Chapter 617: Flowers on the Cliff (5)
Chapter 617: Flowers on the Cliff (5)
She teased, “Hey, don’t mess with me, will you? I’m serious now.”
“Don’t worry. You don’t have to worry, Kaya.”
“Because of my taste sensations?”
“No, not necessarily.”
He glanced out the airplane window, watching the plane fly beneath the clouds. Though Minjoon had flown countless times, the view now stirred his heart differently.
“Let’s say you find a chef attractive enough to win your heart. I think that attractiveness is part of his cooking.”
“Isn’t that just sophistry?”
“It’s not. That’s how customers see it. Imagine we’re the customers, not judges. Wouldn’t a chef’s charm that sways your heart also win over others? Customers make similar judgments, so it’s reasonable you weren’t immune.”
Kaya frowned. Though his words were often complicated, he had a point.
With a sigh, she said, “You always persuade me with nonsensical sophistry.”
“Well, our ancestors were as good at sophistry as the Greeks,” he replied with a smile.
Their plane landed in Chicago. They were to serve as judges for the Grand Chef final.
“Wow, it’s the final! Peter, are you listening? It’s the final!”
“Of course, I’ve been listening from the start!”
Gwen bit her nails at Peter’s calm voice. She had prepared completely but still felt uneasy. Unlike her, Peter appeared unusually relaxed. While once nervous and timid when they first met on the competition, now he seemed composed.
What had changed him? Was it his hardships or the hatred of others? Gwen pondered if she needed to be hated to become like him.
He glanced at her briefly. “Hey, lighten up! I’m scared too, Gwen.”
“I’m going to win no matter what.”
“Me too.”
“Nope. Only one of us can win,” she said gravely.
It was strange—she cheered for him even as she wanted to win. She wished him victory so he’d be spared further suffering, having endured so much. Yet if he won, she would feel unhappy. Not that failure would necessarily make her happy, but she wanted to prove she could be a hero like Minjoon or Kaya.
She didn’t recall the exact prize money or fame the winner would receive. Just one thing mattered: she wanted to be the best chef and inspire envy. Above all, she wanted to reassure herself she wasn’t worthless.
Recently, no one belittled her life. In fact, people praised her change. Yet she never applauded herself.
Winning the trophy would finally make her celebrate herself.
“I have something to say,” Peter began.
Gwen gave him a provocative look, though she didn’t want to. She needed to brace herself against rising tension and fear.
But what Peter said made her forget her nerves.
“I wanted to tell you this for a long time but hesitated. I thought I might never say it if not now.”
“What is it?”
“I like you.”
She gasped, staring at him. His face was furrowed in distress—the same man who just confessed, yet so troubled.
“Why?”
Peter replied, “Because your life is so pathetic...”
“What?” Her face tightened.
Realising his misstep, he waved his hand, embarrassed. “Oh no, Gwen, I didn’t mean that. I wanted to say…”
“Peter.”
She cut him off; he stopped, awkward.
But she wasn’t moved by his confession.
Coldly, she said, “This isn’t the time for that.”
He sensed her words rejected him indirectly. She knew if she didn’t stop him, confusion would overwhelm her.
Besides, she wasn’t ready to consider love now. Whether she liked him or not was irrelevant—she could ponder that later.
But Peter felt differently. This was his last chance to confess. Waiting until after the contest would make it seem like a fleeting flirtation fueled by victory.
She understood his feelings but couldn’t accept the proposal now. She was consumed by the need to win. Compared to Kaya’s calm at her first Grand Chef, Gwen was desperate.
“So sorry.”
Peter bowed humbly. Watching him, Gwen felt sorry, even upset—that he’d caused this tension. She knew her selfishness then.
“I’ll win this competition, Peter.”
“I know.”
“This time, I’m really determined.”
Their eyes met. Despite his recent confession, she’d effectively rejected him. It was embarrassing for him, but he couldn’t escape. If she truly didn’t care, he might have left.
She said, “If it were quarterfinals or semis, I could give up without regrets. But this is the final. Everything depends on how hard I push at the last moment. Same for you. I don’t want to live with regret over a wrong move.”
“You don’t have to give it all. You speak as if Grand Chef is your last chance, but really it’s just the start. Even if your first step is imperfect, you won’t fall behind or be afraid.”
That was what he felt watching Minjoon. When Minjoon was eliminated in the semifinals, he’d thought Minjoon would become just another ordinary chef. Despite the attention on Minjoon’s affair with Kaya and his perfect palate, gossip would fade.
But what happened to Minjoon after the Grand Chef?
In popularity, Minjoon surpassed even Kaya, the winner. That was amazing, considering the privileges of the Grand Chef winner—the media coverage, the invitations to world competitions.
Though Kaya disliked such promotions, the exposure exceeded what most chefs earned in their restaurants.
And Minjoon surpassed them all on his own merit.
Well, it would’ve been easier for me to win than to do my job.