Gemotions

The newspaper lay open on the counter, the damning review etched into Chef Kenji's mind: "A culinary wasteland… the chef's ambitions have outstripped his talent." He felt his fingers tingle, his palms grow clammy. He ripped the paper in half, then again, and again, until it was nothing but shreds. He threw the pieces into the air, watching them flutter and fall. He turned toward the pastry station and began to shovel scoops of buttercream frosting directly into his mouth, his cheeks filling up quickly. The sweetness was a temporary distraction from the bitter taste of the critic's words.