I Got the Almighty Tongue - Chapter 94



Only Noblemtl

I got the omnipotent tongue episode 94

Soyoung

dripping

“Come in.”

“excuse me.”

Soyoung came to my office. She had been looking thoughtful for the past few days, but now she seems to have sorted out her thoughts. I wanted to ask her what was going on, but since it was a private matter, I couldn’t ask her questions. I just waited for her to talk first, and fortunately, she did.

“Come in. Would you like some coffee?”

“yes.”

I put the coffee beans in and grinded them myself using the manual grinder. Then I set the coffee filter, put the beans in, and slowly started pouring hot water. These days, I’m into hand drip coffee. Strong espresso is good, but drip coffee that you drink like light tea also has its own charm.

“Here, drink.”

Soyoung takes the mug and holds it with both hands. She holds it for a while to check its warmth, and then speaks with difficulty.

“I thought you might be curious. I also don’t want any problems to arise because of me, so I want to be honest with you, Chef.”

Soyoung closes her eyes as if she has made up her mind, then opens them and begins to speak.

“Okay. I’m listening.”

“When did you decide to go to the CIA, Chef?”

“It was just before I entered school. I made up my mind and started preparing right away, and entered the following year.”

“I know that usually people prepare for 1-2 years before going. But I prepared for 4 years.”

“Huh? Weren’t you only 18 when you entered the CIA?”

“That’s right. I had already decided on my career path and started preparing when I was in middle school. I had my own circumstances.”

“What’s the matter?”

Judging by her serious face, it doesn’t seem like she really liked cooking and decided on her career path early on.

“I grew up in my grandmother’s house.”

“Oh, my. Your parents passed away early?”

“No. They are both alive and well. They just divorced when I was young.”

“however?”

“Both of them were reluctant to take me. I still remember vividly how they fought over who would take me. I didn’t know what to do, so I went into the room and covered myself with the blanket. They were fighting so loudly that I could hear everything.”

I thought that she would have her own circumstances since she came to America alone at a young age, but this was an unexpected development. The CIA tuition is expensive. I thought she would be from a well-off family, but it seems I was mistaken. As I listened silently, Soyoung continued to speak.

“So the two of them fought and eventually decided to follow Dad. Mom hugged me and whispered that she loved me, but her face looked relieved. Dad kept looking at me and frowned as if he was displeased.”

Not all parents love their children. I know this well, but when I hear the story, my heart aches.

“And then?”

“I thought the world would end if I was abandoned by my father at a young age. So I studied hard and cleaned the house every day. I tried to be a helpful daughter. It’s absurd that a child under ten would think like that. But in the end, my father remarried soon after and I was kicked out to my grandmother’s house again.”

It seems that Soyoung’s parents only pursued their own happiness without thinking about the pain that their child would experience. The environment in which a child grows up has an absolute influence on the child’s future. Despite all this, Soyoung bravely came this far on her own.

“You must have had a hard time at a young age.”

“My grandmother loved me and there were no problems for several years. Around that time, I heard that my mother had remarried. I think that’s when I finally let go of the faint attachment I had to my parents. But it was okay.

But when my grandmother passed away, hell started again. I was going through puberty, so my father probably hated me, but I hated him like crazy. In the end, I went to a cooking high school with a dormitory. And I decided to go abroad where no one would know me.”

“The CIA couldn’t have come that easily, right?”

First of all, it is not easy to meet English test scores.

“My homeroom teacher said that only one person in the whole school would be recommended to the principal. I heard that overseas universities were also possible, so I studied like crazy. I also studied English outside of my classes. Even though it was a cooking high school where studying was not difficult, maintaining the top spot in the whole school for three years was not as easy as I thought, right?

“I had to do whatever it took to get into the CIA with a scholarship. I had to be fluent in English, have volunteer work, have letters of recommendation, have academic records, and win awards in competitions. That’s how I ended up coming to the U.S. with a full scholarship.”

Soyoung’s eyes turn red and she starts to cry as she thinks about the past.

“You’ve worked hard. Are you feeling somewhat relieved now?”

“No, not at all. I still feel uneasy when I think about going to Korea, and I wish I could never see my parents again.”

Perhaps So-young longed for the negativity she had not received from her father. Her overly sincere attitude overlaps with the young So-young who had to study hard and do housework in order not to be abandoned by her father. Were her actions and speech, which seemed bright and unadorned, also camouflage to hide her pain? ‘No. It would be rude to her.’ I shook my head to dismiss the thoughts that came to mind.

“So you don’t want to go to Korea? If it’s hard, you don’t have to go.”

“No! Please let me go with you. I don’t want to be trapped here forever. I want to move forward now.”

“I’ve been waiting to hear that.”

It’s absolutely extraordinary that a young girl can plan her future and take action like this.

“And because the chef is here.”

“huh?”

“It means that the chef was the only adult who supported me.”

“It’s not easy to trust people.”

“Do you think there’s anyone who would know that better than me?”

Soyoung laughs, gets up, closes the door, and goes out.

Children who have no one to lean on grow up too quickly. My heart ached as I thought of little So-young, who had nowhere to lean on. I drank the cold coffee in one gulp. It tasted bitter.

* * *

The old school friends gathered together for the first time in a while. At David and Anna’s pub, we laughed at each other’s changes.

“Kuuuuu. What’s with that beard?”

Anna teases Niki. Niki quit his burger joint and opened a sandwich shop. He can’t make a living just with sandwiches, so he’s also selling burgers and tacos.

“A beard is a must for a mature chef. I heard he’s already quite famous in Queens?”

Niki smiles contentedly, stroking his rough beard.

“There’s a baseball field there?”

“That’s right. Citi Field (home stadium of the New York Mets) opened last year. In fact, I opened a store there with that in mind. There’s a lot of demand for fast food.”

“You made a surprisingly smart choice.”

“Actually, it was Jehee who recommended it.”

Niki looks at me and says, smiling.

I recommended Queens to Nikki, who was looking to go independent. Not only is there a stadium there, but rents are about half of Manhattan’s and there are a lot of young people living there, so it fits Nikki’s menu well.

“There’s no way you’d make such a smart decision. You’ve been by my side since school. You should know that it’s your luck.”

“You guys are the ones who even developed the menu for me? I didn’t have anything like that.”

Niki growls at Anna. The two of them are secretly lusting after each other.

“I really owe you a lot. It might have been difficult when we first opened, but thanks to you, I was able to settle in easily.”

Anna sighs and says, “There must have been many twists and turns before the pub was established. The restaurant industry is not an easy place to simply leave a note and have it all work out.

“Is business okay?”

“I have no problem making a living. I’m saving money. My dream is to buy a house in New York.”

“That’s a grand dream that may take hundreds of years to realize.”

Daniel sneers.

bang

“Aren’t you guys forgetting me too much?”

Jenny takes a sip of her beer and roughly places her glass down on the table.

“You were the one who was indifferent, you bitch.”

Anna glares at Jenny.

“I’m sorry. Something came up.”

“I’m joking. I was surprised to hear the news. Why didn’t you contact me?”

Anna looks at Jenny with concern.

“What about contacting me? I’d probably get depressed as a group. It’s okay now. I have a good boss and a good job. And I’m also a good fit for being a sommelier.”

Jenny taps my shoulder and says.

“I’m the one who benefits from Jenny. A lot of customers come to the restaurant to see Jenny.”

Even in the food service industry, good looks are a kind of cheat key. I think Jenny in her sommelier outfit is attractive.

“She’s been paying a lot of attention to herself since she was little. What do you think of her as a man?”

“A man would freeze to death. After work, he goes back to his dorm and doesn’t want to move a finger.”

Jenny shakes her head as if she is tired.

“Well, you’re the type that would hide in a hole when things get tough. You’re not even a man.”

“That’s a stereotype about men. Daniel has to go through hard times to come out of his hole.”

Niki teases Daniel, who has been listening quietly.

“Have you met anyone after Mariam?”

I ask him. The truth is, Daniel has never been good at relationships.

“Actually, I’m dating Mariam.”

Daniel says, blushing in embarrassment.

“What?”

We were all surprised, because his and Mariam’s story was a legendary episode among us.

“What on earth did you do?”

Anna is surprised and asks Daniel.

“Mariam got divorced. I guess that’s when she thought of me.”

Daniel scratches his head as if embarrassed. He’s such a pure-hearted guy. Still, it’s fortunate that his love has come true, even if it’s late. In America, divorce isn’t even a topic for drinking.

“When will Hachimura become independent?”

Hachimura is still working at his first job, a Japanese restaurant.

“I’m losing confidence. Do you know what the five-year survival rate is for a newly opened restaurant in New York? It’s 10%. 70% of them close within a year. And even among those who survive, most don’t last five years. I’m thinking about going back to Japan.”

Hachimura drinks beer as if he is thirsty. He must have had his own share of worries.

“That’s not bad either. What kind of food are you going to cook in Japan?”

“I’m going to do fusion dining. I’m going to use what I learned here.”

“It’s not a bad idea. Japan is a country where fine dining is incredibly active.”

Japan is Asia’s largest fine dining market.

“I’m just trying to open a casual dining place. I’m not as famous as Jehee, nor have I worked at a three-star restaurant.”

“The beginning is important for anything.”

“Oh, right! Our Segreto will be going to Seoul next month. We’re planning a banquet for the heads of state attending the G20.”

Jenny brags to her friends in a boastful manner.

“Wow. It’s completely international now? It was even featured in the New York Times. Now it’s an international event?”

At Niki’s words, everyone raises their glasses and congratulates us. They are always good friends. I could be jealous, but they are all smiling brightly as if they are genuinely happy about Segreto’s success.

“But isn’t it time for a Michelin Guide to come out?”

“That’s right. The New York edition will be published this week.”

As expected, they are all chefs, so it seems they are all paying attention. Next week, the guide for New York, the city with the most Michelin stars in the world, will be published.

“Are you sure?”

Anna looks at me and asks.

“Isn’t it a little early? It hasn’t even been half a year since it opened.”

“But are you looking forward to it?”

“of course.”

Joseph Laurent also received it in his first year, so I can’t be left behind. However, I couldn’t figure out when the judges came and went. If they haven’t come yet, I’m sorry, but I can only wait for next year.