Chapter 207 - One, two, three (2)

While they were chatting like that, the next dish came out. It was beef steamed with wine. The part was sirloin, served with fried green onions and jelly-like grape juice on the side. Chloe opened her mouth as if she felt it was new to her.

“Kaya, you seem to be dealing with molecular cooking now. You also make all the jelly dishes.”

“Actually, jelly is more of a classic than a modern molecular dish. The concept that you make the sauce into jelly is just a little fresh. As for molecular cooking, I somehow came to make it at some point. I sometimes make it at Min-joon’s house.”

“Are you still preparing breakfast for him?”

“Yes, but sometimes Min-joon helps me. He is nice and kind. He is definitely different from that rustic Disney villain over there.”

“Dang it. A villain is just a villain. Why do you have to call me a Disney villain?”

“Because you look like the typical Disney villain.”

Kaya snapped at Anderson, as if she rebuked him for challenging her.

He just chopped the beef with a dissatisfied look.

‘Dang it. Let me make the living room very messy today,’ he thought to himself, imagining a cruel revenge for Kaya.

The steamed beef was also delicious. To be honest, it was difficult to compare it with the first-rate Rose Island’s cuisine. Of course, Kaya’s dishes were not better than that.

Basically, Rose Island’s cuisine and Kaya’s cuisine had completely different goals.

At Rose Island, they put priority on the customers’ taste of nice dishes. In other words, they focused on the aesthetic aspect of the customers enjoying the taste rather than filling their stomach.

On the other hand, Kaya’s cooking was very primitive. She made dishes that customers could enjoy in a delicious and pleasant way and fill their stomach at the same time. In fact, the size of the steamed beef itself served today was very large.

Kaya packed all the elements of the primitive cooking into the steamed beef. To find a similar example, it was the kind of dish that a grandmother would make for her little grandchildren.

As soon as Min-joon looked at the plate, he felt Kaya wished her customers could fill their stomach deliciously.

Even so, the dish didn’t taste tacky at all. Every time he chewed the beef, the aroma of wine was soft and not dry, and it tasted so sweet when he ate it with grape jelly. It was literally a stimulating dish resembling Kaya.

At that moment, Chloe whispered, “I feel envious.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing. I just envy you so much because you can cook this way. This is the way only a chef can pursue. Although I’m on TV as a star chef, I’ve never had any experience working in a restaurant, let alone working in a restaurant. I have a lot on my mind these days. I want to quit doing a cuisine program on the air and get a job at a restaurant.”

“Are you crazy?” Kaya asked right away without hesitation.

As if she didn’t know Kaya reacted so quickly, Chloe looked at her with a confused expression. Kaya spoke with a stiff voice, “When some chefs are in the kitchen, other chefs have to stand in front of the camera. Chloe, you’re doing your job well. People love you, and you are doing your job well. Just because you don’t have a kitchen background, it doesn’t mean you are not competent.”

“You’re right.”

“Then, be confident. Chloe, you’re a star. And you’re the prettiest and brightest girl I’ve ever known. Don’t be too conscious about what others think of you. You’ll never satisfy their needs. Just do what you need to do, because that’s enough for you.”

“Thanks,” Chloe replied in a bit of a tearful voice.

Min-joon also nodded as if he liked Kaya’s words then asked, looking back at Kaya.

“Then, why do you care so much about the bad comments about you?”

Kaya smiled and said, “Shut up.”

“Hey, You’re getting more and more edgy these days.”

“You’re mistaken.”

Kaya turned her head from him sullenly.

Min-joon was lost in thought, putting a piece of beef in his mouth.

He could feel that Kaya was trying to keep her conviction she confided in him at the time.

But what about his conviction? Could he describe it as his conviction that he wanted to join a high-end restaurant to use all the ingredients available? Wasn’t it just his simple greed?

It couldn’t be Kaya, Anderson, or Rachel who could answer his question. Of course, they could advise him. But it was up to him to make the judgment after all.

Chloe opened her mouth after swallowing the last beef.

“By the way, Kaya, have you ever seen a celebrity visiting your restaurant?”

“A celebrity? Well, since Hollywood is right next door, I think there are a few celebrities who have been to my restaurant. I don’t think they were so famous to the best of my memory. I can’t remember them.”

“The only celebrity you remember properly is Arnold Schwartzzenegger, right?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

“Tell me honestly. Who is more attractive, Min-joon or Arnold?”

At that moment, Kaya moved her lips up and down, but she couldn’t answer.

Her hesitation showed who was on her mind.

Min-joon muttered in a disappointed voice, “I think I really need to exercise.”

“I thought you started building muscles last time. Did you stop again?”

“Since I’m still busy. Well, I can’t even mention it in front of Lisa.”

“Why Lisa?”

“Lisa has to knead the bread for her bakery every morning, put it in the oven, and bake it. After that, she comes to Rose Island and bakes it until late at night. She can manage it because they’re preparing for the opening now. Once they’re open, she will really have a tough time. Besides, she has to take care of Ella,” Min-joon muttered in an anxious voice.

No matter how superhuman Lisa was, it was never easy for her to handle all of them.

While the servers were clearing the empty dishes, Kaya muttered in a quiet voice, “As you mention, that girl Ella, she reminds me of my days as a kid.”

“What’s wrong with your kid days?”

“I grew up under a single mom. Besides, my mom was always busy. So when I think how Ella feels toward her mom… Did I tell you I went to a police station when I was a child?”

“Is it a terrible episode?”

“Not really. I didn’t go there because I did something wrong. I got lost when I was a child. So I went to a police station just once, and the police officers there treated me very well. They served me cocoa and biscuits. At some point, I liked the place so much.”

Kaya shrugged. There was no sadness in her voice because she already overcame it.

She was just a bit nostalgic and sympathetic about herself during her younger days.

“Later, when my mom went out to work again, I stayed at home alone for a while then went to the police station to play. It took about an hour for me to walk there. It was when I was six years old. You know I would not have gone there if I had had someone who treated me well around me. I just wanted to rely on their kindness and warmth at that time.”

Kaya giggled before looking back at Min-joon.

“I have such a cool guy like you, so Ella and I are different. What a relief!”

“Oh, you are talking like an adult after a long time. Glad to hear that. You’ve always been on edge when I talk about Ella.”

“Well, I didn’t mean it, of course. I just tried to get along with Elle.”

“No, I don’t think so. Ugh!”

At that moment, Min-joon slightly moaned. Kaya was pinching his thigh with her fingers.

She looked sharply at him, tapping her thumb and forefinger like pincers.

“Don’t take side with other girls in front of me.”

“Hey, did you just describe Ella as a woman now?”

“Absolutely. Is she a man then?”

“Dang it! You said you were trying to get along with her well. I can’t believe this.”

Min-joon sighed bitterly.

The last dessert was a chocolate ice cream in the apocato format. On the surface, it looked like a large chunk of chocolate, but the moment the hot espresso was poured over it, the chocolate melted, and the ice cream hidden inside appeared.

Chloe opened her mouth with her eyes twinkling.

“Wow… this is so pretty.”

“It would be nice for a ring proposal.”

“Oh, I don’t like it. How can I take out the ring buried in food and put it on your hand. It doesn’t fit the most romantic moment in your life at all.”

Kaya trembled, as if she felt it terrible just to imagine, and looked back at Min-jun.

“When you propose to me, don’t think of any surprise event where you hide the ring in food. It’s the worst.”

“Why are you saying it’s natural for me to propose to you?”

“Then, are you now dating me without taking that for granted? You want to be kicked out?”

“Oh, that’s not what I mean.”

He felt like he got entangled strangely with her.

Anderson said with a sigh, “Put aside your proposal, man. Anyway, the important thing is that this dessert is pretty delicious. The course itself was also good. Congratulations, Kaya Reuters. You got ahead of us. I don’t know if you can continue to lead in the future.”

“If you want to praise me, just do it out of pure mind. Don’t try to keep me in check. Got it?”

“Wouldn’t it be strange if we exchange only pure praise with each other?”

“I admit it. That’s right. But let me tell you this honestly. It’s not because you and I are entangled, but your personality is the most fundamental problem.”

“What about your personality? It’s twisted.”

“Min-joon, do you think my personality is twisted?” Kaya asked, turning to Min-joon.

Min-joon awkwardly replied with a laugh, “Well, it’s stiff like a pig’s tail.”

At the same time, it was a little twisted.