Chapter 626: Chefs’ Wedding Ceremony (2)
Chapter 626: Chefs’ Wedding Ceremony (2)
As the wedding day drew nearer, people around Kaya and Minjoon asked how they were feeling. Frankly, the two weren’t sure how to answer. Those around them clearly imagined they must be ecstatic, but the chefs weren’t as happy as others thought.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to marry. Their feelings for each other hadn’t changed. However, as much as they looked forward to the benefits marriage might bring, they also worried about what they might lose. Change was not always sweet.
Two days before the wedding, Kaya and Minjoon sat idly on the living room sofa. They felt a certain emptiness with time passing, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
Kaya broke the silence. “I wonder if we’d be better off running Lotus Bridge as lovers, not a married couple. Once we’re married, can we still run it as lovers?”
When they were dating, they hadn’t cared about such trivialities. But now, facing marriage, they felt oddly regretful for something they never valued before.
“Let’s look on the bright side. Since we’ll run Lotus Bridge after marriage, our new restaurant will have deeper meaning, right? If you run it as Kaya Lotus, your name still stays on it...”
“Are we having a meaningless conversation now?”
“Sometimes meaningless conversations are good.” He smiled at her mumbling tone and gently stroked her hair.
She frowned at his teasing but was glad she didn’t have to leave the house today.
Resting his chin on her head, Minjoon quietly thought, feeling her warmth, her soft skin, and her faint scent—things he took for granted. At times, it hadn’t felt natural to have her attention. Looking back, he couldn’t believe he was now so close to her, about to marry her.
He recalled Rachel’s warning: his feelings for Kaya would change. He didn’t deny it. When he looked at Kaya now, he wasn’t as thrilled as before. Sometimes he admired her beauty. He reasoned it was time to tire of seeing her face, yet she still appeared surprisingly cute and lovely.
But even her beautiful face would wrinkle with age. Her smooth skin would sag; her hands and feet would grow cold; her sparkling eyes might one day dull, as if inevitably so.
Could he still find her beautiful when she grew old? Would his affection cool as it did with his youthful passion? Could his love remain the same?
“How many children shall we have?” he asked.
“I think we’re lucky if we have even one,” she replied calmly.
“You sometimes say you want kids, other times you don’t. What do you want?”
“Well, it depends. Our baby must be adorable, and we’d be happy to see it smile. But when I think about how different life becomes, I’m reluctant. You know we can’t focus on work then, right? Maybe one of us has to stay home with the baby. I value my work more than becoming a mother because my dream isn’t motherhood—it’s being a chef.”
“I understand.”
Minjoon felt the same. Certainly, with a baby their lifestyle would change. Their lives would revolve around the child. They wouldn’t regret those sacrifices. But the thought scared him—the idea of their baby becoming master of their lives.
She murmured thoughtfully, “But if we don’t have kids, what really changes after marriage?”
“Well, your name Kaya Lotus will become Kaya Cho.”
“And then?”
“I can introduce you as my wife, not my girlfriend. That matters. I really like the idea of that word.”
“You’ve changed a lot,” she giggled.
He looked at her quickly. They lived in a lovely house. Unless it was a mansion, they couldn’t imagine a better home for just the two of them.
Maybe they’d spend their lives here. He suddenly appreciated the landscape more than before.
He felt their marriage was meaningful in that their place, both socially and physically, would be determined.
In the future, where he would be was in this house, the kitchen at Lotus Bridge, perhaps in front of a camera or beside Kaya, who would be by his side always.
“I think marriage is a promise.”
“A promise?”
“A promise not to separate,” she said softly.
“Think about it. Even here, where freedom is prized, divorce makes people uncomfortable. The only difference between lovers and a married couple is a certificate. Why do people see divorcees as failures?”
“Because they broke their promise not to separate, no matter the reason.”
“Exactly.”
Even if breakups happen because of fault, the one at fault is blamed for choosing poorly. That’s why marriage feels more frightening than sweet.
Minjoon hugged Kaya tighter. He needed her warmth, the feel of her soft skin and steady frame.
“Let’s not fail at our marriage.”
“I won’t.”
She wrapped her arms around him, feeling warm and safe. She hoped to stay that way.
“Never, ever.”
Minjoon and Kaya’s wedding was unusual. They chose not to hold a grand ceremony. Though the Rose Island Venice branch was full to capacity, only a little over 100 guests attended. Compared to typical weddings with hundreds, theirs was small and simple.
But the guest list was remarkable. More celebrities than expected were there, including Chloe and Rachel. Many were friends met through Chloe, such as Teresa Page, the singer who made Jo Reggiano famous by posting it to the Star Book, seated beside Chloe.
Looking over the guests, Minjoon’s father, Jo Sooyeop, smiled brightly. There’s a saying that to judge someone’s success, look at the people around them. Few there were ordinary. Whether chefs or singers, all had good reputations in their fields.
Had Minjoon merely made friends without meaningful achievement, there’d be no way celebrities would attend. They came because Minjoon had earned their respect. ‘He’s succeeded in life.’
It wouldn’t be untrue to say Sooyeop felt bittersweet. His and Kaya’s clear emphasis had always been on stability. Their advice came from hard-earned experience as seniors who’d seen many lives ruined by chasing ideal goals recklessly.
Ultimately, their guidance caught up with Minjoon. Yet Sooyeop didn’t think it was wrong to stress stability.
If Minjoon had given up rather than challenge those worries, he wouldn’t have achieved what he had. His determination to overcome his father’s concerns—and to come to America alone and compete in Grand Chef—was why he succeeded.
Still, Sooyeop felt troubled. He hadn’t done anything to help his son. This wasn’t pride—it unsettled him that his son was mature enough to stand on his own.