Chapter 23 · 9 min

Chapter 23

An Unexplainable Taste

“Hururururuk! Ujeok! Tseup tseup!”

Namgung Wi slurped jajangmyeon out of his mind.

The salty umami and pleasant sweet taste bursting every time chewed in the mouth, and the strong fire aroma paralyzing the sense of smell.

‘How such a taste...?’

Namgung Wi continuously asked himself but couldn’t find the answer.

Ready-made chunjang and seasonings, common pork.

But what magic did these insignificant ingredients cast inside the pot for such a taste to be possible?

Dalgeurak!

“······!”

In an instant his chopsticks stopped.

Namgung Wi looked down at the bowl with unfocused eyes.

A cleanly emptied container.

“...!”

He was shocked in an instant.

Losing reason over just one bowl of neighborhood Chinese restaurant jajangmyeon.

“Che, chef······.”

Chief Choi called stammering with a face full of shock.

“...”

Cameron sitting beside also had his mouth wide open, a face that couldn’t believe it.

Such an appearance of Namgung Wi who was pickier about food than anyone and cold when evaluating taste was a shocking scene both were seeing for the first time in their lives.

Namgung Wi who belatedly came to his senses deeply buried his body in the chair back.

“Huu...”

He pulled out a tissue and wiped the jajang sauce stuck around his mouth.

Shock and astonishment, and an unknown sense of defeat.

Subtle emotions were swirling.

“...”

But soon he calmed himself and tightly closed both eyes.

Then he concentrated on the aftertaste of the strong flavor circling in his mouth.

‘Such a harmonious and strong taste.’

In light of his knowledge and experience the limit of taste that can be drawn with these ingredients is clear.

‘But what on earth is this aftertaste circling in the mouth?’

A continuous series of things he absolutely couldn’t understand.

‘Strong fire taste inevitably leaves a fine bitter aftertaste. But...’

Even that fine bitter taste naturally melted into the overwhelming umami.

The machine noodles pulled ordinarily also created an amazing texture once they held the sauce.

A bizarre harmony that couldn’t be easily explained by any cooking technique.

Just when he was slowly ruminating the taste like that.

“······Huh?”

Namgung Wi’s brow narrowed very finely.

“...!”

Namgung Wi who realized something narrowed his brow.

Then he suddenly opened the van door wide.

Deureureuk!

“Eh? Che, chef! Where are you going?!”

“Oh my! There are so many people!”

Chief Choi and Cameron freaked out and stopped him, but Namgung Wi shook off their dissuasion and jumped out of the car without hesitation.

“Chef!”

“Quickly catch chef!”

“Aaa...!”

Namgung Wi who suddenly went outside walked toward Jin Myeong Gak.

Cameron shouted at Chief Choi who was hurriedly following behind, but he was at a loss at Namgung Wi’s momentum.

“...!”

At that time one of the people gathered in the waiting line turned his gaze toward Namgung Wi.

And recognizing him was startled.

“...Eh?”

“Wait, that person...?”

Murmuring of people waiting their turn in the waiting line began.

“Wow, jackpot! Isn’t it Namgung Wi?!”

“Namgung chef? Aei, no way. Why would that person come to a place like this.”

“No, it’s really Namgung Wi!”

“Uwat! It’s real! Jackpot!!”

The highest famous person and popular broadcaster in the Republic of Korea cooking world.

At his appearance the alley instantly transformed into chaos.

Koreans took out smartphones from their pockets in shock and filmed like crazy.

In such a situation even foreigners who didn’t know the circumstances took out phones swept by the atmosphere.

“Kyaaak! Handsome!”

“Today I hit the jackpot, hit the jackpot!”

“Shall I ask to take one photo together?”

But Namgung Wi as if having no interest in the attention pouring from all sides pierced through the people and entered.

Ding!

In that way Namgung Wi pushed the glass door and entered the restaurant.

“Eh, eh? Customer! You can’t cut in line! You have to line up···!”

The large-bodied Bong-gu who was busily cleaning the hall approached frowning sharply at the sudden situation.

But Bong-gu who saw Namgung Wi’s face flinched for a moment.

“Eh?!”

He recognized his face at a glance.

The customer sitting at the table near the entrance paused recognizing him while putting jajangmyeon in his mouth.

“Eh? Namgung Wi?!”

At those words the gazes of the hall customers all fixed toward the entrance with a swish.

And soon the entire hall was flipped.

“What? Namgung Wi?!”

“Heol, it’s really Namgung Wi chef! Jackpot!”

“Oh my, what’s going on?!”

The inside of the restaurant instantly became chaos.

The sudden appearance of the Republic of Korea’s highest celebrity chef excited people.

“Hey, by any chance is it filming from the broadcasting station?”

“Where’s the camera? Isn’t there something like a hidden camera hidden?”

“No, no. Seeing there’s no camera, it seems a personal visit.”

“Indeed... this jajangmyeon has become famous, seeing Namgung Wi came.”

“What’s going on, seeing Namgung Wi in such a province. Seems lucky today.”

“Eh, eh! Hey!! Shit, Namgung Wi appeared at Jin Myeong Gak here now!! Eh, really Namgung Wi!! That human who appears on TV is right! Ah crazy, I’m in the same restaurant as Namgung Wi now!!”

There was even one making a call excitedly while looking at him.

“...”

Namgung Wi walked toward the kitchen even amid the chaos of the hall that had become chaos.

At that time the mother who was coming out of the kitchen holding a tray faced him.

“...?”

At first she just thought maybe a tall and noble-looking handsome customer.

But soon the mother who properly confirmed his face was startled.

“Oh my...!!”

But Namgung Wi passed the frozen mother and immediately entered the kitchen with large strides.

Chief Choi and Cameron who hurriedly chased behind shouted.

“Che, chef!! You can’t do this!”

“Cheeeeef!!”

But Bong-gu who belatedly came to his senses blocked them.

“Customers can’t enter here!”

“No... I am chef’s...”

“Oh my, move! Here our chef...”

“No!”

“...”

Pressed by the vicious pressure the bear-like build emitted, Chief Choi and Cameron could no longer move.

At that time Namgung Wi entering the kitchen.

“······!!”

The father who was boiling noodles was also surprised and stepped back.

Hwaaaaaaak!!

Even amid such surrounding situations Jin Myeong who was concentrating only on cooking felt a strange presence and turned his gaze.

“...?”

And the appearance of Namgung Wi looking at him with a stiff expression entered his eyes.

“...”

Jin Myeong’s eyes narrowed.

An intense gaze exchange between the two.

An unknown tension flowed inside the kitchen.

“...”

The people in the hall had already forgotten even eating and crowded toward the place where the kitchen was visible.

Cold gourmet, cruel food judge.

Why did such Namgung Wi come here?

Trying to say something to the chef?

Gazes of curiosity and excitement were fixed on the kitchen.

“...”

In that way silence continued in the kitchen for a while.

Gaze exchange between Jin Myeong who stopped what he was doing and Namgung Wi.

Everyone held their breath in an atmosphere that seemed like it would burst any moment.

And...

The one who broke it first was Namgung Wi.

“...I admit it.”

Jin Myeong tilted his head.

“Admit?”

“Yeah.”

“...”

Jin Myeong still stared at him blankly with an indifferent face.

To such him Namgung Wi said again.

“Your cooking is really amazing. Surprising. To the extent I wonder if I’ve ever eaten such delicious jajangmyeon while living.”

At that honest and groundbreaking praise, “Ooo!” exclamations and murmurs burst from the mouths of people eavesdropping outside the kitchen.

The Namgung Wi of the world highly praised neighborhood jajangmyeon as the best taste of his life.

However Namgung Wi’s evaluation didn’t end there.

“...But!”

“...?”

“Your food also has one fatal problem.”

“······!”

At that moment.

The facial muscles of Jin Myeong who always maintained an expressionless face twitched finely.

A subtle displeasure brushed his face.

And the memory that rose.

‘This off-taste that slightly floats on the surface. Lacking the last piece of harmony toward perfection. A bit regrettable to satisfy my tongue.’

“...”

Cracks began to form little by little on Jin Myeong’s face.

And killing intent from displeasure began to rise smoldering from his whole body.

“...!!”

Namgung Wi instinctively flinched.

He was seized by a chilling illusion as if a blade entered the nape of the neck for a moment.

A primitive fear he couldn’t understand.

But he suppressed it and put strength in his voice.

“Yeah. Your food is amazing! But it’s not perfect. There exists a very small crack that finely goes against the tip of the tongue, breaking harmony.”

“······.”

It was similar to the words Namgung Wi said at the last moment in his previous life.

Jin Myeong’s eyes narrowed.

At Namgung Wi’s evaluation the eyes of people holding their breath and eavesdropping in the restaurant hall sparkled with curiosity.

“Indeed...”

“Seems it was insufficient for Namgung Wi’s taste after all.”

“What part on earth didn’t please him?”

“Shh!”

“...”

What part of the jajangmyeon on earth went against Namgung Wi’s mood.

At that time, chef Jin Myeong who had been silent opened his mouth in a dry voice.

“What is that crack.”

“That’s...”

The mouth of Namgung Wi who was about to open confidently was blocked for a moment.

Deep wrinkles formed on his brow.

‘What? What on earth was that?’

At that moment, Namgung Wi’s mind began to tangle complicatedly.

Clearly he detected a fine sense of alienation.

Whether the limit of ready-made noodles, the fundamental off-smell cheap ingredients possess, or the fine burnt taste that occurred in the process of handling fire.

If it were the usual him he would have immediately found the cause of the problem with just one tasting.

But Jin Myeong’s cooking was something different.

With Namgung Wi’s knowledge and taste he absolutely couldn’t specify that cause.

“So, that’s··· some fine texture problem, no, not that··· something that scatters the balance···”

A voice that couldn’t grasp the point.

Namgung Wi’s two pupils shook mercilessly with bewilderment.

Something insufficient clearly exists, but he doesn’t know what it is.

Watching that appearance the air inside the hall began to twist strangely.

“Eh? Did Namgung chef just stammer?”

“Isn’t it saying he doesn’t know exactly what the problem is, now?”

“Jackpot! The venomous Namgung Wi got his mouth blocked while evaluating the taste?”

People’s murmurs.

Namgung Wi’s evaluation was cold but clear enough to accept.

But now he...

‘I know it’s insufficient, but I don’t know what it is either.’

Is saying this.

“Wow, this is really legendary?”

“Didn’t expect this.”

People’s murmuring was flustering Namgung Wi even more.

He himself realized how stupid and ridiculous a sight he was showing now.

“Keuheum···!”

Namgung Wi fake-coughed and forcibly stiffened his reddened face.

“It’s not clear right now. But... that there is a crack is a clear matter.”

“...”

It was an excuse hard for anyone to accept.

“Oh, I’ll return now today!”

Namgung Wi hurriedly turned his body and escaped outside the restaurant as if fleeing avoiding the pouring gazes of people.

“Oh my! Cheeeeef! Let’s go together!”

“Chef!”

Chief Choi and Cameron freaked out and quickly ran chasing behind Namgung Wi.

Ureureu.

As soon as Namgung Wi went outside, the people in the hall also crowded toward the window and entrance. Then they held out phones and began filming toward his receding back.

“Hey! Did you film?! Did you film Namgung Wi speaking just now!”

“Filmed! Crazy, if I upload this to YouTube the views will be no joke!”

“Wow, this neighborhood Chinese restaurant chef beat Namgung Wi’s taste. Form is crazy, really.”

“There’s a crack, a crack!”

“He himself can’t even explain properly, what!”

While the excited customers each ruminated the situation just now and made chaos.

The parents inside the kitchen, and Bong-gu left alone in the middle of the hall just stood blankly with bewildered expressions.

“Ho, honey······ why on earth did that person come here and say such things and leave?”

“I don’t know either...”

Bong-gu frowned and glared at Namgung Wi’s back.

“Picking a fight with hyung’s jajangmyeon for no reason.”

At that time Jin Myeong was ruminating the words Namgung Wi said.

‘Insufficient······.’

He himself knew it wasn’t perfect.

A strange discomfort remaining in one corner of his mind.

Did that fellow discover that?

“······.”

In that way he was looking back at himself.