So the guests could have the best dining experience possible.

The space, designed with comfort and a clean, tidy atmosphere in mind, had become a gathering place for social events.

For once, Jun-won had loosened up. He moved from table to table, chatting and laughing with the guests, which helped keep the atmosphere warm.

These days, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that columnists could make or break a restaurant. It was a welcome sight.

There were no issues in the kitchen either. There hadn’t been a single issue from appetizers through the main course. Since dessert required little supervision, it was finally Jae-geon’s turn to head into the dining room and play the role of host.

After straightening his appearance, Jae-geon left the kitchen and looked for Jun-won first. Before speaking with the critics, he wanted some initial feedback.

Jun-won was at the isolated Table Nine with Ji-won.

Judging by the twitch at the corner of his mouth, he was suffering through the interaction purely out of professional obligation.

“I’m glad you enjoyed the meal, ma’am.”

“The pleasure is mine. Would it be possible to speak with the chef for a moment?”

“Hahaha. That’s a little difficult.”

“Why? I have some questions about the menu. If you want another paragraph in my column, tell him to come out. Before I get offended.”

“What are you two doing?”

Watching the low-grade comedy unfold, Jae-geon approached the table.

More specifically, he approached Jun-won.

“I’ll handle this. Go.”

A sharp smile appeared on Ji-won’s face as if she had finally gotten the attention she wanted.

Jun-won backed away immediately. He looked disgusted that his sister was giggling despite being treated like luggage.

Ji-won laughed again and tilted her wine glass toward Jae-geon.

It was empty.

The meaning was obvious.

Refill it.

Jae-geon ignored the request and sat down across from her.

Every dish served so far had been wiped clean.

Considering that Cha Ji-won wouldn’t touch food she disliked, he figured he could skip asking for feedback.

Ji-won offered her opinions anyway.

She talked about the progression from appetizer to entrée and the overall structure of the course.

Then she said,

“The brûlée was fun. The second I touched it, it shattered. I guess you’ve spent a lot of time working on the recipe.”

“…”

“You balanced the sweetness with acidity. What did you use?”

“Key lime.”

“Ah, Key lime. Nice choice. Goes well with seafood.”

A smile spread across her face.

“Just like us.”

Silence hung over the table.

Jae-geon quickly identified the source of the stale smell lingering around her.

Cigarettes.

A food critic whose palate was her livelihood wouldn’t smoke. That meant someone else had been around her.

And not just one person.

The sound of wine pouring cut through the silence.

The stream of wine wobbled in the air.

She looked quite drunk.

“Did you know?”

She swirled the wine.

“You’re like wine.”

The older it got, the better it tasted.

The more you drank, the more intoxicating it became.

And once you tried to quit, you missed it like crazy.

“And besides.”

She grinned.

“The color’s similar too.”

“…”

“Jung Jae-geon, you’re Michelin even in bed.”

She raised three fingers.

“Three Stars.”

The crude comment did nothing to him.

She had always been like this.

There had even been a time when he found that reckless way of speaking attractive.

“You’re drunk. Stop embarrassing yourself and get up.”

“I need dessert before I can write my column.”

For a moment, Jae-geon wanted to shove a spoonful of sorbet into her mocking mouth.

Instead, he unclenched his fist and raised a hand.

A waiter who had been watching from a distance hurried over.

“Clear these plates and prepare dessert.”

“Yes, Chef.”

As the waiter left with the empty dishes, the pointed tip of a stiletto heel tapped Jae-geon’s shin.

“Did you sleep with Seong Hae-som?”

The childish question almost made him laugh.

Ji-won stared straight at his expressionless face and bit her red-painted lip.

“It’s strange that she’s the only one missing. From the way you sounded on the phone, I thought you were completely wrapped up in her. Then I wondered if you’d already gotten tired of her and thrown her away.”

Her imagination somehow grew worse with every sentence.

According to her version of events, the scheming Hae-som had slept with Jae-geon to become a full-time employee, only to be discarded and pushed aside shortly afterward.

“She blocked me, you know. Or did you block me for her?”

The performance went on and on, wearing away what little patience remained.

One moment she complained about being lonely.

The next she complained that she couldn’t sleep.

Eventually she got to the point.

Jae-geon’s eyes moved to the key card lying in the center of the table.

Watching his expressionless face, Ji-won added, “It’s the hotel where we made our last memories together. Remember?”

Of course he remembered.

That was where he had seen Cha Ji-won come out of a hotel room with another man.

As if that breakup hadn’t already been memorable enough, she followed it with an even stranger proposal.

“Let’s start over as sex partners.”

At that exact moment, Lee Woon-seop arrived carrying dessert.

He looked so welcome that Jae-geon nearly felt like kissing him instead.

Suppressing the thought, Jae-geon let out a slow breath.

“If you were going to ask me that, you could’ve at least gotten rid of the traces of the other guy first. You don’t even have the basic manners for that, and you want to talk about being partners?”

“If I do?”

She leaned forward.

The exposed curve of her chest swayed slightly.

As if reminding him of something he used to like.

Woon-seop cleared his throat awkwardly as he set down the dessert.

After watching his broad back disappear, Ji-won asked again,

“Well?”

Her gaze stayed fixed on him.

“Will you?”

Come to think of it, maybe his tastes really had changed.

Instead of paying attention to the dark red nipples practically on display in front of him, he found himself thinking about a bright red wound he couldn’t even see.

---

“You’re staying out again?”

At the sound of her mother’s gentle voice, Hae-som bit her lip.

It wasn’t a big deal, but she suddenly felt like crying.

“Yeah. I want to practice more.”

Her parents had strongly opposed her becoming a chef.

Out of their three daughters, Hae-som was the one they worried about most.

They hated seeing her get hurt even a little and couldn’t understand why she would willingly enter such a dangerous profession.

There was no way they would see her injuries as badges of honor.

If anything, they would tell her to quit cooking immediately.

“Do you really like cooking that much?”

“Yeah.”

“Isn’t it hard?”

There were times when she felt discouraged.

But she usually let it go.

There was no benefit in dwelling on it.

“Even so, you should sleep at home. Do you know how dangerous things are these days?”

“You know I can’t sleep anyway.”

Better to spend that time practicing than rolling around in bed.

Realizing she wasn’t going to change Hae-som’s mind, Moon Jong-im sighed.

“Your father worries about you. Call him, and come home tomorrow, okay?”

Seong Hae-som is excluded from service.

The decision had left her depressed for a while.

Still, she couldn’t say she failed to understand Jae-geon’s position.

One way or another, Ji-won would cause trouble.

Unless Jae-geon stepped in, Hae-som would have no choice but to take it.

It wasn’t because he doubted her skills.

And he wasn’t acting out of personal feelings.

He was simply removing a risk that could disrupt the tasting.

At least, that was what Hae-som wanted to believe.

After exchanging a nod with the motel clerk she had become familiar with over the past two days, Hae-som stopped by nearby Tongin Market.

She needed sea urchin to practice the preparation she had struggled with yesterday.

The market was still lively with people drinking and talking.

After finding a shop that was somehow still open, she bought a kilogram of sea urchin and returned to Not.

Since it was well past closing time, she assumed nobody would still be around.

She was wrong.

“Sweetheart.”

It was Ji-won’s voice.

Crossing the garden without much thought, Hae-som quickly ducked behind a pine tree and looked over.

Ji-won was practically hanging off Jun-won for support.

Jae-geon stood a few steps away from them.

“Jung Jae-geon.”

“…”

“I’ll be waiting for your answer.”

Something about the atmosphere felt wrong.

Like she was seeing something she wasn’t supposed to.

Hae-som swallowed.

Ji-won straightened up and searched through her purse.

Then she handed something to Jae-geon.

Even in the darkness, her eyes gleamed like a sharpened blade.

“N Hotel. Room 2808.”

The blunt declaration left Hae-som momentarily stunned.

It wasn’t her place to interfere in someone else’s relationship.

Still, the gap between a hotel and a motel felt strangely painful.

Whether Jae-geon went to N Hotel Room 2808 or not had nothing to do with her.

“Ignore me again, and you’d better be ready. I’m planning something interesting.”

“Do whatever you want.”

Wouldn’t it be a good thing if the two of them got back together?

Then she wouldn’t get dragged into the middle of it anymore.

She wouldn’t have to misunderstand things either.

Hae-som shrugged her shoulders for no reason.

She even shook out her hands as if trying to clear something away.

Then she forced herself to look elsewhere.

The bag of sea urchins rustled.

Jae-geon’s sharp ears caught the sound immediately.

Hae-som quickly pulled her raised arms in and hid completely behind the pine tree.

Fortunately, Jae-geon didn’t seem to recognize her.

He simply turned away and followed after Ji-won.

“…Ow.”

Only after all three of them disappeared from sight did she notice that the blister on the back of her hand had finally burst.

Had it been a sea urchin spine?

Or a pine needle?

Somewhere between the smell of the sea and the scent of pine, Hae-som let out a hollow laugh.

Because she hated herself for wanting to blame someone else for an injury that was entirely her own fault.