Mysterious Participant: Isekai Gochunen (50 Years)
'Definitely... she looks just like her.'
Seong Chan-ho, the chef who had bought out a failing Chinese restaurant called Metro Work during his time studying in America, revived it to Michelin 1-star status before returning to Korea. After coming back, he turned a burger franchise into an instant success and was running his own restaurant on top of that—a first-generation genius chef, according to public opinion. But real chefs quietly dismissed him.
It all started back when he was studying abroad in America as an escape. He'd taken a side gig at a Chinese place, not out of passion for cooking, but because one of the Korean waitresses there was drop-dead gorgeous. Even after he casually revealed his chaebol heir status while working, she only had eyes for the poor sous-chef who could cook a little. When the owners died in an accident, he took over the place, hit it big with one lucky menu item, and grabbed wealth and fame—but she didn't give him the time of day and married the sous-chef instead.
'That girl had hair like that too.'
Peering through the kitchen gap, he stared blankly at the brown-haired girl in twin tails stir-frying meat with chili oil.
'Her name was Lee Haru, right?'
Her build was different, but he wondered if this was what she'd look like if she'd married his childhood crush from the big corp family instead of the sous-chef and had a daughter. The cameras weren't filming the kitchen yet, so he had no idea what process she was using, but unlike Boss Park Sun-ja, she was doing something intricate.
'Shin Do-young had good reason to make that offer.'
He'd originally planned to hit just four restaurants today after their last bad run-in with Bulpae Pochaa. But Shin Do-young had suggested picking between this place and the mackerel joint for some franchise people, piquing his curiosity about the fuss.
'Slot her into every episode, and the views will skyrocket.'
Haru bouncing around while cooking was adorable, but he doubted her skills.
'Everyone said it was good, but... it'd be hard to make it worse than the boss's pork stir-fry.'
Park Sun-ja's version was as solid as ever. Deepen the cheonggukjang flavor a bit, pair it with a matching pork style, toss in some fermented soybean sprouts, and loosen it up with Seong-style sauce bait. That should do it.
Like a pro from years of TV slots, Seong Chan-ho whipped up an instant script with no real expectations and took a bite of Haru's bright red pork.
'What the hell is this perfect texture...? They didn't swap the meat, did they??'
The harmony with the sauce was flawless... just like eating Min Yong-uk's cooking at its peak on Cooking Master Korea.
It shredded his mental script—the taste was that shocking.
"Hey, Miss Lee Haru? Could you come here a sec??"
After some praise, seeing Haru—so like his first love—sparked a playful urge.
"But Haru, you seem like a real fan of mine."
"Huh?"
"This pork stir-fry, that crimson color—it's from my Korean Red Chicken, right??"
"Deh-ni... not at all??"
Lots of people tried latching onto Seong Chan-ho since his post-return stock surge. Same on Health Restaurant Korea, so he rarely handed out favors. But Haru's looks and cooking disarmed him completely.
One word about being a fan, and he could've pushed her forward!!
'Does she play hard to get?'
He'd gotten intel from the writers that she was a Tower collapse survivor.
'Parents went into the Tower together and vanished. So...'
"You're too good to rot here. Wanna join Seong-style??"
Wondering if she had camera shyness, he turned off the camera and pushed harder in a teasing tone.
But her reply was out of left field.
"That jerk... how could I go under a wolf like that."
'Not what I expected?'
Taken literally, it meant Haru was a pup and he was the wolf—a compliment. Interpreted backwards, it flipped entirely, but objecting now would make him look weird if she claimed it was a joke. She didn't seem to overthink it, but it was a solid comeback.
'Look at this one.'
Her sharp edge matched that era's her too.
'I'll make you mine for sure.'
"That's from a 19+ movie—how'd you know??"
Seong Chan-ho played it off jokingly.
"Ahaha... saw it on YouTube Shorts."
"Oh, right. Wanna join us too, Boss?"
He called Park Sun-ja, pulled off their usual WWE routine, then checked the fridge.
"Both using the same meat??"
'How'd she do it??'
No camera on delivery, so he couldn't complain.
"Bad meat came in again today."
Looking closer at Haru's words, the fat was yellowed, no red hue left.
"Eww, what the—again??? Where do you get this stuff??"
Lee Ha-seong waddled over from the dining area.
The Health Restaurant Korea follow-up shoot wrapped.
Unlike Haru's fears, no permanent cameras stayed in the shop. Hunter Bang A-ji, lurking in the corner booth, hadn't gotten upper approval yet, so she played regular customer.
She expected tons of backlash, but the surprisingly mild vibe left Haru flustered instead.
'That jerk... how could I go under a wolf like that.'
She'd unintentionally stirred some aggro, but the broadcast should fix Bulpae Pochaa's meat quality issue.
Ha-seong's car-slaughter face was priceless... but his supplier buddy saw him as easy prey.
'Now to dethrone Mom's pork...'
Seong Chan-ho hedged, saying both had merits. No cameras meant no need to watch eyes.
In the slow hour, she grabbed two Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen cups and milk from the convenience store, passed through Bulpae Pochaa's second floor, and headed straight to the rooftop.
The unused rooftop storeroom held Level 1 monster Crimson Parrot Elmu, waiting for Haru.
"Mommy feed me food food peep!!!!!"
The stunning parrot with emerald feathers and red beak perched on the windowsill, spotting Mom Lee Haru and flying joyfully into her.
"Waited long, Elmu? Sorry sorry, shooting ran late~"
As it nuzzled her collarbone affectionately, she stroked its sleek neck in return.
It'd terrified her at first home encounter, but familiarity bred fondness—she even named it Elmu.
Elmu was originally from Haru's otherworld chef days: an egg from Maou Castle's gatekeeper Crimson Parrot, pocketed and hatched on Earth. It grew to adulthood gobbling Haru's saliva-soaked spicy noodles and concentrated fluids.
Post-maturity, its polymorph skill mimicked a giant phoenix, fire-blasting Hunter Gal high in the sky briefly.
Fearsome, but a loyal Level 1 Crimson Parrot calling Haru "Mommy."
Way overpowered for Level 1, sure. Beyond polymorph, it could teleport to Haru anywhere—her most trusted guardian.
Haru planned a second self via polymorph while she slacked off... but low mental age Elmu just loved Mom's food.
Today, real spicy for its education: original Hot Chicken cup ramen, not the carbonara from hatch day.
'Too spicy and it'll polymorph like before??'
No all-at-once overload; she scooped three strands onto a square plastic plate with chopsticks.
"Warm warm eat eat eat!!!!!"
"You okay?"
"Best ever Mommy more more more more!!!!!!"
"Okay, stop pecking with your beak!"
Seemed fine, so she dumped both cups' worth.
"This is spicy flavor. Got it??"
"Got it Mommy!!"
Crunch munch!!!
Elmu slurped milk too, then went berserk again.
"Mommy body weird."
Heat rose from its green body, turning red.
"Water! I'll get water!!"
Then, an alert like regression day's blared.
EMERGENCY SITUATION!! D-Rank Poison Hornet swarm sighted over XX Station airspace!!! Remain indoors until the nest is destroyed!!
Elmu burst through the door to the rooftop.
"Don't hurt people!!"
"Kiyoyoyooot!!!!"
Giant phoenix-polymorphed Elmu rocketed toward XX Station skies.
It unleashed five fire blasts at the hornet nest.
Seconds later, parrot-Elmu teleported back into Haru's arms in the storeroom.
"You... leveled up?"
****
Viewers: 5,523
3rd-year indie VTuber Yui with 300k subs. Early streams: leveraging her illustration background for weeb art and chatty gaming. Then she lost a bet, ate ramen with earthworms—and it hooked her. Great stomach anyway, so half-real half-concept weird eats went viral, leading to cooking streams.
Today's cooking contest was part of that. Far from normal, though.
First entry: ramen boiled in strawberry jam alone.
"Even that'd taste okay yakisoba-style in bread... wait no eggs too!!!!"
"Exactly, gimme cash and I'll eye-fuck ya good~"
Weird eats escalated brain-meltingly for Yui's attention—no win intent.
Skillers occasionally cleansed eyes.
"Oh, sous-vide like that."
"Whoa, sashimi flower cut!! Slurp, what restaurant?"
"Next up... wild ID. Isekai_gochunen, Isekai Gochu... Gochunen. '50 Years in Another World'? What's that mean??"
"Yup, trap name screams sus, but their dish... 'Sundae Soup Guts Fresh.' Let's see."
Plain home kitchen background.
"Ooh... ingredients sliced perfectly precise. Evil name, but skilled player."
"No way a girl's using Isekai Gochunen lol."
Achoo!!
Cute sneeze smacked Yui's earbuds, denying it instantly.
Garnishes plunged one by one into red broth.
"Ooh... zones divided like royal gardens. Pro for sure."
"Dunno, time for sundae...? Oh MOMMY!!!!"
Crash!!!
Chair topple synced with Yui's 2D model shaking wildly to a halt.
Video: massive leather-patterned snake writhing atop the red broth.