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If there’s one thing you absolutely must do at a place like North Cafe, what would that be?

Well, I guess it differs from person to person, but personally, I think it has to be eating ramen.

If you’ve ever tried it, you’ll know why.

Though it’s called North Cafe, in reality, it’s pretty much like a manga cafe, and the ramen you eat here has a special taste, just like the one from a gaming cafe.

The flavor of slurping noodles with one hand flipping through a manga with the other is truly something else…

So, while Chae-rim went to pick out something to read, I headed towards the ramen corner.

Since I made it all the way here, I might as well enjoy it to the fullest.

And personally, I wanted to share with Chae-rim how amazing ramen tastes here.

‘By the way…’

I don’t know who the owner is, but they definitely learned how to run a cafe properly.

As evidence, the moment I stepped into the ramen corner, it was like a scene welcoming me with all the popular ramen brands gathered in one place.

Is that all?

The delightful sides of pickled radish and kimchi were also set up in a self-service style.

‘Ah, I need to buy eggs separately.’

A raw egg for 500 won? That’s a bit pricey.

Still, I had no thoughts of skipping the eggs.

Ramen without eggs? That’s just wrong.

If that’s the case, I might as well eat cup noodles instead of freshly boiled ramen.

So first, I grabbed two eggs and then started checking out the other things laid out next to the basket filled with eggs.

Since it looks like many people use this place, they probably had everything available to satisfy as many tastes as possible for ramen toppings.

There were string cheese that’s just perfect for adding to stir-fried noodles, along with mozzarella and cheddar cheese.

Not to mention, even small versions of Vienna sausages were being sold separately.

‘If this keeps up…’

I can’t ignore the fact that I must make ‘that’…

With not only the eggs but cheese right there, if I don’t make ‘that’, it’s practically a crime.

When in Rome, you must do as the Romans do. If I’ve come to such a place, I ought to enjoy ramen properly.

So, I returned the spicy ramen I had intended to get and picked up a pack of Jajang Ramyeon instead.

For a brief moment, I thought about cooking two, but decided to stick with just one.

After all, I don’t know what kind of magic is at work, but even Jajang Ramyeon and Bibim Ramyeon seem to leave me feeling unsatisfied if I only cook one, yet cooking two at once feels like overkill.

In a way, if they created a version with 1.5 times the original serving, people would go nuts and buy it exclusively…

While I was lost in these pointless thoughts, I diligently headed to the checkout with my gathered items.

“When you pay an additional 3,000 won, we can cook it for you and bring it to your room. Would you like that?”

“No, that’s fine.”

Then, I finished my payment neatly and headed to the row of burners.

‘First off…’

It would make sense to start with the Jajang Ramyeon, given it takes a bit more time to cook, and I needed to fry the egg too.

However, unfortunately, there wasn’t a frying pan, so I decided to use a pot instead.

I substituted cooking oil with the seasoning oil inside the Jajang Ramyeon.

After cracking an egg and quickly frying one, I moved it to a small disposable bowl I had brought for serving and began the actual ramen-making process.

For Jajang Ramyeon, I used a bit less water than what’s suggested on the back of the package.

Just enough to submerge the noodles slightly, I placed that on the heat and began to boil it vigorously.

In contrast, for the regular ramen, I added water according to the recipe on the back.

Perhaps because it was a pot, it quickly started bubbling, and the sound of boiling filled the air.

It was then that I dropped the thicker, Jajang Ramyeon noodles into the pot with relatively less water.

After about a minute, I tossed in the regular ramen noodles.

From there, all I had to do was add the seasoning and the toppings, and it would be done.

‘In the past, I used to dump all this water out…’

I followed the recipe on the back, so I ended up cooking that way.

But at some point, I found that method didn’t taste as good.

It felt like something crucial was missing.

While I was distracted by that useless thought, my preset alarm went off, and I quickly turned it off.

Then, I removed the pots from the heat, which were undoubtedly giving off a smell that would make anyone drool.

‘Now for the final touch…’

If I add the fried egg and a piece of cheese, the Jajang Ramyeon will be complete.

The regular ramen was already done.

I gathered the pickled radish and kimchi I had set aside on a tray and headed to our room where Chae-rim was waiting.

“Eh? What’s that, ramen?”

“I noticed we could order extra food while wandering around… but why didn’t you just order something like rice?”

Seeing how it looked like I made it myself, maybe she thought ramen wouldn’t be enough due to the workload.

Chae-rim showed a slight hint of worry, and I smiled reassuringly.

“If it’s not enough, we can just order more later.”

Of course, once she takes a bite, she’ll likely forget about that.

“Just try it out first.”

“Eh? You made two kinds?”

“Yes, because you have to eat either fluffy ramen or Jajang Ramyeon at a place like this.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, it is.”

It’s practically common knowledge, I’d say.

My statement left her somewhat incredulous, and for a moment, she chuckled.

Chae-rim then dipped her spoon to taste the broth with an excited expression.

“Wooah…!”

She gasped softly, her body shivering.

Well, it’s understandable.

With the bitter cold wind blowing outside, even indoors, the air is slightly chilly, and spicy broth truly becomes a cheat code in this weather.

I even added a bit of pepper to enhance the spiciness.

So for Chae-rim, it must have felt especially delightful.

And with ramen, if the broth is tasty, it already counts as half the meal.

Just look at her face, seemingly saying she can’t take it anymore.

As Chae-rim eagerly raced toward the strikingly red broth, I found myself left to deal with the neglected Jajang Ramyeon, starting to mix it up.

First, I deliberately broke the runny yolk.

The golden, thick liquid began to ooze out, swirling gently through the brown noodles.

Not missing that opportunity, I mixed it vigorously to ensure the cheese spread evenly—

‘Wow, this is…’

The smell began to fill the room, truly maddening.

The distinctive aroma of Jajang Ramyeon, combined with the rich scents of the egg and cheese, plus a hint of olive oil.

Every time I took a light breath, it felt like an overwhelming wave of aroma wash over me, and almost immediately, my stomach began to growl in response.

And was it just me reacting to that aroma?

The moment I lifted a noodle adorned with fluffy seaweed, I heard Chae-rim right beside me swallow audibly.

When I looked over at her, noticing she had turned the lid of the pot into a makeshift plate, our eyes met.

Right after that, the sound of her swallowing echoed once more.

I turned to Chae-rim and asked, “Would you like me to serve you some?”

Chae-rim started nodding her head like crazy, as if she was headbanging.

 

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