Absinthe

Chapter 45: Cordillera Clouds

I thought it was the warmth of the sunlight that woke me up. But I realized it was Jiwoo's lips on my cheeks that did.

"Sorry, did I disturb your sleep?" he asked.

I shook my head and rubbed my eyes. Jiwoo waited for me to sit upright before doing the same, and I noticed his eyes were still on me.

"What?" I asked.

"I think I'm in love with you," he said.

I burst out laughing. "What time is it?"

"It's just a few minutes past six."

I glanced around and saw that the place was covered in thick mist, which made the air cold, and the sun was mostly obscured by fluffy clouds.

I jumped out of the pickup truck with Jiwoo following closely behind. I ran to the thick growth on the side of the road until I was near the edge of the cliff. I sat there feeling breathless and reveled in the sight. A few rays of the sun pierced through the clouds and showered certain spots of the mountainside with bursts of orange light.

I felt Jiwoo sit behind me, enveloping me in an embrace.

"It's beautiful," I commented.

"You're fishing for compliments," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"You know how I'd respond to that. I did so last night."

"I just said that the scenery is beautiful," I protested.

"You are beautiful," Jiwoo said as he buried his face in my shoulder.

It was then that I remembered how he had said the same thing last night. I didn't move. I wanted to stay there for as long as I could.

"Hey, Jiwoo," I said, realizing that I hadn't properly acknowledged how he had kept me company yesterday. "Thank you for everything."

Jiwoo tightened his embrace before he let go and faced me. And then he inched slowly forward until his lips were almost touching mine. I knew better than to move, but I did. I met his lips until he parted mine and we were kissing again.

We must have dozed off because we were lying on the grass when I woke up to Nico's complaints.

"Jesus! I thought something bad happened to you guys! I searched for you everywhere, and the car was empty!"

"Sorry, man," Jiwoo said, helping me to my feet.

"I'm never going to help you with your schemes again," Nico declared.

"Hey! No fair!" Jiwoo complained loudly.

"Let's go back," Nico said. "We only have this afternoon to practice for tomorrow's lunch challenge."

forgotten about that. I hadn't thought of

face because he leaned

could possibly serve for dessert. I could smell what Jiwoo was cooking in the kitchen, and it was amazing. The guy really knew his way around aromas and

for dinner. I still hadn't come up with a dish.

anymore. I happened to glance

you guys this morning. It's the cliff side of the place where this asshole plotted to have a night

"Hey!" Jiwoo protested.

our first

then something dawned

said. "I

kitchen because the dessert I planned for had a lot of elements

working on his dish. Vivi and Jiwoo came in 30 minutes later, so the kitchen was suddenly busy with all four of us doing what looked like four or five things at the same time. I could feel the eyes of the head chef darting left and

all the necessary preparations and decided to have an early

finalize everything. At 12, the head chef announced that Chef

responded. "Starters coming

the TV on the wall that I knew was used to monitor the activity in the dining hall. Only this time, the camera was

clearly see Maxwell sitting with three people I didn't know. One of them was a lady in her mid-50s dressed in business formal attire.

cloche was lifted, all of them at the table applauded

the pasta sheets, and the filling is made of goat cheese

the broth?" Jiwoo

a consommé from the goat bone broth I'd been cooking since

Nico say. "We're

in no time, and after

the soup. I glanced at Jiwoo, but he didn't seem too worried. However, the same two judges suddenly clapped after they had

potage parmentier,

of the soup. For the flavors, I

"Rabbit?" I asked.

I heard it's a mainstay for

as though the judges were very happy

"My turn," Nico said.

course was next. No one in the dining hall

the server, who came

Vivi said.

"You're

announced that Nico was being called

Nico to

"This is my version

Pinakbet is a vegetable dish that is known in the Philippines as a healthy, poor man's

glanced at what was on the plate, but it looked nothing like pinakbet at all. Pinakbet usually consists of soggy,

nine in total. And there was purplish rice shaped like a crescent moon

terrine?" Vivi whispered

said. "A vegetable pyramid terrine.

didn't seem to need any other explanation. They

This is exclusive content from Dramanovels.com. Please visit Dramanovels.com to support the author and the translation team!

Comments ()

0/255