Chapter 624: A Flower on the Cliff (12)
Chapter 624: A Flower on the Cliff (12)
Perhaps he no longer needed to hide the feelings he had bottled up inside. Maybe it was time to think about revealing himself again. But now was not the moment for that. Peter’s mind drifted to one face among those around him. It wasn’t Minjoon’s or Kaya’s—it was Gwen’s.
Is today the worst day or the best day for me?
It was safe to assume Gwen had rejected his confession of love. She had responded that she wanted to focus on the final match, and yet, he found no trace of annoyance in her reply. In other words, she hadn’t taken his confession seriously. Even if she had some romantic interest in him, it no longer mattered. Once he won, discomfort and awkwardness between them would be inevitable. Gwen wasn’t as detached as Michael. Peter knew how fiercely she wanted to win this contest.
Of course, if Gwen someday became such a great chef that the Grand Chef competition no longer mattered to her, then maybe things would be different. But that was impossible right now. From the moment he confessed, he’d known it wouldn’t lead to what he wanted. Whether Gwen or Peter won, one would have to travel the world attending cooking events as the Grand Chef’s winner. Even dating normally would be out of reach for either of them. Minjoon and Kaya could manage their busy schedules together only because they shared a strong, deep bond.
Of course, Gwen and Peter were not comparable to Kaya and Minjoon.
Still, Peter had confessed anyway. At that moment, he was simply being selfish. He had expressed his feelings to rid himself of lingering affection, without regard for hers.
Man, I’m still such a coarse bastard. Human nature never changes.
He smiled dryly, feeling spent despite the joy of winning the Grand Chef competition. It wasn’t emptiness. He had once dreamed of winning this title, but now that he had, it didn’t feel as great as he imagined.
“Peter.”
Minjoon’s voice called him. Peter looked quietly at him.
With a smile, Minjoon said, “Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
Neither knew what to say next. Minjoon looked away slowly and said, “So, what will you do from now on?”
“I have to think it over slowly. Managing the demanding schedule of the Grand Chef will be tough. Making my own plans seems difficult.”
“Gwen decided to join Lotus Bridge.”
“I see,” Peter said calmly, relief washing over him. He had worried she might give up everything, broken by defeat. Given her history, that worry was real. “Good for her.”
His comment revealed that he still cared for her. Now, it seemed meaningless—he wasn’t sure if she felt the same way about him. Could she have time to contemplate their relationship amidst her grueling schedule?
He shifted the subject. “Minjoon, do you think I’m a good chef?”
Minjoon considered for a moment. “You’re a good aspiring chef.”
“Yeah, I know I still lack a lot.”
“You haven’t worked in a restaurant yet, so don’t rush to claim the title of ‘good chef.’ Just take it easy.”
“I want to be like you.”
“Don’t even think about it. You can’t be like me. Just be yourself!”
“You’re right,” Peter said, nodding.
Minjoon said slowly, “When I got older, I once thought that just as no adults seriously claim conquering the world as their dream, people who talk about being the best are just foolish. So, when I heard people talking about their dreams, I looked down on them, thinking they didn’t understand reality.”
“How about now? You don’t think like that anymore?”
“Well, there aren’t many who fully grasp reality while laughing at others’ dreams.”
Minjoon looked at him steadily. “I am going to be the best chef in the world. So I must surround myself with only the best people. Sharks play with sharks, and shrimps play with shrimps.”
“You’re great.”
“I want you to be great too,” Minjoon said calmly. “When I become the best in the world, I want you by my side as my friend.”
Peter was silent for a long moment. He glanced briefly at Minjoon, then looked away. Other chefs murmured among themselves rather than leaving the venue.
Watching them, Peter finally answered quietly, “Sure, no problem.”
The Grand Chef competition was over. From Peter’s and Gwen’s perspectives, it was a historic moment. But Minjoon and Kaya couldn’t afford to linger in celebration—they had two urgent tasks.
One was their new restaurant, Lotus Bridge. They had to hire staff immediately and then launch a publicity campaign. Even though they were famous chefs with TV exposure, many chefs had failed at restaurant management. There was no guarantee Lotus Bridge would be a hit. Kaya and Minjoon had to devote more attention to the restaurant than usual. Fortunately, they didn’t need to worry about the Grand Chef competition anymore, so time pressure was less severe.
But what mattered even more was their wedding.
“Well, you and I are about to be sold out soon,” Minjoon muttered blankly.
Kaya, who was practising her Korean at the time, glanced over but didn’t respond. He mentioned this frequently these days, and it seemed he still couldn’t believe he was getting married to her.
“If you want a refund, just tell me now.”
“Why? Do you want a refund?”
“No. I’ll make you understand it’s non-refundable.”
He felt as if she would make him understand with a punch rather than words.
He cast her a cold glance briefly, then turned back to the monitor.
While scanning recipes on the screen, he stood abruptly. “I’m going out for a while.”
“For what?”
He shrugged. “To check out our wedding hall.”
At the Rose Island main restaurant.
“Minjoon!”
Rachel greeted him with a bright smile. After an embrace, he looked around the restaurant. Returning after a long absence, he noticed many changes.
“How have you been?”
“Why haven’t you stopped by more often?”
“I’ve been a bit busy,” he replied awkwardly.
In fact, he lied. Even though busy, he could have visited from time to time.
But something about Rose Island irked him. Rachel planned to hand over the Venice branch, or rather, the Rose Island main restaurant, to Minjoon. Honestly, he didn’t dislike the idea. He wanted to make this beautiful seaside restaurant his own—not the downtown Los Angeles one.
Yet, he couldn’t. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to share her dream. Rachel wanted to entrust him because of his perfect palate. She believed he was a genius cook, like Daniel. She favoured him for that.
Minjoon knew her favouritism was misplaced. First, he did not have a perfect palate. People believed he did, and he worked hard to meet their expectations, but he still had much to learn.
He bore no ill will toward Rachel for her mistaken belief. However, because she was making wrong judgments based on it, he could not stand idly by—especially as her disciple. He couldn’t accept such favour. Even if he succeeded through this, he wouldn’t take pride in it.
Of course, he couldn’t say this to her. If he had confided in her, and she still chose to leave the Venice branch in his hands, it might have been different. But that was a meaningless assumption.