On the other side of town from the tension-laced family dinner that had left Alex brooding in his penthouse and Derek dialing up friendly reinforcements, Claire was having a much warmer dinner of her own—surrounded by happy conversation and lovingly made dinner dishes.

Mira’s restaurant, “Golden Jade,” was alive with steam, laughter, and the clatter of chopsticks. The scent of sesame oil and ginger coated the air with a promise of content bellies. Claire sat with her mother near the kitchen, next to the wall lined with photos of past Dragon Noodle Challenge victims—red-faced, teary-eyed, and triumphant. Mira hovered around Claire’s table in between dinner orders and her parents conversed through the open kitchen, who were currently arguing over what belonged in a sauce.

“I’m telling you,” Taki said, waving a ladle like a sword, “ketchup does not belong in a sauce!”

“Then it’s a good thing we only use vinegar and sugar! Why are you so hung up on sauce?” Jo mom shot back.

“That new restaurant down the street thinks their sweet-sour pork is the best because it has ketchup. And PINEAPPLE! Who puts pineapple in a pork dish?” Taki fumed. “Your mother would have a heart attack if she saw the way Chinese food is presented here.”

Jo rolled her eyes. “Aya, Taki, that place over there focuses on quick and easy dishes for take-out, not fancy traditional fare like us.” Then she flashed a loving smile. “But my mother would be so proud of you,” Jo blew her husband a kiss.

Claire grinned as she held up her green tea. “This is the most dramatic dinner I’ve had all week.”

“It would be nice to experience this more often,” Claire’s mother laughed in agreement.

“Lorna,” Taki called out to Claire’s mother, “You think ketchup doesn’t belong in a sauce, too, right?”

“Oh, my goodness,” Jo muttered loudly.

Lorna laughed again. “Maybe in a barbeque sauce?”

Mira plopped down into the seat beside her best friend. Her apron was covered in oil splatter and her cheeks flushed from serving multiple tables. “Okay, spill. You said JK Designs is doing a major event? Like, major-major?”

Claire nodded, her eyes bright with excitement. “Ascend’s fashion division is backing it. And I’m supposed to meet with Derek Kang to coordinate the live media portion of the event.”

Mira’s eyes widened. “Wait, THE Derek Kang? As in Ascend Media’s president? The guy with the jawline that could slice tofu?”

Claire snorted. “Yes, that Derek. Anyway, if this goes well, I’ll finally be able to get Mom out of those double shifts,” Claire shot a playful glance in her mother’s direction.

Lorna, seated across from her daughter, gave Claire a tired but proud smile. “Honey, I’m so proud of you. But I don’t know if I’m ready to stop working completely. What would I do with all that free time?”

“Sleep,” Claire said. “Eat meals sitting down. Watch your K-dramas without passing out halfway through the opening credits.”

Her mom chuckled. “Tempting.”

Mira leaned in, eyes sparkling. “Okay, but back to Alex. You’re leading a major event for his company, and you’re not even a little bit in love with him?”

Claire rolled her eyes. “He’s my boss.”

“Which is code for ‘I think about him when I’m hugging my pillow,’” Mira teased.

“I do not!”

“I don’t know…” Lorna said, sipping her soup. “You mentioned him three times before the main course.”

Claire buried her face in her hands. “Can we not psychoanalyze my crush habits over noodles?”

Jo and Taki giggled in the kitchen.

Mira got up and grabbed her empty tray, ready for another round of orders. Just then, the bell above the door jingled. Mira turned—and nearly dropped her tray.

Derek Kang walked in, flanked by three men who looked like they’d just stepped out of a GQ spread. One wore a leather jacket, another had a man bun that somehow worked, and the third had dimples that could start wars.

Claire blinked. “Speak of the jawline.”

They stood by the waiting area, looking like they were enjoying some kind of inside joke.

Mira fanned her face with her serving tray. “Oh my god. That’s him. That’s Derek. He’s here. In my restaurant. Do I look like I own a restaurant or like I just crawled out of one?”

“You look great,” Claire said, waving her off. “Go greet your future husband.”

Mira straightened her apron and marched over, cheeks flushed. “Welcome to Golden Jade! Table for four?”

Derek smiled, warm and easy. “Yes, please. We heard about the ‘Dragon Noodle Challenge’ and decided to test our bravery.”

“Or your digestive systems,” Mira said, handing them menus. “Warning: we are not liable for scorched taste buds or emotional trauma.”

Mira showed the group to a table and hurried to the kitchen. She returned with two costume options.

“So, rule number one, you must choose to be either a mage or a warrior,” she held up a dark brown robe and a light chainmail overshirt. “It doubles as a protective cover for your clothes. In case of…accidents,” she gave a playful grin.

Laughing, the men chose their gear. As they settled in, Derek’s gaze drifted across the room—and landed on Claire.

He stood and walked over, casual but deliberate. “Claire, right?”

She looked up, surprised. “Yes?”

“I’m Derek Kang. We’ve exchanged emails, but I’ve met you once in person through your classmate, Alex Lee.”

Claire stood, offering a polite handshake. “Nice to meet you. I didn’t expect you to frequent smaller family-fare restaurants.”

“Needed a palate cleanser after a very... diplomatic dinner,” he said with a wry smile. “I wanted to go someplace less formal where my friends and I can just relax.”

“I’m sorry that I don’t remember, but when have we met? How do you know Mr. Lee?” Claire asked with curiosity in her eyes.

Derek gave a friendly smile. "We’ve known each other since childhood. I went to one of his school events and he introduced me to you briefly while you were running one of the food booths. You were pretty much his idol in high school,” he winked playfully. “I asked Alex if he would like to join us, but he is currently recovering from the dinner with whiskey and silence.”

Claire laughed, but her cheeks were tinted with a rose blush. “Then I hope his recovery goes well.”

Derek hesitated, then glanced toward Mira, who was now pretending to wipe down a perfectly clean table while sneaking glances between Derek and his friends.

“She’s your friend?” he asked.

Claire nodded. “Best friend since middle school.”

“She seems... enthusiastic,” Derek said, amused.

Claire sported a wicked grin. “She’s passionate about noodles. And strong jawlines, apparently.” She glanced at her friend, then looked back at Derek. “The warrior look suits you, by the way.”

Derek chuckled as he ran his hand down the front of his chainmail shirt.

 “Would you like to join us?” he gestured to his table.

She glanced at Mira, who had hurried into the kitchen to get the challenging noodles.

“I think I’ll watch from a safe distance,” Claire said. “In case you start breathing fire.”

Derek grinned. “Fair. But if I spontaneously combust, I expect applause.”

“Okay, deal,” Claire laughed.

He chuckled and returned to his table, where Mira was now explaining the rules of the Dragon Noodle Challenge with the enthusiasm of a game show host.

“Each of you gets one bowl. No milk, no water, no mercy. Finish it in under twelve minutes, and you get your photo on the Wall of Flame.”

Man Bun looked nervous. “Do we get a consolation prize?”

“Just a complimentary scoop of mango sorbet,” Mira said. “For your soul.”

Claire watched as the challenge began—four grown men sweating, slurping, and gasping for air. Derek powered through, red-faced but determined.

Her mom leaned over. “He’s cute.”

“Mooom.”

“I’m just saying. You could do worse than a man who survives lava noodles.”

Claire smiled, sipping her tea. "And have Mira come after me with sharpened chopsticks? No thanks." Across the room, Derek raised his chopsticks in victory, mouth on fire but triumphant.

Mira clapped like he’d won an Olympic medal, then leaned in to offer him a sorbet with a shy smile. “You were amazing.”

Derek smiled gratefully as he took the scoop of sorbet from her hands. The others took their scoops and downed it like shots of vodka before reaching for glasses of water or milk.

Claire shook her head, amused. She put the stresses of the fashion event to the back of her mind. In this moment, it was just about noodles, laughter, and the kind of chaos that made life delicious.