“Jelly?”
Jessie asked once more. It wasn’t because she didn’t know what jelly was. But because it was an idea that has never crossed her mind. Jessie, of course knew that Lucas liked Jelly. But i wasn’t that her father had raised a factory just for that reason.
However she never thought of making some jelly and giving it to him as a present. She thought that it was just like making some pizza and gifting it to the pizza store owner. However, now that she thought about it, the situation was different compared to this circumstance. The jelly factory disappeared and the jelly that Lucas liked so much wasn’t near him anymore.
If she were to make some jelly to the current Lucas…. Jessie lifted her head and looked at Jo Minjoon while thinking like that. The deep blue eyes with double eyelids were staring at Jo Minjoon. For those eyes, Jo Minjoon was like a weird person. For a person she had just met, to request her to make some jelly for her father. That kind of weird person.
But she seemed to trust him. Although she didn’t know why. Maybe that weirdness made him more trustable. Jessie opened her mouth.
“……But I don’t know how to make it.”
“It’s okay. I do.”
Saying the truth he didn’t know too well as to say it that confidently. However Jo Minjoon thought that making the jelly was more important and the flavor was only secondary. Just the fact that Jessie made the jelly, was enough of a meaning.
Jo Minjoon, while thinking like that, realized something. Even if it was the same dish the food on the dish could become a completely different thing depending on who cooked it.
‘What kind of mind should I keep while cooking?’
Suddenly that question popped in his head, but it was not the right moment to be speculating. Jo Minjoon opened his mouth. This house’s kitchen was Jane’s area, but for now Jane should understand him. Granted that Jane didn’t understand him and cursed him because of that, it was a completely different matter. Whatever the result was, the most important thing was to fix the relationship of parent-child. It was that thinking.
“For now can you bring some fruit? If you don’t have any some juice is also okay.”
“I think there’s some apple. But it shouldn’t be ripe.”
“Then it’s better. When making jelly, the less ripe a fruit, the more delicious it becomes.”
“Oh…..”
Jessie nodded and brought the apples. And she also brought some sugar. She didn’t have gelatin but it didn’t matter. Jo Minjoon knew of a way to replace it.
“Didn’t you make jelly when you were young?”
“I did. But instead of making it I liked to eat it more.”
“It’s okay. If you make something you like to eat, it is meant to become more delicious.”
Jo Minjoon said that and smiled brightly. Jessie glanced at Jo Minjoon and asked.
“Mister, are you a chef?”
“No. I aspire to become one”
“Are you sure you make it well?”
“Why. Are you worried that it’s not tasty?”
Jessie didn’t reply and kept her mouth shut. Jo Minjoon handed over the knife while looking at Jessie. Looking at the puzzled Jessie, Jo Minjoon opened his mouth.
“Divide the apple in 4 and carve the seed. After that split it in four and don’t peel it off.”
“Why the skin?”
“Because there’s pectin on the skin. That will do instead of the gelatin.”
Inside the skin, and the pulp below that were the most important pectin ingredient for making jelly.
“You can do it right?”
“….. This much is easy.”
Jessie talked as if telling him to refrain disregarding her, and lifted the knife. However her handling of the knife was quite sloppy. While holding the apple with a hand, and the other for holding the apple, when she tried to slice it, the knife got stuck after it went all the way to the middle. Even so Jessie didn’t try to press the back of the knife with her other hand. Jo Minjoon opened his mouth.
“You should press the back of the knife with your hand. Yes. Like that.”
Even after Jessie finished with slicing the apples Jo Minjoon didn’t make a move. After all there was no meaning if Jo Minjoon made it. Jessie had to make it by herself. For her father. And because of herself.
“Now put it on the kettle and pour some water until the top of the apples get slightly out of the water. And put the fire on low.”
“Are you really going to make me do it all?”
“Do you want me to help you?”
“……….Fine. I’ll do it. I will.”
Jessie poured the water accordingly. To say the truth, this was the part where most of the beginners made mistakes. In reality even Jo Minjoon made them. After pouring a lot of water, the next thing he planned to do was to boil it down until the moisture evaporated. However, when put lots of water the fruits turned bad.
So depending on how she regulated the water decided if the jelly was a success or a failure.
Jo Minjoon just stared still at the kettle that subtly started to boil.
“Now what do I do?”
“After waiting for a while more, when you think the apples are turning soft start to squash them. But firs