Min-joon smiled at her reply then turned to Chloe.
Chloe smiled gently and said, “Congratulations!”
“Thanks, Chloe, for cheering up all the ti.”
“You’re my friend. So, it’s only natural I am cheering you up all the ti.”
Although she said so, her voice was calm, not excited for so reason.
They wrapped up their conversation after Min-joon exchanged autographs with Teresa.
Of course, it didn’t an that Min-joon could go back to the kitchen after that. There were a lot of custors who ca to Rose Island to see Min-joon and Anderson, but recently, there was a sharp increase in such custors.
Even those picky gourts called Min-joon with a smile and said sothing nice like ‘I’m looking forward to it,’ not to ntion ordinary custors who habitually said sothing like, “Cho Reggiano, I really like it. I eat it every day.” “How does it taste if they make it without caring about the different cheese maturation periods?”
When dinner ti was almost up, Min-joon approached a table where a man stood up and held out his hand. Thinking the custor wanted to say hello, as usual, Min-joon was about to shake his hand with the man.
But the custor suddenly said, “Nice to et you, Min-joon. Can we talk for a mont?”
“Of course. It’s a great pleasure for to talk with a custor like you.”
“Well… I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’m talking to you as a custor.”
Min-joon didn’t expect such a reply at all. When he looked at the man suspiciously, he took out a business card from his wallet. Min-joon took it and checked it slowly. His na was written next to his title as the sales manager of Lasco Bakery.
“Oh, I’m sorry to introduce myself to you belatedly. My na is Alex Brandon with Lasco Bakery.”
“I see, Alex, what do you want to talk about?”
“Cho Regginano, I was really impressed by its taste. I have tasted it several tis at other bakeries, but when I tried it here, I was definitely fascinated. So fantastic!”
“Thank you.”
“I would like to make one suggestion to you, Chef Min-joon.”
Alex’s eyes sparkled when he looked at his curious expression.
“If we comrcialize Cho Reggiano at our bakery, would you please be our model?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t,” Min-joon answered firmly.
Alex was embarrassed. He thought Min-joon would ask him several questions because he could not easily make up his mind right now.
However, he never imagined that Min-joon would firmly refuse his offer.
Min-joon might be curious to know how much Lasco Bakery would pay for his model fee, but he didn’t even ask it.
Alex opened his mouth in a slightly impatient voice. “Wait a minute. I think you can make a judgnt later after listening to my explanation first…”
“No. You don’t have to. If I had wanted to make money with this recipe, I wouldn’t have even disclosed it from the beginning. Now, if I ever try to make money with it, it will distort my original intention to release the recipe. I’m sorry.”
“Ah…”
When Min-joon honestly spoke his mind, Alex couldn’t figure out what to say. Min-joon said he didn’t need money. Of course, those stars rolling in money could say that. But Min-joon was not like them. He might be famous, but he didn’t make much money yet.
‘How can he say he doesn’t need money?’
Alex could not understand him from his point of view. Because of Min-joon’s unexpected reply, Alex was at a loss, not knowing how to respond. As if he read Alex’s mind, Min-joon said in a softer and more polite voice, “I don’t care about your bakery using my recipe, but I can’t allow you to use my face when you advertise it. Please make a good dessert, so your custors can enjoy it happily.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, that’s all I want. ”
“Okay, I understand. Let report to my boss about the outco of my eting with you today. By the way, Chef Min-joon?”
Alex lifted his bag and smiled.
“Although you rejected my offer, you are really cool. I respect your conviction. And I really enjoyed my dinner here.”
“Thank you. When custors are happy, I’m happy, too.”
“See you again.”
“Sure, goodbye!”
Alex respected his decision and left without any lingering feelings.
But not everybody could part with Min-joon easily. On the sa night, Min-joon was heading to the parking lot with Anderson after work.
He said with a bitter smile, “Oh you’ve been waiting for , Ms. Terry.”
“I’m sorry, Chef.”
Terry was really standing in front of Min-joon as if she wanted to say sothing to Min-joon.
Anderson asked, looking at Min-joon, “Will this take long?”
“Well, how about it, Terry?”
“How can I decide that? It will take as long as you give the ti.”
“… Hmm, that’s hard.”
Touching his chin, Min-joon thought about it for a mont. Anderson nudged him in the ribs, asking him to hurry up, but Min-joon didn’t move. He just felt sorry for Terry as if she was like a puppy in the rain.
Min-joon opened his mouth slightly.
“Buses don’t run at this ti. If I can take out so ti for you, can you give a ride to my house later?”
“Of course! I can give you a ride even to Korea!”
“Oh, you don’t have to. Anderson, sorry. I hope you understand.”
“Well, Kaya might get mad at if you don’t co now.”
“It’s okay. You’ll be next to her at ho anyway.”
As soon as he said that, Anderson’s face turned white.
Bursting into laughter, Min-joon patted him on the shoulder and said, “I’m kidding. I trust you, Anderson. Say sothing nice to her on my behalf. Hope you can ta her well, so I can see a ek rabbit, not an angry wolf when I arrive ho.”
“I don’t care. Co back ho quickly anyway. If you’re late, she will drive nuts, man.”
“Okay. Okay. I’ll co back quickly.”
Min-joon calmly nodded. Anderson looked at Terry with a slightly dissatisfied expression then strode toward the car. Terry looked at him, embarrassed. Her blonde hair, shining in the streetlight, was too colorful for her to tide it up carelessly. She was not a rich woman, but could she change her aura just by being with her rich friend?
Feeling sowhat alienated, Min-joon slowly opened his mouth.
“You know that, right?”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“I an I don’t want to work with Delia.”
“Oh, since you took ti out for like this, I had so hope, but I was wrong. Then, are you now with just out of courtesy?”
“I guess so. What Delia wants is not a chef, and Terry, you know better, don’t you?”
When Min-joon pointed it out, she lifted her heels silently. Whenever the tip of her hard, pointed high heels touched the asphalt, there was a sound like a woodpecker pecking a tree.
Terry said in a low voice, “Yes, I know. So I don’t have anything to say. If Chef Min-joon had been a more clever person, I could have asked you to use Delia’s favor… I think you hate that.”
“If you really want to work with Delia, it’s not your job to try to persuade . You have to change Delia. You said you are her friend, right?”
“Yes, friend. I think so. Probably, Delia will think so, too. Of course, the concept of a friend Delia has in her mind is a bit different from what I think.”
“If you really want to scout , have a serious conversation with Delia. Of course, no one in the world will change overnight because of just one single conversation. But you can’t always spend ti here waiting for without getting anything, right?”
Terry looked down at the ground and smiled feebly.
She said in a low voice, “Min-joon, you’re strong. Actually, I always told Delia that there are a lot of things that she couldn’t achieve with money, but you were the first who really proved it. So I keep asking you to work with us, but at the sa ti, I would like to ask you to keep rejecting her offer. Oh, I’m really curious. How can you be so aloof from money?”
“I like money, too. Like you said, it doesn’t an I don’t mind the money. I slept late because I was worried about living expenses and electricity bills. Even now, I’m in a carpool with Anderson to save money.”
“Oh, really? Was it Anderson’s car?”
“Yes, you’re right. I’m using his car.”
“But why did you turn down Delia’s pretty generous salary offer? 20 tis higher than your current compensation at Rose Island. It will change your life overnight if you take it.”
“Yeah, my life will be different. It will be more comfortable. But it doesn’t an my life will always be good,” he said in a calm voice.
In fact, he didn’t tell anyone, but he thought about it for a mont after Delia left. What could he do with such a huge salary? What could he buy and what could he eat? But…
“Of course, I can buy a nice car, luxurious furniture, and maybe I can buy a good house, too. Rooms will be more spacious with a better audio system and TV set. It’s a good thing. I feel a great delight in it. But I’m happiest when I am cooking a dish, and a very good one at that.”
“Just like the Cho Reggiano you have made this ti?”
“Yes. Right now, everybody is talking about it nationwide. It’s so popular among the general public. But Kaya is complaining that I don’t make any money out of it, but I don’t care. You know what? Right now, I feel like I have all the buildings in Los Angeles.”
After saying that, Min-joon laughed innocently. She could feel that he was so happy while speaking to her that she genuinely realized once again that this man really loved cooking.
Suddenly, she stared at her high heels silently. Her white feet were wrapped in the heels with a gorgeous leopard pattern. She suddenly felt her feet looked so shabby.
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