Chapter 38: Absolute Sense of Taste (3)
Chapter 38: Absolute Sense of Taste (3)
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Emily said this with a bright smile. Jo Minjoon looked at her, puzzled. This was the first time he had a private conversation with Emily—or rather, with a judge. It was understandable. They were all busy people who appeared only when required for the broadcasts, otherwise occupied with their own duties. Their situation was quite different from that of the participants.
“Why were you...?”
“Well, I don’t like beating around the bush. So I’ll get straight to the point. Is that okay?”
“Yes.”
Jo Minjoon responded briefly. Emily’s smile softened into something more serious as she spoke.
“Have you ever considered becoming an epicurean?”
“...What?”
At the sudden question, Jo Minjoon’s brows twitched. Emily raised both palms as if to say she understood and continued.
“I know it’s sudden and might confuse you. But I couldn’t stay silent after what you showed me.”
“The tasting mission?”
Jo Minjoon asked. Emily nodded.
“Your tasting ability. If you became an epicurean, you’d be one of the best in the world. Cooking, of course, is important, but tasting is just one aspect of it. However, when it comes to evaluating a dish, it’s the most valuable skill.”
He vaguely understood what Emily meant, but his stance remained firm. In a low voice, he replied,
“I’m a chef. I like to cook.”
“I understand. I’m not asking you to become an epicurean right away. But you can come to me anytime you want to. Because I will nurture you...”
Emily handed him her business card. Jo Minjoon stared at it for a moment, then sighed as he accepted it. Emily’s smile faded into a faint, regretful one.
“Proposing something like this to someone who dreams of becoming a chef might only confuse you more. I’m truly sorry.”
“...There’s no way I’ll give up.”
“I hope so too. People who enjoy good flavours can share them well. If you keep moving forward, you’ll become an excellent chef. That alone is wonderful.”
Emily stopped speaking and glanced at the watch on her left wrist. Her expression turned surprised as she clasped her hands.
“Wow! The plane’s about to leave. I have to go. Don’t let this bother you too much—I was just teasing you once.”
“I’m not.”
“That’s a relief. Whew, I’d really miss the plane like this. I’ll see you at the next mission. Ah! And you were really cool today.”
Jo Minjoon gave no reply, only a troubled laugh. Emily waved and left. As the sound of her high heels faded, another familiar voice came from behind.
“Emily loves epicureans.”
Startled, Jo Minjoon turned around and sighed. One problem after another—this time, it was a different judge. Alan was seated on a sofa near the hallway wall, flipping through a magazine. He looked up at Jo Minjoon.
“And you will make quite a good epicurean.”
“...Is today special? I think this is the first time I’ve met the judges outside the missions.”
“Well, don’t you know why, Minjoon?”
Alan closed the magazine, though it felt like he wanted to say more. Jo Minjoon looked at him; Alan’s dark brown eyes remained as inscrutable as ever.
“What do you think of Emily’s proposal?”
“If you mean me becoming an epicurean, then I don’t even have to think twice."
Without hesitation, Jo Minjoon replied, expecting Alan to approve. But Alan’s expression didn’t change. In a low voice, he said,
“It’s a good proposal.”
“Yes?”
Startled, Jo Minjoon’s voice trembled. Alan continued calmly,
“Being a chef is a hard and gruelling job. You work while others eat, and even if you don’t smoke, many chefs suffer lung cancer from prolonged exposure to cooking oil fumes. You stand before fire in summer and dip your hands in ice water in winter.”
...
Jo Minjoon said nothing but listened. He hoped Alan wasn’t truly trying to persuade him to become an epicurean. Alan went on,
“An epicurean is different from a food critic. It’s not suited for you. Your talent lies in cooking, though your tasting skills are stronger. You’ll likely succeed more as an epicurean than a chef. But.”
Alan stood, tossed the magazine onto the bookshelf, and faced him.
“I hope you don’t give up on becoming a chef. Even if you face lung cancer, accidents, heat, or cold, I want you to be a chef. I’m standing here because I knew you’d be tempted by that woman, Emily.”
“...You’re worrying for nothing. That proposal wasn’t tempting at all. I am going to be a chef.”
“No, it is tempting. You may not feel it now, but the day will come when you do. It’s natural when you’re human. People seeing dishes imagine chefs’ good lives, but the reality in the kitchen is pain. Cooking at home and in a restaurant are two different things.”
Jo Minjoon had no response. He couldn’t say he’d been the youngest chef in a restaurant, and it would be foolish to claim he understood all the hardships. Alan spoke quietly, teaching like a patient mentor. Jo Minjoon could feel Alan’s goodwill, so he remained silent.
“I’m not dismissing your passion for cooking. I’m just telling you it’s really difficult.”
“...I want to ask something.”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
“Why are you treating me so well?”
Jo Minjoon asked, genuinely curious. Alan had just said he was more talented at tasting than cooking—so why?
Alan answered,
“You can’t create what you don’t know. It’s the same with flavour. If you understand flavour, you can bring it out. I’m curious to see what kind of dishes you’ll create as you grow. Perhaps...”
He seemed about to say more but stopped. Jo Minjoon sighed.
“I understand why you’re acting like this. Thank you for your interest and concern. But you’re worrying for nothing. My skills are lacking, and I don’t have much experience. However...”
He paused, then met Alan’s dark eyes. A world-class master chef—yet he did not flinch.
“I also know the joy of cooking. The satisfaction of making a delicious dish and seeing others enjoy it. Cooking is the most precious gift life has given me. How could I ever let it go?”
—
‘...Absolute sense of taste.’
As he walked back to his room, Jo Minjoon thought over Emily’s words. Knowing flavour meant a good dish would come. Honestly, those words didn’t comfort him much. It wasn’t that he truly knew flavours—it was his system strength. The absolute taste Alan meant was probably more suited for Kaya than for him.
Thinking this, he suddenly felt a desire to obtain that absolute taste. Would the system grant it? He didn’t know. For one thing, he wasn’t even sure if the levels rose because his skills improved or if his skills improved because he levelled up.
But his thoughts didn’t last long. As he reached the fourth floor, where his room was, several participants gathered in the lobby stared at him. At least ten pairs of eyes met his. Nervously, Jo Minjoon said,
“...I’m a little busy.”
“How strange. All participants have the same schedule, yet some seem busier than others.”
Kaya, seated on the sofa armrest, laughed while mumbling. Her smoky makeup gave her a slightly grumpy look today. Chloe tapped an empty spot beside her and said,
“Aren’t you tired? Come sit here.”
“I’m not especially tired.”
Jo Minjoon grumbled, sitting down. A ginger-haired young white man, presumably Jacob, spoke. His voice was clear, and his build large. He wasn’t close to Jo Minjoon.
“What was that earlier? Do you really have an absolute sense of taste?”
“Well, there’s no other way to describe it.”
“To deny it now would be funny.”
Jo Minjoon turned his head as Chloe looked at him with sparkling eyes that almost annoyed him. She spoke,
“I’m really curious about how an absolute taste feels. What’s it like? Do you feel happier eating delicious food?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never experienced someone else’s sense of taste, so it would be odd for me to say.”
“You’re right... Then, are you picky?”
“I’m not especially picky. You know that since we’ve eaten together.”
“I thought I knew, but I didn’t realise your tongue was so sensitive. Maybe the food just isn’t good, and you’re hiding it?”
“How could I? It was a good dish.”
As Jo Minjoon answered, Chloe exhaled a relieved whew. In that moment, he thought her face was like a squirrel’s or maybe a turtle’s, but she was really cute.
A husky voice teased him,
“You’d be happy, with an absolute taste and all.”
Jo Minjoon laughed, finding it ridiculous. If anyone else had said it, he might have understood. But it was Kaya Lotus—whose tongue wasn’t a fake like his was, but genuinely cursed. Jo Minjoon believed Kaya herself had an absolute taste.
That thought was because of her tasting level: level 10. He wasn’t sure if that automatically meant absolute taste. The videos he watched about Kaya never mentioned it. But if you were tasting level 10, it seemed strange not to have that ability.
‘Well, that’s not the important thing right now.’
He had to get away from this swamp of stares. Yet, it didn’t look easy.
“How did you guess the ingredients from just that small bite?”
“Can you tell beetroot from radish?”
“Can you discern dough ratios by flavour?”
Questions poured at him, none of which he could answer. Just as the interrogation seemed to ease, Kaya sat on the armrest of the sofa where Jo Minjoon sat and brought a finger to his mouth. It was actually a dumpling she had given him.
Jo Minjoon closed his lips, looking at Kaya with wide eyes. Smiling mischievously, she whispered,
“I made these. Eat. Why not guess what’s inside?”
“No, I...”
“Cough.”
Before he could protest, Kaya pressed another dumpling into his mouth. Jo Minjoon had no choice but to chew. After a moment, he covered his nose as a sharp smell flooded it, almost piercing his brain. Kaya smiled.
“Do you know what it is?”
Jo Minjoon still covered his nose and did not answer; he couldn’t. He glanced at Kaya resentfully. Before his eyes, a window appeared, as always.
[Wasabi Dumplings]
Freshness: 88%
Origins: (Too many ingredients to know)
Quality: High (Average ingredients)
Cooking score: 4/10