[What's Life Anyway? Just Live As It Comes]
[What's Life Anyway? Just Live As It Comes]
The difference between having a car and not having one is huge. You can push back the time you used to wake up early to catch the bus and sleep a bit more or use it for something useful. For me, it doesn't really matter since I just have to put in the effort to wake up a bit earlier, but it's still nice to have one.
"Have a safe trip. Ah, didn't you say you were filming today?"
"Yeah, filming today... and the broadcast will probably be around next week, right? I'll ask while we're shooting today."
I woke up a bit later than usual. The morning commute is a congested route, but since I used to take public transport, I can afford to slack off a bit now that I have a car. Even considering the filming, I have plenty of time.
Every time I see the [Lamborghini] parked in the basement of the nearby shopping center (under Sion's name), I feel like a 10-year-old kid again. The finishing touch of coolness is definitely a car.
Sitting in the seat that still smells like a new car and starting the engine, I hear a cheerful exhaust note.
As I leisurely drove out onto the main road, the cars around me were all keeping a safe distance. Honestly, I'm scared if I get into an accident too. Sion would pay for the repairs, but for the other party involved in the accident, it's practically a slave contract.
I drove without much thought and arrived in 20 minutes. Considering it used to take at least 30 to 40 minutes when I took the bus, it's effectively cut in half. Ah, this is convenient.
"Hyung is here."
"Oh? You're a bit early, aren't you?"
"I think I got here early because I drove. I thought I'd be later, but it's faster than I expected."
"A car? Hyung, you had a car?"
"My wife bought it for me the day before yesterday."
"What model is it?"
"A [Lamborghini]... what was it? Anyway, it's a [Lamborghini]."
"A supercar?! That's sick!"
Baek-ri, who was already at work, has his eyes sparkling at the mention of a [Lamborghini]. Honestly, if an acquaintance told me they bought a [Lamborghini], I would have reacted the same way.
"How's the car? Is it good?"
"It seems worth the money. Above all, the swag is off the charts."
"Please take me for a ride sometime later."
"I'll drop you off when we get off work."
"Sweet!"
After doing the prep work for the shop and waiting a little, the filming crew arrived. Since the shop is small, there are only a couple of cameras, and the rest of the crew is waiting outside.
Once they finished their preparations, PD Jin approached, greeting me.
"Good morning, Boss. When should we start filming?"
"We're all set too, so let's start right away."
"Understood."
"........Hey, but is there no script or anything? I heard they usually rig everything."
"Sometimes we use one, sometimes we don't. Besides, this isn't our first time filming, so if you just answer the questions we ask during filming well, we'll keep going without any NGs."
"Is that so?"
It was more realistic than I thought... I thought it was all rigged, but it seems there's this side to it too.
Our shop's morning routine starts with preparing the chicken. Actually, this isn't for today, it's for tomorrow. Since the seasoning is the life of our chicken, it needs a day to marinate.
I won't be able to hear the narration since they'll add it along with the editing back at the station, but seeing the camera pointed at us while we prepare, I can see Baek-ri's shoulders are a bit stiff.
"Hey, relax your shoulders. It's not a live broadcast, why are you so nervous?"
"But it's going on TV?!"
"If you work hard, those thoughts will fly away. Go make some cuts in the meat."
"Yes."
Our shop's way of making chicken is really simple. Just marinate it, let it age, and then fry it well. Chicken is perfect as long as you remove the gamey smell and fry it well. The problem is that most people can't do that.
First, I make cuts in the chicken. This is so the seasoning penetrates deep into the meat. Baek-ri makes cuts in dozens of servings of chicken one by one. I make the sauce base for the marinade next to him.
"What are you making right now?"
"The sauce for the marinade. Turmeric and spices are the main ingredients, so it's safe to consider it curry, but the characteristic is that the flavor isn't that strong."
"Wouldn't it be tastier if the flavor was strong?"
"If the marinade sauce is too strong, it actually overpowers the chicken flavor. Just enough to remove the gamey smell and linger subtly in the mouth. Besides, we're not just making fried chicken."
If you season it strongly, it might be good for fried chicken, but it's hard to eat the seasoned or soy sauce chicken because it's too salty. I cook with my own thoughts, so I took that into account.
"What ingredients go into it?"
"I knew that line would come up... This is a sauce I spent time making, so it's a bit much to tell you everything, but it contains turmeric, lemongrass, cinnamon, pepper, star anise, nutmeg, etc. Well, honestly, if it has these in it and it still smells gamey, that would be strange."
There are several other things that go in besides what I mentioned. They are commonly available ingredients, but it's a bit much to answer everything when asked for a secret recipe.
From the viewer's perspective, it's more fun if I don't tell them everything, right? They'll be curious about what it tastes like.
I put the spices in a plastic bowl, mix them well, then pour in water and mix again. Once it's well mixed, Baek-ri tosses it with the chicken he made cuts in.
"How much do you usually prepare in a day?"
"Hmm, usually I prepare up to 70 or 80, but today I prepared about 100 just in case."
"Isn't it hard?"
"I'm still in my prime. I'm far from being tired."
Once I feel the sauce has soaked well into each piece of meat, I cover it and head straight to the refrigerator. If you leave it until the next day, it gets seasoned thoroughly to the inside.
Once the preparation was finished, Jin Seo-ae also arrived for work. As it approached opening time, we prepared to open the doors. We wiped the tables and floor once more and checked the ingredients. After checking to make sure there was nothing missing for business, we started operations.
Since we were filming for a broadcast, there were more people than usual. It hadn't even been 10 minutes since we opened, and the tables were full, and there were already three takeout orders.
"Chicken from the morning? There are a lot of people who know what's good!"
"There weren't many people in the morning usually!"
"People eat chicken at 4 AM, so is it weird to eat it first thing in the morning?"
"No, chicken is originally a late-night snack!"
Baek-ri grumbled, but he worked hard. He helped Ms. Seo-ae set up the tables, took orders, took out the marinated chicken, coated it in batter, and passed it to me.
Next is my turn. I gently put the chicken into the oil boiling at the perfect temperature and fry it. I fry three chickens at a time, but there's not a single error in taking them out at the perfect timing to eat.
On the side, to make seasoned chicken, I put the fried chicken into a wok and stir-fry it with seasoned sauce.
Anything stir-fried is delicious. People argue about whether to pour or dip sweet and sour pork, but if you're eating at a restaurant, it's much tastier when the chef stir-fries it.
Our shop's secret seasoned chicken sauce isn't so much sweet, but rather slightly spicy. If the hot, stir-fried seasoned chicken is also spicy, it becomes a refreshing spicy taste, which elevates the flavor even more. That's why I intentionally slice and add Cheongyang chili peppers when making the sauce.
You don't get this refreshing spicy taste unless it's Korean chili peppers. I don't know if it's the soil difference, but I've seen many peppers that are just spicy, but Korean ones are the best for a subtle spicy taste.
"One seasoned, one fried, one large cola coming out!"
"Ah, here's the card."
"Yes, card received. Would you like a receipt?"
When I make it, Baek-ri calculates at the counter and hands over the chicken. Since we're running around busy, it seems we've already forgotten the fact that we're being filmed by cameras.
"Boss Choi, two fried chickens here!"
"Two fried? Okay."
"Hyung, the one seasoned chicken and 1.5L beer takeout from earlier, is it not out yet?"
"It's all done! Just need to pack it!"
I also busily worked with my hands. But since my movement path was already planned in my head, I wasn't as pressed for time as I thought. I only have one body, but if I think about efficiency and move, there's no wasted time, so it's plenty of time even if I cook alone.
"Are you this busy every day?"
"It's busier than usual today. But it's similar to usual."
It's just that it's more crowded in the afternoon, but it was always this kind of atmosphere. Restaurants with good locations and good food are like this.
After cooking in a rush, the morning passed by in a flash. We put up the 'Break Time' sign and also take our lunch and regroup.
First, we change the oil. We fried 30 chickens just in the morning, so we have to change it once and prepare again.
"What do you want for lunch?"
"Anyway, 30 minutes isn't enough to satisfy anyone. Just order something from next door."
"Hyung, you'll have the tenderloin pork cutlet set, and how about you, Ms. Seo-ae?"
"I'll have the same."
The shop next to us is a Japanese restaurant, so they sell pork cutlets or udon types. Thinking of business, we can't rest for long, so we order from next door which takes the least amount of time.
After doing this and that regrouping, we have 30 minutes left. Since we ordered in advance, if we add the eating time, we have 15 minutes left. It's tight, but not insufficient. If push comes to shove, we can rest more. I'm the boss, who cares.
"You only have 30 minutes to eat and rest?"
"Well, it's like this usually. Anyway, since we order food from next door, it doesn't take long."
"Working in front of fire and oil in the summer, it must be hard."
"That's natural for people in the food industry. Ah, food's here. Baek-ri! Go get the food!"
Since we order often, it came quickly. We're regular customers who order almost every day, so that makes sense. Originally, things like pork cutlets get soggy when delivered, but since it came from right next door, it's crispy.
Honestly, pork cutlets are delicious whenever you eat them. Although everything fried is delicious.
We chat about this and that while eating. Light family talk, or Baek-ri and I often talk about games, and we also think once more about whether there's anything missing before starting the shop.
After finishing, we digest a little and prepare to move again. The oil is preheated, so we are fully prepared.
Usually, people who eat chicken in the morning are rare. I can't say there are none, but usually people eat it for lunch or dinner.
In other words, the real business starts after lunch. I can see a long line of customers who have been coming for a long time in front of the shop. It's a line that seems to be shouting, "Ganda Chicken Shop! Is the prepared chicken enough!"
"Baek-ri, how much chicken do we have left?"
"What we're using today? We have about 50 left. Hyung, you prepared more the day before yesterday just in case."
"It seems like it'll be ambiguously short or ambiguously left over... Well, let's hope for leftovers. If there's leftovers, we can eat them, but if it's short, I feel sorry for the customers."
When word of mouth was gradually spreading, there were times when I couldn't control the quantity and a dozen or so customers had to turn back. At that time, I immediately made discount coupons or drink service coupons and sent them back, but since then, I thought it's better to prepare a bit more even if it's left over.
The expression of a person who can't eat what they want and has to turn back is depressing just to look at. After all, among the 3 basic human desires, appetite wasn't satisfied, so how would that feel?
And putting other things aside, they couldn't eat chicken. Chicken!
I flipped the sign in front of the shop to 'Open' again and opened the shop door.
The real hell starts from now!!!
It's still the peak of summer, so even at night, it's humid and the sensible temperature is high. We have the air conditioner blasting, but since chicken is a dish made with fire and oil, the temperature inside the shop is hot. Of course, the table area is cool, but the kitchen is definitely hot. It would be better in winter, but if I were a normal person, I might have been sweating buckets and gotten dehydrated.
My body is already [Hanseobulchim] like you'd see in a martial arts novel, so I don't shed a single drop of sweat. Fortunately, today's business ended safely, and there's only one chicken left.
Wow, how much chicken did I prepare yesterday, and only one is left? If it airs on TV, I think I'll have to prepare 1.5 times more than now.
"Good work, Hyung."
"Ah, I'm exhausted. Baek-ri. Let's have a drink with the one chicken left. What do you want to have?"
"Fried."
"Okay, wait a second."
I quickly fried one fried chicken and finished up the shop. I haven't eaten dinner yet, so I'll replace dinner with this, even if it's modest.
"Ms. Seo-ae, you go home first. Your child must be waiting."
"Thank you every time, Boss. Then I'll go first."
"Get home safely."
I let Jin Seo-ae leave work early since she has a child. If the other person was just a part-time girl, I would have had everyone clean up and leave together without that, but if she's a mother with a child waiting at home, she needs to go home early.
Knowing that, Baek-ri has no complaints about Ms. Seo-ae. Baek-ri gulps down beer as if to replenish the sweat he shed.
"Ah, I should fry one for the filming crew too... If it's the chicken for tomorrow, it would have aged to some extent, so should I give them that?"
"If you do that, we'd be grateful."
It might be different if it was chicken put in the fridge right away, but if it was aged this morning, it would have been seasoned to some extent. It might be slightly lacking compared to eating it tomorrow, but it will still be delicious.
Since there were nearly ten crew members, I fried about a dozen or so chickens. I'm worried if we'll run out of chicken tomorrow.
Everyone grabbed one chicken each and tore into it, and since they were still working, I thought alcohol wouldn't be appropriate, so I took out carbonated drinks. It's not chicken and beer, but chicken and cola are also a fantastic combination.
"Good work today, PD Jin."
"No, you worked harder, Boss. You even gave us chicken, I'll edit it well and introduce it as a good restaurant."
We talk about what happened today while smiling at each other.
All the footage for the broadcast is out, so what's left is editing and adding narration. The familiar voices of a male voice actor and a female voice actor pass by my ears. Especially, it feels like the slightly frivolous-sounding narration of the man is heard in my ears.
"By the way, does the PD come out in person to film these restaurant programs?"
"Ah......."
The position of PD, producer, I think it's nothing special because I see it often, but the PD is the person who oversees that program. If the VJ Special Forces unit really existed, they'd be about the battalion commander there. The broadcasting station president would be about the division commander... no, the president.
It's honestly a bit strange that such a person comes out and films in person.
"Actually, our program. It's ending soon."
"Oh, is the program ending?"
"Yes, it's a long-running program, but because of that, the subject matter and viewership ratings are dropping."
A program that has been running for over 10 years has low viewership ratings because the younger generation doesn't watch it. Especially since it's been broadcast for a long time, it's run out of material, and if it's cliché content, even more so.
"The budget is set low, so I'm in a situation where I have to run around myself. It will probably end at the end of this month... or early next month."
"That's a shame. It's a program that's been with us until now."
Even when I was living at the [Facility], I watched VJ Special Forces on Friday nights with the kids on the one TV we had, and fell asleep when it ended. I also used to sit and watch it with Sion every Friday.
Our shop is closed on Saturday, so Friday is a real 'Fire Friday'. So, VJ Special Forces, which is the last program I watch on Friday, was a very special program... it's a shame it's ending now.
"I'm not the original PD here either. In terms of seniority, I'm the youngest, so I came as a filler until it ends."
"Then where did the original PD go?"
"They slipped away to be a PD for another popular program. That's how it always is."
We talked about this and that, and after feeding all the filming crew one chicken each, we finished up the shop.
They were also packing up their filming equipment and preparing to leave. Lastly, I talked with PD Jin.
"Good work, Boss. How should I handle today's appearance fee? By account transfer, or......."
"Forget it. You're working hard, so let's just call it even with the advertising cost of the broadcast. Use that to have a company dinner."
"Ah! Thank you. I'll come personally next time. The chicken was really delicious. It would have been amazing if I ate it with beer... I don't know when it will be next time, but when I come to film nearby, I'll have a company dinner here."
"See you next time, PD Jin."
We greeted each other nicely and parted ways. I also stretched and relieved the fatigue of today, which was harder than usual.
Salute to the fatigue that disappeared in 3 seconds! Thanks to the [Infinite Force Core], the powerful force flowing through my meridians dissolves even minor fatigue in an instant. This is why I didn't want to start this up. It just erases the fatigue from my hard work, so it lacks humanity, humanity.
"Good work today, Hyung. Does the broadcast air next week?"
"Yeah, that's what they said. I'll have to watch it live next week."
"I should brag to the kids."
"Do you use that brain-eating blue bird?"
"I do, but just for using it like KakaoTalk. And if it gets promoted, it's good for you too, Hyung."
Honestly, if there are more customers here, I can't handle it. If I open a chain store, it might be solved, but from the beginning, I do this shop as a hobby, so I have no intention of doing that.
If I wanted to make money, I would have bought [Bitcoin] 10 years ago. No, even now, since I have Sion, I can play around spending money without worrying about it. It's just that I hate unearned income, so I'm just working.
"Let's go home. In my [Lamborghini]."
"Oh, right!"
As if he remembered again, Baek-ri closed the shop door with the sparkling eyes he showed in the morning. The cool [Lamborghini] parked in the nearby parking lot was parked in the same state as in the morning.
Well, unless you're a really crazy person, you wouldn't think of scratching a car that looks expensive even from the outside.
"Wow, holy shit, that's sick. I only saw it in photos or videos every day, but this is my first time seeing it in person."
"Honestly, where else would you see a car like this unless it's a motor show? It's rare to see one driving on the street, and it's even rarer to ride in one."
You might see expensive foreign cars once in a while, but a supercar like this, which is a symbol of full-blown money-wasting, is rare to see. Even in this life, the only time I've seen one in person is when I saw this one.
Since it can only seat two people, Baek-ri, who is sitting in the passenger seat, looks around here and there and takes pictures. Seeing him like it makes me happy.
"The time is a bit ambiguous... but the traffic has cleared up a bit, so maybe it won't be blocked. Then let's step on it a bit."
"Wait a second, safe driving, safe driving! I'm more scared if it gets scratched?!"
"I am too. But trust my driving skills. In my life as a [Reincarnator], I've never killed anyone with a car while driving."
".......What about getting into an accident?"
"That's no comment."
"Waaaaah!!!"
Baek-ri screamed and tried to open the door to escape, but I had already locked it from this side, so it wouldn't open.
"Let's go! [Asurada]!"
"Not that line!"
"Wow! You know [Asurada]!"