Chapter 551: Reservation (3)
Chapter 551: Reservation (3)
Rachel was the type of woman who needed to check and double-check, even before crossing the most secure bridge. In other words, she was a coward. She wasn’t bold. She refused to accept that the tower she had built all this time might collapse. Yet now, the tower was on the verge of falling.
“Chef Rachel, you told me a tree breaks easily if it grows too tall. You wanted me to always stay alert. Didn’t you want June not to lose her nerve so easily? I thought so.”
“Just because you stay alert doesn’t mean you won’t collapse. If you’re bound to fall, you’d better fall now.”
“I understand, but you’re too heartless…”
“I don’t have much time,” she said quietly. For a moment, Jack’s face flashed through his mind, stealing his breath.
She continued slowly. “For every day I live, I lose a day. Getting older means you’re afraid of losing something. Before I lose more of what I have, I want to leave at least one more thing behind in this world. I don’t want to idle away time.”
“You told Chef June there’s no happiness in success, right?”
He stared at her—not out of hatred, but frustration. He understood her feelings but didn’t want to.
“Then why are you chasing success, alone?”
He was starting to challenge her logic. She looked at him without answering. He took the opportunity to vent further, glad she couldn’t respond immediately.
“Chef June told me she’d rather live for ambition and greed. What do you live for, Chef Rachel? You love cooking so much, but why pin all your hope on me when you don’t even love your own cuisine?”
“…”
“I’m human too. When you told me the main store or the Venice branch of Rose Island would be left to me, I was happy and excited because those places hold so many memories and meaning. I thought running the Venice branch as head chef would make me happy, but I wasn’t. My success would only replace the challenge you postponed.”
Rachel’s wounded heart became his own. Her defeatism clouded his joy in victory. So he resented her. As much as he loved her, he blamed her.
“Why should I stand on your failure instead of your success?”
He’d been suppressing these feelings for a long time, unable to express his frustration because he feared hurting her. But he could no longer endure it. He understood June felt betrayed by Rachel, but he couldn’t bear watching Rachel’s hypocritical attitude—forcing others to chase something she no longer believed in. He could no longer defend her contradictory words and actions.
“If I said I’m just too tired, would you understand?” she asked sadly.
He remained unconvinced.
She went on softly, “I’m tired of the struggle. I’ve pushed past what I thought were my limits multiple times and fallen repeatedly. Still, I don’t see the end. Yes, I could try harder, but I’m too scared to live just hoping I might succeed vaguely. That’s why I pin my hopes on you. Won’t you accept that?”
He looked at her for a moment. He’d be lying not to feel sorry for her words. But he couldn’t defend her simply because of that. She was old and wise. Most of the time, her judgments and choices had been right. But sometimes that wisdom was cowardice. He couldn’t accept either healthy or cowardly wisdom. He shouldn’t have accepted it.
“Maybe I can achieve what you want. I can recreate Daniel’s cuisine. But is that all you want? Even if you know how Chef Daniel cooks, will you be satisfied with that alone? Maybe you are. But what will you do with that hollow satisfaction?”
“I want to see your ultimate achievement. I’m just curious: what kind of cuisine would Daniel have created if he were still alive?”
“That’s my achievement, not yours. And my glory isn’t yours,” he said sharply, almost growling. He never blamed Rachel for her weakness—he thought it human. But if that weakness made everyone unhappy, that was another matter.
“Yes, I can satisfy your curiosity. But if you pin your hope on me instead of being curious about my life, I can’t cooperate.”
“You mean you won’t accept my offer?” her face contorted in anguish.
Minjoon answered calmly, “I’ve learned much from you, and I’m grateful. Because of that, I don’t want to ruin your life anymore. As for the Venice branch, I can’t accept your offer to be head chef unless you change.”
That was his conclusion. It pained him to reach it, but he wouldn’t surrender his life to her unfulfilled hopes. She stared at him blankly.
He hesitated, then implored, “What would you do if I expected something from you as you did from me? If Rose Island’s greatest glory could bloom again from your own hands—not mine or Daniel’s—would you grant my wish?”
The final day of the competition passed. The outcome remained unchanged: June was the winner. Though an unsatisfied victor, she was set to become Rose Island’s first ‘President’.
And she accepted it all. More precisely, she wasn’t in a position to refuse. Leaving Rose Island would mean starting from scratch, no matter how strong her skills and reputation.
Yet the heated argument between Rachel and Minjoon wasn’t fully resolved. Neither would relinquish their convictions, so they parted with bitter feelings. The final round of the Rose Island competition was broadcast across the United States and attracted great interest in other English-speaking countries.
Their reaction was like molten lava. People were passionate about June’s four-year term as chief, but the most dramatic focus was the intense argument between Rachel and June. It was more dramatic than a soap opera to see two top chefs clash so fiercely. June became a superstar supported by all. As someone who had devoted her life to cooking, her tears during the argument touched every viewer’s heart.
Minjoon was now at the Grand Chef’s House.
There are many moments when people truly realise they have accomplished something.
For example, when they buy a nice house or car, appear in the news, or receive a promotion, they feel they have achieved something significant.
The first time Jo Minjoon felt that was during his teaching practice at his alma mater. Though he had graduated college, he wasn’t psychologically mature—he was still mentally a high school student until he became a teacher.
Visiting his old high school for teaching practice, he asked himself if he could truly stand before the podium when he wasn’t even mature enough to lead the students before him.
He didn’t say life as a teacher was happy, but he enjoyed the moments when he taught. Looking back, his time as a teacher in his alma mater was truly unforgettable.
He felt that nostalgia now, quietly muttering, “How strange…”
The Grand Chef’s House stood before them. Contestants often visited even after the competition, and their experiences had become part of daily life. They planned to visit regularly, about once a week.
The preliminary rounds were over. Minjoon and Kaya had toured every state to select 100 finalists.
“When I first came here, I felt really small,” Kaya said quietly.
He looked at her. Though she spoke that way, her eyes shone with determination.
Back then, she was more talented than anyone else. She never despaired in tough situations and was armed with strong resolve to overcome all obstacles.
“You were so cool back then,” he said.
“Don’t flatter me!” Kaya chuckled and gently nudged his ribs. He praised her sincerely, but she took it as a joke. He didn’t mind; she knew he wasn’t flattering, and he knew she took his words seriously.