“That’s why we evaluated you. Not only for thee dishes, but we will save the one who we are expecting their food from now on. Sasha!”
Emily paused for a moment. And then, asked with a low voice.
“Why do you think I called your name?”
“……Ah, please. My heart seems to shrink.”
“I’m sorry. With the meaning of apologizing, I will tell you something good. You have survived. From what we have seen of you until now, we reached a conclusion that we want to give you more opportunities. Go back to your countertop.”
“Thank you……….”
Sasha replied with a shaking voice, and after wiping off the tears that were in her eyes, she returned to her place. The remaining ones were two. Ivanna gulped and clenched her fists. She remembered Joanne.
‘I said that I was going to win instead of Joanne.’
But reality was like this. At that moment, she didn’t know where her ambition had gone, and if it was even in her. Everytime time she made eye contact with the judges, her heart beat, and she even started to have hiccups. Alan looked at Ivanna for a moment and opened his mouth.
“Honestly speaking, the one that’s better up among the three is you, Ivanna.”
“Thank you.”
“……..But, that’s all. Fairly good. Until now, you have never showed us something that breaks that concept. It meant that you have never showed us something that’s only yours, something that will stay in our memories. In the other side, Hugo had his ossobuco, and he had also showed a leadership that could lead others well. Ivanna, will we be able to pour our expectations on you?”
Ivanna bit her lips. Her face that was more pale than usual, was shaking. However, she didn’t have anything to reply back. Just like Alan had said, she had never showed something good of her. She had merely survived until now. And it was lacking with just that. But.
“……..Yes. Be expecting.”
“Looking what?”
“I,I……. Only know how to cook well. And just like chef has said, I’m just fairly good. But, it isn’t that I gave up on growing. I want to show you that I can get better. Give me a chance.”
Alan didn’t reply anything. Instead, he looked at Hugo. And asked with a low voice.
“Hugo, what do you think? Do you think that we should give that opportunity to Ivanna?”
At that moment, Hugo only smacked his lips. He didn’t know what he should reply. If he gave her that chance, he had to get eliminated. But also telling him not to give it to her felt bad. He asked.
“……..Is my opinion important?”
“I wonder. I don’t know. I’m just curious about what you think.”
“I’m thankful that you are thinking good of me. But I’m still lacking. Perhaps, if Ivanna’s dish was better than mine, I think that it would be right to evaluate it just with her dish instead of the future and expectations.”
“Then, you will be the one to get eliminated?”
“……..To get greedy beyond my abilities, that would only be mean.”
At his words, Alan’s corner of his mouth raised. He looked at Hugo with warm eyes and asked.