Chapter 31 · 8 min

Chapter 31

I Will Escort Directly

The pressure given by Jin Myeong’s strange gaze.

“...”

Then when he lowered his gaze, the meat jjamppong bowl had already emptied at some point.

‘When did I finish···’

He had finished eating it without even recognizing it himself.

There was no room for evaluation of the taste to intervene.

“...”

Namgung Wi who had been submerged in thought for a moment put the chopsticks down on the table with a tak and stood up from his seat.

“...Eh? Chef!”

Cameron who had been deeply immersed in the meat jjamppong was startled and raised his head.

“Just going?”

“...”

“I haven’t finished eating yet! And since we came all the way here, can’t we order one more bowl of the jajangmyeon we ate last time and share···”

“...Going.”

Namgung Wi immediately moved his steps with large strides toward the restaurant entrance.

“Ack, chef!”

Chief Choi who had been immersed in the ecstasy of the taste was then startled and awkwardly stood up from his seat.

“...”

His gaze was full of lingering regret for the remaining broth, but he couldn’t send the master alone.

Chief Choi hurriedly ran to the counter while watching Namgung Wi’s back going outside.

“He, here calculation! Ate very well!”

Chief Choi who flusteredly took out the card from the wallet and finished payment continuously lowered his head and hurriedly went outside.

“Au, really! When eating delicious things sitting leisurely a bit, where would it add!”

Cameron left alone grumbled.

He smacked his lips as if regrettable while looking at the empty bowl then soon shook his head and muttered small.

“Anyway I had to diet too so rather it turned out well.”

He immediately dabbed and wiped the chili oil stuck around his mouth with the napkin placed on the table.

Then he slung the cross bag draped on the chair and followed Namgung Wi with quick steps.

“...”

At Namgung Wi’s sudden exit everyone inside the hall watched this bizarre situation with surprised eyes.

But Cameron rather made a bright smile and waved his hands even amid such gazes.

“The meat jjamppong was really too too delicious! Completely exactly my style! I’ll come again next time~!”

Cameron even cutely threw a wink amid all the gazes inside the hall concentrating, then opened the restaurant door with light steps and went out.

Ding.

Only then the people inside the hall who had stopped began exhaling and murmuring.

Jin Myeong who had been silently watching that noisy appearance soon withdrew his gaze from there.

[Real-time Jin Myeong Gak direct view story. Namgung Wi came again ㅋㅋㅋ this time ate jjamppong.]

[Venomous Namgung Wi, after eye fight with Jin Myeong Gak chef exits without any words ㄷㄷ]

The community’s reaction was much hotter and more enthusiastic than the last jajangmyeon humiliation incident.

-Wow crazy ㅋㅋㅋ the Namgung Wi of the world gave up picking faults?

-No, Wi hyung. Tell about the flaw you mentioned before and go!!

-Look at the chef hyung’s pose. Namgung Wi got scared and avoided eyes all filmed in the video ㅋㅋㅋ

-Not enough with jajangmyeon, education again with new menu meat jjamppong ㅋㅋㅋ Jin Myeong Gak chef form is crazy!

-At this point isn’t Namgung Wi Jin Myeong Gak’s PR ambassador? ㅋㅋㅋ

-Ah annoying ㅠㅠ if like that the waiting line will get longer! When do I eat!!

Namgung Wi’s second visit and silent exit were riding viral instantly and producing tremendous ripple.

***

Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 arrival hall.

The automatic door opened and an old gentleman with a tall height, sharp eyes, and impressively neatly combed white hair pulling a carrier revealed his appearance.

French Michelin 3-star chef, Antoine Rochefort.

“Haa... even the air is acrid. Why on earth do I have to come all the way to this outskirts of Asia.”

Antoine spat out grumbling mixed with French while furrowing his brow greatly.

Beside him a young female secretary with blonde hair neatly tied up and wearing horn-rimmed glasses, cold and intellectual impression was walking side by side holding a tablet PC.

“These days they chatter that this country’s food is trending worldwide, but anyway it’s just bubble. Vulgar and stimulating seasoning plaster. Elegance of drawing out the original taste of ingredients can’t be found even if washing eyes.”

Irritation was fully stained on his grumbling steps.

In fact the reason he came to Korea was only one.

The astronomical appearance fee Seo Tae-jin proposed and a slight favor he lost to him in the past.

He came because of money and loyalty, but with his personality looking down on Asia’s gourmet culture itself one level it wasn’t willing.

“Moreover who dares to judge and evaluate my cooking? There’s a skilled person worthy of that in Korea? Ridiculous talk.”

When Antoine snorted and continuously poured dissatisfaction, Sophie walking beside opened her mouth in a dry voice without taking her eyes off the tablet.

“Chef. I already heard such talk sufficiently inside the plane.”

“...Sophie.”

“This is business. Since you signed the contract you must act professionally.”

At Sophie’s pointing out, Antoine’s lips pouted.

“Tsk. Okay, I said okay. When have I ever done roughly.”

Antoine fake-coughed and swept his white hair with a large hand.

Soon as if trying to refresh the atmosphere he glanced at Sophie and asked.

“Well, since we came all the way here, let’s eat before starting the schedule. Sophie, do you have any Korean food you want to eat by any chance? Tteokbokki? Or that bulgogi or something?”

At his question Sophie’s finger who had been continuously checking the schedule stopped.

Then after thinking something for a moment she opened her mouth.

“Jajangmyeon.”

“...Huh? Jja... jang? What is that?”

“No, it’s a popular food localizing Chinese-style noodle cooking in Korean style.”

Sophie touched the tablet screen a few times and held it out in front of Antoine.

A jajangmyeon photo was floating on the screen.

“Visually it’s a bit but the reviews aren’t bad.”

Antoine who clicked his tongue looked at the screen with a seuk and frowned.

“Black sauce. The worst visual that drops the appetite sharply. Wanting to eat this, your taste is really bizarre too.”

“Please call it intellectual curiosity.”

At those words one of Antoine’s eyebrows twitched.

“Intellectual curiosity? Is it curiosity to try to test the taste even enduring visual displeasure?”

But Sophie didn’t even blink one eye.

“But didn’t chef always teach me? True exploration of gourmet starts from breaking prejudice.”

“...”

“It appears often in Korean dramas.”

“...That was the real reason.”

“...”

Antoine shook his head.

At that time.

“Ah, there he comes!”

“Antoine chef! Please one word of impression on visiting Korea!”

Outside the gate Seo Tae-jin had gathered a lot of broadcasting station reporters and journalists in advance and set up camp.

When the camera flash burst, Antoine’s brow crumpled.

“Damn, put it away.”

Antoine waved his hand and shot coldly.

The reporters who were shoving cameras flinched at his fierce momentum and stepped back.

At that time, Seo Tae-jin wearing a neat luxury suit approached with his characteristic smile spreading both arms.

“Hahaha! Oh, my friend! Antoine chef! I sincerely welcome you to Korea!”

When Seo Tae-jin pretended to be close and tried to wrap his shoulder, Antoine blatantly revealed displeasure and slightly twisted his body avoiding him.

“I clearly said I won’t do interviews.”

“Ah, haha... you must be tired from the long way so I lacked sense.”

Seo Tae-jin withdrew the embarrassed hand and swallowed twin curses inwardly.

‘Arrogant old man.’

But he maintained a leisurely smile outwardly and gestured with his chin to the accompanying secretary standing beside.

“Hey, Secretary Park. Chef is tired. Make the journalists withdraw now.”

“Yes, director.”

The accompanying secretary quickly stepped forward and spread both arms blocking the reporters.

“Okay okay, chef is tired from the long flight so today’s interview ends here! Everyone please make way a bit!”

When even the bodyguards joined and roughly blocked and pushed the front of the reporters, rough complaining sounds burst among the journalists.

“Ah, push a bit gently!”

“No, to begin with they first gathered everyone to come to the airport and now this bullshit?!”

“My words! Not even training a person like a dog really absurd!”

“Tsk, as rumored doing as he pleases, really.”

“Au, calling busy people. Ah, annoying!”

Leaving the grumbling journalists scattering behind, Seo Tae-jin opened his mouth politely toward Antoine again.

“First I’ll escort. I’ve emptied the presidential suite of Seoul’s best luxury hotel. The meal also prepared by the hotel’s head chef...”

At that time, Sophie beside lightly poked Antoine’s side.

Antoine let out a small sigh and made a forced smile cutting Seo Tae-jin’s words.

“Director Seo. That’s that and... by any chance near here that, Korea’s black noodle cooking... what was the name?”

As if the word doesn’t come to mind Antoine furrowed his brow and muttered, Sophie quickly whispered small into his ear.

“...”

“Ah, right.”

Antoine who nodded at Sophie’s whisper fake-coughed once, then pronounced clearly toward Seo Tae-jin again.

“By any chance is there a place near here that makes that jajangmyeon very well?”

In an instant Seo Tae-jin’s eyes widened round as if they would pop out.

Refusing the banquet prepared by the highest-grade hotel’s head chef, what he’s looking for as soon as coming to Korea is just ordinary Chinese restaurant cooking.

“Yes? Jajangmyeon? No, why suddenly that...”

“My secretary said she wants to eat it.”

“...”

“If eating anyway I want to go to the place that makes it most excellently in this country.”

Seo Tae-jin furrowed his brow for a moment.

‘Did this old man go senile from riding the plane long?’

But at that time a name rose in Seo Tae-jin’s mind.

‘Jin Myeong Gak!’

Exactly that place that heated the internet and broadcasting world recently and smeared dung on Namgung Wi’s reputation.

In an instant, a fishy smile slowly spread on the corner of Seo Tae-jin’s mouth.

‘Yeah, this is it!’

Antoine who immediately overturns cooking he doesn’t like and pours venom.

If such him eats Jin Myeong Gak’s greasy jajangmyeon?

The result was obvious.

He would clearly throw the cooking and treat it as terrible garbage.

‘If only that happens··· Namgung Wi, that bastard will be branded throughout the world as an incompetent fool who flustered not properly grasping one neighborhood cheap food. A golden opportunity to bury him forever in the broadcasting world in one breath!’

There was no more perfect timing than this.

The moment the worth of inviting Antoine spending a tremendous large sum shone as soon as arriving in Korea.

“Hahaha! Jajangmyeon, I didn’t know chef had such deep interest even in Korea’s commoner gourmet culture.”

Seo Tae-jin said politely toward Antoine with exaggerated gestures.

“Just I know one amazing place. The place that sells the hottest and most famous jajangmyeon to the extent the entire Republic of Korea is noisy these days. Since Namgung chef also went there chef will also clearly find it interesting. To that place, I will escort directly.”