100 Restaurant (1)
This world was rather ambiguous. Another Earth, another South Korea. It looked not much different from the Earth where Woo Dan-wol had lived, yet the differences were plentiful.
It had already been two years since he arrived in this world. He was beginning to notice more and more. One of those things was people.
The presidents or famous figures from his original world did not exist here. Still, every now and then—very rarely—similar counterparts would appear.
Their outward appearances were entirely different. After all, with a slightly higher proportion of women and more public figures overall, there were bound to be hidden parallels as well.
But one thing was certain. People in similar positions definitely existed. If you looked carefully through the industry, you could occasionally find them.
"Hello, PD Na."
"Haha. Nice to meet you."
Once again, it was the same. When Woo Dan-wol greeted her, the woman welcomed him with a bright smile. She wasn't strikingly beautiful like a celebrity. Nevertheless, she was a married woman who had steadily built an impressive body of work in the industry.
It wasn't the kind of variety show where celebrities were forced to spend the night with someone, but it was a similar wilderness-style variety program. It was definitely one of those shows that had taken responsibility for viewers' childhood memories and family warmth.
Woo Dan-wol offered an awkward smile in response to the warm welcome. Three consecutive hits. The film that had surpassed ten million viewers was still climbing.
In other words, failure seemed unlikely. He was the entertainment industry's hottest topic and a certified box-office guarantee. At least for the moment, those labels felt entirely deserved.
Even so, receiving such a warm reception from one of the most successful variety PDs still felt awkward. Considering his short previous life, this was a first for him.
Anyway, the meeting began like that. The atmosphere was pleasant. Part of it was because Lee Hye-ri was there with him, but the variety program itself had surprisingly solid content.
"We'll be heading to Spain..."
"Oh."
Woo Dan-wol pursed his lips. He nodded a couple of times while listening to PD Na Na-yeong's explanation, and she continued with a confident expression. She had put considerable effort into crafting the concept, knowing his recent hobby from his previous interview.
"You know Teacher Baek, right?"
"Of course."
He couldn't express how glad he was. A leading figure in the restaurant industry. The gender was reversed from his previous life and the appearance completely different, but the warm image and similar mindset were the same.
How many YouTube videos of her had he watched in his previous life? Wasn't she the spiritual mentor who had inspired him to make his own bossam? His heart gradually tilted in favor of the offer.
Being a celebrity was ultimately a profession that consumed one's image. Yet he had avoided external activities to an almost excessive degree. In that sense, PD Na Na-yeong's proposal was sweet.
Did he have any schedules right now? No. Would it create unpleasant or controversial situations? No. There was no reason to turn down this variety show.
It wasn't simply chasing fun. It was a program designed to fulfill a different kind of satisfaction for viewers. That was what PD Na Na-yeong pursued.
Woo Dan-wol nodded. This was a different kind of nod from his earlier boyish reactions—a satisfied expression paired with an interested smile. It was his consent to appear on the program.
The detailed discussions would proceed through Lee Hye-ri.
"Sounds good."
PD Na Na-yeong smiled. It would have been a hit program even without him, but she had the desire to utilize an attractive character like Woo Dan-wol. It was a kind of occupational habit.
"Hey, are you seriously not bringing any?"
"This is the third time. You're not even into girls, why are you bringing tissues?"
"......"
Jin Yu-jeong and Lee Da-bin were holding tissues. Beyond the tissues, their shared attitude was obvious. They were looking at Woo Ri-na strangely. They did their best to show disgust and stare at her oddly. Feeling a pang of guilt, Woo Ri-na suddenly yelled.
"What? What!"
"Well, that's because..."
The words wouldn't continue. It was a fact everyone knew. After watching Middle, Woo Ri-na had cried more intensely than anyone else. The first time was simply from sadness. The second time, after analyzing it, she became even sadder.
And today was the long-awaited third viewing. Jin Yu-jeong and Lee Da-bin had shed tears too. But watching her cry so vigorously beside them left them flustered, their own tears drying up completely.
Woo Ri-na puffed out her chest. This time would be different! They said that with well-made films, you discover something new every time you watch them. And this was a sad movie!
Her friends, left speechless by her firm resolve, shook their heads and started walking ahead.
"Wait for me!"
"Hurry up."
They entered the movie theater, and the lights inside dimmed. The film began. The Woo Ri-na trio sat side by side, staring at the screen.
How much time had passed?
"Waaaah!!!"
Woo Ri-na began sobbing loudly. Usually, younger people lacked the life experience to fully empathize with such stories, but she had an oddly strong sense of empathy.
Endless tears and wails poured out. If it weren't near the end of the screening with a sparse audience, it would have been a clear disturbance.
"Sigh..."
"Give her the tissues, give her the tissues."
"Whaaa..."
When a tissue was placed in Woo Ri-na's hand, she automatically wiped her tears. Her friends could only let out deep sighs.
"T-Teacher Baek!"
"Uhahaha! Nice to meet you."
Baek Ju-yeon. A woman in her fifties with a warm, plump figure and a friendly broadcaster's image. She had many titles, but right now she was simply a celebrity meeting an adorable fan.
Woo Dan-wol's energy rose. It was one of the few moments—outside of acting—when he felt truly alive. Once casting was confirmed, everything moved quickly.
Han Da-sol, who had been hesitating, exchanged greetings as well. Somehow she had ended up joining the variety show too. The decision had come out of the production meeting.
It stemmed from the question of whether the chemistry between the two lead actors from Middle would work well on screen. Since Woo Dan-wol and Han Da-sol were under the same agency, it was a smart call.
Han Da-sol would participate as a cook. Of course, Baek Ju-yeon would handle most of the actual cooking, but she would take on both serving and cooking duties.
"We'll probably be doing simple dishes..."
Baek Ju-yeon pondered. Teaching simple recipes would surely produce decent results—if they had the basic skills, that is. Yes, skills.
Han Da-sol clenched both fists tightly. She was showing her determination to do well. How things would turn out remained to be seen, but that resolve was clear.
Meanwhile, Woo Dan-wol began discussing with the production team. They asked if he could handle the serving by himself.
He had two years of part-time serving experience in his previous life. Because he was quick-witted and handled tasks efficiently, he had been quite popular with the staff. Drawing on that experience, he decided to focus on serving rather than cooking. Besides, he was the only one who could speak Spanish, so the serving role suited him perfectly.
Still, there was always the possibility of the unexpected. Discussions arose about getting him a short-term part-time job for the few weeks of filming. It sounded simple, but actually scouting locations and finding suitable people wasn't easy.
So the first idea was to assess his language skills.
"Hola."
Woo Dan-wol sat facing one of the staff members. She was a woman who had lived in Spain for over five years. It was a slightly tense moment, but he began the conversation with a relaxed attitude.
The following content is all in Spanish.
"Hello."
"Yes, may I ask you some questions?"
"Of course."
"I understand this is your first time appearing on a variety program. What are your thoughts?"
The staff member swallowed nervously. It was a difficult question for a complete beginner. The speed was fast, and she held a certain preconception. She had assumed it was just a hobby celebrities mentioned on air to build their image.
At that moment, Woo Dan-wol seemed to think briefly before continuing. The eyes of the watching staff gradually widened. Most of them couldn't understand, but one thing was certain—his Spanish was far from shallow.
"I'm nervous but also excited. Doing something new is quite thrilling. In that sense, I think it's really fortunate to appear on 100 Restaurant. The fact that it's overseas rather than in Korea. Running a business with our country's food, right? Just thinking about it seems fun."
"Oh..."
The staff member's expression brightened as she listened to the Spanish. She had worried about how to package the segment, but it had all been unnecessary concern. Fluent words flowed from his mouth like a clear mountain stream. This level was sufficient. More than sufficient—it was overflowing.
His pronunciation was indistinguishable from a native speaker's. Of course, Woo Dan-wol's ability came from perfectly absorbing the traits of an actual native role, but no one else knew that.
Once Woo Dan-wol's language verification ended, a flood of interest poured in.
"Wow..."
"Dan-wol, how did you learn it?"
"I taught myself."
"You did?"
He gave an awkward smile. Since it was essentially a shortcut ability, the admiration from others felt quite uncomfortable to Woo Dan-wol.
It was a skill that would have been impossible to master without effort, but because Woo Dan-wol fundamentally approached everything with hard work, he remained unaware of that fact and simply offered an awkward smile.
"Haha..."
He received a barrage of questions for a while. At the same time, the staff began dreaming of an exciting future. Fluent Spanish. Capturing on camera the sight of him serving locals perfectly and handling customer requests. If viewers saw that?
It would cause an absolute sensation. Without a doubt.