Jae-geon’s gaze, which had been fixed on the real-time flight board, turned away without lingering, heading towards the cafe on the second floor.

There were about 10 minutes left until the plane’s arrival, and he calculated that it would take at least 30 minutes to go through immigration and come out.

He hurried, keeping in mind the traffic. If he had known this would happen, he would have held Hae-som, who was sleeping prettily in bed, one more time.

‘What kind of appetizer are you even making with burdock root?’

He snatched her protesting lips and led her home. He touched her skin without thought, left a deep kiss mark on her chest so no one else could touch her while he was away, and thrust his desire into her fragrant hole, twice.

Hae-som, who had managed to hold onto her senses and look at the recipe notebook, was soon overcome by sleep, and Jae-geon penetrated the lower body of the woman dozing off.

While drinking the warm, moist vaginal fluid that had become even more so in her sleep, he ejaculated to his heart’s content, unable to quench his desire. He didn’t stop until the thick semen became thin like water.

He wiped away the fishy sight with a dry wipe of his hand and glanced at his wristwatch. Thirty minutes had already passed.

He downed the cold espresso in one gulp. Coming down the escalator, the arrival hall was already crowded.

The flight from New York wasn’t here yet; they must be passengers who arrived earlier.

Passing by groups embracing and reuniting with tears, Jae-geon, who had found a quiet spot, recalled a memory from long ago.

More than 20 years ago, when Jung Jae-geon, then known as Mok-ha Jung Jae-geon, left for France to study.

His runaway uncle had become a monk, and his stepmother, who had taken good care of him, was pregnant with twins.

His studies abroad were his choice, but perhaps also dictated by others. With the birth of a half-sibling, there would be no place for Jung Jae-geon in the Jinwoorim family.

Ignoring his father’s command to go to America and study business, Jae-geon went to Le Cordon Bleu in France. Without any support from his family, who didn’t even see him off, he endured each day with bone-grinding pain.

Then he met Jean Jacques. He gained recognition for his skills and started working in the place he desired. His life, which had been rolling along like a cart with wobbly wheels, finally entered a stable orbit.

Even after becoming the head chef at Argent, he felt a constant sense of empty. He brushed it off as homesickness, common for foreigners. He knew it was more than homesickness, but he had no reason, will, or time to dig deeper.

Even after returning to Korea, finding his lost uncle, building the Not building, and seeing the restaurant’s success, his wandering perhaps continued.

Then, suddenly, after meeting Hae-som, he realized.

I must have been very lonely.

That there was no family to greet him at his doorstep, no one to eat with, no colleagues to brainstorm with.

That reaching the pinnacle of his career meant nothing.

He felt it deep down.

Perhaps that’s why the intern, who had nothing but fighting spirit, became imprinted on him as a woman. He felt that if he possessed Seong Hae-som, his own deficiencies would be filled.

It was just a gut feeling.

Even though reality treated him like a mere dildo.

With a wry smile, Jae-geon ended his thoughts and looked up. The words “[Arrival Complete]” flashed, and soon passengers began to pour out through the automatic doors.

His gaze, which had scanned the surroundings searching for the blue-eyed foreigner, crumpled as he spotted an approaching figure.

Jae-geon looked once at the red lipstick fully covering her lips, and once at the [Welcome, Chef Jean!] scrawled in red on the sketchbook. A strange feeling made his brow furrow.

“I was worried you might not make it on time because of the traffic. You’re not here yet, Chef?”

Ji-won cut in, as if it were planned.

“They say you were Jean Jacques’s favorite student. Your master-disciple relationship was so affectionate that people even rumored Jung Jae-geon, who goes crazy for women, was gay.”

She rattled off information no one had asked for, linking her arm through Jae-geon’s with gusto.

Jae-geon stiffened, neither pushing her away nor pulling her closer. Ji-won, unfazed by the cold treatment, stroked his firm forearm as if caressing it.

“Did you break up with the kid?”

“……”

“The industry is buzzing. They say you agreed to be her sex partner in exchange for taking her in as an intern. Is that true?”

“……”

Seeing his bleak expression, Ji-won burst into laughter.

“Don’t look at me like that. Whether I like it or not, we have to see each other for the next ten days.”

Ji-won blinked her lush fake eyelashes looking all innocent.

“Oh, you haven’t heard from the Chef? That I’m going to be escorting you for the entire trip?”

Jae-geon grabbed Ji-won’s fingers as if they were dirty filth and flicked them away. His mood hit rock bottom.

“What did you do to get him to readily accept when he wouldn’t even budge for an invitation?”

“Ask the Chef directly.”

“Cha Ji-won.”

At the warning-like call, Ji-won’s eyes flinched. She quickly raised the sketchbook to hide her face. The hastily scribbled ‘Welcome’ in lipstick stood between Jae-geon and her for a moment.

Just as he was about to leave.

「Geonnie!」

The blue-eyed foreigner, Jean Jacques, was exiting the arrival hall. Jae-geon had to chew on a bitter sigh.

The city, which would normally have sparkled like a toy, seemed like a vast gray sea swallowed by an unexpected downpour.

The raindrops, which had just begun to fall, drew long diagonal lines on the glass. Jae-geon, gazing blankly at the trajectory of the rain, shifted his attention to the rearview mirror.

His mentor, Jean Jacques, and Ji-won were chatting cheerfully. Anyone who didn’t know would mistake them for master and disciple.

「Did you check the itinerary I sent, Chef?」

So it was Cha Ji-won’s doing, not the Chef’s. The fact that he had been completely outplayed by her scheme made his neck tingle.

「It’s quite detailed. Like a prep timetable used in fine dining? Hahaha.」

「However, my car suddenly had to go in for repairs, so I think I’ll have to adjust the schedule. Will that be alright?」

「Isn’t that a non-issue if you accompany Geonnie?」

「Geonnie?」

「Ah, it’s my own pet name for Chef Jung. Jae-geon. His Korean name is too difficult to pronounce.」

「Indeed, it shows the Chef’s affection for his disciple. May I call him that too?」

Ji-won leaned in with a smile.

“Are you okay?”

Jae-geon ignored Ji-won’s question as if it were nothing and spoke directly to Jean.

「It will be difficult to set aside separate time due to the restaurant. Why don’t you enjoy Korean public transportation this time?」

Jean laughed with a boyish face, saying it was a great idea. Ji-won’s expression faltered slightly.

Sensing the precarious atmosphere that had been building for a while, Jean tried to lighten the mood by changing the subject.

「Speaking of which, did Miss Cha also study abroad in France? Your French is as fluent as your English.」

「Yes. I lived there for about two years, following my brother who was studying in France.」

「You must have met Geonnie in France too.」

They hadn’t attended the same school, but they had met through Jun-won. At that time, Ji-won had a French boyfriend, and Jae-geon also had a girlfriend, so they were as distant as strangers.

「That’s right.」

「It’s romantic that your connection continues all the way to Korea.」

Years later, Jae-geon opened Not in Korea, and after a while, Ji-won opened Severin.

Ji-won needed material for an article, and Jae-geon needed a way to get noticed. Their interactions became frequent out of mutual need, and before they knew it, they were in a hotel bed.

Although he now hate obsession… Ji-won was cool, pretty, and had a straightforward personality. Most important of all, like Jae-geon, she was a workaholic, so they had little time for relationships, which suited them well.

While their relationship wasn’t called lovers, there was no disagreement that they had once shared good feelings and grown together.

「I think so too. But whenever I try to create a romantic atmosphere, she always makes excuses about being busy and runs away…….」

「Oh dear.」

Jean, not knowing the details, looked sympathetic.

Jae-geon smiled coldly, a stark contrast to the man he usually was. The car, which had been speeding down the gloomy road, soon reached Seochon.

Seeing Eun-seong approaching, Jae-geon realized his stress had reached its limit. He gritted his teeth.

“Cha Ji-won.”

“I like it when you call me that. It’s sexy.”

“You planned this from the start……”

“If I don’t do this, you won’t even look at me. I’m quite desperate now. This is your last chance with me.”

It was ridiculous.

The car, cutting through the heavy, oppressive air, finally stopped in front of the restaurant. He unbuckled his seatbelt, got out of the car, and yanked open the right rear door as if to tear it off.

“Get out.”

Despite his age, Ji-won acted as if she were receiving an escort, overwhelmed with emotion. Eun-seong’s gaze, watching her and then Jae-geon, was filled with disgust.

It was a more repulsive feeling than when he lost his mother, or when he gained a new mother, or when his uncle was taken away, or even when Ji-won’s stalking began…….

For the first time in his life, Jae-geon felt the urge to smoke a cigarette.