughter: 350 hours
Current freshness: 87/100
Aging completion: 98/100
Meat Analysis
Marbling: ★★★★☆ (Concentrated by aging)
Juiciness: ★★★★★ (Perfect water-holding capacity)
Tenderness: ★★★★★ (Maximized enzyme action)
Aroma: ★★★★★ (Deep, rich nuttiness)
Notes:
Umami components increased 3x through 14-day aging
Tenderness maximized through protein breakdown
Savory aroma preserved by minimizing fat oxidation
Striploin: Achieved Michelin restaurant-level quality
Ribeye: Marbling clarity improved by 200%

“Wow…”

An exclamation escaped my lips involuntarily. It had aged far more wonderfully than I expected.

“Jun-ho, what are you looking at so seriously?”

“Father, look at this.”

Father approached the aging room. And the moment he saw the meat.

“Oh?”

Father’s eyes also widened instantly.

“Is this… that K-3847?”

“Yes.”

“Good heavens… what happened here?”

Father leaned in so close his face almost touched the meat, examining it from all angles. The eyes of a master with 30 years of experience shone sharply.

“This has become a completely different piece of meat.”

“Right? You can see it clearly too, Father?”

Father pointed his finger at the striploin.

“Look here. The marbling has become so vivid. It was just an ordinary shape 14 days ago.”

“Look at this side of the ribeye too.”

“Wow, the color… wow, this is really…”

Father stammered as if he were at a loss for words. Just then, Min-jae walked in.

“Jun-ho! Today is D-day, right? The bet about giving the special cuts to Chef Park for free…”

Min-jae, who was teasing me jokingly, stopped mid-sentence when he saw the aging room.

“Whoa… what is this?”

“It’s the meat we bought.”

“Really? Even to a complete amateur like me, it looks totally different.”

Min-jae took out his phone and compared it with the photo from 14 days ago.

“Jun-ho, look at this! It’s a completely different meat from 14 days ago! If we hadn’t marked it like you said, I would’ve thought it was swapped.”

Father spoke cautiously.

“Jun-ho, if it’s at this level…”

“Chef Park has no choice but to lose.”

I cut a small piece and grilled it in a pan. As the aroma of the meat rose, the three of us, with empty stomachs in the morning, swallowed our saliva simultaneously.

“Wow, Jun-ho, should I go buy a bottle of soju?”

“Is the aroma that good?”

“Yes, it’s a scent that just calls for a drink.”

Sizzle—

The fat rendered appropriately without being excessive. A perfect balance. At this level, it could even be considered B-grade by the standards of the year 2157.

“Please try it.”

Father took a bite.

“Wow!”

Min-jae’s eyes nearly popped out after eating it.

“Jun-ho, this is insane! It melts in your mouth!”

“The umami is exploding, right?”

“I don’t know what umami is, but first of all, how should I put it… to express it professionally… it’s freaking delicious!”

Father was also impressed.

“I’ve run a butcher shop for 30 years, but I’ve never seen a transformation like this.”

I carved out the striploin separately. The aging of this cut was the most perfect.

“I’m going to shut Chef Park up with this cut.”

“Jun-ho, aren’t you going to land a contract with Nayeon with this?”

“It’s not over yet.”

But inwardly, I was certain. If he didn’t acknowledge this even after eating it, he wasn’t a chef, he was a fraud. I believed a famous figure like Chef Park would have at least that much character.

I took out my phone and sent a text to Chef Park.

[Chef Park, this is Jun-ho’s Butcher Shop. The 14-day aging is complete. When can you visit?]

A reply came in less than five minutes.

[I’ll be there at 3 PM. This should be interesting.]

Father spoke worriedly.

“Will it be okay?”

“Don’t worry. This is a game I’ve already won.”

I touched the meat again.

[Aging completion: 98/100]

In my criteria, it was lacking 2%, but it was enough. No, for now, it was perfect.

“Min-jae, let’s clean up the shop.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Father, please rearrange the meat display.”

“Sure.”

*****

3:00 PM, Hidden Gem Meats.

“Hello.”

Chef Park Seong-ho walked in with two staff members. The pretty boy I saw that day also walked in with a smirk.

Chef Park still had a confident expression. He carried an air of leisure as if he had already won. Looking around the shop, Chef Park gave a slight snort.

“This place… is online only?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t you say last time you did both online and offline?”

His tone was slightly mocking.

“Ah, the offline shop is separate, right at the entrance of the alley. This is the workspace.”

“I see… then there’s nothing to see if it’s online only. Let’s look at that meat first.”

He spoke with emphasis, as if he were about to confirm a disappointing result. I took K-3847 out of the aging room. The moment I placed it on the table.

“…”

Chef Park stopped talking. His mouth opened slightly and then closed again.

“This is…”

The confidence in his shoulders slumped a bit. The pretty boy assistant, lacking tact, was the first to exclaim.

“Chef, this is… amazing.”

“Be quiet.”

Chef Park reacted irritably to his staff. His pupils were already shaking as if an 8.0 magnitude earthquake had hit. It looked like the game would end quite easily.

However, his eyes still didn’t leave the meat. Was he looking for an excuse? The staff who followed him couldn’t hide their shocked expressions either.

“Look at the marbling. It looks like a completely different meat.”

Chef Park leaned his face in close to examine the meat. He took off his glasses and put them back on several times. He didn’t seem to have presbyopia. It was an expression of utter disbelief.

“Wait a minute…”

He took out his phone and zoomed in on the photo from 14 days ago. He looked back and forth between the meat and the photo. Once, twice, three times.

“Is this really that same meat?”

Was he going for a conspiracy theory now that it had come to this? The leisure had vanished from his voice.

“Yes, please check the carcass number.”

Chef Park almost knelt down to check the side. K-3847, the date, Boss Choi’s signature. Even his own signature.

“I can’t believe it…”

He pressed the surface of the meat with his finger. He checked the speed at which it bounced back. And then he checked the color once more.

“This color…”

He spoke as if muttering to himself.

“This… this is impossible…”

“Shall we grill some of the striploin?”

“Yes, yes… I suppose we should.”

The word ‘yes’ came out of Chef Park’s mouth twice. It was proof that he had lost his composure.

I cut a small piece and put it on the pan.

Sssssss—
Sizzle—

As the rich aroma of meat filled the air, Chef Park’s expression changed again. His thick eyebrows went up like black caterpillars and then came back down.

“This aroma…”

The staff from Nayeon exchanged uneasy glances. They were probably wondering if their chef was wrong.

Chef Park picked up his chopsticks. The tips of his chopsticks trembled slightly. He picked up a piece and quickly put it in his mouth. And the moment he took a bite.

“!!!”

His eyes widened to the size of ping-pong balls. He closed his eyes and chewed the meat slowly. Then another piece. This time, even more slowly. The pretty boy assistant, who had been watching silently, asked cautiously.

“Chef, how is it?”

Chef Park set his chopsticks down. He stared at the meat for a long time without saying anything. And then…

“Haha… Hahaha!”

He began to laugh, softly at first, then louder. Like a musical crescendo.

“Hahahaha!”

The boisterous laughter filled the shop. Startled, Min-jae quietly took a step back.

What is wrong with this guy all of a sudden?

“This… this… I’ve lost completely!”

“Chef?”

“Really… how in just 14 days…”

Chef Park scratched his head with a dazed expression, looking like the neighborhood fool. He looked like someone who had cast aside all his pride.

“I’ve been looking at aged meat for 20 years… but I’ve never seen a change like this.”

He ate another piece.

“The tenderness, the juices, the aroma… it’s perfect.”

This time, I grilled the ribeye cut as well. Again, he was in awe.

“This is crazy… truly crazy.”

Chef Park asked with a look of genuine curiosity.

“How did you age it? The temperature? Humidity? You have some special method, don’t you?”

His eyes were almost pleading. I shook my head.

“Didn’t you say last time that I thought aging was some kind of magic?”

“That was… I was being foolish back then…”

Chef Park laughed awkwardly, looking embarrassed.

“I was wrong then. But really, how…”

“What you said back then was right, Chef. Aging isn’t everything.”

Chef Park looked puzzled.

“Then?”

“It’s not that I’m great at aging, but that I chose meat that would improve through aging in the first place.”

“…”

Chef Park’s mouth hung open.

“That is the difference between other butcher shops and me.”

“But how did you know that…”

“There’s no need to ask me about the aging method. You already know it yourself, Chef.”

“What do you mean…”

“Temperature 2 degrees, humidity 85%. There’s nothing special. It’s just the textbook method.”

Chef Park shook his head in disbelief.

“Just that resulted in this?”

“Yes. If the meat is good, that alone is enough.”

Chef Park stood there in silence for a long time. Then he let out a deep sigh.

“I was… truly arrogant.”

The Nayeon staff approached Chef Park with surprised faces.

“Chef?”

“I really… what’s so great about 20 years of experience…”

Chef Park looked me straight in the eye.

“I have lost completely. I admit it.”

He suddenly pulled his wallet out of his back pocket.

“I’ll buy all of this meat as promised. How much is it?”

“The cost was 3.5 million, plus a 30% retail margin, and a 10% aging premium. It’s 5 million.”

“You take cards, right? I’ll pay in advance and take the meat in installments. Would that be okay?”

“Of course.”

The staff whispered among themselves.

“Chef, are you really going to buy it all?”

“Of course. Because I lost.”

Then he looked at me again.

“And… I have one more favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

“I’d like to do business with you regularly. Would that be possible?”