Chapter 181: Taking the Initiative (3)
Chapter 181: Taking the Initiative (3)
Hearing the tremor in Jo Minjoon’s voice, Chloe smiled faintly. She wanted to see his eyes waver with nervousness again. She wanted to hear that cautious, gentle, soft, soothing voice of his once more.
After Grand Chef ended, the two of them had tried to pretend that nothing had happened, but there was no way they could truly do that. It was not as though Jo Minjoon avoided Chloe’s calls or anything of the sort. If anything, he had become even kinder than before, and she could tell from every text he sent that he was carefully choosing his words so he would not hurt her.
She was grateful for that. It meant Jo Minjoon cherished her enough to be so considerate.
But at the same time, it was torture.
When the person you liked had to be cautious around you instead of feeling comfortable in your presence, it was difficult for anyone to endure.
“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
That was why Chloe tried to sound as casual as possible. If she had been a more calculating person, perhaps she could have taken advantage of Jo Minjoon’s gentleness. But she did not do that.
She could not do that.
Jo Minjoon sat down beside her.
“How did you get here? You should’ve called and told me you were coming.”
“I didn’t want to make you nervous. The pasta is delicious. Or should I say the jelly is delicious?”
“Well, in the end, it’s still pasta. The jelly is just what it’s made from.”
Chloe nodded and quietly put another piece of pasta into her mouth.
Jo Minjoon hesitated for a moment.
What could he say to make this awkward atmosphere disappear?
But he had the feeling that no matter what he said, it would not disappear.
“Congratulations. I heard you’re dating Kaya.”
“Yes. It ended up that way.”
“Just so you know, I’m not saying that sarcastically or merely as a formality. I’m genuinely happy for you. You and Kaya are both important friends to me.”
She was not forcing herself to say it.
Those truly were Chloe’s feelings.
When she first learned that Kaya and Minjoon were dating, Chloe’s heart had been crushed. There was no helping it. Of course, she had suspected for a long time that there was something between the two of them, but suspicion and reality carried completely different weights.
At first, she had not been confident she could face either of them. Even though she had done nothing wrong, she felt embarrassed. She had even seriously considered never contacting either of them again and simply living as though nothing had ever happened.
But she could not do that.
Just as she had told Minjoon, both Jo Minjoon and Kaya were important friends to her.
That was why Chloe had no choice but to say it.
“Don’t worry, Minjoon. I’m not as innocent or pure as you think I am. The heart I gave you, I’ll take it back soon. So……”
Chloe suddenly stopped speaking.
Perhaps she had put on some lip tint, because her lips shone faintly. But that was not why Jo Minjoon found himself looking at them.
It was because the corners of her lips were trembling ever so slightly.
That tiny tremor told him more than the words she had just spoken.
“You don’t need to worry about me anymore. A lot of time has passed. My feelings have changed a lot too.”
“Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.”
It was a simple answer, but that did not mean he was taking Chloe’s words lightly.
If anything, it was the greatest respect he could show her.
He could clearly feel Chloe’s fear of ruining their friendship.
Jo Minjoon could not trample on those feelings.
It was at that moment.
“Minjoon! How dare you say that on Starbook…… Uh, Chloe?”
A familiar voice came from behind him.
Jo Minjoon’s heart seemed to skip a beat, and he awkwardly turned around. Even though he had not cheated or done anything wrong, the mere fact that he was sitting with Chloe made him feel strangely guilty.
Fortunately, Kaya seemed too surprised by Chloe’s presence to notice Minjoon’s expression. Her eyes immediately welled up, and she pushed Minjoon aside before sitting beside Chloe.
“What is this? You always told me you were too busy to see me.”
“S-sorry.”
“I can’t really complain when I was busy too. It’s good to see you.”
With that, Kaya wrapped Chloe in a tight hug.
Chloe looked slightly nervous as she awkwardly returned the embrace. She had not expected Kaya to appear either.
And being face-to-face with Kaya made her feel guilty as well.
No matter how she looked at it, she had once desired her friend’s man.
Jo Minjoon looked at Kaya.
“You said you were going to Dallas for the weekend. Are you already done? It’s only Sunday.”
“I rushed back because I wanted to see you.”
Kaya smiled as she answered.
Chloe watched the two of them with an awkward expression.
Rather than jealousy, what she felt was surprise.
It was completely unexpected.
Even if the two of them were dating, Chloe had never imagined that Kaya Rose of all people could show this much affection and cuteness.
“Chef Minjoon! What are you doing?”
“……Ah, I need to get back to work. Kaya, sorry. You just got here, but I have to go. Catch up with Chloe for a while. We’ll talk once we’re done.”
“Ah. The jelly. Give me some too.”
“Got it. Just wait a little.”
Kaya watched Minjoon walk away, then smiled at Chloe.
“Now that we’re both settled, we should be able to see each other more often, right?”
“Yes. We should be able to. But work really is busy. I barely managed to make time today. What about you, Kaya?”
“I’m busy too, but…… I like it. It makes me feel like I’m actually living instead of wasting my life. You know how I grew up.”
“I don’t think the old you was wasting your life either. You were struggling with everything you had just to survive. That’s what made you into the wonderful chef you are today. And that’s why……”
Chloe glanced towards Minjoon.
He had already returned to making his rounds among the customers, smiling as he explained the menu. At that moment, he seemed to have completely forgotten about Chloe. As he faced each customer, the only things visible in his eyes were his passion and pride in cooking.
Chloe calmly continued.
“You ended up with a great boyfriend like that too.”
“Hmm…… He really is, isn’t he? He looks great to you too, right, Chloe?”
“If it weren’t for you, I might’ve stolen him for myself.”
“No. Minjoon is mine.”
Chloe smiled calmly.
There was no bitterness on her face.
She intended to keep the promise she had made to Minjoon. She could not control her true feelings, but at the very least, she did not want to let her lingering affection show on the surface.
“Yes. Minjoon is yours.”
*
“Whose dish left the strongest impression on you?”
Rafael asked.
Beside him were Rachel, Jack, Lisa, and finally Ella. Ella looked as though she desperately wanted to say something, but she had enough tact not to interrupt the adults’ conversation.
Lisa stroked Ella’s hair as she answered.
“Honestly, all of them left a strong impression. Molecular gastronomy isn’t something you get to eat every day. I’m sure the people who tried these dishes feel the same way. If you want to distinguish between them, you shouldn’t judge by how impressive they are, but by how they taste.”
“Mommy, I liked the jelly Uncle made the most.”
Ella whispered into Lisa’s ear with an innocent expression.
Lisa lightly kissed her cheek.
Ella’s eyes widened.
“Mommy, which one did you like the most?”
“Mommy……”
Lisa looked over the empty plates.
All four dishes had been excellent. The textures on the tongue were impressive, and it was obvious how much thought and research had gone into each recipe.
But as a baker, there could only be one she liked most.
“Mommy likes Uncle Javier’s crème anglaise. I wonder how it would taste with bread.”
“I didn’t like that one.”
“That’s because Ella is still young. When you grow up, you’ll understand the appeal of acquired tastes.”
“……You always tell me I’m young. I’m already grown up.”
Ella puffed out her cheeks and pouted.
Jack spoke.
“I’ve never tried molecular gastronomy before…… It’s refreshing. Rachel, I can understand why you’re interested in it. You’ve always hated standing still. Both in life and in cooking.”
“So, Jack, which one did you like best?”
“I feel the same as Lisa. Any baker would have their heart stolen by a cream like that.”
“I liked Janet’s film ravioli. Film is actually quite troublesome for beginners to work with…… but she managed it successfully. Chef Rachel, which one did you like?”
Rachel began to answer.
“I……”
*
While Rachel and the others were judging the demi chefs’ molecular gastronomy dishes, another quiet evaluation was taking place elsewhere.
Then again, since everyone had gathered to taste and judge the food, there was hardly anyone present who was not evaluating the dishes in some way.
But these two were different.
They were a man and a woman who appeared to be in their thirties. They did not seem to be a couple, but they shared one distinctive characteristic.
It was the way they approached food.
Unlike most people, neither of them immediately put the food into their mouths. First, they examined it with their eyes, appreciating the geometric beauty created by the food against the empty white space of the plate. Then they used their noses to take in the aroma.
Only after that did they taste it.
Their attitude towards flavour was different as well.
While most people would simply debate whether something tasted good or bad, these two had conversations like this.
The bald Asian man, dressed in a suit and fedora, spoke first.
“Personally, I can tell a lot of effort went into this ravioli. Alicia, what do you think?”
“I can tell the garnishes were placed with purpose rather than merely to fill empty space. The baby greens on the side serve a function. The crunch of the peanuts and the softness of the broth are tied together by the crispness of the leaves. Clever. And skilful. The person who made this was that female chef, right?”
“Yes. Do you like it?”
“‘Like’ is too vague. Honestly, this is molecular gastronomy they’ve only been practising for ten days. It would be strange to call it amazing. But if you ask whether it’s good, I can confidently say yes. If this is what they can produce after ten days, then by the time the restaurant opens, their level will be much, much higher. The amusing thing……”
The woman called Alicia smiled.
She looked at the plates on the table with obvious amusement.
“Is that all of these were made by demi chefs. Not sous chefs, but demi chefs who’ve been learning molecular gastronomy for only ten days or so. Our seniors really weren’t exaggerating when they said Rose Island was different, Chen.”
“We can finally satisfy our curiosity. At least now we won’t have to hear, ‘You haven’t even been to the original Rose Island restaurant,’ anymore.”
Judging by the sense of liberation in Chen’s expression, they must have heard that quite often.
Alicia nodded.
“That too, but I wanted to see it with my own eyes. The truth behind the restaurant that made people say three stars weren’t enough and that it deserved four. I hope it’s still the same as before.”
“It’s Rachel Rose and Rafael Yoon. On top of that, they have Jo Minjoon, who’s famous for his absolute taste. With a combination like that, wouldn’t it be stranger if they didn’t do something crazy?”
Chen twirled Jo Minjoon’s spaghetti around his fork and put it into his mouth.
His body trembled with delight.
The spaghetti, lasagne, and ravioli were all flawless.
He could not find anything obviously lacking.
The texture of the jelly, the seasoning of the ingredients inside it, and the choice and harmony of the garnishes on top were all meticulously balanced.
It truly was at the level of a dish that could appear on the menu of a Michelin-starred restaurant.
“……Wow. This person really does have absolute taste. Otherwise, it would be impossible to express flavour this meticulously. Personally, I think Minjoon’s dish could go on a menu right now. Not as something small like an amuse-bouche, but as a proper appetiser.”
“It really is surprising. Only ten days, and for a twenty-one-year-old to show this level of skill…… I can’t imagine what kind of monster he’ll become in the future.”
“Rose Island has always been full of geniuses. People even say that the reason everyone from the Rose Division succeeded without exception is because they never accepted anyone without talent in the first place.”
Chen murmured excitedly, as though his heart were pounding.
“But Jo Minjoon is the first genius Rachel personally recruited. What do you think that means?”
“Does it mean his talent is overwhelming even compared with her other disciples?”
“Yes. Her number-one disciple. And think about how most teachers treat their number-one disciples.”
Alicia tilted her head in confusion.
It did not take long, however, for shock to spread across her face.
She murmured as though the possibility had never occurred to her before.
“Perhaps…… Rose Island?”
“Rachel Rose is a widow. She also has no children.”
Chen turned his head.
His eyes followed Jo Minjoon as he moved through the crowd.
Then he continued in a meaningful voice.
“It wouldn’t be strange…… if she were thinking of that young man as the successor who will inherit everything.”