Chapter 35

However, the truth is that he is a liar who constantly engages in fraud.

She asked me a question first with an elegant and polite tone.

"Do you make the espresso yourself?"

"Yes, I thought it would be polite to let you taste the coffee we make at Amuse first."

"Oh... ."

"That's right. This interview is not only for me to evaluate you, but also for you to evaluate me and my cafe. So, please approach it with a relaxed mind."

So that your true self will be revealed.

"Please wait a moment! If you feel awkward, you can even gossip about me!"

A little later.

Five cups of espresso came down from the adjacent studio.

They were exactly the same as the coffee sold at Amuse.

"How is it?"

The interviewees, who were sitting in a circle, sipped the coffee with serious faces.

"It's really good! Wow!"

"Why are you hiring us? Hehehe."

"Ah, it's good. The slight acidity that comes out in the middle is really nice."

They gave sincere praise.

Except for one person.

"......"

Julia Kim tasted it slightly and twisted her lips.

As if this coffee did not meet her high standards.

"Hmm......"

It was funny because I could see right through her intentions. I barely managed to suppress a laugh and asked.

"How about it, Ms. Julia?"

"......Yes."

"You said earlier that improvements were needed. What do you think?"

"There are certainly disappointing aspects, but I'm the type who holds back until I can convince myself."

You're going to come out like that?

"Then, please let me know which aspects were disappointing so I can take them into consideration."

"......Well."

"Yes?"

"I came here to see if this cafe suits me, not to complement the owner's recipe."

"Haha."

"If you take my ideas and reject me, wouldn't that be unfair?"

I can't believe it.

Since she has nothing to say, she's using the polite words I said earlier.

Good, if you're that confident, let's see what you've got.

"Alright. Then for the second task, let's move on to baking."

As if the expected moment had arrived, the interviewees' expressions changed.

"Phew."

"......"

"Ahem."

I had announced beforehand that I would focus on baking, and the task had already been communicated.

[ You can make the dessert you are most confident in, as long as it can be commercialized and is profitable. ]

But I made a slight change.

Because I thought there might be someone who had learned, copied, and memorized in advance.

"Please make the dessert that goes best with the coffee you just tasted."

And this was more reasonable.

After all, it's a dessert that will be sold at my cafe.

I pointed to the kitchen on one side of the spacious studio.

"As you can see, the kitchen and oven are well-prepared, so you can use any space. The ingredients are in the pantry at the back."

"Ah, are the ingredients only the ones we sent in the email for the desserts?"

The first question.

It seemed she was trying to adjust her plan to fit the current situation by asking about other ingredients.

'Great. Very appropriate.'

Judging by her attitude and the coffee improvement ideas, she was currently leading the pack.

"I've prepared a few more things in addition to those ingredients, so feel free to use them. I don't think anything will be lacking."

"Ah, thank you!"

I checked the clock briefly and continued.

"The time is 3 hours as I mentioned. I'll see you later. Good luck!"

I moved away, leaving the interviewees who rushed into the kitchen like in a cooking show.

Because if I stayed, they would keep getting distracted and couldn't concentrate.

'Everyone, please show your true skills!'

The cafe's signature dessert might be even more important than the coffee.

If the coffee is the bait, the dessert is the big catch.

A beautiful and stylish dessert enhances the promotional impact on SNS, and a delicious and popular dessert brings profit to the cafe.

In corporate terms, the dessert plays both the role of a cash cow and a star.

'Please! Delicious! Beautiful!'

With a pounding heart, I left the studio, eager to see what wonderful desserts would come out.

*

Three hours later.

I re-entered the studio on time.

The interviewees stood there with tense faces, sweating profusely.

"Great job! It might have been a tight schedule, but everyone handled it like professionals. Now, I'll taste them."

I faced Song Ji-young, the first interviewee, across the island.

And on the plate was a rather peculiar creature.

"An éclair?"

An éclair.

A long choux pastry filled with cream and topped with various toppings.

It's a crispy choux pastry that offers a much more diverse and sophisticated flavor.

"Yes, a pistachio raspberry éclair."

It's clear that the first interviewee is the type who tries new things a lot.

"Why did you choose an éclair?"

"Because it's a trendy and hip dessert these days. It's good for taking photos and posting, and I personally like it."

A menu that perfectly fits the new Shinchon branch, which requires SNS promotion. It made sense.

"How does it go well with our coffee?"

"The most distinctive part of that coffee was the tropical fruit aroma. Like lychee, yogurt, and papaya. So, I tried to bring out the connection in flavor with raspberry."

Nod, nod.

"On the contrary, I added pistachio cream and toppings to balance it out and not let the fruit aroma overpower. The crispy texture is the same."

Okay.

It looked beautiful, and there was no deformation in its shape.

"I heard you. I'll try it."

I took a sip of coffee and then a bite of the éclair.

Crunch.

"Mmm─."

Just as described, there was nothing to add or subtract.

Especially, the crispy texture of the well-baked choux pastry enhanced the pleasure of chewing and hearing.

It was an outstanding dessert in terms of both ideas and quality.

"Ms. Song, which company does this building belong to?"

"Unique."

"This éclair is also unique. I enjoyed it."

I greeted the first interviewee, who burst into laughter, either from joy or amusement, and moved on to the second.

The second interviewee, Jeong Su-jeong, had prepared a traditional strong suit, a cheesecake.

......But it was just a regular cheesecake.

A cheesecake that delivered the exact taste I knew.

"Delicious. I enjoyed it."

"Thank you."

Well, being honest doesn't mean you can bake well.

Next, the third interviewee, Choi Pil-soo.

He was waiting for me with a gentle smile, his hands clasped in front of him.

And on the plate was, as expected, a traditional strong suit.

A croissant was prepared.

"A croissant."

"Yes."

After being disappointed once with the cheesecake, I tried not to have high expectations.

'But it looks incredibly delicious, doesn't it?'

The game was already over just by the aura it gave off.

The golden-brown baking. The crispy texture.

Most of all, the layers of pastry, like tree rings, looked incredibly appetizing.

"Wow, you really baked it well. I'm looking forward to it."

"Hehe."

However, the ordinary composition without any unique toppings or experimental attempts was a bit disappointing.

'You won't just post a regular croissant.'

I decided to try it first.

"Then, I'll try it."

I put the croissant in my mouth.

'What is this?'

Crispy and moist texture.

Then, the delicate texture of each layer of pastry was transmitted directly to my tongue.

'This is insane.'

I took another bite.

Crunch─

This time, a thick chocolate cream suddenly appeared and enveloped my entire tongue.

'Dark chocolate?'

Just the right sweet and bitter taste.

It felt like all the nerve bundles from my tongue to the top of my head were suddenly turned on.

'Too delicious! Incredible!'

The harmony of the sweet dark chocolate and the delicate, sophisticated pastry was perfect.

'......Just a master craftsman, huh?'

Croissants are a basic menu item in modern cafes.

I've eaten a lot of them in various places, but I didn't think they could be this good.

"......"

I put down the croissant and looked at Choi Pil-soo. He was still smiling kindly.

'Is he hiding something?'

His resume clearly stated that he had worked for a long time at a local bakery.

Is this croissant at the level of a local bakery?

Absolutely not. It couldn't be.

'No "Eagle Eye" was triggered.'

Even if it was a local bakery, a croissant of this quality would inevitably become famous.

'Strange.'

The first interviewee's éclair was excellent.

But this croissant was on a different level, a different realm of taste.

However, I had a question.

"I really enjoyed it. But can you make other menus besides this croissant?"

"Hehe, of course."

"Let me rephrase the question. Are there any desserts you can make at the same level as this croissant?"

Choi Pil-soo stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment and then answered.

"Maybe it's just my taste, but there are many desserts I think are even better than this."

What?

"There are better ones?"

What is this person's true identity?

"By any chance......"

Just as I was about to ask about his past experience again.

"My croissant is getting cold."

Julia Kim interrupted.

I turned back to Choi Pil-soo, bewildered.

"There's a proper order. Please wait a moment."

Then, Julia Kim shouted like a mad dolphin.

"My croissant is also getting cold! Try this one first! And then talk to him!"

"Yikes!"

Her shouting right next to me made my ear almost go numb.

"Mr. Choi Pil-soo, please wait a moment."

I picked up Julia Kim's plate.

"A croissant. The fruit aromas in the coffee......"

"Yes, yes, I'll try it."

I cut her off and took a small taste.

'As expected.'

It was just a regular croissant.

Trying too hard to be fancy, it even lost its balance.

Especially after tasting Choi Pil-soo's croissant, the difference was even more pronounced.

'Real croissants can be so different.'

The pastry layers were all dead, making it feel like cutting an orc with a dull blade.

"Yes, I enjoyed it."

I put it down and turned back to Choi Pil-soo.

"No, wait a moment."

Then, Julia Kim grabbed my arm and glared at me.

"Is it okay to call this an interview and ignore people like this?"

She wasn't wrong.

Unless you're a fraudster who fabricated your resume.

"What do you mean by ignoring? I tasted the dessert you prepared and put it down because it wasn't good. What kind of reaction do you want?"

"Not good?"

"Yes, it's not good."

"Have you ever run a bakery, Mr. Owner?"

"No."

"Do you have any baking qualifications?"

"No."

"Ha, it seems your taste is a bit lacking."

Julia Kim added meaningfully.

"I learned at Dongdaemun Pastry School. Try it again. More sensitively, more carefully."

I knew this would happen.

"I don't need to taste it again. I don't have the qualifications to evaluate it."

"......Yes?"

"I don't have any baking qualifications, and I'm not a baking expert. I'm just an ordinary person, and that's all true."

And I said calmly.

"That's why there's another interviewer."

"Another interviewer?"

"Would you like to come in?"

At my call, a woman with short hair entered the studio.

"Hello, nice to meet you."

The barista class where the coffee club was born.

Kim Se-young, the instructor there.

She was a face known to anyone interested in coffee.

"Oh, isn't that Barista Kim Se-young?"

"That's her, right?"

"Wow, I really wanted to meet her!"

She was the first Korean barista champion to win two consecutive titles at the World Barista Championship last year and the year before.

Moreover, she was a well-known figure in the baking world, having graduated from Dongdaemun Pastry School.

"Teacher, it's been a while! Thank you so much for coming despite your busy schedule!"

"It's been a while. I heard there's a junior here, so I'm looking forward to it."

I extended my arm to guide Kim Se-young to Julia Kim's island.

"Please try this dessert first."

"I will."

As Kim Se-young picked up the amateurish croissant, Julia Kim's face froze.

Then, another person opened the door.