Cheat day

A Great Person (5)

As I was finishing the recording and heading home, I received a message from Muk-ji.

{I think I’ll be getting home late today. You should go to bed first.} 8:31 PM

It seems like he’s having a hard time dealing with the recent influx of work.

I should buy some snacks to share and lend a hand.

“Hyung!”

When I turned my head, the singer Haim was approaching me with a big smile.

“Haim-ssi.”

“Come on, what’s with the ‘Haim-ssi’? We agreed to drop the formalities.”

“I remember it being a one-sided conversation.”

“Oh, did I act clueless again?”

“That’s not it. I’m just shy around good-looking people.”

“Well, there’s nothing I can do about that. I understand.”

I felt like I had seen this shameless character somewhere before.

The way he suddenly dropped the formalities and how he was similar to Baek Woo-jin was striking.

“Anyway, give me your number.”

“My number?”

It was the first time someone had asked me for my number like that.

“Let’s go eat some tonkatsu.”

It had been 25 years since I had been invited with food as bait, ever since my circumcision.

“How good is it?”

“Really, really, really amazing.”

Then I had no choice.

I gave him my phone number, and Haim called me.

“This is my personal phone, so contact me when you’re bored. I’m off now.”

Haim waved goodbye and walked away.

Usually, the people who approached me were involved in multi-level marketing, insurance, or cults, but Haim didn’t seem like that kind of person.

“What was that about?”

As I pondered his intentions and started to move, this time, Judge Ham Seok-ho approached me.

“Oh, thank you for your hard work.”

“If you have time, how about a cup of tea?”

“Excuse me?”

“If you’re busy, we can do it next time.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I have someone working alone, so I need to go help. I’ll definitely make time next time.”

Ham Seok-ho nodded slowly and went on his way.

I felt a bit regretful to miss the chance to have tea with the godfather of Korean cuisine, but Muk-ji, who was likely struggling alone, took priority.

I needed to hurry.

“Chan-yong!”

I didn’t know why so many people were looking for me today.

When I turned around, writer Song No-eul was running toward me.

“Writer-nim.”

“The advertiser asked if you’re still considering the proposal from last time.”

“Oh.”

Ottogi is planning to create instant foods from the dishes submitted to the Korean Cuisine Appreciation event.

They had suggested using me as a model to promote that product.

“I was actually going to mention it at next week’s meeting.”

“Oh, that’s a relief.”

Song No-eul finally took a deep breath.

“We agreed to talk about it next week, right? The product hasn’t even been decided yet.”

“It seems like they liked today’s winning dish.”

Spicy galbi jjim.

It definitely looks easy to commercialize.

From the simplicity of cooking—just putting the ingredients together and steaming them—to the trend of spiciness, and the overall preference for galbi jjim as a dish, everything makes it perfect for commercialization.

Choi Eun-sam has hit the jackpot.

“But…”

Song No-eul looks up at me intently.

“What’s wrong?”

“This is just something that came up casually, so I’m hesitant, but I heard people saying they’re a bit disappointed because Chan-yong has lost a lot of weight lately.”

“Really?”

“Just something to keep in mind. You might want to pay attention to it until you sign the contract. It was just a passing comment, so don’t take it to heart too much.”

Goodness.

I never thought losing weight could lead to something negative.

I can’t afford to miss out on my first advertisement with a major company because of my weight. I can’t gain weight either, so it seems best to maintain my current state for the time being.

“Thank you. I didn’t know.”

“Of course. Fighting!”

Song No-eul gave me a fist pump and hurried off somewhere.

She’s always such a busy person.

Now that I think about it, I need to hurry too.

I had been standing in the hallway for 30 minutes without realizing it.

“Chan-yong.”

“Ah!”

It was Ju Ji-seung.

“What are you doing here?”

“I don’t even know. I need to hurry.”

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“Eun-ji is working alone, so I’m trying to get there quickly.”

“Eun-ji?”

Ju Ji-seung tilted his head slightly.

“Yeah. I’m late, so I’m going. Bye!”

“Uh…”

He seemed like he had something to say.

“Sorry! I’ll hear it later! The cooking was really good today! Let’s win!”

Ju Ji-seung kept tilting his head in confusion.

***

After finishing the recording, Lee Chan-seok packed his things and left the waiting room.

Throughout the day, he had been in a bad mood due to Ban-chan-yong’s unusual sensitivity and Park Seong-chil pouring excessive capsaicin.

As he stepped into the hallway, singer Haim passed right by him.

Debuting in 2018 and gaining a large fan base, Haim was making a name for himself not just in music but also in entertainment.

With his face appearing on almost every media outlet, Lee Chan-seok wanted to connect with him through the Korean Cuisine Appreciation event.

Running into him in the hallway was a great opportunity.

Though he had hesitated because he hadn’t received any significant reactions when he signaled during the recording, his ambition as a star chef pushed him to act.

“Haim-ssi.”

Haim didn’t seem to hear him and kept walking.

Lee Chan-seok followed him, ready to call out again, but then saw Haim happily greeting someone.

“Hyung!”

It was Ban-chan-yong.

Though they were at a distance, Lee Chan-seok couldn’t hear their conversation, but Haim treated Ban-chan-yong as if they were old friends.

He knew that Ban-chan-yong had recently gained fame, but he didn’t realize he was friends with Haim.

“…”

As the two waved and greeted each other, Ham Seok-ho approached Ban-chan-yong right away.

Ham Seok-ho was a peer of Lee Chan-seok’s mentor, Bae Seung-ho, making him a senior figure in the industry for Lee Chan-seok.

Even during the conflict with Ban-chan-yong in the waiting room today, Lee Chan-seok had been careful to maintain his patience, keeping an eye on Ham Seok-ho.

Now, he couldn’t help but wonder why Ham Seok-ho was talking to Ban-chan-yong.

“How about a cup of tea?”

As I got a bit closer, I heard Ham Seok-ho’s voice.

I couldn’t believe that the great Ham Seok-ho, often referred to as the godfather of Korean cuisine, was the one to propose a discussion first. I was baffled by Ban-chan-yong’s reaction to his offer.

Above all, I couldn’t believe that Ban-chan-yong had rejected his proposal.

How could he look down on him so much, just like a mentor?

My resentment toward Ban-chan-yong grew even stronger.

Just as I was about to give him a piece of my mind after Ham Seok-ho left, Song No-eul, a writer from Korean Cuisine Appreciation, came looking for Ban-chan-yong.

As a writer, she held considerable influence and handled all interactions with the participants.

Director Choi Young-moon often showed favoritism towards her, so Lee Chan-seok treated Song No-eul with great kindness and respect.

Although she always looked tired and indifferent towards him, he could overlook that.

He believed that building a rapport with her could lead to being cast in other programs besides Korean Cuisine Appreciation.

Yet, she was treating Ban-chan-yong with unnecessary honorifics and a vibrant smile, completely different from how she usually interacted with him.

Moreover, she wanted to hire him as the model for the Korean Cuisine product commercial.

Perhaps it was understandable for prestigious figures like Ham Seok-ho or popular celebrities like Haim, but I couldn’t comprehend why they would choose Ban-chan-yong, who had little expertise in food and less fame.

If it were Ham Seok-ho or Haim, I could understand, but the thought that I couldn’t be considered as well made me simmer.

***

I bought kale juice, which Muk Eun-ji likes, and headed to the office.

The lights were off, and the door was locked.

“…What’s going on?”

It was too late for her to be out for an external meeting. I called Muk Eun-ji, but she didn’t answer.

9:38 PM: {Is something wrong?}

She didn’t even read my KakaoTalk message.

“Could it be…?”

Suddenly, I thought of Kim Seo-jin, who had previously caused trouble for Muk Eun-ji, and I was startled. Then I remembered that he had been sentenced to prison for embezzlement.

He should be in prison by now, so he wouldn’t be able to do anything.

“Then what is it?”

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with any other explanations.

Since she mentioned she would be coming home late, I considered waiting at home, but her not answering calls or checking messages worried me.

She’s a meticulous person, so I thought there must be a reason for it.

Maybe the meeting with the advertiser ran late, preventing her from checking her phone, so I decided to wait at home.

I went down to the underground parking lot and got in my car. As I played the Super Mario Odyssey theme, I was about to drive out when I received a message from someone.

Thinking it was Muk Eun-ji, I happily tapped the screen, but it was Haim.

{How about the day after tomorrow?}

{Let’s eat tonkatsu.}

{Come here.} 9:43 PM

It seemed like he really liked me.

Even though he’s such a great person, it’s strange to have made friends with someone so charming and likable.

I sent a reply saying I’d check the location later and headed home.

When I arrived home, no one was there, as expected.

I wondered if she had managed to eat properly.

After showering and coming out, I was watching a video uploaded by another YouTuber when I must have dozed off.

I was jolted awake by the sound of the door lock being opened.

When I checked the time, it was past midnight.

“Eun-ji.”

“Did you not sleep?”

“I was dozing off. What’s going on that you’re working so late?”

I took her bag and hung it on the coat rack.

“It’s a personal matter.”

“…What?”

“I’m tired.”

Muk Eun-ji avoided my question.

“Wait. Wait. Wait.”

I pulled her into an embrace.

“Why are you acting like this?”

“Eun-ji, I’ve watched a lot of dramas. And this situation is so easy to misunderstand.”

“There’s nothing to misunderstand.”

“I was worried because I couldn’t get in touch with you. I thought something might have happened.”

As I turned Muk Eun-ji around to face me, I saw that she was deep in thought.

“I didn’t think you’d worry since I told you I’d be late.”

“Think about it from the opposite perspective.”

Muk Eun-ji rolled her eyes and nodded.

“I understand. I’m sorry for causing you concern.”

“Thank you for understanding. Can you tell me what happened?”

“I met Ju Ji-seung.”

“Huh?”

I was taken aback by the unexpected name.

“Ji-seung hyung?”

“Yes.”

“No, Ji-seung hyung filmed with me today. We could have seen each other.”

“I didn’t mention it because I had a personal request.”

“What kind of request?”

“I decided to learn to cook. In exchange, I agreed to review the contract needed for the Banya Shikgyeong.”

“…You’re not saying you’re learning to cook because you can’t cook, are you?”

“Is there another reason?”

“No, this should be something you enjoy. You shouldn’t have to.”

“I have to enjoy it. I learned a really delicious dish today.”

Even during this busy time, she’s learning to cook.

Just when I thought she was finally breaking free from being a workaholic, it seemed nothing had changed.

However, knowing that this was for my sake made me feel happy, grateful, and guilty all at once.

“Get ready for breakfast tomorrow. I’ll go wash up.”

Muk Eun-ji entered the bathroom.