Bulgogi Burger
1052 Words
Carmela's POV
Carmela sat in the back area, gripping her freshly made bulgogi burger as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
She stared at it, savoring the warmth of the sesame bun against her fingertips.
My lifeline. At last, I’ll be able to eat.
A small chuckle escaped her lips at the overly dramatic thought.
She adjusted her position on the stairs, which led up to the crew’s lounge. It wasn’t the most comfortable spot, but at this point, she didn’t care. The past few hours had been nothing short of exhausting—nonstop orders, long lines at the counter, and the endless beeping of machines filling the air.
Her feet ached, her stomach was empty, and this burger was the only thing that could save her.
With a relieved sigh, she stretched her legs out, rolling her ankles a little to ease the discomfort. She then reached up and removed her drive-thru headset, setting it beside her. Since she was near the first window of the drive-thru, she could still hear her crew calling for her when they needed a swipe.
Finally, she turned her attention back to her well-deserved meal.
She unwrapped the burger slowly, as if savoring the moment before the first bite. The scent of grilled beef, sweet bulgogi sauce, and soft toasted bread hit her nose, making her stomach growl in anticipation.
Without hesitation, she took a small bite.
Hmmm, heaven.
The flavors melted in her mouth, the sweetness of the sauce blending perfectly with the juiciness of the meat. It was exactly what she needed after hours of running around.
Encouraged by the taste, she quickly took another bite. But this time, it wasn’t enough. She needed more. Deciding not to hold back, she opened her mouth wide, preparing to take a much bigger bite.
Just as her teeth were about to sink into the bun—
The sound of the drive-thru window sliding open made her freeze. Her eyes flickered to the side in reflex.
A car had pulled up, and the customer was already handing his card to the crew member at the window.
And then—his gaze shifted to her.
For a long, awkward second, their eyes locked.
Carmela was still in mid-bite, her mouth slightly open, her burger held halfway to her lips. The customer, meanwhile, was frozen in place, card in hand, clearly caught off guard by the scene in front of him.
His expression was unreadable, but the slight lift of his brows and the way his lips parted slightly suggested that he was… surprised? Amused?
Carmela, still holding her burger, could feel her cheeks heat up.
Oh, great. This is just perfect.
She should probably look away. Pretend she didn’t notice. Act natural. But instead of doing any of that, she just… continued. Without breaking eye contact, she bit into her burger.
The moment she did, the customer finally seemed to snap out of his daze. He blinked rapidly, then awkwardly handed his card over to the crew.
She could feel the secondhand embarrassment creeping in, but it was too late to undo what had just happened.
Hoping to escape the awkwardness, she slowly turned her back to the window, chewing as casually as she could.
But before she could make her getaway—
"Ma’am, swipe, please."
Her stomach dropped.
Crap. Why now?
She quickly chewed, attempting to swallow the food in record time.
"Yes! Coming!" she called out, her voice slightly strained.
She got up as fast as she could, still struggling to finish the last bite of her burger. The last thing she needed was to show up at the window looking like a hamster stuffing food in its cheeks.
As she approached, she dared to sneak another glance at the customer.
Is he still looking?
To her relief, he wasn’t. Instead, he was distracted, digging through something in his car. She exhaled softly before putting on her best work-friendly expression.
"Annyeonghaseyo," she greeted, regaining her professionalism.
"Annyeonghaseyo," the man replied, though his tone was neutral, his attention still elsewhere.
She quickly swiped his card and waited for the receipt to print. As she held out the card machine for him to remove his card, she noticed he still wasn’t looking. Clearing her throat slightly, she tried again.
"Please, kindly remove your card, sir. Thank you," she said, her voice polite.
Finally, he looked up.
And then, instead of reaching for his card—
He extended a bottle of water toward her.
Carmela blinked, momentarily thrown off.
"Here, you can have it. I haven’t opened it yet," the customer said, his voice casual.
She stared at the bottle in his hand.
Wait. Is he giving this to me?
Why? Did she look that thirsty? Or was this because she almost choked earlier?
Her immediate reaction was to refuse.
"N-No, it’s okay, sir. Thank you," she said, shaking her head slightly.
But he remained firm. "I insist."
She hesitated, but seeing no way out of it, she finally reached out and took it. "Thank you very much for this, sir," she said, offering a polite bow in gratitude.
He nodded slightly. "No problem." Regaining her composure, she handed him his receipt.
"Here’s your receipt, sir. Thank you, and have a nice day."
The customer took it, the corners of his lips twitching slightly in what could have been a faint smile. Then, with a final nod, he started his engine and pulled forward to the next window.
Carmela exhaled slowly.
She looked down at the bottle of water in her hands, the cool condensation against her palm making her realize just how dry her throat actually was. She twisted the cap open and took a sip, the refreshing liquid soothing her parched throat.
It was a simple gesture, but it caught her off guard. Who just randomly hands out bottled water to strangers? She shook her head slightly and placed the bottle down beside her. Deciding not to dwell on it, she grabbed her headset and put it back on.
Back to work.
But even as she moved on to the next order, a small thought lingered at the back of her mind. That interaction was… unexpected.
But more than that—
That smile.
It looked familiar.
Where have I seen it before?
- Writer
