Chapter 54: Crossroad (5)
Chapter 54: Crossroad (5)
While Jo Minjoon was receiving treatment, Chloe’s evaluation continued. There were no surprises. She did not receive any particular praise, but neither did she receive any serious criticism.
When Chloe returned, Jo Minjoon frowned as he looked at her. Of course, it had nothing to do with the result of her evaluation. The pain in his thumb was getting worse.
The doctor injected a local anaesthetic and spoke bluntly. “As the anaesthetic wears off and sensation returns, the pain will get worse.”
“……How long will it take to heal?”
“It varies from person to person, but normally the wound should close in about a week. It should heal completely in around two weeks. It may take longer than that for the sensation in your finger to return fully.”
With that, the doctor began stitching his thumb.
Five stitches.
An injury to the hand was something no chef could take lightly. Even so, watching the needle pass through his flesh made Jo Minjoon distinctly uncomfortable.
“Don’t look. It’s not good for you.”
At the doctor’s words, Jo Minjoon turned his head towards the judges.
Hugo was receiving the final evaluation.
Seven points.
It had been the same with his ossobuco, but Jo Minjoon thought Hugo was a relatively skilled chef. If he continued like this, he would probably reach Level 7 in cooking within a few years.
“Thank you for the good food.” With Emily’s final words, the evaluations came to an end.
The judges glanced towards Jo Minjoon. They could not announce their final decision until all the contestants had gathered again.
The doctor tapped Jo Minjoon lightly on the wrist to indicate that the treatment was finished. Jo Minjoon returned to his station, and Joseph began to speak.
“After discussing today’s dishes, we’ve decided who came in first in this mission. First, I’ll tell you what kind of dish took first place. Risotto. It was a risotto.”
Jo Minjoon licked his lips and stared at the judges.
There had only been two eight-point dishes today: his and Kaya’s.
Kaya, however, had been criticised for her lack of creativity, while Jo Minjoon had received no such criticism.
Naturally, he could not help expecting it to be him.
Joseph looked directly at Jo Minjoon and beckoned him forward.
“Minjoon. Congratulations. You’re today’s star!”
Jo Minjoon could not control his expression.
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he tried desperately to keep his lips pressed together. In the end, however, his restraint only resulted in an even brighter smile.
It was the first time.
His first eight-point dish.
His first time coming in first.
Until now, he had always done his best simply to survive, but there had never been a day when he had been the best.
Yet just as Joseph had said, today he was the star.
Joseph continued. “Have some confidence, Minjoon. Regardless of that absolute sense of taste of yours, you’re already an excellent chef. If you refine this risotto just a little more, it could even be served in my restaurant. That’s how good it was.”
Alan followed. “In my opinion, you’ve always doubted your own ability. The fact that you said the best dish you could make was worth seven points proves that. Why do you think that way? Think about the risotto you made today. You said it yourself, didn’t you? It was an eight-point dish. Stop doubting yourself.”
Jo Minjoon could not answer.
He could hardly tell them that he had believed seven points was his limit because the system said his cooking level was six.
It was not simply because the system had to remain a secret.
Whatever the reason, one fact was undeniable.
Jo Minjoon had surpassed the limit he himself believed he had.
His throat tightened.
Something surged up inside him.
Resentment, happiness, sadness—emotions tangled together as they rose into his throat, making tears threaten to spill from his eyes.
He had planned not to cry until he won the entire competition.
Yet he raised both hands and covered his eyes.
From beyond his palms, he heard Alan’s voice. “Cook the way you did today. I don’t think this will be the last time you’re the best. Your twenties are a good age for growing.”
“……Thank you.” His voice was wet with tears.
It would probably look good on television, but Jo Minjoon himself found the sound embarrassing. It made him feel neither masculine nor mature enough.
But he could not help it.
The dream he had wanted for so long had suddenly come right up to him and seemed to be telling him that he could actually reach it.
If someone felt nothing in a moment like this, there could only be two reasons.
Either the dream had never been real in the first place, or they had never truly been moved by it.
When his tears finally stopped, Jo Minjoon lowered his hands.
Through his blurred vision, he saw that Alan was looking at him with a moved expression as well.
Jo Minjoon managed a smile and bowed deeply to the judges.
It was a Korean-style bow, but even so, it was the only way he knew to express what he was feeling.
Once the winner had been announced, what came next was the part everyone dreaded.
The eliminations.
Even the judges could never become accustomed to this moment.
Alan spoke in a sombre voice. “We tasted many dishes today. When it came to the risotto group, our opinions differed somewhat, but with the paella group, the contestants at risk of elimination were much clearer. Carlos. Coney. Come forward.”
Carlos stepped forward with a pale face.
Coney, on the other hand, looked calm, as though she had already expected this.
Alan spoke coldly. “Coney. Today, you made the worst dish you’ve produced in this competition. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes……… I do.”
“But that doesn’t mean you’re a terrible chef. I’ve enjoyed many of the dishes you’ve made until now. I hope you don’t give up on your dream of becoming a chef. You have potential. Keep going.”
“………Yes.” Coney nodded.
Then it was Carlos’s turn.
He was so tense waiting for the verdict that every muscle in his body seemed rigid. The tattoos along his arm shifted as his muscles tightened, but rather than making him look intimidating, he resembled a frightened cat with its fur standing on end.
Emily spoke. “Actually, we thought about your case for a long time. To be honest, several contestants made risotto at roughly the same level as yours.”
“……….”
“But someone had to be eliminated. Among those contestants, we chose the chef whose dish left the least impression on us. I’m sorry, Carlos. It looks like your journey ends here. Coney, Carlos, please leave your Grand Chef badges behind and leave the kitchen.”
Carlos and Coney removed their badges with trembling hands.
They placed them on the worktables where they had been cooking until moments ago, then walked out of the kitchen with heavy, powerless steps.
Jo Minjoon bit his lip as he watched Carlos leave.
He could not say they had been particularly close, but this was the first time someone he had spoken with fairly often had been eliminated.
They had cooked together while chasing the same dream.
But when they reached the crossroads, they had to go their separate ways.
In truth, the entire competition could be called one endless crossroads.
Every time an episode ended, at least one contestant was eliminated.
At the beginning, everyone had simply been desperate to survive.
Now they had reached the stage where they were forced to compete directly against one another, with neither side willing to yield.
It was bitter.
Bitter enough to wash away the sweetness of victory.
After the interview with Martin ended and night fell, the contestants gathered in the hall as usual.
It was time for the broadcast.
Although two contestants had been eliminated, it would not be right to remain depressed forever. They might no longer be part of the programme, but that did not mean their dreams had disappeared.
Jo Minjoon firmly massaged Hugo’s shoulders.
Startled, Hugo turned around.
“You must feel lonely now that your best friend is gone.”
“………Whew. I don’t know.” Hugo sighed and shook his head.
The closer he had been to Carlos, the greater the regret he felt at seeing him leave.
The broadcast began.
Ironically, the first person to appear on screen was Coney.
She looked directly into the camera with resolute eyes.
I’m a single mother. My child just turned four and is going to kindergarten. And I’m in debt to the point that I can barely afford the kindergarten fees. Talent? No. I don’t even know if I can call what I have talent. This is my last lifeline. Am I doing this because I enjoy it? I don’t know. Honestly, cooking feels more stressful than fun to me. Because it’s my last hope. For a stable life for my child and me…… I can’t fall here. I’m going to win. I will. I don’t know as much about cooking as the other contestants, and I’ve only learned by working in all sorts of kitchens…… but my reason for needing to win is clearer than anyone else’s.
It was heavy.
The contestants who had been trying to keep the mood bright fell silent.
An ordinary viewer might have watched that scene and cheered for Coney.
But they already knew what happened.
Coney had been eliminated.
Damn that paella. Jo Minjoon sighed inwardly.
Truthfully, even if Coney had survived this mission, it was unlikely she would have won the competition. There was simply too great a difference in their basic skill levels.
Even so, he could not help feeling sorry for her.
The episode covered the three-course mission.
For the first time, Jo Minjoon was able to see what had happened in detail.
More precisely, he was able to see the fight between Anderson and Kaya.
The two of them had argued over who would handle the main course, and the scene eventually ended with Kaya’s hand being covered by a mosaic censor.
Joanne smacked Anderson on the arm. “Do you really want to beat up a kid?”
“………Shut up.”
“You two are exactly alike.”
Hearing that from a distance, Kaya frowned and glared at Joanne.
Joanne immediately raised both hands in surrender.
After that, events unfolded much as they already knew.
No—there was one thing Jo Minjoon had not realised.
The third member of Anderson and Kaya’s team had been Carlos.
Their team had lost, and during the elimination revival round, Kaya had asked Jo Minjoon for help.
Then the commercials began.
By now, the contestants no longer teased Jo Minjoon and Kaya about their supposed romance. They had already done enough of that.
The viewers, of course, would probably be a different matter.
“You’re not going to sleep tonight either, are you? You’ll be busy checking the comments.” Hugo grinned as he spoke.
Jo Minjoon looked at him. “You don’t check them?”
“I read a few. Even if I do, there’s not much for me to say. There aren’t that many comments about me anyway. The director hasn’t shoved me into a love line with someone like a certain person here.”
(Translator’s Note: Love line — A Korean entertainment-industry expression formed from the English words “love” and “line”. It refers to a romantic narrative or perceived pairing between two people in a television programme, whether genuine, encouraged by production, or created through editing. The term became particularly common in South Korean variety and reality television during the 2000s and 2010s)
“……Be grateful you weren’t. It’s seriously stressful.”
“And why does it stress you out?”
It was not Hugo who asked.
Jo Minjoon turned his head.
Kaya was looking at him with a puzzled expression.
“You check the comments because they stress you out too, don’t you?”
“I do get stressed, but not because of that. If people pair you with me, that’s an honour. Why would that be stressful?”
“……You shouldn’t interfere in a married couple’s argument. I’m leaving.”
“That’s enough. Sit down. What married couple are you talking about?” Jo Minjoon grabbed Hugo, who was already starting to get up, and forced him back into his seat.
Hugo glanced towards Kaya before leaning close and whispering into Jo Minjoon’s ear. “I’m scared of her.”
“Teenagers are all like that these days.”
“I don’t think I was like that.”
“You were a teenager a long time ago. How old are you now? Twenty-eight?”
“Urgh……” Hugo dropped his head with a dejected expression.
Watching the two of them amuse themselves, Kaya looked as though she wanted to say something more, but in the end, she remained silent.
The broadcast was starting again.
This time, it focused on the contestants’ personal stories.
Each contestant’s background was shown, along with the reason they felt they could not afford to be eliminated.
Kaya was no exception.
I’m not going back to that sewer. Well, I suppose the other contestants all have reasons like that too. Reasons they can’t afford to be eliminated. But I’m sorry. It can’t be helped. I have my reasons too. I’m going to win even if I have to kill every last one of them.
It was an extreme thing to say, but none of the contestants blamed her.
By now, they knew her personality well.
The viewers, of course, might see it differently.
Jo Minjoon glanced at Kaya.
Her expression was unusually serious.
At that moment, Carlos appeared on screen.
Apparently, he had also been interviewed during the elimination revival round. Footage of him cooking played while his voice sounded over it.
Actually, I used to do drugs. And cooking was what helped me escape from that. It’s true. I’m not saying this just to make people emotional. Cooking really was the only thing I had. The only thing I could concentrate on and enjoy. Aside from drugs…… cooking was all I had. Maybe cooking became another kind of drug for me. And with this drug called cooking, I’m going to overcome everything. Reality, withdrawal symptoms…… all of it.
Murmurs spread among the contestants.
None of them had known Carlos had once used drugs. Judging by Hugo’s grave expression, he had not known either.
Jo Minjoon lightly patted him on the shoulder. “He’ll be all right. He may have been eliminated, but cooking hasn’t left him.”
“……You think so?”
“It will be fine. He was a good guy. Let’s believe in him.”
Hugo smiled bitterly and turned back towards the screen.
The episode continued, eventually reaching the announcement of the eliminated contestants and the winners.
As the Grand Chef logo expanded to fill the screen, Jo Minjoon found the programme unbearably cruel.
Victory on this show was sweeter than almost anything else.
But that sweetness was granted to only one person.
Everyone else would eventually end in defeat.
The contestants’ eliminations and struggles might move the viewers enough to bring tears to their eyes, but for the people actually experiencing them, they carried a kind of suffering that could make a person feel as though they were about to collapse.
What waited at the end of that crossroads?
Cheers?
Or………