Chapter 425: Countryside Experience (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 425: Countryside Experience (1)
The cauldron Gu Ja-han had scrubbed until the backs of his hands were raw produced a staggering amount of white rice.
This was thanks to Woo Yun-jae, who had demonstrated god-tier fire-starting skills using the scraps of wood I’d gathered while wandering the low hills. I also learned why Odae rice was so famous. One taste, and the difference was undeniable.
While Woo Yun-jae and I built the fire pit and seasoned the cauldron lid with oil, Gu Ja-han was tossed back and forth like a leaf in the wind. He might have been able to whip up gambas with olive oil in a frying pan, but he lacked the knack for cooking with meager resources.
Watching Woo Yun-jae, clad in work gloves, wrestle with the fire despite the acrid smoke, Gu Ja-han quietly headed to the outdoor sink whenever the dishes piled up.
“I-wol, what’s all that on your clothes?”
“This? It’s dried radish greens. There was a lot to trim.”
“I see…”
Occasionally, he would look at me with a deeply conflicted expression. However, I had a mountain of work to do, so I focused on my tasks rather than trying to decipher his every thought.
After pulling out the kimjang kimchi that had been resting in the storage jars to make stew and frying up some radish green pancakes on the cauldron lid, a magnificent spread was complete. The table was a bit small for three grown men to huddle around, but everyone was at peace in front of the food.
“The rice turned out well, didn't it?”
“It’s incredible.”
Gu Ja-han, marvelling after his first spoonful, polished off two whole bowls. Perhaps feeling sorry for his colleague, who was covered in red pepper flakes from retrieving the kimchi, Woo Yun-jae used a clean pair of chopsticks to tear a long strip of well-ripened kimchi and piled it in front of Ja-han.
The remaining dishes also fell to Gu Ja-han. It wasn't that we forced him; he volunteered first. I sealed the leftover ingredients and wiped down the table.
We let Woo Yun-jae, who had worked the hardest, take a break. But staying still didn't seem to suit his temperament; before long, he was out in the yard, hammering away at something.
“Is there anything I can help with, Sunbaenim?”
“No… I’m almost done.”
Two long sticks were attached to the bottom of a thin wooden board. When he added thick wire—heaven knows where he found it—over the sticks, I realized what he was making.
“Is that a sled?”
“I saw the rice paddy was frozen… My grandfather used to make these for me when I was a kid.”
Woo Yun-jae sat right there and whipped up a pair of sled sticks as well. In an instant, a full adult-sized sled set was complete.
“Let’s go try it out.”
Woo Yun-jae stood up, carrying the sled.
“Where are you going?”
Gu Ja-han asked as he emerged from the kitchen, rubbing his reddened hands with a dish towel. After hearing Yun-jae’s explanation, Ja-han threw on a padded vest and slipped his feet into fur-lined rubber shoes. He hadn't even pretended to hear me earlier when I asked if he wanted to wear a parka. He’d fully localized to the mountain village in just three hours.
The rock-solid frozen rice paddy was filled with threshed straw and the rugged, leftover stumps of rice stalks. Still, there were patches here and there where a sled could glide.
Setting the sled down on the ice, Woo Yun-jae spoke to me.
“Go ahead, ride it.”
“Pardon?”
Me? I’m twenty-three… no, wait, how old am I… thirty-something… hold on, should I say twenty-three? Anyway, I’m not at an age where I should be screaming to ride a sled the moment I see ice.
“What are you doing? Get on.”
Even Gu Ja-han chimed in. Am I really supposed to ride a handmade sled in front of you two at my age and go, ‘Haha, this is so much fun!’? Well… yes. Because the cameras are rolling.
I climbed onto the sled that Woo Yun-jae had crafted with such care.
However, I couldn't move forward. It’s not like I’d ever ridden a sled before!
“Dig the sticks into the ice… and don't lean too far back.”
The scene became even more bizarre as Woo Yun-jae pushed me from behind, seeing as I was unaccustomed to winter leisure activities. The sound of the spikes biting into the ice echoed across the vast winter field.
“I-wol, can I take a picture?”
“I’d appreciate it if you could make it look as good as possible.”
“How am I supposed to make something this funny look good?”
“Because an idol has to look good anytime, anywhere…!”
Despite my desperate plea, Gu Ja-han snapped the shutter half-heartedly. I didn't even need to check his gallery to know his promise to ‘try his best’ was a total lie.
“I-wol, why don't you wear that roasted chestnut hat? I saw one inside.”
“…Should I go get it?”
“It’s on top of the mother-of-pearl dresser in the room.”
They were even chatting amiably about putting a roasted chestnut hat on me. I felt like I was being used just to get a shot of the two actors talking.
Suddenly, I became a thoughtless brat wearing a fur-lined earflap hat, riding a sled my senior made for me, having tossed my maturity into the kimchi stew. I had never felt such intense indignation.
“You should try it too, Sunbaenims. Since we’re here.”
“At my age?”
And what, am I five years old?
When I glared at him while smiling, Gu Ja-han hesitantly took the sticks. Gu Ja-han, who had walked red carpets like they were his own living room until the end of last year, fell apart helplessly on the ice sled. Even the production crew burst out laughing.
After watching the winter sports specialist Woo Yun-jae perform a spectacular drift, we warmed our bodies by the fire in the furnace. Like a marshmallow in hot chocolate, my entire body went limp without a fight.
“Is the floor warm?”
Woo Yun-jae, who was tending the fire, asked as he looked at me, currently forced to stay inside the room.
“It’s boiling hot.”
When I reported back with a thumbs-up, Woo Yun-jae took off his work gloves, looking satisfied. Soon after, with thumping footsteps, Gu Ja-han arrived carrying a large tray.
“Is this all the sweet potatoes?”
Preparation was needed to roast sweet potatoes in the furnace. When Woo Yun-jae nipped off the ends of the sweet potatoes with a knife, Gu Ja-han and I took them and wrapped them tightly in aluminum foil.
“Who’s going to eat all these?”
“Won't the staff eat them too? Just holding one of these when it’s cold makes you feel warmer.”
At my words, Gu Ja-han continued wrapping the sweet potatoes without further complaint. He even sped up after hearing they were pumpkin sweet potatoes.
We tucked the sweet potatoes between the logs and huddled in front of the fire to chat. These were men who made a living by showing their faces on screen, yet they had soot smeared all over them. It was a pitiful sight, so I heated some towels in the microwave and handed them out.
“Yun-jae and I-wol, you both seem very used to this. Don't you both live in Seoul?”
“My family home is in the countryside.”
Woo Yun-jae replied while poking at the logs.
“I went to a similar place to film a variety show with my members.”
That was a lie. I’m a veteran of the weekend farm. My specialties are planting tomato seedlings and setting up stakes for chili peppers.
“The cabbage juice Yun-jae Sunbaenim gave me was also made from cabbages harvested directly from his home.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Have you tried it?”
“It was good. I’ve been enjoying it.”
“If the three of us were villains, who would be the worst?”
“Division Chief Go is innocent. He only did it because I told him to.”
“It’s the fault of the adult who’s fully grown. Young Master Yun-seong’s behavior was mostly due to his childhood environment…”
“I think I just became the worst guy.”
We mentioned Woo Yun-jae’s gift and chatted about our recent roles in dramas. Since this was a ‘Villain Special,’ we had to talk about bad guys at least once.
We delivered the first batch of roasted sweet potatoes to the staff. Since we could only roast a few at a time, we shared trivial anecdotes about our first impressions and past stories while the second batch cooked.
“Yun-jae, have you ever seen this kid get angry? It’s no joke.”
“Haha, how could I ever get angry at you, Sunbaenim!”
“If that’s the case, there’s a high probability that Ja-han was the one in the wrong…”
“I guess it’s true that I’m the biggest piece of trash on today’s broadcast.”
“Eat a sweet potato before your image gets any worse, Sunbaenim.”
I quickly pulled out a sweet potato and offered it to Gu Ja-han.
Watching the flickering flames, my muscles slowly relaxed. The sweet potatoes were delicious, too. I reached for a skewer intending to have just one more, but Woo Yun-jae stabbed a large one and handed it to me. Roasted sweet potatoes are high in calories…
“You must have worked hard looking after your seniors, so eat up.”
…But how could I refuse? I decided to run three laps around the neighborhood tomorrow morning and ate it enthusiastically.
Sweet potatoes were also included in our dinner. Gu Ja-han, who was now naturally wearing a floral pattern cardigan and sleeping socks, picked out and peeled some sturdy sweet potatoes, which I then chopped into chunks and added to the cauldron.
Woo Yun-jae made fresh kimchi on the side. I got caught staring because it looked so good. In exchange for the pieces of sweet potato topped with fresh kimchi that Gu Ja-han and I were fed, we boiled some zucchini soybean paste stew.
“We’re eating really well.”
“You have to eat to do anything. I-wol, you don't usually eat much, do you…?”
“I make sure to eat my meals! I just regulate the types of food.”
“I thought I-wol was thin, but all idols are incredibly skinny.”
“I heard our agency doesn't impose strict dietary restrictions. I’m in no position to complain.”
Our conversation quickly caught fire with topics like ‘essential supplements for men in their 20s and 30s’ and ‘bodyweight exercises effective for health management.’
“Your condition takes a nosedive once you hit thirty. Take care of yourself.”
Gu Ja-han gave me a stern warning. Well, since I’ve never actually passed thirty, I didn't know how to respond.
I decided to do the final round of dishes. It wasn't the destiny of the youngest or anything; we just decided that Woo Yun-jae, who was covered in the most ash, should wash up first. Gu Ja-han, whom I thought had gone for a smoke, boiled some water in the cauldron and mixed it into the cold water I’d set aside for the dishes.
After washing up, we lay down side-by-side under cotton quilts. Gu Ja-han suddenly jumped up, saying he felt a draft, so we spent about thirty minutes making a fuss trying to block the gaps in the door.
“I-wol, you sleep by the wall. A singer shouldn't let his throat get damaged.”
“The floor is warm, so it’s fine. I’ll sleep by the door…”
“Should I heat up a towel for you? It’ll be warm if you put it under the covers.”
My seniors’ consideration was overflowing. Amidst all this, none of them told me to sleep with a sweet potato on my face so I wouldn't get cold. It was a moment that made me realize just how extraordinary our Choi Je-ho really was.