As soon as the private jet arrived at the airport, Martin was the first person to greet Sergei and Rachel. Sergei smirked.

This guys not a total asshole after all.

I told you to watch your mouth.

Rachel kept her distance from Sergei out of embarrassment. For two elders, their conversation was immature and crude. Martin shook their hands with a big smile.

Thank you for coming all this way. Im honored to meet you.

No need to be honored. Since when do Americans say such flattering things?

The names, Sergei and Rachel demand such flattery.

Martin answered with a smile. He wasnt exaggerating because it was true. That was how meaningful their names were. Sergei was on TV quite often, and Rachel was the same. They were so desired that Americans wanted to see more of them on TV. When Rachel was briefly shown on TV for the food truck mission, the viewers went wild.

He was already excited about how the viewers would react to their appearance, and that feeling showed on his face. He didnt have to hide such emotions either. Sergei stroked his beard and said, Anyway, I havent been to Chicago in a long time.

Im sorry, but the mission

Oh, okay. No need to be mannerly. Im only an asshole to two kinds of people. Those who make shitty food, and those who eat good food without realizing it. Youre not a chef, and youre not an asshole customer of mine. So Ah! What are you doing?

Act your age.

Sergei rubbed the knee that was just kicked and grimaced.

This crazy granny! I came here at your request!

I never asked you to embarrass me.

That bitch is crazy! Hey, Im going to be seventy soon! If I break a bone, itll take forever to recover!

If a woman can break your bone, you might as well not have any. Stop with the nonsense. Im too tired for it. Martin, lets get going. Wheres the car?

Oh, right this way.

Martin escorted them like a waiter. The car he prepared was a large van, but as soon as Sergei got in, it didnt look big at all. He was tall and fairly large. Sergei looked out the window toward the airport before asking.

So how many contestants are left now?

Four. Would you like me to describe them?

Yeah, but make it short.

Yes, Sir.

Martin passed Sergei and Rachel photos. He spoke in a calm voice, First, let me tell you about Cho Min Joon. Hes famous among the viewers for his perfect palate, and hes quite skilled as well. He was lacking at first, but hes been improving throughout the show. And Anderson Russo

I know Anderson. Im friends with his parents. Hes got potential. Tell me about the other contestants, but simpler than the last one.

Yes, Sir. Then moving on to Chloe. She learned how to cook from her mother, and shes good at making Chinese dishes. Kaya doesnt favor a particular country, but she tends to specialize in homecooked dishes more than fancy ones. She learned how to cook from the shop owners at a market

Hold up.

Sergei raised his hand. He knitted his brows.

She learned from just watching? How does that make sense?

Well Shes very skilled in that aspect. Even in the preliminaries, she left quite the impression with her eel dish.

Hm I doubt shes that skilled. Food at markets are basically smothered in salt or barbecue sauce. Dont they just half-ass all the dishes they sell?

She was picked as the most likely to win in the beginning, and shes been proving her worth. Since the other contesants are great as well, shes not shining as much anymore, but shes still being called a genius.

A genius, eh?

Sergei stroked his chin and went deep into thought. A moment later, he looked at Rachel.

Dont you think that Kaya girl might be more suitable than Cho Min Joon? Rachel, Im talking about the talent you want. That girl got here from a market with no good food.

Same goes for Min Joon. On top of that, he has a perfect palate.

Hm, I dont know. Markets are places where lots of cultures come together, but at the same time, the tongue can easily get used to messy flavors. The fact that she came this far from a place like that makes me intrigued in her more than a perfect palate.

In response, Rachel stared at Kayas photo even harder. She was set on Cho Min Joon, but after hearing what Sergei had to say, she wondered if she had been overlooked.

Ill keep an eye on her.

No need. Well just taste their dishes today.

Sergei grinned.

Well see if theyre good or not.

***

The producers announced that there would be an evening mission. Kaya stood in front of the mirror and erased her eyeliner.

People thought it was just typical makeup, but as soon as her eyeliner was erased, she was no longer the fierce and scary Kaya Reuters. Her nose was covered in freckles. And her eyes were bright blue. Her lips were thin and light. Her nose was sharp, and her eyes werent very deep-set. She looked like a pretty student walking down the street. That was her visual.

Ill just put on lotion.

Kaya carefully put lotion on her face. Her face was quite small, so she didnt need to get another pump of lotion. My face is very economical. Kaya smiled and turned away.

As soon as she left the room, Chloe was standing in the hallway. As soon as she saw Chloes face, she rubbed her own cheek. Chloes face was very smooth. She didnt have freckles or any imperfections. She had a few moles, but everyone did. The sun shining through the window gave her a better look at Chloes face.

Kaya swallowed her jealousy and asked, The guys arent out yet?

They must be doing their hair.

How pretty are they trying to look?

There was an awkward silence. The reason was simple. They were nervous about the upcoming mission. Chloe sighed.

I wish there werent missions

Then how does anyone win?

If I had to choose between winning and the present I might pick the latter.

In response, Kaya opened her mouth before closing it again. As soon as she got herself to open her mouth, she couldnt look at Chloe in the eyes anymore.

Same here.

Chloe looked at Kaya with surprised eyes. She knew she was opening up, but this was the first time she expressed her feelings directly. Chloe smiled for a moment, but it quickly disappeared. Kayas face didnt look so good. Kaya hesitated before saying, Ive never had such a relaxing time before. I feel bad for my mom and sister but Ive always had it tough. But here, I dont have to be the head of a household or worry about my next meal. And. the people.

Kaya paused, but Chloe knew what she wanted to say next. Chloe held Kayas hands. Kaya didnt refuse.

Dont worry. You wont have to worry about that ever again. No matter what happens, we can keep seeing each other. Right?

Do you think well be able to? We live really far away from each other, and well be busy Will we see each other?

We will.

Chloe stuck out her fist. Ill make sure we do. Kaya hesitated at first, but slowly stuck out her fist. They bumped fists and Kaya coughed and backed up against the wall. Given her personality, it was hard for her to be honest. Chloe was giggling when Anderson and Cho Min Joon got out of their room.

Oh, youre already here.

Youre late.

Chloe puffed up her cheeks. Kaya looked at Cho Min Joon and laughed.

You didnt even dress up that much. Why did you take so long?

My hair was all messy, so I washed it again.

You shouldnt just come out. I like messy hair.

You didnt see how bad it was.

In response to Chloes remark, Cho Min Joon shook his head. The four of them walked toward the kitchen. They wanted to win, but they didnt want to part ways. They walked at a pace that suited that feeling. Once they got to the kitchen, they stopped at the same time. Cho Min Joon glanced to the side. They all looked at each other and hesitated to speak. Kaya spoke first in a low voice, Lets go.

The judges were waiting for them in the kitchen. Cho Min Joon glanced around. He heard there was going to be an event, but he didnt see anything special. Joseph opened his mouth.

Did you have a good rest?

Yes.

We hope you have a good time today. But of course, one person wont be so lucky.

Cho Min Joon shut his mouth. He started to feel nervous again. Passion, fear, expectation. Many emotions passed through his heart.

Before we reveal the mission, lets play a game. Were going to draw straws.

Allan stuck out his fist. There were thin pieces of paper within it.

Three of them are Xs, and only one is an O, and the person who picks the O will be able to pick their teammate.

Since only 4 of them remained, they saw this coming. Chloe stepped up first, and as soon as she picked a paper, the rest of them didnt have to move anymore. Chloes paper had an O on it. Chloe showed a troubled look on her face. Picking one person also meant she wasnt going to pick two of them.

Pick your teammate, Chloe.

Okay. One moment, please.

Chloe thought carefully under the judges pressure. She knew who she wanted to pick, but she wasnt sure if they would make a good team, but the more she thought about it, the more emotional she got. This could be her last mission here, or it could be the last mission for her teammate. Thinking about it that way made the choice easier. Chloe opened her mouth.

Min Joon. Will you be my teammate?

Cho Min Joon was a little surprised, but he nodded and smiled, but at that moment, there was someone else who was surprised. The problem wasnt that Chloe and Cho Min Joon were teammates. Kaya and Anderson stared at each other. As soon as they did, they both thought the same thing.

Were teammates?