God of Cooking Chapter 257:

Chapter 257

“Did you hear, Anderson? That a person’s futile efforts to escape their fate makes them live out their fate almost exactly in the end . ”

“I don’t understand . ”

“I feel like exercising like this would just end up worsening my health . Since I would get to sleep less, become more tired as a result, even if my stamina gets better, I won’t be able to recharge, but I’d still have to get to work, and my body would get wor…”

“Shush . Just start lifting . Did you really think you could work in the kitchens with strength like that? Don’t you dare say stuff like ‘going on the treadmills’ again . ”

Minjoon lifted the barbell without another word after hearing Anderson’s jab . A vein popped on his forehead and his legs shook as he managed to come back to a full stand . Anderson looked at Minjoon before letting out a deep sigh .

“No wonder you were feeling so weak . Do you know how annoying it is for everyone if you collapse? I’m not going to be worried for you, just **** . ”

“Fine, fine . Good lord . ”

“You can’t keep treating yourself like this . You know how Rachel associates chefs who fall apart in the kitchen . ”

“…Dude, don’t guilt trip me with that **** . ”

“Don’t put me in a situation where I have to do it to begin with . ”

Minjoon squatted down with a little frown . 110 pounds . It was just two thirds of Minjoon’s weight . Anderson helped Minjoon onwards with a few words .

“Most people can’t squat their proper weight because they feel like they can’t do it . I trust you . You aren’t the type to get tired by just this . ”

Minjoon responded with another squat . He was complaining a lot, but he was following through pretty well . As a matter of fact, it was strange seeing him complain of all things . He wasn’t the type to complain much . Weight training really wasn’t his style .

But it wasn’t like Anderson could just let Minjoon keep doing his own thing . Not just because Rachel told him to help the man out, but also because Anderson was Minjoon’s friend . They were friends for only a single year, but they talked a lot during that time . They failed together, they succeeded together . They shared happy things and sad things together as well .

“Don’t get sick . You’ll just end up hurting the people around you as well . ”

“I’m not sick, don’t worry . ”

“Be careful, man . ”

“Fine, fine . I’ll work a little less from now . Don’t worry so much . ”

“…‘A little’?”

Anderson frowned . Minjoon seemed to be implying that he was still going to work a lot . Well, whatever . At least he was going to work less .

Minjoon wasn’t someone who lied . That night, he went straight for the bed instead of trying to experiment with new recipes like usual . This was good for Kaya . She, too, was worried about him overworking recently .

“What happened? You don’t usually come to bed this early . ”

“I realized I might be missing something really important because I was focusing too much on something else . I didn’t want to keep too many people worried about me, too . ”

“Good, finally . No need for cassoulet or Jo Reggiano or whatever . Your health comes first . ”

“You were worried?”

“How could I not be? You were putting so much work into cooking . I know how bad that can get . ”

He couldn’t tell if she was mad or worried . Minjoon decided to deal with it for now by lowering his eyebrows with his fingers . This was a person he would’ve normally only seen on television . Right in front of him . As his lover .

Thinking about that made him feel way less tired than he actually was . Kaya frowned annoyedly .

“What are you laughing for?”

“Just because . ”

“I heard guys say that when they don’t want to explain something . ”

“Dunno . ”

“Oh my god, you’re being so frustrating . It’s like you’re getting smarter every day . ”

“That’s a bad thing?”

“For me? Yeah . Your dumb side had a charm to it . ”

“I had a dumb side?”

Minjoon let out a small laughter of surprise . Kaya shut him up with her finger .

“Don’t you laugh . You really were like that, you know?”

“How?”

“You always got nervous next to me . ”

Minjoon had no idea if that was true . He was nervous next to her? Kaya snorted with a knowing look .

“Women know these things, you know? Especially when guys get nicer and start talking more in front of them . You really think I didn’t notice?”

“…I did? You were being serious just now?”

“Yeah . You totally fell for me first . You get it now? So stop trying to make fun of me like that . ”

Kaya turned off the lamp, covering Minjoon’s vision with sudden darkness . Kaya’s hand came straight onto his head . She was feeling for his head carefully .

“Man, you’re handsome . ”

“What are you doing?”

“Thanks for being you . I couldn’t dare say that in the light . Thanks for always standing up for me . Thanks for thinking for me, thanks for cheering for me . No matter how dark or bright it gets . ”

Minjoon responded by turning the lamp on again . Kaya flinched back with a sudden blush .

“W-what the . Why’d you turn the light on?”

“I wanted to see that face . ”

“So embarrassing… turn it off . Isn’t that enough now?”

“I’ll be next to you . ”

Minjoon rubbed Kaya’s forehead lightly .

“I’ll always be next to you . Don’t worry . I won’t go anywhere . ”

“I’m going to trust you on that . ”

Kaya kissed Minjoon’s cheeks . The lamp turned off again . Minjoon thought to himself as he looked into the darkness .

‘…Man, I’d feel bad about catching a cold, even . ’

It was a little pressuring . In a good way, though .

€

“So today’s the last day . ”

“Yes, thank you for everything, Minjoon . ”

“It was really fun . I hope you got a lot of good footage out of that . ”

“It’s a lot better than you think . ”

The cameraman smiled happily . Not many filming sessions ended with a good note like this .

“A lot of the viewers will end up liking you more I think, Minjoon . ”

“You must’ve edited me well . ”

“There wasn’t much footage where you looked bad . Especially when you add in interviews about you with other people . ”

No one around Minjoon said anything bad about him . Even that Janet was talking about how nice and hard working the man was . Right then, someone butted her way into the conversation .

“You aren’t going to interview me?”

“…I’m sorry . What was your name again?”

“Deborah . Don’t you forget it . ”

Minjoon looked at Deborah, who flinched back in surprise .

“What?”

“…Just when does your renovation end?”

“You sound like you really want me gone . ”

“No, just…”

“I’m going to stay here until you really get sick of me . ”

Despite her voice, there was a deep shadow under Deborah’s eyes . She was probably feeling frustrated herself . Sometimes, she would stand over the kitchen with a blank look on her face . She would occasionally make an unfinished dish and sigh over her plate .

Occasionally she would make a dish, but it would instantly get rejected by Rachel . It was quite depressing looking at her finish the dish Rachel refused to eat any more of .

“Tell me if you need help . I’m available after dinner . ”

“It’s fine . Your girlfriend would kill me if you did . ”

“…That’s true . ”

“It’s a good thing you’re trying to get more rest . Work **** keeping your body healthy, alright?”

“I understand . ”

“Chef Minjoon, it’s almost dinner time . ”

“Yup . ”

Deborah smiled as she watched Minjoon walk back into the kitchen . The man was someone to be thankful for . He had quickly turned into Rachel’s motivation for cooking again in the woman’s life .

Minjoon might not know this, but he was affecting Rachel’s state of being quite a bit . Especially with that cassoulet or Jo Reggiano of his . She could still hear Rachel’s words in her ears as clear as day .

‘That boy is even better than me . ’

‘How can he be better than you of all people, though?’

‘I’m just borrowing dishes out of Daniel’s book . I always wonder if my dish is really my dish . But not Minjoon . He can make something similar to Daniel despite never having seen his dishes . ’

‘It’s not that you borrowed Daniel’s cooking, you were just influenced by it . ’

‘I always helped Daniel with his cooking . He was always the main show . The only thing I can do is… being an assistant in the kitchen . That kid is…’

It wasn’t very difficult to imagine what Rachel was about to say right then . Deborah remembered responding with a bitter look back then .

‘Minjoon must be happy for being trusted and loved so much . ’

What did Rachel say after that? Deborah thought to herself as she sat on the sofa . Right then, the door of the resting room opened as Justin walked in with a pale face .

“Jus…tin? What’s wrong?”

“Ah, chef . ”

Justin didn’t even seem to have noticed Deborah being there . Deborah saw a bunch of droplets of sweat on his face .

“Did something happen?”

“Uh…”

Justin looked around nervously . He seemed too frightened to even think .

“Chef Minjoon collapsed . ”

End .