God of Cooking Chapter 98:

The judges took the food into their mouths . Jo Minjoon had never felt this nervous before . He could only feel this way since he was up against Kaya and Anderson . They were originally what should have been the winner and runner up .

Most of all, the thing that made him shrink was the score: 8 points, 9 points, and 7 points . By average, it was the same as them, but he couldn’t know what the judges would like overall . But of course, it was difficult to say that getting 8 points in all of the dishes was only fairly good……

The judges returned to their places after finishing tasting, and quietly started to converse . Joseph started .

“It’s hard . ”

That one sentence was showing the feelings of all of the people here . Actually in cooking, even if there is an overwhelming difference, personal tastes couldn’t help but show, and picking on which was more delicious than the other was also difficult . You wouldn’t know if they could see the cooking score…… Rachel opened her mouth .

“Just looking at the composition, the Red Team was better . The vivid salmon ceviche; the anchovy cream that catches the greasy feeling of the sheep galbi; and the almond pudding . On the other side, the composition of the Blue Team is a bit lacking . Starting with crab bisque; the main beef stroganoff with fried risotto; and lastly, éclair with a lot of choux creme…… . There’s no point to rest . ”
“The problem is that it’s strong . ”

Serguei said with a rough voice . He looked at the empty table with regretful eyes and continued speaking .

“It was so much I couldn’t feel that sourness lacked . Excluding the dessert, it was all salty, but even so it wasn’t painful for my mouth . But of course, it could be because I didn’t eat a big amount of it, but even if I ate more spoons of it there won’t be that much of a difference . ”
“In the case of beef stroganoff and fried risotto, it was really well harmonized . Perhaps if they hadn’t fried the risotto and just served it, the dampness of both of the dishes would have made my mouth spoiled .  But with only one process that’s frying, they saved the flavor instantaneously . Honestly, from the dishes that appeared today, it was the one that suited my mouth the most . ”
“It was also like that for my mouth . Ah, this isn’t because i’m Russian . I originally don’t like beef stroganoff much . But this one was delicious . ”

If something you usually didn’t like was handled by a real chef, it would transform to something delicious . And Anderson and Kaya had shown plenty of themselves being real chefs . Alan thought with a ‘hm’ and opened his mouth .

“But thinking about the dessert, it’s a bit disappointing . The cream that was inside the éclair was fine, but the damp feeling of the dough wasn’t enough . ”
“It’s not only that . If it’s only the flavor, it was really fine . But it’s a bit dubious as if the fried risotto and the beef stroganoff has the weight of a main . ”
“I wonder . What’s an appropriate thing for a main dish . That’s something that isn’t clear even among chefs . I think that if it’s this much, we can let it pass . ”

Even at Alan’s reply, Emily still had a vague expression . Joseph opened his mouth with a calm voice .

“If there was some disappointment, that can be solved through the votes . First, let’s proceed with voting . I think that making the participants nervous this much was enough . ”

The judges approached the participants . Joseph said .

“Now we will all make one vote . Let’s start from Emily . Who are you going to choose?”
“I think that the course is one story . Having an introduction, development, turn, and conclusion is the best thing . In the case of the Blue Team, the food itself was delicious, but I think that it didn’t have strong and weak points . Strong, strong, strong . Although it was a three-course meal, it didn’t give that much of a burden . The overall picture wasn’t that good . That’s why it’s the Red Team . It was the composition that had it all . ”

Chloe’s corners of the mouth raised . The muscles on her face were pulling, and her two eyes were rolling everywhere as if she was anxious . She said not to be nervous, but in the end even she couldn’t resist it . Jo Minjoon glanced at Kaya and Anderson . Both of them had expressionless faces so he couldn’t know what they were thinking about .

Alan opened his mouth .

“I will vote for the Blue Team . In the case of Emily, she pointed out the composition . But I think that they have showed us outstanding skills that even cover the lack on the composition . The main was especially good . Actually, in the case of beef stroganoff, it’s no different to cooking two different things, but the quality of any side didn’t fall at all . In the case of the Red Team, it was loyal to the basics, but in overall, it gave the feeling that it wasn’t that much fun . It was like going to a tasty restaurant in a town . That’s why it’s the Blue Team . ”
“I think differently than Alan . It was loyal to the basics and was still delicious . That’s quite a difficult thing because you get more restrictions . And that restriction was made for the chefs to make the customers enjoy for countless years . But of course, I think highly about the Blue Team for having that delicious dish even after slipping out of the normal guidelines… . . But even so, my heart inclines to the Red Team . ”

Jo Minjoon clenched his fist . Two votes . Two votes for each team . Now Serguei or Rachel had to vote for them and it was done . He thought that perhaps, they may win . It was at the moment he got that thought . Sergui said with a casual voice .

“Blue team . ”

And nobody said a thing . Rachel frowned and asked .

“That’s the end?”
“It was delicious . ”

To say one thing, but for it to be that… Rachel let out a sigh . Just when was he going to fix this character of his of wanting to do whatever he wanted?

“Then, only I am left . Now that I see, my choice will decide it all?”

Rachel smiled faintly as if it was fun . Jo Minjoon, Chloe, Kaya, and Anderson opened their eyes abruptly and just looked at Rachel’s lips .

“I……”

–

“Urghh!”

Toilet . There was one person that was in the toilet bowl vomiting . It was Chloe . She vomited to the point that tears gathered in her eyes, and went to the washing stand while staggering . There was a person there .

“…… . . It’s that bad?”
“I think I got too nervous . ”

At Kaya’s worried face, Chloe forced a smile . After washing her face like a cat, Kaya lent a towel .

“Thanks . ”
“……I like you . ”

It was a serious voice . And at the same time, it seemed like she said it while bringing up the courage she didn’t even have . But of course, that courage was only moving her mouth and tongue . Her eyes and head evaded Chloe and was just looking at the floor .

Chloe laughed .

“I like you too . ”
“…… . . I don’t know who to cheer for . ”

Kaya said with a sad voice . She let out a sigh and sat on the washing stand, and then turned to look at her **** with a frown as if water still remained on the washing stand and had wet her pants . Chloe smirked and remembered the thing that happened just now .

Rachel gave her vote to the Blue Team . Even so, she was expecting for her to vote their team because they had used ingredients Rachel liked to make the dishes . But the result wasn’t like that .

‘Food must give admiration close to shock to people . And for me, the Blue Team was a little more shocking . ’

At those words, what kind of complaint could you say? Chloe mumbled as if she was self-deprecating .

“Did I lack too much? Perhaps if Kaya, you have been together with Minjoon, you would have won right?”
“…… . Don’t say such things . ”
“Sorry . But I get depressed for nothing . I knew that this day was going to come someday…… . . ”

Kaya hesitated and hugged Chloe and patted her back with awkward hand movements .

“This competition isn’t everything in our lives . Don’t be so nervous . I will always be cheering for you, and not only now . And you will be able to do well . You aren’t crooked and leaning like me . ”
“Why end the comforting words with self-deprecation?”

Chloe got at the verge of crying as if it was a sad thing . Was Kaya’s low self-esteem regretting, or was she just sad at this situation? That was something even she didn’t know . Kaya bit her lips and said .

“Then, you too don’t do it . The self-deprecation . And don’t suffer . I……”

Kaya smacked her lips . I don’t want to see my friend suffering . She wanted to say those things, but she didn’t know why it didn’t get out of her mouth . Chloe slowly separated Kaya . Was it because of the vomiting, or for another reason . There were tears in the corner of her eyes .

“I will do my best . ”
“Yeah . ”
“Thanks . For worrying like this . Honestly, I thought that only I was acting friendly . ”

Kaya didn’t reply anything . Chloe wiped off the tears with the handkerchief and looked at the mirror . Flushing face and messy hair, it wasn’t that good of a look . Kaya slightly looked and said .

“If you need some time to cry letting it all out…… Should I go out?”
“No . I still can’t cry . Let’s go out . We slowly have to prepare for the elimination mission . ”

Elimination mission . Whenever she heard it, it gave her the chills, but today it was more than usual .

As they got out to the hall, Anderson and Jo Minjoon were talking about something . Chloe put a faint smile and approached them .

“What are you talking about?”
“What should we be talking about? It’s obviously about the elimination mission . ”

Anderson replied with a casual voice . Kaya frowned .

“Do you always have to talk like such a jerk?”
“I don’t think that it’s something I should hear from you . And, do I have to act in a tragic way like a protagonist of a new-school drama?”

Kaya and Anderson growled and glared at each other . Chloe coughed and said .

“Guys, I have something to talk with Minjoon…… . Can you give us some space?”
“Talk about what?”
“If she asks for space, she doesn’t want to tell what it is . Don’t act so tactless and come . ”
“………I will be going first . ”

Kaya glared at Anderson and moved her feet . After they both left, Jo Minjoon looked at Chloe’s face with a strange expression .

“Talk about what?”
“…… . . I’m sorry . ”
“If that’s what it was about, there’s no need for you to be sorry about . Rather, I should be the one to feel sorry . You picked me, but I lacked too much . I’m sorry . ”

Chloe bit her lips and lowered her head . And after that, he could only see the crown of her head and her nape . A skin that wasn’t all white maybe due to her having mixed blood . The moment Jo Minjoon slightly turned to look away, Chloe opened her mouth .

“You won’t hate me, right?”
“Why would I?”
“Even if I beat you in this elimination mission…… . . ”
“Chloe . ”

Jo Minjoon cut Chloe’s words . Chloe turned to look up with uneasy eyes . He didn’t know what to say at that moment, and let out a sigh . And after a moment of silence, he opened his mouth .

“I’m not that childish . If I get eliminated, it will be because of my skills . It’s not your fault . So don’t think about that . If I beat you, will you hate me?”
“Never . ”
“I’m the same . ”
“…… . . Yeah . You will . ”

She did nod and show a faint smile, but on her face, it still had some darkness and sadness that couldn’t be expressed in any way . He wanted to ask her why she was like that, but he thought that at the moment he asked that, Chloe would crumble, so he couldn’t open his mouth .

But in an instant, Chloe’s expression changed . Just like she wore clothes made by gentleness, her face became soft and tender in an instant . It was the face of the Chloe he knew .

“Let’s go in . The mission, we can’t avoid it . ”
“…… . . You aren’t overdoing yourself, right?”
“Of course I am . There’s no time where I acted without overdoing it in a mission . And today is the same . The both of us can’t win but…… At least, we may all be able to smile . So let’s work hard for that . ”

If you failed, won’t it be normal to cry instead of smiling? He thought like that, but he didn’t point that out .

“Right . Let’s smile . ”

The moment they got in the kitchen, only two countertops remained . It was organized in a way that they could only watch each other .

‘They are cruel . ’

Thinking about that, he saw one small box on the countertop . Did it have ingredients in it? Joseph opened his mouth .

“Today, one of the two must leave Grand Chef’s house . For one of you, this will be the last mission today . And that’s why we prepared what would be the most suitable mission for you . That’s what I’m talking about . ”
“And we knew that it’s not something we should be thinking about, but you have to think of it . Open the boxes . ”

At Alan’s words, Chloe and Jo Minjoon opened the boxes . And at that moment, their faces showed perplexment . The thing that was inside of the box wasn’t an ingredient…

There was a mirror in it .

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