This does not belong to me. It is translated by KobatoChanDaiSuki.
Once the conclusion had been made, the one who left the Grand Chef house was Chloe.
Chloe had a simple recipe that brought a delicious flavor, and Jo Minjoon's lacked a bit but had a fine recipe. If you asked who of the two was more outstanding, you wouldn't be able to reply easily.
But Grand Chef's policy was clear. The judges made Jo Minjoon do the eliminating mission because the Korean meal he made didn't match with the competition. There was no way that would change now.
The conclusion was made. Jo Minjoon lived and Chloe died. While sitting on a sofa that was at the lobby, Jo Minjoon kept putting an absentminded face. It wasn't that Chloe eliminating was a shock, but he hated himself for wanting to survive even through the misfortune of others. He thought that he was going to be free from that greed.
"......Why are you putting on that dark expression?"
It wasn't that familiar of a voice. As he turned to look back, Rachel was looking at him. Jo Minjoon smiled bitterly and said.
"It's not the time to put a bright expression."
"Although a friend got eliminated, you survived. Aren't you happy?"
"We weren't together for long, but she's a friend I really appreciated. I shouldn't be happy. But perhaps I am. And I'm scared because there may be some of that thought in my heart."
"If you are a person it's normal to think like that, there will be no one to blame you because you aren't a moralist. And there's no need to. Look at Serguei. Was he a moralist?"
Jo Minjoon, instead of replying, rolled his eyes with an awkward expression. Even if it was by joke, he couldn't even joke his great sunbae. Jo Minjoon asked with a low voice.
"Why are you paying that much attention to me?"
"Because I fell for you. For your tongue. That's a blessing given by god." (PR:I knew it! Just kidding.)
Normally, it was a compliment that you would only be happy with. However Jo Minjoon couldn't do that. It was also a surprise for Rachel because there wasn't even a trace of happiness in Jo Minjoon's face. Jo Minjoon asked back with a low voice.
"Then, if I didn't have this sense of taste you wouldn't even have paid attention to me in the first place."
".......Probably. But is there a need to?"
"The ability I have is different to what you are thinking of, Rachel. Perhaps, if you are really looking for someone with an absolute sense of taste...... She would be better."
Jo Minjoon talked like that and looked away. Kaya, that had finished her interview just in time, flinched at Rachel turning to look at her so suddenly.
"........Why are you looking at me?"
Rachel didn't reply and looked at her feeling that something hanged in her chest. Serguei was also like that, and now, Jo Minjoon too. That the one they had to look for was Kaya Lotus. It could clearly be seen that she had talent just by looking at her cooking. If she hadn't known Jo Minjoon, she would probably have been the gemstone she would take as a disciple.
'Am I making a mistake now......'
Rachel's gaze sharpened. Kaya silently sat next to Jo Minjoon and opened her mouth.
"Why didn't you go yet? That old man Serguei disappeared right after it ended."
"Serguei has a restaurant to run."
"And don't you have one?"
"I'm only the owner. There's a separate head chef."
Rachel talked like that and turned to look at Jo Minjon again. Even if Kaya was a nice gemstone, she wouldn't be as good as this youth in front of her. That was her judgement.
"Do you have any plans after this? Be it winning or getting eliminated, you should have some plans. Ah, am I being too intrusive?"
"........You aren't particularly. If I win, I would have to go to many events as Grand Chef's winner. After that, I would have to get in some restaurant. And if I'm lucky, I may even get received as a head chef. But in the first place, I'm not even ready for that."
"There are geniuses at times. There are also those that receive a Michelin star after becoming head chef at the age of 20, and at 30 they get their third star."
The moment she said that, Rachel's eyes became teary. Rachel said with a low voice.
"But if you really think that you don't have talent, come and look for me. If you need teaching, I can teach you all you want. I wanted to tell you this."
".......You didn't come all the way here just to tell me this, right?"
"I think that you may get more moved if I say yes.......But unfortunately that's not the case. I also have to announce to the world that Rachel Rose isn't dead yet. I can't keep living as an elderly forever. And......"
Rachel's eyes moved to Kaya.
"Today's dishes were good. I also want to propose to you. One day, you will need my help. And don't hesitate to come and look for me when that day comes."
Rachel stood up.
"I'm sorry to take the time of you young'uns. I will pray for better results from now on."
Kaya looked at Rachel's back getting farther with confused eyes.
"Why is she getting like that?"
"What?"
"She's strange. To go and look for her. And what's the day we will need her?"
"Just receive it as good words. It means that she holds you in good regards."
"That means that........?"
Kaya rolled her eyes upwards as if she was still confused. Jo Minjoon smirked and replied. His burdened heart got lighter, even if it was a little.
"Don't mind her. You just act like yourself."
Kaya didn't reply anything and just looked at Jo Minjoon. She also had eyes, and was aware of her surroundings. And she could clearly see that this situation wasn't that comfortable for him.
"It's regrettable that Chloe got eliminated....... But there's no need for you to act as a sinner."
"Rather than a sinner......"
"It's that face. Although it is regrettable, even so...... I'm honestly happy. Not that Chloe got eliminated, but you still being here."
Her eyes shone seriously. And Jo Minjoon just looked at her eyes. He had never felt that her sky blue eyes, under her dense double eyelids was this deep. And the skin that didn't have make up and the part under her eyes was felt more clearly than ever. It was to the point that he wondered if he had seen her with only one eye all this time.
Was it wet with saliva or if it was originally moist, her lips that shone with the help of a reflector opened. But Kaya turned her head. Anderson and Chloe were coming in through the lobby. Chloe laughed awkwardly.
"Hello."
"......Why the sudden greeting?"
Kaya replied with a weird voice. Anderson frowned.
"Don't speak to those that died."
"......Saying that I'm dead rather hurts me."
Chloe put on a teary face. Anderson coughed with awkward face and sat down. Kaya sharpened her gaze.
"Why don't you keep your words first?"
Anderson couldn't say anything. Jo Minjoon let out a sigh and looked at Chloe. It wasn't that he had particularly done anything wrong to her. Just at that moment, he had thought of a really selfish thing. If you were a person, you couldn't help it but get that thought. But he was sorry because of that because Chloe treated him like a real family. And at times she was so gentle it made him misunderstand.
".....I'm sorry, Chloe."
When Jo Minjoon said those words, the ones that were next to him all put strange faces. And it wasn't an exception for Chloe. She opened her mouth as if she was perplexed.
"Why are you sorry to me?"
He couldn't reply anything at that question. It was a really embarrassing thing to reply back. And even if he did say it, it would only hurt Chloe. Jo Minjoon forced a smile. He didn't want to send her with a suffering face.
"No. It's nothing. Thank you for what you have done."
"Why thank me......"
Chloe scratched her cheeks with an awkward face. Kaya asked with a voice that you couldn't even say by joke that it was cheerful.
"But why did you do that?"
"Huh?"
"The mission? Why did you suddenly make a familiar meal? You could make an even better dish."
"I wonder...... There are those situations when your mom is lecturing you, and even if you know that if you reply back it will only get longer, but you do it anyways. I think that I felt like that."
It was a weird and convincing reply. When Kaya and Anderson were nodding, Jo Minjoon just looked at Chloe without saying anything. Chloe, too, seemed like she wanted to say many things, but she couldn't open her mouth maybe because of Anderson and Kaya. Anderson glanced at Chloe and suddenly brought his handphone that didn't even ring to his ear.
"Yes, Martin. Yes. Right now? Understood."
Anderson stood up and looked at Kaya.
"Hey. Get up."
"What? Why so suddenly?"
"Martin says that he has something to ask. We have to go for a moment."
".......I wanted to be a little more with Chloe."
Kaya pouted her lips with a sad face. But she couldn't act spoiled when the PD was calling her. At that moment, Anderson's and Chloe's eyes met. Anderson smirked, and Chloe that saw that could vaguely guess the situation. Chloe blushed and moved her feet sluggishly. Jo Minjoon mumbled with a weird voice.
"Why is Martin calling them?"
"Ye, yeah. It doesn't happen normally."
"Well, if they come back we will know."
Jo Minjoon looked at Chloe. They sat facing each other with a table in the middle, and they looked tactfully at each other for different reasons. Chloe slowly opened her mouth.
"I got to go first."
".......We will be able to see again. Cooking, you will keep doing it, right?"
Honestly speaking, the words she had said to him kept roaming in his head. It had stimulated him, and at the same time made him worry. Would she think that this path wasn't suited to her, and leave it? Chloe smiled merrily and nodded.
"Don't worry. I'm not planning to stop. I just...... resisted for a moment. This cooking can be done, and that cannot. I don't like differentiating that much. I told you that I'm going to run a restaurant."
"Right. You said that you were going to run a couple restaurant. I hope for your dreams to become true."
Jo Minjoon said while putting a soft, yet sad smile. Chloe just looked at his smile. She liked that expression she could see at times. Because she could feel that he thought about her. At Jo Minjoon's one smile, Chloe imagined tens, or twenty things. She saw things that weren't visible, and heard what wasn't hearable. Chloe forced a leisure voice.
"If I want to run it, money is money, but I need a husband to run it together. And a chef husband on top of that."
"Ah, that's also true. It will be a really difficult dream."
Jo Minjoon smiled bitterly. Chloe hesitated for a moment. Perhaps, this one sentence could ruin it all. But she couldn't step back. Anderson had even lied and gave them space. Perhaps, her self right now would be too shabby....... But if she couldn't even bring this words, she wouldn't become shabby but miserable. She wanted to at least avoid that.
Chloe opened her mouth. Through her lips, her tongue that was more watery and red than it showed itself through that space and hid again shyly. When he thought that a 'whew' sigh was going to get out of her mouth, Chloe's eyes opened up clearly.
"........I would like it if it was you."
At that moment, Jo Minjoon's eyes shook. He slowly looked at Chloe's eyes. He looked at that fierce waterfall of emotions, that whirlpool. He opened his mouth, but that wasn't to say some words. It was to let out a noiseless expression of his perplexion. Chloe still looked at Jo Minjoon.
Worry and expectation, shyness and boldness, and love was contained in her eyes. No, it wasn't only her eyes. Those things were contained in her flushed face, trembling mouth, and on her tears. On top of that, it was also contained in her clenched fists. So clearly he didn't understand how he couldn't feel it until now.
And those things flowed through words.
"I would like it........If you were in my restaurant."