Tragic Culinary Mastery

"Lee Da-bi still has a long way to go."

"What do you mean by that?"

"If she accepts that sweet proposal, a thunderous scolding will rain down on her."

Cain looked at Lee Da-bi with pity. The moment you step into that trap, you're finished!

"Shall we go then?"

"Yeah. Let's get ready quickly and head out. They'll do our makeup there."

"We'll be back soon, then."

"Since we're heading out, make sure you finish that title grinding we were doing last time before we get back."

"...????"

As the two closed the door and left, Cain stood there, utterly dazed. ...Where was the thunderous scolding?!

"By the way, what kind of show is it?"

"Oh, a cooking battle."

"...Excuse me??"

Lee Da-bi was taken aback. A what battle?

"A cooking battle."

"No... why... us...?"

Gamers should game, and chefs should cook!

"The judges are professional chefs, and Pan-On players actually come on the show to compete."

"Ah, is that the one where Ju Hyeon-yeong appeared and won by a unanimous vote...?"

"Yeah."

The show was a consistently popular program. It was a show that invited players who knew a thing or two about cooking in Pan-On—and sometimes those who couldn't cook at all, as long as they were popular—to face off in real life! Watching Pan-On players scramble to cook with random ingredients provided on the spot offered a fresh kind of entertainment. Whether they cooked well or failed miserably, it was a fun battle either way!

I'm not even good at cooking...!

Lee Da-bi began to worry intensely. Even though she was making it with Tae-hyun, she was terrified of dragging him down. It wasn't that Lee Da-bi was particularly bad at cooking. However, there was one major problem. Her habit of extreme frugality was ingrained to her very bones! Choosing the cheapest generic instant ramen over name brands, using as little seasoning as humanly possible to stretch the ingredients, and so on... Her younger sisters graciously referred to this as a "highly healthy diet."

"Well, even if we mess up, that's entertaining in its own way, so let's not worry too much."

"Okay..."

Stepping into the studio, Tae-hyun spotted a familiar face.

"Ugh."

Kim Hyun-ah, who had been chatting with Nam Woo-yeon, grimaced the moment she saw Tae-hyun. The public enemy of every single player in the Pan-On League was approaching!

"What's wrong?"

"No, it's just... that Kim Tae-hyun over there is the sworn enemy of the Yuseong Gaming Team and my sister..."

"Enemy? Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration? They're friendly rivals."

"Fr... friendly?"

Kim Hyun-ah looked as if she had never heard that word in her life. Judging by Lee Se-yeon's reactions, the only thing that came to mind was pure malice.

"Even if she talks like that, they definitely view each other as rivals in a fair and square way, right?" Nam Woo-yeon said with a smile.

Kim Hyun-ah had to desperately hold back her sheer disbelief from bursting out.

"No, they don't...! They barely even talk outside of the game!"

"Oh, you're just being shy. I know they're close."

"..."

Kim Hyun-ah felt like she was talking to a brick wall. In the meantime, Tae-hyun and Lee Da-bi approached and greeted them.

"Hello."

"Nice to meet you."

Kim Hyun-ah responded to the greeting with forced politeness.

"Hmph! We will definitely win today!"

She possessed the unique talent of being sassy while using formal honorifics.

"..."

"..."

Watching Kim Hyun-ah burn with solitary determination, Tae-hyun thought to himself: Did she catch something from hanging around Lee Se-yeon too much?

Lee Se-yeon was someone who burned with competitive fire over the most trivial things. When it came to competitiveness alone, she easily surpassed Tae-hyun. No matter how he looked at it, spending so much time with her sister seemed to have rubbed off on Kim Hyun-ah...

"U-um. Winning or losing isn't really the main point of this show..."

"No! Winning or losing is extremely important!"

"By the way, where is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Lee Se-yeon?"

"My sister is busy. Much busier than you..."

Kim Hyun-ah paused mid-sentence. Come to think of it, the man standing before her was an absolute iron man who single-handedly acted as the owner, general manager, player, director, captain, coach, and even handled all the household chores of his team!

"...Well, even if she's slightly less busy than you, she's still busy anyway!"

"Hmm. Is that so? Please give her my regards when you see her."

"Regards...? Is this a psychological tactic to confuse her and break her concentration...?"

"...Then don't give them to her."

"A strategy to cause confusion by meeting her and saying absolutely nothing...?"

"..."

Tae-hyun stared blankly at Kim Hyun-ah.

"I didn't realize it before, but you... actually resemble Cain quite a bit."

"?!?!?"

She didn't know exactly what that meant, but it felt incredibly insulting!

"Is that a compliment?" Nam Woo-yeon asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Judges, how do you foresee today's match unfolding?"

"Well, first of all, isn't player Kim Tae-hyun quite infamous in Pan-On... for his weird food?"

"Hahaha. Weird food is indeed weird food."

Tae-hyun and the Valley Territory's weird food were already legendary. It was like herbal medicine—highly effective but tasting absolutely dreadful!

"But aside from the weird food, there are rumors that his actual culinary skills are quite formidable."

"That's right. Besides, isn't Kim Tae-hyun the one in charge of all the meals for Team KL?"

"Was that rumor actually true?"

"Yes. From what I've heard, it's absolutely true..."

"Wait, then does that mean player Cain really just...?"

The crowd was dumbfounded. Does he literally just sit there and eat? A team where the owner cooks and the players just freeload—what kind of unheard-of dynamic was this...?

"Ahem. At any rate, it means we can highly anticipate Kim Tae-hyun's skills."

"Yes! Players, please check your refrigerators!"

As everyone stood in their designated cooking stations, the MC gave the cue. Tae-hyun and Lee Da-bi walked over to their refrigerator.

"What do you think is inside?"

"Well... I heard there aren't many difficult ingredients, but the lineup varies wildly every time..."

The ingredients were completely randomized. While they occasionally threw in tricky ingredients to mess with the players, they usually prepared easy-to-use items for the participants.

"Oh. This is pretty standard. Eggs, onions, some seasonings..."

"Should we just serve them boiled eggs?"

"...That would actually be pretty novel."

Giving people plain boiled eggs to eat would certainly elicit a hilarious reaction!

"An omelet would be best. It'll be a bit boring if there's nothing inside, so I'll open a can, stir-fry the contents, and stuff it along with some vegetables."

Without hesitating for even a second, Tae-hyun cracked the eggs, drizzled oil onto the frying pan, and began grilling the vegetables. Then, with a light pat of butter, he skillfully cooked the eggs to a perfect soft-boiled texture.

The MC and the judges gasped in admiration at his seasoned movements.

"Player Kim Tae-hyun. That is definitely not the skill of someone who has only done this once or twice."

"Most importantly, the fact that it's not weird food is key."

"Furthermore, one outstanding aspect of Kim Tae-hyun's cooking is that there was absolutely no hesitation."

One of the judges offered a sharp analysis.

"What do you mean by that?"

"While others waste time agonizing over what menu to make, Kim Tae-hyun didn't hesitate for even a single second the moment he saw the ingredients. He immediately got to work. What does this mean? It means Kim Tae-hyun has been managing the ingredients and cooking at his team's gaming house so often that it has become second nature to him."

"..."

"That... is quite amazing, isn't it?"

It was amazing, but at the same time, it evoked a subtle wave of pity for Tae-hyun! Normally, someone who cooks well should look cool and respectable... but why did seeing Tae-hyun do it feel so incredibly tragic?

"We should invite player Cain next time."

"Indeed, Cain might be the one who actually needs to appear on this show rather than Kim Tae-hyun... Ah, the other participants have started cooking as well. But they seem a bit slow?"

"There is a time limit! Everyone needs to keep an eye on the clock."

"Wait, player Kim Tae-hyun is... making even more food?!"

"And it looks like a dish that requires quite a bit of effort!"

Tae-hyun minced ginger, garlic, and various other seasonings to brew an instant broth.

"Dabi, could you stir-fry the mushrooms and meat together?"

"Y-yes!"

"Don't worry about the seasoning. I'll measure out the portions for you. Just do exactly as I say."

Lee Da-bi wasn't bad at cooking. It was just that she unconsciously kept trying to skimp on ingredients. Knowing this, Tae-hyun gave her precise, step-by-step instructions.

"Wow, their chemistry is no joke!"

"I was practically tearing up out of pity for Kim Tae-hyun earlier, but now I feel a bit relieved. At least there's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one person in Team KL who helps him out."

"Indeed. Honestly, it makes you wonder if the other players even have a conscience..."

"Look at that. Do you see what Kim Tae-hyun is doing right now? He's brewing a quick broth on the spot, boiling some thin wheat noodles, and making a bowl of warm noodles. I'm actually getting choked up watching this."

"Choked up? Why is that?"

"That is clearly a late-night snack menu. The players of Team KL must have begged for a late-night snack, and knowing that feeding them instant ramen every time is bad for their health, he must have brewed his own broth to boil noodles for them. If this weren't a regular occurrence, there's no way he could move at that speed."

Tae-hyun was deeply impressed by the incredibly sharp analysis echoing from the commentators. Did they secretly install cameras in our gaming house?! How do they know so well?

Even Kim Hyun-ah, who was cooking her own dish nearby, asked in sheer disbelief.

"...Why on earth do you keep players like that around?"

"They... they're usually good kids."

"I don't think this is a matter of skill. It sounds like a personality defect..."

Ignoring the chatter, Tae-hyun made full use of the ingredients to churn out dishes with mechanical precision. The judges were deeply moved by his ability to craft a perfect menu without wasting a single scrap of food.