Chapter 169
Chapter 169
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: Candid Talk and Budae Jjigae Breakthrough
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"How's the Fair Trade Commission case coming along?"
Asking about this out of the blue?
I'd been through hell with this issue lately, so my eyes sharpened without me even realizing it.
For a split second, I wondered if she was fishing for info from me to leak to another media outlet.
I liked Im Hye-eun's hosting and her work ethic, but that didn't mean we were close enough for me to trust her completely yet.
Reading the wariness in my gaze, she hurriedly added more.
"It's not anything else. I just heard that Fair Trade Commission investigations usually take about six months."
"Yeah, that's right."
"And if I do the math, it lines up right around when this show airs."
Aha.
Only then did I understand why she'd cautiously brought up the topic.
'If the investigation results drop right after the broadcast airs, it'll definitely draw attention. But what if they go against me?'
The fate of a show bearing my name would be as clear as day.
"Of course, I believe in your innocence, Mr. Song. But the world doesn't always deliver good outcomes just because you're in the right."
True enough.
No one knew that better than me—the world's rules. Living righteously doesn't guarantee righteous results.
Im Hye-eun scooted even closer and whispered in my ear.
"Shall I be totally frank?"
Her voice dropped even lower.
"It's been a short time since I went freelance, so I'm just taking whatever gigs come my way. This show came through a connection with PD Kim Hee-seong from before."
"......"
"Honestly, when I heard you were joining and that the whole concept was getting overhauled, I thought about bailing."
That was understandable.
To her, I must have looked like a ticking time bomb. And that bomb was planted right in the heart of the program.
One wrong move, and she could get caught in the blast, shaking her own position.
"But I'm still here because of my loyalty to PD Kim Hee-seong. The schedule was too tight to find a new MC right away, so he promised to replace me at the right time."
So that's the backstory.
I'd never thought about it in detail, but with my name attached, lining up cast members must have been tough. Do-kyung had a connection with me, so he might have pushed to join, but Im Hye-eun didn't have that.
"I'm asking so bluntly, risking offense, because I've changed my mind."
"You've changed your mind?"
"Yes."
Im Hye-eun looked me straight in the eye.
"I don't want to leave this show anymore."
"......!"
"I'm greedy for it. My gut tells me I'll regret handing this spot over to someone else. And my instincts are usually spot on."
There was a strange conviction in her expression as she said it.
I let out an admiring sigh inwardly. It might be a lucky coincidence, but this show's massive success was already a given.
Her sharp instinct had picked up on it right after the first shoot—I had to be impressed.
"So please, be honest with me."
Im Hye-eun gazed at me with pleading eyes.
"What do you think the Fair Trade Commission results will be?"
"......"
I pondered for a moment.
Should I even say anything? Was it okay to comment on an ongoing investigation? Various concerns swirled in my head... but I reached a conclusion.
"It'll be fine."
"!"
"I'm not handling the investigation myself, so I can't say 100% for sure, but I can tell you with high confidence that it'll turn out okay."
"Really?"
"The probe is being led by that Choi Jong-wook guy who publicized the controversial claims, but we've already cleared up that every bit of sales data we provided to assist with their calculations is 100% accurate."
In other words, his claim that we 'used fake sales figures to deceive franchise owners' was baseless fiction.
Sure, they'd dig into other angles, but with that massive premise collapsed, the odds of an outcome favoring Choi Jong-wook were slim to none.
"So no need to worry. Here's hoping we can keep going for the long haul."
I smiled brightly, and a sparkle lit up her eyes.
"Then I'm counting on you!"
We shook hands as she reached out.
"You too."
Just then, PD Kim Hee-seong butted in.
"Oh, what's this? You two already buddies?"
"PD."
"We're hitting an afterparty to celebrate the first shoot. You both coming? It's on the company card, by the way~."
I chimed in on his playful tone.
"Wouldn't miss it."
"Shall we drain MBS's pillar dry tonight?"
"Whoa, Chef Song, watch out. Our Im announcer here might not look it, but she's a total booze monster. She'll wipe out everyone around her, so heads up!"
"Come on, PD. You're exaggerating~."
She punched his shoulder as she said it, and the thud didn't sound like a joke.
"Hahaha. Let's go!"
Im Hye-eun practically dragged Kim Hee-seong away. I shrugged and followed behind.
Looked like I'd be getting home late tonight.
"Budae jjigae, huh..."
Baek Jae-ha tapped his chin with his fingertips—a habit when he was mulling something over.
"I wondered why you'd come all this way. Here to talk business?"
He pouted with a sulky face.
Haha. I hadn't been able to give him much attention lately. I cooed and soothed him.
"Sorry, sorry. Things have been crazy. The Fair Trade Commission keeps asking for more docs for the response."
"Hmph, I know. That's why I waited patiently. Until you called me back."
"You keeping up with studies? CSAT's coming up soon."
The air was getting chillier by the day. It always froze over around exam time.
Even this cold breeze felt like proof the test was closing in.
"Yeah, yeah, of course. Brother Da-on's been riding me hard about it. Always asking if I've done my homework."
"Da-on's doing great. You really owe him."
"I know. That's why after CSAT, I'm gonna buy him a gift with my first paycheck."
Good. That's how it should be—give and take. I felt relieved sensing Baek Jae-ha was more at ease with Jeong Da-on now.
"So. Any ideas come to mind?"
As I prodded, he hummed thoughtfully and continued.
"Hmm. Safest bet's cheese. Works anywhere, not too polarizing. Budae jjigae already has baked beans, so no weird flavor clash."
"Not bad."
Topping any dish with cheese is half a cheat code.
Visually dominant, especially that gooey stretch when it's hot—pure spectacle. Perfect for SNS posts.
"If plain cheese feels lacking, how about adding sweet potato? They pair great."
"The broth gets too murky. And for eating with rice, bolder saltiness beats sweetness."
Adding sweet potato risked making the budae jjigae too sweet overall.
"Mixing in a creamy sauce for smoothness could work. Goes great with the red broth."
"Sounds good. Offering spice levels as an option too."
Chatting with Baek Jae-ha could make hours fly by unnoticed.
"Oh, for spicy versions, a half-boiled egg topping could be fun. Make it all pudding-soft and plop it on top. Cuts the heat and looks unique."
"What about thin-sliced pork instead of ham?"
"Unit cost won't match."
"Canned corn and extra butter would be tasty."
"Add ssam leaves?"
"Top with fried bits?"
One idea sparked two or three more. It felt like endless ping-pong.
He knew what I was thinking, and I knew his—like perfect sync.
You know that euphoric buzz from gossiping with someone whose tastes match yours exactly?
Before long, we'd piled up dozens of concepts trading back and forth.
I rolled up my sleeves.
"Shall we test them out?"
"Yeah, sounds good."
Like we'd planned it, we each started realizing our own suggestions one by one.
"Hmm. With sweet potato, it's tough to pair with rice after all."
"Same with the creamy sauce. Feels totally Western. The thick sauce makes it risotto-like with rice, but it'll split opinions hard."
"How's the egg topping?"
"Tasty. But harder to make look pretty than I thought."
"Considering turnover, we should scrap it."
"Tried with frozen pork belly slices. Cuts costs and seems decent?"
"Too thin and dry. Lacks chew."
Trial after failure, the flaws in our heady ideas started revealing themselves.
One by one... the hot pot pile kept growing. We'd lost count of the budae jjigae batches.
My mouth was thick with the flavor, and hours of cooking left my body heavy with fatigue.
I was about to suggest wrapping up and continuing later when—
Slurp.
"......!"
I took a bite of the latest batch, and my eyes flew wide. A glance sideways showed Baek Jae-ha reacting the same.
We stared at each other for a beat, then scooped up another spoonful.
Slurp.
This time with chunks and variety.
"......"
But the verdict held.
Clink.
I set down my chopsticks and murmured softly.
"Found it."