Chapter 62: Aftermath (1)

Louise Russell : Honestly, I think that this can only be made up. That an absolute taste that had never appeared once in history to appear right now? And on top of that, in a cooking program?

ㄴ Daniel Wood : Don’t bring up conspiracy theories. It’s a program that does well even without that kind of making up, so would they need that kind of noisy marketing?

ㄴ Louise Russell : @Daniel Wood Greed never has an end. Look at the reactions of the people. Although Grand Chef was already popular, did it have a reaction this hot?

ㄴ Daniel Wood : @Louise Russell With time, you will get to know with if it’s the truth or not. Don’t go changing your word when that happens.

A. J. Black : If this is true….. Wow, I don’t have particularly anything to say. But does the flavor of those things feel that different? Can there be a minimal difference we can’t sense?

ㄴ Selena Curry : I think that there is, looking that he got all 20 right. I’m envious. I also want to feel all of those flavors.

ㄴ A. J. Black : @Selena Curry But I wonder if all of those flavors are all good. Perhaps, if he feels a bad smell or something that we can’t, I think that it would be difficult for him to eat food deliciously.

ㄴ Selena Curry : @A. J. Black Even so, isn’t it an extremely outstanding ability for a chef? Because he can control all of the minimal flavors the customer can’t feel. But of course, it would be pointless that they can’t even feel it, but even so it would have an unconscious effect.

ㄴ Jacob Shariff : @Selena Curry He would be more outstanding as an epicurean rather than a chef. The restaurants won’t even be able to make a joke on him. And they would also shake of fear because of his evaluation.

Daniel Wood : The broadcast PD would be feeling great. He threw away the next without expecting anything but he caught a whale. With that kind of ability, his potential on broadcasts would be outstanding, although I don’t know about his real cookings.

ㄴ Nadia Newton : I think that he would be offered to do a lot of commercials. Celebrities don’t tend to participate in commercials because they charge a lot, but in the case of Minjoon, who isn’t a celebrity, they won’t pay him as much. A product that was recognized by someone who possesses an absolute sense of taste! Isn’t that quite charming?

ㄴ Daniel Wood : @Nadie Newton Well, there’s some truth in that. But if he keeps doing that, I think that later on he will be asking for a lot.

ㄴ Nadia Newton : @Daniel Wood What’s certain is that Grand Chef caught a big fish.

Martin read all the comments that were posted on the internet. The smile on his face didn’t disappear for even a little. The reactions were hotter than he had thought. It was understandable. The moment when Jo Minjoon got the 20 ingredients right consecutively, the number of viewers surpassed 7 million viewers. Thinking that normally, it didn’t surpass 5, 6 millions of viewers, it was a great result. Probably, it would be the day with the most viewers in the history of Grand Chef.

On top of that, the number of people that uploaded a video of only the part of Jo Minjoon doing the disqualifying mission was huge. His activity that was spread through every kind of mediums, called more and more people. That video surpassed 10 million viewers in a day, so if more time passed, they couldn’t guess how many more people will view it.

And right now, his handphone was ringing without stop. Replying to all of them seemed to take a full day. He replied most of them with an automatic tone, and he couldn’t even relax while replying the necessary ones. It was then when he was doing that. The bell of his handphone rang again, and his casual face when checking the screen disappeared in an instant. He raised his body that was buried deep in the car’s chair, and picked up the phone.

“Ra, Rachel Rose! Is it really you?”

[ Looking at your reaction it seems that you didn’t erase my number. ]

“How will I easily erase it when I got it with such difficulty? But why did you……?”

Actually, there was no need to even ask. Because the people that were calling him right now all had the same objective. First, confirming that the absolute taste was real. Second, if he could connect them to Jo Minjoon.

And it was no different because she was Rachel. Martin forced to calm down his beating heart. When Grand Chef started, he had used all kinds of methods to make her come. But of course, he returned empty handed, but instead he got her disciple Alan, so he wasn’t feeling that disappointed. Naturally, his attitude could only be good.

[ There’s something I want to ask you. Will you tell me the truth? ]

“Of course. Even while thinking about Alan’s face, I wouldn’t dare to lie.”

[ Thinking about it, that kid Alan knew about this but didn’t tell me. Well, let’s talk about this later. ]

At this moment, Martin apologized to Alan inwardly.

[ The absolute taste, is it true? ]

“There’s not even a bit that was made up.”

At that moment, he felt that through the handphone a sigh of relief was heard. Perhaps, she was earnest that Jo Minjoon had the absolute taste. It was at that moment when Martin opened his mouth. Rachel talked first.

[ I want to meet him. ]

He had expected it. However, he didn’t know what he should tell her. Even if he was a participant, he couldn’t make an appointment without Jo Minjoon agreeing. It was at that moment when he wanted to say that his opinion was the most important thing, rachel said.

[ Of course, you will have to get an appointment with him first. I understand that. However, I just can’t hold it. Because i’m the type that I have to eat something immediately if I want to. But instead, I will give you a gift. The scene captured in the screen today, you can use it however you wish. ]

“……Yes? I’m sorry but I don’t get what you are saying……..”

[ I will become his customer. His truck, it was in Madison right now, right? ]

At that moment, the puzzle in his head completed. Present, the captured scene today, Minjoon, and truck. Madison. Martin got shocked and raised his head. Of course, what he saw was only the ceiling of the car.

“Are you maybe thinking of being his customer personally…..?”

[ Ah, the plane will soon be arriving. We will talk the remaining later, have a good day. ]

“Yes, yes……”

Martin looked at the hung up phone dumbfoundedly. He didn’t feel that this situation was real at all.

“Does the rating god love me?”

–

The aftermath of the absolute taste wasn’t weak at all. People who were interested in cooking or tasting all talked about Jo Minjoon, and on top of that, people who weren’t interested at all also saw his video.

And of course, Korea wasn’t an exception. Just with the truth that a korean was participating in it, in Korea, many articles about Grand Chef were roaming around.

And Lee Hyeseon also could not have seen it. And the result of that, Jo Minjoon had to pickup the phone in the middle of doing the groceries.

[…….Since when did you have that kind of ability? ]

“I think that since I was small. But I have recently known that I sense different things compared to the others.”

[ Whew……. Even I don’t know what’s what. People from all around are talking about you, but I feel good and anxious at the same time. Because getting attention isn’t a comfortable thing. Are you okay? ]

“It’s not that hard yet. Oh, mom. I’m sorry but I have to prepare to cook. So I will call you again later.”

[ Okay. Do well. I will cheer for you. ]

“Yes.”

Jo Minjoon put back his handphone in his pocket. He was exhausted. It was because he hadn’t slept well, but it was also because today, it seemed that people from the market recognized him more than before. Some had also asked him to try their food so……

‘I just have to endure today, and tomorrow.’

Now, he could only beat the exhaustion with his mental strength. The problem was that it also started to wear down, but he thought that he just didn’t have to faint.

As soon as he got in the truck, his teammates sent him a preoccupied sight. Also they felt that Jo Minjoon was having it hard recently. Peter opened his mouth.

“Are you okay, Minjoon? What about resting for lunch? The four of us can do it all.”

“Leave it. We are doing the same things but some rest while others work. It’s not good to see.”

The dream is meant to fight your way through. He didn’t have the leisure to sound weak. Anderson said with a blunt voice.

“Rest for now. I bought some sandwich, so eat if you want.”

“……….Thank you.”

Jo Minjoon received the sandwich. It was nothing special. Cheese, lettuce, prosciutto and mustard sauce was everything in it. However, maybe because the bread was so soft that he felt like he was eating well cooked rice.

He didn’t know why, but when he gulped down the sandwich, the top of his temple hurt as if it was being poked by a needle. Even eating could be this exhausting. Jo Minjoon smiled bitterly and left half the sandwich.

The business continued regardless of his condition. Jo Minjoon put on the rice to cook with his hands shaking, and helped the others cook.

Madison was a city located in Wisconsin. There were vaguely a million of inhabitants, so it was a fairly big city in the US.

The place they parked the truck was in the middle of Wisconsin’s university and downtown, where it was bustling the most. Because next to the university was the city hall, they thought that it will be bustling with students and government employees. Actually at this point, it was a priority to find a place where customers had it comfortable rather than a place where more people would gather. Because Grand Chef’s mark was the perfect advertisement.

Their team’s norimaki was getting quite good reactions even in the internet. Of course, perhaps they could be fans of them, but even if they were, there wasn’t a case where they would say that something was delicious when it wasn’t. And they were slowly getting more confidence in their cooking. They thought that they could satisfy any kind of customer. Joanne opened her mouth.

“…….Would there be more customers than usual?”

“Why? Because of Minjoon?”

“Yeah. Wouldn’t there be more curious people that had seen it and come to eat more than usual?”

“I wonder. I think that people who are curious about that would usually have been curious about our cooking. But of course, there may be more customers than before…….”

In conclusion, there were more customers than usual. However, it wasn’t an overwhelming number. Maybe, it was simply because of the good location, but the number of customers was similar to the first time in Chicago.

Only, the reactions were certainly different. As they saw Jo Minjoon standing in front of the truck’s counter, the long line of customers cheered and blew whistles. Jo Minjoon that wasn’t thinking of anything could only be perplexed by that intense reaction.

“Is it really absolute taste?”

“Using your evaluation method, what score is this norimaki?”

“Isn’t it tiring when you usually eat? Because you are too sensitive.”

“I’m your fan! I’m sorry, but can I get your autograph?”

Almost all of the customers tried to say something to him. And because it was next to an university, there were a lot of young people. Only if they calmed down a little, they could know that Jo Minjoon’s face was so haggard he couldn’t even talk properly. So because of that it was more fortunate. If it wasn’t because of that face, there would be more people trying to want to talk longer.

“Minjoon, i’m sorry but you will have to slowly prepare the rice.”

“Okay, I will go after this customer.”

Jo Minjoon replied to Joanne and looked in front. There was a woman with wrinkles in her face. If she was a korean, she had the appearance that seemed to be in her seventies, but taking into account that westerners aged quickly, he couldn’t know. Jo Minjoon smiled and opened his mouth.

“Welcome. What are you going to order?”

“I want to talk with you right now, but you are really busy, right?”

“………That’s right. Because there are a lot of customers.”

Jo Minjoon replied while smiling awkwardly. He didn’t know that even this old grandmother would want to talk with him. It was at that moment. Anderson, that was wrapping the norimakis next to him glanced the surroundings and opened his mouth.

“Rachel Rose…….Are you perhaps Rachel Rose?”

“What? Where?”

At Anderson’s words the other team members turned their head, and put a surprised expression. Only then did Jo Minjoon notice that the cameramen were filming them with quite a serious face. And on top of that, even the customers were taking pictures of her.

‘Is she famous?’

Rachel smiled.

“It seems like you don’t know who I am.”

“……….I’m sorry. I don’t know much about famous americans.”

At his words, the customers that were listening to him burst out of laughter. Jo Minjoon didn’t understand their reactions. Did it mean that she wasn’t famous? Rachel took out her wallet.

“First, we will have to calculate the money thinking about the other customers.”

“Yes, what are you going to order………..”

As he talked like that, he saw at what she had gave him dumbfoundedly. It wasn’t a bill. It was a cheque. And a thousand dollar cheque at that. Rachel opened her mouth.

“Golden bell, can I ring it?” (TL: It means that she is planning to buy everything.)

Jo Minjoon forced a laugh.

“You can’t.”

< Aftermath (1) > End

Translator’s note: Regular chapter!

Thanks for reading and for your support!

Translator : Subak