Chapter 75
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Grand Chef Korea - There is No One Here Who Isn't Desperate
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1.
Inside the vast warehouse, only the low sounds of knives clashing against cutting boards echoed.
"Is this what you call julienne cuts? Or are you trying to make fun of us?"
"Didn't we specifically say 2mm? This is too thin. Increase the spacing between your cuts a bit more."
Occasionally, sharp critiques from the chefs could be heard, but overall, it was extremely quiet. Of course, this silence didn't last forever.
"Shin Jaehyun. You're sweating buckets. Is cutting radish that hard for you?"
I turned my head at the voice of Chef Kang Taeyeon coming from not far away. There, she stood facing a burly man.
"N-no, not at all. I could do this all day!"
"No. You can stop now."
At her words, the man's shoulders trembled.
"Shin Jaehyun. Take off your hat and leave Grand Chef. Thank you for your efforts."
Chef Kang Taeyeon's firm voice rang out through the warehouse. In that moment, Shin Jaehyun dropped to his knees.
"Just once... please give me one more chance!"
He grabbed Chef Kang Taeyeon's legs and bowed his head deeply.
"I'll work hard! I-I'm really desperate! Please let it slide just once!"
A trembling voice.
At his desperate cry, even the surrounding knife sounds fell silent. Everyone's gazes turned toward him.
"Shin Jaehyun."
Chef Kang Taeyeon paused for a moment, then slowly bent down to meet his eye level as she looked at him.
"There is no one on Grand Chef Korea who isn't desperate."
Chef Kang Taeyeon slowly looked around at the contestants.
"Is there anyone here who hasn't staked their life on Grand Chef?"
The warehouse fell silent. I almost absentmindedly raised my hand. Honestly, I hadn't staked my life on this competition.
'Raising my hand here would definitely draw attention.'
I shrugged and clamped my lips shut. Part of me wanted to raise it.
"Me! I haven't staked my life on this place!"
...Of course, doing that would instantly brand me as unlikeable, so I stayed quiet. Better to just watch silently.
"Shin Jaehyun. Did you see? Everyone here is desperate. So we can't give you any more chances than them."
Shin Jaehyun lowered his head. He understood the situation.
"......I understand."
"Thank you for understanding. Then take off your hat and leave Grand Chef Korea."
He staggered to his feet. With trembling arms, he removed his hat and handed it to Chef Kang Taeyeon.
"Thank you for your efforts."
And without another word, he trudged toward the distant door. Each step seemed weighed down with heavy resignation.
"Do you all want to follow Shin Jaehyun home!? Keep cutting!"
At Chef Moon Taeo's shout, the contestants resumed their knife work.
The radish julienne mission continued for a while longer. Some drank the cup of elimination.
"Lee Seohwa. Congratulations. You've advanced to the next round."
Others earned the right to proceed.
"Yahoo―!"
The second to pass, a woman named Lee Seohwa, jumped up and down in place with joy. Her red ponytail swayed with her excited movements.
"Go up to the second floor and rest."
"Yes! Thank you!"
Lee Seohwa ran up the stairs with a huge smile plastered on her face. She quickly reached the second floor and approached me.
"Hello!"
She was a bit out of breath, but her face was still bright. I nodded slightly in greeting.
"That was so cool earlier! Cutting just one radish and passing right away! I thought that only happened in comics!"
"...Thank you for the praise. Lee Seohwa, your knife skills were no joke either."
"Umhahaha! I've got confidence in my knife work, even if I do say so myself!"
The loud laughter and chatter from beside me already felt draining.
'...No way this is a strategy too.'
I wondered if she was trying to wear me out psychologically so I couldn't focus on the next mission.
Or maybe Lee Seohwa was actually a black mage sucking away my life force. It was draining enough to make me seriously consider it.
"Lee Seohwa. Be quiet. The other contestants are still in the middle of their mission."
"Gasp...! Sorry! I got too excited and forgot. I'll be quiet from now on!"
Her eyes widened round. She soon mimed zipping her lips shut.
'Good.'
Now I could enjoy peace again.
"Since we met like this, it's fate—how about we introduce ourselves?"
I squeezed my eyes shut tight. Her sudden closeness and chattering made my head spin.
"Later... when we both survive, then we'll talk."
I brushed it off vaguely, figuring it'd lead to endless conversation otherwise.
"We've already survived, haven't we?"
She asked back with an innocent smile.
"Do you really think this is just the second mission, Lee Seohwa?"
"...No?"
"This is just a screening process. The real missions haven't even started."
"That makes sense. Got it! Then if we both survive the next mission, we'll introduce ourselves then!"
"Sure."
She wasn't completely oblivious, as she put a bit of distance between us. I let out a sigh of relief and glanced toward Seol Yurim.
'She's on edge.'
She flinched every time a judge passed by. Her knife hand kept shaking—I worried she'd hurt herself.
Chef Han Seojin stopped in front of her station. She began examining Yurim's julienned radish slowly and meticulously.
"Seol Yurim."
"Y-yes...!"
"You can stop cutting now. Thank you for your efforts."
At those words, Seol Yurim quietly set down her knife. Her head drooped weakly. As she reached to remove her hat and place it on the counter...
"Seol Yurim."
Unexpected words came from Chef Han Seojin's mouth.
"Congratulations. You've advanced to the next round. Go up to the second floor and rest."
"...Yes?"
Yurim's head snapped up. Her eyes wide, she stared at Chef Han Seojin in disbelief.
"You passed."
As she smiled and repeated it, Seol Yurim collapsed right there on the spot.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yes... I think the tension just released all at once... I-I'm fine... y-you can go check on the others..."
"Got it. Call a staff member if you feel any pain."
"Yes."
"Congratulations on passing again."
Chef Han Seojin left with a gentle smile. From the now-alone Yurim came a sniffle.
'She's crying.'
Our eyes met as she cautiously lifted her head. Yurim's eyes were red-rimmed. Just as I'd expected, she'd been crying.
She hurriedly rubbed her eyes. As if trying to hide her emotions, she took a short breath and slowly stood.
Yurim put her hat back on her head. She paused briefly, then walked resolutely toward the stairs.
"S-sis. I passed too!"
Yurim came up to the second floor and beamed at me. Her lips curved up, but they trembled slightly at the ends. Her expression looked ready to crumble any second.
"Congrats."
I gently stroked her head. Yurim closed her eyes and slowly exhaled.
"Rest a bit."
"Yeees...."
She sat on the sofa. Her body seemed to lose all strength as she slowly slumped sideways. Like someone whose energy had completely drained away.
"Is it okay to just leave her like that?"
Lee Seohwa, who had sidled up next to me, whispered.
"Yes. Don't wake her. She needs time to recharge right now."
It must have been too much for a young girl to handle alone. Better to let her rest as much as possible.
I used holy power to bless Yurim's body with tranquility. The furrowed expression on her face softened.
'How long can Yurim hold out....'
I let out a small breath and peered down over the railing. The number of people left could now be counted on one hand. All the rest had been eliminated.
Time for the next mission. And this brief peace would shatter once more.
*
"We sincerely congratulate you all on surviving the second mission."
Cheers erupted from the contestants at Chef Han Seojin's words. Everyone clapped and smiled broadly.
"But it's too early to relax. There's still the much tougher third mission ahead."
The mood chilled at Chef Kang Taeyeon's words. Chef Moon Taeo grinned and spoke up.
"Who will be the one worthy of Grand Chef? The judges discussed that question at length and finally arrived at one standard."
"And the third mission, starting soon, is deeply tied to that standard."
People swallowed hard with every word from the judges.
"First, move to the cooking station of your choice."
As soon as Chef Moon Taeo finished, contestants rushed toward the stations. Everyone eyed the front spots, so I headed straight to the back without hesitation.
"Hehe."
Yurim slipped up beside me with a small laugh and took a spot. Possible because the stations were paired.
"Under the cooking station you're at now, you'll find a box. Pull it out."
"...A box?"
At Chef Han Seojin's words, I immediately realized what the mission was.
'Secret box.'
A mission where you cook using whatever ingredient is inside the box. It appeared every season.
I bent down and pulled out the box from below. It wasn't as heavy as I'd thought. No smell, so probably not seafood.
"The third mission is the secret box. Inside that box is one ingredient. Use it to freely create a dish."
'Fruit?'
I cautiously guessed at the contents. I could use magic to check instantly, but there was no need to go that far.
"I'll count to three, then open the boxes. Is everyone ready?"
"Yes!"
"Then let's begin the mission. Three, two, one... open!"
I opened the box at the signal.
"Kyaaak!"
And the moment I saw inside, a smile spread across my lips.