Chapter 33

Chapter 33

A Cool Chef

Dalgeurak!

Antoine put down the chopsticks first.

“...”

Antoine moved by the taste of jajangmyeon raised his hand with a flash and called Bong-gu going back and forth in the hall.

“Excuse me! Garçon!”

“...?”

He didn’t understand what was said, but Bong-gu who knew he was calling himself approached.

“Yes? Trying to order more?”

At that question Antoine began chattering something hard with an excited face.

“...?”

Bong-gu who of course didn’t understand tilted his head.

Then Sophie sitting beside hurriedly wiped her mouth and began interpreting Antoine’s words.

“He says to call the chef to this seat a bit.”

“...Yes?”

“Our chef wants to meet the chef directly.”

“...Chef?”

Is this foreign old man a chef?

Bong-gu who looked at Antoine’s face for a moment asked again.

“For what matter? By any chance problem with the cooking...”

At that time, Seo Tae-jin who was slurping jajangmyeon out of his mind intervened in an irritated voice.

“Hey, bring the chef. Why can’t you understand words like this?”

“...”

Bong-gu let out a hollow laugh at Seo Tae-jin’s arrogant attitude.

What kind of bastard is this?

But he couldn’t get angry at the restaurant.

Bong-gu who let out a deep sigh nodded and answered.

“...Wait.”

“What?”

Seo Tae-jin who didn’t like Bong-gu’s blunt tone glared.

Just when he was about to get angrier, when Antoine shot with a displeased gaze Seo Tae-jin flinched and immediately shut his mouth and killed the momentum.

“...”

Bong-gu entered the kitchen and carefully said to Jin Myeong who was cooking.

“Hyung.”

“...?”

“There a foreign grandfather in the hall is calling hyung? He said chef.”

Jin Myeong without giving even one glance, silently frying chunjang indifferently spat out.

“If finished eating just tell him to go.”

An indifferent one word.

Bong-gu who heard those words nodded his head.

“Understood!”

Bong-gu returned with vigorous steps majestically and stood in front of Antoine and Seo Tae-jin’s table.

Seo Tae-jin asked with a strange face.

“The chef...?”

“The chef says if finished eating just go.”

“...?!”

In an instant, silence flowed at the table.

Sophie paused with a flustered face at the unexpected answer, and Antoine who didn’t grasp the situation alternately looked at the secretary and Bong-gu with an expression of not knowing the circumstances.

On the other hand, Seo Tae-jin sharply distorted his face thinking his pride was trampled.

“...Wha, what?!”

A sharp voice popped out from his mouth.

But Bong-gu answered indifferently and bluntly.

“He says if finished the meal go back.”

“Who said I didn’t understand?!”

When Seo Tae-jin glared and yelled, other customers eating inside the hall flinched and looked at them.

Even at the pouring gazes Seo Tae-jin paid no mind and panted.

Whether or not, Bong-gu’s complexion sank even colder.

“First meeting, continuously using informal speech. Enduring because customer.”

At Bong-gu’s warning Seo Tae-jin’s face reddened with shame and anger.

“Th, this bastard······?”

“It becomes a nuisance to other customers eating, so if finished the meal please go.”

At Bong-gu’s arrogant attitude Seo Tae-jin trembled his body with anger.

“This damn...”

Just then.

Antoine who heard this situation from Sophie’s two eyes widened as if they would pop out.

“Hahahaha!”

He laughed loudly as if the restaurant hall would float away.

“...!”

“...!”

Seo Tae-jin and Sophie also looked at Antoine with shocked faces.

Antoine who was expected to get angry.

But rather deep admiration and pleasantness were clearly blooming on his face.

“C’est magnifique! (Excellent!)”

Antoine who laughed refreshingly for a while alternately looked at Sophie and the soul-left Seo Tae-jin and said.

“If having this much cooking skill this level isn’t even rudeness. No, rather it’s natural!”

Antoine burst out hearty laughter then soon stood up from his seat.

Then he walked with large strides toward the kitchen serving window.

Beyond the hole of the serving window Jin Myeong’s back indifferently organizing the wok was visible.

Antoine said toward Jin Myeong paying courtesy.

“It was really excellent cooking.”

Sophie hurriedly followed and interpreted those words into Korean.

Jin Myeong only slightly turned his head and indifferently looked at Antoine once, then turned his head again and concentrated on what he was doing.

“...”

Even such a reaction approached Antoine as wonder.

“A cool chef.”

Antoine made a pleased smile and moved his steps outside the restaurant.

“...”

Seo Tae-jin had no choice but to flusteredly follow behind with a soul-left expression.

***

A few days later.

<​Chef’s War> recording set.

The special demonstration of the world-class chef, Antoine Rochefort had just ended.

The cooking he made was a French-style seafood dish with highest-grade truffle and caviar, and perfectly grilled scallops harmonizing.

The cooking neatly plated on the plate was moved to the judges’ seats.

“Okay, then there will be tasting by the judges!”

With the host’s words the judges all lifted forks and began tasting.

The judges were composed of renowned cooking researchers and famous chefs in the country.

A moment later, exclamations poured from the judges’ seats.

“Wow···! Melting softly in the mouth?!”

“The doneness of the scallops is amazing. Moreover the truffle aroma perfectly catches the seafood smell while maximizing the original taste of the ingredients!”

“Perfect! Indeed cooking worthy of Antoine chef’s reputation. To the extent even giving an evaluation feels careful!”

The judges poured extreme praise competing.

Behind the camera, a arrogant smile spread on the corner of Seo Tae-jin’s mouth watching that scene with arms crossed around the director’s seat.

It was an expression as if he expected such an explosive reaction would come of course.

“Of course it has to be the best. Even if that Antoine old man’s temper is trash, cooking one thing is real. I also never ate such perfect French cooking while living to that extent.”

Seo Tae-jin stuck out his tongue recalling the course cooking Antoine showed before.

Because Antoine’s cooking skill is real.

“Heuheuheu...”

Seo Tae-jin’s gaze headed toward one person sitting at the very end seat of the judges’ seats.

‘Okay, Namgung Wi. How about you?’

Namgung Wi who was slowly chewing the scallop wiped around his mouth with a napkin and furrowed his brow.

It was a somewhat ambiguous expression.

The host who didn’t miss that appearance threw a question.

“Eh, Namgung Wi chef? The expression is a bit mysterious. Other judges didn’t spare extreme praise, is Namgung chef’s evaluation different?”

In an instant all cameras and gazes of the studio fixed on Namgung Wi.

Namgung Wi opened his mouth in a calm voice.

“Of course it’s excellent cooking. The cooking technique that revived the freshness of highest-grade ingredients is without doubt world highest level.”

“Indeed, chef also same opinion as other judges...”

“But··· a regrettable part clearly exists.”

“···Yes?”

“The sour taste of the sauce well reviving the sweet taste of the scallops is excellent. But at the end it slightly collides with the truffle aroma. To call perfect harmony the finish plays separately subtly.”

At his evaluation the indoor atmosphere sank sharply.

The host also hesitated as if flustered for a moment.

At that time other judges began revealing displeasure blatantly.

“Isn’t that too forced evaluation?”

“Right. The finish plays separately... the acidity of the sauce didn’t harm the truffle aroma, rather it was a perfect kick that refreshingly wraps that flavor!”

“Isn’t chef’s taste standard too arbitrary?”

Namgung Wi who had bought the resentment of other chefs with direct venom usually.

The judges took this opportunity and mocked him defending Antoine’s cooking.

In fact Antoine’s cooking was perfect by their standards.

But Namgung Wi didn’t reply anymore even at their sneers.

‘Explaining to those with dull tongues will only make the mouth hurt.’

Meanwhile, Seo Tae-jin sitting arrogantly crossing legs in the director’s seat behind the camera watching the recording process giggled and let out a sneer.

“That human, struggling hard.”

On the stage, Namgung Wi was thoroughly becoming isolated.

The recording site atmosphere flowed into a picture of only Namgung Wi floating alone strangely, and Seo Tae-jin couldn’t endure how refreshing that appearance was.

‘Of course Jin Myeong Gak’s jajangmyeon was crazy taste.’

To the extent even he tasted such delicious jajangmyeon for the first time while living.

No, to the extent the memory of when he ate something more delicious than that was dim.

But even so, comparing mere neighborhood delivery food and Michelin 3-star artistic fine dining itself was a ridiculous matter.

Because they are completely different grades.

Because of that in Seo Tae-jin’s eyes Namgung Wi’s appearance only looked like struggling to protect petty pride.

“Even forcing should force moderately. The sight is very ugly.”

[Cut! Okay! Everyone good work!]

The recording ended safely and the camera lights went out.

While the staff moved busily, Namgung Wi stood up from his seat to return to the waiting room.

Chief Choi and Cameron who were in the waiting seats quickly approached and took care of Namgung Wi’s outerwear.

Because of the cold recording site atmosphere, Chief Choi was restless with clear worried color.

But Cameron paid no mind to such atmosphere and made a fuss brightly.

“Today’s judging comments were also completely overflowing with charisma and cool! Good work~!”

At those words Chief Choi sharply frowned and shot Cameron fiercely.

“Mr. Cameron! Please get some sense, a bit!”

“What did I!”

“Tsk...”

Chief Choi who clicked his tongue carefully said toward Namgung Wi.

“You worked hard, chef.”

“...”

Just when Namgung Wi had just stepped into the corridor.

“Aigu, Namgung chef. You worked hard.”

Seo Tae-jin approached with a greasy smile.

“You were struggling hard trying to pick faults in Antoine chef’s cooking somehow.”

“...”

“Even if pride was hurt. Isn’t it an act exceeding one’s station?”

Namgung Wi didn’t change even one expression even at Seo Tae-jin’s sneer.

“I have no talk with you.”

“What, fleeing this time too?”

“······.”

“Heuheu, why glaring like that. It’s not like I said words that aren’t there.”

Seo Tae-jin giggled and examined Namgung Wi’s face.

He wanted to see an expression distorted with anger or shame somehow, but Namgung Wi’s two eyes were only sunk coldly as if looking at a pathetic bug.

When Seo Tae-jin whose mood twisted strangely at that appearance was about to say something again.

“C’est vous le chef Namgung?”

“······?”

In an instant, when Seo Tae-jin was startled and looked back, Antoine Rochefort was approaching with large strides with secretary Sophie from the other side of the corridor.

Seo Tae-jin soon changed his expression and laughed boastfully.

“Ah, Antoine chef! I was just saying one sharp word to this arrogant friend about daring to pick forced faults in chef’s cooking.”

Seo Tae-jin was convinced Antoine would of course get angry like fire.

But Antoine didn’t even pretend to hear Seo Tae-jin’s words, passed him and approached in front of Namgung Wi.

Then he looked at Namgung Wi with a very serious gaze.

“...”

Namgung Wi also didn’t retreat and faced him with eyes narrowed.

At that time, Antoine who was watching Namgung Wi slowly opened his mouth.

Then Sophie standing behind began interpreting.

“Mister Namgung. Your pointing out was accurate.”

“...?!”

In an instant, Namgung Wi’s facial muscles that had been tense loosened with a tuk.

Because he heard completely unexpected words.

“...!”

At that moment, Seo Tae-jin’s face completely changed into a dazed expression.

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