Absinthe novel Chapter 17

I was already exactly two blocks away from Chef Maxwell's restaurant when I realized that I had left my phone in the locker where I had stored my belongings during the finals. I was both exhausted and excited about winning that I had forgotten to grab it after I had changed my clothes.

I did a U-turn, parked, and went back inside. The restaurant manager greeted me as I entered and I discreetly explained the situation to her. She smiled and told me to let myself into the locker room. The door was ajar, and I could hear Jiwoo talking.

"Yeah, it sucks. I don't really know where to get that additional two hundred thousand."

I didn't want to eavesdrop, but I didn't think that now was the best time for me to enter and retrieve my phone. I decided to let him finish and wait outside for a bit.

"I just feel really bad. You know how hard it was for me to save that much. I had nosebleeds from juggling three jobs at the same time, remember? No. I think I'm forfeiting. I can't really pay for the class anymore. There's no way I'd be able to get a loan, and—"

Just then, my phone rang.

"Gimme a sec. Someone left their phone here."

I heard Jiwoo's footsteps as he walked inside the locker room. "Gold Digging MoFu?" Jiwoo said as he read the name flashing on my phone screen.

Shit! It was JM.

"Hello, Gold Digging MoFu? Yeah, that's how your name's saved on this phone. Somebody left it. Can you let me know who? No, I'm not joking! Your name's saved as Gold Digging MoFu."

There was a sound that told me Jiwoo had leaned on one of the lockers. "It's an emergency? I don't care what that emergency is. I told you: someone left this phone here. Now, if you're not going to tell me the name of the person you're trying to call, then I can't help you."

There was a pause.

"What did you say? You fuc—"

I couldn't take it anymore, so I barged in at that very second and grabbed my phone from Jiwoo's hands, which, to my surprise, were shaking. For a brief moment, I looked at Jiwoo's shocked face and unintentionally grinned.

Grinned very stupidly.

I then mouthed an apology before running from the place like my life depended on it.

What could JM possibly want from me now? And in what universe would I have the courage to talk to him again, especially now that he knew I had changed his name on my phone to Gold Digging MoFu? I stayed in my car for minutes on end, unable to move. I hadn't expected a call from JM to have such an effect on me.

Fuck! I screamed internally.

There came a knock on my window. It was Jiwoo. In all honestly, he still looked exceptionally handsome in a plain white shirt and jeans.

"This might be overstepping my boundaries a little," he started. "But whoever that guy was, he's a total asshole."

I gave Jiwoo a smile—or so I thought. The rear view mirror revealed that I looked like I was showing my gums to the dentist or something.

"You should ignore him," he said. "Block his number if possible."

I nodded.

"You deserve someone better. Anyway, I'll be going now." He withdrew from the window and started to back away from my car. "Take care, and see you whenever!"

See you whenever!

Did that mean he was really giving up Chef Maxwell's classes?

Without hesitation, I called Chef Maxwell and told him that I was forfeiting the scholarship. He refused at first, but I explained that I was continuing the apprenticeship without taking the fee waiver. I told him that I was going to pay for it in full and that he should give the scholarship to Jiwoo instead.

"Please just make sure he doesn't find out," I begged Chef Maxwell.

"Certainly. I'll see you in two weeks."

As soon as I ended the call, my phone got bombarded with a thousand notifications from IG. I opened the app, and not surprisingly, I had been tagged in another post on Gossip Gurl's page. What was surprising, however, was the photo.

It was one of Jiwoo leaning against my car, smiling. That had been just a few minutes ago, when Jiwoo had been telling me to ignore JM. My face was partly visible on the windshield. Who the hell had taken the photo? I looked around to see if there was anyone nearby, but the parking lot was empty.

I looked at the picture again and read the caption: Looks like @bjmesoftly is getting all the hot guys in town!

Ugh! Why was Gossip Gurl painting me as some sort of a—

Scarlet woman, that BJ is! It was a comment from Faye.

See! I told you so! There's nothing going on between @bjmesoftly and our beloved @dr.derrick was a comment from a random netizen.

OMG these two look like they came straight out of a Thai BL Novel!!! was another comment.

Three crying emojis was the reply of @robertanderson. His comment generated a thousand more notifications as people started tagging my username in the comments.

I turned off the notifications in annoyance and checked the previously posted pictures.

There was one picture of Faye and Henry in some fancy dinner ball. The next photo was of Trish A. and her German footballer hubby coming out of the airport, probably after their honeymoon.

Then, I saw another one of me on the phone during the preliminary round. I could see Jiwoo in the background, but his face was blurred due to his movement. I remembered his usual white shirt and jeans, though. There was no mistaking it was Jiwoo. That was the time he had called me out for passing the prelims without actually joining it.

Gossip Gurl was a mystery. And so was Jiwoo. I knew she was getting photos from people all over the metro, but who was she, and why was she making all this buzz about me? And Jiwoo's acting all confusing as fuck, too! One moment he's acting like a total asshole, and the next he's this charming boy next door. I was beyond confused.

***

The following morning, I woke up to Derrick telling me that the gang was coming over to congratulate me on my win. And that I had to cook for them.

"I thought you guys were congratulating me?" I asked accusingly. "Why am I doing the cooking then?"

"Because you're the chef, you idiot," answered Derrick. "Hurry up because they'll be here soon."

"What time is it anyway? And who's coming?"

"It's already 10. You overslept. And everyone's coming. Literally everyone."

I reluctantly got out of bed and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. I wondered if Robert was coming as well. After what he had done and what I had told him, it was possible that he didn't want to see my face. I dressed up in a simple shirt and a loose pair of koi fish-themed trousers.

"What do you guys want to eat?" I asked Derrick over the sound of the TV. "Pizza? Steak? Fish?"

"Korean," Derrick replied.

"Korean food?" I asked, unsure if I had heard him correctly.

"Look at the dish here," he called, pointing at the TV. "I don't know what it's called, but it's what Koreans eat for hangovers."

I looked at what Derrick was pointing at—it was haejangguk.

"Challenge accepted!" I exclaimed as I started prepping.

"Whoa. That thing was there this entire time?" Derrick asked as he watched me open the kimchi refrigerator. "I've never seen it 'till now. I thought it was a simple kitchen counter!"