Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: New Content (2)
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- Let's visit subscribers' restaurants, taste the food, and give them feedback.
After returning home, we seriously pondered this idea for a full week.
At first, I was against it.
Because I wasn't sure I could control the level of feedback.
In my past life, the people I gave feedback to were mostly pro chefs dreaming of Michelin stars. They had graduated from culinary schools and studied professionally.
If I applied the same kind of feedback I'd give them to ordinary folks?
Hmm. I guarantee you'd get a court summons for defamation or personal attacks within a month.
No matter how much I'd matured with age, I still couldn't compromise when it came to cooking.
A week later, it was my sister who suddenly turned against it.
"Why are you against it now?"
"I forgot for a second because you're so damn good at cooking. You're a college student. A first-year who's just about to reenroll."
"Yeah."
"Usually, shows like this are hosted by big names. Do you think people will take feedback from someone with no credentials seriously?"
My sister showed me the research she'd done over the week.
- Park Soo-hee's Restaurant Tours.
- Shooting Straight with Jung.
…
- Lee Jong-chul's Restaurant Jackpot.
All the shows she showed me featured famous chefs or at least people running successful spots.
They already had an image etched in the public's mind as skilled cooks or successful food entrepreneurs.
Me? I had nothing.
Just a guy who cooks well and happens to be handsome.
'I forgot about that.'
It had been about a month since my regression, but I still mixed up my past and present lives sometimes.
In my past life, "Kim Haneul" meant world-class chef. My name was a guarantee of success, a brand. Restaurants I endorsed got labeled "Haneul-Certified Gems" and made travel itineraries.
But right now? I was nobody.
It was so obvious I'd overlooked it.
"Hmm. But skipping it entirely feels like such a waste."
"Can't be helped. Let's revisit it when the channel grows bigger."
My sister shook her head regretfully. She'd opposed it because she hated seeing me like this, but was there no way around it?
After that day, I racked my brain whenever I had a free moment, searching for a way to make this format work.
In the midst of my deepest worries since regressing, I got a call from Park Su-han for the first time in ages.
- Hi, Haneul. How've you been? Congrats on hitting 100k!
"Thanks. I heard you're swamped with a big project lately. Congrats to you too."
- Haha. Actually, that's partly why I'm calling. Any interest in joining a cooking collab?
I'd have turned down any other collab, but "cooking" piqued my curiosity.
- Yori King's over, and cooking content's losing steam. Jjijik wants to do one last cooking show. Genre's cooperative competition.
"Cooperative competition? Like a survival show?"
- No. Quick format rundown: Entertainers team up with good cooks. Entertainer spins a roulette for the theme and starts cooking. They'll suck since they're amateurs, right? The pro fixes it—that's the content.
"So, relay cooking."
- Exactly! You're the only good cook I know. Haha. With 100k subs now, wanna join?
I hesitated.
I did competitions, but I avoided pure entertainment shows. Even now, earning from YouTube, I didn't want to be viewers' clown.
But collabs definitely boosted YouTube.
When I started Sky and Kite, Park Su-han's shoutout rocketed us. Heck, I started YouTube because of our collab.
"How big is it?"
- Jjijik's producing, so not small. Can't spill details yet—embargo—but bigger names than me, food industry pros. Rumor has it even a Yori King quarterfinalist is joining.
Yori King quarterfinalist, huh.
This could build my rep. If Su-han and I took first, I'd stick in viewers' minds as "that good cook."
In other words, it opened the door to my sister's "feedback content" idea.
'Gotta see how it plays out, but some recognition would make future streams easier.'
Hate comments popped up sometimes.
- Who the hell are you to act like a cooking pro?
- Looks like a kid—what do you even do?
- Total cooking noob lol how do you cook like that. Soy sauce...
- BBQ basics are...
From "you suck" rants to nonsense "advice" as if it were gospel, lies, insults, straight curses.
Sister pouted every time she saw them, getting upset.
Wasn't this all because I lacked social cred?
'In my past life, I was a dick worth hating, but now? Hmm. Probably not, right?'
Overall, pros outweighed cons.
But I couldn't decide alone.
Sky and Kite was our channel together.
"Sounds promising. I'll think positively."
- Great. Let me know ASAP. Our chemistry rocks. Hoping for good news!
I hung up and told sister right away. She jumped, mid-edit, and asked again.
"A collab offer?"
"Yeah. Check it out."
I showed her the format Park Su-han sent. She stared at my phone, then hesitated.
"What?"
"Pros, even Yori King top 8? You sure?"
"About what?"
"If you lose, hate'll blow up worse. We already get some..."
She explained the format. Even non-competitive shows spark backlash with rivalry. Opponents: known channels, established cooks.
We had 100k subs, but new to YouTube, zero chef cred.
"So you're worried I'll lose to them."
"No, not exactly... I trust you, obviously. But... um."
She mumbled, sparing my pride.
Old me would've snapped. Now? Adorable.
"Don't worry. If they're gonna hate a loss, they'll hate eventually. Gain experience, win-win. Minus the hate, it's all upside."
I brushed her hair with a comb while talking. It bugged her during edits, so I tied it back.
"Who knows? I might sweep and win it all."
Even then, her face stayed worried. But she didn't push.
She knew I didn't bend when firm.
Old habit from before regression—handy sometimes, no need to fix.
And so, Sky and Kite joined Jjijik's Relay Cooking Race. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I headed to the café where I'd meet Park Su-han. Sister wanted to come but was swamped with edits, so I went solo.
"Welcome."
"Espresso, please."
"Right away."
Park Su-han was upstairs, so I ordered coffee. While waiting, I eyed the slice cakes. Famous for them—sister loved cake, so I'd grab a few.
"Sweet potato cake and blueberry. And... something a 20-something woman might like?"
"Our signature cotton candy cake's popular with young ladies."
"That, then."
Cakes and espresso in hand, I went up. Park Su-han dozed in the corner booth.
He woke at my footsteps.
"You look beat."
"Yawn. Yeah. Been practicing cooking. I'm awful, even by my standards. Haha."
He laughed awkwardly.
Cooking allows clumsy knife or wok work if you follow recipes—decent results. But after camping and his cook streams, words stuck.
"Don't stress too much. I can salvage most dishes."
"Phew. Counting on you. Practice helps, but your performance matters more."
Format didn't allow real practice—the dish was random roulette on-site.
Practice meat, draw fish? Useless.
Five-minute huddle, but too short.
"What should I practice?"
"Show me what you've done."
He played his practice vids. Started with knife work.
Chopping veggies slowly—uneven chunks. Slicing or smashing?
"Knife's too dull. Switch to the one I recommended. Till broadcast, practice basics: knife skills, handling ingredients."
"Like what?"
"Fish, pork, beef, chicken. Four big ones."
Deeper: veggies, fruits, herbs, fire control. Fish varieties galore. But short-term impossible—he'd be busy with basics.
"Keep cooking simple: steam, grill, boil. Prep that, I'll handle rest."
"Got it."
"Listen up—I'll explain. Details in studio."
I lectured an hour on ingredients, methods, pitfalls.
"Ugh. So much. Sugar crash. Mind if I snag a slice?"
"These? For our editor—no. Pick a flavor, order. Cakes are killer here."
"...Single life's rough enough."
Time flew. Broadcast day arrived.