The Bandit King
A channel with 1.2 million subscribers named Bandit King TV: The Man Who Grills Meat.
The YouTuber, commonly known as the Bandit King, was quite famous in the mukbang community.
Living alone in the mountains while looking exactly like a bandit was unique enough,
but what truly made him stand out was his cooking.
He seemed to cook roughly and carelessly, yet the end result always looked mouthwateringly delicious.
Above all, the Bandit King's trademark is meat.
Grilling unsliced slabs of meat whole or consuming ridiculously massive portions combined with his rugged appearance to exude an overwhelming macho charm.
It was as if his entire body was screaming, This is what a real man's table looks like.
And yet...
"Why would someone like that want to do a collab with us? And specifically targeting Sun-jam?"
At Dojin's bewildered question, Dohee shrugged.
"He said he fell in love after watching her videos. He said if he ever had a daughter, he'd want her to be just like Sun-jam."
"What is he talking about? Does he not look in the mirror? He looks like a rugged bandit leader, and he wants a daughter like her?"
"? Why are you getting so worked up, Oppa?"
"..."
Dohee's question left Dojin speechless.
Come to think of it, there was no reason for him to get this defensive.
"Ahem! I guess it's because I've gotten close to Sun-jam lately. She feels like a niece to me."
"Well, Sun-jam is adorable. But you know what? I noticed something really goosebump-inducing."
"Huh? Goosebumps?"
Nodding at Dojin's question, Dohee looked around before whispering in a low voice.
"Don't you think Chanarshanhu and the Bandit King look alike?"
"...Huh?"
Dojin compared the two in his mind for a moment and let out a dumbfounded sound.
At first, he thought it was ridiculous, but the more he compared them, the more strangely similar they seemed.
"Right? If that's the case, doesn't it make sense why the Bandit King said Sun-jam felt like his own daughter?"
"...No way."
To think that Sun-jam, who looked like a doll to anyone, and the Bandit King, who looked like... well, a bandit, were similar.
Yet, the circumstances made it hard to deny completely.
"...Surely Sun-jam won't grow up to look like that, right?"
"Oh, come on. Sun-jam looks much more like Altani. Even if she goes through a rough patch growing up, it won't be that bad."
"Right? Phew, what a relief."
Dojin, who had been despairing as if the world were ending, instantly revived at Dohee's reassurance.
Just then, a cold voice cut between them.
"...Seeing you two flirt after a while still ruins my mood."
It was Seungwan, who had been watching the two lovebirds with an annoyed expression.
But as always, the couple paid no attention to her gaze.
"Hehe!"
"I hope our daughter looks just like you, Dohee."
"What are you saying? That's embarrassing."
"...Are you guys planning a family? Should I step out for a bit?"
Seeing Seungwan look as if she would actually walk out, the two finally stopped teasing.
"So, how is the progress?"
At Dojin's question, Seungwan pulled out some documents.
They were the minutes summarizing the meeting with the Bandit King's side.
"First of all, their top priority is Sun-jam. If possible, they want you as well, Mr. Baek."
"So I'm the runner-up."
Despite being the channel owner and a major YouTuber with over a million subscribers, he had been pushed to second place by Sun-jam.
Should I laugh or protest?
It was too baffling to just laugh off, yet the other party was too polite to protest.
One thing was for sure: this situation was far from normal.
"Honestly, it's a bit baffling."
At Dojin's words, Seungwan nodded.
"They probably contacted us because there was no other way to reach her. Our live stream is the only place Sun-jam has ever appeared. I understand the situation, but... it's still a bit rude."
"Well... putting that aside, what are the specific terms?"
Though he had somehow ended up as Sun-jam's temporary manager, he still had to verify the details.
If I leave this to Chanarshanhu or Altani, they might end up paying them instead.
Others might laugh and think it was a joke, but Dojin was dead serious.
Didn't they already have a track record of doing exactly that?
It wasn't that Chanarshanhu's family was foolish, but they were strangely ignorant about these matters.
Is it because of the cultural difference?
When it came to daily life or work, they were sharper than anyone.
The problem was that they became incredibly naive the moment they encountered an unfamiliar field.
"The terms are simple. An appearance fee of 200,000 won, promotion for her channel if she has one, and the Bandit King himself will appear on our channel in return if we want."
Seungwan finished speaking, but Dojin kept staring at her.
He was waiting for her assessment.
Understanding his intent, Seungwan spoke simply.
"The terms aren't bad. If they tried to recruit you or another major influencer under these conditions, it would be ridiculous, but Sun-jam is a non-celebrity."
"Hmm... I assume the collab content is a mukbang?"
"Yes. I heard they're preparing 1++ grade Hanwoo ribeye."
"Oh, that's quite a big deal."
Hanwoo ribeye, especially 1++ grade, was a menu item even Dojin couldn't easily provide.
Not only was it expensive, but it was also difficult to source enough quantity to satisfy Chanarshanhu's family.
But if it's just Sun-jam...
Sun-jam's appetite was no joke, but preparing enough meat for just her wouldn't be too difficult.
I heard the Bandit King has a wholesale butcher shop he deals with directly.
Since he loved meat and his main content was meat mukbangs, he had naturally been introduced to one.
Thanks to that, high-quality meat always appeared in the Bandit King's videos.
"Sun-jam will definitely love it. She's always dead serious about meat."
"That's only if she agrees to appear. Have you asked her?"
Dojin nodded at Seungwan's question.
"Sun-jam said she'd do it if we go with her. Chanarshanhu and Altani also left the decision to us."
"So it's up to you in the end, Oppa. What are you going to do?"
At Dohee's question, Dojin shrugged.
"Well, the terms aren't bad. Above all, the person in question and her family are all positive about it, so there's no reason for me to oppose."
Although it was a bit bitter that they used him as a mere contact point, he didn't want to block an opportunity that would benefit Sun-jam because of that.
"Then it's decided. I'll reply to the Bandit King's side and schedule a date."
"Yes, please do."
And so, Sekki House's first away collab was set in motion.
Sun-jam achieved the milestone of being the first to go on an away collab, and doing so not even as an employee, but as an employee's family member.
The Bandit King's filming location was near Mount Bongcheon in Ganghwa Island.
Fortunately, it was only about an hour's drive from Sekki House.
"Living on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province makes things like this convenient."
If they were in Seoul, it would have taken at least two hours.
But for Dojin, who lived in Paju, the travel time here was about the same as going to Seoul.
Poke, poke.
"Huh?"
Dojin, who was stretching after getting out of the car, turned his head at the sensation beside him.
Sun-jam, who had gotten out of the car without him noticing, was looking up at him.
"What's wrong? Are you uncomfortable?"
When Dojin bent his knees to match her eye level, Sun-jam pointed in one direction.
Hanging there was an unboned side of beef ribs, and even a glance revealed its size was extraordinary.
Sun-jam kept waving her hand as if urging him for an answer.
"Yes, that's right. That's the meat you're going to eat today, Sun-jam."
At Dojin's answer, Sun-jam's eyes sparkled.
Normal children would have been startled or frowned, calling it gross, but Sun-jam was different.
She had been eating freshly slaughtered meat since her days in Mongolia.
Thanks to that, far from finding the unboned meat gross, she was actually licking her lips.
Looking at the meat again, Dojin nodded.
"The visual performance is definitely overwhelming."
That wasn't just a chunk of meat; it was practically a totem.
Anyone who tuned into the broadcast wouldn't be able to look away the moment they saw that meat on screen.
"It's amazing no matter how many times I see it. He carved out a niche perfectly in a saturated market."
Mukbang YouTubers ate quantities ordinary people couldn't imagine, while cooking YouTubers made dishes that left people in awe.
The Bandit King, who fit awkwardly into either category, had paved his own path.
By showing whole slabs of meat and butchering them on the spot before eating, he perfected his macho persona.
Thanks to this, despite eating less than mukbang YouTubers and cooking worse than cooking YouTubers, he was able to become a major creator.
"Since it's 2020... he should still be fine."
Recalling his memories, Dojin nodded.
Dojin hadn't agreed to the collab simply because Chanarshanhu's family and Sun-jam wanted to.
Someone of the Bandit King's caliber is a decent collab partner at this point in time.
He was one of the few major YouTubers who managed to avoid the wave of controversies and scandals that would soon hit the community.
A few years down the road, he would try to awkwardly rebrand himself after getting a taste of mainstream television and end up in limbo, but for now, he was a solid partner.
As Dojin organized his thoughts and looked around, a large man walked out from inside to greet him.
"Hello. You're The Baek, right? I'm the Bandit King, the Man Who Grills Meat."
Dojin shook his outstretched hand and replied.
"Ah, yes. I'm Baek Dojin, The Baek."
"My name is Go Hang-woo. Thank you for accepting the collab request. Was the drive here difficult?"
"Not at all. I live in Paju, so it wasn't that far."
"Ah! That's a relief. And is this little friend Sun-jam? Hello there."
"..."
The Bandit King greeted Sun-jam warmly.
But she only stared blankly at him, not saying a word.
Though she had improved a lot, Sun-jam still couldn't speak in unfamiliar places with strangers.
Seeing this, Dojin, who had anticipated it, asked for his understanding.
"Sun-jam is very shy around strangers. She probably won't speak during the broadcast either."
"Ah, I heard about that beforehand. It's a shame, but it can't be helped."
Looking at Sun-jam with genuine regret, the Bandit King soon moved to prepare for the broadcast.
Since the live broadcast was in twenty minutes, it was time to light the charcoal.
As Dojin watched him, a familiar sound reached his ears.
Growl~
"Huh? Are you hungry, Sun-jam?"
At Dojin's question, Sun-jam nodded slightly.
Then, a voice that was still unfamiliar came from her small mouth.
"...Yeah."
"Oh? Did you just answer me, Sun-jam?"
Nod.
At Dojin's question, Sun-jam's head nodded once more.
And then, the voice spoke again.
"...Yeah."
At the slightly clearer response, Dojin stroked Sun-jam's head.
"Oh my! Look at our Sun-jam, answering so well now!"
"Hehe."
Dojin gently asked Sun-jam, who was smiling happily at the praise.
"Sun-jam, are you really hungry?"
"...Yeah."
"Are you going to eat a lot?"
"...Yeah."
"Alright. Then eat to your heart's content today. That mister over there is going to keep grilling meat for you. Okay?"
"...Yeah! I can eat it all."
"Oh? Uh... r-right."
At this point, Dojin had no idea what kind of massive repercussions his words would bring.
"Hello, everyone! I'm the Bandit King, the Man Who Grills Meat!"
The live broadcast began.
Perhaps because he was a YouTuber who grew his channel through live streaming, unlike Dojin, his hosting was quite smooth.
I should learn from this.
Interacting with subscribers while never losing track of what he needed to do was exactly the skill Dojin needed.
"Yes! Now, let's introduce today's special guest. As announced beforehand, today's guest is very young. Please understand in advance that direct communication with the guest might be difficult. Now, let me introduce her. The angel who appeared like a rising star in the mukbang world! Sun-jam!"
At the Bandit King's introduction, the staff clapped and cheered.
It was a gesture of consideration to raise the energy of the broadcast and make the guest feel comfortable.
The problem was that it only made Sun-jam more nervous.
"..."
Bow.
Stepping into the camera frame at the Bandit King's gesture, Sun-jam looked around and promptly bowed deeply toward the camera.
Dojin nodded at the sight.
He was the one who had told Sun-jam, who couldn't speak in unfamiliar environments, to bow as soon as she went in.
Thanks to that, the chat section exploded.
Checking the real-time chat on his phone, Dojin smiled with satisfaction.
The reactions in the comments were generally positive.
"Now, Sun-jam, you can sit here and eat the meat this mister grills for you. If you get full, you can stop eating and let me know, okay?"
Nod.
Sun-jam nodded at the Bandit King's words.
She looked just like a baby angel descending to earth.
She must be really hungry.
While the chat and the surrounding staff were swooning over Sun-jam, only Dojin could guess her true state.
Her eyes hadn't strayed from the sliced meat for a single second.
It was the ribeye and prime ribeye that had been butchered just moments ago to be grilled right after the guest introduction.
The Bandit King, standing right next to her, also noticed her gaze and hurriedly put on his gloves.
"Alright, let's get to grilling this deliciously. First, let's coat the grill with some fat!"
Sssssssss!
Dojin's mouth watered just from the sound of the fat melting.
The savory aroma of rendering fat filled the entire area.
And with that, the mukbang officially began.
"..."
"..."
Unlike the lively atmosphere at the beginning, the filming location was now enveloped in silence.
Not only the staff, but even the chat window, which had been scrolling endlessly just moments ago, seemed frozen solid.
Only a single comment popped up once in a blue moon.
In the midst of this silence, the only sounds to be heard were the meat grilling and Sun-jam eating.
Sssssss!
Chew, chew.
Sssss!
Chew, chew, chew.
Sss!
Chew, chew, chew, chew.
"...Huh?"
Twenty minutes after he started grilling, the Bandit King, who had gone completely silent, finally let out a sound.
Or rather, it was a groan.
Turning their eyes away from Sun-jam, the staff could see the Bandit King's bewildered face.
"...Is something wrong?"
At the PD's question, the Bandit King hesitated for a moment, glancing at Sun-jam before speaking.
"...It's all gone."
"Pardon?"
"The ribeye is all gone... She ate it all."
"...No way."
At the Bandit King's words, the PD looked at Sun-jam in disbelief.
The amount of ribeye obtained right after butchering was three kilograms.
And she had eaten all of it.
A mere five-year-old child.
"I shouldn't have eaten any if I knew this would happen."
The Bandit King spoke with a look of deep regret.
He had eaten some of the ribeye himself while grilling.
It was only natural, as he never expected a five-year-old to finish three kilograms of meat.
Even so, the amount he ate was only about 500 grams, which meant Sun-jam had consumed at least 2.5 kilograms by herself.
"Um... excuse me, Miss Sun-jam? We're out of ribeye, so would you mind trying a different cut?"
After a brief emergency meeting with the PD, the Bandit King asked Sun-jam cautiously.
At that moment, the expression of Sun-jam, who had been sitting like an angel chewing her meat, changed instantly.
Glare.
Glaring fiercely at the Bandit King, she pushed her empty plate forward and tapped it with her fork.
Clack, clack!
"Huh? Wh-what's wrong?"
Startled by the sudden turn of events, the Bandit King flustered.
Watching the situation unfold from behind, Dojin covered his eyes without realizing it.
He knew exactly what Sun-jam was trying to say.
We're in trouble.
Tapping the empty plate and pushing it forward was Sun-jam's way of protesting, demanding more of the exact same menu.