Chapter 65
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Discussion
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1.
The way to apply for Grand Chef Korea was simple. It was just to contact PD Jeong In-sun.
I called her and expressed my intent to participate in Grand Chef, and she immediately suggested we meet at the cafe I'd visited before, then hung up.
'I wonder when she'll show up.'
I sipped my Blue Lemonade while searching for information on Grand Chef Korea on my phone.
'Not much has been revealed.'
There were three judges in total.
Chef Kang Taeyeon was the head judge. The other two were regular judges, but honestly, I had no idea who they were. They were probably famous in their own right.
'The head judge has more say and weighs more heavily in the judging than the others.'
Well, he was the first Korean chef to earn three Michelin stars, so it made sense they wouldn't treat him the same as everyone else.
'PD Jeong In-sun was desperate enough to ask me for help. They'd have granted him everything he wanted.'
I checked various news articles, communities, and even the comments on the VTube channel where videos had been uploaded.
As a result, I confirmed that public reaction to Grand Chef Korea was extremely enthusiastic.
Kang Taeyeon, Korea's first three-Michelin-star chef, drawing attention just by serving as a judge? It was inevitable.
'To think I'll be cooking in front of so many people.'
Just imagining it made my heart race. What would happen there? I was looking forward to it.
How good was my skill level, really? Would I overflow with talent? Or was I just a frog in a well? Either way, it'd be fun.
A bell chime rang from not far away. I looked up to see familiar-faced women ordering at the counter.
They finished ordering and received a pager. Spotting them glancing around, I raised my arm. Our eyes met, and PD Jeong In-sun smiled as she approached me.
"Sorry we're late. Have you been waiting long?"
"Yes. Quite a while."
She blinked at my response. Awkwardly smiling, she opened her mouth.
"How long, exactly?"
"I came straight here after you called, so I've been sitting for about 40 minutes."
"......You really have been waiting a long time. I'm sorry."
PD Jeong In-sun bowed her head slightly. Seo Na-hyun, the writer standing beside her, glanced around nervously before bowing as well.
"I was joking."
"...When you say it so deadpan... you're joking, right?"
"I mean it. Is my face that scary or something?"
I cupped my face as I asked. I thought I looked fine, but maybe from a PD's perspective, it was different?
"No. You're by far the prettiest person I've ever seen."
She waved her hands frantically.
"Then is my vibe a bit rough?"
This was something I'd genuinely wondered about. The two exchanged glances before speaking.
"No, not that either. You just give off this incredibly calm impression, you know?"
"Exactly. You're so expressionless, and your aura feels a bit sharp... something like that."
I scratched my cheek at their words. I never expected to hear something like this.
"Would this be a problem for the broadcast? Should I try smiling?"
"It won't be a problem. But yeah, could you smile once?"
At PD Jeong In-sun's request, I forced the corners of my mouth up.
"...Put it back down."
I returned to my neutral expression. An awkward silence settled in. I took a sip of my lemonade for no reason and quietly pulled out a chair to sit.
"Alright, let's get down to business."
"Sure. So, to confirm once more: you really intend to appear on Grand Chef?"
"Yes. We're not close enough for me to joke about something like that."
"True enough."
PD Jeong In-sun nodded emphatically.
"I know you won't like hearing this, but just in case: we can't give Hayul any special treatment."
"I know. It's a survival show to begin with—giving me benefits wouldn't make sense."
Even if they offered, I'd refuse. It would undermine the show's foundation.
"All I want is to enter the preliminaries without the extra process. That's it."
Normally, you'd have to submit an application form, but why bother when I had connections?
"Can you make that happen?"
"Yes, absolutely. You're not the first person to ask for something like this. It's common in broadcasting."
"Good thing you're not asking me to just pass the preliminaries outright."
Seo Na-hyun let out a sigh of relief.
"Do people actually make unreasonable requests like that?"
"Of course! People desperate to grab a 'good cook' image for this opportunity... Rejecting them was exhausting."
"People who wouldn't even glance at us before Chef Kang Taeyeon joined suddenly cling like piranhas smelling blood. It's kinda funny."
"Opportunists exist everywhere, anytime."
"Tell me about it."
PD Jeong In-sun was shaking her head when the pager buzzed. Seo Na-hyun, seated toward the outside, went to the counter and brought back the drinks.
"Hayul, have some cake."
"Thanks. I'll dig in."
Various cakes arrived on the table. I cut off a small piece with my fork and popped it in my mouth. The sweet whipped cream made me smile naturally.
"So, I can assume the preliminary application is handled?"
"Yes. Leave it to us. Chef Kang Taeyeon is on our show thanks to you—this is the least we can do."
"Thank you."
I felt good knowing I didn't have to deal with the hassle.
"This is personal, but what made you change your mind so suddenly? You said you wouldn't participate before."
I swallowed my cheesecake and replied.
"After the collab with Chef Kang Taeyeon, I checked the communities. They were debating my cooking skills."
"Oh, I saw that too. Whether your skills are on par with a Michelin chef—they were arguing over it."
"Right? You really saw it?"
"Checking public opinion is part of a PD's job."
"Anyway... From what I saw in the communities, most opinions were that my skills aren't quite there."
Of course, I didn't think I was Michelin-level myself. That world was a whole different realm of artistry.
"I got curious about my actual skill level. So I decided to participate."
"So, you're entering just to test your own abilities?"
"Exactly."
"Wow, that's really something."
PD Jeong In-sun said admiringly. I tilted my head.
"What is?"
What was so amazing here? I was just saying I wanted to join out of curiosity about my own skills.
"Oh, sorry if that offends. Chef Kang Taeyeon said something like that. He was certain you'd join Grand Chef Korea."
"...Really?"
I hadn't expected Kang Taeyeon to say that. What made him so sure?
"Yes. He said no one has a stronger pride than a chef—that you'd definitely participate. Maybe he foresaw this whole situation."
"That's intriguing..."
"Perhaps Chef Kang Taeyeon thinks you two are cut from the same cloth?"
"Same cloth... Yeah, maybe."
I replied and popped the last piece of cake into my mouth.
The soft, sweet cheesiness spread in my mouth. As I closed my eyes to savor it, Seo Na-hyun across from me clapped her hands.
"Ah! I just had a great idea!"
Her eyes sparkled with energy. PD Jeong In-sun, sitting beside her, turned to look.
"What idea?"
"Hayul, when you join Grand Chef, how about using a pseudonym?"
"A pseudonym...?"
"Yes. Chef Kang Taeyeon doesn't know what you look like, right?"
"True. We only met in VR."
I nodded at Seo Na-hyun's words.
"Wouldn't it be fun to see what evaluation he gives your cooking? And whether he recognizes it as yours?"
"That does sound fun. And it'd make the judging more objective too."
He wouldn't inflate scores just because we know each other, but it would still influence him somewhat.
"What do you think?"
I thought for a moment before replying.
"Sounds good. Let's do it."
A smile spread across Seo Na-hyun's face at my answer.
"Great. We'll handle the details on our end. Could you give us a nice pseudonym?"
"Got it."
"Then, that's all for today."
I slowly stood from my seat. The two rose as well.
"Thanks for your hard work."
"Thanks for yours."
I returned the plates and cups to the counter and stepped out of the cafe.
The street had grown a bit quieter after the busy afternoon. I looked up at the sky.
"Grand Chef. I'm looking forward to it."
PD Jeong In-sun, standing beside me, smiled brightly.
"Us too. We'll let you know as soon as the filming schedule is set."
"Sure. I'll be waiting."
We exchanged light goodbyes and headed our separate ways.
I pulled my phone from my pants pocket to check the time. It was about time to prepare dinner again.
'What should I cook...'
Grand Chef Korea. It's starting soon.