“The methods are simple. First, you will secretly vote for who you want to cheer for between Kaya and Anderson. The person that gets more votes will be able to pick their teammates first. Only, the person that gets selected has the right to decline, if they aren’t the last one.”
“…….Isn’t this really close to a popularity vote? Even so, it’s a final.”
A weird voice came out. It was Hugo. At his remark, Joseph smiled brightly and replied.
“That’s right. A popularity vote. And that popularity would change according to how they treated the ones they have been together for the past few months. Human nature, attractiveness, and skills are one of the most important skills for the chef. This mission is just like that.”
Joseph looked at every one of them.
“It’s final. If it’s simply comparing cooking skills, doing it as a team method would be inefficient. Because according to the skills of the members, there would also be a big difference in the results. But even so, we chose to go with the team battle. Because in the end, all the restaurants are like that. There are two head chefs. One cooks well but doesn’t have the skills to lead the kitchen, and one cooks less well but leads the kitchen well. What restaurant would be more delicious?”
“…….The latter one, right?”
“It’s just that. Individual skills, are of course important. But the most important thing, realistically speaking, is the ability to lead the kitchen. And the person who wins this competition, will act as a head chef that leads all the kitchen and not only one section. They will act as a Grand Chef. As much as the ability for a performer is in demand, the skills for a director are also in demand.”
Silence flowed for a moment. Jo Minjoon silently looked at Kaya and Anderson. How well will the two of them show their features as a head chef…..
‘Would Kaya have grown more?’
It was different from when they first met, but he did get worried about her making trouble or not. In the case of Anderson, he didn’t particularly have any worries. Although he was mean, he was an adult that carried out his role perfectly.
The voting proceeded. There were no upsets on the name Jo Minjoon wrote on the piece of paper. ‘Kaya’. Even if he got closer with Anderson, it wasn’t as much as Kaya. In the first place, his fandom toward Kaya was also deep.
‘Who will win?’
It wasn’t about the competition, but about the votes. Jo Minjoon thought that it would rather be Anderson. Although they both were mean, taking into account the intensity of it, honestly speaking Kaya was more.
Their eyes, who saw the voting, shone in curiosity. Two votes for Kaya, three for Anderson, one for Kaya, and……. Two for Anderson. 5:3. It was Anderson’s win. Kaya pouted her mouth with a dispirited face. Emily smiled.
“Good. Anderson got the first right of choice. Who are you thinking of choosing? On top of that, you have to take into account that the adversary can decline. And that means that…….. If the person is certainly in your team, it can be better to call them the latest possible.”
Anderson just looked at the people. Combining cooking skill, personality, style, etc. the person Anderson needed the most was Jo Minjoon. In the case of Chloe she leaned more towards Asian cuisine rather than Western, but in the case of Jo Minjoon, he was well-balanced overall.
‘There’s no way that fanboy comes to me.’
Even now, Jo Minjoon was glancing at Kaya. If that was the case, there weren’t many people left. He felt that Marco or Sasha were quite fine for desserts, but it was something that ended when Kaya chose one of the two. Because thinking the effectivity of it, she wouldn’t take the two of them.
“Chloe. Help me.”
In the end Anderson opened his mouth. Although Chloe’s inclination was a bit different, she didn’t fall back at all when it came to the basics.
Chloe bit her lip. She wondered. Because she was one of the people that voted for Kaya. Just like it was for Jo Minjoon, Chloe was also closer to Kaya rather than to Anderson. The memory about Kaya trembling wondering if they could meet again later on, that was before the mission, was still clear.
She felt like a friend, and a little sister. But to hard heartedly ignore him, she remembered the time when Anderson helped her. The day when she got eliminated, he received the call that didn’t even come, and made her some time to be with Jo Minjoon. Thinking about that, she felt sorry to act ruthlessly. Because she was basically a gentle person. She was a person that wasn’t loyal to her feelings to the point she looked like a dumb person.
However.
“I’m sorry. This time, I want to be next to Kaya.”
Chloe declined. She felt sorry for Anderson, but now, she also wanted to change. She wanted to do what she wanted, and say what she wanted. So when she walks like that step by step, one day she would change to the point she wouldn’t be able to remember her past.
In the end, the next person Anderson called was Hugo. Kaya called Joanne. In the case of Jo Minjoon or Chloe, they would be with her whenever she called them, no, in the first place there was no need to call them. Anderson called Sasha next and Kaya called Marco. Olivia and Ivanna went to Anderson’s team…… And Chloe and Jo Minjoon got into Kaya’s team.
“The teams have been decided. From now on, you will have to practice, and keep practicing. Think that the five of you have made a restaurant.”
“It won’t flow in a comfortable atmosphere. There’s a saying that the kitchen is the smallest country. There would be many things which you agree on, and there will also be many different things to what you thought. Most of all, the most difficult thing will be acting on your own. Although you will know it well because you have been through that quite some times…… But the final mission will fill you with more nervousness than usual. Live broadcast, and customers who are all renowned chefs. It would be good to prepare your hearts.”
Joseph talked until then and gave Martin eye signs. Martin opened his mouth.
“Cut!”
–
“……..Watermelon gazpacho, langostin with buttermilk pure and carrot pure as garnish, seared pumpkin along with tortellini, artichoke carpaccio along with turkey scallopine, and tart tatin and sorbet for dessert………”
Jo Minjoon organized the orders of the recipe in his head. And then smiled. The average score and the composition score were all were all superior and refined. But what made him smile wasn’t on that point. It was because he felt that he was still embracing the philosophy Kaya said before.
“She said that she wanted to make a restaurant that you can go to and that there’s no need to see. Even this recipe shows that.”
“……..You are still remembering that? So embarrassing.”
Kaya blushed and scratched her neck. She glanced and said.
“Do you think it will be fine?”
“It’s something you have thought well about. It will obviously be fine.”
“Then, good.”
“How are you planning on doing the division of the roles?”
Chloe asked. Kaya leaned her chin on her interlocked fingers with a ‘hm’ and opened her mouth.
“I think that it will be good to first do their own recipes, and go with the part that they are the most specialized in. They said that we were able to do the pre-preparations……..Even so, won’t we need a person to help at times for when we are preparing?”
“Shall we think while doing it?”
“First, let’s talk it through. We organize our thoughts and relieve some stress. How have you been well? Minjoon, they say you travelled.”
“Even if it’s travelling, everywhere is about the same.”
“I also want to travel later on. I have never travelled.”
“I have already heard those words quite a few times. You will soon be able to. You will now get famous, No, you already are. It isn’t only on the US, but won’t places around all the world call you?”
At Jo Minjoon’s words, Kaya unconsciously smiled merrily and hurriedly lowered the corner of her mouth.
“I’m not that drunk on my dreams.”
“I know. So don’t get that serious.”
“……Marco. What are you doing nowadays?”
“Uh……..That’s.”
Marco beat around the bush. It wasn’t because he didn’t have to words to reply, but rather he felt a big need to want to say it that it rather didn’t come out. Marco put a smile on that big face of his and said.
“Actually, I think that I may get in charge of a cafe. I’m obviously not the owner, but as a chef and patissier. It’s not that famous because it made anew, but even so it will be my first store.”
“……..You will become a cafe master?”
Joanne looked at Marco with a surprised expression. It was at that moment.
“Who will become what?”
Anderson approached. Precisely speaking, it was Anderson and his team. Joanne opened his mouth with a strict voice.
“Don’t spy.”
“Is there any meaning on doing that in this mission?”
“……Thinking about it, there’s none.”
“Tch, so what are you talking about? Marco became a head chef?”
At Anderson’s question, Marco hurriedly shook his head.
“It’s too excessive saying that I’m a head chef…..I’m just a chef on a town cafe.”
“How amazing. Getting that upfront.”
“……It’s not something you should be saying.”
Jo Minjoon forced a laugh and said. Anderson frowned.
“What about me?”
“You came to the finals. Do you know how much worth does this have?”
“If I can’t win, I will be the same as you.”
“For what reason are you that unconfident? Normally, you would be saying that you will obviously win.”
Anderson didn’t reply. Jo Minjoon looked at Anderson’s teammates. Hugo, Ivanna, Olivia, and Sasha. If there was something that changed was that Hugo had grown compared to before. And of course, the proof he knew that was simple. Because the system was telling him so. Hugo’s cooking level was 7.
But of course, Kaya’s team was much better on potential. Although simply reckoning that their force was higher just with some numbers was as meaningless as numbering a soccer player and the team with stats……. But even so, it became one of the basic things. Looking at the system’s standard, Kaya’s team couldn’t lose.
‘I won’t make her lose.’
Whatever happened, he wouldn’t call for any variables for this final. Anderson said a few more words and left the place. They also had some things to talk about. Jo Minjoon’s eyelids got deeply closed and opened again. Chloe slightly looked at Jo Minjoon and asked.
“Are you tired?”
“No, my eyes were tired for a moment.”
“Should I brew you a tea? I’m practicing nowadays.”
“No, it’s okay. When are you going to get down to the kitchen and get here again?”
“……You still have the scar.”
At Chloe’s words, Kaya turned her eyes away. Jo Minjoon placed his hand on his neck for a moment.
“Well, it’s a glorious scar.”
“As I looked into it, I found that there were tattoos for healing scars. Have you thought of doing that?”
“I wonder. If it’s really ugly to look, I should……Is it that ugly?”
“No.”
Chloe hurriedly replied. And said along a pathetic smile.
“It’s cool. A scar you got while saving someone. Who won’t say that that’s not cool? And it’s not that noticeable. It looks roughly like a speckle.”
“Speckle…..”
“Anyways, it’s fine. However, don’t receive any more injuries. If you get more, I may really say that it’s ugly.”
Just why did she, worrying with a sniffling voice, feel so cute? But of course, rather than snot running, her voice would be basically like that. Jo Minjoon smiled softly. To be able to maintain this warm relationship with someone that he had rejected the confession.
“I’m always thankful. And sorry.”
“It’s fine to be thankful, but don’t be sorry. If there’s someone that feels sorry because of me, I also start to feel sorry for that person.”
“Understood.”
Silence flowed between them for a moment. No, it wasn’t between the two of them, the other five had their.mouths shut. Maybe it was because they didn’t have anything to say, or because it was hard to even say something. Joanne opened her mouth.
“Should we do what we always did?”
“……Badmouthing Anderson behind him?”
Kaya asked instinctively. Joanne giggled and shook her head.
“That’s also good, but let’s put things on our mouth rather than spitting things.”
Joanne made a beak like shape with her hands and brought it to her mouth.
“Let’s eat.”
< Reunion in front of the door (2) > End
Translator’s note: Thanks for reading!
PR Note: Oooh, what a twist. I feel excited!
Translator : Subak
Proofreader : Saihikawa