Wrong Luggage, Perfect Curves

Min-jae sat in his luxurious apartment, dressed in his business suit, but this time he couldn't focus on the financial reports or paperwork in front of him. His mind kept wandering, as it had for the past few days, to Claire. He was still trying to find her, but she remained an enigma, unknowingly pulling him into her world. He had been trying to learn more about her, but nothing had worked. In the meantime, he had to deal with his business responsibilities, which left him little time to dedicate to the search. Although he had been trying to forget her, nothing felt the same since she disappeared from his life.

As he nervously flicked through the TV channels, something caught his attention. A cooking show appeared on the screen with the title: "Showcasing Global Culinary Talents!" Min-jae immediately thought of her. He remembered her suitcase, the cookbooks she had carried, and how she had unknowingly revealed her passion for cooking. And now, seeing that the show was open to people from around the world, his intuition couldn't be ignored. "This must be her," he thought, and without hesitation, he signed up for the show. Even though he knew nothing about cooking, he believed this was his last chance to find her. The decision was simple: if there was even the slightest chance she had applied, this was the moment.

---

Meanwhile, Claire was enjoying all the charms of Korea. Despite the fact that her main focus was the cooking show, no cultural landmark could distract her. She reveled in traditional dishes, cooking workshops, and every free moment she had was spent exploring new food. Amidst all this, there was one thing that remained her priority: she had to stay unrecognized. The newspapers were still full of stories about her provocative appearance at Min-jae's celebration, so now she had to camouflage herself and avoid attention.

During her application for the cooking show, Claire carefully chose her outfit. She didn't want anything that would stand out too much, even though she had plenty of reasons to be proud of her appearance. She wore elegant, wide-legged trousers, black, form-fitting, and a classic cooking shirt that revealed nothing more than what was necessary. Her hair was tied in a simple ponytail, signaling that her focus was on her culinary skills, not her looks.

Beside her stood one of the other candidates, Kim Hyun-joon, a charming young man with a smile that exuded warmth. He was a good cook, but he couldn't hide his fascination with Claire. He kept trying to engage her in conversation, commenting on every step she took. Claire, however, wasn't interested. It was clear to her that she didn't need any attention, as her goal was to be recognized only for her culinary talent.

"I think you'll be the best here," Hyun-joon said with a smile, holding a plastic box with his cooking tools. "You must know all the secrets of French cuisine, right?"

Claire shyly nodded, but she didn't want to respond any further. "Thank you," she said briefly, focusing on reviewing her ingredients and tools, maintaining her distance. She didn't want to be recognized as the "girl from the headlines" or become the subject of interest for anything other than her culinary skills.

---

Min-jae arrived at the candidates' hall, where all the participants were waiting to go through the selection. There were many applicants, but Min-jae stood out. Of course, he was one of the youngest, dressed in an expensive black suit that clearly made him look sophisticated. He imagined that with his charm and good looks, he could at least impress the judges, even though he wasn't a chef. But what truly mattered to him at this moment was finding Claire. At this point, there was no talk of cooking – he was on a mission to find her.

As he had predicted, he scanned the room and spotted her. She couldn't hide her characteristic features, even though she was dressed in a modest yet elegant cooking shirt and wide trousers. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and the composure in her stance reflected professionalism, though she was still shy because of his unexpected presence.

Min-jae walked slowly towards her, his heart beating faster. He paused for a moment to recover from his surprise. Claire noticed him. Their eyes met for a moment, and she, obviously confused and slightly embarrassed, quickly diverted her gaze to the table with her ingredients.

"You... you're here?" he asked, trying to maintain his calm.

Claire only nodded, without speaking, her face turning red. She quickly looked away, focusing on her preparation, but Min-jae stood before her with a proud smile.

"Aren't you the girl from the party?" Min-jae asked, his words slightly tangled, but with a seriousness that couldn't be ignored.

Claire responded briefly, but her voice was shy, and her behavior seemed uncertain. Still, she couldn't hide her smile. Both of them knew something had begun to unfold.