Like Stacking Legos (part 10)
‘She held up her word after all.’
Her word that she would help Jo Minjoon reach Daniel’s level. It was something she had tossed out there, thinking she would not be able to catch up to Daniel. But now that she actually possesses the determination to catch up to Daniel, Jo Minjoon has also found the ladder to climb in order to surpass Daniel’s talent.
As is always the case, life is quite unexpected. Jo Minjoon took a look at the skewer with which the foie gras had been held. At first, it did not seem there was much to this piece of wood, but a duck’s head had been engraved on the part that was inside the foie gras. This was Rachel’s work.
There was something off about this. After some time passed, he realized what it was he thought was strange. Rachel had chosen to put the duck’s head on the part inside the foie gras and not on the handle. What in the world could be the meaning behind putting this decoration on a part you could see only after finishing eating the piece?
‘…She did this on purpose.’
Jo Minjoon could immediately tell what was on Rachel’s mind. Rachel’s strong point, her specialty, is decoration. She is someone who has achieved level 10 in decoration. There is nothing more regretful for her than not being able to properly leverage that skill. She must have thought she wanted to overcome it.
However, she had chosen to hide that skill inside a small, crude piece of foie gras. Why could she have done this? Everything about her course menu today was like that. There was no sign of her usual sculpting skills, her specialty.
It was not as if all the dishes were, therefore, lacking in appearance. Each and every one of the dishes had its own modest and tasteful appearance. That’s right, they were tasteful. Not flashy, but modest.
She is pursuing modesty and abandoning ostentation. She is discarding her weapon. She is freeing herself from the noose that had been holding her back under the guise of being a strength. This is what Rachel was showing through this dish.
While he was pursuing these thoughts, the next dish came out. It was a dessert.
Annie began speaking, “This is crumbled lemon pie. A lemon tart has been crushed and scattered with thinly sliced lemon glace garnishing it. The cream and sauce on the side are both made from lemons.”
“It’s been crumbled.”
“Can’t you tell that from the name ‘crumbled lemon pie’?” Annie laughed at Jo Minjoon’s words.
Jo Minjoon took a look at the dish. As Annie had said, this lemon tart had been crumbled. Similar to how water spreads out from a broken glass of water, the lemon cream and sauce were spreading out in all directions around the broken tart like a spread hand.
Jo Minjoon could clearly see it as Rachel’s message. She is stating that for her to become perfect, she has to abandon what has made her her. Rather, instead of abandon, overcome would be more accurate to say. The meaning behind this is for her to become herself. Or, said another way, she can no longer do what is unlike herself.
Rachel had wanted to do everything. Originally, she had wanted to do what she could not do. And so she did them. At this moment, the beauty of it was expressed through this broken tart. He could see her plating skill shine even more brightly than before because it was not deliberately brought forth.
Jo Minjoon took a sip of the sweet white wine that came with the lemon pie. A sweet taste, while refreshing and simultaneously a bit bitter, brushed his tongue. Then he took a bite of the lemon tart. An even sweeter sweetness and a more refreshing sense of refreshment compared to what the wine had imparted permeated his mouth.
Jo Minjoon closed his mouth tightly.
It was delicious.
Rachel, who had finished cooking, was unable to leave the kitchen for a long while. Janet stood next to Rachel, looking at her for a brief moment. Jo Minjoon and Kaya were just finishing up the dessert.
“Aren’t you going to go to them?” asked Janet.
Rachel glances over at Janet. “You think it went well?”
“If the head chef does not know, how would I be able to?”
“It’s just, you know…”
“Minjoon is your protégé,” Janet said bluntly.
“Are you anxious about what your protégé thinks? Now?”
“…In any case, while telling me not to be anxious, you are the one making me even more so.”
Rachel grumbled and turned her head away. Many people would take one look at Rachel and burst out laughing if they were told that she was shaking now. No matter how much Jo Minjoon is pushing forward and rising to the top, compared to Rachel’s stature, he is still far inferior.
However, despite that, Rachel was dreading Jo Minjoon’s evaluation. She was careful about even looking towards the mess hall on the off chance he was disappointed.
Was it due to Jo Minjoon’s absolute sense of taste?
‘No.’
Who knows if that would have been true in the past. The actual reason Rachel recruited Jo Minjoon in the first place was purely due to his sense of taste. However, how about now? When she looks at Jo Minjoon, is she only considering his sense of taste?
No.
Rachel was surprised at herself for answering her own question like that. She had not been aware. At some point, Rachel stopped relying on Jo Minjoon’s absolute sense of taste. Furthermore, she was not relying on him because of his outstanding skills. The reason for that is that right now, there are countless people, even some among her protégés, with superior skills to Jo Minjoon’s.
And yet, at this very moment, when she thinks she has finally improved, she wants to be validated by Jo Minjoon.
Actually, it had already become unimportant whether or not Jo Minjoon was qualified to perform such validation. It was not important whether Jo Minjoon’s skills and talents met Rachel’s expectations. At first, she relied on Jo Minjoon and invested time in him, but… at some point, Rachel had begun to think that she needed to be acknowledged by Jo Minjoon — that the moment she managed to impress him with her cooking would be the moment she had perfected herself.
Rachel’s misunderstandings she could not dispel, those hasty expectations of hers, and coincidences had shaped their current relationship.
Fate must have been made just for these two.
“…Let’s go.”
Rachel began walking. Following behind in a line were Janet, Maya, and Marco. Annie, who had been standing by Jo Minjoon’s table, moved aside a bit. Kaya and Jo Minjoon’s gazes moved to Rachel.
“Rachel.”
“How is the meal?”
“It seems you’ve calmed down a lot,” Kaya replied.
The reason Kaya said that instead of saying that it was delicious or that she was happy was a simple one: that was the praise Rachel wanted to hear the most right now.
Sure enough, Rachel soon smiled laughingly and told Kaya, “Kaya, you’re as smart as ever.”
“Well, that’s all I have going for me if you exclude my innate beauty and personality.”
“…And as cheeky as ever.”
Rachel let out a sigh and shook her head. Occasionally she would have a thought — that it would have been rather nice to have groomed Kaya herself. However, after visiting Lotus Bridge the last time, that does not seem to be necessary.
‘This girl’s cooking resembles Jo Minjoon’s.’
And his cooking resembles Rachel’s. What that means is that embedded in Kaya’s cooking is a faint trace of Rachel’s. And that is why, at some point, dining at Lotus Bridge had begun to be enjoyable.
“I agree with what Kaya said. I can tell that you have calmed down, and that’s why I enjoyed it.”
At Jo Minjoon’s words, Janet racked her brain. What does it mean to have calmed down? Is it that Rachel’s cooking has calmed down? Is that such a remarkable change to warrant something like that to be said?
Honestly, whenever Janet feels her thoughts churning slowly as she attempts to follow their thoughts, she ends up dampening her own spirit, for this was very much proof that Jo Minjoon and Kaya were better than her. Even at this moment, for every one thought of hers, they were probably having ten.
‘Even so, there is no way.’
In times of disappointment, she needs to make even a bit more haste. That is the only way the tortoise can catch the hare. While the hare sleeps, she must keep running.
“I felt that if I did not calm down, I’d stay motionless without thought forever.”
“Your dishes were not the usual Chef Rachel’s. However, with that said… I could still feel your specialty. I’m not really sure how to put it into words, but… you’ve improved again.”
“This is just my first step in that direction.”
“It’s a step you were unable to take for ten years. This is something to be celebrated.”
Rachel smiled at Jo Minjoon’s soft words. That is right. She had been unable to take these steps for the past 10 years. That she was able to take these steps now is in large part due to Jo Minjoon. And also due to those who had believed in her.
Now that she has been able to take these steps, why did it never occur to her before to take them? Why had she given up without even trying? Had she used reality as an excuse because she did not want to make an effort any longer? Had she been weary? That is right. She had been weary.
What she had needed, in the end, was not someone who could tell her the path to take… but someone who would tell her to get up and keep going.
Because he possessed an absolute sense of taste, Jo Minjoon was able to become that person for her. If Jo Minjoon said it was possible, then Rachel was able to think it really was. It was simply for that reason.
Jo Minjoon had said she could do it.
So, Rachel did it.
She had almost failed to change. She had almost come to a halt. However, she had ultimately achieved it.
“…So, just why have you called me up only to brag about Minjoon?” Dave asked in a voice full of disbelief.
Even before dawn broke, Rachel had called and babbled on for quite some time about how she felt. Considering the time difference, dawn was still far off for Rachel, so she must not have slept properly.
[ It’s not really bragging. I’d call it more of a realization. Why? You don’t want me to? ]
“When I think about June, it feels like you’ve been soft on her these days.”
[ Ha. That’s rich hearing that from the one who wanted the most to stop that very same June. ]
“Wanting to stop June and wanting to encourage her are two different things. I have never wanted June to fail. I simply wanted the place where June could find happiness to be at home with a family instead of while standing on top of the world.”
However, June and Dave were far too different from each other. No, to be more accurate, one aspect of them is different: their life goals. For Dave, happiness is his priority. The reason he cooks is to be happy.
June did not concern herself with happiness. Actually, maybe for a very short time, she had pursued happiness. However, it was not something so important to her that it would take over her entire life. Her gaze is ultimately fixed on success. Dave honestly still could not understand exactly what that success looked like to her. Even if it is for only 4 years, she has become head chef of Rose Island. Should that not be considered success?
Or would all the restaurants in the world have to fall under her purview for her to consider that a success? He was not sure. Dave could not even guess at what point June would be satisfied.
[ I wish the best for you two. ]
“I wish that for us, as well.”
[ Then, are you doing something about it? ]
“…Huh?”
Dave blinked at this unexpected retort. He thought he could hear Rachel sigh. After a moment of silence, Rachel quietly said,
[ Even if you’re unable to do it right away, if there is something you want to do, you should always think of a way to make it happen and then actually make it happen. Otherwise, if you don’t, what you want will always remain a fantasy. ]
“Isn’t that a bit hypocritical to be saying when you haven’t contacted your protégé for 10 years?”
[ I accept that it sounds hypocritical. The two of you have lost far too much time. Hurry, before you regret it even more. ]
Despite the serious advice she was giving, Rachel’s voice sounded refreshing. It sounded like she was unable to hide her excitement about her personal growth after having tried so many things. Despite her age, his mentor was still rather immature. He let out a sigh but was smiling at the same time.
Dave replied in a soft voice, “I’ll take that advice to heart.”
[ Good. Then, I’m off to bed. Have a good night. ]
“It’s already morn… oh, she hung up.”
Dave grinned and put the phone down. It did not feel all that bad to have his mentor, who has shed her state of depression and regained her spark, giving him advice like this.
‘In any case.’
Dave went through his contacts on his phone. June’s entry was still marked in his list of favorites: his only favorited entry, even though he talks more often with the store manager.
Dave hesitated for a moment and then dialed. It rang fourteen times. The reason he kept count was simple: he had decided beforehand that if she did not pick up by the fifteenth ring, he would hang up. He did not want to come across as a clingy guy. He is chill. At least, in his own head, he is.
[ Dave? Why are you calling so early in the morning? ]
“Do I need to have a reason to be calling you?”
[ Yes, you do. ]
“…Oh, is that so?”
[ So, what’s up? ]
“Um… Rachel had called me. She talked quite a bit.”
[ And so? ]
“Just that she called me.”
[ …That’s all? ]
“Yeah.”
[ I’m hanging up. ]
“Hey, wait! Just a moment!”
[ Why? It doesn’t look like you have anything to say. ]
“I’ll think of something to say! So just give me a moment!”
[ Sigh… Dave. If you need time to think of something to say, that means you already have nothing to say. And I’m quite busy right now. ]
“I just wanted to hear your voice.”
[ … ]
“I really, really wanted to hear your voice.”
Click.
CREDITS:
Original author: 양치기자리
Translator: Comic Seoul
Proofreader: Potato