Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Is the Writer Omnipotent?
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Park Mi-ju was a 36-year-old housewife.
Like any other housewife, her biggest worry was food.
Her two sons had just started elementary school.
And there weren't many dishes that could satisfy both their tastes and her husband's.
The elementary school brothers still couldn't handle spicy food well, but her husband loved salty and spicy flavors.
This meant she had to prepare separate seasonings, which was a hassle.
Cooking twice over was labor-intensive.
Still, she put in the effort, thinking of her family eating it.
But hearing praise like it was delicious or that it didn't upset their stomachs was like reaching for the stars.
The kids said it occasionally, but from her husband—who was like an enemy in that regard—not complaining was already a win.
Lately, though, she'd gotten praise from that very husband.
After watching a drama and making the chicken from it, he'd given her a thumbs-up and said it was delicious.
It felt like the first compliment on her cooking in nearly five years.
The kids loved it too.
Since then, she'd been making the food featured in the drama, which aired once a week.
The feedback was always positive.
Her husband even polished off his rice while heaping on the praise.
The kids stopped being picky about side dishes.
Once a week, she was free from the stress of cooking.
Best of all, at the end of each episode, the lead actor came on personally to share recipes and cooking tips, which she could apply to other dishes.
Thanks to that, her overall cooking quality had improved lately.
“Today's the day Otherworld Chef drops, right?”
Park Mi-ju fixed her smartphone to the kitchen counter and watched Otherworld Chef while doing the dishes, right on its precise schedule.
The show's main focus was almost entirely on cooking.
It was strange that something so cooking-centric was a drama.
But today's episode felt a bit long.
It featured the protagonist missing his hometown.
‘Well... yeah. If you're dropped alone into an unknown world, you'd miss home.’
Even she felt that way.
After just a day or two visiting her parents' house, she started missing her own home.
Her parents' place, once the most comfortable spot, now felt a little awkward.
Maybe that's why she empathized with the protagonist.
Then it happened.
“Huh? An OST?”
As the camera showed the protagonist gazing at the sky, longing for home, a woman's song began.
Otherworld Chef had never featured an OST before, so it felt fresh.
“Nice voice.”
She couldn't quite place it, but it sounded familiar.
It was husky yet comforting.
Above all, it conveyed emotion perfectly.
She could feel the protagonist's loneliness.
[What are you doing here?]
Just then, one of the tribespeople he was close with approached him.
The protagonist's face lit up at the sight. The song's mood shifted too.
[I'm okay now. Your face pops into my head sometimes, but I have precious people here with me.]
The lyrics were about someone who once longed for a departed lover, but was no longer lonely.
They fit Otherworld Chef's protagonist perfectly.
The departed lover was his hometown, and no longer being lonely meant he'd found new bonds here.
People began gathering around the protagonist on screen, one by one.
The song built to its climax, and soon a festival-like scene unfolded around him.
“Great song...”
The song ended.
The protagonist on screen was back to his usual self, cooking as if he'd never missed home.
He looked happier than ever, skewering meat and veggies for festival food.
“Skewers for dinner tonight. But who sang that?”
Her curiosity about the OST led her to search "Otherworld Chef OST" on a portal site.
It was a reaction shared by every Otherworld Chef fan.
* * *
Explosive.
That one word summed up Otherworld Chef's OST, 'Al one'.
Unveiled in episode 14, 'Al one' instantly grabbed viewers' attention.
First reason: It was the first OST from a popular drama that hadn't released any music until now.
Second: The song itself was incredible.
No fancy instruments or techniques, yet it was effortlessly listenable.
Third: The singer's voice.
Even in the Breakup arrangement, Sia's voice had gotten rave reviews.
But this track? The response was on another level.
Her calm tone, singing of longing for someone gone, tugged at heartstrings everywhere.
From the mid-section onward, as it depicted shedding lingering attachments and embracing new connections amid the singer's turnaround—that part got legendary praise too.
Critics and the public alike raved about how perfectly her voice matched the song.
That acclaim translated straight to charts.
[Reverse Run Legend! Sia Crowned OST Queen!]
[YouTube Hit Otherworld Chef Drops First OST!]
['Al one' Tops Music Charts!]
[Sia Hits Back-to-Back Homers!]
[Sia Storm! 'Al one' No. 1 on 6 Music Charts!]
Sia, who solidified her rep as a powerhouse vocalist with Breakup, now savored her first No. 1 with this second track, 'Al one'.
As the song's popularity surged, one person got busier than ever.
Choi Woo-jong.
His phone rang nonstop lately.
“Yeah, hyungnim! Long time! You want Sia for your wedding song? Oh... what to do? Her schedule's booked solid for three months. When's the wedding?”
“Ah! PD Lee! Yes, thank you! The song's a hit thanks to you—we topped the charts! Music Boom appearance? Of course!”
Offers poured in from everywhere.
Festivals booked her first, filling her schedule three months out.
It wasn't just booking calls.
“Director Kang! Yes, long time no talk. I should've reached out first. No, uh... Who's JT? Sorry, can't say due to contract.”
“JT? Sorry...”
Inquiries flooded in about 'Al one''s composer, JT.
Especially after it leaked that Breakup's arranger was JT too—the calls never stopped.
Some even showed up in person.
But Choi Woo-jong turned them away, citing contract terms.
The contract explicitly forbade revealing the identity, so it was easy to convince them.
Still, he wondered.
‘Why's the writer hiding his identity?’
Two straight hits.
Prime time to cash in on fame.
Yet Tae-seong stayed incognito.
‘Maybe he thinks hiding it makes him seem cooler...’
A cringe hit him.
“Nah, no way...”
He dismissed it, but the thought lingered in the back of his mind.
* * *
To cut to the chase, Tae-seong wasn't hiding for pretentious reasons.
The reason was simple: his schedule.
‘Return of the Sword Immortal's heading into its finale.’
Tae-seong sat in his office, checking Return of the Sword Immortal's timeline.
As a fusion wuxia, it was popular across platforms.
The name Jeong Tae-seong now meant "must-read" to fans, building a loyal reader base.
‘SSS-Class Hunter's Return webtoon wrapped season 3.’
They'd decided on a five-month break for season 4 prep and staff rest.
Long hiatus, but the thick fanbase meant platforms weren't worried.
‘Otherworld Chef serialization's going smoothly too.’
Of his completed works in webtoon service, only SSS-Class Hunter's Return and Otherworld Chef were active.
Black Knight's Her was fully wrapped.
Its team members had split to Otherworld Chef and SSS-Class Hunter's Return.
But his projects didn't end there.
Figure production was steady, consulting with Figure World on new releases.
And drama production—plus acting in it.
Anyone else would've cried impossible.
But Tae-seong was handling it.
Thanks to his past life leading countless companies.
The issue: Adding more would cross into overwork territory.
That could ripple into everything else.
To avoid it, he hid his composer identity.
‘No secret lasts forever, so it'll come out eventually. No need now. Plus, inspiration doesn't strike on demand.’
Composers come in types.
Some treat it like a job, others like play.
Tae-seong was genius-type.
He needed inspiration to compose.
And inspiration? It doesn't come easy.
Even after long lives, that never changed.
It doesn't knock saying, "See you tomorrow~"
It hits suddenly, out of nowhere.
So during his music days, Tae-seong never overloaded on work.
‘Right now, sharing my stories comes first.’
Sorting his thoughts, Tae-seong eyed his monitor.
He checked comments on each platform, noting feedback.
Tons praised the work. Questions galore. He'd reply personally to off-topic ones.
Occasional deep analyses or plot critiques popped up.
Every reaction was pure joy for him.
Baseless hate dazed him, but he brushed it off with a laugh.
This short lunch break was his favorite time.
* * *
“Wow... so this is where they film Otherworld Chef.”
A woman marveled at the Otherworld Chef set.
“It looks like a Mongolian ger from the videos—is that the inspiration for the interior?”
“Exactly.”
The man spotted the ger vibe instantly.
Content pros had sharp eyes.
The pair: Netflix's Team Leader Lee Ji-yeon and Deputy Manager Kim Jong-pil.
They'd reached out to meet again recently; Tae-seong agreed.
“Good call pushing to meet here. Amazing set.”
“Yeah. Low production costs too, right?”
They'd requested the filming location nearby.
He'd wondered why, but now it clicked.
“With budgets like this, you could fund way more projects.”
“Totally. Small-scale production, top-tier quality. Curious about TS Media's secrets.”
“Trade secret.”
Tae-seong laughed it off.
Otherworld Chef's video quality was buzzing in the industry.
So they were dying to see the shoot firsthand.
“I'll step out for filming. Feel free to look around.”
“Yes!”
“We'll watch closely.”
They'd asked to observe the shoot.
No secrets, so he approved.
As prep began, director Oh Young-tae, checking cameras, approached.
“Director.”
“Yes, Director Oh.”
“Those two from Netflix, right?”
“Yes.”
“Oh... so Otherworld Chef's getting Netflix backing?”
“Not funding, but it could stream on their platform. That's why they're here.”
“Really...?”
Tae-seong realized Netflix's clout anew, seeing even the unflappable Oh Young-tae stunned.
‘If even this guy's shocked, it's a real heavyweight.’
The world's biggest streaming site.
His work there would reach millions more.
‘But focus on filming now.’
Nothing's set yet.
Shoot first.
“Alright, let's start filming!”
“Yes!”