Chapter 10. The Show Begins
“Chefs in the expert group will soon get to choose a partner. Of course, from the non-expert group.”
The staff member explained it briefly, almost as if choosing a partner were a trivial detail.
But in reality, the entire competition could be decided by that choice.
Even though he appeared at first as nothing more than a supporting helper for a chef, Pan Doseok eventually became famous as “Chef Pan” and changed his life through this program.
Seol-young swallowed a bitter smile internally but showed a bright smile to the staff.
“I’m really nervous about who I’ll end up teaming up with. I’m excited too.”
It was true.
Seol-young didn’t mind who her partner would be on this show.
Except for one person.
Pan Doseok.
Because he had to lose.
And she had to win.
They had to stand on completely opposite sides.
“This is the waiting room for the expert group. Please relax here while you wait, Chef Ryu.”
“Thank you, Writer.”
As Seol-young walked toward the waiting room, she thought quietly:
What if Doseok ends up paired with Bo-yoon again this time?
Even without her recipes, he might still attract attention.
A bitter taste rose in her throat.
Perhaps that bitterness came from a small sense of guilt toward Bo-yoon.
If Doseok were ruined, it would also mean destroying the future Bo-yoon once had as the champion of this program.
Maybe Bo-yoon was another victim of Pan Doseok.
But the opposite might also be true.
Did Bo-yoon really not know?
When she cooked dishes so similar to my signature recipes… did she truly never suspect anything?
Surely it must have seemed strange.
Was she simply deceived by Doseok pretending they were his recipes?
Or had he lied and said he bought them from Seol-young?
Seol-young was still unsure.
Should she warn Bo-yoon to stay away from Doseok?
Or let things unfold as they once did and watch?
As she thought about that, she stepped into the waiting room.
Someone tapped her shoulder.
Seol-young turned around.
It was Bo-yoon.
“Oh my, it really is you, Seol-young?”
“Bo-yoon.”
“How are you here? When I saw the name ‘Ryu Seol-young’ on the expert list, I thought it had to be someone with the same name.”
“Hm?”
“I mean, it’s strange. I thought this was a cooking show for chefs. But they allow restaurant owners too? Well… I guess they also have celebrities and athletes.”
Bo-yoon smiled brightly.
Looking at her face, Seol-young felt the hidden meaning behind those words.
Seol-young had always thought of Bo-yoon warmly as someone in the same profession.
But Bo-yoon often subtly emphasized that she had taken the elite culinary path while Seol-young simply ran a small restaurant.
Before, Seol-young had ignored it.
But knowing the future now, her doubts grew.
Maybe Bo-yoon knew…
Maybe she just pretended not to know the recipes were mine.
That uncomfortable feeling rose inside her again.
But she hid it completely.
Bo-yoon looked around briefly, then leaned closer as if sharing important information.
“Hey, did you hear?”
Her voice was secretive.
“What?”
“We’re going to choose partners from the non-expert group soon. Apparently we get to pick them ourselves.”
That was only half true.
In reality, only the winners of the upcoming match would gain the right to choose first.
But Seol-young kept that knowledge to herself.
“I heard that. So?”
“Well… someone we know is in the non-expert group.”
“Oh? Who?”
“Doseok oppa, Doran’s brother.”
“I see.”
Seol-young’s calm reaction made Bo-yoon widen her eyes.
“What? You already knew?”
“No. How would I? You’re much closer to him than I am.”
Seol-young was testing her.
Bo-yoon hesitated for a moment before speaking carefully.
“Seol-young… keep this between us.”
Seol-young nodded slowly.
“Doseok oppa told me not to tell anyone… but you’re my friend, so you have to keep it a secret.”
Bo-yoon lowered her voice even more.
“Actually… Doseok oppa and I started dating.”
“Officially… since yesterday.”
Seol-young almost told her she shouldn’t do that.
But she bit her lower lip instead.
Wait.
In the past, Pan Doseok cheated on me even after registering our marriage.
“Oh, what should I do? I’ll call you back soon.”
“No, wait. I’ll come over to your place tonight. We should celebrate the victory properly.”
That phone call he had made openly before her.
He had already been seeing another woman then.
There was no guarantee that the woman had been Kwon Bo-yoon.
But it was certainly possible.
Since returning to the past, Seol-young had changed many things.
But anything she hadn’t interfered with had happened exactly the same.
That meant the woman Doseok had been dating might also be the same person.
Could that woman… be you, Kwon Bo-yoon?
It was too early to be certain.
So Seol-young decided not to jump to conclusions.
Bo-yoon might truly be a victim.
But the uneasy feeling remained as suspicion until clear evidence appeared.
If Bo-yoon turned out to be innocent, Seol-young could help her later—even if she ended up teaming with Doseok.
Bo-yoon seemed to expect a reaction of shock or envy.
Instead, she asked awkwardly:
“You don’t happen to like Doseok oppa too, do you?”
“Of course not.”
“Good. I was worried. As you know, there’s a reason he became an actor. He’s really handsome.”
Seol-young almost burst out laughing but managed to hold it in.
“So your pick is Pan Doseok?”
“Of course.”
“Then I guess you just have to avoid him, Seol-young.”
Seol-young smiled calmly.
“That’s a relief. Looks like we won’t become rivals—in love or in work.”
Looking at Seol-young’s bright face, Bo-yoon thought bitterly:
Rivals? What a joke.
Doseok oppa was always mine, anyway.
But what did she say? Rivals in work?
A small restaurant owner calling herself a chef? My rival?
How ridiculous.
Suppressing her irritation, Bo-yoon forced a smile.
* * *
“Everyone stand by.”
“5, 4, 3, 2, 1.”
The main producer’s voice echoed through the earpieces.
Under the glowing ON AIR sign, the host’s deep narration began.
“Today, Korea’s top chefs have gathered here to challenge the strongest competitors.”
The enormous studio was filled with tense silence.
The chefs stood behind their cooking stations as bright spotlights shone on them.
A large camera crane moved slowly above them, capturing aerial shots.
The scene felt almost sacred.
“From hidden masters running small neighborhood restaurants…”
Seol-young’s face appeared in a close-up as the music swelled dramatically.
“…to top graduates from the world’s three greatest culinary schools, royal cuisine masters recognized as cultural treasures, and Michelin-star chefs.”
Seol-young stood perfectly still.
Only her eyes moved.
They were fixed on the opposite stage behind a black curtain.
Soon the non-expert group would be revealed there.
And among them—
Pan Doseok.
Right as she thought of him, the host spoke again with dramatic emphasis.
“And here…”
A heavy sound effect echoed.
The black curtain disappeared, revealing ten silhouettes.
“And here are the hidden cards of Couple Chef, who will help determine the true champion of cooking.”
As the announcer introduced them, only their professions appeared above the silhouettes.
Idol.
Soccer player.
Firefighter.
One by one the titles appeared with sound effects.
Then one word appeared:
Actor.
There he is.
Pan Doseok.
At that moment, Bo-yoon’s and Seol-young’s eyes met briefly before turning away.
Bo-yoon… Are you worried I might want Pan Doseok?
Why would you even think that?
Seol-young swallowed a bitter smile.
She didn’t want to think badly of Bo-yoon.
But her suspicion continued to grow.
“Now then…”
“Let the first match begin.”
