The night Cho Min Joon couldnt fall asleep, someone else couldnt either. It was Chloe. Chloe lied in her bed, opening her eyes, closing her eyes, and opening her eyes again, and then it was morning. She put on her exercise outfit and headed out to the garden. She thought sweating out could help her clear her head.

But she was only half right. After exercising until her heart and muscles hurt, her clear mind pulled in even more useless thoughts.

Chloe looked up at the blue sky and thought further. Is it middle of the night or morning? She wasnt sure if it was before or after dawn.

And that thought soon led back to herself. What was she committing to? As a chef and as a woman. There wasnt a single clear answer. It was iffy. She then remembered what Ivanna said before she left.

Dont be scared, Chloe. Im cheering for you.

She didnt need to think about what she meant by that. It was clear. She was surprised by how much she understood her. She was definitely iffy. She was indecisive. Both with cooking and Cho Min Joon.

Why couldnt she say anything last night when Kaya volunteered to stay the night with Cho Min Joon? You go and rest. Ill do it. She wanted to say those words, but she couldnt. Did she believe that Kaya was better suited for the job? That Kaya had to be there since she was the one who hurt him?

Im such an idiot.

Being considerate of others meant that she was making sacrifices, and that also meant that she was losing something of hers every time. Chloe was used to living that way since she was little. She was always considerate and lost things to others.

It was possible that her environment made her personality that way. Being nice meant that they were minding others. Chloe had to do that since she was little. The Asian blood in her and the appearance that produced made Chloe feel different. Chloe was a foreigner.

She wasnt white or Asian.

If she wasnt as pretty, she would have gotten bullied. But luckily, Chloe had a very pretty face. She also knew how to mind others. She didnt let anyone around her feel uncomfortable, and her image was favorable since she was always considerate. People who didnt know her just thought she had a good personality, but that was her way of struggling. A struggle not to be hated.

Once she no longer felt tired from living that way, she felt like she had lost her sense of self. She didnt know what she wanted or what kind of life she wanted. People liked her for being nice, but Chloe didnt like herself.

She didnt want to lose this time. She didnt want to have something stolen from her. Of course, she couldnt be robbed of something she never had But if the opportunity was still there, she wanted it for herself. That was how she really felt. At that moment

Are you done working out?

She turned around to see Anderson. Chloe wiped the sweat off her forehead.

Im pretty much done. Why?

We should go see Min Joon and Kaya.

Okay. Let me wash up first.

Hey.

Chloe stopped. Anderson stared at her with dry eyes.

If youre going to look so miserable, why dont you just go for it?

Chloe looked back at Andersons eyes. She had a feeling she knew what he was talking about. Chloe showed a sad smile.

I tried to hide it, but I guess everyone found out. Is it that obvious?

Yeah. Youre always smiling like crazy when youre with him, so its obvious. Unless its fake, people will find out eventually. Thats just how it is.

I wish it was fake No, never mind. Pretend you didnt hear that. I hate being fake.

Chloe smiled. Anderson looked at her in pity and then spoke in a sharp voice, Then stop looking so miserable. Why are you acting like a loser already?

Do you think I can win?

Anderson grimaced.

Why are you asking me?

***

He was finished with his overnight stay in the hospital, and Kaya stayed by his side the whole time. She might have felt responsible or guilty. No, she probably did. Whether it was directly or indirectly, it was because of her that he got burnt.

He told her not to feel sorry and that it wasnt anybodys fault, but Kaya didnt answer to that, and at this moment, Kaya grabbed onto Cho Min Joons arm. Cho Min Joon spoke with an awkward face, I got burnt on my neck, not my legs. You dont have to help me walk.

Oh yeah. Do you have enough energy?

I dont even need that much to walk. My staminas fine.

That was when Kaya finally let go of Cho Min Joons arm. Anderson, who drove over to the parking lot, waved his hand. Chloe was in the passenger seat. Cho Min Joon spoke with an apologetic face, You didnt have to come all the way here.

Shut up. Patients shouldnt talk.

Anderson answered in a cynical voice. Cho Min Joon smiled awkwardly. Chloe lowered the window and stuck out her upper body. She was smiling.

Get in! Lets go on a picnic.

A picnic?

How long do you think the four of us will be together for? Lets have fun while we can. Its hard to get out of the Grand Chef House if not for times like these. We packed lunch.

Cho Min Joon smiled in response to Chloes explanation. He realized the four of them didnt have much time together. They had survived up until this point, but that also meant they endured a lot of frustration as well. Of course, they felt more satisfaction and joy, but that didnt mean they didnt experience sadness either.

As soon as Cho Min Joon got in the car, he looked out the window. At that moment, he felt something cold on his neck. When he looked around in shock, Kayas finger was on Cho Min Joons neck.

What are you doing?

Checking the temperature. The doctor said to change the gauze and put a cold pack on it if it gets too hot.

Im fine.

Stop acting tough. Whos okay after getting burnt? You dont even have muscles. Youre so frail.

Id better start working out and prove you wrong.

Kaya looked away from Cho Min Joons sad face. She looked at Chloe.

Where are we going anyway?

Michigan Lake. Were going to go somewhere without many people.

Hm. What about food?

Chloe showed her hand in response. Inside her hand was a lunch box. Kaya nodded.

As soon as they parked near the lake, they noticed that there really werent many people there. There were some people here and there, but they were far enough not to notice them.

June. The weather was warm. Cho Min Joon took off his shoes. The warm sand in between his toes felt nice. Thanks to the sand and sun, he didnt feel cold even though he only wore a shirt over a t-shirt.

I hate how the sand feels.

Kaya frowned and grumbled. Chloe opened her eyes wide.

Doesnt it feel good? I come to places like this just to step into the sand.

I dont know. I feel like bugs are crawling all around my feet.

Kaya shivered, but there wasnt much grass around the lake. It almost felt like a beach more than a lake. In the end, they had no choice but to sit in the sand.

As soon as they opened the lunch box, Cho Min Joon dropped his jaw.

Its kimbap.

It wasnt norimaki. Seeing from the smell of sesame oil, it was Korean Kimbap. Chloe smiled and answered, I figured youd miss food from home once you woke up, but I dont know how to make Korean food, so I got help from Anderson and made this.

Thanks.

Cho Min Joon sincerely looked touched. There were many other things other than the Kimbap. Sandwiches, Japanese fried foods, salad, and fruits. It wasnt anything fancy, but it was a great lunch box. The sandwich containing ham, cheese, and avocado was nothing fancy, but it was delicious, and he could tell that the fried Japanese food was made with love. Kaya chewed on the dumplings and said, How did you make

Finish chewing before you speak.

Cho Min Joon scolded Kaya. Kaya glared and swallowed the dumpling.

How did you make all of this? Wasnt it hard? It mustve been a lot of work.

Its fun getting ready to have fun.

Their conversation deepened as their tummies filled up. Cho Min Joon asked, What kind of restaurant do you want to open later? Anderson, would you just take over your parents restaurant?

Im not sure. I thought about doing that, but Im starting to change my mind. Itd be meaningful to take over my parents restaurant But you know how people can be. We all want to start something of our own.

I know what you mean.

Chloe nodded. It didnt mean to replace someone else, but there was something exciting about starting a restaurant from scratch, but then again, some people probably found more meaning in continuing someone elses tradition.

She looked at Cho Min Joon.

Min Joon, what kind of restaurant do you want to open?

The truth is, Ive never thought about that. Ive always wanted to become a chef, but Ive never decided what kind of chef I want to be. I dont know if I want to go for fusion, Italian, Spanish, or Korean. I still dont know, so its hard to say. But

Cho Min Joon scratched his nose.

I have thought about this much. I want a restaurant with around 5 tables, and once they order, I want to cook the dish right then. Its romantic, isnt it? I like the idea of having more regular customers and enjoying a more quiet time, but theres no way Ill end up with a place like that.

Why not?

Because thats just romantic and nothing else. I might sound materialistic But I want to go as high as I can in life. Ill be honest. I want to become the chef of a high-end restaurant. Just like Rose Islands Rachel Rose. Just like Joseph. The highest of the highest.

Some chefs just focused on making delicious food. That was important, too. But it was a matter of satisfaction. Chefs in cheap restaurants werent less skilled than that of high-end restaurants, but it did mean that their ingredients were of different tiers.

For that reason, customers were more sensitive when they went to expensive restaurants. The same went for households. Parents didnt stop children from cooking with a cheap egg, but if they tried to make something with ingredients that top stars used, they would stop them because those ingredients were too precious to waste.

Cho Min Joon wanted to be a chef of a restaurant that could use any ingredient he wanted. He wanted to be in a place where no single person would doubt his abilities.

At that moment, Kaya opened her mouth.

I dont want that.

Want what?

To separate high-end restaurants from cheap ones. How different can they be? I just want to have a restaurant where people like me can go. Not the ones that you admire but cant eat at A restaurant that anyone can go to. Somewhere both rich people and poor people can eat at together.

That was hard to do in real life. Considering the operation, ingredient, and service costs, she had to give up on setting up a high-end restaurant, but that was a waste of Kayas talents. Chloe coughed.

I recently got an idea.

About what?

About what restaurant I want to set up. The thing is

Chloe fumbled her hands as if she was embarrassed. Sand got stuck to her flushed hands. She looked at Cho Min Joon and then at the lunch box.

I want to be like Andersons parents. A couple restaurant, right? I want to set up a restaurant with someone I love.