Chapter 56
Chapter 56
Translator: Penny
Chapter 56
"No, if you stand the strawberries upright, they'll tear the cake layer."
"Just cut them in half and lay them flat."
"Oh, that's a good idea."
"Sigh, let's just switch. It'll be better this way. You whip the cream, and I'll cut the strawberries."
I snatched the knife from Ryu Jaehee's hand and pushed aside the strawberries he had already chopped.
Ryu Jaehee accepted the spare bowl of cream and began whisking with a serious expression.
Watching him stir three times, stop, lift the whisk to check for "peaks," and repeat the process, I couldn't help but regret switching roles.
I halved the strawberries, reserving five for decoration.
Ryu Jaehee lifted the whisk, still coated in whipped cream, turned to me, and suggested, "You know how in baking scenes, they always mess around, smearing cream on each other's faces? Should we try staging something like that?"
"Isn't that unhygienic? Using the same whisk you put on your face to keep whipping?" I grimaced.
At my reaction, Ryu Jaehee quietly set down the whisk and began spreading the properly whipped cream onto the cake layers.
After slicing all the strawberries, I stared intently at the thick layer of crushed berries clinging to the cutting board and muttered, "If we mix this into the whipped cream, wouldn't it become strawberry cream?"
"Oh, a true strawberry whipped cream cake!"
"Let's add it. It's too good to waste."
"If it ruins the cake or tastes bad, it's all Hyung's fault... Just kidding. I guess I should have stopped you."
"Oh, then maybe we shouldn't add it."
"No take-backs!"
Before I could protest, Ryu Jaehee had already mashed the strawberries and tossed them into the bowl of whipped cream, stirring vigorously. I shook my head in exasperation.
If the cake fails, it's not my fault. It's all Ryu Jaehee's doing for insisting on adding those mashed strawberries to the cream.
I only thought it. Just thought it.
After painstakingly piping "Merry Christmas" on top of the cake with a chocolate-filled pastry bag, I was finally done.
The salad and canapés had been finished long ago, and the already-roasted turkey was, of course, ready to go.
Seo Yehyeon stared at the sloppily finished cake, which sat on a table draped with a crooked tablecloth, and said with a grimace, "Cake... is this right?"
"Hyung, you wouldn't eat it anyway, since it's made with cream and dairy fat."
Since they were on camera, he forced a smile. Kim Dobin added, "Why did the cake turn into a Devil Fruit? Was there some reason to include these half-chopped strawberries?"
After confirming that the camera was capturing a full shot of the table, he picked up a bread knife.
He roughly divided the cake into five pieces, placing one on each plate. Then he scooped up a piece and offered it to Kim Dobin, who was sitting next to him.
"Here, Dobin-ah. Eat first, then talk. Ah—"
"W-why are you doing this...?" Kim Dobin stammered, trembling.
I subtly twitched my eyebrows, signaling him to get a grip and take the cake quickly since we were on camera. He obediently opened his mouth.
As Kim Dobin chewed the cake with a face like I'd given him poison, his eyes gradually widened.
For once, Seo Yehyeon, who had been reluctantly eating his slice, admitted with a grimace, "What is this? It's surprisingly good."
"That's because it's store-bought," I explained. "It's 'Made in Supermarket,' not 'Made by Yoon Eden & Ryu Jaehee.'"
"Exactly," Ryu Jaehee chimed in. "We only stacked and frosted it. We just ruined the presentation by adding chopped strawberries to the whipped cream."
"Yeah, why did you do that, youngest member?"
"Wasn't it Hyung who suggested it first?"
"Who was it that put chopped strawberries in the whipped cream?"
After a meal filled with forced cheerfulness, five animal pajamas lay before us.
Ryu Jaehee, wearing a confident smile, scanned the pajamas and remarked, "You should definitely wear these according to your image. Hmm, there's no hamster."
"Hey, hey, there's a flying squirrel instead of a hamster."
"Then pass the flying squirrel over here! Hyung can wear the puppy one."
Ryu Jaehee handed the puppy pajamas to Kim Dobin. Among the three remaining sets, he stared intently at the black cat pajamas.
Have you never seen a kitten before? That reply suddenly flashed through my mind.
After hearing those words, did I really have to wear the cat pajamas?
As I stared blankly at the three remaining animal pajamas with hollow eyes, the System immediately intervened.
Dead Eyes detected.
Original Intent Score -1
"Eden Hyung is a cat," Ryu Jaehee said, his eyes glazed with pain as he obediently accepted the cat pajamas I handed him.
None of the other pajamas were any better, so this was the least bad option.
"Hajun-a, what do you want to wear?"
"You choose first, Hyung. I'll take whatever's left."
Gyeon Hajun deferred the choice to Seo Yehyeon.
"Ugh... Rabbit or Bambi...?"
"We'll be here all night. Just pick one."
Seo Yehyeon finally picked up the Bambi pajamas at his feet, thanks to my lukewarm advice. This automatically meant Gyeon Hajun got the rabbit onesie.
We gathered in front of the massive Christmas tree, all wearing animal pajamas that were completely unbreathable and made the already warm studio even more stuffy.
"Oh, come to think of it, this is the first time I've ever decorated a Christmas tree," Seo Yehyeon exclaimed.
Ryu Jaehee, who was hanging ornaments on the tree, widened his eyes and turned to Seo Yehyeon. "Really? You never did this as a kid?"
"My family never celebrated Christmas at all."
"Why not? Are your parents Buddhist?"
"No, they're not religious."
Seo Yehyeon chuckled as he hung a bell ornament on the tree, explaining that his parents had taught him Santa Claus didn't exist when he was just five years old.
Had I become the kind of person who only wanted money as a gift?
I thought as I haphazardly hung the old ornaments on the branches. Occasionally glancing at the camera, I waved with a smile—a little extra for the viewers.
Then came the moment we'd all been waiting for: the gift exchange.
We lay side-by-side on a plush blanket spread across the studio floor.
"Lying down like this makes me sleepy," I mumbled.
"Eden Hyung, you're not actually going to fall asleep, are you?"
"Uh... no..." I replied, barely holding onto my hazy consciousness.
The rules were simple: each of us would place our prepared gift box under the Christmas tree we'd decorated, draw a name to determine the recipient, gently place the gift by their head, and then return to lie down on the blanket.
It was the easiest shoot we'd had so far.
And I was up first.
I tiptoed over to Seo Yehyeon's bedside, gently placed the gift box I had prepared, and quietly returned to my spot.
As I struggled to stay conscious, constantly reminding myself that we were still filming, I sensed someone's presence near my head.
Judging by the hurried footsteps, it was either Ryu Jaehee or Kim Dobin.
Though the gift box opening ceremony wouldn't be included in the music video, it would be featured in the reality show.
Seo Yehyeon was the first to open his gift box.
He picked up the Christmas card I had placed on top of the gift and read the message aloud:
"TO. Seo Yehyeon FROM. Yoon Eden. Merry Christmas. Whoa, it was you?"
Seo Yehyeon turned to me, his eyes wide with surprise. I nodded in response before addressing the camera.
"Actually, I was going to give Yehyeon Hyung a money envelope tailored to his tastes, but I decided a thoughtful gift would be better, so I carefully chose this."
If agonizing for ten minutes counts as careful consideration, then yeah, I agonized.
Urged on by the Maknae Line, Seo Yehyeon pulled the gifts from the box: a men's cashmere scarf and a men's skincare set.
"Oh, that's unexpected."
Was that an unconscious murmur or a dig at me?
"I can't believe you knew exactly what I needed."
Realizing his exclamation had slipped out, Seo Yehyeon quickly added, as if talking to himself, "It's like you knew exactly what I needed."
Did he think I'd put trash in the box or something?
"This doesn't look like a gift you can get for around 50,000 won. Hyung, how much did this cost?"
"No comment. It's rude to mention the price of a gift in front of the recipient."
I gently chided Ryu Jaehee, ruffling his hair beneath the animal pajama hood.
Next, Ryu Jaehee opened his gift box.
"The sender is... Hajun Hyung."
Gyeon Hajun's gifts for Ryu Jaehee were wired earphones and a music box.
A quick glance at the earphones revealed they were from a brand renowned for its exceptional sound quality. If I remember correctly, they must have been quite expensive.
Come to think of it, wired earphones were one of the things that occasionally reminded me I was back in the past. Having grown accustomed to wireless earbuds in the future, the sight of cords felt strangely archaic.
The music box was another perfect gift for Ryu Jaehee, who had a hobby of collecting them.
Let's skip over the episode where Ryu Jaehee, deeply moved, suddenly embraced Gyeon Hajun.
Next, Kim Dobin gripped the lid of his gift box and solemnly murmured, "Will it contain the money envelope I've been hoping for?"
With self-generated background music, Kim Dobin opened the box and pulled out a piece of paper—whether a Christmas card or business card, it was hard to tell. He read aloud, "Merry Christmas, from Yehyeon Hyung."
Carefully setting the card down, Kim Dobin retrieved a branded card wallet from the box.
"Open it," Seo Yehyeon instructed.
Dobin cautiously opened the wallet and gasped, covering his mouth in awe as he saw two Shin Saimdang bills tucked inside.
He seemed even more delighted by the money than the wallet itself.
"Oh, that's thoughtful," someone remarked.
"Exactly! It's only proper to include cash when gifting a wallet," Seo Yehyeon replied smugly.
Seo Yehyeon's shoulders subtly lifted, trying to appear nonchalant amidst the praise from both sides.
Did he mistake this for New Year's money instead of a Christmas gift? Seo Yehyeon wondered, watching Kim Dobin bow deeply to him.
A deep bow on Christmas? What kind of East-meets-West hybrid is this?
The next person, Gyeon Hajun, opened his gift box, revealing the present and the sender.
"It's from Dobin. Dobin, can I read the letter? It's really long."
"Ah, no. I'd appreciate it if you read it alone, Hyung," Kim Dobin said, waving his hands in a panic. The gifts were a tumbler and a mood light—practical items easily within the 50,000 won budget.
"Thanks, I needed a new tumbler anyway."
The mood light, however, was unlikely to be appreciated by Gyeon Hajun, who always silently grumbled even when his phone screen lit up beside him at night.
Look at him, thanking only for the tumbler and not even mentioning the mood light. His preferences were as clear as day.
So, my gift must have been from Ryu Jaehee.
Recalling Ryu Jaehee's increasingly anxious expression as the gifts from the three adults were revealed, my already rock-bottom expectations plummeted to absolute zero.
What kind of money could these minors have to buy decent gifts? They probably stayed within the 50,000 won budget like Kim Dobin did.
"Wow, how did everyone manage to avoid picking their own gifts?"
"I swear on Yuje's entire music box collection, viewers, there was absolutely no cheating!"
"Why are you betting my music box collection?"
Leaving the bickering Maknae Line behind, I opened my gift box.
"Finally, I'll reveal the gift I received."
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny