God of Cooking

‘The situation has gone the other way.’

Min-joon tapped the armrest with his fingers at the turn of events. Actually, he expected to some extent that the situation would unfold like this when he withdrew from the venue. But he never thought it would escalate into a national matter because this was only a small incident that happened in the culinary world. The only thing he didn’t expect was that the French people’s pride in their cuisine was close to obsession. They weren’t willing to allow this kind of protest to leave a stain on their cuisine and the culinary world.

Although Min-joon couldn’t speak French, he could easily see their photos or the protesters in front of the venue on the screen when he turned the French channels on TV. In fact, the anti-American protest before the venue was something the French people had to pay a great deal of attention to. If the American chefs went back to their homeland because of the protest, it wasn’t just the Paris International Cooking Contest that would lose its face. It would advertise to the world that France itself had a narrow view of cuisine and a discriminatory perception of foreign chefs. As a result, the crowds who threw tomatoes at Kaya in the protest quickly became a national disgrace. It was ridiculous that their excessive patriotism ruined the country. The protesters were more stupid than patriotic.

“What do you think we should do from now on?” Chloe carefully asked.

Min-joon looked at Chloe. Then he opened his mouth but shut up again. When he turned from the venue, he was more emotional than thoughtful, but it was time for him to rely on thoughtful action. But he couldn’t easily respond to her.

Kaya opened her mouth instead.

“At this point, we can let bygones be bygones. It was some stupid French men who did wrong. Since many Frenchmen apologized to us on behalf of the protesters, I think I can forgive them.”

“I think so,” Chloe nodded with a bright expression.

“We’ve been having a good time so far. And we’ve met a lot of good people. We often meet weird and bad people during our lives, but we don’t have to be swayed by their words and actions. How about you, Anderson?”

“Either way, it would be better if you decide quickly. I don’t like to waste my time like this,” said Anderson.

“Let me take part, then,” Dobby opened his mouth.

When others looked at him quietly, Dobby touched his earlobes, embarrassed.

“We’ve regained our pride. Although the protesters didn’t apologize, many other French men offered apologies to us. So, I think it’s better to let bygones be bygones, pretending to forgive them? Above all, I personally have a desire for this contest. I don’t think you disagree with me.”

When Dobby said that, they were speechless. But what was certain was that the more they discussed, the more reasons they found to participate.

Kaya looked back at Min-joon and asked, “Why are you silent?”

“I was calculating about what would be the best for us in the short term and in the long term.”

“So, have you found the answer?”

When she asked, they looked at his face carefully.

As if he was lost in thought, he was staring at the coffee cup on the coffee table.

And he replied, “We’ve got more to gain by not participating in the contest.”

“Are you sure? We can gain more by not participating?”

“Well, we can get a lot in terms of our psychological stability. If we don’t participate, none of us have to risk losing. None of us will be eliminated.”

Normally, he would not have said so, but what he said had a point. His point was that they didn’t have to push ahead with the adventure. In other words, they would be known as not ordinary dropouts who didn’t take the risk, but as unfortunate adventurers who left the venue, frustrated with injustice.

“And the French people will always have a sense of indebtedness to us. In other words, they will always feel like they owe us something. Many French men will mention our names when they discuss their elitism about their own cuisine. But there aren’t many things that we can gain by participating in the contest. Of course, it’s going to be a different story if we win 1st place because we have overcome their prejudice and won the French trophy despite many difficulties, but all of us can’t be the winners. Only one of us will get the trophy or none of us.”

While Min-joon was explaining about the gains and losses with a calm voice, Dobby felt his spine creeping at the moment because Min-joon, who analyzed this situation, was just like someone he knew. Dobby only thought that Min-joon was merely a romantic chef who relied on talent.

‘Chef June, this guy looks more like you than you think.’

In fact, it was one of June’s long habits to calculate and weigh her surroundings and circumstances in this way. She didn’t do anything meaningless. She always took the path that could bring her profits, and she walked only that path. If Min-joon had this kind of mindset at that age, he would most likely pursue the same path as June when he became more mature later, Dobby thought.

When Dobby thought that surprisingly, Min-joon might not only have talent as a chef but also as a restaurant owner, Dobby let out a sigh unwittingly, for it meant that Min-joon could become a stronger rival to June than he thought.

‘If this guy became June’s student, he couldn’t be better.’

Aside from his love for June, Dobby thought it was premature for Min-joon to become Rachel’s successor right now. Of course, he could catch up with Rachel’s cooking skills to some extent because his recipe design skills and his understanding of cooking were as good as any first-rate chefs. In a few years, he might really be on par with June or Dave.

But he hadn’t yet had a long career yet. And that was a pretty bigger problem than he thought. Since he was working at such a big restaurant as Rose Island, not an ordinary neighborhood restaurant, he would need connections with famous people as well as political skills to lead a large kitchen staff of Rose Island. And it was June who could teach him such skills better than anybody else. That was what Dobby thought.

Moreover, it wasn’t just political skills that June could teach him because June was a woman who fitted the word ‘versatility’ more than anyone else.

While Rachel could teach him cooking, June could teach him the world outside the restaurant.

‘What’s the point of me alone thinking about him?’

With a sigh, Dobby looked at Min-joon.

Min-joon was wrapping up the discussion with a calm voice.

“Either way, your choice is worth it. In other words, the choice is between whether you guys can embrace a small victory and whether you can take the risk and aim for a bigger victory. Which one do you prefer?”

Min-joon looked at the other chefs.

After hesitating a bit, Chloe opened her mouth.

“You know what? When other participants in the venue heard Kaya was hit with a tomato and went back, they also went back even before the contest on that day was canceled.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Regardless of whether it’s a small or big victory, I want to pay back their warm considerations. I’m going to participate.”

“Then, me too,” Anderson immediately said.

Actually, it didn’t matter whether Dobby or Eva would participate in this contest because him being a head chef depended on his participation. Now, what’s left was Kaya and Min-joon.

Min-joon looked at Kaya. He could vividly remember the moment when she was hit by tomatoes. The torn tomatoes and spilled juice on her face, along with her distorted expression and fear in her trembling eyes.

Now, all the French people were blaming the protesters who think of themselves as patriots. It would be quite painful to the protesters that what France wanted was not them, but the American chefs that the protesters blamed so much. But was that enough for Min-joon and Kaya to feel justified enough to go back to the venue?

He looked at Kaya. There was no expression on her face. She didn’t open her mouth, nor did she look at him.

However, he heard what her tight-lipped mouth said and read her message in her eyes.

So…

***

It was raining hard enough to soak the ground and tear the umbrella.

In front of the venue were protesters like before. What was different from before was that the protesters cheered for the American chefs instead of urging them to leave. More precisely, they cheered for the development of French gastronomy, but it was clear that the protesters were welcoming them back to the venue anyway.

“Let’s go,” Dobby said, getting out of the car. Dobby and Eva first walked through the protesters, followed by Anderson and Chloe. However, Min-joon only looked at the road leading to the venue without getting out of the car. He just felt frustrated only by looking at it. Those who surrounded that road were different from the previous protesters. The way they shouted and looked at the American chefs were different

“You are still upset about them,” Kaya said in a quiet voice.

Min-joon looked at her. She crossed her legs and adjusted her scarf.

He asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t pretend to deceive me. I know you’re angry. Why are you so angry? What has made you so upset?”

“You know. They threw tomatoes at you.”

“They are not the protesters who threw tomatoes at me. You know that. And you can’t be so angry because of that tomato. Are you really upset because of me? Or because of yourself?”

When she asked, he just looked out the window without looking at her. It seemed that the protesters were wondering why Min-joon and Kaya didn’t get out of the car. Checking their faces, she seemed to know why he was upset. He didn’t want to accept their apologies.

In other words, he didn’t want to accept their apologies on behalf of the protesters who threw tomatoes. He felt grateful to these supporters, but he didn’t feel good.

Min-joon hoped the stupid protesters would reflect on their actions. But he knew they would not change. Rather, they would hurl abuses at the protesters right here in front of the venue supporting the American chefs, and blame them. That was what made him upset.

Min-joon muttered, “I want to throw a punch at them.”

“Do it, if you want!”

“How? With cooking? I’m sick and tired of solving everything with cooking.”

“Yeah, I understand since you have experienced this kind of stuff all the time. You know what? The most painful punch we can throw is cooking.”

Kaya glanced at the venue and the way to the venue, which was between the protesters.

“There’s the way we have to walk. Don’t you think walking the way is our revenge?”

“What if I can’t be satisfied with that?”

“Maybe you are not because you are greedy. But let’s beat them first. We’ve already made a decision.”

“Sure. Let’s go.”

Min-joon eventually unfolded the umbrella and got out of the car. While walking on the road with her, Min-joon looked at the people around them. At that moment, the crowds folded their umbrellas and put them down on the ground then started clapping. It was not an applause meant to cheer for them, but their apologies and gratitude to Kaya and Min-joon.

It was their quiet and graceful revenge.