Chapter 219
Chapter 219
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 219
Chapter Title: A Lesson in Curry
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PD Im Ji-hoon of the entertainment department was under extreme stress from the anxiety of his first shoot.
The idea for his debut project, a show about a common girl group manager, and the casting of the main star who would generate buzz had all come with the help of Department Head Lee Joo-won, who was backing him from behind the scenes. It was fair to say he had achieved nothing on his own.
To make matters worse, Seul-bi, who had become the main star, had a character so strong that he’d had to scrap his meticulously planned ‘Idol of Cooking’ program concept and change it to ‘Idol of Taste’. She was becoming more and more of a headache.
His concern was for Seul-bi, who had created a massive stir with just one takedown of a fake "famous" restaurant.
‘Her character’s role has become too big compared to her actual talent.’
‘Idol of Taste’ was a unique program with an ‘idol cooking competition’ concept, where the cast would visit famous restaurants and then try to replicate the taste as closely as possible.
Since the spotlight was so focused on the cast, if even one of them faltered, the whole program would collapse. Seul-bi’s performance was crucial.
‘If it just goes according to the dynamic I’ve envisioned, it’s guaranteed to be a success.’
The dynamic PD Im Ji-hoon had in mind was ‘the chemistry of intellect and ditziness.’
This chemistry, also known as the ‘teacher and student’ dynamic, was stable and allowed both to showcase their charms. If it succeeded, it could even lead to a long run. He had even managed to cast Remi from Your Girl, who was perfect for the ditz role, so the lineup was complete.
‘But realistically, it’s too difficult.’
The teacher role was incredibly hard. It required quick thinking and a solid foundation of knowledge. It was a tough task even for professional broadcasters, so he couldn't expect it from a young idol.
He could create a teacher-student dynamic with a plausible script, but that method was far too outdated.
Moreover, the powerful agency SJ Enter, which had sent out a member of Your Girl to show off a ‘girl crush’ image, would never agree to sacrifice her as a simple ditz.
If he handed them a script like that, the cast would probably be replaced after the first episode, and the show would be mired in controversy.
‘Still, I’ve set the stage for a natural dynamic… Now I just have to let it play out.’
“Seul-bi-ssi, I’m just going to go check the blocking.”
An AD said, checking a corner of the cue sheet.
“I’ll go. You check on Remi.”
“Oh? Yes.”
The AD walked off in another direction, a surprised look on his face.
“Assistant Director! Kyung-min!”
“Yes!”
PD Im Ji-hoon had a bitter smile as he realized that calling the assistant director by his title, even though he knew his name, made him just like the condescending senior PDs he used to despise.
“Check if Remi-ssi can read the sign. If she can’t, let her know in advance.”
“Yes! I’ll check on it.”
Unable to bear his own anxiety stemming from Seul-bi, Im Ji-hoon had volunteered for a task he didn’t need to do.
Whether the show would become a generic food mukbang or a themed culinary journey would all depend on Seul-bi’s abilities.
‘They’re both busy.’
Outside the driver's seat of the Carnival Hi-Limousine, Seul-bi’s manager, Choi Yoo-jun, was busy taking calls and writing notes. On the other side, Seul-bi was also on the phone, looking at something.
“But I guess Your Girl is making a comeback. You know, Remi the rapper? She’s in the lineup. Yeah, I can’t do anything about it even if I don’t like it. It’s not like I’m doing the show alone. Uh-huh. Okay, Oppa.”
Seul-bi, focused on her call, didn't notice Im Ji-hoon approaching.
“…No? I tried a curry with Sseondi unni that you could call a genuinely good restaurant. It was mainly spices, but you know this too, Oppa. Chicken stock itself is a flavor enhancer. Yup. That’s how it was. But what happened with Sseondi unni? I don’t know either. It’s a sensitive topic, so unless she brings it up first…”
Im Ji-hoon’s eyes naturally fell on Seul-bi’s notepad.
-[Origin of Japanese Curry]
1. At the time, the dream of the Japanese people was to eat white rice. The Japanese Navy capitalized on this, recruiting soldiers by offering to provide white rice. White rice was considered the best welfare in the Japanese military, and poor young men flocked to join.
2. This created a problem for the Japanese Navy. From the Sino-Japanese War in 1894 to the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, ‘beriberi’ became rampant, causing a major headache for the military leadership. Beriberi is caused by a vitamin B1 deficiency. Symptoms similar to paralysis appear, and in severe cases, it can lead to death.
Solution: Eating mixed grains would solve it, but this was put on hold due to strong opposition from soldiers who enlisted for the white rice. It was difficult to provide nutritious side dishes like the officers had to the soldiers, whose meals consisted of white rice with soy sauce and pickled radish.
3. Naval Inspector General Takaki Kanehiro resolves the beriberi problem. The answer was curry.
⋮
The notepad was filled with text, as if she had researched curry herself. PD Im Ji-hoon let out a small gasp without realizing it.
He thought that the dynamic he had hoped for might just come to fruition.
“Ah.”
Seul-bi turned around, startled.
“Oh! Director-nim? Oppa, the director is here, so I’ll call you back later.”
Im Ji-hoon realized his mistake and gave a wry smile.
“Is something wrong?”
Seul-bi asked with a bright smile.
“I just came over. Is that, by any chance, preparation for our show?”
“Ah? Yes. Actually, after the last broadcast, the fans’ expectations have gotten so high…. I didn’t want to disappoint them, and it’s also the first broadcast. It’s nothing major, just some simple research on the history of curry.”
She did historical research for the show without even being asked. Could there be any greater luck than this?
Despite being rather indifferent to beautiful women after seeing countless gorgeous idols, Seul-bi suddenly started to look like the most beautiful person in the world.
“This is… touching. Really?”
“I learned that becoming the best isn't something I can just decide to do, but giving my best is something I can always do!”
Seul-bi said with a determined look, and Im Ji-hoon felt even more pleased.
“Those are good words. Who said them?”
“My manager oppa.”
“Min-jun-ssi?”
“Yes.”
For a moment, PD Im Ji-hoon felt ashamed of how he had openly disdained Min-jun on the day they first met.
‘I need to get rid of the idea that I’m the only one with a sense of professionalism.’
“Seul-bi-ssi, I’m counting on you.”
Im Ji-hoon’s slight bow was filled with sincerity.
“Yup! I’ll work hard.”
‘A good manager and good members. She’s not some rookie with time to kill; she must be busy without a single day off.’
PD Im Ji-hoon’s face was now relaxed and joyful, as if he had never been anxious. He thought that the dynamic he had planned might just become a reality.
* * *
The recording for the first episode of ‘Idol of Taste’, with Seul-bi as a main cast member, began.
-Whose idea was it to live stream the filming site to prevent any fabrication?
-That’s a really fresh idea.
-I love this raw, unedited broadcast.
-But it’ll also be fun to watch this and then see the edited main broadcast later.
-It’s partly to prevent fabrication, but the revenue from the streaming service is probably nothing to scoff at. There are ads on the side of the screen, and since it’s a new show, it’s a good way to generate buzz. A win-win.
-Is this what K-sponsorship looks like?
-Whatever it is, as long as it’s fun for us, that’s all that matters.
“This restaurant is a curry house that has been passed down for 10 generations in Japan before finally landing in Korea. I heard that Japanese chefs came all the way to Korea to make it with the utmost care.”
Remi, the main dancer of Your Girl whom Seul-bi detested, delivered her line.
After her public image took a hit from the point card incident, Your Girl had been laying low. Now, they were trying to resurface.
Seul-bi was reminded of the friction she had with Your Girl's Remi during the last ‘Best Idol’ competition, but she had to maintain her on-air professionalism.
Besides, under Min-jun’s influence, Seul-bi had grown a lot as a person.
“Wow. 10 generations? I really love curry, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Remi from Your Girl saw Seul-bi speaking with a bright smile despite their bad blood and let out a bitter, disbelieving laugh.
With an excited expression, Seul-bi looked at the sign of the restaurant, which had a long line of people. It read, <300年伝統の徒弟式カレー>.
“Wa! Sanbyakunen dentō no totei-shiki karē!”
Remi from Your Girl fluently read the Japanese sign.
“It’s a 300-year-old handmade, apprentice-style curry house. With a history like that, there’s no way it can’t be delicious!”
Remi immediately translated, showing off her Japanese skills.
But Seul-bi opened her mouth with a look of disbelief.
“But is it possible for a Japanese curry house to have a 300-year tradition?”
“Ah, Seul-bi-ssi, you must not have been to Japan much.”
It was a strangely subtle remark, seemingly dismissive yet not, toeing the line of provocation. The sentence alone could have felt like a challenge, but her tone was incredibly bright and friendly. It was a clever balancing act that wouldn't seem out of place to the viewers.
Seul-bi considered launching into her curry knowledge right then but decided to adjust her tempo. She wanted to give Remi a big middle finger for her annoying attitude.
“Mm. I’ve never been.”
At Seul-bi’s words, Remi laughed with an ‘aha’. At this point, Seul-bi was certain Remi was provoking her, but to the viewers, it just looked like a normal conversation.
“Ahahaha! If you go to Shibuya or Shinjuku’s Omoide Yokocho, there are quite a few old restaurants passed down through an apprentice system. In Japan, there are even restaurants that have been around for 500 years, you know? Let’s go together sometime. I’ll be your guide.”
Remi boasted about her knowledge, subtly showing off.
PD Im Ji-hoon was ecstatic that the perfect build-up for the intellect-and-ditz chemistry was complete, and Seul-bi thought this was enough of a setup.
“Ooh! Remi-ssi, you’ve been there too! That 500-year-old soba place in Kyoto, right? Hehe.”
“…?!”
For a fleeting moment, a look of ‘She knows about that?’ crossed Remi’s face. It was so quick that no one else noticed.
But it didn’t end there.
“But that’s not what I was talking about…”
“Oh? Ah… Then what were you talking about?”
“I’m saying that in the history of Japanese curry, a 300-year tradition can’t exist.”
“…Why not?”
-lol she took the bait. I was getting nervous.
-I believed in you, Seul-bi-ssi.
-Here comes the beriberi lecture.
-Beriberi.
-What’s beriberi?
-There are a lot of really old places in Japan, so it’s totally possible for a curry place to be that old. They had musket technology from Europe during the Imjin War, right? Curry could have been introduced around then.
A ‘curry lecture’ began to flow effortlessly from Seul-bi’s lips.
“Japanese curry started in the early 1900s with beriberi, a disease that the Japanese Navy at the time feared more than war.”
“B-Beriberi?”
As scholarly-sounding words started coming from Seul-bi, Remi broke out in a cold sweat.
Seul-bi continued her explanation, unfazed, and Im Ji-hoon’s face lit up with elation as he watched the real-time reactions.
“At the time, a high-ranking officer in the Japanese Navy noticed that beriberi wasn’t prevalent among the officer class and hypothesized that the problem was a nutritionally deficient diet.”
-Ooh, as expected.
-Our Seul-bi is so amazing…
-Sorry, is this EBS?
-She didn't mention Kanehiro, so this definitely isn't scripted lol.
-Ah lol, you have to know about beriberi to eat curry, obviously lol.
“Back then, the staple diet for the Japanese Navy was white rice with soy sauce and pickled vegetables, which had very little nutritional value.”
As Seul-bi displayed her extensive knowledge, Remi’s face turned red, and the production staff looked on in awe.
PD Im Ji-hoon, who glanced around at the staff's reactions, wore a proud smile.
“PD-nim. Isn’t this the chemistry between those two you were talking about before?”
Im Ji-hoon nodded at the excited writer’s question.
“We didn’t give Seul-bi-ssi a separate script. How does she know all that? It’s so good people might think it’s scripted.”
“I saw her notepad. She studied a lot. It looks like she even visited other curry places for comparison.”
“Wow. She barely has time to sleep. That’s amazing.”
At the writer’s praise, Im Ji-hoon felt a sense of pride as if it were his own accomplishment.
Seul-bi’s lesson continued.
“When they were given mixed grains, the soldiers clamored for white rice. So, they decided to serve curry, which the British Royal Navy ate, as a side dish with the white rice. And the result? Beriberi disappeared!”
“Ooooh.”
The cast and crew let out a collective gasp of admiration.
-That’s actually a really long story, but she summarized it well.
-Sudden world history lesson lol.
-If you don’t get it, just type ‘fr fr lmao’ lol.
-This is actually interesting. I should look it up.
“After that, the navy crewmen who came ashore started to spread curry. So, in the end, the history of Japanese curry can’t be more than 130 years, even if you stretch it. A 300-year apprentice system is just nonsense.”
“Waaaah.”
The cast and crew applauded and cheered. Im Ji-hoon, in particular, looked around encouragingly and clapped even louder.
“For the record, this is not scripted.”
PD Im Ji-hoon said loudly enough to be picked up by the audio.
“S-So that’s what you meant. Then the 300 years on the sign must be… symbolic, right?”
Remi was completely deflated, while Seul-bi never forgot to keep a bright smile on her face.