Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Undercooked Drumsticks
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Choi Yak-rok wiped the sweat trickling down his forehead with his sleeve and glanced around.
The chicken was almost all fried, and now he just needed to coat it in the prepared sauce to finish. The salads and french fries were also nearing completion.
The daunting task of preparing 100 servings was finally coming to an end.
'That guy's help was huge.' At the end of his quick glance, Song Woo-yeon was fiddling with a chicken drumstick. He'd thought his luck was bad. He'd secretly admired Chef Andric's skills, figuring it would be a great experience to learn at his side. So when the other team took Chef Andric, he'd felt a pang of regret deep down. Song Woo-yeon wasn't bad, but if he had to choose, watching the knife work of the chef he'd long admired up close would have been better. Some contestants had grumbled about the unfairness, but Choi Yak-rok thought it was something they just had to endure. 'It's a cooking competition, but at its core, it's a TV show.' The theme of this challenge was one thing, but there had been quite a few missions in previous rounds that seemed unrelated to actual cooking skill. But he'd chosen to participate knowing it was a TV program. If he didn't like it, he should have entered a different international cooking competition. Having made his choice, he had to take responsibility. In that context, he'd decided to 'endure' Song Woo-yeon. 'But he's far more...' What was the word? Professional. He knew it sounded odd, but Choi Yak-rok couldn't find any other descriptor. He seemed more like a cooking expert than a business guru. 'He makes these weird suggestions.' "It's a shame that talented cooks don't get the spotlight they deserve."
How many people could say something like that? Even among fellow chefs, exhausted by cutthroat competition, there were plenty who hurled insults at each other. Yet Song Woo-yeon, who wasn't even one of them, treated him with far more maturity. 'Even Do-hoon's gaze has completely changed.' The guy who'd complained the most before recording started now looked at Song Woo-yeon with utter trust brimming in his eyes. The other team members were the same. They weren't expressing it openly, but they were approaching the task with far more confidence than before recording began. Choi Yak-rok couldn't help but inwardly marvel that Song Woo-yeon stood at the center of all these changes. 'There's a reason he built his business empire so high at such a young age.' Indeed. An extraordinary man, Choi Yak-rok evaluated Song Woo-yeon in his mind. 'A blessing in disguise, maybe. What I thought was a crisis turned into an opportunity he overcame.' That was when he let out a sigh of relief. Splat! Red blood spurted from the chicken drumstick in Song Woo-yeon's hand.
"......"
"......"
Choi Yak-rok finally understood what it meant for one's mind to go blank. For a moment, he froze, unable to move or speak. It felt like his brain had shut down. Huh? Why is it...? While Choi Yak-rok stood there dazed, Song Woo-yeon whipped around and asked, "The contestant who was frying the chicken earlier—who was it?"
A chill hung over his smiling face.
"Uh, m-me."
The contestant from earlier cautiously raised his hand. He looked tense, sensing the atmosphere wasn't right.
"What's your name?"
"Oh Ga-eul...!"
"Oh Ga-eul."
I swallowed the curse bubbling up.
"Didn't you hear me say to score the chicken drumsticks earlier?"
"Pardon?"
Oh Ga-eul's eyes widened as she blinked back at me.
"Y-you never said that..."
Oh, playing it like this, huh?
I narrowed my eyes at Oh Ga-eul. She was trembling, peeking at my expression—it didn't seem like brazen lying.
'We're recording right now anyway. A blatant lie wouldn't fly.' That left two possibilities. She really didn't hear... 'Or she heard but pretended not to out of fear it'd be her fault.' I didn't know which. But what mattered was that Oh Ga-eul's critical mistake had put the team in jeopardy. Seeing is believing. The other team members were curious too, so I held out the drumstick in my hand for them to see. The raw, blood-red interior was fully exposed.
"See? Undercooked inside."
"Ah!"
Oh Ga-eul gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth. She'd finally realized her mistake. I barely held back a sigh.
"Other parts, maybe fine. But I specifically told you to score the drumsticks. They're thick—won't cook through."
"......"
Oh Ga-eul stared at the undercooked drumstick with trembling eyes, then squeezed them shut and repeated, "B-but I really didn't hear you!"
What?
"Oh Ga-eul."
"I really didn't hear it. What could I do if I didn't hear?"
Unbelievable.
"Oh Ga-eul. Is that the important thing right now?"
Heard or not, was this the time to argue that? Time was ticking, and our drumsticks were raw. Couldn't she grasp what mattered most here? But Oh Ga-eul's eyes went wide, her face fixed in injustice.
"Did everyone else hear? I didn't. Really? Am I the only one who missed it?"
"No, Ga-eul..."
The other contestants averted their gazes awkwardly. They'd all been busy with their own tasks—did she think asking them would clarify? This could drag on forever. Talk later; fix the problem first. I turned to Choi Yak-rok and Im Do-hoon, who were watching nervously.
"First, we'll score these drumsticks and refry them. Even if everything else is ready, if the main chicken is lacking, it's all ruined. Got it?"
"Yes, understood."
"Yessir!"
Choi Yak-rok and Im Do-hoon hurriedly grabbed the tray of drumsticks and hauled it back to the kitchen. Experienced pros like them could handle frying them properly. If we hustled, we could make it in time. I sighed deeply and looked at Oh Ga-eul, still trembling before me.
"Oh Ga-eul."
"...Yes."
"If you have something to say, say it now."
"......"
Oh Ga-eul peeked at my face, as if gauging if she should speak. Exhaustion hit, and I waved her on dismissively. She bowed her head deeply and continued.
"I'm sorry... I've never fried chicken this big before, so I didn't know it wouldn't cook through."
"As I said earlier, these chickens seem bigger than size 7. That's why I told you to marinate more aggressively. Remember that?"
"Ah, yes! I remember that. ...But the scoring part, I really didn't hear..."
She still seemed aggrieved that I'd called her out. Where to even start? Was I on a cooking show or a daycare program? She was probably older than me. Getting called out by someone younger could feel embarrassing. But denying fault helped no one—not the team, not her.
"Oh Ga-eul. You remember the marinating instruction, right? In my memory, right after that, I said to score the drumsticks. And you said you'd do it."
"But...!"
"Listen to the end."
I cut her off firmly.
"Sure, you might not remember. Human memory isn't perfect, especially in the heat of cooking. I get it was chaotic."
Her face screamed injustice. 'It's not that I didn't hear— you never said it...' was written all over her. Listen, that's not the point.
"But Oh Ga-eul, what's the result in front of us? No scores on the drumsticks, so they're undercooked, and we've wasted precious time. You admit that much, right?"
"...Yes."
"If you admit it and feel sorry to the team, shouldn't you be helping instead of standing here? Apologize to the team and assist with refrying the drumsticks."
"......"
"It's a team mission today, not solo. Act like a teammate. If a sous chef tells you something in a pro kitchen, do you say you didn't hear?"
"......"
"I get you're upset, but we're still competing. Go finish cooking. The challenge isn't over."
No time for more talk; I wrapped it up hastily. Save it for after. We had about 45 minutes left—refry all the drumsticks, sauce them, plate. Mountains of work. I'd borrow a cat's paw at this point. Should've skipped this show. Damn team round. Sucks if we fail on my watch. I turned and strode off, but Oh Ga-eul, rooted like a statue, yelled at my back.
"I really never heard you say that!"
"......"
I'm done. I turned with cold eyes, and she flinched slightly, face full of pent-up frustration. But she rallied, raising her voice again.
"S-Song Chef, it seems like you're mistaken...! I really didn't hear it, but you're pinning it all on me, and it's unfair!"
Well, then. I'd tried to let it slide nicely, but no dice. Wanna go there? I don't back down from a fight.
"Fine, Oh Ga-eul."
I smirked, curling one corner of my mouth deliberately.
"Shall we check the video?"