A Rising Star of Mukbang

The best part about entering autumn was that outdoor activities became much more comfortable.

"Ah... it's beautiful."

"Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden? Is there something over there?"

At Seung-wan's teasing, Do-hee reached out and pointed behind them.

"That sound. Isn't it beautiful? It's the ultimate healing sound."

"Pfft!"

Turning her head to follow her friend's hand, Seung-wan realized what she meant and let out a chuckle.

Sizzle!

Meat was already grilling on the table that had finished setting up.

At other places, they would wait until everything was set up to eat together, but Sekki House had no such formalities.

"Why wait? Once your table is set, go ahead and eat. It's not like we're just going to grab a quick bite and leave, so there's no need for everyone to wait and grill at the same time."

This was what Do-jin had said while preparing for the third monthly party.

Even now, Do-jin set up his own grill, and naturally, the security team would wait for him.

Since that day, they ate on a first-come, first-served basis as soon as their setup was finished.

Consequently, the tables that were late to prepare had to drool in envy.

Just like Do-jin right now.

Grumble.

"There's meat right in front of me, but I can't eat it."

Do-jin looked around enviously.

As always, the aroma of grilling meat wafted from grills set up all over the schoolyard.

Normally, their grill should have been piled high with meat by now, but currently, the only thing on it was a pot filled with water.

"Just bear with it for a bit. You can eat meat tomorrow."

"That's right. Please hold back today for the sake of the content."

The two people who would normally be holding spoons with sparkling eyes were instead holding Do-jin back.

This was because the content they had prepared today demanded it.

"No, but... do we really have to do a ramen mukbang? We could just do a meat mukbang."

They had bought meat in bulk anyway, so all they had to do was grill it.

However, the two women shook their heads firmly.

"There are too many meat mukbangs these days. People will get bored."

"True. Lately, everyone on TV, YouTube, and Daefrica is just eating meat."

"If you can eat as much as a professional mukbang YouTuber, Mr. Do-jin, I'll change the menu right now. What do you think? Can you do it?"

At Seung-wan's words, Do-jin quietly turned his head away.

He could feel her eyes sparkling ominously.

It felt like she was ready to bring out the meat the moment he said yes.

"...How could I eat like those people? I saw that they eat five kilograms by themselves."

Five kilograms was equivalent to forty servings at a restaurant.

Even famous celebrities ate raw beef as an appetizer on those shows, so how could he do a mukbang?

Do-jin was a hearty eater, but that level was impossible.

"Tsk."

"What's with that reaction?"

"Oh, nothing. Just a bit disappointed."

As she said that, the way Seung-wan looked at the pile of meat was quite ominous.

Did she seriously plan on making me eat all of that...?

It was whole pork belly bought specifically so they could cut it to their liking.

No way. Even the smallest chunk is over four kilograms.

Four kilograms of meat was much larger than a laptop.

If he ate that alone, he would be rushed straight to the emergency room.

From overeating and indigestion.

"...Let's just get ready for the broadcast."

Feeling uneasy, Do-jin hurried to prepare for the livestream.

If he said one more word here, he might end up hearing something he really didn't want to hear.

Was it due to the threat to his survival?

The preparations for the livestream were finished in an instant.

"Has the livestream notice been posted?"

"Yes. I posted the notice at lunchtime, and I put it up on social media again an hour ago."

"Social media... How many followers do we have now?"

They had created the channel's dedicated social media account after hitting one million subscribers.

Even though they were a relatively large YouTube channel, there had been many requests pointing out the lack of communication channels.

Thanks to that, Seung-wan was thrilled.

Having more free time since Obei joined, she poured all her spare time into managing the social media account.

To be precise, all she did was take pictures of the animals and post them.

Amusingly, the account grew rapidly just from that.

Contrary to the initial requests for a communication channel, there was no actual communication; instead, dozens of animal photos were uploaded every day.

At this point, isn't this just Seung-wan's personal photo backup account?

Though it had far too many followers for a backup account.

"Starting the livestream in ten seconds."

At Seung-wan's words, Do-jin moved the pot onto the grill.

Since it would take time for the water to boil, he was setting it up in advance.

By the time they finished a brief Q&A, the water would be boiling.

We're live.

At Seung-wan's signal, Do-jin bowed his head.

"Hello, subscribers. I'm the channel owner, The Baek."

"Mom, when is it starting? Is it still not time?"

At Jun-sang's question, Eun-ju looked at the clock.

"There are still two minutes left. It'll start soon if you wait a bit."

"Still? Ah, time is moving so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠slowly. Can't they just start two minutes early?"

Eun-ju smiled awkwardly at her son's words.

She knew exactly why her son was so impatient.

It has been a while since we visited Do-jin's place.

Thinking back, it was a truly unique connection.

It was a bond formed because of a cat that looked exactly like their companion cat who had crossed the rainbow bridge.

"Mom! I found our Myo-rang! Someone took Myo-rang and is raising her!"

When her son burst through the door with those words, Eun-ju initially thought he had just had a dream.

But the moment she looked at the phone her son handed her, she couldn't help but react the exact same way.

"Myo-rang?"

The kitten on the screen looked just like their companion cat who had crossed the rainbow bridge not long ago.

However, she didn't believe someone had actually taken Myo-rang, as her son claimed.

Because I confirmed Myo-rang's passing myself.

After confirming her death at the veterinary clinic and even holding a funeral, there was no way someone else could be raising Myo-rang.

So, Eun-ju suspected unauthorized use of her video.

She thought someone had taken the video she uploaded and used it without permission.

But that wasn't it either.

She didn't realize it at first because she was so shocked, but as time passed, it became obvious.

The video uploaded to this channel was different from the one she had posted.

The background was different, and the content of the video was entirely new.

And above all,

It's subtly larger than Myo-rang.

Anyone else might not have noticed, but she did.

Every video uploaded to the Kkulnyang-i channel was filmed and edited by her own hands.

Especially near the end, she had stayed right by the cat's side, so she knew better than anyone.

The calico cat in the video was larger than Myo-rang had been before she passed away.

However, her son, Jun-sang, couldn't tell the difference.

"Mom, contact them quickly! We have to go and get Myo-rang back!"

"Huh?"

"Hurry! What if the thief runs away? Should I call the police?"

"..."

Eun-ju looked at her son with a complicated expression.

After their companion cat Myo-myo and then her kitten Myo-rang had crossed the rainbow bridge, her son had barely spoken a word for a long time.

Yet here he was, bringing over a YouTube video—something ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he rarely watched—in such an excited state.

While it broke her heart, she was also glad to see him like this.

...Should I try contacting them, just once?

It might be rude to reach out to the calico cat's owner.

Still, she decided to try, just in case.

But that message became the catalyst for their connection.

Although they couldn't visit now due to the heightened social distancing guidelines, before that, they had visited regularly twice a month.

Jun-sang has gotten so much healthier, too.

Unlike their initial goal, her son had ended up bonding more with a greedy kitten named Meok-bo than with Samsaek-i, but that was more than enough.

Her family had found the strength to start living anew.

Even now, wasn't he practically dying to watch the livestream?

"Ah! It started! Mom, come quick! Uncle's broadcast started!"

"...Haha, okay. Just wait a second."

Eun-ju, who had been preparing dinner, stopped what she was doing at her son's urging and headed to the living room.

The living room TV had been displaying the YouTube Live screen for a while now, and a familiar figure was bowing his head.

The angel who had helped their family start over was bowing to them.

The Q&A was proceeding much more smoothly than expected.

Unlike his worries about it being their first time doing this kind of content, the questions coming up were generally straightforward.

"Ah, why is the channel named 'Three Meals of Closed School Life'? It's because this place used to be a closed school."

"I bought it at an auction. There are many schools closing down these days, so they often go up for auction. Some listings are posted separately, but about half of them come up through auctions."

"This was actually my alma mater. When I heard it went up for auction, I jumped at the chance and won the bid. I poured in all the money I had saved since high school."

"I'm not from a wealthy family. I was just an ordinary high school graduate who worked as a technician. Properties in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rural educational districts or closed schools aren't that expensive. You should look into it. The catch, though, is that the maintenance costs more than the winning bid."

Questions asking about the building and Do-jin's background kept coming.

He hadn't had the chance to share this before, but it seemed to have piqued the subscribers' curiosity.

Naturally, the next most common questions were about the animals.

"Ah, Bo-ri? Just a moment. Can you see over there? That used to be the old playground area, and I found her underneath it. I first saw Samsaek-i over by the vegetable garden."

"Ttorang-i? Ttorang-i is eating right now... should I call her over? Ttorang-i? Where is Ttorang-i?"

Woof!

"Yes, this is Ttorang-i. Her breed is a Golden Doodle, which is a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. They aren't very well-known in Korea, but they're quite popular in places like the UK and Australia."

Growl?

"It's nothing. Go back and finish your food."

Once Ttorang-i made her appearance, comments requesting to see the other animals began to flood the chat.

Having anticipated this since he called Ttorang-i, Do-jin calmly continued the broadcast.

First, the hawk trio took turns appearing.

Next, Bo-ri and Samsaek-i's siblings also took turns getting some camera time.

The only animals that didn't appear on screen were the rescued dogs and the otters.

Since they hadn't made it public that they were sheltering those two groups at Sekki House, there was no need to introduce them.

After introducing the pets for a while, Do-jin tilted his head as he looked at the comment section.

I expected it for Samsaek-i, but Meok-bo is getting a huge reaction too.

Samsaek-i had stayed on Do-jin's shoulder ever since he showed up, so that made sense.

But Meok-bo's reception was just as enthusiastic as Samsaek-i's.

Is it because he's paired up with Ttorang-i?

Just as Samsaek-i had claimed Do-jin's shoulder, Meok-bo had taken up a spot right on top of Ttorang-i's head.

The funny thing was that Ttorang-i seemed used to it by now.

At Meok-bo's call, she even gave up her food and lowered her head willingly.

The chat was going wild, calling them the dog butler and the cat princess.

Their genders are reversed, though.

Since Ttorang-i was female and Meok-bo was male, technically, he was a cat prince.

"The people in the background? They aren't our employees; they belong to a security company. Due to certain circumstances, they are renting the remaining buildings."

"Instead of paying rent, they take care of the security for the property. So, it would be troublesome if anyone came here to cause trouble, right?"

"Yes, the people who appeared in a few of the videos are indeed them. They are very helpful people."

He kept his answers to the occasional questions about the security team to a minimum.

He had originally thought about ignoring them, but since there were so many rumors surrounding the security team, he decided to share at least some basic information.

At this, a few members of the security team looked over and bowed their heads.

It seemed they were watching the YouTube Live while eating their meat.

"Ah, today is our monthly staff dinner. Because of COVID-19, we can't go to a restaurant, so we're just sitting apart like this to share the mood."

Do-jin said, panning the camera to show the surroundings.

Even with this, some people might still complain about quarantine rules, but having it recorded on video like this would help the police understand the situation.

"The water is finally boiling. Shall we add the ramen now?"

Perhaps because the pot was so large, the water had only just started to boil.

If Do-jin were eating alone, he wouldn't need such a massive pot, but he needed enough to share with Do-hee and Seung-wan.

"They're having a meat party in the back, but I'm stuck with ramen. This is all thanks to our editor. I hope you're happy, Editor!"

With those words, Do-jin turned the camera toward the meat piled up next to him.

It was his way of protesting that he was the only one not eating meat.

At this, the chat went wild once again.

About half of them felt sorry for Do-jin, while the other half teased and mocked him.

Are these the same people who were on my side just a moment ago?

When he was introducing the pets, the viewers had been united in praising Do-jin for rescuing and treating the animals.

But the moment the situation changed, they turned on him like this.

This is why you can't trust viewers. They really are a nation of satirists.

But those comments were actually mild.

An unbearable provocation flew in from right next to him.

"Um... Boss? If it's alright, could I have just one bite of that ramen?"

"...Excuse me?"

Taken aback by the unexpected request, Do-jin stared at the man who had spoken.

It was a familiar security team member.

He was the one who had run over the fastest when they found the abandoned dog truck, and he had helped wash the dogs without hesitation.

Because of that, he and Do-jin had become quite close, but Do-jin never imagined he would stab him in the back like this.

And for good reason...

"...Isn't that meat in your bowl?"

"Hehe, yes it is."

"...Then you can just eat that. Why would you...?"

Why are you torturing me?

Do-jin's words cut off in the middle, but almost everyone there could fill in the blanks.

That was how much grievance and absurdity were written all over Do-jin's face.

Yet, despite Do-jin's reaction, the security team member remained shameless.

"Meat is meat, and ramen is ramen... Haha. In exchange, how about we trade it for some of the meat I grilled?"

With those words, the team member held out the bowl of meat he had brought.

However,

Shake shake.

X

Do-hee was shaking her head off-camera, and Seung-wan was making an 'X' sign with her arms.

With their intentions so blatantly obvious, Do-jin let out a sigh.

Both women's faces were full of mischief.

It doesn't seem like they planned this, but...

It looked like they were going to roll with it since the situation had turned out to be so entertaining.

"Just... take some. I'm fine... without the meat."

With words that barely managed to leave his mouth, Do-jin gave up some of his ramen.

Since he had cooked five packages, there was plenty to spare even after giving away a portion.

As the team member walked away with his ramen, the atmosphere around them shifted strangely.

"...Should we boil some ramen to cleanse our palates too?"

"Probably a good idea, right? Eating only meat makes me crave some broth."

One by one, pots of ramen began to boil at the tables that had only been grilling meat.

In an instant, the meat party seemed to have transformed into a ramen party.

"Ramen really is the best."

"Of course. Meat is meat, and ramen is ramen."

"Ah, that hits the spot."

The sound of slurping noodles echoed from all directions.

However, there was one table that ignored the surrounding atmosphere and silently went its own way.

Sizzle.

"This one is done. Eat up, Sun-jam."

"...Okay!"

At Chanarshanhu's words, Sun-jam managed a reply.

Though she was gradually improving, her selective mutism still lingered.

When she was with her family in their quarters, she spoke quite comfortably, but out here, surrounded by so many people, speaking was still a struggle for her.

Feeling sorry for her, Chanarshanhu and Altani diligently passed her the freshly grilled meat.

If one only looked at this, it would have been a beautiful family scene.

If not for the piles of meat stacked next to them.

And that scene was being captured live on broadcast.

Glance.

Did she feel the gaze on her?

Or was she worried about Do-jin, who was eating ramen without any meat?

Sun-jam turned her head toward the camera.

And then:

Chew, chew, chew, gulp.

Chew, chew, chew, gulp.

Chew, chew, chew, gulp.

Her usual rhythmic inhaling of food was captured perfectly on screen.

At first, when they saw Sun-jam, the comment section was filled with worry for the child.

It was only natural, as a small, doll-like child was swallowing meat without even chewing it properly.

However,

When ten minutes passed and Sun-jam's pace didn't drop at all, the atmosphere in the comments slowly began to shift.

By the time another ten minutes, and yet another ten minutes passed:

The viewers realized.

Surpassing Meok-hu and Meok-riam,

A rising star of the mukbang world had been born.