Chapter 50

* * *

After finishing work at the shop, I returned home and immediately threw myself onto the bed.

It had been a long day. I was tired, but strangely I couldn’t fall asleep.

Then.

Bzzz.

A short vibration sounded.

I casually checked my phone, and a smile naturally spread across my face when I saw the message.

– I watched your new video and tried making it! How is it? I’m not a terrible cook anymore, right?

It was Gaeul.

When I opened the photo, I saw a neatly plated dish sitting in a pretty bowl.

Back when she first started learning how to cook, even balancing seasoning had been difficult for her.

Now she had managed to make something that actually looked quite decent.

Smiling warmly, I sent a reply.

– Wow, it looks like a chef made that.

– See? When I try, I can do it.

– Nice job. Got a minute? Want to call?

– A call? Wait a second.

A few seconds later my phone rang.

“Ahem. Why are you suddenly calling?”

“Just because. I wanted to hear your voice.”

Gaeul let out a small laugh.

“…What is this all of a sudden.”

Her voice sounded teasing, but there was a hint of excitement mixed in.

She quickly tried to sound calm as she changed the subject.

“Anyway, how’s that report you mentioned last time going?”

“Yeah. I think I’ll get a good grade thanks to you.”

“What did I even do?”

“You gave me the hint. Oh right. What about the intern PD thing? How did that go?”

A brief silence followed.

Gaeul hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice carefully.

“Okay, this is off the record. I’m only telling you. You absolutely can’t tell anyone.”

“Of course.”

“Have you ever heard of a show called Glory Chef?”

For a moment, I froze.

“…Yeah. I’ve heard of it.”

“They’re making a Korean version with a similar concept. It’s called . I think I’ll be working there as an intern PD.”

“What?”

It was an unbelievable coincidence.

Just a few hours ago my mother had received a call from a writer.

And now Gaeul was going to work there as an intern PD.

A funny thought suddenly crossed my mind.

When I didn’t say anything, she sounded confused.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing. But that’s a really famous program.”

“I actually heard about it for the first time this time. Well, I guess you’d know it since you’re interested in cooking.”

I thought about it for a moment and asked casually.

“So if you’re an intern PD, does that mean you’ll be working on the program until the end?”

“Yeah. And if things go well, they might even invite me back next season.”

“I see.”

Before talking to Gaeul, I had no intention of appearing on the program.

But things were different now that she would be working there as an intern PD.

What kind of reaction would she have if I secretly appeared as a contestant?

Just imagining teasing her about it already made me excited.

* * *

After finishing work, Baek Seungjin headed to a restaurant where professors from Seoul Hotel Culinary College often gathered.

It was their regular dinner gathering held at the end of every month.

With retirement approaching, he cherished these moments more and more.

Being able to speak openly with younger professors had become increasingly valuable.

Slide.

When he opened the door to the familiar bossam restaurant, the place was already packed.

As he approached the table where familiar faces had gathered, everyone’s gaze naturally turned toward him.

“Professor, please sit here.”

“Professor Baek, would you like a drink?”

Daniel Choi, known for his cold precision.

Professor Yoon Seojin, who always wore a gentle smile.

Yet none of them failed to show respect when Baek Seungjin appeared.

Baek Seungjin sat down with a familiar smile.

As drinks were poured, conversations about everyday life and students naturally began to flow.

Soon the names of new students started to come up.

“Professor Yoon, that student named Hwa Sun in your class. How has she been doing lately? She received a lot of attention since enrollment.”

Daniel Choi asked curiously.

Yoon Seojin nodded with a pleased smile.

“Maybe it’s because of her father’s influence, but she’s improving every day. She’s also very diligent. Honestly, I’d like to bring her to my restaurant someday. Haha.”

“I expected great things from her. As expected.”

At that moment.

Park Junghan, who had been quietly listening nearby, spoke to Daniel Choi.

“By the way, Professor Choi. That Yoo Ilhan incident must have caused you quite a headache recently.”

The incident where Yoo Ilhan attempted to switch dishes during Western cuisine practice had already spread among the professors.

His family was one of the most prominent families in the restaurant industry.

Naturally the matter had become a big issue within the school.

The professors briefly fell silent at Park Junghan’s blunt comment.

But Daniel Choi answered calmly.

“I was surprised at first. Fortunately, Kim Cheolsu’s honesty and Kang Chan’s generous response allowed it to end peacefully.”

“Kang Chan? The handsome student, right? Isn’t he in Professor Baek’s class?”

“I heard female students talking about him recently.”

“He seems very quiet. I’m curious about him too.”

All eyes turned toward Baek Seungjin.

He remained silent for a moment as he recalled the report he had recently read from Kang Chan.

‘A difference of a single dot.’

The title had sounded ordinary.

But the moment he read the first sentence, he couldn’t hide his surprise.

The report began like this.

‘Me and you. Dear and stranger. A single dot changes the meaning of a word, just as it changes the meaning of food.’

Just as a single dot can change a word, food from the North and the South may resemble each other but still carry different meanings.

It was true.

A single pinch of seasoning or a different sauce could completely change a dish.

Inside that difference were decades of culture and the warmth of people’s lives.

Kang Chan’s writing went beyond simply listing cooking methods or analyzing ingredients.

Through food, he examined life itself.

He spoke about the memories and history contained within it.

‘Food is a story. Life, memories, longing. Together they become history.’

That sentence had left a deep impression on him.

Baek Seungjin slowly raised his glass and smiled quietly.

Then he looked up and spoke.

“He is a student who approaches every class with sincerity. A very promising one. I haven’t seen a student this intriguing since Han Taepyeong.”

His praise caused a brief silence around the table.

Such high praise was rarely heard among the professors.

At that moment.

Daniel Choi, who had been quietly playing with his glass, set it down and spoke carefully.

“…That’s interesting.”

“What do you mean?”

Daniel Choi hesitated before continuing.

“I won’t deny that Kang Chan has talent. But in my class… well, I’m not so sure. He didn’t seem particularly diligent.”

A small laugh spread among the professors.

Baek Seungjin raised his glass with interest.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s hard to explain clearly.”

“…”

“You know how it is with students these days. You can tell just by looking at their eyes. Students with passion move differently. Their eyes shine. But Kang Chan…”

Daniel Choi hesitated before looking directly at Baek Seungjin.

“How should I say this. He looked like a chef who has already experienced everything. I couldn’t feel excitement or passion from him.”

Baek Seungjin burst into laughter and nodded.

“Hahaha. Is that so?”

“Yes. He’s young and full of potential, but strangely calm.”

“Maybe Western cuisine doesn’t suit him.”

“That could be it. His skills are excellent, but in French based classes he always looks uninterested. Maybe that’s just his personality.”

Although Daniel Choi spoke calmly, there was a hint of disappointment in his expression.

Watching him, Baek Seungjin set down his glass and smiled slightly.

“Professor Choi. Sometimes something matters more than the light in someone’s eyes.”

Daniel Choi tilted his head in confusion.

Baek Seungjin gazed quietly into the air beyond the table and continued.

“Passion doesn’t always show itself like a blazing fire. Sometimes it warms slowly and quietly from within.”

The professors’ eyes sparkled at his words.

Baek Seungjin smiled gently.

If he were still the man he was in his youth, he probably wouldn’t have understood a student like Kang Chan.

Back then he believed he had to move ahead of others and gain recognition and applause.

But now he knew.

Some talents grow in silence.

A person who can convey emotions through cooking without unnecessary explanation.

Someone who speaks not with words but through the movements of their hands.

Kang Chan was that kind of person.

And Baek Seungjin was certain.

The passion buried beneath Kang Chan’s quiet calm would eventually boil over.

And that moment was not far away.

* * *

Baek Jaehee was a second year student at Seoul Hotel Culinary College.

While walking toward her classroom, her gaze suddenly stopped at the bulletin board in the hallway.

There was a poster she had never seen before hanging among the usual announcements.

The poster showed a large golden spoon and a spoon covered in mud in sharp contrast.

The text read.

[Participant Recruitment]

SBC New Cooking Survival Program

Is your spoon gold or dirt?

Blazing grills and sharp knives.

A fierce battle where status divides the flames.

Your fate will now be decided by your own hands.

[Eligibility]

Anyone who loves cooking.

Professional chefs, YouTubers, and ordinary people are all welcome.

[Application Period]

2015. 4. 01 ~ 2015. 04. 19

[Application and Inquiries]

www.kitchenspoon-tv.com

SBC Broadcasting Station was already a famous network.

But Baek Jaehee tilted her head when she saw that it was a cooking competition program.

Shows with this format had rarely succeeded in Korea.

Just then a familiar voice spoke beside her.

“Spoon Chef? What’s that?”

It was her best friend Kim Mina.

“It says it’s a cooking competition show. They’re recruiting participants.”

“But… why does the poster look so lame? Even the title sounds bad.”

Kim Mina frowned after glancing at the poster.

Honestly, Baek Jaehee felt the same way.

There were no judges listed.

The design looked plain.

Overall it lacked anything that could build excitement.

Meanwhile other students who had just finished class walked through the hallway and noticed the poster.

“What is this? Spoon Chef? The title is kind of…”

“They didn’t even list the judges.”

“Gold spoon and dirt spoon… aren’t they openly dividing people by status?”

“Yeah. It looks kind of like Glory Chef.”

Most reactions were cynical.

But a few students seemed curious.

“It says ordinary people can participate. Should we try?”

“Not me. I don’t like the whole class division thing. Reality already divides people enough. I don’t want to go on TV just to be judged too.”

“There must be prize money though. If you win, finding a job would be easy.”

“Oh? Then I could become a Star Chef?”

“But who recruits contestants with posters these days? It feels really old school.”

“There’s a website listed there. Maybe they just posted it here because it’s a culinary school.”

After chatting about the show for a while, the students quickly lost interest and walked away.

Kim Mina glanced at Baek Jaehee, who was still staring at the poster.

“Aren’t you going to apply?”

“Come on. Shows like that are for people who like attention. I don’t want my face all over TV.”

Baek Jaehee laughed lightly and continued walking.