Chapter 591: A Chef Doing His Country Good (2)
Chapter 591: A Chef Doing His Country Good (2)
“You have to be bold,” Minjoon said.
“I know,” Kaya replied.
“Look at me. The most sophisticated response we can take for now is to just ignore them. As long as you don’t interfere with what they’re saying, we don’t have to care no matter what they say.”
“I know that, too.”
But he knew all too well that knowing the answer wasn’t always the solution. There was no escaping that reality. So, he said with resolve, “Alright. Then, let’s try to make them realise who we are.”
In an instant, her life had become the subject of ridicule for countless netizens. All she needed to do was to reclaim it from their mockery.
“By the way, I’m not going to make fun of you anymore,” he added.
Of course, Minjoon could have tackled the netizens in the harsh way he wanted. But the problem was that the moment he started fighting with them, he would be seen as just another participant in the absurd brawl. No matter how provocative their gossip about Kaya was, it wouldn’t affect her or Minjoon as long as they stayed aloof. But if they engaged directly, they would fully expose themselves to the netizens’ taunts and insults.
Even though he had urged Kaya to be patient so strongly, Minjoon could no longer bear it. How could any man stand his pregnant wife’s baby bump being mocked?
Whenever faced with situations like this, Minjoon had a tactic he often turned to. He disliked lashing out with abusive language recklessly. Though he had distanced himself from such behaviour as he got older, he had once been quite skilled at mocking others when young. So he wanted to use that same edge against those who ridiculed Kaya.
“Need my help?” he asked.
He was sitting opposite Angela Eve, a reporter who frequently wrote articles about him and Kaya. He nodded silently to her question.
“All I want is for you to write about their irresponsible mockery. I’m not asking you to fabricate anything. Just write something that reflects what I want.”
“So, what do you want me to write?” she asked, curious.
He tapped the desk thoughtfully. When feeling like he wanted to knock some sense into people, he usually turned to June for advice, as she was excellent at dealing with all kinds of people.
“You can’t beat them.”
June had warned him he couldn’t win against netizens. This was a fight where the targets weren’t clear. If he tried suing, maybe certain individuals could be targeted, but the laws weren’t strong enough to punish them severely. Even if some were penalised, Kaya and Minjoon would be dragged into a lengthy legal battle, risking damage to their reputations.
So June proposed something unexpected.
“I have an idea. Why don’t you make them give up on their own?”
According to June, the best policy was to make them feel ashamed of what they’d done to Kaya. She gave Minjoon two possible approaches.
One was simple:
“Just become the best in your field, so they can’t even look at you.”
Most of the abusive posts stemmed from jealousy. The more they posted, the more momentary pleasure they got, but eventually, they sank into depression. The problem was this tactic wasn’t sustainable. In fact, Minjoon and Kaya were already top-ranked chefs in America. Few had achieved greater success than them.
If that was out, what else could he do? June had the answer.
Minjoon said to Angela, “Well, I want to be Martin Luther King.”
(Translator’s Note: Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968) — An American civil rights leader best known for his role in advancing racial equality through non-violent activism in the 1950s and 60s. His “I Have a Dream” speech and leadership in the Civil Rights Movement made him a symbol of justice and human rights globally.)
Martin Luther King? Angela was puzzled by the unexpected name. Everyone in America knew him—even kindergarteners. He was often cited in stories about great Americans, his speeches recited in English classes. He was key to discussions about racism and modern American history. Alongside Cesar Chavez, he had profoundly influenced American consciousness on human rights, exposing the ugliness of overt racial discrimination and contempt.
Why did Minjoon want to be like Dr King?
Angela asked, “I don’t quite understand. Could you explain more?”
Minjoon smiled without revealing too much and said, “Martin Luther King. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of him?”
“Well, reverence? Looking at his life and final moments makes me feel solemn. He sacrificed everything for equality, even losing his life. Though some occasionally criticised his personal life or minor matters, they were often shunned by everyone else.”
“No one could touch him because trying to defame him was seen almost as a sin. It’s strange—people make childish jokes about presidents, but not him. Anyone who tried would realise it was the worst mistake of their lives.”
“I agree. He’s a kind of saint. No one should ridicule or defame him.”
“In Korea, such a person is called kabangwon.”
“Pardon? Kaban… Queen?”
“It means the right to be protected from others’ blackmail,” he said with a smile.
Angela looked even more baffled, but she grasped his point: He wanted to earn an image like Martin Luther King’s—untouchable and beyond ridicule.
“How?”
She noticed his gaze and curiosity. He said slowly, “Fortunately, we have solid ground. Kaya and I haven’t done anything people could hate. On the contrary, we’ve done things they might admire. Kaya overcame all difficulties from a young age, and I’m a bit embarrassed to talk about myself…”
“You don’t have to. We all know your story already.”
Minjoon’s image was so good that many reporters admired him. They’d debated for hours whether his public persona was carefully crafted or genuine.
‘Was it intentional or not?’
Angela thought he was an innocent, uncalculating person. But recently, he seemed different. She wondered whether he’d changed or had always had a mischievous streak in handling the public.
It was wise to shift how he interacted with the public, especially since celebrities like Kaya could be easily buffeted by careless criticism.
Though the public often criticised celebrities harshly for being in a different league, at heart they remained ordinary people.
“There are usually two types of people they don’t attack—the weak and the good. You don’t want to be weak, obviously. Maybe that’s why you didn’t want fame from the start; if you’re not strong, you’re easy prey. So you must make people think you’re good. Don’t you think they already do? You’re still remembered from the Jo Reggiano episode, so I’d say your reputation among people is pretty solid.”
She paused, then asked, “Are you mature enough to ignore their childish jokes?”
As she asked, she noticed this polite, calm man named Jo Minjoon was visibly upset inside. She hadn’t seen it before because he always seemed composed. He cared so much about his and Kaya’s image because he was deeply hurt by the netizens’ reckless, unfounded rumours.
“I don’t think we can change them overnight,” he said.
Even invoking Martin Luther King didn’t mean Minjoon expected to win comparable recognition. He simply wished no one would mock him or Kaya without reason. He wanted a kind of protective curtain to shield them from public scrutiny.
“All right, I’ll try to resolve this gradually,” he said. “Please help me with this first.”