Chapter 324 - Check and Competition (3)
Normally, after dinner, Min-joon would go to the hotel in the evening to prepare the food truck journey for the next day, but he didn't on that day.
He muttered in a tepid voice, tightening a luxurious blue tie around his neck, "When it comes to a party, I usually get nervous for no reason."
"It's natural you get nervous. This is not a party for your friends. All kinds of people come to this party tonight," Anderson replied, buttoning up his shirt.
Min-joon looked back at him and opened his mouth.
"You aren't dating Janet, are you?"
"Nope! If I'm dating her, you might have noticed it already. It's nothing to hide anyway."
"No, you have to hide it. I know you are a celibate. So, you might feel awkward if you say you are dating her."
"I've never thought of Janet as a woman, and maybe never."
"It sounds like you are so sure of that."
Anderson did not answer. It looked like he didn't want to answer.
Min-joon tapped him on the shoulder and moved on.
"I'll see you there."
"Okay."
As soon as he left the room, Min-joon immediately ran into another person. It was Raphael.
He was wearing a suit that looked pretty expensive, but he looked rather awkward in many ways, given the tie he put on and the wrinkled collar.
Raphael waved with a smile.
"Ah, Min-joon, you have come out early."
"Can I help you with adjusting your clothes?"
"Of course. Thank you."
Min-joon properly adjusted his tie and straightened Raphael's collar.
Raphael muttered, touching his tie, "I don't know what was that stupid guy that came up with suit and tie. Every time I wear it, I'm really frustrated."
"Good for you! Your job doesn't require you to wear a suit."
"Man, I want a job with no formal shoes and tie, but it's hard."
Min-joon chuckled at his grumbling.
Raphael sighed as if exhausted, "Today's party will be pretty tough."
"Is there an easy party?"
"Today's party is especially tough."
"I heard that a lot of famous people were coming to this party, but that's what we often experienced at our main store."
"You can't compare the people in Los Angeles with New Yorkers. Besides, people coming tonight are Chef June's regulars."
"Chef June's regulars?" Min-joon asked curiously.
Raphael nodded.
"June is a dangerous person, Min-joon. Well, I should say she is scary rather than dangerous."
"I felt it. I thought she was like a very well-sharpened knife."
"Well, if you think so, you haven't yet felt almost nothing."
"What should I feel from her? Oh, let me ask this way. What do you want me to do?"
"Just stay alert," Raphael replied in a calm voice.
Looking at his confused expression, Raphael looked around and whispered, "You have already seen June's restaurant. Perfect dinner from start to finish. Luxurious interior that makes you feel like you're out of touch with this world. Even if you want to find fault, you can't."
"I don't know why I should be wary of June for that."
"This is New York. It's one of the cities with the most competitive restaurants in the world. But right here, June confidently proved her skills. She ran her branch so successfully that other Rose Island branches could not even compete with hers. In fact, when the Rose Island main restaurant was gone, there were quite a lot who called this place the main restaurant…"
"I understand. June's dish was definitely perfect. Given she is perfect in cooking, she might be so in other areas. Yeah, I recognize she has succeeded. I respect her."
"Yeah, she is perfect in cooking and running the store. Besides, she perfectly grasps people's reactions and manages her personal connections. But there's only one person that threatens her perfectionism."
Min-joon looked at him curiously, but Raphael didn't answer. His silence was the answer.
Reading his mind, Min-joon hardened his expression in an instant.
"No way…"
"Right," Raphael opened his mouth finally, "You are the biggest threat to June."
<hr />
It was cold. June looked into her face on the dressing table while wearing a coat over her dress. Even though her makeup would cover her fine lines, it couldn't get rid of the dark wrinkles. She knew it. She was forty now.
She slowly lifted her finger and crossed the wrinkles over her face. Age made a person feel miserable as its number increases. When someone told her she was beautiful, June used to take it as a compliment without a doubt. However, she always found it hard to accept whenever people said she was beautiful. Did they say that out of courtesy? Or were they serious?"
"Teacher, I'm old, too. I don't have much time now."
June was old enough to have more chefs who were younger than her. She took a coral pink lipstick and slowly painted her lips. She breathed fake life over her pale lips and made a fake smile. When she took off her coat, the room was still cool, but she didn't feel cold.
'It's not far now.'
Her eyes shone sharply. June left the dressing room and headed for the hotel's banquet hall. What was the purpose of the party? Was it to celebrate Rachel's return to New York? She already forgot about her purpose of hosting the party. When the door opened, June smiled, facing those looking at her.
"June! Looking at you outside the kitchen, I feel you are a different person."
"You, too, Congressman Marcus. How have you been?"
"You've been doing well. I was thinking of visiting Rose Island again sooner or later…"
"Please make a reservation anytime. Our table is open. Oh, excuse me for a moment. Jenin! Thanks for coming. I was afraid you might not come."
When June was busy greeting the party participants, the door opened, and a woman came in. Everyone held their breath for a moment then began to whisper after that momentary silence. So much so that even the woman who was chatting with June stopped talking and looked at her.
"Wow, Rachel is still great! She instantly gets the attention of people here."
"Because she is better than me."
With red wine in her mouth, she muttered in an inaudible voice.
Jenin was amazed when she heard what June said.
"Come to think of it, she is just gorgeous. June, you are the top chef in New York, but she is better than you."
"Thank you for praising me like that. I wouldn't reject your compliment."
"I'm telling you the truth. By the way, have you thought about signing a contract with my hotel this time?"
"Well, as I told you last time, signing the contract is not beyond my power. I'm the branch manager, not the general manager of Rose Island. But I can send my sous chef to your hotel. Of course, he will be your head chef there on a fixed, not permanent, basis."
"What a pity! I think it's time Chef Rachel delegates her authority to you, given your position in New York…"
When she said that, June smiled faintly. Then she approached Rachel and slowly hugged her.
"Thank you for coming, teacher. You have made this place shine."
"How can I not come here when you say you're hosting a party for me? By the way, it looks like you invited lots of people. I know some, but I don't know many people here."
"Well, you like this kind of party, Rachel. You just host a big party. I've learned it from you. Would you like me to introduce you?"
"No, I don't want it. If I need to know them, I will come to know them anyway."
"Well, if you insist…"
It was the moment when June gave up and tried to step back when Jenin, who was chatting with June, approached Rachel with a gentle smile.
"June, can you introduce me to this legendary chef here?"
June couldn't decline her request right in front of Rachel.
Swallowing a sigh, June said with a smile, "Of course. Rachel, this is Jenin. She is running a hotel in New York. Jenin, this is Rachel, my teacher. Is that enough?"
"Sure. I've been your fan since I was young, Ms. Rachel."
"Oh, dear! It's the typical way they talk about me, but I am pleased to hear that anyway."
"I've always heard a lot about you from June. She said you can cook indescribably delicious dishes. I guess June's dishes taste so delicious because she resembles you."
"In fact, I tried her food after a long time. It looks like her dishes resemble mine."
"Well, it's not bad. Isn't it weird if your successor strongly shows her own personality in her dishes too? I think it's good to have some similarities in the dishes to some extent."
As if she didn't care, Jenin casually looked at Rachel. At that moment, June grabbed the wine glass in her hand and glanced at Rachel.
Rachel responded leisurely, not even looking at June, "Well, if I choose a successor, I'm not going to look for my replica. I'm looking for the best chef."
"Oh, do you mean you have any plans to choose your successor?"
"Well, it's useless to talk about my future plans here."
"No way, it is not meaningless. It's especially meaningful to us who get by, looking forward to the future, not today. Rachel Rose's successor. Isn't it a remarkable topic for everyone in the world? Me and my friends bet a lot that June is going to be your successor."
"Well, you are free to bet on her, but…"
Rachel grabbed a glass of champagne from the waiter passing by and said in a deep voice, "I can't guarantee that she is going to be my successor."
"Teacher!"
As soon as Rachel said that, June called her. She groaned deep down, watching Rachel casually turning to her. Although Rachel was old and feeble, Rachel was the same steel-hearted chef as before. She was not to be swayed by June's moods at the moment.
June smiled at her. She wrapped her arm around Rachel's and looked back at Jenin. Although she pretended not to, Jenin must have already sensed that June was not as much as trusted by Rachel as she thought. And it was okay that Jenin came to know it.
"Can I excuse you while you both are having a cozy conversation between teacher and student?" Jenin said.
"Well, I don't like such a cozy atmosphere," Rachel responded.
"Don't worry, the atmosphere might look cozy, but it's not in reality," June said.
Jenin felt even scared at June's sharp voice, though she pretended to be kind.
But Rachel didn't feel embarrassed.
She then said with a smile, "Really? Well, I want to check it out myself."