The Sweetest Dish

#18 Culinary Reckoning! Zeff's Upset and Workplace Turmoil

Zeff's blood boiled as he stomped down the hallway, the crumpled note clutched tightly in his hand. He could feel the heat radiating from his face, a pressure cooker ready to explode at any moment. As each step brought him closer to Sanji and Hana, his anger intensified.

"Damn those two," he thought, grinding his teeth. "I took that boy in, taught him everything I know, and this is how he repays me? By sneaking around with the hostess like some lovesick teenager?"

It wasn't just the betrayal that stung, but also the fact that Sanji had allowed his feelings for Hana to cloud his judgment and shake his confidence. Zeff had seen firsthand the talent and dedication of the young chef, and it pained him to see it all crumbling because of love.

"Love," Zeff scoffed internally. "What a ridiculous distraction."

As he reached the end of the hallway, he could hear the muffled voices of Sanji and Hana. They sounded tense, their words laced with emotion. It only served to fuel Zeff's fury further.

"Sanji, Hana!" he barked, causing several customers to jump in surprise. "In my office. Now."

Puzzled, they exchanged glances before obediently following Zeff into his office. The moment the door swung shut behind them, Zeff waved a crumpled piece of paper in their direction.

"Care to explain this?" he growled, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Hana's cheeks turned a deep shade of red, her eyes darting around the room as she realized Zeff was talking about the crumpled note Sanji had left for her in her bento box. Her hands trembled in embarrassment, wanting to reach out and snatch it away.

Sanji's eyes widened, and he instinctively stepped between Zeff and Hana, as if trying to shield her from his adoptive father's wrath. "Z-Zeff, I can explain—"

"Explain?" Zeff roared, brandishing the crumpled note like a weapon. "Explain this, then! You think I don't know what's been going on between you two? You've been making a fool out of me and jeopardizing the reputation of Baratie!"

Hana's face flushed with embarrassment, while Sanji's expression turned to one of defiance. "It's not like that, Zeff. We didn't mean any harm—"

"Didn't mean any harm?" Zeff's voice cracked with a mixture of fury and disbelief. "You've let this," he said, waving the note in Sanji's face, "this infatuation ruin you! I've never seen you so unsure of yourself, so ready to throw everything away!"

Sanji clenched his fists, struggling to find the right words while Hana stood behind him, her eyes brimming with tears. She felt responsible for causing the rift between Sanji and Zeff, and the weight of it all threatened to crush her.

"Zeff, please," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Don't blame Sanji. It wasn't his fault."

"Enough!" Zeff shouted at Hana, his anger reaching a boiling point. "I will not stand for this any longer!"

"Leave her out of this," Sanji demanded, crossing his arms defiantly. "I wrote the note. It's my fault, not hers."

Zeff's eyes bored into Sanji, and for a moment, Hana worried that they would burst into flames. "You both know the rules about fraternizing on the job," he thundered, his face turning an alarming shade of red. "I should throw the both of you out of here..."

Sanji snapped, his jaw clenched in frustration. "Between that review and you not realizing of our feelings towards each other...well then maybe I shouldn't be here at all!"

"Is that what you want?" Zeff countered, his voice rising to match Sanji's. "To throw away everything we've built together over a silly crush?"

Sanji yelled back at the old man, his words spilling out before he could even process them. "It's not a silly crush, you hear me? If you let her go and cut her out of my life, I'll never be able to forgive you!" His face flushed a deep red, accentuating the stubborn set of his jaw.