Chapter 539: Unexpected Twist (19)
Chapter 539: Unexpected Twist (19)
It sounded strange, but with the right combination of temperature, texture, and taste, it was a recipe that could defy people’s anxious premonitions nicely. June was confident she could surprise everyone with her dish, but she gave up after tasting Dave’s.
“It’s a strange gazpacho, isn’t it?” Nathan asked, as if it were new to him.
He frowned briefly, as if the marijuana made his voice echo inside his head each time he spoke. Then he looked at her again.
She opened her mouth without turning to face him. “If you eat it while you’re high like that, you might die because it’s so delicious.”
“Can you stop showing off?”
“Then, do you want to check if I’m really faking it?”
“Well, everything tastes great when I’m on drugs like this.”
“Then go outside and get some dirt.”
“Stop it!”
He bantered with her until he made a tired expression, as if his body weighed heavily. She wondered if he could really cook in that state, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t look after him when she was this nervous about the competition. Besides, he was done for anyway.
At that moment, Dave appeared in the kitchen. Determined to show Nathan her fantastic cooking skills, June was about to put the ice cream and gazpacho into a bowl when Dave suddenly appeared and stared at her.
“What brings you here?” she asked.
“Does a chef need a reason to come to the kitchen?”
“You’re done with the competition.”
“Well, I’ve got an itch to do something. And I thought you’d be here, too.”
Before she knew it, a genuine smile crossed her lips. She hadn’t even realised what kind of smile it was. Grasping the handle of the pot holding the gazpacho, she said, “Then go and cook.”
“What are you cooking?”
“Never mind.”
“Gazpacho? Well, judging by the colour and texture of the ingredients, it doesn’t look like grapes. Oh, it’s red cabbage? What’s that ice cream? I bet the whole dish will taste completely different depending on what that ice cream is.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” she said, frowning.
Nathan, standing nearby, watched their expressions and slipped out of the kitchen. Even if he stayed, he wouldn’t cook. The drugs weighed heavily on him; he was exhausted by everything.
As Nathan left, Dave smiled and said, “If a guy’s trying to hit on a woman, he only has one reason. You know that?”
“Get out of here!”
“Can I help you?” Dave asked softly.
Her expression hardened.
But he continued calmly, as if helping her was no big deal. “Maybe I can help...”
“Oh my...” she feigned laughter, as if dumbfounded. He stopped speaking and looked at her. Although he didn’t curse, something in her laughter chilled him.
June cut him off. She didn’t curse, but she said coldly, “Now I remember why we broke up. You’ve always been like that. You’re condescending, as if I can’t do anything right without your help.”
“Oh no, what I mean is—”
“Shut up. If you don’t, I might never want to see you again.”
Dave, trying to explain, closed his mouth again. She opened her big eyes wider than usual, her anger clear and unreserved.
“I’m struggling to beat you! Then you want me to beat you with your help? Does that make any sense?”
“That’s not what I intended...”
“Your intentions don’t matter. I just feel bad because of you right now. So, if you don’t want to lose any more points, just shut up and get out. That’s the best help you can give me.”
Dave opened his mouth to speak again but, seeing her fierce eyes, he sighed and stayed silent. His sigh angered her further, but she didn’t say another word; shouting more would only stress her out.
“Okay, I’ll leave now. Sorry if I offended you. I mean well,” he said.
“I understand your behaviour. You’re an idiot who can’t even speak or act properly.”
“Thank you for understanding me.”
“Hey.”
She grabbed him as he was about to leave the kitchen.
When he turned, she lifted her middle finger and said, “Don’t swagger like that just because I’m better than you.”
He made a subtle expression at her words and eventually left. She placed her hands on her hips, glared at the door he exited through, then turned her gaze to the pipe Nathan had left behind on the countertop. It held mostly unburnt hemp leaves.
“...” June picked it up, stared at it with a puzzled expression, then threw it into the trash.
“Stupid!”
Who did she swear at?
When the competition began, Minjoon thought there might be days when no chefs came forward for evaluation, but that never happened. Instead, many chefs rushed to have their dishes judged as soon as possible.
As expected—or perhaps the opposite—June was not the first to present her dishes.
Thus, people speculated on her reasons. Some said she wanted to monopolise everyone’s attention; others thought she was too overwhelmed by Dave’s dishes to show up.
Minjoon knew the answer and worried about her. It was no surprise June was stuck in the kitchen every day lately.
“You look tired.”
That was the first thing he said when he visited her.
She tried to smile and pretend she was fine, but even her smile was weary.
What should I say? Comfort her? Encourage her? Or give some other advice? He wasn’t sure what was best for her now. If he were in her place, he would feel overwhelmed—Dave’s cuisine was perfect.
“Chef Dave told me he didn’t come up first because he was afraid he’d scare the other chefs off.”
“Do you think I’m scared?”
“You don’t look full of confidence.”
“Confidence...” She giggled at the word. “Actually, few are as confident as I am. In fact, my confidence never fades. But I only have confidence when I’m already convinced of victory. In other words, when everyone thinks I can win.”
“What’s the difference?”
“If you’re truly confident, you never get cold feet even when others doubt you, because you believe victory is certain no matter what. Even if you don’t know how you’ll succeed, you feel confident. Dave’s like that. But I’m the opposite. When everyone says I’ll win, I’m consumed with anxiety because I’m afraid I won’t. I’m in that state of mind even now.”
He seemed to understand.
She said slowly, “I just feel ashamed. I’ve behaved as if I’ve achieved everything I want, but I look so stupid right now, at this crucial moment.”
“Well, you’re not stupid. It’s only natural to be nervous. If you pretended confidence now, you’d look foolish.”
“Sometimes I wish I had even stupid confidence.”
“Well, you’ve already given up,” he said quietly.
She tried to deny it but couldn’t. She moved her lips as if to reply but lowered her head weakly.
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.”
“Don’t focus on the competition. Chef Dave wouldn’t.”
“I’m not Dave.”
“That’s why you’re worse than Chef Dave.”
He wondered if it was okay to say that while trying to comfort her. Actually, he wasn’t the kind of person who offered comfort. He preferred kicking someone’s ass over patting their shoulder when they complained.
“Worse than Dave?”
“If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be so nervous about the competition.”
“Gosh, you’re so mean.”
At that moment, she glanced at the cameras behind him. The documentary crew was filming. This might air later, so she worried about what she’d just said.
He said, “Chef June, compete with Dave by showing your individuality in your dishes! That way, no one could say who’s truly better. What I mean is, you need to show your individuality.”
“Individuality. How?”
“Well, that’s up to you. I can’t choose your clothes, right? You know your style best.”
She didn’t respond for a moment.
He added, “In fact, it’s a subtle difference.”
“Subtle difference?”
“Yes. I mean the difference between your cooking and Dave’s. Just as he’s a great chef, you’re a great chef, too.”
“So, try to make a little more difference. You’ll win then,” he said, proposing a hard truth.