Jacob really knew how to grill. In his previous life, during college, he was someone who couldn’t sit still. He and a few close friends had tried many ventures, including barbecue stands, bubble tea shops, and board game cafés. He was proficient in everything from cooking to entertainment. While his grilling skills weren’t professional-level, they were certainly better than Jeremy’s amateur attempts.

However, Jacob had no chance to demonstrate his skills yet since there were no other customers besides them.

“Kyle, Amelia, you need to attract customers. You have to be proactive when you see potential patrons,” Jacob said, looking at the awkward pair and deciding to take charge himself. “Just watch me.”

After speaking, Jacob positioned himself by the grill station. “Amelia, come join me.”

“Oh.” Hearing Jacob’s instruction, Amelia responded softly and walked over to him.

Standing together, Jacob at 6’3″ and Amelia at 5’10”, they made a striking pair and were easily the most eye-catching sight on the street. Almost everyone passing by couldn’t help but look in their direction.

“Exclusive barbecue, family recipe passed down for three generations, satisfaction guaranteed!”

“Secret family ingredients, everyone who’s tried it says it’s delicious! Vegetable skewers are 2 Pokédollars each, meat skewers 4 Pokédollars. Everything is fresh—guaranteed!”

Jacob’s loud proclamations stunned Kyle and Amelia. This was the first time they’d seen this side of him.

At school, Jacob gave everyone the impression of being a cool, distant heartthrob. No one expected he had such an outgoing side.

“Don’t just stare at me—learn to call out like I’m doing, Amelia,” Jacob glanced at her and said.

“Okay… okay.” Amelia responded, then attempted to imitate Jacob, calling out in a quiet voice that was far less audible than his.

“Never mind,” Jacob couldn’t help but hold his forehead in exasperation. “Amelia, when customers arrive, you’ll be responsible for taking orders and handling payments. Kyle, you’re up.”

“Coming, boss!” Boys definitely had thicker skin in these situations. With Jacob’s example, Kyle had no reservations and began shouting the same lines Jacob had used.

Soon, the barbecue stand welcomed its first customers—three young women. This made Kyle think cynically that they must have been attracted by Jacob’s looks.

“Handsome, grill these for us, and these too,” one of the young women said with a smile, looking at Jacob who was working at the grill.

“Ladies, I’ll give you a basket. Just put what you’d like in it. I recommend the tofu and potatoes. For meat options, the ribs and crispy chicken are excellent,” Jacob greeted them warmly.

“Really? Then give us three of each.” The young woman selected more skewers, handed the full basket to Jacob and asked, “Are you a model? You’re so tall.”

“No, I’m a student at Starlight High School, senior year,” Jacob replied as he worked the grill. “What spice level would you like—mild, medium, or extra spicy?”

“Wait, you’re still in high school? Do you have a girlfriend?” she continued to ask.

“The Pokémon League entrance exam is only a year away. I don’t have time for dating. I need to focus on my studies.”

For some reason, after hearing that Jacob was single and focused on his education, the young woman’s eyes seemed to light up. “Well then, add me as a friend, and I’ll look you up after you finish your exams.”

“Sure thing,” Jacob replied with a shy smile, then took out his phone and exchanged contact information.

Kyle watched this scene with his mouth hanging open in surprise. It really was depressing to compare himself to Jacob. How did Jacob become so popular with women so quickly? Kyle was extremely envious and jealous, wishing he could take his friend’s place and save him from this “terrible” situation.

With the first customers, Jacob was finally able to showcase his skills. Although it had been a while since he’d done it, barbecue wasn’t particularly complicated. The barrier to entry was very low—all he needed to do was control the heat and adjust the seasonings.

Soon the first batch of skewers was ready. Jacob arranged them on a tray and personally served them to the initial customers. “Your order is ready, ladies. I’ve added a vegetable skewer for each of you on the house. It’s not much, but consider it a small welcome gift.”

“He’s so sweet!”

“And handsome too!”

“Thanks for your kindness!”

“Are you trying to flirt with us?”

…

Faced with such enthusiastic attention, Jacob felt slightly overwhelmed, especially when their gazes seemed almost predatory.

However, with these first customers, the stand’s popularity gradually increased. That’s how barbecue businesses often worked—once the first customers arrived, more would follow. Many people preferred to line up at a busy place rather than visit an empty stall.

Gradually, more customers arrived, and Jacob became very busy.

“Jacob, we’re almost out of beer, and drinks are running low too,” Kyle called out. He was in charge of cleaning and serving drinks, keeping busy but enjoying himself. For Kyle, this was a rare and fun life experience.

“Got it. Jeremy, go get supplies and hurry back,” Jacob instructed. Jeremy was slightly startled when he heard Jacob addressing him. Is he talking to me? But seeing the booming business, Jeremy immediately agreed and rode his bike to purchase more beer and drinks.

“Amelia, order for table three!” Jacob finished grilling another round of skewers and quickly asked Amelia to serve them while they were still hot.

“Coming!” Amelia was so busy that her forehead was covered in sweat, but she felt fulfilled. Seeing such good business, she knew they could earn more money for her father’s medical expenses.

“Table six wants to pay!” Kyle shouted.

“On it.” Amelia walked over with pen and paper to settle the bill. Looking at the money given by the customer and the growing cash in her hand, a happy smile appeared on her face, and she couldn’t help glancing secretly at Jacob.

The barbecue stand was doing tremendous business. The heat from the grill, combined with the summer evening, had Jacob sweating profusely, his clothes becoming soaked.

“Amelia, grab a towel and help me wipe this sweat,” Jacob called to Amelia, who seemed momentarily lost in thought. The sweat on his face was about to drip into his eyes.

“Oh? Coming… coming.” Amelia was startled, but she didn’t refuse. She took out her handkerchief and carefully dabbed the sweat from Jacob’s face.

This scene made Kyle, who was cleaning a table, grind his teeth in envy. Especially seeing Amelia’s gentle demeanor, Kyle cursed internally, “That lucky jerk Jacob is really enjoying this. Damn it.”

But Jacob wasn’t in any mood to enjoy the attention. He turned his head to look at Amelia, took the handkerchief from her, quickly wiped his face, and handed it back: “You’re too slow and hesitant. Go help Kyle clean the tables—I’ll handle this myself.”

Amelia’s face flushed. She hadn’t expected to be scolded for being too delicate while wiping Jacob’s sweat. She huffed off to help Kyle with the tables.

“Boss, can we get four more lamb skewers to go?” a customer called.

“Sure thing!” Jacob responded loudly. “Still medium spicy?”

“Two mild, two no spice. My wife and kids at home can’t handle spicy food,” the customer explained.

“No problem. I’ll select two with extra meat for the children and add a potato skewer. Kids usually love those,” Jacob offered.

“Great, thank you! You’re a good man, boss. Madam, please settle the bill.”

The customer’s words momentarily stunned both Amelia and Jacob, but Jacob recovered quickly and called to Amelia: “I told you to handle the payment—why are you just standing there?”

“Hmm…” Amelia’s ears turned red. She lowered her head and went to collect the money, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Unexpectedly, the customer appeared to be slightly drunk and continued in a conspiratorial tone: “Ma’am, if you want your business to succeed, you need to watch your husband. Look how good he is at this—loud voice, confident, thick-skinned. Unlike you—your voice is so soft no one can hear you. You’re like a shy housewife.”

“She usually takes care of our Pokémon at home. Seeing I was getting tired, she kindly came out to help,” Jacob improvised. There was no point arguing with someone tipsy—better to play along.

“That’s good. You know how to support your man. The boss here is lucky.”

…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep