God of Cooking

The judges didn’t waste more time and left the place. Jo Minjoon laughed lightly and looked at his teammates. She made eye contact with Kaya tha wasn’t on his team, but as soon as they saw each other she turned her head. Was she angry? Anderson that followed Jo Minjoon’s sight asked as if he was teasing him.

“Why? Do you regret it?”

“No, it’s not that i’m regretting it. I just feel a chill down my spine.”

“Then why did you pick me? So not like you. Just make your love line as usual.”

“I picked you because I also didn’t like that. Because we would get more tired the more they see us together.”

“You are talking like you have nothing going on between you.”

“Because we don’t.”

Jo Minjoon said with a blunt face. It was a voice that didn’t even have a trace of hesitation and also made him flinch.

‘Was it really not it?’

Honestly speaking, Anderson thought that the broadcast wasn’t entirely made up. Although he didn’t see it personally, the relationship they had seemed to be quite deep. It felt too excessive to just call her a friend.

But despite that, Jo Minjoon’s attitude was too clean. Joanne that was next to them laughed and said.

“If he says so then it should. Anderson, don’t ask too much. This is not something to be solved with the people around them overthinking things.”

“Because you make us seem like that, it became like this. And also for the broadcast.”

“It’s turned around, Minjoon. It didn’t become like this because of us, but because you act like that we react like we do.”

Jo Minjoon thought about what he should reply and then changed subjects.

“Let’s talk about that awkward loveline you say later, and first lets look the truck.”

As he talked like that and moved his steps first, his teammates grinned and followed his back.

The food truck was as wide as it appeared to be from the outside. Jo Minjoon looked the inside of the truck feeling flustered as if he was someone who had moved away. It was in a state where there were no cooking tools yet. Because tell couldn’t put in the tools before even knowing what you were going to cook.

Jo Minjoon said while sitting in a chair that was on the side of a wall.

“It’s wider than I have thought.”

“It has to be this much to be able to cook or do something. So, what should we make?”

“I wonder….. Sandwich? Is it too ordinary?”

“It’s a good choice being ordinary. But we have to think about the theme of the mission. In the end, we have to do business that makes the most money. I think that it would be somewhat lacking with just sandwich.”

At Anderson’s pointing, Jo Minjoon fell in his thoughts without saying anything. First, there were two paths. Cheap and a lot, or expensive and a little. But thinking that people that come to the food truck aren’t expecting a luxurious meal, he thought that it would be better to go with the former one.

“Let’s go with the not expensive one. I think that 5 dollars would be good. And we have to go with just one thing.”

Based on what he remembered, the team that had won was Anderson’s. But he also thought that it was Kaya’s. Because they were on the same team. And the menu……

‘Was it spanish omelette? No, it seemed to be another thing……’

Even though it was a program that rehashed a lot, he couldn’t help but remember the team missions in a cloudy way. Because, what he remembered was basically the menu’s that had a story behind them.

Actually, it wasn’t right to act based on the future. Because the teams were different from then. Now he had to design a menu according to the teammates he was with.

It was at that moment. Peter, that was aware of his surroundings, opened his mouth casually.

“What about steak?”

“If you are talking about cow, it would be difficult. The costs doesn’t match. Because there aren’t going to be people that would want to pay tens of dollars to eat.”

“Wouldn’t using chicken breast be okay? Accompanying along with salad.”

“It’s not bad……. But it’s a bit lacking.”

Jo Minjoon kept touching his chin that wasn’t even bearded. Joanne snorted with a hm noise and opened her mouth.

“First, what gets into your mind when you think about food trucks? Kebab, takoyaki, hot dog, hamburger, sandwich…….”

“Mmm. There’s also chicken and pizza. But honestly, I think that these two won’t have much competition. Because you can ask for pizza to deliver it to you. And I don’t think that they would have a reason to go and look for a food truck.”

“So do we have to pick from the options I said? There aren’t more?”

“Let’s think a bit more.”

There was no need to decide it immediately. Because that day was given as preparations, and the business started the day after.

Ivanna that was absentminded and her mouth shut opened her mouth. She, who had short brown curly hair and freckles, talked so little it made you wonder if she was a mute.

“Shaved ice. Gelato. I like them.”

“It’s April. In the east, winter’s climate didn’t pass yet. It’s still early for the people to want to eat something cold.”

“Even if it’s cold, ice cream is still delicious.”

“Although it is delicious, it’s a bit burdensome. I think that it would be better to evade cold food.”

Ivanna put again an absentminded face and looked down at the floor. Anderson said.

“Ice cream would be difficult just like you say, but I think that there should be a drink accompanied with the food. A non alcoholic cocktail or squeezed fresh juice, or even tea would be okay.”

“Depending on the food, the drink would also change.”

It was at that moment. Jo Minjoon thought of one food in his head. A really familiar one for him, but a strange for them. Jo Minjoon opened his mouth after hesitating a bit.

“How about kimbap?”

“Kimbap? What’s that?”

“Mmm…… You place rice on top of laver, and also place other ingredients and roll it.”

“Oh. Isn’t that sushi? If you order sushi in a japanese restaurant, you see them a lot.”

“Yes. That. Norimaki. If you take out vinegar and sugar in that and apply some sesame oil, you can look at it as kimbap. It’s almost the same.”

He felt somewhat regretful that they didn’t know about kimbap, but nothing could be done. Because it was to the point that he seemed it funny that they couldn’t even distinguish about kimbap and sushi. Jo Minjoon thought for a little and continued speaking.

“Norimaki. On the side of the costs, I think that there would be nothing better than it. What do you think? Joanne. Do you know what this is?”

“Yes. I ate it quite a bit because I like japanese cuisine very much. Hm. It’s simple and easy to sell, I think that it’s not a bad idea. You can also make it beforehand, and it’s an unfamiliar flavor. I don’t know if the people will feel it to be unfamiliar, but nowadays there is no one who didn’t try sushi. What about you?”

Joanne looked at Ivanna. Ivanna rolled her eyes slowly and then nodded.

“I think it’s going to be fine.”

“……You know what kind of food it is, right?”

“Yes. My friend is japanese.”

“Peter, what about you?”

“I haven’t tried it. I don’t like fish that much.”

“This isn’t sushi that contains fish. It’s made with rice, laver and other ingredients. Hm. It’s really fine for me. Because it’s easy to sell after you have prepared it.”

Jo Minjoon nodded. The biggest advantage of kimbap and sushi was that it didn’t matter if it got cold. Because after preparing it for a bit, there was no way to act without control when the customers flocked. With just that, half of the disadvantages seemed to be solved. Anderson opened his mouth.

“So the main idea is already made?”

“Yes. We will have to think about the tea to serve it with. Lemon tea, citron tea, green tea, black tea……… It would be good if we prepare at least three kinds of teas and make the customers choose.”

“We will have to go to the market for the recipe.”

“Well, lets.”

Jo Minjoon turned his head. He looked at the empty space in the truck.

“First, let’s choose the cookware.”

–

[Kaya: Traitor. Ruin yourself.]

Night. While he was cleaning the cookware and checking them, a message came. Jo Minjoon laughed and looked at the screen. While he was thinking what to reply for her to feel angrier, he seemed that he was being too childish and felt delighted in vain. Joanne laughed wickedly.

“You are messaging again?”

“Don’t say again. It’s the first time I received one. Look. Is it still the problem of our actions? You are making it look like that.”

“I wooooonder. Just messaging is a dubious situation. Look. We aren’t messaging with the other teams right now. And it’s the same for you. Did you message someone else that’s not Kaya?”

“…….No, it isn’t even that kind of message. Look, screen. ‘Traitor. Ruin yourself.’ There’s no romance at all?”

“Romance is seen differently by each person. In my eyes, it looks like you are midway.”

Joanne put a detestable face and just clapped with her palms while her wrists were sticked. Jo Minjoon shook his head as if he was exhausted.

“Just finish cleaning the fryer. There’s dirt in it. Do you want to keep idling around?”

“You just act strictly in these kind of situations. I won’t even be able to tease you because you are afraid!”

“…….You talk like teasing me is an obvious right?”

“Hmph, leave it.”

Joanne turned her head while pouting her lips and cleaned the fryer more harshly. It was at that moment when Jo Minjoon let out a sigh and was turning his head. An “Ah.” along with silence was heard. It was Peter. He was looking down at his hands while frowning. Jo Minjoon put back his scrubbing brush and hurriedly went to Peter.

“What is it, Peter. Are you hurt?”

“……No. Just a little bit.”

“Give me your hand.”

Peter let out a sigh and extended his hand. Jo Minjoon’s face became serious. The injury in his palm was quite deep. It wasn’t as deep as the injury in Jo Minjoon’s thumb, but it was three times longer than it.

“Hey, it’s not just a bit. What are you doing without going to the doctor quickly. No. I will bring him.”

“Wa, wait……”

After we ignored him, he hurriedly went to the steps and looked for a doctor. The doctor looked at Jo Minjoon with a dumbfounded face.

“Why are you looking for me? Did the injury open?”

“No. It’s not me, but my teammate that got hurt. It’s a knife cut.”

“Oh my…… Understood. Wait a little.”

The doctor hurriedly brought the medical tools. As he went to Peter, he was holding his wrist strongly as if trying to control the hemorrhage. However, his palm was already full of blood. While the doctor was treating him, Peter kept looking dispiritedly at the floor. Jo Minjoon felt rather bad looking at his face. He didn’t seem to be simply putting that face because of the injury.

After Peter got his hand treated and was resting, the checking of the cookingware finished. Jo Minjoon looked outside the truck. And he saw Peter seated absentmindedly. Even though he sat next to him, he didn’t look back at him. Jo Minjoon opened his mouth because he was feeling frustrated.

“Why are you this dispirited?”

“……..What are you talking about?”

“Even listening to your voice you are buried deep in the earth. If by chance it’s because of what happened that time, don’t mind it. Because I don’t. It’s something that passed. You can make some mistakes while cooking.”

“I’m not like this because of that.”

“Even if it is or not, in the end you admitted it. That you are dispirited right now.”

Peter bit his lips. Just like the majority of indians, he also had a stubborn face. So he rather detested his face that wasn’t saying anything. Jo Minjoon grabbed his forehead and said.

“What is it. I need to know your problem for being your team leader. Are you really not planning to talk?”

“Just……..”

Peter opened his mouth, but closed it again. He let out a sigh with an exhausted face, and kept his mouth shut for a long while. And then, opened his mouth and said with a suffering voice.

“I’m thinking about what am I doing right now right here. If the scene where Kaya and I fight gets broadcasted I would become a bastard and will get thousands of ill comments. And there would not be any restaurant that’s going to recruit that kind of chef. And most of all….. I don’t have the confidence to be able to do something here. It’s not only here, but wherever I go. Because i’m a guy that only knows how to make trouble just like that day.”

Jo Minjoon didn’t say anything. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel sympathy for him. Nor wasn’t frustrated. In the first place, he didn’t have that deep of a relation with him. However, for him to talk about what he was feeling to someone he wasn’t close to meant that he was suffering a lot right now.

That’s why he said.

“Even if I console you right now, those words would just be for this kind of situation. Those words wouldn’t even be meant for you, and because I want to become a good person. If you want to hear to these words, I can tell them to you. Do you want to?”

“……..If you talk like that, would there be someone that says that he wants to?”

“I asked because I knew you wouldn’t want. I don’t want to console you. And i’m not thinking to. Ah, don’t misunderstand. Because i’m not particularly thinking bad about you. I don’t know about Kaya, but I ended everything that day with what I said.”

Jo Minjoon took a breath for a moment. The sun was setting. His face was red similar to the sunset. Maybe because he was reflected to it, or his pressure was up.

“I like cooking. And because I do, I came all the way here. I want to take my first step properly in this world. That’s why right now i’m happier than ever. But what about you? You also came. It means that you liked cooking. But why are you leaving a once in a life time opportunity and talking about confidence or ill comments? Ah, right. I understand. Image, it would get bad. Because Martin isn’t the kind of person to edit that. But if you were going to worry about that, in the first place, you shouldn’t have committed that accident.”

“I didn’t do it because I wanted to. I…… I, yeah. I don’t have a social life. Because of my temperament, I got bullied in school, and there was no one I could call as friend. It’s the same here. I’m a loner. Every one I have met didn’t like me. And now, through the TV all the people around the world got to know of me. And they will also hate me. Do you get it? Not only the americans, but the whole world will hate me!”

“What about that?”

Jo Minjoon talked while twitching his eyes. Peter glared at him as if he was angry, but he only bit his lips. Jo Minjoon continued talking with a sharp voice.

“What if they hate you? Just because they hate you, do you want to live as a villain like they want? I will say it honestly. I don’t understand your place. Because I didn’t live nor thought like you. However if I were you, I would fight. Not with fists, but with cooking. Even if they hate me, I will make them not able to hate my cooking. Because that’s what I can do. And you? What are you going to do? Because everyone hates you, and don’t have any friends, you will give up? Do it. I won’t hold you back.”

Peter was putting a face like he was going to cry at any moment. But he wasn’t doing so because of his pride…….

Was he twenty four. He was in a young age. However, just like Peter’s age, he had a childish mentality. Jo Minjoon let out a sigh.

“If you are not able to give up, don’t sulk. I won’t tell you to not mind the ill comments. Because even i’m not able to do so. However just because of that, don’t try to also give up your dreams. You survived until now. Just like you said, even if you lack sociability, at least it doesn’t mean that you don’t know how to cook. But of course, that day you made a little bit of a mistake.”

Jo Minjoon smirked and slapped his back. Jo Minjoon touched his back as if he was surprised and soon started to look at his feet while laughing faintly. Silence roamed for a while, and while the sun was setting and the dark night was approaching, Peter opened his voice with an insecure voice.

“Will I………Be able to?”

“You can if you try. Don’t know about that?”

“Winning…… Will I also be able to win?”

“No.”

Peter looked at him absentmindedly at the unexpectedly poured cold water. Jo Minjoon said in a blunt voice.

“Victory is mine.”

< Travelling, cooking and business (2) > End

Translator’s note: Regular chapter!

Thanks for reading and for your support!

Translator : Subak

Proofreader : Maled