Chapter 5 — The Sweet Taste After Criticism

In the second week, the working rhythm between Mai and Kien gradually fell into place, although that did not mean it was less turbulent - it was just that the type of turbulence was familiar and no longer surprised anyone. Every morning, Kien arrives at exactly eight thirty, carrying a notebook and a serious attitude; Every morning, Mai welcomed him with a half-joking, half-serious grumble about "the inspector is here again".

“Today we're going to try a new style of breadsticks,” Kien said, placing a sheet of paper with the proposed recipe on the table. “I think if we adjust the yeast ratio, the crust will stay crispy longer without needing to be fried again.”

Mai picked up the paper, skimmed it, and frowned. “This recipe is not from my shop.”

“That's right,” Kien replied, “I researched more myself, it's just a suggestion for your reference, it's not required to use it.”

“You researched the baguette recipe yourself for my shop?” Mai looked up at him, both surprised and somewhat indescribably warm. “I thought you were only good at criticizing.”

“I learned how to cook properly before becoming a reviewer,” Kien replied, a rare hint of pride in his voice, “criticizing is to point out problems, but I always believe that you have to know how to fix it for criticism to be valid.”

That sentence made Mai silent for a moment, looking at him with eyes that were completely different from the first time they met, filled with hostility. She started testing the new formula that morning, and the results, although not perfect, were enough for both of them to nod in recognition that they had potential.

At noon, while waiting for the batch of cakes to cool, Linh pulled out a chair to sit next to Kien and began the "interrogation" that she had been cherishing for a long time.

"Mr. Kien," Linh started, her voice cold as if she was asking about the weather, "do you have a lover?"

Kien froze for a second at the unexpected question, while Mai standing nearby almost dropped the dough mixer because she was so surprised by her best friend's directness.

“No,” Kien replied, briefly, then turned to look at Mai with questioning eyes, as if wondering if this question was set up by her.

“I don't know anything,” Mai quickly waved her hand, her face red, throwing Linh a warning look that her best friend completely ignored.

“So what about Mai,” Linh continued, turning to Kien with a sly smile, “how do you think of her?”

"Sacred!" Mai cried out, her face red to her ears, intending to rush over and cover her best friend's mouth, but it was too late.

Kien looked at Mai for a moment, his eyes were somewhat confused, then replied, his voice trying to maintain the usual seriousness but unable to hide his hesitation. “She... works hard, has real talent, just a bit messy and often argues against the right suggestions.”

"That's not the answer to my question," Linh muttered, but she also knew to stop and didn't ask further when she saw that both of them were blushing to the point they couldn't hide it.

In the afternoon, when Tung and Kien were preparing to leave after a long day of filming, it suddenly started to rain heavily, the familiar Saigon rain that came without warning. Tung quickly ran out to clean up the equipment, leaving Mai and Kien standing in the shop, looking out at the white rain covering the small alley.

“I guess I'll have to wait until the rain stops,” Mai said, pouring two cups of hot tea and giving one to Kien.

“Thank you,” he replied, took it, and sat down on the chair near the window looking out at the rain.

The atmosphere between the two became much quieter than usual, there were no more arguments about oven temperature or how to beat eggs, only the steady sound of rain falling. evenly and the sound of the tea cup gently hitting the saucer.

"You know," Mai spoke first, her voice low, "at first I hated you so much. Your blunt and disrespectful way of speaking made me crazy."

“What now?” Kien asked, turning to look at her.

"Now..." Mai hesitated, her eyes avoiding looking out the window, "I think I understand better why you did that. You don't want to lie, even when the truth is hard to hear."

Kien was silent for a while, took a sip of tea, then suddenly opened up about something he had never shared with anyone other than Tung. "My father used to be a famous chef. His restaurant was once praised by the press, but in reality the quality was only average, all thanks to paid PR articles. When someone exposed the truth, the whole restaurant collapsed overnight, my father lost everything, including his self-esteem."

Mai listened silently, not expecting that behind Kien's cold and strict appearance was such a heartbreaking story. “So that's why I…”

“I swear to myself that I will never let that happen again to anyone,” Kien said, his voice becoming deeper, “even if I have to be a bad person in the eyes of the world.”

Mai looked at him, her heart suddenly filled with deep sympathy, completely different from her initial prejudices about a harsh and heartless "True Taste". She reached out and gently touched his hand placed on the table, a simple gesture of comfort but enough to make them both pause for a moment.

“Thank you for telling me,” she said, her voice gentle.

Kien looked at her hand placed on his arm, then looked up at her. His eyes in that moment lost all their usual coldness, leaving only a simple sincerity that he rarely allowed anyone to see.

The rain is still falling outside, but in the small space of Sun Cake shop, something has silently changed between two people who were only planning to cooperate for work, but now find themselves shaken by an emotion that neither of them is ready to name.

At that moment, the store door opened and Tung ran in, soaking wet, still holding the camera tightly wrapped in a waterproof bag. “Luckily, the device was saved,” he gasped, then looked up to see the scene before him — Mai and Kien sitting close together by the window, Mai's hand still on Kien's hand, both startled and pulled their hands away when they saw him appear.

“Eh,” Tung raised his eyebrows, his eyes slyly glancing back and forth between the two of them, “Am I interrupting anything?”

"It's nothing," Mai quickly replied, standing up, face red, frantically going to get a towel for Tung to dry his wet body. “Just waiting for the rain to stop.”

“Yeah, wait for the rain to stop,” Tung repeated, his voice full of meaning, taking the towel from Mai's hand, his eyes still not taking his eyes off the unusually awkward expression of Kien - his friend who always remained calm in all situations.

Kien stood up, cleared his throat, trying to regain his usual serious look. “The rain is so heavy, we may have to wait a little longer to return.”

“Yes, wait a little longer,” Tung nodded, trying not to laugh at his friend's rare awkwardness, thinking that he would definitely have to ask what happened during the short time he went out to pack.

Half an hour later, the rain gradually subsided, Kien and Tung packed their things and prepared to leave. Before walking out the door, Kien stopped and turned to look at Mai once again.

“Thank you for the cup of tea,” he said, his voice returning to its familiar calmness, but his eyes still retained something unusually warm.

“Nothing,” Mai replied, smiling, “thank you for telling me your story.”

The two looked at each other for a brief moment before Kien nodded and walked out with Tung, leaving Mai standing alone in the middle of the shop, her hands still feeling the lingering warmth from the touch just now.

Linh, who had just come out of the warehouse after inventorying the ingredients, saw her best friend's bewildered face and couldn't help but ask. “What's wrong with your face?”

"Nothing," Mai replied, hastily turning away to hide the smile that was uncontrollably forming on her lips, but Linh, with the sharp eyes of a close friend of more than ten years, immediately realized that something important had happened during the short time she was absent, and she knew, she would have to find out this story tonight.

That night, after closing the shop, Linh pulled Mai down on the steps in front of the house, put a box of pearl milk tea hastily bought at the alley shop in her hand as a familiar "bribe" tactic whenever she wanted to dig up a secret story.

"Tell me quickly," Linh urged, "when I walked in I saw you two holding hands, don't deny it."

Mai blushed, bit her milk tea straw, and recounted the entire story Kien had just shared about her father who went bankrupt due to a culinary scandal. Her voice lowered when she mentioned the part he said about his vow to "never let that happen again".

After listening, Linh was silent for a moment, no longer as playful and teasing as before. "So behind that unpleasant appearance lies such a great obsession. No wonder he is so strict to the extreme."

"I didn't expect either," Mai nodded, looking out at the quiet alley under the streetlights, "when I heard him talk, I suddenly felt so sorry for him. It felt like behind that cold shell was a child still trying to protect his father from being hurt again."

"Hey," Linh squinted her eyes at her friend, "hearing that tone of voice makes me feel sorry for her, not like a normal friend's love."

"I don't know," Mai sighed, resting her head on her friend's shoulder, "everything is messed up in my head. Just a few weeks ago I wanted to strangle him because of the review, and now..."

"Now I want to hold his hand all afternoon," Linh continued, her voice full of teasing but her eyes filled with understanding for her best friend.

Mai didn't answer, just laughed softly, her eyes looking far away at the end of the alley, where this afternoon's rain had left sparkling puddles of water reflecting the lights, just like the new, sparkling but also uncertain emotions that were gradually rekindling in her heart since the fateful day "Vi Giac Tru" stepped into the Sunny Cake shop.