As if they wanted to show they were living in the neighborhood of Hollywood, there were lots of singers and actors who peeked into the window of Min-joon’s patient room in the hallway because they couldn’t get inside. Among the celebrities were some CEOs whose names were widely known to the public.
“I just wonder why so many visitors come here when Min-joon only passed out due to overworking. Why?” The cameraman asked in a curious voice.
It was natural that he asked it. These days, there were only a few who visited their sick relatives. But these people kept coming to see Min-joon, praying for his quick recovery. Most of them had no special relationship with him. They were simply regular customers of Rose Island, so they were on a customer and chef relationship, nothing more or less.
But it was none other than Deborah who quenched his curiosity.
“Well, I hear that a chef’s job receives the most customers in hospitals.”
“Really? Why?”
“Well, people forget the person who said nice things to them, but they don’t forget the person who cooked for them.”
Although the cameraman didn’t fully understand what she meant, he was impressed with the message.
She continued in a calm voice, “When you feel happy or bad, it’s sweeter than any other blessing in the world if you can enjoy the dish at the moment. I hear that even if you don’t know the chef who has made the dish for you, you tend to have some sort of affection for the chef. In fact, when I went to a hospital the other day, a customer that I don’t know at all came to me…”
At that moment, she stopped talking and twisted her body. Someone who she didn’t know was leaving after putting a fruit basket by Min-joon’s bed.
She said, watching the man, “The customer gave me flowers and went away, just like that person.”
“Wow, a chef’s job is loved very much.”
“Well, on the condition that the chef is very good.”
Did she mention it because she wanted to emphasize that as a chef, she was also good enough to receive flowers from a customer she didn’t know? Or did she just mention it to praise Min-joon? The cameraman was curious, but he could not afford to ask her to get the answer.
At last, he asked in a calm voice, “I’m curious how Min-joon would react when he saw the flowers after waking up.”
“Well, I thought it would be better for him to have a sound sleep rather than wake up.”
The cameraman wanted to ask what she meant by that but stopped. He felt he could know the answer without asking because people around Min-joon were looking at him who was asleep.
In particular, Kaya and Rachel were staring intensely.
‘I think it would be better for him to keep sleeping.’
They didn’t even have to think about what he would do when he woke up. But unless he slept forever, it would be impossible to avoid this situation.
At that moment, people around him began to whisper amongst each other. The cameraman lifted the camera. In the camera screen was Min-joon, turning around with a frown.
He opened his mouth while mumbling.
“Kaya… why did you turn on the light…” He could not finish what he was saying because his voice was hoarse.
The moment Min-joon opened his eyes, he looked embarrassed to see the people around him and asked blankly, “Good… morning?”
Rachel replied, “It’s evening.”
Min-joon felt like he was suddenly wide awake. Hearing a spine-chilling cold and sharp voice, he tried to raise his body. Chloe instinctively tried to support him, but Kaya was quicker.
She gently pressed down his shoulder and stopped him from getting up.
“Just lie down. Don’t think about getting up as you’re a patient.”
“What? I’m a patient?”
“Yeah, you’re a patient. So, just lie down. The doctor said you needed some rest.”
“If I keep lying down like this, I feel like I’m not going to be stable because I’m more embarrassed.”
When he said that, Kaya looked around. Not only his regulars and kitchen staff but also his friends including Chloe almost filled the spacious patient room.
Kaya said in a firm voice, “For those of you who are not close enough to have a drink with Min-joon, please leave the room. I appreciate your concern, but he needs rest now.”
When Kaya made the announcement, Chloe was lost in thought as if she felt strange.
Hesitating for a moment, she whispered into Kaya’s ears, “You know Min-joon doesn’t drink.”
“Well, what I mean is those who even don’t know it should leave,” Kaya replied softly.
Min-joon was still confused as if he could not understand the situation fully.
It was rare that such anxiety and nervousness was on his face, who was in control of the situation most of the time. Kaya felt it would do her heart good to see him nervous like that, but her heart ached at the moment.
She sighed and looked back at Anderson.
“Anderson, can you explain the situation to him? I can’t say anything because I have a lot on my mind right now.”
“What? You are talking well now.”
“Shut up,” she replied softly then quietly grabbed Min-joon’s hand.
Anderson reluctantly opened his mouth as if he couldn’t help it.
“You passed out in the kitchen.”
“Who took care of the customers then? Did you make all the dishes for their order?”
“Are you worried about it in this situation right now?”
“There is nothing more important than that.”
“People here are more important than that.”
Anderson raised his hand and pointed to those in the room, some with colored short and long hair and eyes, some with three-dimensional faces and plain faces, wearing different clothes and shoes, and standing in different postures.
If there was anything that they had in common at the moment, it was their concern on their faces. Anderson looked as concerned as them. His eyes, his voice, his clenched fists, and his heart were full of concern about his health.
“Hey, you are really dumb to talk about the dishes when you have made lots of people worry like this. Don’t you know that?”
Min-joon was touched by his angry tone that reflected his concern and consideration. Checking Kaya’s expression, he slowly raised his body from the bed. Kaya’s eyes narrowed for a moment and turned toward him and Anderson, but she didn’t try to stop Min-joon any more.
Min-joon said in a subdued voice, “I’m sorry to have made you worry. Sorry, everybody.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. I don’t feel any problem right now. My back feels a bit stiff perhaps because I slept too long…”
“Let me scold you later because you have just woken up,” Rachel said.
“Can you scold me now? I’m getting anxious if you scold me later….”
“It looks like you have not yet fully grasped the situation.”
When she rebuked in a stern voice, he lowered his head with a dejected expression.
Then she stroked his head silently.
“Just relax. I just didn’t meddle in you because you were doing fine, but I think I neglected you to the point you collapsed like this. Sorry.”
“Oh, master. Please don’t say you’re sorry. If you say that, I’m going to be more sorry.”
“That’s why I’m telling you. So, get well quickly. What I can do for you for your quick recovery is…”
Rachel took out the paper. Several letters were written on it, but the first thing that caught his eyes was one word—vacation. He looked up at her with a confused expression.
Rachel opened her mouth with a stern voice even before he could say anything.
“I don’t want to listen to your objection. Let me give you a vacation. It’s up to you whether you take it as a punishment or a short sweep sleep.”
“I would think both ways. Sorry, but how long is this vacation going to last?”
“I’ll give you 15 days. But if you don’t get well after that, I won’t send you back to the kitchen.”
He smiled awkwardly at her warning.
Others in the room kept talking to him and wishing him his quick recovery.
If Kaya had not stopped them, they might have tried to keep talking.
“Stop it. If you say hello to him one by one, he might collapse again. So, please say hi to him all at once.”
“If we have to say something to him altogether, we have to think about it now.”
“Oh, why don’t we do it like this, Min-joon, Min-joon, Go for it!”
“Man, you guys are going to make me so embarrassed,” he balked in a small voice, but Kaya didn’t even listen to him.
She spread her fingers then folded them one by one.
They shouted in chorus, “Min-joon, Min-joon, Go for it!”
***
Ellie Foster: If it was a movie, he would be diagnosed as incurable if he collapsed like that.
└ David Goldberg: Do you want to say that mean thing to a patient like him?
└ Ellie Foster: @David Goldberg Did you take what I said as if I wanted him to get terminal illness? Not at all!
Bill Cosby: I hope he’ll get well as soon as possible. I really like his dish. When I heard he passed out, I was really worried because he might perish in vain like Daniel. What a relief to know he just fell from overworking. Rachel must have felt greatly relieved.
Nick Colson: I want to see him get back to cooking quickly. No matter what you say, he looks much better in a chef’s attire than a patient’s gown.
└ Bill Cosby: If a chef’s attire doesn’t suit a young man like him who is passionate enough to fall while cooking, that would be really ridiculous. I agree with you. Hope to see him again on Rose Island.
└ Nick Colson: @Bill Cosby I haven’t been to Rose Island because of various circumstances. But I tried Cho Reggiano based on his recipe. And I’m pretty much fond of it, so much so that I wrote it on my bucket list to try his own dish. I wish he was healthy, at least until I tried his own dish.
“Fortunately, there are no bad comments.”
“Who can dare post bad comments on Min-joon who just collapsed?”
“You know what? Even if you do something good, there are people who try to find fault in you for no reason.”
Kaya muttered in a cynical voice. Min-joon closed the laptop’s screen with a sigh.
She gave out a cup to him. It looked like a soft drink, but the cup was filled with some strange reddish liquid of unknown identity.
[Fray Eisota]
Freshness: 98%
Origin: (There are several ingredients, so it is hidden)
Quality: High
Cooking score: 5/10
“Fray Eisota?”
“Oh you know it! Just drink it.”
“What the heck is this?”
