Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Ladies Closet Interview (1)
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'What is this? This delicious smell?'
An unidentified nutty aroma was teasing my nose.
It was so mouthwateringly good that saliva pooled in my mouth the instant I caught a whiff.
I spotted Park Su-rim's back as he busily cooked something on the gas stove.
Our head chef, Park Su-rim, seemed to be whipping up a special treat for us.
'Midnight snacks at this hour? Thanks, but you're killing me, Su-rim.'
Late-night munchies are the enemy of weight control. Nothing packs on the pounds quite like food eaten at night.
But... yeah, I guess I'll just eat it and up my workouts.
Food made by Park Su-rim was way too good to pass up for the sake of dieting.
The other five members must have been thinking the same, because they sat at the table like baby birds waiting for mom to bring the worms.
"Hehe... How much longer, Su-rim hyung?"
"Almost done. Eun-young, while we're on it, grab the soy sauce and pour some into a dish."
"Rajer."
Go Eun-young, who had been sitting in the middle giggling and gazing adoringly at Park Su-rim's back, jumped up at his words and headed to the cabinet.
Oh, prime spot. I subtly slid into her seat and asked Lee Jae-oh, who was peeling an apple.
"What’s Su-rim hyung making right now?"
"Green onion pancakes."
Oh, green onion pancakes. How'd he know those are my favorite?
Just then, Park Su-rim flipped the pan and glanced back to add,
"I had some batter prepped from last time, so I just used that. Rainy days call for green onion pancakes and a bowl of makgeolli, right?"
"You're the best, hyung. But aren't we not supposed to drink makgeolli?"
Forget whether we even have any—Kim Kwang-myeong and Go Eun-young are still minors.
At my question, Han Tae-hee grumbled while propping his chin up with both hands.
"He was gonna buy some, but no can do."
"Kids are here. No way. Plus, we've got that morning interview tomorrow."
"One glass of makgeolli's basically like soda. It won't even register on your liver."
"Whatever. Just eat up, everyone."
Park Su-rim plated the steaming green onion pancakes and set them on the table before sitting down.
The guys, already geared up to dig in, grabbed their chopsticks and sliced into their shares. Everyone except Teddy, who was still clumsy with them.
I cut a small piece of my portion with a pounding heart, dipped it in soy sauce, and popped it in my mouth.
The perfect crunch and juiciness, not too greasy or too bland—just right.
As the flavor spread across my tongue, the words slipped out unbidden.
"Delicious..."
How does he make food this good?
Having scorched a few pans and pots myself—and been banned from the kitchen except for dishes and errands—I was truly amazed.
"You're the best cook ever, Su-rim hyung."
Teddy thrust up a thumbs-up and hurriedly shoved a piece into his mouth. With his cheeks bulging as he chewed, he looked just like a chipmunk.
Right on cue, the usual notification popped up when tasty food was involved.
[Consumed very delicious food. Stamina and passion recovery speed +10% for 1 hour.]
Seeing this, Park Su-rim could've totally gone pro as a chef.
I alternated between the delectable food alert and his beaming face, sticking out my tongue in awe.
Go Eun-young, piling kimchi on her pancakes with gusto, seemed to share the sentiment and spoke up sincerely.
"Hyung, you should get certified later. Like, a Korean cuisine chef license or something."
"A license? Eh? I don't need to make a living off food. I'm happy just cooking casually for you guys."
"Still. It'd be nice if the country officially recognized your skills."
"It'd help with promo. An idol with a Korean cuisine chef certification."
If he got one, it'd definitely boost our image.
I hadn't heard of any idols with that cert.
Just then, Kim Kwang-myeong, who had quietly finished his pancakes and was reading something intently, burst out laughing.
"Pfft haha. What're you reading, Kwang-myeong?"
"Fan letters."
"Ooh. Show hyung."
Kim Kwang-myeong shoved away Han Tae-hee's cheek as he sneakily peeked.
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"It's my letter. Mine to read."
"Tch. So stingy. Fine. Who doesn't have fan letters? Jae-oh, dishes are all yours."
Han Tae-hee pouted and slipped off to his room.
...Oh, right.
"Ow. Jae-oh, you're on dish duty tonight, huh? Thanks."
"Jae-oh hyung, fighting."
"Hang in there."
I stared blankly at their backs as they patted my shoulder and vanished.
Well, can't be helped. It was my turn tonight.
Greasy ones too. Sighing, I gathered the plates and pan toward the sink.
Then, a large hand appeared and took half the plates I was carrying.
"...?"
"Hand 'em over."
It was Lee Jae-oh.
With an impassive face, he stacked the plates in the sink, slipped on rubber gloves, and said,
"I'll help. Let's do it together."
"Jae-oh hyung..."
A thousand mountains of gratitude...?
I looked up at him with sparkling eyes (they definitely sparkled a bit).
Lee Jae-oh chuckled, ruffled my hair roughly, and turned on the faucet.
"Let's hurry and get some rest."
"Thanks, hyung. For real."
I scrubbed the plates alongside him with the sponge.
What a softie. So nice—how's he gonna survive in this world? I'll repay the favor someday.
I schemed inwardly.
* * *
The next morning, we piled into the van and headed to a shop in Cheongdam.
Today's schedule was a magazine photoshoot and interview, so hair and makeup first.
Magazine interviews meant more detailed questions. Gotta prep mentally.
We arrived looking scruffy but emerged two hours later looking flawless.
Coordi noona must've put extra effort into our outfits since it was an interview.
On the way to the venue, the manager hyung, behind the wheel, suddenly spoke up as something occurred to him.
"Oh, kids. Your album's first-week sales are out."
Every member's ears perked up at his words.
First-week sales meant units sold in the week after release—a key indicator of fandom strength and loyalty, since it made up a huge chunk of total sales.
Hitting 100,000 was generally seen as proof of solid fan power.
Park Su-rim, in the passenger seat, couldn't hide his curiosity.
"Really? How many?"
"About 16,000."
"Ooh."
Not bad at all. Far from stellar, but solid for a debut.
Considering top boy group YourM's first week was just 20,000, this was impressive.
Teddy, though, tilted his head, not grasping the number.
"16,000? For our album?"
"Yeah. That's how many sold in the first week."
"Wow. So 16,000 people bought our album?"
"More or less."
"Wow. Great!"
Teddy flashed a huge grin and thumbs-up.
Kim Kwang-myeong, in the back, sounded a bit surprised.
"Better than I expected. I figured under 10,000."
"Me too."
Same here. No idea what EverPlanet's usual first-week was, but 10,000 would've been a win.
'Feels like there's hope now.'
I recalled the main quest condition I had to hit no matter what.
1 million album sales...
Still a lofty goal, but maybe doable.
Moments later, the nav announced our arrival.
The destination was a skyscraper housing Ladies Closet magazine.
Ladies Closet was a style mag from a daily newspaper publisher—one of those you see everywhere in salons.
Not as big as international fashion giants, but known for quality women's content and a solid subscriber base.
Inside the building, a woman in rimless glasses greeted us.
"Welcome. I'm Promotion Editor Yoon from Ladies Closet. You're EverPlanet, here for the interview today?"
"Yes. I'm leader Park Su-rim. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you!"
"Yes, nice to meet you too. Shall we head up?"
We followed her into the elevator to the 10th floor, where a small studio awaited.
"We'll do the photoshoot before the interview. Individual shots first, then group, then straight to the interview room. This is photographer Park Yoon-hee."
"Alright, let's make it quick, no NG."
The photographer tossed out the words without looking up from her computer and camera.
Shooting went fast. Leader Park Su-rim first, as per unwritten rule.
His outfit was neat overall: pale sky-blue shirt, white pants.
"Leader's Jupiter, right?"
"...Yes."
"Okay. Bring over a chair."
At her call, staff hauled in a grand-looking chair to the studio center.
A red cape and cane sat atop it.
"See it on the chair?"
"Yes."
"Drape the cape, hold the cane. Oh, a crown... Would've been perfect. Got one in props?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Fetch it."
Soon, Park Su-rim sat on the chair, crowned and caped, gripping the cane.
"Good. If you're Jupiter, you know it symbolizes Zeus?"
"Yes, I do."
"Act like you're Zeus. As majestic as possible. Shooting."
The shoot felt rushed.
She nailed the A-cut quick, switching poses a few times before calling the next member.
The concept followed our album theme.
Guardians of the planets, basically.
So Han Tae-hee lay on the floor getting water droplets splashed on his face and neck over and over, while Lee Jae-oh sat enduring a fan breeze.
As his turn neared, Teddy asked the photographer anxiously.
"...Do I have to light a lighter or something?"
"You're Mars?"
"Yes."
"Hmm. That could work... Let's do it. Come on out now?"
"...Yes."
I was next after Lee Jae-oh, but the photographer picked Teddy first.
Speak of the devil—he posed with a vintage lighter.
His face was a bit stiff from lingering camera shyness, but she called okay fast.
"Next. Come on out."
Finally, my turn.
Wonder what concept.
I stepped to the center, a touch nervous.
The photographer's gaze sharpened instantly on me.
"Hmm... Saturn, huh..."
Why the scary look?
As I hesitated to ask, "How should I pose?", she spoke.