At the hotel, Jo Minjoon laid down on a bed so big you couldn’t reach the end of it even if you extended your arms and legs. He had his cellphone on one hand and a smile on his face.

[ Ah, so you just made dinner yourself? ]

“Yeah. Emily seemed really poor. I negotiated with Martin so that I could buy the ingredients myself and Emily would be able to eat the amount she helped with.”

[ How gentle. Did she say it suited her taste? ]

“I wonder. At least for me, it was a satisfying dish. And even if it doesn’t suit her, she’s not on a situation where she can complain.”

Jo Minjoon smirked. He felt pleased just by thinking that a lady that had lived while not even feeling what hunger and poverty was, acted pitifully in front of money and food. Chloe took in a breath and said.

[ So how does Brazil feel? Was the churrasco delicious? Is it different with the ones they sell on America? ]

“I don’t know well as I didn’t eat churrasco in America, but it was a dish that certainly kept it’s culture. Onions and garlics are actually really familiar ingredients. But just by mixing a little bit of chilli sauce or hot sauce, the feeling changed completely.”

[ That’s the charm of a foreign country. That they make a different flavor with the same things. How good. I also want to participate on that kind of program. ]

“Is the broadcast you are doing now okay?”

[ Today was the first day so how can I say that it’s fine or not? Getting accustomed to it comes first. It’s not that difficult. The broadcasting time is short and the staffs are also gentle. But of course, they would turn quite mean when I made a mistake cooking and wasted some time. ]

“Even so, looking at you all getting settled makes me feel good. But I don’t know what Anderson will be doing right now. I can contact all the others, but I not him.”

If he said that he didn’t feel disappointed as the friendship they had already cooled, it would be a lie. At the disappointment that could be felt on Jo Minjoon’s voice, Chloe said calmly.

[ Anderson will have an Anderson-like reason. You know what kind of guy he is. ]

“……Yes. I do.”

[ You still contact a lot right? With………..Kaya. ]

At Chloe’s words, Jo Minjoon flinched. He hid the disappointment and said.

“No. But I can’t do anything about it. She would be really busy now. …….And perhaps, she will get even busier the more time passes.”

[ We, too, have to get more busy. ]

“Right. Let’s put in more effort.”

Between them, many conversation came and went, and then it ended. After he saw the red screen that indicated the end of the conversation, Jo Minjoon moved his finger. The screen moved a few times and soon, it showed the messages screen.

[ Me : Kaya. Call me when you have time. ]

The message he had sent two days ago remained lonely. It was a message that hadn’t even been sent. Just how busy is she…..

“Even if she is busy, is it to the point she can’t check a message?”

Jo Minjoon mumbled with a depressed voice, and then he turned off the screen and closed his eyes. Though, he had to wake up again and go to turn off the lights because the white light poked his eyes.

He had to get some sleep, but as he closed his eyes the image of the churrasco appeared in his mind. The big pieces of meat stuck on the long skewer, the pieces of meat you could feel the aroma of the coal and the meat just by looking at it, and the chewy texture.

And the unfamiliarity and primitiveness of the feijoada Emily ate hovered in front of his eyes. But remembering that wasn’t simply because he missed the aroma, flavor, or the color. It was because of the shock he got from them.

Actually, he got a deeper impression from the feijoada rather than the churrasco. Honestly speaking, it isn’t difficult to cook meat deliciously if you used good ingredients and good coal. And you could say that making it undelicious was rather more difficult. But of course, slicing the meat to have a suitably good texture was quite a high skill, but he wouldn’t get a deep impression with just that.

But in the case of the feijoada, it was a bit difficult. Not only for the ingredients, but you needed a long time and dedication. And of course, it was still difficult to make it delicious with just that. The recipe constructed and reconstructed again in a long time, and the experience of it was filled on the small plate.

Looking at that, Jo Minjoon could only imagine how he would run a restaurant on the future; how would he have to manage the kitchen to be able to make a menu that needed several days of preparation; and how will he make the composition of the organization. How local would he make an overseas dish, when and where.

Actually this was all in too far of a future for him to be thinking about it, but what could he do? It wasn’t a pondering that the more he thought, the more his head hurt but rather you could say that it was a happy pondering that made a smile appear on his mouth. And just like everyone are like, soon that happiness gifted Jo Minjoon a deep and sweet dream.

While only a calm and peaceful breath and the sound of the clock ticking was heard, another sound was also heard. Click. As the lock got unlocked, the door opened softly. As the sound of the steps permeated on the carpet, soon a sigh was heard.

“……..You sleep as snug as a bug in a rug.”

Maybe it wasn’t that big of a voice, but Jo Minjoon didn’t wake up by that. The person that looked at the surroundings for a moment looked at the only bed and laid down next to Jo Minjoon as if nothing could be done by it. Soon, the noise lessened again. To the ticking of the clock, and the breath of two people.

–

“Ah fuc*, you surprised me!”

Jo Minjoon, that woke up from his dreams, got surprised and cursed in Korean. He could only do so. The moment he woke up what he saw was Anderson’s drooling face. Anderson seemed to have woken up by him, but he rather frowned and closed his eyes more tightly.

(PR Note: This reminded me of Kyou Kara Maou. Very much so.)

“Ah, shut up. Why are you like that?”

“Just why are you here? What’s this?!”

“For now shut up or lower your voice. My head is ringing.”

“…..So what’s this? I can’t comprehend this situation at all.”

“It’s bothersome to explain. You are intelligent, so guess as you want.”

Anderson replied with a tired voice and buried his face on the pillow again. Jo Minjoon looked at the blond hair that was over the pillow and organized his thoughts. He was now on a broadcast, and Anderson appeared. For him to appear while knowing the broadcasting place, and he didn’t even get restrained by the broadcasting staff when he entered like this could only mean one thing.

“You also appear? On this program…….?”

“If you know why do you ask?”

“No. But, you should have told me. Just why did you keep it a secret until now?”

“They told me to keep it a secret.”

“Who, Martin?”

Anderson nodded while still having his face buried on the pillow. But Jo Minjoon frowned as if he still couldn’t solve the doubt.

“But why are you sleeping on my bed?”

“They told me that my room was this one. There was only one bed, but instead it was big. So isn’t it obvious for me to take a place on it? Ah, as I kept talking I got fully awake. It’s your fault“

“I couldn’t even get awake because of you and rather died.”

“Ugh so noisy. Let me sleep some more. I could only sleep 3 hours.”

“… … …”

Jo Minjoon looked at Anderson’s back without saying anything and in the end he stood up from the place. It was a bit perplexing, but he also felt sorry when he couldn’t get some sleep. If an American, that was more self preserved compared to anyone, to sleep on the bed that another person was already sleeping at without saying anything, he would really be tired. Jo Minjoon covered Anderson with the blanked that only covered his waist and looked at his surroundings.

“……..Is no one there?”

He whispered lowly while looking at the camera in the ceiling, but of course the reply didn’t come back. In the end Jo Minjoon vaguely showered and got out of the room. Anderson was still sleeping, and it didn’t seem like there were people outside. As he dressed up and got outside, one cameraman approached him. Jo Minjoon said with a tired expression.

“Were you waiting until now?”

The cameraman didn’t open his mouth like usual. He just smirked and nodded. Could pros really be pros?

“Where’s Martin?”

The cameraman pointed to a side of the hall with his finger. It was where the resting room was. One step, ten steps, and when he walked about 25 steps, Jo Minjoon’s feet stopped. It was partly because he discovered Martin, but if it was simply that he would have kept walking. There was an unexpected face.

“……..Uh, huh?”

“It’s been a while. Minjoon.”

The one that was smiling softly and shaking her hand was no other than Rachel. Jo Minjoon asked with a perplexed face.

“Are you participating here?”

“If that wasn’t it, I wouldn’t have a reason to be here.”

“Uh……..It’s a pleasure to have met again.”

“Rather than being a pleasure, it feels more like bewilderment.”

“Because I am. I can’t do anything about it. I also start to think that our relationship is longer than what I thought.”

Rachel smirked.

“If you are thinking that I came here because of you…..although I can’t perfectly say no, it’s still not it. I want to see your growth, but that’s something possible even as a viewer. The reason I’m here is because I also need of this place.”

“Can I ask you why is it?”

“Of course. The reason is simple. It’s to show it to the people.”

“Show what?”

Rachel didn’t reply immediately. The soft smile slowly started to disappear. When her mouth opened Jo Minjoon felt that his shoulder felt heavier for nothing. These were words that were that heavy.

“That I, Rachel Rose, has returned.”

–

When it was a little past 8, all the participants got outside. While standing on the lobby of the 1st floor of the hotel, Emily was glancing at Rachel. Compared to her age, she was also someone that was quite recognized by Emily, but in front of Rachel even if it was her she couldn’t shrink down.

In the case of Anderson, he was glancing at Rachel with another meaning. The eyes filled with envy were so much it made Jo Minjoon, that was looking at him, get goosebumps. If you took into account that she was his role model, no, an idol since childhood, it wasn’t that he didn’t understand him at all……

‘It feels like they fell in love.’

The only time Anderson felt like a kid was when Rachel was standing in front of him. But as there is a difference in age those feelings would obviously not be true, but the atmosphere was so different to usual he felt an awkward atmosphere for nothing.

Martin cleared his throat.

“Minjoon, Emily. The two of you would have been quite surprised.”

“……..Will I only have gotten surprised? I think that my neurons got quite burnt because of the shock. I’m thinking of calling a lawyer.”

Emily said with a sulky voice. Martin showed a tricky smile and said.

“Let’s meet the lawyer later on. Let’s also talk about the life of the neurons by then.”

“So, are the members done like this?”

“No. Fortunately not. Additional members will appear in front of you with various methods. But before that, don’t you want to play a little game?”

(PR Note: I got Saw flashbacks)

Martin raised the stick can from yesterday. While Emily and Jo Minjoon were frowning, Rachel asked in a low voice.

“What’s that?”

“Uh……It’s pulling straws. It’s a straw to decide on the meal fees.”

“Meal fees? I have money.”

“I’m sorry but you can’t use your own money.”

“Why is it?”

Rachel looked at Martin. It wasn’t that she was glaring at him like Emily from yesterday, but Martin felt this moment to be much more burdensome. Martin replied with a careful voice.

“As it’s the first day, let’s do a little joking. To give the viewers a little more of fun……”

“We must not have money for the viewers to feel fun? And if we have money it’s not fun?”

“No, it’s not certainly like that……”

“Martin. I’m just asking you. Is it fun when we starve?”

“No. Of course not. That’s why I decided on an amount that would be enough to have three meals a day……..”

“There would be cases that even if it looks delicious, it’s not edible. The person that received more money would eat well next to the other person, and he would feel uncomfortable and sorry for nothing. Martin, is that tasting?”

Martin couldn’t reply anything and just moved his mouth. Rachel said in a low voice.

“Even so, as the PD says so I will have to stop it here. Fine. The straws, I will pull one. But…….did you know that nearby there’s a Rose Island branch?”

“Ah, was there?”

“Yes. One of my disciples is running it as the head chef. And as you know, I think that we won’t have to pay for it. And of course, that goes for my guests too.”

Rachel smiled brightly and turned to look at the other three. The three looked at Rachel with eyes filled with expectation.

“Everyone, don’t you want to become my guests?”

< The laws of tasting (1) > End

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Translator : Subak

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