God of Cooking

Chapter 173: Chapter 173: Overlapping Shadows (3)

“… Stop saying cringy things. You’re embarrassing me.”

“Since you’re wearing a mask and sunglasses anyway, you don’t have to worry about people looking.”

“But they’ll still know it’s me.”

“How?”

“Is there anyone else you’d be holding hands with?”

She was right. Cho Min Joon stared at Kaya. At that moment, Kaya was thankful for her sunglasses and mask. If she hadn’t hidden behind them, she wouldn’t have had the confidence to look him in the eyes. She felt like Cho Min Joon’s hand was hot. Cho Min Joon asked, “Why was it so hard to get a hold of you?”

“Sorry.”

“Is it because what we talked about last time?”

In response, Kaya didn’t answer. There was no point in asking in the first place. That was the only possible reason why Kaya avoided his calls. Kaya put her right hand in her pocket. Cho Min Joon asked in a worried voice.

“It’s cold, isn’t it? Should we go somewhere warm?”

“… Hey, today’s 27 degrees.”

“Oh yeah.”

Cho Min Joon answered in an embarrassed face.

The two of them continued to walk without minding the eyes and cameras that were pointed toward them, and it was only after they left the airport that they realized they had nowhere to go. Cho Min Joon asked with a troubled face, “Where do we go?”

“Wait, you haven’t even decided?”

“I didn’t even know if we could spend time together. By the way, are you feeling okay? You’re… a little warm.”

Cho Min Joon put his hand on Kaya’s forehead and neck and asked in a worried voice. Kaya answered, “Hey, I don’t know about my forehead, but how can you touch my neck?”

“I don’t know. Who’s the one who kissed my neck last time?”

“What? Which bitch… Oh, that was me.”

Kaya knitted her brows before she remembered what happened in Florence and mumbled to herself . Cho Min Joon smirked and asked, “So what do you want to do? Do you want to rest or walk around?”

“I’m hungry. I want to eat.”

“Oh, I know the perfect place. Kaya, do you like fun places or nice places?”

Kaya took off her sunglasses. Her eyes looked playful beneath her dark smoky makeup.

“I”ll hit you if you keep testing me.”

***

“You brought me to a hot dog place?”

“You said you were hungry, and this place will surprise you. It’s famous in LA.”

Cho Min Joon brought Kaya to a one-story shop in downtown. Aside from their hot dogs, their fries and various beers were famous as well… But the hot dogs were the most unique. Toppings, sauces, and the sausages, they could customize all three, and the restaurant’s most lethal weapon was their sausages. Kaya mumbled in a disoriented manner, “Jalapeno sausage, Italian Vegetarian Sausage, Apple sausage, Mango sausage… snake meat sausage? What is this place?”

“Isn’t it fun? I have to keep coming here until I try all of their flavors.”

“… You were going to bring me here no matter what I answered, weren’t you?”

Cho Min Joon turned his head with a startled face. He ordered and headed toward a table in the corner while holding Kaya’s hand. They would be seen by less people here, but since they couldn’t keep holding hands after sitting down, Kaya let go and asked, “You know your stuff. Have you dated before?”

“No. Never.”

“Never?”

Cho Min Joon thought for a moment. When Cho Min Joon was 20 before, he did have experience, but not the Cho Min Joon now. So he didn’t know how to answer, but the fact that he couldn’t answer made Kaya’s eyes glare.

“So you have. Was she pretty?”

“… No, I haven’t.”

“You’re lying now? I thought you weren’t going to lie to me.”

“I mean it. I’ve never dated. … Why do I have to explain myself?”

“Do you really have no idea?”

“Nope. I don’t.”

In response, Kaya glared at him. At that moment, a Caucasian man with a tattoo of a woman on his thigh put down hot dogs, fries, and a plate with sauce on it on the table. He glanced at Cho Min Joon and spoke. Unlike his tough appearance, his voice was high.

“You’re back, Min Joon. After you came last time, I watched your videos. I guess you can guess all of the ingredients in our toppings and sauces.”

“Should I not eat them then?”

“Of course not. Who would stop you from eating just because you have a sensitive palate? Please enjoy. And the same goes for your girlfriend. Have a good time.”

He didn’t recognize Kaya. It was possible he didn’t even know her. If he didn’t watch TV, he couldn’t recognize famous actors, let alone Kaya. He only found out about Cho Min Joon after hearing from other customers that he has the perfect palate.

“… He didn’t recognize me.”

“Are you sad?”

“No, I’m happy. I feel like I’m a customer. These days, everybody knows I’m Kaya Reuters… It’s tiring because they try to see the Kaya Reuters from TV instead of the real thing.”

Kaya lowered her mask to her chin and put the hot dog in her mouth. The one she got was the sausage made of chicken meat marinated with apple juice. On top of the sausage was sauce made of cinnamon and apple jam, and on top of that was fried pork pieces and onion.

The one Cho Min Joon ordered was made of lamb meat and hot pepper flakes topped off with truffle oil and cooked bell pepper. As soon as Cho Min Joon took a bite, Kaya remembered something.

“Oh yeah, what were we talking about earlier? Let’s continue.”

Instead of answering, Cho Min Joon took a big bite of his hot dog. After glaring at him, Kaya leaned in and put the other side of Cho Min Joon’s hot dog into her mouth.

The bread crumbled, and the white teeth that poked out of her thin lips bit into the sausage like it was slow motion. And every time her tongue appeared, he felt dirty as he had seen something erotic.

He couldn’t tell if he was taken aback or if she was really eating it slowly. Kaya looked at him and said, “Hmph. I’ll let it go since the hot dog is good.”

“You might give me your cold.”

“If you were afraid of that, why did you hold my hand?”

“I can just wash my hands.”

“… So you calculated all of that, huh?”

Kaya spoke in a sulky voice. Cho Min Joon sighed and took a bite of Kaya’s hot dog this time. It was where Kaya had already taken a bite. But of course, there was no alarm telling him, ‘This contains Kaya’s saliva.’

Cho Min Joon looked back at Kaya. Kaya looked at Cho Min Joon with a nervous face. She then opened her mouth.

“Happy? I have your cold now.”

“You said all I have to do is take care of you.”

“Will you?”

“What about you? Would you?”

“If you want.”

In response, Kaya smiled. The two fo them continued to eat their hot dogs without a word. By the time they almost finished, Kaya slowly opened her mouth.

“You know, if I end up making a big mistake with you… what will you do?”

“I don’t understand.”

“Would you see me again? Can you forgive me?”

He didn’t know why she was asking such a question. He couldn’t think of how she could make a mistake with him. Cho Min Joon stared at Kaya for a moment. The makeup around her eyes was clear, but her eyes looked like they were overwhelmed with anxiousness. Cho Min Joon looked her in the eyes and answered, “That depends on what you do, but I’d see you again.”

“Why?”

“Is there a need for a reason?”

“… Yeah, that’s true.”

Kaya shut her mouth again. Cho Min Joon dipped a fry into some mustard and put it into his mouth. It was spicier than he thought. And when he dipped another fry and gave it to Kaya, she stared at it before opening her mouth like a baby bird.

The conversation only resumed once she finished chewing the fry. Kaya spoke as if it was no big deal, “My father contacted me.”

Cho Min Joon’s face stiffened up. He knew the rough story about Kaya’s father. That he was quite violent and that he got her mother pregnant with Gemma before leaving. Kaya must’ve realized what Cho Min Joon was thinking because she quickly added.

“Not that father. My… biological father.”

“… Your biological father?”

“Yeah. He called me saying he wants to meet.”

Cho Min Joon didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know anything about Kaya’s biological father. He wasn’t sure if they had never met or if she never mentioned him to the media. Or perhaps he had never read the related articles…

‘But this is no time for this.’

“What else did he say?”

What was important was the reality. The one Kaya wanted an answer from wasn’t his future Cho Min Joon, but him in the present. Kaya hesitated before answering, “That he doesn’t want any money. What he wants is to talk.”

Cho Min Joon stared at Kaya. He realized why Kaya tried to avoid him. She wanted to overcome it on her own. And the reason why she was telling him now wasn’t because she gave up. It was probably because she had already overcome it. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have brought it up.

He grabbed Kaya’s hand carefully. Kaya stared at a burnt fry and said, “At first, I didn’t want to meet him. I’ve been waiting for almost 20 years, so why now? I just didn’t want to.”

“… But you do now.”

Kaya grimaced. Her face contained sadness, longing, happiness, and excitement, as well as her desire to keep her pride.

“I really hate him. Why would I want to see the father who abandoned me? My mom raised me, so he doesn’t deserve to see me just because we’re blood. That’s weird.”

“That’s not weird.”

“… Why not?”

“Because no matter how much you want to deny it… you’re his daughter. But I understand how you feel. It’s up to you what you do. But Kaya, I don’t want you to have any regrets.”

Those words impacted her. Kaya thought carefully before making up her mind and raising her phone. She then called her agent.

“Hi, it’s me. Do I have things to do tomorrow? Good. I’m going to meet my father. Tell him to come to LA tomorrow, but don’t give him a plane ticket. If he really wants to see me, he’ll get his own. Yes. Thank you.”

“… You decided so suddenly.”

Cho Min Joon looked worried as he watched Kaya end her call. He was worried she was straining herself. Kaya slowly shook her head and bit down on her lip. She then teared up and looked at Cho Min Joon.

“If I don’t decide now, I’ll just keep putting it off. I might cuss him out when we meat. I might just cuss him out like crazy. I don’t think I’ll understand. Because of my mom, I’ve never missed my dad before. And that’s his fault. I don’t’ think I can forgive him for the pain, but I’ll see him.”

“… You don’t have to forgive him or understand him, and you can cuss him out. If you want, I’ll go with you.”

Cho Min Joon whispered to her with comfort. Kaya smiled at Cho Min Joon.

“… Yeah. Like you said, you’ll take care of me.”

Cho Min Joon smiled. Kaya noticed the burn scar on Cho Min Joo’ns neck. She stared at it and slowly opened her mouth.

“I’m saying this in a pure sense, so listen to me as if you’re a boy.”

“… What is it?”

“Keep your promise to take care of me. I have a cold right now.”

“Sure. But why should I listen to this in a pure sense?”

“I want you to be with me until I see my father.”

Kaya continued, “… Can you stay the night with me?”