ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬-𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧
─◌✰್ 𝖻𝖾𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾
❝𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝗺𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿. 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻.❞

"Cooking! Cooking! Cooking!" Alaska, Riley, and Mya all chanted as they marched down the hall towards the kitchens.

"You three can barely cook eggs!" Seungmin yelled after them from his spot next to JJ and Renee.

Riley turned around and flipped him off. "Fuck off, Seungmin! I make amazing omelets. Omelet."

"Yeah, I made chicken and roast potatoes back at home!" Alaska added. "Once."

"I..." Mya trailed off, trying to come up with something. "Ah, never mind. I can't cook for shit."

"Good thing you already had your date!" Lanhua said helpfully, smiling at her roomie.

"Oh, yeah and that was sooo-" Mya stopped her sarcastic words when she met Jeongin's hurt-filled gaze. She looked away guiltily, before hurrying after her friends.

As everyone traipsed into the kitchen, Minho turned to you. He had been walking next to you down the hall, sat with you during breakfast, and even hung out with you after you spoke to Renee and Robin last night.

It felt almost like you were... married. Well, really married.

No, he couldn't be thinking like that. Not yet, anyway. Until he talked to you, he would act like you were just happy newlyweds onscreen, and barely cordial off it.

"So, how good of a cook are you these days, Tess?" He asked with a smile. "Back when we were kids, you were pretty terrible."

"Okay, I didn't ask for that!" you exclaimed, miffed. "I was six, you can't judge a six year old."

"But I knew you in middle school," Minho reminded you. "And you were bad then, too."

You shoved him, and he winced. "I'm a princess! Why the hell would I know how to cook? And don't listen to Riley and Alaska, they can't cook for shit, either."

Minho chuckled, moving his arm to brush against yours. "You're right, I'm the crazy one."

You grinned. "Yeah, you are. But I guess it'll come in handy now, huh? You're gonna kick all our royal asses."

"Well, I bet Renee is an amazing cook," Minho frowned. "She probably has to be, since she's a maid."

"Then I guess youre just gonna have to beat her, huh?" You smirked at him. "And then you can use that victory to-"

But before you could continue, Yeonjun stepped into the kitchen.

"Okay everyone, please come stand in front of one of these hot plates. You each have your own, along with your own set of ingredients. You will only be tasked with cooking one meal, but there will be four courses. There is a copy of the instructions next to each station, but I will be watching so you don't talk to each other about your techniques, and ensure you don't copy off one another. You will have four hours to complete the meal, and then I, along with the rest of the production staff, will blind taste test each one to see which we like the most. The winner will get to choose who they want to take on a date. Is everyone ready?"

"Yes!" They chorused.

He nodded, the ghost of a smile spreading across his lips. "Alright. I will start the countdown. Three... two... one... go!"

————————

Minho snatched up the instruction sheet, skimming it quickly. The first course were crostinis with garlic spread. Second course consisted of a Greek salad with miso vinaigrette. The third course, roast chicken with mashed potatoes and collared greens. And for dessert, an egg custard.

"Oh my gosh, I said I was good at making chicken!" Alaska gasped, pointing at the instruction sheet. "Yeonjun, did you do this on purpose? Do you want me to win again?"

"I am just the unbiased judge," Yeonjun replied smoothly.

Hyunjin snorted disbelievingly at his sister. "That's absolute crap about you cooking, Laska. I don't know if I've ever seen you in the kitchen, besides stealing snacks!"

She pouted, before turning back to her station. "Oh shut up! You're all gonna be shocked when I win."

"I think we should get a fire extinguisher," Christopher told Yeonjun seriously. "Some of the contestants are known to be fire hazards."

Riley whipped her head around at his words, cheeks red. "You're right Laska!" she called. "When it's just the two of us at the top, people won't say shit!"

"I wish I could say the same thing," Mya groaned. She stood between Alaska and Jisung, her sleeves rolled up, her hair already falling out of its ponytail. "I don't even know how to peel garlic!"

"I heard that you're supposed to-" Jisung stopped when Yeonjun gave him a warning glance. "Erm, never mind."

As the rest of his friends chattered and complained, Minho kept his nose down and went to work. He was determined to win this challenge.

Why? Well... even though you hadn't finished your earlier sentence, he had a feeling he knew what you were about to say.

"And then you can use your victory to-"

To ask you on a date, that's what. And damn, did he want to. And not just because he'd been coming to terms with the fact that he'd been wanting this for a long time. And not because the two of you were married, and hadn't even been on a date together, although that was part of it. It was because he wanted - no, needed - to prove himself to you. Prove that he was worthy of your attention, of your trust. He hadn't really been reliable, ever.

And this date, this challenge, was how he was going to do it.

He threw olive oil and chopped garlic into the food processor and turned it on. The entire room was already smelling like fresh, pungent garlic and warm bread.

Next to him, an arm bumped his. He turned covertly to his right,trying tried to conceal a smile.

You were chucking hunks of garlic into your mixer with abandon, not caring that garlic skin was scattered all over your cutting board, oil splattered on the counter. Clearly, not much had changed. You were a whirlwind in the kitchen.

"You want some help with that?" he asked. "You're making a huge mess."

"Nope, I'm good!" you replied cheerfully. "I'm already moving on to the salad! Race you?"

Minho rolled his eyes, but grinned. "You're on. But just know... you're gonna lose."

You laughed as you started scooping the garlic spread onto the crostinis. "You underestimate me, Lee Minho. I am full of surprises."

"Erm, is my dressing supposed to be chunky?" Robin held up her mixing bowl with a frown. "It looks really wrong. Bin, wanna taste?"

The guard, who stood next to her, wrinkled his nose. "Ewe, hell no. Look at mine, smooth as butter. Now that's how you make a dressing."

She glared, but didn't push the issue. "I should probably dump this, right?"

Felix, who had been chopping lettuce with Alaska, turned to look at his friend's concoction. "Yeah, sorry Robs but that's gross. I wouldn't make my worst enemy - if I had one - eat that."

She pouted at them both, before scooping it into the trash.

"Remind me not to try your cooking, Robin!" Seungmin laughed. He was already done with his salad, setting the dressing and lettuce next to each other.

"I am not the worst chef here!" Robin insisted. "I am actually very good at mixing things. This was just a fluke."

JJ chuckled. "Yeah, we know that girl. I don't know if I can pick who the worst chef here is, but Mya, Changbin, and Felix are all pretty close. And it's almost like Seungmin is bad out of spite."

"Hey!" Changbin protested. "I am a genius!"

"I think I'm an okay chef," Felix complained. "A better baker, that's for sure. But I swear, I have never set off the fire alarm! Okay... once, but still!"

Alaska smiled, sliding a free hand around his wrist and squeezing. "I would try whatever you cook, Lix," she promised.

"I wouldn't recommend that!" Changbin snickered. "If you think I'm bad, you should have seen his attempt at fluffy pancakes! They were so flat and rubbery, I could bounce them. The stuff I ate at war was better."

Lanhua frowned at him. "Don't talk about that," she said seriously.

"Sorry, Hua," Changbin raised his brows at her, but quieted.

Minho finished with his salad, crumbling some feta on the top before moving on to the chicken. The instructions had him start marinating the chicken before everything else, so it would properly soak in the herbs and spices. Now, he removed it from the plastic bag and placed it in the skillet.

"Ooh, that smells amazing!" You turned around and sniffed at Minho's dish. "Mine doesn't look nearly as good at yours." Your shoulders slumped as you showed him yours.

He raised his eyebrows. Clearly, you weren't a follower of the "clean as you go" method of cooking. Bowls, measuring cups, and spoons covered your little cooking area, with splatters of food covering what empty space was left. "Wow." Was all he could say. "You are chaotic, aren't you?"

You frowned, turning the chicken in your skillet before setting the tongs down. "Well, you could always help me clean up, since you're so good at that."

"Yeah, yeah," he sighed, turning off the stove and placing the chicken in the oven to finish cooking. "Let's get this over with. But you owe me."

You smirked, before tossing him a rag. "You clean the counter, and I'll get the dishes out of the way. Thank god we don't have to clean them, huh?"

He laughed. "It is kind of nice, isn't it? Just like back home."

You started filling the sink next to your station with dishes, and some of the kitchen staff promptly came to take them from you. Minho scrubbed off the grime that had already settled in your space.

"How the hell did you make such a fucking mess?" He raised his brows at you as he set the dirty rag down. "More food ended up outside of the bowl than in it."

You shrugged with a smile. "I was just having fun! I'm not as neat as Hua, okay? You know that. Plus, no matter what you say, my food is amazing. The measurements are perfect."

He suddenly had the urge to kiss you on the forehead. Or kiss you elsewhere. But he didn't want to scare you. Even though you were married, it just felt too... public. So he just grinnned, covertly squeezing your hand behind the counter.

You pursed your lips, trying and failing to hide a smile. "So, onto the mashed potatoes, then?" you asked, squeezing his hand in yours.

He could feel his face warm from the simple gesture. "Yes, I think so," he agreed. "Although, according to the very official rules, I can't help you."

You winked, removing your hand from his and pulling out a half dozen potatoes. "Well, I guess it's game on again, isn't it?"

The rest of the group finished their mashed potatoes, and moved on to the egg custard, with varying degrees of success.

"I think mine scrambled!" Jisung pronounced as he took a sample bite of one. "It's lumpy."

"I think I got shells in mine," JJ observed, staring at hers with a calmness that only she could hold. "I wouldn't recommend eating it." She placed a hand on Hyunjin's shoulder as he tried to reach over for a taste.

Immediately after JJ made contact with his arm, Hyunjin snapped back, as if he'd been burned. He turned away, but Minho could see his face was hot and red. Huh, was that a new development?

You glanced between JJ and Hyunjin, nudging Minho over and over in the ribs, until he shoved you back in an attempt to make you stop.

"Is there something going on between them?" you whispered. "They seem... angsty. Just like we were."

"Were?" Minho snorted. "Are we not still?"

You shrugged with a smug smile. "Only when I thought my feelings weren't reciprocated."

Minho was about to respond, when your oven timer went off.

Why did something always have to interrupt the couple of potentially tender moments the two of you could have?

"Time's up!" Yeonjun announced. "Everyone, stop cooking. Please bring your first course up to the front of the room, and set it on the table. The judges and I will leave the room."

Everyone carried their dishes forward, placing them in a straight line. Then, the four judges, consisting of two kitchen hands and two cameramen, sat down. Yeonjun sat in the middle.

"We will go right to left," Yeonjun said, motioning to the first judge, who sat at the rightmost side of the table.

A small sign sat in front of each dish, containing the cook's name. The one on the right read, "Han Jisung".

The earl sat up straighter when he realized he would be going first.

The first judge, a kitchen hand, was a man with a long black ponytail and matching mustache. He grabbed the plate and placed some garlic spread on the crostini. He didn't react at all, not even a face. He passed the plate to the second judge, the kitchen hand, a woman in her mid-fifties with graying brunette hair and scarlet lipstick.

After the entire panel had tasted it, Yeonjun spoke first. "I enjoyed this one. But I think the garlic is a bit strong, and the crostini is a bit dry. It should have been kept under a damp cloth."

Minho glanced over at Jisung to catch his friend's reaction. He just gave the minutest nod, before staring at his lap.

The judges went down the rest of the line, giving small suggestions to each. A few standouts consisted of the fourth judge spitting out Mya's burnt crostini, the second judge choking on Seungmin's garlic spread, and Yeonjun eating Renee's entire platter.

"Onto the salads!" Yeonjun announced, and the judges left the room once again so everyone could set their dishes down.

"I think we all know who the top two are gonna be," Alaska grumbled. The judges had disliked her crostini, because she added jalapeños, which were not in the recipe.

"Yeah, and it's totally unfair! Not my fault I've never cooked before. What even is a garlic spread?" Riley groaned. They had found chunks of garlic in her spread, when it should have been smooth.

The judges steadily worked their way through each course, and finally it was time for the fourth and final dish: the custard.

"Do I have to eat that one?" The first judge blurted as he picked up the lumpy little yellow dish in front of the name "Seo Changbin".

"Yes, you do," Yeonjun said, a smile still plastered on his face as he gritted his teeth.

The judge gulped, and took a bite of the custard. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to swallow.

Lanhua glanced over at Changbin, a snicker escaping her mouth as she did. He scowled at her, his arms crossed over his chest. Minho knew he was trying his best to stay serious, but he could see the surly guard blushing underneath all that grumpiness.

The judges tasted Hyunjin, Alaska, Riley, and Robin's with a similar neutrality, before having to dump out JJ, Felix, and Jisung's. Unsurprisingly, they loved Renee's and didn't like Mya's or Seungmin's. They were pleasantly surprised by Christopher's and even Lanhua's and Jeongin's. The last two were yours and Minho's.

Yeonjun eyed the cup in front of your name. "Again, this one is pretty messy on the outside. I don't like sloppy presentation." He took a small bite. "But the flavor is very good. I think one of the best we've had so far. The measurements are near-perfect. Well done, but fix the mess."

You nodded a bit, a small smile on your face. Minho had to stop himself from staring too long, and making it obvious it was your dish. But damn, you were so beautiful when you smiled.

"And the final dish of the day!" Yeonjun called, gesturing to the custard. "Let's hope it's a good one."

The five judges tasted the dessert, and it was like they had been put under a spell. They all started smiling and nodding, and the first judge even closed his eyes in contentment.

"Now that is the best egg custard have ever eaten!" he pronounced, patting his stomach. "I could finish it, even after all this food!"

"You're gonna have to pry it out of my hands!" the fifth judge joked, taking another spoonful. "I think whoever made this dish should win."

"Me too!" the first judge declared.

Yeonjun glanced back and forth between the judges. "What say you, judges? If you think this dish should win the whole event, please raise your hand."

All four judges raised their hands. After a moment, Yeonjun rose his hand as well.

"Well then, congratulations..." Yeonjun turned the paper over. "Lee Minho! You have won the challenge today, and get to choose who to take on a date."

Minho felt like he could breath for the first time that day. Finally, finally he had won a challenge. And it was perfect timing, too. You and he were at the best place you had ever been, including your childhood. He was starting to believe that this could really work, you and him. It would be a forced marriage.

"Tessa," he said, turning to you with a grin. His heart thudded in his chest, and he realized he was nervous. "Would you go on this date with me?"

"Of course, she's your wife!" Lanhua called.

You shot your friend a warning glare, cheeks pink, before gazing up at Minho, and rolling your eyes playfully. "I suppose I will go with you, if you want me that bad."

Minho chuckled, his chest releasing all its tension once again. "You're right as hell that I want you on that date."

Yeonjun clapped his hands together. "Okay! Mr. And Mrs. Lee will be going on their date tomorrow, and Robin and Jisung have their date tonight. So everyone, please exit the kitchen now, and I will see you tomorrow at breakfast to announce the next challenge."

As everyone left the room, Yeonjun motioned for Minho to join him at the judges table.

"Yes, Yeonjun?" Minho questioned, fighting a frown. What did he want to talk to him about? They had never talked one-on-one before.

"Congratulations on the win today, Minho," Yeonjun said. "I just wanted to let you know I would like to talk with you tomorrow, after your date. Do you have time for that?"

Minho swallowed thickly, but managed to say, "yes, of course."

"Good man," Yeonjun grinned. "Now go get ready for dinner."

Minho nodded, exiting the kitchen as quickly as he could.

He had nothing to worry about, he consoled himself. Yeonjun probably had a very normal reason to speak with him.

But as he took a shower and changed his clothes, he couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that something bad was coming.

laska's note —
ooh, i wonder what yeonjun could be wanting to share with minho? that man seems suspicious as hell... but we're finally getting tessho date! so strange that they're married, but they've never gone on a date before lol. and we're also getting robin and jisung in the next chapter. i wonder how that one's gonna go. there's so many things going on at once, will they ever be resolved? and who is behind all this?? seems crazy doesn't it! give me all your thoughts in the comments!

𝖭𝖤𝖷𝖳 𝖴𝖯：
𝟮𝟵 - 𝗵𝗲
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