Chapter 101: Pantry Management (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 101: Pantry Management (2)
‘First, let’s decide on positions.’
That was the first thing I said to the guys after we arrived at the dorm last night.
‘Positions?’ Lee Cheong-hyeon had asked.
It was a fair question, considering we had all learned everything together, from how to make an Americano to whipping up smoothies.
But if we worked like that, customers would end up waiting forty minutes for a single drink. There’s a reason the division of labor has become so specialized in modern society.
I assigned roles based on the performances the guys had shown me so far.
First, I put Jeong Seong-bin in charge of the counter and orders, considering his meticulous nature and how naturally he smiles and talks to people.
Next, I tasked Lee Cheong-hyeon with cross-checking the prepared drinks against the order slips and calling out to customers, allowing him to fully utilize his extraordinary memory and quick mental processing.
Kang Gi-yeon and Choi Je-ho were grouped together to handle smoothies and teas. Those two were complementary forces; it was better to keep them as a "one team" rather than giving them individual tasks.
And as for Park Ju-woo…
‘Ju-woo, just assume you’ll be pulling shots all day.’
‘But what if the customers only order drinks that don’t have coffee in them…?’
Fat chance. Even if you spent the whole day making nothing but Americanos, you’d still be short-handed.
Finally, I took on the role of making coffee-based drinks other than Americanos, clearing the trash, and handling the dishes if Choi Je-ho and Kang Gi-yeon couldn’t keep up.
Sure enough, as soon as they entered the cafe, the boys took their designated spots and checked the ingredients.
“Did you decide on these positions beforehand?”
The PD asked Jeong Seong-bin, who was busy sticking memos onto the POS terminal.
“Yes! Iwol-hyung looked up images of the cafe’s interior yesterday, so we discussed it in advance!”
Perhaps because it was their first official variety show appearance, they were incredibly disciplined. Just as I was about to give them some mental "good boy" points, the camera suddenly swung toward me.
“Iwol-ssi, how did you know this was the cafe? We only gave you a rough location yesterday.”
“I narrowed it down to places near the location you provided that had an open kitchen and usually employed three or more part-timers. Since you said it would be an event-style shoot, I looked for cafes with entrances facing the main road.”
“You found it just with that?”
Well, I wasn't 100% sure at first. I narrowed it down to a Top 3 out of about ten candidates and just memorized the interiors of all three.
I decided not to explain all that, though. It would make me look like I was bragging too much over something trivial.
Right then, an alarm rang, signaling the start of business hours.
In principle, the production crew’s intervention stops the moment prep time ends. Which was right now.
I tied my apron strings and offered a silent prayer.
I made the impossible wish that every office worker commuting to Gangnam today would be in a remarkably good mood.
“Hey, Junior.”
“Yes, PD-nim!”
“You said these kids don’t have much experience with part-time jobs, right?”
The Main PD asked, looking bewildered. The junior writer glanced toward the kitchen and nodded.
“Then why are they so quick on their feet?”
Spark was composed to a degree that made it hard to believe their average age was barely twenty.
‘I thought it was strange when they all showed up wearing matching black T-shirts.’
Since they were renting out a private cafe, there were no specific uniforms. The production crew had assumed that since they were an idol group and needed to appeal to the audience, they would show up in something individualistic yet neat.
However, Spark defied expectations by appearing in identical black short-sleeved tees.
On top of that, they had brought six identical aprons—whether they’d bought them separately or not, who knew? From a distance, they looked exactly like the actual staff of the cafe.
‘Why did you buy your own aprons?’
‘We thought it might be rude to use the cafe’s supplies haphazardly.’
…Or so they said. Their level of preparation was staggering.
Up until this point, the production crew was merely surprised, not flustered. Anyone can have a plan—until they’re actually thrown into the situation.
And before long, the wave of office workers heading for their 8:00 AM start came crashing in.
This was the moment they were supposed to film the cast members fumbling and getting overwhelmed by orders.
At least, that’s how it was supposed to go.
“Let me double-check your order! One Iced Americano, is that correct?”
“Seong-bin hyung, from now on, tell them the wait time is over ten minutes when you take the order!”
“Three Iced Americanos coming out…!”
Behind the bar, drinks were being produced like a factory line.
That wasn't all.
“Choi Je-ho, you’re free right now, yeah? Open a new carton of milk for me.”
“I’m caught up. Does anyone need help with anything?”
“Gi-yeon, can you wipe up these coffee grounds for me…?”
Whenever work piled up in one area, the other members would rush over to help and then return to their spots with professional speed.
‘The communication between the members is excellent.’
The sound director, who was listening to the dialogue, marveled.
Even in the middle of a hectic rush, they addressed each other by name when giving directions and were as specific as possible when asking for favors. They ensured no one had to repeat themselves.
Kim I-wol, who had claimed to be in charge of "odd jobs," also intervened at the perfect moments.
He scurried around the kitchen, and then every thirty minutes, he would return to the espresso machine to help Park Ju-woo churn out an endless supply of Americanos.
Sure enough, returning right on time once again, Kim I-wol shouted toward the kitchen.
“I’ve refilled the paper cups and washed the rags, so use them if you need them! I folded the cardboard carriers and put them in the pantry because there was no room out here!”
“Got it!”
As soon as Kim I-wol finished speaking, another wave of customers flooded in.
‘Does that kid have some kind of luck that attracts customers?’
The Main PD thought Kim I-wol was someone cursed with a lot of work. But he soon realized this was no coincidence.
Though flexible working hours were being introduced, South Korea’s commute times were still largely fixed.
While 9-to-6 was the standard, many places had start times staggered every thirty minutes beginning at 7:00 or 8:00 AM.
There was a reason customers swarmed every time Kim I-wol appeared like a cuckoo clock.
It was a detail that even the production crew, who had started filming in the early dawn to capture the "look at these poor guys struggling" narrative, had failed to consider.
After that war-like period passed and 10:00 AM arrived, the rush finally began to subside.
It was finally time to catch their breath… and…
“Who were the ones supposed to eat lunch early? Come grab your lunch boxes.”
“Me, Kang Gyeon, and Seong-bin hyung!”
…It was time for half the workforce to go to lunch.
After handing out the lunch boxes to the younger ones, Kim I-wol took Jeong Seong-bin’s place at the POS terminal.
Taking advantage of the space in the kitchen, the PD entered with a camera and asked, “Are you taking orders now, Iwol-ssi?”
“Yes. I think I can manage just by following Seong-bin’s notes.”
Kim I-wol pointed to the memos Jeong Seong-bin had posted before opening.
The notes neatly listed the greeting for taking orders, the types of beans, and the final confirmation script.
Kim I-wol handled the occasional orders without a hitch.
Sometimes a customer would come in to do a "coffee run" for their office and order multiple drinks, but since Park Ju-woo (Americanos) and Choi Je-ho (other drinks) were still there, there were no disasters that required calling back the members who were eating.
“Is there a reason you decided on the lunch rotation in advance?”
“Yes. Our members are still in their growing phase, so they need to eat without skipping meals.”
With that, Kim I-wol gave a broad grin. It was the kind of smile that made one think, ‘That guy would really excel at corporate life.’
The afternoon was twice as chaotic as the morning.
First, office workers who had finished lunch swarmed in on their way back to work.
The fact that the free event had gone viral played a huge part. People who had heard about it from their colleagues flocked to the cafe, creating a line that stretched out the door.
The production crew had kept the actual cafe staff on standby for a moment like this, but Spark’s response remained calm.
Since Jeong Seong-bin, who was taking orders, informed them of the wait time in advance, customers who didn't have the time simply turned away on their own.
The customers who stayed didn't complain about the wait because they had ordered knowing they would have to wait.
‘Then again, the drinks come out within ten minutes anyway.’
Since each person was focused on a single task, their proficiency had increased, and everyone’s working speed had gone up.
The only difference was Kim I-wol’s movement path.
In the morning, he had alternated between odd jobs and assisting Park Ju-woo, but now he was busily moving between the refrigerator and the blender.
“Mango Yogurt Smoothie and Shine Muscat Ade are ready!”
The menu items Lee Cheong-hyeon called out were much more diverse than in the morning.
The Main PD looked back and forth between the colorful drinks lined up in front of Lee Cheong-hyeon and Kim I-wol, who was pulling a new pack of frozen strawberries out of the commercial freezer.
‘They’re… really good at this.’
It seemed a new group would soon be added to the "Collection of Cast Members Who Conquered Challenge Living" highlight reel.
The filming for Challenge Living wrapped up without any issues.
Except for the fact that when Choi Je-ho and I were doing the final cleanup, the guys who had finished earlier showed up in their civilian clothes, which surprised me.
‘What are you guys doing here?’
‘What do you mean "you guys"? We’re customers.’
‘Boss, give us four of the most difficult drinks to make in this cafe!’
That’s what they said. But when I actually offered to make them Earl Grey Peach Shakes, they jumped in surprise and declined.
Then, complaining about how much dust there was in the cafe, they pulled out cleaning supplies and finished tidying up the entire place themselves.
‘Seriously, what kind of cafe makes the customers work?’
‘People who don’t order drinks aren’t customers.’
By the time we finished bickering and recorded the closing comments, it was 11:00 PM.
I stayed up all night wondering if I’d get a call from the company asking, ‘Hey, did you guys cause trouble on set?’ but no such call came.
I thought Spark’s first variety show outing had just been a decent, middle-of-the-road success, but…
“Guys.”
“What is it?”
“Spark is trending!”
“Really?!”
Not long after the filming date, on the day the episode aired.
At the manager’s words as he suddenly burst into the practice room, the guys stopped dancing and ran toward him.
The word "Spark" was clearly visible on the phone screen.
Challenge Living Spark
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The Pager Guy from Challenge Living
2,509 posts
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“Whoa… Whoa!”
Lee Cheong-hyeon, who was gaining popularity as "The Pager Guy," checked the phone repeatedly, his eyes sparkling with disbelief.
Looking to the side, I saw Choi Je-ho squinting at the screen. I guess he really can’t see text this small without his glasses.
“It was worth scrubbing those blenders so hard,” Kang Gi-yeon said with a shrug.
Jeong Seong-bin, who had been silently staring at the phone, also murmured, “I guess so,” with a faint smile.
Perhaps it was because I was satisfied that we had started off on the right foot without anyone making a mistake.
At that time, I failed to notice that my own tiny mistakes were starting to pile up.