Chapter 41: The role of a head chef (3)

Anderson could only wonder. Was he going to refuse or not? But looking at Jacob’s eyes, it was obvious that even if he did refuse, he was going to be taken by force. And if that did happen, he would only hurt his teammate from the start and waste a forceful move.

In the end, it seemed that he didn’t have the right to refuse. Anderson moved. Jacob laughed and shook Anderson’s hands.

“Thank you for coming.”

“…….Who are you going to pick next?”

“Let’s think about that after looking at who Kaya chooses.”

They both directed their eyes to Kaya.

Kaya was looking with a complicated face to the people that were in front of her. If she had to choose someone she was close with, then those will only be Chloe and Marco. Kaya hesitated for a minute and opened her mouth.

“Chloe. Come here please.”

“Whew. Thanks.”

Chloe let out a relieved sigh and walked towards her. But the one left was Marco. He sent a nervous expression. However Jo Minjoon didn’t worry. Because Marco’s skills weren’t properly revealed until now. Because the other participants only knew that Marco had a little skill in baking. So he thought that there would be no way Jacob was going to pick Marco.

“Marco. I will be grateful if you come.”

So at Jacob’s words, Jo Minjoon couldn’t help but get surprised. He had never imagined that Jacob would actually choose Marco. And that was the same for Marco. He couldn’t do anything and just stared at him.

However, Marco’s decision was already decided. He forced a smile and walked towards Jacob. Although Jacob could take him by force, it wasn’t a good thing to decline. In the first place, even if he didn’t have the right to take him forcefully, Marco was a person that didn’t know how to decline to a person that said that wanted him.

‘If things are like this, then the forceful move has no meaning.’

Jo Minjoon let out a sigh. Well, didn’t the judges also know of that and gave him that right on purpose? Because all of the skilled chefs couldn’t be gathered in Kaya’s team.

When the sixteen people found their own teams, there was no one that declined the proposal. Kaya picked from the participants that chose her, and Jacob had the forceful move so they didn’t think of declining.

It was a bit unfortunate for those that didn’t wish to be on Jacob’s team, but in the end, it was a good result. At least, they didn’t get hurt, and could balance the overall skills.

Emily opened her mouth.

“Good. The teams are decided. Then, I will now announce the theme of the mission. This mission…..”

Emily paused. But nobody was curious about what she would say next. Because it was really obvious. When they split in two, they could only think of one reason for that. Emily laughed as if it wasn’t fun and said.

“Well. Everybody should have expected it. It’s a full course. Saying it in french, it would be a haute cuisine. But of course, there’s no need to make it only with french dishes. You have to make a full course that’s similar to haute cuisine.”

Nobody got surprised. They just let out a sigh or looked at Emily with an excited face as if they had known all along. Jo Minjoon was one of the excited people. Full course. Haute cuisine. All of that was a chef’s romance.

Emily continued speaking.

“Of course, I won’t ask of you to design your menu and prepare right now. The time limit is tomorrow. Consult with your teammates and design your menu. And there’s one thing you should keep in account. We aren’t going to be the judges tomorrow, but you have to set your dishes for a total of forty people, all from different social standings. The losing team will do the eliminating mission, and three of those will leave Grand Chef’s house.”

It had always been like this, but the word ‘eliminate’ made them feel chills down their spine. Emily laughed while looking at the nervous eyes of the participants. Alan that was next to her opened his mouth.

“This will probably be the hardest mission you have ever had. I will give you one tip. Think a lot, and share you thoughts. If you just draw a painting you thought by your own….. You will only end up staining the drawing paper.”

At those words, Jo Minjoon unconsciously looked at Kaya. Would this stubborn girl be able to draw a proper picture?

–

After the announcement of the mission and the composition of the team ended, the teammates along with Jo Minjoon, gathered in the lobby of the 4th floor. Of course, it was to debate about the course meal menu. Hugo, from Mississippi, opened his mouth. Dark curly hair with dark eyes. The characteristic of a spanish white man, showed on his face. Jo Minjoon just listened at his words.

“How are we going to divide the parts?”

“…….First, tell me the what you wish to make.”

Kaya said bluntly. But everyone just exchanged glances and couldn’t open their mouth. There were many things they had to make. Salad, soup, risotto pasta, etc. It was a bit embarrassing to take on something easy, and it would also be burdensome to take on the main dish.

Jo Minjoon opened his mouth.

“I want to be in charge of the appetizer. Dessert….. too wouldn’t be bad. Only, I can’t make ice cream or pudding. Because baking is not my specialty.”

He did think of making the main dish, but it was hard for him to use the recipe composition ability properly when a steak like dish became the main dish. But of course, he could get in charge of making the steak, and pass his recipe to another person. But these people gathered all had good cooking skills. You wouldn’t know if it was evaluating their dish, but they wouldn’t allow another person to pass on their recipe.

So because of that, he wanted to make the appetizer, which the recipe was the most important. Kaya nodded with an unconcerned face.

“Fine. What about the others? Looking that you aren’t speaking, I can just take it as you are okay with everything, right?”

“I want to make the main dish. A fish one.”

Chloe hesitated but ended up raising her hand. Even if she was bright, she was also really careful. The words to be in charge of a main dish didn’t easily come out. Because it was the same as becoming the protagonist. But of course, as it was a team mission, there was nothing better than attracting more attention, but even so it felt different. Kaya nodded and said.

“The person who spraks first gets it. Does someone else want to make a fish main?”

Kaya looked at all of her teammates, but no one opened their mouths. Thinking about how difficult it was to handle fish, it was understandable. From trimming it, to cooking. A dish with no low difficulty was the fish.

“It seems like there are none. So Chloe will be in charge of the main fish dish, okay?”

“But how many main dishes should we make? Two? Three?”

“Hmm…….”

At that unexpected question, Kaya got panicked and couldn’t reply. Saying the truth, it could only be like that for her. Because she had never eaten a proper course meal. There were times where she did make sloppy course meals in her house, but that was only an imitation. She didn’t know how a course meal should be composed, and what rules it needed to have.

Kaya rolled her hair with her finger and rolled her eyes. She was the kind of person that didn’t hide if she knew or didn’t. Jo Minjoon said next to her.

“In my opinion, I think that doing three would be good. Kaya has to do the generalization, and we have to make eight other dishes. Honestly, making salad or fruit doesn’t require too much effort. So wouldn’t it be better to focus on the main dish?”

“…….He says so.”

Kayad forced herself to put on a calm face and looked at her teammates. Fortunately, there was no one that wanted to bully this young team leader. Because they also saw the broadcast, they vaguely knew what kind of past Kaya had. There was no need to point out that she didn’t know about course cooking.

Joanne opened her mouth. She had curly blond hair that reached up to her shoulders, and she seemed just like some one that came out from a 1920 american magazine. She was a white girl that enjoyed old fashion.

“But what is the team leader going to do? If you become the head chef, should you make a dish?”

“… … …”

Kaya couldn’t immediately reply and glanced at Jo Minjoon. She found it hard to answer it by herself. Because she still didn’t know the role of a head chef. Her eyes were yelling him to help her. Jo Minjoon opened his mouth.

“Honestly, it’s difficult for the head chef to also cook. Only with checking how we are doing makes her busy. But of course, it would be good if Kaya’s cooking was included, but it’s tiresome.”

“Is that so……”

Joanne nodded as if she had been persuaded. Kaya was just glaring at the table. No, perhaps, she was only looking at it, but her eyes and her make up made it seemlike that. Kaya opened her mouth with her sight fixed at the table.

“I want to go to the bathroom. Minjoon, let’s go together.”

“Right….. What?”

Jo Minjoon just replied casually, and looked at her as if he had heard something wrong. And that was the same for the participants. Jo Minjoon forced a laugh and said.

“Go? To bathroom? With me?”

How perplexed must he had been to say words separately. Kaya nodded with a calm face.

“Yes. Bathroom. It’s the order of the head chef. Follow me.”

After she finished saying this, she immediately walked towards the bathroom. Jo Minjoon looked at his teammates dumbfoundedly, and stood up while reddening his face. Chloe pulled from Jo Minjoon’s sleeve. And whispered to him in a low voice.

“If Kaya does something, yell. Understand?”

“……And are you going to rescue me?”

“Nope. Just going to watch.”

Chloe talked like that and laughed teasingly, like a child. Looking at her laughing face, Jo Minjoon couldn’t even get angry. It was when Jo Minjoon wanted to take a step.

“I will go for a while.”

He didn’t even have the courage to look at the expressions his teammates were making.

But when he went to the public bathroom, Kaya wasn’t present. It was at that moment. A sound that was hitting the wall. Kaya was standing in a hallway that was separated from the toilet by a short distance. She pointed at her back. It was her lodging.

Even before Jo Minjoon could say something, Kaya got inside her room. Jo Minjoon hesitated for a moment and followed her. Although it was her lodging, he was unfamiliar with going in a girl’s room.

“Is this the bathroom?”

“If you have the urge, just go. There’s also one inside my room.”

“……I’m not talking about that. Why did you say that so suddenly? Telling a guy to go together to the bathroom. The atmosphere got weird.”

“I’m sorry.”

Looking that Kaya was apologizing puzzled him. She was not the type to usually lower herself. Jo Minjoon let out a sigh and said in a softer voice. He could guess why Kaya had called him like this.

“I think that I vaguely know why you called me. But why me? There’s also Chloe.”

“…….Just so, it’s more comfortable for me asking you for help. But don’t misunderstand. It doesn’t mean that you are easy.”

Kaya said with a serious voice and lifted her right hand as if she was making an oath.

“I will give you a lot of lesson fees.”

“With what?”

“……..I will make breakfast every day for you. At least, until I get disqualified.”

At that simple and charming proposal, Jo Minjoon laughed. And then he opened his mouth.

“And if you win, are you going to make it for me forever?”

< The role of the head chef (3) > End

Translator’s note: Regular chapter!Thanks for reading and for your support! I’m currently looking for a proofreader for my side project ‘I Am the Monarch’ so if any of you has any thoughts of joining you can send a mail to kobato????

Translator : Subak

Proofreader : Maled