Chapter 159: The Reason They Are Hungry (3)
Chapter 159: The Reason They Are Hungry (3)
Of course, there was no way Anderson could understand why Jo Minjoon had congratulated him. Looking at Anderson’s confused expression, Jo Minjoon found himself surprised as well.
He had genuinely meant it.
There was some envy, of course, but not enough to call it jealousy.
Why?
It probably was not simply because he and Anderson had grown closer. Even when Kaya reached level eight, Jo Minjoon had still been jealous of her.
I wonder if I’ve changed.
It was not as though the tension inside him had disappeared. The excitement was still there.
But unlike before, he no longer felt helpless.
Perhaps it had something to do with no longer fixating so heavily on cooking scores. Instead of allowing the numbers to drag him around, he had begun treating them more as a guide.
The effect of that change was anything but small.
Morning came.
With the staff watching, the six of them sat happily around the table together. Perhaps because this was their last meal in Japan, and the final meal of the journey, none of them could easily pick up their utensils.
They all seemed reluctant to begin.
Emily eventually spoke in a somewhat complicated voice. “There have been plenty of times when work forced me to eat alone. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a meal like this with other people. Thank you, everyone.”
“Food always tastes better when you eat together. Especially Eastern food.” Jo Minjoon smiled lightly.
They began eating.
Every time Sera brought her chopsticks to her mouth, she let out another sound of admiration. Eventually, she spoke softly. “It’s amazing. Even though this is home-style food, it still feels really elegant.”
“At some point, people started associating home-style cooking with something cheap or unsophisticated, but that isn’t really true. For example, I still can’t forget the galbi-jjim I ate at my grandparents’ house on New Year’s Day when I was little.”
(Translator’s Note: Galbi-jjim —A Korean dish of beef short ribs slowly braised until tender, traditionally in a sweet-savoury seasoning based on soy sauce, garlic, sugar, and often pear or other fruit. Galbi means “ribs” and jjim refers to a steamed or braised dish. Galbi-jjim became particularly associated with festive and special-occasion dining in modern Korea, including major family holidays such as Seollal and Chuseok.)
Thinking about it now, that had been one of the most delicious home-cooked meals of his life.
And it had been Korean food.
As Jo Minjoon recalled the flavour, Anderson watched him with an unfamiliar expression.
Jo Minjoon had not been like this before.
Maybe it was because of his mother’s terrible cooking, but Jo Minjoon had never shown much affection or trust towards home-style food. He had always seemed more interested in elaborate dishes and treated them with greater respect.
He’s changed. Quite a lot.
It would not be wrong to say he had improved.
It felt as though he had stepped outside a fence that had once surrounded him.
Perhaps they were more sentimental because this was their final breakfast.
Everyone spoke more than usual, and the conversations became deeper. They talked about the finest things they had eaten in their lives, and from there, somehow moved on to talking about life itself.
They even complimented one another from time to time.
The warm atmosphere was a little embarrassing, but it was pleasant.
While eating, Jo Minjoon suddenly found himself thinking:
If only I could make a restaurant where every customer could have a meal like this.
But unless that restaurant was called ‘home’, it was probably impossible.
A chef could not read the heart of every single customer.
And the larger the restaurant became, the more difficult that would be.
“So, Martin. Are you planning to make a second season?”
“That’ll depend on the ratings. If we break a million viewers, the chances will be pretty high.”
“Huu… I wonder if that’s possible.”
“Since we inherited Grand Chef’s time slot, the results might be better than expected.”
It was entirely possible that viewers saw the show as something of a Grand Chef spin-off.
After all, Jo Minjoon and Anderson, two of the most popular chefs from Grand Chef, were appearing in it.
“So if there is a second season, would any of you want to participate again?”
Emily, Sera, and Jeremy all nodded.
As food critics, they had little reason to turn down a programme like this.
Jo Minjoon and Anderson, however, looked towards Rachel.
Rachel shook her head. “I think that would be difficult. I need to reopen my restaurant now, and these children will need to stay with me.”
“You know… it feels like you’re stealing my cast members. I’m getting a little jealous.” The sorrowful expression Martin made looked oddly like that of a teenage girl.
Rachel smiled softly. “If you come to our restaurant, I’ll make you a delicious meal whether there are cameras or not.”
“That’s quite an offer. Can I come without a reservation?”
“If there aren’t any seats, we’ll put a table in the hallway for you.”
“That… I’m not sure whether that counts as VIP treatment or feeding a stray cat.”
“I’m joking.” Rachel smiled again.
Martin looked at her for a moment, then spoke with mild surprise. “Did you know the atmosphere around you has changed a lot since you first appeared during Grand Chef?”
“What was I like back then?”
“Hmm… I’m sorry to say this, but you looked tired. Your shoulders seemed heavy, and there was something missing from your smile. But now… you’re glowing. Your eyes, your smile.”
Jeremy shuddered and flexed his hands as though the words were unbearably cheesy.
Rachel glared at him briefly before turning back to Martin with a smile. “Back then, a lot of things were still hidden by fog. Now, many of them are clear. I even have these two handsome disciples. Minjoon and… our Duksam.”
“…Teacher.” Anderson had just begun to smile at being called handsome when his face immediately reddened. He looked at Rachel with wounded eyes.
Jo Minjoon laughed. “Don’t you remember? You said it yourself before. You said you were going to keep using the name Duksam.”
“I said that so you would understand how much damage one stupid joke could do to a person’s life!”
“Yes, I’m definitely feeling it now. It’s hilarious. Somewhere deep in my conscience, I might even be feeling a little guilty.” Jo Minjoon laughed as he answered.
Anderson said nothing.
He simply raised his chopsticks.
The pointed tips stabbed into the sea bream like two sharp spears.
[The aircraft will be taking off shortly. All passengers, please fasten your seat belts.]
“…I get a strange feeling every time I get on a plane.”
“Me too.” Sera, who was sitting beside him, spoke.
Perhaps she had something she wanted to discuss, because when Anderson had tried to sit next to Jo Minjoon, she had pushed him aside and claimed the seat for herself.
The plane slowly tilted upwards.
The strange sensation of his organs being pulled was pleasant yet unfamiliar.
“It must be nice for you, Sera. An food critic’s life must be like this all the time, right?”
“Why? Are you jealous?”
“Definitely. That doesn’t mean I want to become an food critic, though.”
“I heard Emily tried to recruit you as one.”
“She did. I turned her down. I enjoy cooking more than eating.”
Even if the entire world changed, that was one belief Jo Minjoon knew would not.
The plane gradually levelled out.
Jo Minjoon looked through the window at clouds spread across the sky like cotton.
Sera studied his face for a moment before slowly speaking. “Thank you.”
“…Did I do something that deserves thanks from you?”
“Yes. You did. You gave me a wake-up call.”
Jo Minjoon silently looked at her. ‘The world’s sexiest food critic.’
It sounded like the title of some third-rate magazine article.
But what Jo Minjoon noticed was not the allure of her lips.
It was the determination in her eyes.
It was the sort of expression only someone who had made an important decision could wear.
“Your relationship with Anderson. Your passion for cooking. Your natural talent and unwavering determination. All of that was a shock to me. It made me look back on why I entered this field in the first place.”
“…Sera, why did you become an food critic?”
Normally, you would expect an answer like, ‘Because I love food.’
But Sera’s answer was anything but ordinary. “Because of Emily.”
“…What?”
“I admired Emily ever since I was young. She was an unni I really liked. More precisely, she was someone I admired and respected. Emily was cool. I wanted to be like her ever since I was little… and when Emily became an food critic, I decided I had to become one too.”
(Translator’s Note: Unni —A Korean kinship and social term used by a female speaker for an older sister or an older female with whom she has a close relationship. Like hyung and oppa, it reflects the importance of relative age and social closeness in Korean forms of address.)
The answer was so unexpected that Jo Minjoon could only stare. He could not tell whether it was thoughtless, childish, or perhaps simply pure.
Sera laughed, as though his thoughts were written plainly across his face. “I know. It was an incredibly thoughtless decision. That’s probably why I still have such childish worries.”
“…Your reason for starting was definitely unusual. But Sera, I don’t think your concern is childish. Everyone worries about things like that. No matter how certain you are about your path, motivation alone isn’t enough to guarantee that you chose the right one. And regardless of why you started… you still worked hard.”
“How do you know? For food critics, it isn’t only about how well we taste food. It matters how well we can express what we feel. Looks and personality matter too, because people want to know whether you have what it takes to become a celebrity. Plenty of people say I only became successful as an food critic because of my appearance. Minjoon, have you never thought that?”
“Never.”
He was not saying it merely to be polite. If he were lying, he would not have been able to look directly into her eyes while answering.
That was why Sera found herself puzzled. She could not understand where Jo Minjoon’s faith in her ability came from.
But she did not ask. Whatever the reason, being trusted felt good.
Sera smiled brightly. “It feels nice hearing you say that. And you don’t have to look so worried. I’m not going to waver anymore. If anything, I’m just greedy now. Just as you and Anderson acknowledged each other, and everyone else acknowledged the two of you as rivals, someday I want to reach that point too.”
Sera turned her head.
At the end of her gaze was Emily, who was talking with Anderson.
Jo Minjoon smiled.
“If you already have the desire not to lose, then you’re already rivals.”
LAX.
Los Angeles International Airport.
Jo Minjoon slowly stepped forward.
Once again… America.
His chest tingled strangely.
A foreign land.
The thought that he would soon be cooking here for complete strangers already filled him with both sadness and happiness, as though the fruits of all his labour were somehow already within reach.
“I guess this is goodbye.”
“Mm. I’m sure we’ll see one another again someday.” Jeremy answered in his usual casual tone, though there was a subtle disappointment beneath it.
Of course, there were not many reasons for them to meet again.
They were all busy people, and unless they happened to appear on another programme together, even accidentally crossing paths would be difficult.
America was large.
No—the world was too large.
“Everyone, thank you for everything. The next time we meet, I’ll make you something even more delicious.”
“I’m looking forward to it. And I’m grateful too. When you open your own restaurant someday, Minjoon, I’ll definitely visit.”
“Maybe you’ll end up having your wedding at my restaurant, Emily.”
“Oh, please stop teasing me like that.” Emily’s face reddened.
While everyone laughed, Martin slowly walked over wearing a smile. “Everyone, thank you for cooperating without causing too many problems. Well, it’s not as though we had absolutely no problems…”
Martin’s gaze immediately shifted towards Jo Minjoon.
Jo Minjoon guiltily turned his head away.
Martin laughed. “Anderson. Minjoon. I’ve already spent more than half a year with the two of you. I hope this relationship stays just as good in the future.”
“There’s no reason it shouldn’t.” Jo Minjoon suddenly felt something strange.
Martin was only the programme’s PD.
And yet, somehow, he felt like a benefactor who had given Jo Minjoon an enormous opportunity.
Maybe it was because Martin had been responsible for Grand Chef, the programme that had changed his life.
Jo Minjoon held out his hand. “Thank you for everything, Martin.”
Martin stared at it for a moment before slowly taking it.
Then he smiled so broadly that wrinkles appeared around his eyes.
The conversation continued a little longer.
But like everything else, it could not continue forever.
The programme was over.
The journey was over.
It would have been nice if the road ahead were wide enough for all of them to keep walking together.
But a person’s path was filled with countless forks.
Rachel spoke. s“Let’s go.”
Neither Anderson nor Jo Minjoon asked where.
For now, they simply followed Rachel’s footsteps.
Her path.
They were sailing with her as members of her crew.