Chapter 237 - Sometimes friend, sometimes enemy (4)

“Well, you guys work together to come up with a good recipe this time. Just four of you can come up with a three-course, okay? Oh, feel free to ask me or Raphael anytime if you need help. Your recipe will be no different from what you made on Christmas.”

When she mentioned ‘work together,’ Havier made an awkward expression because he just declared to his coworkers a moment ago that he would do it alone. Min-joon looked at his back for a moment then took his eyes off. He had no intention of telling Havier right now to give up doing it alone. All he could do was just smile and reach out to him when Havier asked for help.

‘It’s awful to think I’m lagging behind others.’

In fact, Min-joon had a similar experience when he was a rookie cook at 30. So, he could understand how Havier felt at the moment.

He had a lot on his mind today. Of course, he felt good while cooking and meeting customers, but it wasn’t that pleasant.

There was a party that night. The party was held at the Rose Island restaurant. There were surprisingly many participants. Not only the families of the restaurant staff but also those gourmets and chefs who were close to Rachel stopped by. Among them were Emily, Sarah, Chloe, and Kaya.

Kaya said, complaining a bit, “If the chefs in the kitchen knew I’m here right now, I’m sure they’ll get upset. When they asked me to go to a party, I lied to them that I would go home because I was sick.”

“Hey, just stay with us here.”

“Nope. I want to be with my boyfriend on Christmas night. Why am I with them?” Kaya said, trying to take a hair off from Min-joon’s neck.

When he blushed and removed the hair, Emily sighed with jealousy, “You guys are hitting it off very well. You look so sweet.”

“How about you these days, Emily? Alan isn’t nice to you?”

In fact, Min-joon saw her upset about Alan the other day.

As soon as he asked, she began to complain about Alan as if she was waiting for it.

“It’s my fault that I started dating an Italian guy. Everywhere he goes, girls are coming on to him”

“Are you sure? I don’t think he is a guy who puts a spell on girls.”

“No, you are mistaken. He may be blunt, but he is so tender-hearted, so he can’t break up with girls who like him.”

The moment Min-joon heard that, he cleared his throat. With Chloe and Kaya listening to her, he had a sore conscience.

Kaya said with a smile, “Min-joon, I like you because you’re not popular among girls. I don’t have to worry like Emily anyway.”

“Well, I guess Min-joon must be quite popular,” quipped Anderson.

Kaya opened her eyes sharply like a cat and looked at Anderson.

“What did you say? Does any girl like Min-joon? You know her? Tell me who that bitch is, won’t you?” Kaya demanded.

But Anderson couldn’t say that the girl was next to her. When Kaya began to swear, Chloe was staring at Anderson desperately, who was about to cry at any moment.

Anderson shrugged and said, “I was kidding. What I mean is Min-joon is a good guy.”

“I feel uncomfortable to hear that,” said Kaya, narrowing her eyes to check Anderson’s expression.

However, he just looked calm with no changes in his expression.

Sarah grinned at them and said, changing the topic, “Come to think of it, I hear you guys are in trouble because of an eccentric gourmet blogger. What’s his name?”

“I don’t remember. I don’t have to remember his name.”

“Given the way you say that, it looks like you are very upset.”

Sarah looked at Min-joon as if she was a little surprised, for she had rarely seen him being so upset with anybody before.

Min-joon replied in a calm voice as much as possible while trying to calm down.

“I’m fine if others blame me, but I really can’t stand it if they blame people around me, especially when they throw a tantrum without any good reason.”

“I hear you are doing something like a competition.”

“Yes. I plan to have the guy test whether he can distinguish between our recipe and Rachel’s recipe. It’s a 3-course meal for the test.”

Having said that, Min-joon sighed. Kaya put her hand on his shoulder as if she was worried.

He said in a subdued voice, “This is not my first time experiencing this kind of nasty stuff. I already saw people like him at the Grand Chef. But I just don’t know how to deal with a cunning guy like this. I am agonized over whether I should treat him as a customer or an enemy. ”

“It will depend on what kind of mindset he has. In other words, you need to know whether he comes to enjoy the meal or finds fault with it.”

“Whew! You’re right. Depending on his attitude, sometimes he can be your friend, sometimes he can be your enemy.”

Min-joon nodded at that and grabbed the Mac and Cheese Ball from the corner of the bowl, and put it to Kaya’s mouth. Kaya inadvertently bit the Mac and Cheese ball then opened her eyes because the cut section of the Mac and Cheese Ball was strange. To be exact, she felt strange about its color. It was all green as if it was filled with wasabi instead of cheese.

The moment Kaya was about to ask Min-joon about it, he put his hand under her chin with a casual expression. She quickly spat the Mac and Cheese ball on her palm and grabbed her nose. Painful tears were welled in her large eyes, and a silent screaming came out of her mouth.

Min-joon said, smiling kindly, “Thanks for the breakfast this morning. Kaya.”

“Hey! How dare you? Ugh!”

She pointed a finger at him, upset with him, but had to moan again, with tears in her eyes.

Grinning at her, he wiped her tears. She raised her arm to shake his hand off then quickly grabbed her nose again.

“You think you’ll get a runny nose? Would you like a tissue?”

“I’m going to kill you!”

“Well, it’s nothing compared to the Habanero pepper you treated me this morning. I was afraid my tongue might get burned.”

“You did it wrong first…!”

“How could you take revenge with a dish like that? That’s against the rule.”

“Then, would you want my punch?”

“Well, I don’t think your punch inflicts any pain. If it does, just a little bit, I guess.”

She looked at him silently then whispered, “Don’t think this is the end of my revenge.”

“You look like a villain.”

“You are the villain, not me. Let go of this. I don’t want to be around you here.”

Then, she shook off his arm and went to Chloe. Ella, who happened to be next to Chloe, looked at Kaya and made a surprised expression. Kaya looked at Ella, embarrassed.

“I don’t like that look on your face!”

“Fairy Chloe, that witch is trying to harass me.”

“Ella, you can’t call her like that”

Chloe kneeled before her to talk to her at eye level. She then waved her finger with a stern expression. Ella, wearing a red and white frill dress for Christmas, lowered her head like a wounded princess. She muttered in a quiet voice, “Sorry…”

“You should apologize to Kaya, not me.”

When she said that, Ella hesitated for a moment then looked up at Kaya. Obviously, she didn’t want to apologize. Kaya sighed, placing her hand on Chloe’s shoulder.

“Chloe, that’s enough.”

“No, Kaya. She is going to apologize. Right, Ella? You’re a good girl, Ella.”

This time Ella hesitated for a moment then approached and hugged Kaya’s thigh.

“… Sorry.”

Kaya silently looked down at Ella. She couldn’t see Ella’s face because she was clinging to her, but the top round crown of her head was lovely. Kaya stroked her head with a sigh.

“That’s fine, Ella.”

Those who watched the two reconciling at that moment applauded.

At the sudden applause, Kaya blushed and looked at them.

Chloe said to Kaya, giggling, “Give her a hug.”

“Why are you making a mountain out of a molehill?”

“Well, it’s Christmas. I think we should have a warm event like this.”

Why is this lady with a heart of gold looking so evil today?

Thinking like that, Kaya opened her arms when Ella put her hands off her.

“You can hug me. I’ll give you permission.”

“Oh my… I just don’t know what to do with you…”

Having said that, Kaya eventually hugged Ella. In fact, she also wanted to hug this little princess, who always complained about her.

After hugging her, Kaya seemed surprised.

“You are lighter than you look.”

“I’m slim!”

“Yeah, I know. But now get down. My arms are aching.”

Ella put off her arms from Kaya’s neck with a sullen look.

While watching them at a distance, Zemma approached Min-joon.

“Min-joon, thanks for inviting me.”

“It’s a place for everyone to enjoy together. That’s why you should be here.”

“I’ve never seen my sister so happy before. It’s all thanks to you, Min-joon.”

“I think she seems happier after you and Grace came. So, you don’t have to thank me alone.”

“Well, I was like a burden to my sister all the time, but you have saved my sister.

Having said so, Zemma seemed to blame herself for some reason, but at the same time, she appreciated his hospitality.

He smiled gently and said, shaking his head, “You must have been a wall, not a burden. It’s always around, but when she gets tired, she can lean on it. I was just standing by that door when Kaya opened the door on that wall. I was lucky, so she was.”

If he had postponed it several years or even several months later and if he hadn’t been able to join the Grand Chef competition with Kaya as a result, would it have been possible for the two to develop a romantic relationship as it was today? Would it have been possible for them to get connected to each other?

When Min-joon thought about it, he got goosebumps on his forearms before he knew it. When he shuddered momentarily, Zemma looked at him with an anxious look.

“Are you cold?”

“No, it’s cold out here.”

“Please take care of yourself. Ara is worried about you.”

“Ara and you are still in touch lately?”

“Yeah. When I asked her how she was doing, she said she was okay, learning English.”

“Hah, that’s a good excuse.”

“I think so, too.”

Zemma turned up her mouth slightly, with her right cheek moving smoothly, but her left cheek was trembling. She was physically handicapped on her left side. When she tried to move her left side, her legs and arms didn’t as much as she wanted because of poor blood circulation.

Min-joon felt sorry about it, but he tried not to express his feelings.

He said, “How about your house?”

“It’s good. I have a yard and my own bed. It’s like a dream. Seriously.”

Her voice was rigid but soft at the same time. Hearing the contradictory voice, he felt his heart ache. He would have felt the same with others, but Zemma was Kaya’s sister.