Chapter 258
Chapter 258
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 258
Chapter Title: The PD's Gratitude
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“Phew.”
I stepped out the back door of the shop and caught my breath for a moment. After focusing so intently for so long, I’d started feeling stuffy, so I’d come out for some fresh air.
My whole body felt heavy and sore.
‘How many hours has it been?’
Lee Hyung-bae had been so eager that he wanted to learn mackerel sushi right away, so I’d started by teaching him the basics of handling mackerel.
Somehow, I ended up covering everything from salting methods to vinegar pickling.
‘Sushi rolling isn’t exactly my specialty. But I do know the basic prep techniques and the vinegar ratios.’
I’d originally planned to bring in a sushi artisan to teach him.
But once I got swept up in his passion and started demonstrating the mackerel prep, I found myself enjoying the teaching so much that I couldn’t stop.
‘I should wrap it up soon.’
My surgically repaired thigh was starting to pull tight. It was quick to complain whenever I overdid it.
That’s when it happened.
Swoosh.
“Huh?”
A door opening behind me, followed by a short exclamation.
I turned to see Kim Hee-sung with a cigarette in his mouth. He was just about to light it, lighter in hand, cupping the tip protectively.
“...Haha. There you are.”
Kim Hee-sung slyly removed the cigarette and tucked it behind his back.
“Go ahead and smoke.”
“Can’t do that in front of a non-smoker. I do have some manners.”
“You must be suffering after coming for a quick shoot. We’ll wrap up soon, so don’t worry.”
“We’d be grateful if you did~.”
As expected.
I’d thought it’d be just an hour or two of filming, but then they got stuck watching my impromptu mackerel teardown show. Must’ve been awkward.
And they couldn’t just leave without proper wrap-up footage. So they had no choice but to sit through the mackerel sushi lecture with Lee Hyung-bae.
“I’ll head back in first.”
I figured he couldn’t relax fully with me around, so I was going to give him some space.
“CEO Song.”
“Yes?”
Unexpectedly, Kim Hee-sung called me back first.
He looked a bit conflicted for a moment, then smiled faintly.
“I wanted to give my thanks too.”
“Thanks?”
“Truth is, it’s not easy for the owner here to step up like that and help out. You must be busy yourself.”
Even after the show wrapped, staying in touch and checking in was purely my goodwill.
But I didn’t see why that warranted thanks from Kim Hee-sung.
As I puzzled over it, he continued.
“I showed up out of nowhere begging you to join the show. Remember?”
“Oh.”
“Back then, I was just some no-name PD with nothing to my name. I couldn’t figure out what made you agree to it so readily.”
That’s because I already knew this show would be a hit.
The format had evolved and gotten even bigger since. Either way, to me, Kim Hee-sung wasn’t some unknown PD.
He was an unscratched lottery ticket.
“I was desperate back then. I was so sure it’d work, but I couldn’t convince anyone with just my conviction.”
“......”
“I sent emails—got rejected. Tried calling—no dice. Personal contacts? No chance. So I ended up showing up at your company unannounced.”
I’d blanket-rejected all those email pitches back then. But apparently, he’d been even more persistent in reaching out.
“I figured getting turned away at the door was just par for the course. Crashing someone’s workplace like that isn’t polite. Even if the cops got called, I couldn’t complain......”
So he knew.
“But I thought if I didn’t go in person, I’d never even get to hand you my business card in this lifetime. ...Sorry about that, even now.”
“Haha. Water under the bridge.”
“I didn’t really expect you to take my pitch seriously.”
“Is that so?”
“Come on. I had nothing going for me, the show had zero progress, and this format was totally untested. It was a complete gamble.”
Kim Hee-sung murmured softly, emotions welling up as he recalled those days.
“But you listened seriously and even agreed to appear right away. For me, it felt like a dream.”
Back then, I was the rising blue-chip talent in variety, while he was a fresh PD. Fair enough.
“Seeing the owner here reminds me of myself back then.”
Kim Hee-sung said with a gentle smile.
His gaze grew distant, lost in the past. But unlike before, his expression was soft and at ease.
Now he was the PD of a smash-hit show, no matter what anyone said.
“Desperation, receiving a favor from you—it’s like déjà vu all over again.”
So that’s why he was thankful.
Seeing himself in Lee Hyung-bae.
“I wanted to say thanks.”
Kim Hee-sung scratched the back of his head sheepishly. I grinned back.
“No need. If anything, I should be asking you for a favor.”
With how intense the online buzz was right now, the upcoming episode was sure to be a hot potato.
“Edit it well.”
He clasped my outstretched hand firmly.
“Leave it to me.”
“Mom~! Ads are almost over!”
Gong Tae-min plopped down in front of the TV and called out. His mother, folding laundry, shuffled into the living room.
“It’s starting?”
“Yeah. In one minute.”
“Sigh. A week feels endless. That sushi place still hasn’t opened?”
“Nope.”
Gong Tae-min fiddled with his phone as he replied.
In the week since the last episode, everyone’s attention had poured onto that sushi shop. He’d heard YouTubers sniffing around the area.
All for naught—the shop stayed dark and silent.
Which only amplified the hype for tonight’s episode.
A quick glance at his phone screen showed countdowns everywhere, fans waiting together.
“It’s starting!”
The familiar [Alleyway Secrets] logo kicked off the opening. It recapped the previous episode briefly, then dove into solutions for other shops instead of the sushi place.
The other spots had their own charms and stories, but nothing compared to the sushi shop.
‘Pushing it back for ratings. Classic move.’
He knew the trick, but had to play along anyway. Frustrating.
Patience paid off—halfway through, the sushi shop finally appeared.
“It’s here, it’s here!”
Even his mom leaned in, focus sharpening on the TV.
-Practice sushi rolling at least 6 hours a day, no excuses. Miss even one day, and I’m out.
-I’ll do it.
Quickly edited clips from the previous solution flashed by.
Next came scenes showing how diligently Lee Hyung-bae had followed through post-solution.
Piles of practice sushi scrolled past in photos, followed by crew-shot footage of him.
-Owner, our camera battery’s dying. Mind if we take a break?
-Sure, go ahead.
Even when the crew paused, Lee Hyung-bae kept practicing silently.
Late into the night, footage showed him handing out coffee with an apologetic smile.
-You’ve worked hard. Have some coffee to keep going.
A heartwarming moment—then the screen went black, white text appearing.
[A phone call came in to the production team at that time.]
The teaser call audio echoed.
“Hello?”
“CEO Song, I won’t know details till we get to the hospital, but for now......”
“What? What are you saying?”
This time, the name rang clear.
“Owner Lee Hyung-bae seems to have seriously injured his hand.”
Shaky camera footage followed, inserted with a presumed son on the phone.
“Sudden car accident. Worse, his left hand took the brunt. Doc says it won’t be usable like before......”
The screen blackened again, background music halting into silence.
Then, Lee Hyung-bae’s voice.
“I’d regret it if I didn’t.”
The screen brightened to show him in a hospital bed, Kim Hee-sung and Song Woo-yeon standing by with worried eyes.
“The other driver was drowsy behind the wheel.”
Of all things.
Gong Tae-min sighed involuntarily. Talk about bad luck.
But it didn’t end there.
“Some major nerve in his wrist got damaged. Even with steady rehab, daily life might be iffy.”
A despairing prognosis. If daily life was touch-and-go, sushi rolling was out—Gong Tae-min, no expert, thought so immediately.
“Of all things, the left hand. All that practice down the drain.”
Yet Lee Hyung-bae smiled faintly.
No words needed—he wasn’t giving up or broken.
“But this right hand’s fine. I’ll roll with this one.”
His iron resolve reached straight through the screen.
“Whoa.”
Gong Tae-min couldn’t help blurting it out. Pushing through such hardship with unwavering will—truly impressive.
Something about it made your heart race.
‘Oh right!’
Gong Tae-min snapped to and checked his phone.
“Gasp.”
Posts regenerating this fast? Unprecedented.
Refresh after refresh, new comments flooded in. Hard to parse them all, but one thing was crystal clear.
‘How many people are watching this?’
The episode was a massive hit.