Chapter 147
Chapter 147
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: A Gift and a Grudge
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 147.
After arriving at the dorm, the members of Answer waited for Min-jun to leave before hailing a taxi.
After a long drive, they arrived at an area in Jongno where wholesale jewelers were clustered.
“If we had gone that day, we wouldn't have had to spend an extra 4 million won.”
“We were in no state to think. The Director was drunk, and the next day he made us a meal, and then we went to see Ye-jun.”
“Still, isn't that buyer a total scammer? How can you buy something worth 5 million won for less than 1 million?”
“Let’s just be glad we found it.”
Seol-ah comforted the grumbling Seul-bi.
After learning that Min-jun had sold even his mother's ring to support them, the Answer members had returned from their hometowns and searched through jewelry shops until they found the one that had bought it.
However, the ring had already been passed on to another workshop, eventually ending up here.
Needing more money to retrieve it, the members had used part of the money Min-jun gave them to put down a deposit, promising to return for the ring. They had received a certificate of deposit.
As they entered the building, a few couples spotted them and began to whisper amongst themselves. The members of Answer smiled and gave slight bows in greeting.
“Uh… you’re a girl group, right? I saw you on TV.”
“…Yes. We’re Answer.”
Seol-ah said with an amused smile.
“What can I help you with…?”
Seol-ah held out a photo of the ring, which had a tag with a number on it, along with the certificate of deposit.
-The GIA 0.8-carat teardrop design setting ring in the photo will be held for one year.
Deposit: 500,000 won.
Interim payment: 1,500,000 won.
Remaining balance: 3,000,000 won.
“…Huh? Ah!”
The owner took the certificate and looked back and forth between it and Seol-ah.
“So you were Answer!”
With a delighted expression, the owner brought out a velvet box and opened it. Inside was Min-jun’s mother’s ring, ultrasonically cleaned and radiating a brilliant light.
A wave of satisfaction washed over the members’ faces.
* * *
“Ah, home sweet home.”
“Getting attached now that we’re about to move?”
As Seul-bi, who had entered the dorm first, spun around in the living room, Yi-na asked with a smirk.
“Mmm… not really.”
Just then, Seul-bi’s phone began to vibrate. The expression that had been filled with pride just moments ago instantly turned icy.
“Who wants to shower first?”
“…I think I need to take this call.”
At Seol-ah’s question, Seul-bi went into the dressing room.
With a complicated look on her face, Seul-bi took a deep breath before pressing the answer button. But she didn't speak first.
“……”
-…Hello?
“I answered the phone.”
Seul-bi replied reluctantly.
-I’ve been watching you. Congratulations.
“Hmph.”
Seul-bi let out a cold sneer.
-You’ve barely used the card.
“…I haven’t barely used it. I’ve never used it once.”
Seul-bi’s words, spoken with a smirk, were laced with a cold chill.
-…You’ve been through a lot.
“Took you long enough to call.”
-…Yes. You must resent me. But you’re misunderstanding…
“Just get to the point. Aren’t you incredibly busy?”
-…Right. Once again, my sincerest congratulations…
“Congratulations? Aren't you actually in a tough spot now that I’m getting known?”
-What are you talking about! You’re still my…
“Aaargh!”
Seul-bi shouted, as if she didn’t want to hear the rest of the sentence.
-…Hoo. It wasn't an issue back when you had no recognition, but I think it’s time we revealed it.
“……”
Seul-bi was about to snap back but clamped her mouth shut.
-So I was thinking of revealing that you’re my daughter on the broadcast today…
“……”
-Are you listening?
Seul-bi’s face twisted in misery as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Don’t you dare.”
Seul-bi said through clenched teeth.
-I don’t think hiding our relationship in this situation is good for either of us. It’s bound to come out eventually.
“I said don’t. Even if I get caught, I’ll say you’re not my parents, so don’t do it.”
Seul-bi wanted to scream, but she didn’t want the other members to find out.
-Seul-bi. Don’t be so emotional…
“You just try it. If you don’t want us to die together.”
*Click.*
Her lips trembling, Seul-bi ended the call and buried her face in a pile of clothes, sobbing quietly.
‘Why am I crying?’
‘I’m not sad at all, so why are the tears falling?’
‘Is it because I’m frustrated? Because I’m so angry?’
Seul-bi remembered her vow from her debut days—to succeed and put her parents in an awkward position.
‘My goal is being achieved, so why am I crying?’
Once her tears stopped, Seul-bi sat for a long while with unfocused eyes.
*Knock, knock.*
“I’m done.”
“Okay… got it.”
Seul-bi rushed into the bathroom, trying to hide the fact that she had been crying.
⋮
After her shower, Seul-bi threw herself onto the sofa. Then she began twisting Ro-si’s damp hair that peeked out from under a towel.
“Today was tough… but.”
“It was a happy day.”
When Ro-si finished her sentence, Seul-bi smiled with relief and happiness.
“Yi-na.”
“Yeah?”
“I wuv you.”
“…Creepy. What did you do wrong this time?”
Seeing the suspicion in Yi-na’s eyes, Seul-bi smirked again.
“That weird noise you made on the phone earlier was a mistake, right? Was that my shirt?”
Seul-bi found Yi-na’s pouting tone incredibly cute.
‘I’m not lonely anymore. I’m going to be happy every day.’
“Why are you grinning like that? Ugh, Unni! Get away from me! I told you not to cling to me! What’s with you all of a sudden!”
Watching her younger members bicker and roll around, Seol-ah smiled warmly.
Then her phone buzzed. Checking it, a puzzled look crossed her face.
“Yes. Hello, Manager.”
-Sorry to call so late. Is now a good time? The payment just went through.
“Yes, yes. But are you still working at this hour?”
-In marketing, you can’t go home until the next day’s strategy is complete.
“Oh my… you work so hard.”
-That’s how we all make a living. And about the car, it looks like it’ll be ready next week.
“What? I thought it would take at least a year…”
-That’s the normal route, but this is a special case. We’ve decided to pull one that was designated as a showroom display model in the system.
“Thank you so much, Manager. I was worried because the wait was so long.”
-Oh, not at all. If the members of Answer were driving it themselves, we could have set one aside purely for marketing, but since it’s going to your manager, and it’s a gift from you all, it’s a bit more complicated.
“Ah, right.”
-Anyway, we’ve decided to apply every discount we can, from the employee discount to the display model discount. It will be the highest trim with all the options, but you can think of it as buying it at about 35% off the base model price. To put it simply, you’ve saved about 40 million won.
“Wow! Thank you so much! And the car will be ready so soon.”
At Seol-ah’s loud, joyful exclamation, the other members looked on in anticipation of good news.
-Oh, we thank you as well. As I mentioned before, we’ll just release one article stating that the members of Answer gifted a car to their manager, purchased in cash.
“Yes, of course. But please don’t release it just yet. We want it to be a surprise.”
-Aha! In that case, we can capture that moment in a photo.
Seol-ah ended the call.
“What’d he say? Is the car coming soon?”
“He’s giving us the fully-loaded model with a 40 million won discount.”
“See! I knew they’d do it. It’s a form of promotion for them, too.”
“Yeah. He said they’ll get the tinting, coating, and some kind of protective film done and bring it over within the week.”
“Awesome!”
“In-some!”
“……”
Despite the momentary awkward silence, the members of Answer paid it no mind and celebrated in their own ways.
“There’s a right time for giving a gift… I’m so glad it’s coming soon.”
“Yeah! The impact would have faded otherwise, yep.”
Yi-na added seriously to Ro-si’s comment.
“Aww, our Yi-na. Your vocabulary has improved so much.”
“Seriously. You think I don’t talk like this because I can’t?”
Yi-na puffed out her chest with a smug look.
While the others watched TV, Seol-ah looked up information about the car.
“Okay. We’ll have enough left over even after paying the acquisition tax.”
“Really? Then should we decorate the inside all pretty?”
Yi-na suggested to Seol-ah, who had just finished her calculations, as if it were a brilliant idea.
“Ah, ah… I heard the interiors are really well-designed these days…”
“Right. What if Oppa doesn’t like it?”
When Seul-bi backed Ro-si’s point, Yi-na’s upper lip practically touched her nose.
“…But aren’t you guys tired? You’re not going to bed?”
Seol-ah, who was tiredly stifling a yawn, asked.
“I’m gonna watch the new show, ‘Don’t Underestimate Me-yori,’ before I sleep.”
“…Is that seriously the title?”
“Talk about clickbait, right?”
Drawn in by the strange title, Seol-ah also leaned back against the sofa.
“It’s a cooking competition between a famous chef and celebrities.”
“That’s ridiculous. There’s no way they’d be a match.”
Seul-bi, with one leg propped on top of the sofa, said while looking at her phone.
“If it was ridiculous, would it be on TV?”
“What, are they doing a blind judging or something?”
“Ooh. You got it. And they give them unconventional ingredients to cook with.”
Seul-bi’s eyes suddenly lit up. She shot up from the sofa and sat up straight.
“That sounds like fun.”
“Right? And it’s a. Live. Broad. Cast.”
Yi-na added excitedly to Ro-si’s comment.
“But… Unni, did you cry?”
“No? My eye was itchy so I rubbed it, and it got like this.”
“Doesn’t rubbing your eyes let germs get into your tear ducts or something?”
“Ah. Whatever. But a live broadcast at this hour is rough. The writers must be getting ground down.”
“This isn’t getting ‘ground down.’ This is just straight-up being churned out.”
The clock was pointing to almost 10 PM.
After a few more commercials, the screen changed.
-Hello, everyone! Your favorite guy, Jeon Seong-joo, is here to greet you.
-Booo!
-Hahaha! What’s with this reaction?
“Oh, it’s Jeon Seong-joo-seonbaenim.”
“Ooh, this show might be a huge hit.”
It was Jeon Seong-joo, the host from the special episode of ‘Best Idol’ that had propelled Answer to fame.
Remembering how he had sincerely cheered them on, the members felt an immediate sense of familiarity with the program.
-I smelled another hit show and came all this way. Congratulations to our regular panelists.
-Hahaha!
Although he had a teasing persona, it was also true that most of the shows Jeon Seong-joo hosted became massive hits.
“Seol-ah unni would be great on that show. She’s a good cook.”
“I only know how to make a few dishes my mom taught me. Seul-bi would be better at something like that.”
“Ugh. Seul-bi unni specializes in bizarre food. She makes weird stuff most of the time.”
“Ha! Everything you said looked weird tasted delicious, you know?”
At Yi-na’s words, Seul-bi pretended to be offended, contrary to her gloomy inner state.
-I’m pretty sure I just saw you at the studio next door, but here you are again?
-Aha… gotta make a living… Now! Since this is the first broadcast, I’ll quickly explain the rules.
“Hahaha.”
Jeon Seong-joo’s good-natured humor lightened the mood on set.
-The first-ever character deletion battle in variety TV, aka the ‘Cha-Del-Bat.’ The cooking battle between our invited chef and the celebrity contestants begins now.
-But isn’t that too advantageous for the chef?
-And so! We’ve increased the chances for our celebrity contestants to win. The rule is that they can only cook with ingredients found in one of the five contestants’ refrigerators. Since there’s no set recipe, the celebrity contestant has a fair shot at winning. First, there’s a blind taste test. And second, a display evaluation. Of course, both are blind tests, so the identity of the cook remains unknown.
-Ooh. Then there’s a slight chance. Especially with absurd ingredients.
-Yes. And that’s not all. For each episode, 100 sets of instant meal kits will be given away through a lottery to viewers who correctly predict the winner. If an unexpected person wins, the viewers who chose them will have a higher chance of winning, right?
-Oh! 100 sets per episode sounds worth it. It’s going to be a total guessing game.
-That’s right. If an unexpected contestant wins, it gives a huge advantage in the lottery competition. We’re confident this will be a show you can enjoy together.
Cheers erupted from the set.
-So what kind of meal kits will be given out?
-The set consists of two parts. One is a meal kit that allows you to recreate the winning dish from that episode, and the other is a popular-selling meal kit provided by our sponsors.
-Wow! I think people who watch the show and wonder what the food tastes like will really love that.
-Exactly! It seems our production team had some regrets while watching cooking shows. When you’re watching from home, you always wonder what the food tastes like, don’t you?
The camera suddenly panned to the writers, who, caught by surprise, covered their faces with their hands or scripts.
-Hahaha!
-The writers seem very shy. But isn’t this the charm of a live broadcast?
The atmosphere livened up even more with the camera’s little prank following Jeon Seong-joo’s comment.
“Ooh, 100 sets.”
“Should we try?”
“Yeah, yeah! If one of us guesses right, we can post a proof shot on social media and get on the air right away.”
With the mindset of seizing their own opportunities, the members of Answer began to watch.
-Now, let’s introduce our first chef contestant. How many rounds will he be able to protect his pride? These days, he’s more famous as a restaurant entrepreneur. We had to work hard to get him here. Chef Lee Seung-chan!
-Woooah!
As Lee Seung-chan, who was enjoying immense popularity from cooking-related programs, appeared, the audience and panelists cheered enthusiastically.
“Kyah, so hot right now.”
“They got someone really popular.”
“Looks like Unni likes that chef too.”
“Yeah. He’s funny and seems like a good person. They must have spent a lot on the production budget to get him.”
Even the usually quiet Ro-si and Seol-ah chimed in with anticipation, but Seul-bi was different.
“…Haaah… damn it.”
At Seul-bi’s sudden, annoyed sigh, everyone’s attention focused on her.
“What’s wrong?”
“…I hate that guy. He seems like a hypocrite. I don’t think this will be fun at all.”
“Huh? A hypocrite, all of a sudden?”
“Let’s watch something else.”
Yi-na spoke, her expression one of disbelief.
“No.”
“…Fine, then… I’m suddenly tired. I’m going to bed first.”
Seul-bi shot up and trudged into her room, with Ro-si following close behind.
“What a sudden outburst.”
“…Have we ever met him before?”
“No? How many shows have we even been on?”
“Right? We couldn’t possibly meet someone that famous and not remember…”
‘Why does Seul-bi hate him so much? It’s as if they have some terrible history.’