Chapter 199: Haru VS Woo Sung-Chan (4) |
I gathered information about the victims who had been harmed by Woo Sung-Chan at Apgujeong Hanjeongsik Haero, with the help of attorney Kim Chan-Sung, the personal lawyer of Lee Ji-Yeon.
Because Woo Sung-Chan was from the same company, I needed to remain anonymous which was why I sought out Kim Chan-Sung's assistance.
Acting on my request, Kim Chan-Sung investigated Woo Sung-Chan's school life and collected about 100 pages of A4 documents regarding seven victims over the past three years and handed them to me.
Currently, I was meeting with Choi So-Hye with that information.
As Woo Sung-Chan had recently gained recognition by appearing as a supporting actor, Choi So-Hye began to show keen interest.
"Woo Sung-Chan is the eldest son of Woo Sun-Jae, the owner of the best Hanjeongsik restaurant in Jamsil, right?" Choi So-Hye asked.
I nodded. "That's right."
The moment I saw Choi So-Hye's eyes sparkle, a thought crossed my mind.
"Noo-nim, were you already investigating that place by any chance?"
Woo Sun-Jae, the top Hanjeongsik restaurant in Jamsil, was a famous establishment that had been passed down through three generations.
However, there have been reports that they used high-quality ingredients for influential people like VIPs, power bloggers, and well-known Instargem stars, while serving lower-quality ingredients to other customers.
It was easy to guess where Woo Sung-Chan learned his nasty demeanor from.
'Like father, like son.' I thought to myself.
Anyway, Choi So-Hye began to drool over the information I provided.
"Ha ha ha. What should I do for you in return? I'm so grateful. We can simultaneously deal a blow to the parent and the child," Choi So-Hye chuckled.
"Please take good care of this matter," I said to her.
"But, Yoon-Ho. Does Ji-Yung know about this?"
When asked if I had reported this to Kang Ji-Yung, I shook my head. "No."
Choi So-Hye seemed curious. "What are you planning to do?"
"Please keep this confidential. I'll have to handle it alone if this information leaks," I replied straightforwardly.
Choi So-Hye stared at me intently. "You really have some nerve, kid. What would you do if I spilled the beans?"
I looked at her and smiled. "That won't happen. As far as I know, you've never once disclosed a source."
Choi So-Hye smiled. "Can't say anything against that. Alright, let's do it."
As Choi So-Hye was about to put the documents I handed her into her bag, I suddenly grabbed her hand.
"What is it?" Choi So-Hye asked, seemingly shocked.
"Noo-nim, come on. You have to settle the bill correctly," I added.
"Settle the bill?"
"Are you planning to just devour such juicy information and give nothing back?"
Choi So-Hye protested, "Keeping the secret that you were the one who gave the documents isn’t enough? I still have to pay for the info?"
"Hey. Keeping secrets is a given. Protecting a source is common sense, isn't it? You can't include that in the bill," I argued.
Choi So-Hye's face began to sour as if she bit into an unripe fruit. "Fine! Three promotional articles for the actors you manage. How about it?"
Choi So-Hye tried to compensate with promotional articles instead of a fee. But I shook my head as that was too cheap.
"Add three more," I said.
Choi So-Hye frowned. "Double the amount?"
The moment I nodded, Choi So-Hye sighed heavily. "Fine. But you're paying for the drinks today."
I pulled out a corporate card with a smile. "Of course! Not just today but I'll pay for a lifetime."
Choi So-Hye chuckled and said something chilling. "Is that a proposal?"
I almost had a heart attack. "I am a bachelor by choice."
I had never considered being single, but that was the first thing that popped out reflexively.
At that moment, Choi So-Hye pursed her lips. "Everyone always says that to me..."
'Maybe that's because you drink too much?' I remarked inwardly.
Choi So-Hye, though beautiful and capable as a reporter, had a drinking capacity that even surpassed Kang Ji-Yung.
It seemed likely that the men who met her avoided her for that reason—perhaps because they lacked confidence in their drinking ability or feared they might die if they tried to keep up.
Anyway, Choi So-Hye rolled up her sleeves, eager to drink freely today.
"There's plenty of side dishes, so let's go all out today. Come on, Yoon-Ho. Drink up!" Choi So-Hye exclaimed.
I nodded. "Yes, noo-nim!"
From that point, I began to fill her glass with soju which she drank as if driven by a grudge.
***
When I woke up the next morning, I was greeted by a special hangover ramen made with bean sprouts and dried pollock prepared by Haru.
"Hyung, have some hangover ramen..." Haru offered.
"Thanks. But we've received the script now, so you don't need to make breakfast anymore," I told him.
"I won't make it anymore once I get the role."
Haru said that nothing made him happier than seeing the steam rise from the rice cooker.
"Fine. But you really have to stop if you get the role. Okay?"
Haru nodded with a smile. "Alright."
His expression suggested he would continue unlike his answer, but I decided to let it go.
"Thanks for the meal."
"Enjoy it, hyung."
I soothed my stomach with the special hangover ramen Haru had prepared. As soon as I drank the warm broth, a calming magic settled my surprised stomach.
'Wow. This is really amazing,' I thought to myself while eating.
The noodles were chewy and the soup was spicy. The ramen disappeared so quickly that I hardly noticed when I had finished it.
"Ah. I finally feel alive again," I said with a satisfied expression.
Only then did I come to my senses and ask Haru, "By the way, did you finish preparing the lunchbox?"
Haru nodded. "Yes. I got up at dawn and made it all."
Haru pointed to a black four-tiered insulated food container that seemed about 30 cm in length and width.
"Huh? I said one lunchbox would be enough," I said.
Haru's voice trailed off. "Yes, but still..."
To cast Haru as the lead, it was necessary for Yoo Hyun-Ji to taste Haru's food. That's why I planned to showcase the lunchbox Haru made during the preliminary meeting. Even if Woo Sung-Chan were to be ousted from the entertainment industry, it didn't mean Haru would immediately become the lead.
For this reason, I handed over a list of dishes from Master of Mukbang to Haru so that he could prepare them and to impress Yoo Hyun-Ji.
I suggested picking the easy ones from the list to make into a lunchbox, but Haru had filled up the four-tiered food container.
Worried about the taste, I asked for some leftover galbi-jjim that had been packed in the container.
But the moment I tasted the galbi-jjim Haru made, I involuntarily exclaimed, "What is this? Why is this so delicious?"
"Really?" said Haru whose face lit up.
"This isn't a taste you can get at home. How did you make this?"
It was like food made by a professional.
"By the way, where on earth did you learn to cook like this?"
"Well..."
Haru explained that he had volunteered in the school cafeteria in his previous junior high. Apparently, there was a lady among the cafeteria chefs who held licenses in Korean, Western, and Chinese cuisine.
Thinking that learning to cook would prevent him from starving to death, Haru desperately clung to that lady to learn cooking.
For that reason, Haru's dream had been to become a chef before he met me.
Haru scratched his head, mentioning he had also filmed a self-video of him cooking that dawn. He remembered that he needed to shoot a promotional video for Instargem.
"I'm sorry. I should have filmed it for you," I apologized.
I was so intoxicated from drinking with Choi So-Hye that I hadn't noticed him cooking in the cramped studio apartment.
A wave of guilt washed over me.
Haru smiled. "Don't be sorry. It wasn't that difficult at all."
Thanks to Haru's thorough preparation, my worries flew away.
"Okay! If I can't make you the lead in Master of Mukbang even after this, you can get mad at me all you want," I replied.
"Why would I get mad at you, hyung?" Haru asked.
"That's just a figure of speech," I said with a smile.
I was quite satisfied knowing how hard my actor had worked just as hard as I did.
"Shall we go then?"
"Okay, hyung!"
Haru clutched the four-tiered insulated lunchbox close to his chest in fear it might cool down and followed me into the car.
I could start to see Haru's ambition to overcome Woo Sung-Chan and win the lead role.
'Yes. A person needs to have ambition to survive in this cruel industry,' I thought to myself.
It was impressive to see Haru gradually change day by day.
***
We arrived at the drama department located on the 5th floor of the TVM Main Building.
The day before the audition for the lead role in Master of Mukbang, I managed to schedule a preliminary meeting with Yoo Hyun-Ji who was in charge of the production.
Although the official audition would be on July 3rd, our company, like all others, had arranged for a preliminary meeting.
After all, getting a stamp of approval from the PD could increase the chances of securing the role.
Haru and I bowed our heads at 90 degrees in front of Yoo Hyun-Ji.
"Hello, I am Jung Yoon-Ho from Hoop Entertainment."
Yoo Hyun-Ji, with her long hair tightly tied back with a yellow rubber band, greeted us. "Wow. You guys arrived so early."
She seemed to have been editing all night looking at her makeup floating and dark circles under her eyes descending at least 3 cm.
"This is the guy? What was his name again?" Yoo Hyun-Ji asked.
"Hello, my name is Haru."
"Yes, Haru. I remember the name. Have a seat here."
Yoo Hyun-Ji's eyes sparkled like a leopard eyeing its prey as she looked at Haru.
"Hmm. You look much better in person than in your profile photo. How old did you say you were?"
"I'm in my third year of middle school this year."
"Third year of middle school…Is that 15 years old?"
"I'm 16."
"Is that so? How's your acting? Have you thoroughly memorized the script?"
Haru nodded. "Yes, Ms. Yoo. I have read it over and over."
His answer was confident and his expression was self-assured. Haru had changed a lot, thanks to my efforts to instill confidence in him.
Perhaps because of that, even the usually strict Yoo Hyun-Ji couldn't hide a trace of favor in her expression.
"Well, we can always check the acting during the audition... "
But then Yoo Hyun-Ji crossed her arms and smacked her lips. "Team Lead Jung."
"Yes, Ms. Yoo."
"Do you really need to audition? I mean, if it were just a drama, it would be one thing. But we have a cooking competition show planned in conjunction. You know Table of Mukbang, right?"
I nodded. "Of course I know."
Jo Han-Ill from the Variety Department and Yoo Hyun-Ji from the Drama Department were classmates and secretly dating. The idea for Master of Mukbang came up while they were planning a project they could work on during a date.
Of course, no one else knew this nor did anyone know that Jo Han-Ill, who had promised to marry Yoo Hyun-Ji in a year, would break up with her after catching feelings for a new AD.
"Our drama's lead must appear on Mukbang's Table prepared by the Variety Department, but Haru is too young. If he can't cook there, it would be a huge embarrassment for me. A lead should at least make it to the top four..."
Her judgment was arbitrary as usual. But unlike the future rigid Yoo Hyun-Ji, the young version of her still had at least some flexibility.
"Do you really think I would have come unprepared? Haru's cooking skills are excellent," I said confidently.
But Yoo Hyun-Ji wore a nonchalant expression. "Sending him to classes for a few months to train won't be enough. You can deceive the audience with camera work in drama, but how will you handle the auditions for Mukbang's Table?"
I eagerly opened my mouth. "Haru, take out the lunchbox."
Haru pulled out the four-tiered food container from his bag.
"What's this?" Yoo Hyun-Ji asked in curiosity upon seeing the lunchbox.
"This is a lunchbox Haru made himself. Please try it."
The food Haru had prepared in the four-tiered container was impeccably presented like a professional's work, starting with a rolled omelet, braised pork, a seasoned mix of chili paste and mayonnaise, spicy stir-fried pork, soybean paste soup, braised ribs, and steamed seafood.
These were the dishes he would be making in Master of Mukbang.
Yoo Hyun-Ji looked over the food with a serious expression and tilted her head. "Did you really make all this yourself?"
Haru nodded confidently."Yes!"
But Yoo Hyun-Ji still wore a skeptical expression.
"I'll just try it then. I only had a cup of ramen all night because I was busy editing."
Yoo Hyun-Ji, still unconvinced, spooned some steaming rice from the insulated food container.
"The rice seems perfectly cooked."
After tasting the rice, Yoo Hyun-Ji tilted her head and began to pick at the side dishes with her chopsticks. She started with the braised ribs, then the rolled omelet, and finally the seafood stew.
But her expression which had been joyful until now began to harden.
"Don't you like it?" I asked.
Yoo Hyun-Ji slammed her spoon down on the table. "Team Lead Jung, are you playing games with me?"
Yoo Hyun-Ji's voice was clear and sharp.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Yoo Hyun-Ji's face grew cold. "What do you take me for? This is all store-bought!"
"Store-bought?"
She continued, "Are you joking with me? A middle schooler cooked this? No matter how much you want the role, do you think such a lie would work on me?"
I almost burst out laughing at the absurdity. Before Yoo Hyun-Ji's misunderstanding deepened, I quickly pulled out my phone.
"What are you doing right now?" Yoo Hyun-Ji questioned.
"Please watch this first," I said as I showed her the video Haru had recorded earlier.
In the video, Haru was humming in an apron and cooking.
At that moment, Yoo Hyun-Ji's face showed surprise. "Is this really... all made by him?"
"Yes, he got up at dawn to make it. He wanted to serve you something warm."
That's when Yoo Hyun-Ji cleared her throat awkwardly. Her dismissive comment about the food being store-bought earlier made her look unusually embarrassed. "Oh, so this is..."
To help Yoo Hyun-Ji out of her awkwardness, I gently steered the conversation and changed the subject.
"So please look kindly on Haru. Isn't his cooking skill quite professional?"
Yoo Hyun-Ji fanned herself and responded, "What’s there to look kindly on or not? He came prepared with the script and necessary cooking skills. And he even has an impressive look. There’s nothing to dislike about him."
I knew Yoo Hyun-Ji was inherently biased from my impression of her in my past life. Once she saw something in a positive light, she seemed to think everything was good. But once you fell out of favor, it was hard to change her mind.
Now that we had caught her eye, the likelihood of Haru landing the lead role had drastically increased.
But the real challenge was just beginning.
Yoo Hyun-Ji cleared her throat and broached the main topic.
"But you know that our CP is pushing for Woo Sung-Chan from your company for the lead role, right?"
I had to respond carefully.
Choi So-Hye was preparing to expose Woo Sung-Chan, but I couldn't reveal that right now.
"Team Lead Jung. Even if you managed to convince me, how do you plan to convince the CP?"
I answered Yoo Hyun-Ji's question like this.
Ristretto's Thoughts
Ristretto: Um, excuse me. You can't just end the chapter like this 😂
Maggy: I want to eat Haru's cooking toooooooooo TT
Ristretto came on as a guest on Episode 6 of Wuxiaworld's Teahouse so go take a listen~
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