Chapter 540: Unexpected Twist (20)
Chapter 540: Unexpected Twist (20)
At first glance, Minjoon’s words seemed to belittle everything June had achieved so far, making it feel brutally harsh from her perspective. But she wasn’t sure how to retort because he didn’t speak to tease her. He was fully aware that, given the current gap between Dave and June, closing it would be difficult. He knew some chefs might never bridge such a divide in their entire careers.
Nonetheless, he had no choice but to tell her the truth. In hindsight, she would realise that such a small gap was not a big deal; like many things, it wouldn’t matter in the end.
“You’re so mean to me. If I can’t make it, I’ll just end up as a stupid woman, right?”
“That’s not like you to say that.”
He knew his words were cruel. An ordinary chef wouldn’t endure the kind of pressure he was putting on her, but she had to.
“Well, most people would give up if I said the same things to them. They’d complain that they couldn’t close the gap. But you can’t end up being just a good chef, June. I can’t stand that. If you were truly satisfied being a good chef, then I don’t think you’d be qualified to run Rose Island as its top manager.”
When he said that, the cameraman standing behind him turned pale. Minjoon was a judge now, but he was also her sous-chef, so the cameraman worried about how he could say such harsh things to his superior.
But June looked calm despite the hard words.
Looking at her, Minjoon resumed calmly, “I don’t want to see a mediocre chef beat Dave. I cheered for you, Chef June, because I thought you were fully qualified to be Rose Island’s top. And I thought your ambition for that position was legitimate. But if you complain you can’t close the gap with Dave, that’s not just ambition—it’s greed. And of course, I’d be very disappointed if you did that.”
“You don’t need to be disappointed,” she said with a sigh.
Though he was cold and blunt, she appreciated the honesty because it helped her calm her boiling emotions. She admitted she shouldn’t be overly greedy. She couldn’t afford to let foolishness undo what she had achieved so far.
“Thanks, Minjoon. Your advice brought me back to my senses. I can’t let Dave beat me. Never.”
“There are two paths for your cooking. Make a dish that makes everyone think, ‘That’s definitely hers.’ But you have to think outside the box. If you don’t like that, make a dish that makes people wonder if it’s really yours.”
“Both are hard.”
“It’s your chance to own the world’s best restaurant chains. So naturally, it won’t be easy.”
“Yeah, I know. But I haven’t had an easy life, either.”
“Now there’s not much more I can do to help you,” he said quietly.
He nodded gently. He had already lent her every idea and ounce of talent he could—offering detailed feedback on each recipe she made and answering her questions, sometimes after thinking for tens of minutes or several days.
“And it’s actually impossible for you to change your recipes now,” he added.
She agreed. With less than a month left in the competition, rushing to create a new recipe was more likely to weaken her chances than improve them.
“Honestly, I never even thought about changing my recipes. After tasting Dave’s cooking, I wondered if I really expressed my cuisine perfectly, or perhaps most ideally.”
“Only you can know that. I can’t tell what you’re aiming for or thinking when you cook.”
In other words, she had to create from herself now.
She looked at him thoughtfully. This young chef, sometimes childish, was now more mature than her.
“Can you say something to encourage me?”
“Encourage you?”
“Yes. I’ve heard enough harsh words from you. Now tell me something to boost my morale. Just cheer me on, please.”
He looked a little embarrassed. It would have been easier if he’d come just to cheer for her first, but he couldn’t just easily say those words when asked.
So he praised her awkwardly, “You’re cooler than Dave. I’d like to see you run Rose Island.”
“I always knew June was prudent,” Lisa said, surprised June hadn’t yet submitted her dishes for evaluation.
Almost thirty head chefs of Rose Island had already been evaluated by Minjoon and Rachel, with fewer than ten left waiting—but June hadn’t indicated when she wanted to be judged.
“Well, maybe she wants to go last,” Minjoon said.
“You know the others who haven’t submitted yet are watching each other’s expressions,” Lisa replied, touching her chin.
To be honest, Minjoon hadn’t found judging much fun recently. Most who trusted their skills had been evaluated already; those who hadn’t seemed more afraid of evaluation than deliberate.
He empathised with them somewhat. The cameras filming added pressure. With hundreds of people watching—the chefs and the public—it was difficult to cook under that scrutiny. Most chefs had tough personalities, but not all were strong-minded.
“Do you know what June’s been doing lately?”
“Nope. All I know is she’s been focusing on her cooking...”
“I’m getting worried about her.”
Lisa’s words struck him oddly, since she herself was recovering from recent surgery.
Her doctor had given her six months, but she’d survived beyond that. Even after a year, she remained in good condition. Minjoon didn’t know how much longer she’d last, but hoped she would continue to live.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“Come on, man!”
Though he dodged her question, she probably guessed what he was thinking.
“Well, you don’t have much time left before the competition ends.”
“You bet.”
Whether or not June chose to be evaluated, the contest would be over in two weeks. By then, everyone would know the winner.
Dave had asked June if she needed his help. At that time, she’d kicked him out in furious anger.
Ironically, though, she was being helped most by him right now.
The taste of the ingredients themselves.
The unique flavours in each dish.
The biggest attraction of this recipe.
When a chef grills steak, it’s not just the beef’s taste that matters—it’s the steak’s complete flavour. Until recently, June hadn’t paid much attention to an ingredient’s original taste, but now she was focusing on that more intensely than ever.
She began this change only after witnessing Dave’s cooking. Only then did she grasp its concept. In that sense, Dave’s cuisine had become a kind of guideline for hers. It was ironic: because of Dave’s cuisine, she was forced to improve and redefine her style, but it helped her grow as a chef.
Yeah, I can do this.
She renewed her determination.
Many thought she delayed submitting because she was scared, but she wasn’t happy or sad about those baseless assumptions. She knew the key. It would be foolish to rush just because others watched her closely.
There was plenty of time left before the contest ended—but at the same time, not much time.
She focused solely on her cooking, treating a day as if it were a month. She no longer worried about watchful eyes. She concentrated on how to make better dishes.
Time passed swiftly. Four chefs remained unevaluated. After Minjoon finished judging one and called for the next, June slowly raised her hand.
The venue fell silent.
“Are you ready?” Minjoon asked casually, his voice full of trust. Regardless of when she stepped up, he was confident she would come out fully prepared.
She smiled brightly and replied, “Yes.”