Chapter 85 - Chapter 85: Scandals (2)

It was possible one of the people that left her was Tess Gilly. Actually, considering the situation, she was definitely one of them.

Checking if it was true came first. There was no guarantee that Kaya was going to tell the truth… But if she did lie, that responsibility would be on her, so they expected a wise answer from her.

Martin got moving. Once he sat down in front of Cho Min Joon, he smiled tiredly. Cho Min Joon looked at him in anxiousness.

“What’s the matter? You said it could have something to do with me.”

“… Since I can’t hide it and there’s no need to, I”ll just tell you. Kaya’s involved in a scandal.”

“A scandal.?”

“It sounds like something from her school days… But we’re not sure yet. What’s important is that many people saw that post, and it’ll probably go viral.”

“And Kaya knows about this?”

“Not yet. But she’ll find out soon enough. After all, we have to hear her side of the story.”

Cho Min Joon’s face grew dark. He knew a little about it. That something big happened when Kaya was in middle school. After all, after she became a star chef, she talked about it herself.

He didn’t remember the name, but he heard she was quite close to Kaya, but unlike Kaya, she was from the upper class, and that was what split them up in the end. When they grew so distant that they couldn’t even face each other, a permanent scar was left on the other person’s body, and Kaya ended up getting expelled, but it wasn’t just about Kaya. Kaya was a troubled child, but the other person also had issues, but it was just the other person who had a scar to prove it. If it was the other way around, it was possible Kaya still would have went to school.

But did a scandal break loose because of this? Cho Min Joon didn’t remember. It was possible this was his influence. After all, if there was a difference from before and now, it was his presence. Before, she starred in the show in the shadows, but because of him, Kaya spent her days being more cheerful. That might have been the trigger causing this scandal. The trigger that wasn’t previously pulled. Cho Min Joon asked, “… When are you going to tell her?”

“Right after your interview. The earlier the better.”

“Sigh… You’re right.”

Imagining Kaya having a hard time over malicious comments made him feel sad, and out of consideration for Cho Min Joon, the interview was cut shorter. After answering all this questions with a smile, he left the room and saw Kaya leaning her back against the wall. He glanced at her hand and noticed that she wasn’t holding her phone.

“What are you doing here?”

“They told me to wait for my interview.”

Kaya gave a short answer. It sounded like she was dissatisfied with something. Cho Min Joon suspiciously asked, “Did I do something wrong again?”

“You’re always like that. You act like I’m always mad. I’m not mad!”

“You sound mad.”

Kaya’s eye twitched.

“You’re always so friendly to girls like Chloe, but you always treat me like I’m a troublemaker. I might be poor and uneducated, but that doesn’t make me stupid. I have sense and pride. Stop treating me like a kid.”

He was about to refute, but he stopped himself. If he thought about it, it made sense that Kaya thought that way. Just like how everything a parent said sounded like nagging… He might have always nagged her when he just had her best interest. He answered with a sad face, “Sorry.”

“… Don’t apologize. Why are you so serious all of a sudden?”

Kaya grumbled less as if she wondered if she went overboard. Cho Min Joon just looked at her without a word. He wasn’t sure if she could handle the scandal. He also felt bad because he felt like it was his fault. He spoke in a lower voice, “When you go inside, you’ll hear something unexpected.”

“Something unexpected?”

“It’s not good, but you have to get through it. Don’t fall apart and don’t be upset. Just think of it as something that’ll pass.”

“What is it? Why do you sound so serious?”

Kaya looked at him with anxiousness. Cho Min Joon smiled.

“I believe in you, so don’t be anxious. Remember that at least one person is on your side.”

***

The interview ended. Kaya ignored everyone’s worried gazes and headed to her room. No one stopped her. It was clear just how angry she was. Actually, that might have been fear, not rage. But no one asked Kaya how she felt. The slam of the door wasn’t the issue. No one knew what to say to her.

Kaya laid on her bed and screamed into her pillow. Since the scream didn’t leave the room, she still felt frustrated.

Tess Gilly. She didn’t think that name would ever show up in her life again.

“That crazy bitch. She’s a storyteller now, eh?”

Kaya huffed and puffed in front of her phone. Her post was long, but the content was simple. Kaya was a problem child in middle school, and she tried to be friends with Kaya, but all she got in return was violence. Kaya laughed out of absurdity. Her laugh then turned stiff, and her lips trembled with rage.

Kaya Reuters: This is Kaya Reuters. Say that bullshit to my face. Are you still a mythomaniac? You bitch…

Kaya typed out a response out of rage, but at that moment, a call came in, and she saw a familiar name. It was her little sister. Kaya paused. She loosened up her face and put an awkward smile on her face. It was obviously forced, but that was okay. It wasn’t a video call. She only smiled to fix her emotion. If she put on an angry face, it was going to be conveyed in her voice.

“Hello?”

[Kaya… a-are you okay?]

Her little sister’s accent and pronunciation lacked control. Her strange voice made her feel at lease. Her little sister, Gemma, suffered from brain paralysis. She was unable to speak, move, or make facial expressions naturally, but Kaya had never felt uncomfortable by it. If anyone were, she didn’t hesitate to cuss them out. That was the kind of big sister she was.

Kaya spoke in a soft voice. If anyone had heard that, they would have been shocked by how caring she sounded.

“Of course, I’m okay. But why are you calling? Did one of those market thugs harass you again?”

[I’m fine. B-but Tess. That girl…]

“I know. Don’t worry. It won’t be a problem. Does Mom know, too?”

[No… I didn’t tell her.]

“Good. Don’t tell her. Promise me, okay?”

Gemma hesitated for a moment, but she eventually said yes. Kaya smiled sadly.

“It’s hard without me, isn’t it? Sorry. I”ll be back soon.”

[I’m doing just fine without you, so don’t worry about me.]

“How can I not worry? You’re worrying about me, aren’t you? I’m fine, so don’t think about it. Worrying about it won’t help. Okay?”

Gemma didn’t answer. Kaya sighed.

“My phone is going to get overcharged. I”ll call you later. Okay?”

[Okay… Cheer up.]

“Okay. I will.”

She hung up. As soon as she did, she saw the comment she was just writing. She erased it. She just told her sister not to worry, so she couldn’t make this situation worse.

At that moment, she heard a knock. A soft and cautious knock. Just the sound of the knock made her realize who it was.

“Can I come in?”

It was Cho Min Joon. Kaya hesitated before standing in front of the door. She then answered in a low and coarse voice, “If you come in, I’m going to take my anger out of you, so don’t come in.”

“You can take it out on me. I’ll let you.”

Kaya was unable to answer. She didn’t want to take it out on him. She didn’t want to treat him in such a harsh manner. After all, Cho Min Joon treated her as someone with worth. It was the first time. The feeling of being respected.

So she became more sensitive around him. ‘What if he looks down on me? What if he starts seeing me as a thug just like everybody else?’ But Cho Min Joon never did. This might have sounded weird to people, but Kaya felt as though Cho Min Joon was seeing someone different in her, and she didn’t hate it. She might have been delusional, but it felt good to be evaluated positively by someone.

So she didn’t want to always act like a kid around him. Her words were different from her actions. She always told her not to look down on her for being poor and uneducated, but she was the one who asked for it with her behavior. Even she saw herself as dumb, so she didn’t know why Cho Min Joon thought so highly of her.

She couldn’t open the door. She didn’t know how much lower she would fall if she did. She couldn’t do it anymore. That was what she decided. She didn’t want to act like a kid anymore, but why was it…? Her hand gravitated toward the doorknob. Kaya looked at her own hand with shaking eyes. ‘No. I can’t.’ Kaya opened her mouth. She mumbled. So quietly that she wasn’t sure if he could hear it on the other side.

“If you don’t leave… I’ll feel too pathetic. I’m a loser. It’s true. I always tell you not to look down on me, but the truth is…”

Kaya shut her mouth. She couldn’t bear to say it with her own lips. She bit down on her lip and continued in a frustrated voice, “… Maybe I’m looking down on myself more than anyone. That’s why. So don’t make me feel more pathetic than I already am.”

Each word was hard to spit out. ‘I wonder what his face looks like right now. I wonder what he’s thinking. Does he think I have a problem?’ Kaya didn’t know.

“Go. Please.”

She didn’t get an answer. Kaya stood still in front of the door. How many minutes after? One minute? Five minutes? Perhaps, it was 10 minutes later. Kaya opened the door.

No one was there. At that moment, she felt her heart drop. Although she was the one who told him to leave, she had some hope. She felt pathetic.

As soon as she was about to turn around, something caught her eye. Beside the door was a small plate. It was a sandwich. Kaya stared at it with blank eyes. After how many minutes, she slowly picked up the plate. She then bit into the sandwich on her bed.

“… loser.”

It tasted bitter.

Kaya’s controversy worsened. Any website related to Grand Chef talked about Kaya’s past.

Not many people thought Tess Gilly was delusional. She even posted a photo of the scar on her chin, and she claimed Kaya did it. People didn’t think to assume she was lying since she even posted a photo.

The netizens were split. While some were suspicious about whether Tess Gilly was telling the truth, others just took her word for it and cussed out Kaya. The facts were simple. They were classmates, friends, and they were currently on bad terms. At the same time, it was also Kaya who caused the scar on Tess Gilly’s chin. Countless ‘classmates’ confirmed it online. The problem was that it was hard to confirm if those classmates were really their classmates.

Hilary Hahn: There’s no reason to overthink it. Even if she caused that scar on her face, it’s not right to accuse someone without knowing the truth.

LGE: What kind of story do you need to hear to accept that scar? That’s unacceptable no matter what the circumstances were.

Erika Vlados: @LGE She’s just saying it’s dumb to talk about it before it’s confirmed. If she really did do something wrong, she would’ve gone to juvie, but she didn’t.

This is how it went. There wasn’t enough information to be certain. But of course, some thought it was enough to criticize her, but people like that simply tainted their own reputation and became the target of laughter and criticism.

“It’ll be fine once time passes.”

Martin mumbled over and over. Robert frowned because he couldn’t understand.

“Can’t we just reveal the truth? It’s not all good, but if we just tell them everything, more people will understand.”

“But if we don’t tell them anything, it’ll feel iffy, but they’ll forget. And as for the truth, besides Kaya’s side of the story, we don’t have any proper evidence. If we make an announcement without evidence, it could backfire on us. Trust me. This is for the best. Best for Kaya and best for the show.”

According to Kaya, the scar on Tess’ chin was the result of a two-sided fight, and the reason why she was the one to be expelled was simple.

Grand Chef had yet to make a formal statement on the matter. To be more exact, they simply gave a neutral answer. ‘We’re looking into it. What Tess Gilly claimed conflicts the truth that we’ve found out.’ And they didn’t reveal anything in detail. They had to take some time to watch the public’s response.

And the result wasn’t all bad. Once the 10th episode showcasing the dessert mission was aired, Kaya’s middle school incident started to be forgotten. Of course, some people still liked to drag it on, but at this point, it wasn’t a problem.

Martin massaged the back of his neck. His head hurt. The best thing they could do at this moment was wait. If it died down, that was the end of that, and if it came back to the surface, they had to pop it down themselves. No matter which outcome, this wasn’t the time for it.

“Forget it. Let’s prepare for the mission. There weren’t many interesting scenes in the dessert episode. Min Joon saved it by recreating the jelly perfectly, but we can’t rely on him forever. This time, let’s get more viewers hooked.”

“… Ugh, someone else will go home today. It always hurts to see it.”

Martin smirked.

“Worry about yourself. Anyone can get disqualified in life. Do you think you’ll be in that producer position forever?”

***

“It’s all about you again.”

Anderson growned and exited out of the window on his phone. It was understandable. He came up with a recipe after eating a dish once. There was no way other contestants got any spotlight after that. Cho Min Joon smirked and asked, “Are you jealous?”

“Not exactly. It’s normal to hate seeing other people succeed.”

“Seeing how you’re saying that with a straight face… You’re just like Kaya.”

“… Stop it.”

He really didn’t want to hear it. Cho Min Joon smiled and picked up a skewer, but it wasn’t a chicken or lamb skewer. On the stick were parma ham, tomato, and toasted bread. It was an Italian dish called bruschetta. It was a simple dish, but as soon as it entered his mouth, the salty parma ham and the olive oil spread throughout his entire mouth… And after that, the unique scent of the toasted bread took over. He exclaimed with joy.

“I didn’t know bread could taste this good…”

“Bread is a basic in Europe. Just like how rice is basic in Asia.”

“In my country, bread is more like a snack than a main meal.”

“I know. You told me last time.”

“… Did I?”

Cho Min Joon smiled with embarrassment and put a piece of bruschetta in his mouth. This time, it was just a piece of bread with olive oil on top. What was fascinating was that it was delicious, but then again, since rice and sesame oil tasted great on their own, it was a similar idea.

He glanced over at Kaya. She put a piece of Sasha’s cheesecake into her mouth with a tired look on her face. She said she was sick and didn’t have an appetite, so she couldn’t even enjoy the dish that she made. Cho Min Joon showed a sad look on his face. She tried not to show it, but she was clearly having a hard time.

He felt bad, but there was nothing he could do for her. Hugo saw Cho Min Joon’s face and cautiously asked, “Do you think Kaya’s okay?”

“Of course not. There are so many mean comments about her. Kaya’s still young. She’s 18 years old.”

“… Come to think of it, Kaya’s the youngest contestant among the surviving ones.”

Hugo looked at Kaya with surprise. She acted young, but since she always put on heavy make up and frowned, he never realized it, and she was very talented. A contender to win the whole thing, so it was hard to treat her like a normal teenager.

“Who’s the oldest here?”

“I’m not sure. Isn’t it Sasha? I think she’s 28? Anderson is 22, you’re 21, and how old is Chloe, again?”

“21… I didn’t notice this, but all of the remaining contestants are pretty young. I thought there would have been some people in their 30s.”

“That just means we’re that good.”

Hugo smirked with confidence. At that moment, Robert approached the table. Everyone’s faces stiffened up. Whenever the youngest PD showed up, it always meant one thing. Out of Robert’s mouth came out what they all expected to hear.

“The mission will start in 2 hours. Get ready.”

Robert disappeared after that one remark. Kaya, who watched him blankly, knitted her brows.

“I lost my appetite.”

“Me, too.”

Sasha answered with a sad voice and cupped her chin. Chloe thought deeply and then glanced at Cho Min Joon.

“… What do you think the mission will be, Min Joon? You got it right last time.”

“I’m not sure. I don’t have an idea today.”

“Do you get some kind fo special feeling for stuff like this?”

“Of course.”

He answered with an awkward look on his face. Even if things happened the way it originally did, his memory was hazy, and it seemed like the judges were trying to make the missions more difficult these days. If the mission changed, his memory was useless. Chloe smirked and said, “I hope we get a mission related to Chinese food.”

“… If that happens, we’ll all fail except for you.”

“I’m allowed to think selfishly, aren’t I?”

Chloe stuck out her lip. Cho Min Joon laughed. If it was anyone else, it would have sounded selfish, but hearing Chloe say it made it cute.

But whether she was selfish or not, Chloe’s wish wasn’t going to come true. That lunch, the mission that the judges announced was very different.

“There are two themes to this mission. The first one is fire.”

Emily spoke in a serious voice. Despite her efforts, it didn’t sound all that serious, but since she was a judge, even the sound of her breathing made everyone tense. Everyone stared at Emily. Emily took a moment to soak it in before continuing.

“Fire brought civilization to mankind. Yes, that’s also what created cooking. As a result, many dishes use fire. Roasting, poaching, simmering, sautee, broil, grill… Just listing them all takes quite a bit of energy. You must use one ingredient and cook it using three different methods. And the ingredient is…”

Emily paused again, but she didn’t do it on purpose. Emily gulped and continued with an embarrassed smile, “I’m salivating just thinking about it. The ingredient is pork. You can grill it to be crispy on the outside, or fry it after putting batter over it. It’s also good to put it in a stew to make the savory flavor come alive. Whatever you choose, I hope you make your best dishes.”

“You have 2 hours to cook. We’ll give you 30 minutes to come up with a recipe, so please make your decision by then.”

Allan calmly spoke after Emily. 30 minutes. While he thought about how that wasn’t enough time for 3 different methods, Joseph continued, “If all three of your dishes go well together, we’ll give you extra points, but the most important aspect is quality. Please make your best dishes, Aand think of your recipes. You have 30 minutes.”

Cho Min Joon did his best to think. 2 hours. 3 dishes. The pork came with all portions, but they butchered it in a way that suited Western cuisine, not Korean.

But he still had many choices. There were so many that he couldn’t choose, and with so many different options, there were many recipes to consider. While spending time with the other contestants, he came to learn all sorts of secret recipes and know-hows. If he combined that knowledge, he could yield good results.

Cho Min Joon closed his eyes. Countless recipes popped up in front of his eyes and then disappeared. He didn’t realize it, but they were passing at lightning speed. Since 2 recipes flashed by in just a second, he was 10 times faster than the others at coming up with recipes, but of course, the others took the recipes of other people or what they tried before…

When he opened his eyes, 5 minutes had already passed. Cho Min Joon organized the recipes inside his head. The first dish was Hong Kong-style fried pork belly in soy sauce, and many cooking methods were used for it. It was boiled, fried, sliced up, and then cooked down in a sauce. The second dish was a meatball cooked in balsamic dressing and paprika, and the third was pork ribs cooked with barbeque. The composition score was 6…

Cho Min Joon laughed. When it came to coming up with recipes, he significantly improved since he first started in the competition, and the predicted score for all the dishes were the same.

8 points.