Chapter 509: Glimpse of One’s Back (2)
Chapter 509: Glimpse of One’s Back (2)
It took Jefferson nearly a month to set up an additional production line for Kaya’s new recipe. However, Minjoon and Kaya could not afford to wait that long without taking action. Lisa’s limited time was running out.
That was why Minjoon, Kaya, and Chloe took time off to rush to Los Angeles. Janet, her pregnancy more visibly advanced than before, greeted them warmly. Minjoon embraced Janet briefly, then stared at her stomach as if at a loss for words.
Janet shot him a sharp look. “Why are you staring at my baby bump like that?”
“I wasn’t looking at it. I was looking at my nephew.”
“How can my baby be your nephew?”
“Isn’t it?”
As he cracked the silly joke, Kaya's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Janet’s baby bump. Noticing Kaya’s lingering look made Janet feel uncomfortable, so she quickly pulled her cardigan over her stomach.
“Stop staring. I’ve been gaining weight lately.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Ugh, so tired.”
“But you must be happy, at least.”
Minjoon found it odd watching Kaya eye Janet's bump with such curiosity. He decided to change the subject.
“By the way, is it alright for a pregnant woman to come all this way? We could have gone to your place on our own, or you might’ve sent Anderson here.”
“Do you think a pregnant woman can’t drive? I can’t stand being stuck at home. Anderson’s working right now. It’s me who’s pregnant, not him.”
“Oh, I see...”
“Where to next? Lisa’s house?”
“Yes, please.”
Janet gently escorted Minjoon, Kaya, and Chloe to Lisa’s home. Marco, who was keeping watch over the bakery, greeted them with a bright smile and a wave.
“Come on in! You’re early today.”
“We took a night flight. How’s Lisa?”
“She’s waiting for you.”
“I’m resting inside for a bit, but I’ll be up soon.”
“No need to wait,” Marco said.
Minjoon and Kaya stepped inside, exchanging shrugs. The bakery had quite a few customers. Minjoon felt pleased to see them, but also hollow inside. Obviously, Lisa’s touch was missing from the bread since she hadn’t been baking as before, though the customers likely didn’t notice the difference.
Come to think of it, Minjoon simply felt empty. But now was no time to dwell. He needed to focus on Lisa.
A little later, Minjoon, Kaya, and Chloe were rendered speechless, startled by Jack’s appearance.
“Jack, are you alright?” Minjoon asked, his voice tight with suppressed emotion.
Jack emerged with Lisa, looking haggard beside her. Of course, Minjoon understood why. Jack had been frail for some time, and now faced the grim reality that his daughter might die. The worry must have consumed him daily.
“I’m not okay,” Jack answered, his voice heavy with exhaustion and phlegm. Lisa glanced at him sadly, then offered a faint smile.
“It’s been a while. Congratulations, Kaya! Your Six Meat menu is very popular these days.”
“Thank you.”
Kaya smiled, trying not to let her shock show, as if unwilling to dampen the mood.
Yet everyone felt the end was near for Lisa. The more they denied it, the clearer the truth became.
Her final farewell was coming swiftly.
They all sensed it but said nothing. Saying it aloud would only bring the unbearable reality crashing down.
At that moment, Jack looked at Minjoon wistfully. Minjoon instinctively realised Jack was now seeking Daniel’s shadow in him.
Normally, Minjoon would have felt uncomfortable with that, plagued by a strange inferiority toward Daniel. No matter what he achieved, people always called him a second Daniel. The chefs of Rachel’s generation mentioned Daniel whenever they saw Minjoon. Hearing it, Minjoon admired Daniel but felt a deep frustration. He resented being trapped in the shadow of a chef he had never even met. While acknowledging Daniel’s greatness, he refused to accept it fully.
Now, reflecting on it, he found it odd that he had never been jealous of chefs better than him — even those he respected and liked. Even when jealousy stirred, he quickly dismissed it, as he did with Kaya.
But with Daniel, it was different. Over time, Minjoon's love and hatred toward Daniel grew more painful.
Suddenly, he thought he glimpsed the key to his dilemma.
Because Daniel was the best chef.
Daniel was simply the best. Kaya was also among the best chefs Minjoon knew, but he hadn’t yet witnessed Kaya at her peak. The Kaya he would see in the future would surely surpass all others, but compared to Daniel, she lagged behind.
Yet it wasn’t just that Minjoon wanted to surpass Daniel. None of the other chefs even dreamed of overtaking Daniel. They regarded him like ordinary people watching grand actors on screen—unable to imagine getting close to such greatness, which frustrated Minjoon deeply.
He refused to believe he had limits. He wanted to believe nobody was beyond reach if he tried hard enough. Someday, he would become a great chef himself.
In short, he wanted to be the world’s best chef.
Yeah, that was why he was Korean.
While cooking, Minjoon thought he wasn’t concerned with comparing himself to others, but he found himself as greedy as anyone else. Greed had no end.
He wasn’t greedy for June’s sake. This desire had long been inside him, only his circumstances and abilities had prevented him from challenging Daniel before.
He wanted people to stop thinking Daniel was the best chef. He knew he was far behind Daniel for now, but he wanted to catch up as soon as possible—and he believed he could.
Well, he didn’t have to focus on that now.
Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Minjoon looked at Lisa. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if she was improving or not. She always looked tired, though she appeared healthier recently after taking a break following surgery.
“How are you feeling, Lisa?”
“I’m not saying it just to be polite. I really feel good. My tumour has shrunk a lot, and the metastasis has stopped. I think I can live healthily for decades if I stay like this.”
“What a relief! I think even when I’m old, I’ll always want to eat the sandwiches you make, Lisa.”
“Yeah, you can,” she replied with a smile.
He smiled back, buoyed by her cheerful response. At that moment, Ella peeked shyly from behind Lisa’s legs, her usual cute expression intact.
“Ella!”
Chloe’s face lit up, and she crouched down, arms open. But Ella only stared at them nervously, not coming closer.
Lisa gently stroked her head. “Looks like she feels awkward meeting you after so long.”
“You don’t have to feel awkward,” Chloe said softly, again opening her arms. Ella checked her mother’s mood and clung tightly to her legs again. Minjoon wondered if Ella wasn’t just awkward but scared—afraid this situation meant she might lose her mother forever.
He smiled warmly at her.
“Ella, you’ve been taking good care of your mum, haven’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“Good job. I brought some jelly for you.”
He handed Ella a bag full of jelly he had prepared a day before flying here, flavoured with various fruits and sauces. Ella’s face brightened as she took the bag, then grabbed a handful and offered it to him.
“Eat this, uncle.”
“Thanks.”
Before Minjoon could respond, Ella popped a handful of jelly into his mouth. The mix of flavours was varied, but it still tasted good—cooking score: 7.
With his mouth full, Kaya spoke up.
“What would you like to eat, Lisa? I can make anything.”
“Well...” Lisa replied. “Anything warm would be nice.”