Chapter 77: Spring, spring, spring (1)

May. The weather was good, the flowers in the garden were slowly blooming. Jo Minjoon was seated on a bench with earphones in his ear and a book on his hands. It seemed like a piece of art, but the book in his hands wasn’t a literature book but a cooking book.

Kaya looked at him and frowned as if she didn’t like something. She approached him and opened her mouth. A rough voice was heard.

“What are you listening to?”

Kaya took off the earphone in Jo Minjoon’s ear, brought it to hers, then frowned.

“Classic?”

“Precisely speaking it’s Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor……. What’s with that expression?”

“How much more boring do you have to be to be satisfied?”

“…….What about classical music? If you aren’t going to listen to it, give it back.”

Jo Minjoon frowned and tried to pull the earphone. Kaya put her hand on her ear and prevented it from being taken back.

“Who says I’m not going to listen to it? It’s better than listening to the wind blowing.”

Kaya talked like that and sat at the arm of the bench, and then looked at the page Jo Minjoon was looking at. She frowned.

“Why are there so many difficult words?”

“It’s your country’s words.”

“Those are extraterrestrial words masked with English.”

Jo Minjoon shrugged his shoulders. Kaya talking like that wasn’t unreasonable. There were many words used that were derived from French or Spanish, and even Jo Minjoon had to search in the dictionary to find the words he didn’t know.

Because Kaya was leaning towards him to look at the book, her breath tickled his neck. Jo Minjoon slightly looked at Kaya and asked.

“Are you bored?”

“I have nothing to do, but I’m not bored.”

“What’s with having nothing to do, but not being bored?”

Kaya just looked at Jo Minjoon. Jo Minjoon’s image was filled in her big, round eyes below her black and dark eyeline. He wasn’t planning to keep looking at her eyes as if it was a mirror, so he adverted his sight. Why was it? That the moment he looked at her face, he felt embarrassed. Jo Minjoon opened his mouth.

“What about doing some exercise like Chloe?”

“Even you don’t exercise much. Didn’t I tell you? Men need to have muscle to be considered men.”

“There’s no need for me to become your ideal man.”

“……..That’s true.”

Kaya scratched her lips as if she wanted to say something, and then scratched her head. Jo Minjoon looked at her with uncomfortable eyes. Her disheveled hair was caught in his eyes.

“Did you wash your hair?”

“I did, last night.”

“Even if you did, you have to wash your hair again when you wake up.”

“My scalp is dry, so there’s no need to wash it that much. What, why? Don’t look at me like that. This is not being dirty, but you being overly clean.”

“……..We will need a judge. Chloe!”

Jo Minjoon was frowning and waved his hands at Chloe that was passing by just in time. Chloe that was wearing a tight dark blue sports clothes approached them. She wiped the sweat out on her forehead and put a confused expression.

“Why were you calling me?”

“We need a person to tell us what’s black and white. Hair, because you washed it at night, can you not wash it the other day?”

“I wonder. I wash it many times because after I sweat after I exercise.”

“But you do wash it after you wake up, right?”

“I tend to……. Wash it. But why?”

At Chloe’s question, Jo Minjoon didn’t reply. Instead, he just looked at Kaya with a smile implying that he had won. Just looking at Kaya’s angry face she could guess the situation. She smiled bitterly.

“Now you are also fighting about washing your hair and not? I understand because she is Kaya but…….Minjoon, you too are a kid.”

“Wait, why do you understand me?”

“Because Kaya is Kaya?”

Chloe talked like that and smiled beautifully. It was a really beautiful smile. If you had eyes, a smile you couldn’t hate. She was so envious that she wanted to have the same smile, but Kaya thought that that kind of smile wasn’t going to suit her.

Kaya stood up with a bothered expression. Of course, the earphone tensed up and got off the ear. It wasn’t from Kaya’s ear, but from Jo Minjoon’s. Kaya put an excessively surprised expression and said.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t wash my hair this morning, but I pulled off your earphone?”

Jo Minjoon snorted and replied back.

“Just prepare lunch.”

–

[Me : How are you doing?]

[Marco : Just so, slowly looking for a place to work.]

[Me : I think that there are going to be a lot of pâtissiers that would want you.]

[Marco : The reactions of all of the places I went to were quite good, but I will know the results when it comes out.]

At the reply that came back, Jo Minjoon smiled. The skills that were showed in the broadcast were clearly superior. But even without thinking of his skills, only by recruiting him, the popularity of the restaurant would increase. The prestige Grand Chef had in the United States was that much.

[Me : Call me if you get a job. I will visit you. But of course, I will need to be in the US by then.]

[Marco : Okay, thank you. :>]

Jo Minjoon put back his handphone. His piece of work was being completed in the oven.

What he was making right now was tarte tatin, a french apple tart. The recipe was simple. Just like all of the baking, it started with the dough. After piling the flour in the shape of mountain using the sieve, he made a hole in the middle of that and poured cold water and salt. The process of slowly pouring water and making the dough was the most important one. Actually, the flavor of the bread was half-done in this process.

After making the dough and putting it in a shape of a cross, you flatten it, put butter in the middle of it, and fold it like a takchi (딱지). You flatten it again when it had the shape of a square, fold it as it originally was, make it flat again, and fold it again. He had to repeat that process five times. There was also a technique similar to this when making udon.

After that, the rest was easy. You smear butter in the hot pan, and pour sugar. You put sliced apple in the shape of a wedge and its seed removed and put it on top of that. If you heat it for 20-30 minutes, the apple juice, butter, and sugar caramelizes and browns.

After covering it with a crust dough he prepared beforehand, he pierced some holes for the dough to not become soggy because of the moisture of the apple. After that, putting it in the preheated oven in between 180 and 200 degrees was the end. Actually, there was one more step left, to carefully flip the tarte tatin. Then the bread below and on top of that will show the tasty seared apples along with the aroma of butter and caramel.

And the tarte tatin Jo Minjoon made, was quite fine.

[Tarte tatin]

Freshness : 96%

Origins : (Too many ingredients to show)

Quality : High

Cooking Score : 6/10

It didn’t have any special methods, but it was made faithfully to the standards. Thinking that his baking level was 5, it wasn’t a bad result. Actually, it was easier to get a 6 in dishes related to baking. Perhaps, it would be because it was influenced by his cooking score. Because it’s different for people who knows to cook, bake, and a person with experience to learn baking.

“Did it turn out well?”

Anderson approached him and asked. On his hands was a dish that contained mille-feuille. The white cream that was in the sides of the bread seemed even more tasty than the tarte tatin. And the cooking score was even 7. Jo Minjoon gulped. Anderson stepped back as if he was cautious of him.

“You can’t eat it yet. We agreed to eat it together when the broadcast started.”

“……You could have failed it. I will taste it for you.”

“I’m sorry, but I already did.”

Anderson talked like that and raised one corner of his mouth. Jo Minjoon let out a sigh. Then, Kaya bumped Jo Minjoon slightly and passed by. There was also a plate that contained a cheesecake in her hands, but the thing that caught his eyes was her lapping hair. Just how much shampoo and conditioner did she use? An apple and lime aroma pierced his nose, and her hair seemed just like that of a model’s from a CF. Kaya walked a few steps and slightly looked back.

Anderson smirked and asked.

“Why is she like that?”

“She’s Kaya.”

Anderson nodded as if he had understood. She’s Kaya. Why did that short words be so convincing?

In the kitchen, there weren’t only those three. There was also Chloe, Sasha, Joanne, Ivanna and Hugo. All of the 8 participants were gathered. They weren’t going to cook dinner because they had already eaten. What they were preparing right now was the snack to eat while they watched the broadcast. Jo Minjoon said in a regretful voice.

“It would have been good if Marco still remained. I didn’t eat something as delicious as his souffle.”

“You say that because you still didn’t try mine.”

“……Why are you that repulsive?”

“The world tends to send jealousy rather than angels to good people.”

“I think that it’s only for people that are good halfway.”

“If I’m halfway good at my age, then in 10 years I will be outstanding.”

Jo Minjoon shook his head as if he was sick of it. It’s normal to see the sides you didn’t know of a person the closer you got, so you saw that person in a different way. But at least, Anderson was steady in one thing.

“Shameless bastard.”

“You aren’t that much better.

Anderson said in a calm voice. Jo Minjoon looked at Anderson while shaking.

“I’m shameless?”

“After you say it that calmly you get perplexed when you listen to that. Look, are you shameless or not?”

“…….I’m not a little?”

“I thought that you spoke English well, but a foreigner is still a foreigner. In these cases, you don’t say a little, but a lot.”

Jo Minjoon snorted and walked up the stairs. As he went to the lobby of the 4th floor, he saw Kaya seated in the sofa closest to the TV. Precisely speaking, she was lying between the arm of the sofa, and the back.

“You are going to become a cow like that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s something from our country. If you eat something and lie down like that, you will become a cow.”

“Not a pig?”

“Maybe because you can’t digest well. I don’t know.” (TL:cow in korean is 소,and digest is 소화.)

“Hmph. Even if you went to college, there’s no much meaning. You didn’t even learn something like that.”

At Kaya’s words Jo Minjoon smiled faintly and sat in his place. Kaya extended her hand while still lying down.

“Give me yours. I want to try it.”

“Eat it when it starts.”

“Oh, please. Don’t act so poor. There’s not even 10 minutes until it starts.”

Jo Minjoon just licked his lips and served his tarte tatin in a plate. Kata ate a bite and nodded while putting an expression as if it wasn’t bad.

“It’s fine.”

“It isn’t too sweet?”

“You eat these things sweet. Well, it could be a bit sweet for you. But even so, customers would want these kind of things.”

At Kaya’s words, Anderson nodded.

“The more stimulating it is, it will be less healthy for the customers. But what the customers want isn’t health. If they had wanted health, they would have gone to a hospital instead of a restaurant. But of course, there are places that only serve healthy food……but honestly speaking, it doesn’t sell well. Health and stimulus aren’t opposites, but even so, there’s quite a distance between them.”

When Anderson was finishing his words, footsteps was heard from the stairs. The other five people were all coming into the lobby with the pudding, cake or bread they made. Chloe looked at the TV and asked.

“It didn’t start yet?”

“The previous notice passed by. It will start after a few advertisements.”

“Good. Just in time.”

Chloe laughed happily and sat in her place. While they were all eating the dishes, the advertisement passed by. The logo of Grand Chef filled the screen and the broadcast started. Just like the food truck mission lasted for a week, last week’s broadcast and also this one was about that.

And the contents of it was just like they had known. Honestly speaking, it was more fun watching how the others fared instead of watching their own stories. For example, it was when Jo Minjoon and Peter were having a serious talk. Actually, Jo Minjoon was really embarrassed, but the others were really interested. Joanne asked as if she was surprised.

“You two talked about things like that? Why didn’t I know of that? I was right next to you.”

“Because we talked in a low voice.”

But even so, not all of the scenes were funny. Because the story of the jerk that picked up a fight with Kaya, and ended up fighting with Chloe wasn’t pleasant.

“Stupid bastard. Does he want to live like that?”

Jo Minjoon said with a voice full of disdain. It was a really strange thing for him to curse, but nobody pointed that out. Because they were feeling the same. It was the same when a jerk appeared in Jo Minjoon’s team. Kaya said with a cynical voice.

“Poor bitch. Look how she eats everything and asks for a refund. If you did those things in our town, you wwould really disappear while you walk at night.”

“…….I don’t think I will be able to live in that town.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

Kaya said with a sharp voice. Chloe stroke Kaya’s hair. She, who liked disheveled hair, seemed to be quite disappointed at the smooth hair. Kaya opened her eyes like a cat and asked.

“Are you going to keep treating me like a kid?”

“But you are younger than me.”

Chloe laughed and replied. Kaya grumbled something but didn’t take her hand off. It was just like looking at a dog and a cat. It was at that moment, Rachel Rose was caught in the screen. And Martin didn’t miss any scenes of her. He could only do so. Because she was once the top person. She was a person that guaranteed the ratings.

“Rachel Rose…… You really did meet her.”

Sasha mumbled absentmindedly. Even when she had heard that they had met her, she didn’t think that it was a lie, but now that she saw the screen, it was a different feeling. It was a scene that Jo Minjoon was certainly being paid attention. From the audience, and from the chefs.

But actually, they didn’t even get jealous because it was way beyond the standards. For him to have an absolute sense of taste, it really was a cheat-like ability. It could be a brand only with its existence, so it had great value. But they were curious if that pretty boy would know that.

After that, it was pretty simple. The results of the mission were announced as usual, and then they named the people who would be doing the eliminating mission. Looking again at the scene where Jacob gets eliminated again wasn’t very pleasureable, but everyone just kept watching with their mouths shut. Because it could happen to themselves anytime.

And after that, it was the scene which Jo Minjoon’s team ate in Rose Island. Honestly at that moment, Jo Minjoon wanted to get out of that place. Because he knew the scene that was going to come out quite well. They thought that only luxurious dishes were caught by the camera, but after a few minutes, the scene which Jo Minjoon cried was shown. Although for the viewers, it would be a scene that would make them feel his genius-like sense of taste……. But at least, it wasn’t like that for him. But fortunately, those that were together with him didn’t make fun of him, but seemed to be more interested in the food………

“You are a crybaby. Crybaby.”

Kaya smiled in a detestable way and said. Jo Minjoon blushed and opened his mouth.

“No, it was unavoidable. If you eat it too, you will be able to understand.”

“……..Would the day that I try it ever come? A three star.”

“Why not? It will.”

“I hope it does.”

“You are only going to eat it? You have to become the head chef of a three restaurant. Is it going to be hard?”

Anderson replied.

“It is, crazy bastard.”

< Spring, spring, spring (1) > End

Translator’s note: Regular chapter!

Thanks for reading and for your support!

Translator : Subak

Proofreader : Saihikawa

Special Thanks to Vape_Lupe for corrections