Chapter 120 - Chapter 120: Rules of Tasting (1)

Hotel. Cho Min Joon laid on a bed that was so big that his hands and feet couldn’t touch the edges of it no matter how far he stretched. He held his phone in one hand with a smile on his face.

[Oh, so do you have to make your own dinner then?]

“Yeah. I felt so bad for Emily that I decided to make my own dinner, and I asked Martin to help Emily get enough to eat in return for helping.”

[How nice of you. Did Emily like it?]

“I’m not sure. But I was satisfied. And even if Emily didn’t like it, she’s not in a place to complain.”

Cho Min Joon laughed with the other person on the line. Just the thought of the heir suffering because of lack of money and food made them feel refreshed. Chloe caught her breath and asked.

[So how’s the food in Brazil? Was the Churrasco good? Is it different from America?]

“I’ve never tried Churrasco in America before, so I’m not sure. But it definitely tasted local. Onions and garlic are ingredients that we’re all used too. But when it comes to other chili sauces and hot sauces, it completely changes the dish.”

[That’s the charm of foreign countries. Creating different flavors with the same ingredients. I hope I can go on a show like that one day.]

“How’s the show you’re on right now?”

[I started today, but I can’t really say if it’s good or not. I have to adjust first, but it’s not hard. Filming doesn’t go on for that long, and the staff are friendly. But of course, they probably wouldn’t be friendly if I messed up my cooking.]

“But it’s good to hear that you’re settling down. I wonder what Anderson’s been up to. I’ve been keeping in touch with everyone but him.”

Had their friendship died down already? He was sad about that. In response to Cho Min Joon’s sad voice, Chloe calmly said.

[I’m sure Anderson has his reasons. You know how he can be.]

“… Yeah.”

[Do you still talk to Kaya often?]

In response, Cho Min Joon hesitated. He hid his disappointment and answered,

“No. It’s understandable though. She’s busy… She might get even busier as time goes on.”

[We should be busier, too.]

“Yeah. Let’s work hard.”

They chatted for a little while longer and then hung up. Cho Min Joon stared at the screen and then moved his fingers. The texting window popped up.

[Me: Kaya. Call me when you have time.]

She still hadn’t responded to his text from 2 days earlier. She hadn’t even checked the message. How busy was she…?

“Is she so busy that she can’t text?”

Cho Min Joon grumbled in a sad voice and then closed his eyes. But due to the white light irritating his eyes, he had no choice but to get up and turn off the lights.

He had to sleep, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the potato Churrasco. Big pieces of meat on a long skewer. Just the sight of it made him smell the coal, meat, and the chewy texture of the meat.

He then remembered the Feijoa that Emily ate in front of him. But the reason why that popped into his head wasn’t because he missed the scent, flavor, and colors. It was because of the shock.

The Feijoa left a stronger impression on him than the Churrasco. It wasn’t all that difficult to grill meat with good ingredients. It was actually hard to make it taste bad. Of course, they used great technique to slice the meat, but that wasn’t enough to leave an impression.

But the Feijoa was different. It took a long time and care to make it good. But even with that, it was hard to make it delicious. The recipe that took a long time to make was contained in a small bowl.

When Cho Min Joon saw that, he couldn’t help but imagine how he would manage his future restaurant. He wondered how he had to manage his kitchen to have such a time-consuming dish on the menu. He also wondered what kind of equipment he needed as well as how he would localize a foreign dish.

He was thinking about the distant future, but he couldn’t help it. The more he thought about it, the happier he felt. And just like that, the happy thoughts put Cho Min Joon to sleep.

While the sound of his breathing and the clock ticking filled the room, another sound jumped it. Clack! The lock unlocked and the door softly opened. There was a sound of footsteps followed by a sigh.

“… You’re sleeping like a baby.”

Since it wasn’t loud, Cho Min Joon didn’t wake up. After glancing around and noticing that there was only one bed, he laid down next to Cho Min Joon. It grew quiet again. The sound of two people breathing along with the sound of the clock ticking.

***

“Oh my God!”

Cho Min Joon swore in Korean as soon as he woke up. He couldn’t help it. As soon as he woke up, he saw Anderson drooling. Anderson grimaced with his eyes closed.

“Ugh, what is it?”

“What are you doing here? What is this?”

“Shut up. My head is ringing.”

“… Answer me. I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“I don’t want to be bothered to explain. Just use your head to make a guess.”

Anderson answered in a sleepy voice and put his face back into his pillow. Cho Min Joon stared at Anderson’s blond hair and then organized his thoughts. Right now, they were in the middle of shooting, and Anderson showed up. The fact that the producers didn’t stop him from entering only meant one thing.

“You’re on this show, too…?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Then why didn’t you tell me? Why did you keep it a secret?”

“Because they told me to.”

“Who? Martin?”

Anderson nodded with his face still in his pillow. But Cho Min Joon knitted his brows, still unable to understand.

“But why are you sleeping on my bed?”

“They said this is my room. And there’s only one bed, but it’s big. Doesn’t that mean I get this bed, too? Ugh, I’m awake now. It’s all your fault.”

“You almost killed me let alone wake me up!”

“Ugh, shut up. Let me get some sleep. I haven’t gotten any sleep the whole day.”

“…”

Cho Min Joon stared at the back of Anderson’s head without a word and then got up. He was taken aback, but he also felt bad bothering him in his sleep. If an American who had a strong sense of territory was desperate enough to sleep on a bed with him, he must’ve been really tired. Cho Min Joon covered Anderson with the blanket and looked around.

“… Is anyone there?”

He whispered at the camera on the ceiling, but he didn’t get a response. In the end, Cho Min Joon showered and then came back to the room. Anderson was still sleeping. As soon as he put on some clothes and went out into the hall, one of the cameramen approached him. Cho Min Joon spoke with an annoyed face, “Were you waiting for me out here?”

The cameraman didn’t say anything. He just grinned and nodded. He was a pro.

“Where’s Martin?”

The cameraman pointed toward a hallway. It was the way of the waiting room. After about 25 footsteps, Cho Min Joon’s feet stopped. He found Martin, and he was with an unexpected face

“… Huh?”

“Long time no see, Min Joon.”

The person waving with a warm smile was none other than Rachel. Cho Min Joon asked with a surprised face, “Are you on this show, too?”

“Why else would I be here?”

“Uh… It’s nice to see you again.”

“You sound more shocked than anything.”

“I am. Can you blame me? Our fate is lasting longer than I expected.”

Rachel laughed.

“If you’re wondering if I came here for you… I can’t completely deny it, but that’s not the whole reason. I do want to watch you grow, but I could do that as a viewer. The reason why I’m here is because I need to be here for myself.”

“May I ask why?”

“Of course. The reason is simple. I want people to know.”

“Know what?”

Rachel didn’t answer right away. Her smile slowly disappeared, and the light in her eyes also subsided. When she opened her mouth, Cho Min Joon felt a burden on his shoulders. That was how heavy her words were.

“That Rachel Rose has returned.”

***

A little after 8, the cast all met outside. While everyone stood in the 1st floor lobby, Emily glanced over at Rachel. Emily was well-respected for someone her age, but she was no comparison to Rachel.

As for Anderson, he was glancing over at Rachel for a different reason. The way he looked at her made Cho Min Joon cringe. But then again, considering that she was his role model since he was little, it made sense…

‘He looks like he’s in love.’

The only time Anderson looked like a boy was when he was around Rachel. Of course, there was too big of an age gap for there to be romantic feelings, but he was so different from usual that it was awkward.

Martin coughed.

“Min Joon, Emily. You both must be very surprised.”

“… Of course. I’m so shocked that I feel like I might have to sue you for lost brain cells.”

Emily spoke in a sulky voice. Martin smiled and said, “We’ll deal with the legal troubles later. We’ll talk about your brain cells then.”

“So are these all the members?”

“No. Of course not. There will be others arriving later on. Before that, how about a game?”

Martin took out his tin again. While Emily and Cho Min Joon grimaced, Rachel asked with a slow voice, “What is that?”

“Uh… It’s like picking straws. This is how you’ll choose your food allowance.”

“Food allowance? I have my own money.”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t use that.”

“Why not?”

Rachel stared at Martin. She didn’t glare at him like Emily did yesterday, but Martin felt extra burdened. Martin answered in a cautious voice, “Since it’s the first day, I’m going to play a prank. The viewers will enjoy this…”

“Will the viewers only enjoy it if we have no money? It’s no fun if we have money?”

“No, I wouldn’t say that…”

“Martin, I’m just asking. Do we have to starve to be funny?”

“No. Of course not. That’s why even the lowest allowance is enough to feed you…”

“That means we can’t eat what we want. While those with a lot of money will eat well, they’ll still feel bad because the others can’t. Martin, is that what food is about?”

Martin was unable to answer. Rachel spoke in a softer voice, “Well, if this is what the producers want, what can I say? Fine. I’ll pick a straw. But… did you know there’s a Rose Island restaurant nearby?”

“Oh, really…?”

“Yes, one of my pupils is the head chef there. And as you know, I don’t have to pay to eat at my own restaurant. The same goes for my guests.”

Rachel smiled and looked at the other three. They all looked at Rachel with anticipating eyes.

“Everyone, would you like to be my guests?”