Rookie Manager (3)
A mukbang is an eating broadcast.
You can chat while you eat, introduce food, or simply focus on the act of eating itself. Either way, you have to eat on camera, so showing your face is usually unavoidable.
But spend even a little time browsing mukbang channels and you quickly notice something. Plenty of them never show a face at all. Some of those channels have hundreds of thousands of subscribers—some even millions. Views regularly climb into the tens of millions. And these aren’t even review videos; they’re pure real-sound footage of someone just eating.
How do you film a mukbang without a face? Simple. The face stays off-camera, but the eating itself is captured meticulously. In other words, only the food and the mouth appear on screen.
I found it strange at first. They want to film themselves eating, yet they refuse to show their faces. The intention was blatant. And I decided it wasn’t a bad approach at all. After all, a mukbang only needs someone eating deliciously and the sound of chewing. If anything, it made the appetite feel even more intense.
With nothing but food, a chin, and lips filling the frame, the act of eating itself stands out far more than when the whole upper body is visible. It felt fresher and more alluring than ordinary eating streams.
Of course, the drawbacks were just as clear. The camera sits so close it can feel claustrophobic. And if the lower face isn’t pretty, it can turn people off. Showing your full face while eating isn’t all that different, but the close-up makes every flaw loom larger. The shape and size of the jaw, the face shape, the color and condition of the lips—you have no choice but to notice them.
And I had never seen a truly beautiful lower face. Not one that could match Park Seoh-ah’s looks, at least. Someone with actress-level visuals would never bother filming a mukbang in the first place.
Which meant that if we filmed only Seoh-ah’s lower face while she ate, we could spread her eating videos far and wide while still hiding her identity. No risk of the broadcasting station looking at her unfavorably. And later, once she became famous as an actress, revealing herself could generate massive buzz. Imagine the headlines: “Popular mukbang YouTuber turns out to be Park Seoh-ah!”
Assuming the mukbang succeeded, of course. But a beauty who ate that deliciously didn’t seem likely to stay small. More importantly, having “content” as an excuse would make it easier to cook for her and feed her more freely. It wasn’t particularly hard now, but you never knew. With content as cover, I could run more aggressive experiments and challenges.
Somewhere among the things I’d pulled from the Chef’s Warehouse, there had to be something that helped with dieting. If I could figure it out and cook properly, she could eat everything she wanted and still keep that slim figure.
I wanted the whole world to know about Park Seoh-ah’s adorable gluttony. It felt like a waste to keep that delicious sight all to myself.
“I still feel like it’s not enough. Should I eat a little more?”
Could an eating face really be this lovable? Everyone who saw it would smile fondly and swallow hard.
“Yes, I’ll go buy more. Or should we head to a restaurant?”
“Ah, but doesn’t it seem like I’m eating too much? Maybe I should hold back.”
“No. Master’s body needs to eat more. And… the way you eat is so beautiful I just want to keep feeding you forever.”
“Hehe, Cookie, what am I supposed to do when you only say such pretty things?”
Park Seoh-ah ruffled my hair and tucked me under her arm.
“What a good boy♥ As a reward, I’ll let you smell my armpit scent♥”
“…”
“Get all horny smelling Master’s armpit scent♥ Lose♥ Surrender♥”
Gulp gulp♥
I spent a long while defeated by her armpit scent before I finally managed to collect myself.
After that, Seoh-ah and I got out of the car and cleaned out a rest stop. She ate another two hundred thousand won’s worth and still said it wasn’t enough. Her stomach still wasn’t full.
I tried a bite of each dish I’d sprinkled with Red Salt. By now I was starting to guess what the Red Salt actually did. The sample size was still too small to be certain, but if I was right, it was going to be extremely useful.
We had no schedule today. Managing condition was the schedule. We took our time and eventually arrived at the hotel I’d reserved near Haeundae in Busan. We’d left early in the morning, yet the sun was already setting.
Crash!
Cool waves rolled in. Orange sunset light poured down at an angle, making the sea glitter.
“Wow. It’s so pretty.”
I was admiring the Haeundae scenery when Seoh-ah’s voice pulled my eyes away. To me, the sight of her standing there with the wind fluttering her clothes was far more beautiful than the ocean. When she smiled she looked less like a person and more like an angel. Only someone with a pure heart could wear a smile that innocent.
From the other side, Chun Yeonho came dragging a suitcase. Beside him, Han Ahyoung walked with elegant steps. She had taken off her mask and sunglasses completely. Her pretty forehead was fully exposed. When she frowned, the angry crease showed clearly.
“What kind of production company is in Busan? This has to be a joke.”
“Initial messed up. Don’t frown like that. It ages your skin.”
Initial was the production company name. Studio Initial. A quick search showed it was quite famous—no, extremely famous. Nearly every hit drama lately had been made there. And every single one was distributed as a Netflix Original. This time, Ghost Story Company was a Netflix Original drama as well.
“Once we get up there I’m going to need a massage.”
“Already booked. Full course. Just rest comfortably.”
Han Ahyoung’s condition didn’t look great. Part of the reason we’d taken so long was her. She hated being in cars, so we’d rested for quite a while at every rest stop. It didn’t seem like motion sickness; just sitting in a vehicle itself seemed to make her uncomfortable.
I’d considered calling her over to my car with the Cloud Doll, then decided against it. Seoh-ah was sleeping peacefully; if Ahyoung came over she probably wouldn’t rest well. And that would leave Yeonho alone, so I kept my mouth shut. Looking at her now, though, maybe I should have invited her after all.
I wondered if there was anything I could do to help, then a good idea hit me. From the crossbody bag I was wearing I pulled out a thermos and a stick of Memory Gum. More precisely, I pulled them from my Pocket, not the bag itself. I’d decided to carry a bag around specifically so I could take things out of the Pocket without drawing stares. Having a bag nearby looked more natural to anyone watching.
I opened the thermos, poured coffee into the lid, and walked over to Ahyoung.
“Please have some of this. It should help you feel a little better.”
Just simple iced coffee. With a little Red Salt mixed in. If the Red Salt worked the way I thought it did, Ahyoung would probably… binge-eat tonight. Verifying the effect while also improving her mood—two birds with one stone.
Her reaction, however, was unexpected. Ahyoung took one sip, then lowered her hand with a blank expression. She didn’t drink any more. She just looked down at me.
“Did you make this yourself?”
“Yes… I made it. …Why? Does it not suit your taste?”
Instead of answering, she finished the rest of the coffee in one go.
“I’ll take this with me. From now on, make coffee for Noona every day.”
“…What?”
“You don’t like that?”
“No, I like it…”
“From now on, bring me coffee and cigarettes.”
She issued the order as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Even though my Masters were Seoh-ah and my little sister, the thought of defying those words never even crossed my mind. There was something more than just being Seoh-ah’s friend. Ahyoung was superior, yes, but it was different from that.
Was I… really just a masochist who couldn’t go against women? Listening to her command made my chest flutter for no reason.
Ahyoung spoke to Seoh-ah.
“You don’t drink coffee, right?”
“Ah, yeah. It’s a little too bitter for me.”
“You’re not a kid anymore and you still can’t drink it.”
Was she being considerate of Seoh-ah, or dismissing her? Either way, good-natured Seoh-ah only smiled softly.
“Hehe, I know. My tastes are still a bit childish.”
“Ugh, why are there so many bugs again.”
She cut Seoh-ah off outright. Seoh-ah’s words apparently weren’t worth listening to. Ahyoung frowned and waved her hand. Yeonho hurriedly flailed around her, shooing the insects away.
“Let’s get into the hotel already.”
Yeonho dragged the suitcase and all the luggage ahead. Seoh-ah stared at their retreating backs for a moment. Then she sensed my gaze and turned her head. There, as always, was only that fluttering, smiling look in her eyes.
“Ahyoung really hates bugs a lot. Shall we go too, Oppa?”
I took Seoh-ah’s suitcase and followed.
A five-star hotel that cost over five hundred thousand won a night. A room with a sweeping view of Haeundae from the window. I took the Cloud Doll out of the car and brought it up. If I could hang it on the bed, Seoh-ah would be able to sleep as comfortably as she had in the van.
“Jiwoo Oppa.”
Seoh-ah looked up at me. Outside, my title was Oppa. Lately I’d only been crawling around at home, so the dynamic felt strangely awkward.
“Do you like it, Oppa?”
She pressed close and whispered.
“Does it feel good that you get to offer coffee tribute to Ahyoung?”
I hesitated. So she had been upset after all. I’d been too careless because of what she’d said that morning.
“Be honest with me.”
Before I knew it, Seoh-ah’s expression had turned serious as she watched me. I opened and closed my mouth a few times before the words came out.
“…Yeah. I like it…”
“You like submitting to women and taking their orders?”
“…Yes.”
The moment she used casual speech, formal speech automatically spilled out of me. Like a vending machine that spits out a drink the second you put money in. Completely natural.
Seoh-ah studied my face for a long moment, then smiled.
Heh.
A clear, refreshing laugh. Just hearing it made my heart feel warm. And yet… right now it carried a faint sense of dissonance.
“Good boy♥ It feels good being dominated by women, doesn’t it♥”
“…”
“From now on, just be honest and do whatever your body wants. Absolute submission to women is all you need♥”
Why… absolute submission to women, not to Master?
“…Yes. Absolute submission. I’ll do it.”
The answer left my mouth before I could even voice the question.
“Aww, what a good boy♥ You’ve been trained into a proper masochist so diligently♥ Shall we start in earnest now?”
Start what in earnest…
“You’re still far from done♥ You need to break down a little more♥ You need to let go of yourself♥”
She whispered as if she could read my innermost thoughts. Formal speech and casual speech. Cookie and Oppa. The mixture made my head spin.
Hooo—
A ticklish wind slipped into my ear. A dizzying sensation, as if soft fingers were gently gripping my eardrum. My body swayed and threatened to collapse.
Slap!
In that instant Seoh-ah spanked my ass and grabbed it. Reflexively my waist and sphincter tensed, and I barely managed to keep my balance. My cock, already standing at full attention, twitched as if in torment.
“What Oppa needs to become is this.”
Seoh-ah kneaded my buttocks while she whispered.
“A masochist who wants to be trampled by women and completely defeated♥”
“…”
“A masochist who wants to be ignored and verbally abused by women♥”
“…”
“A masochist who would offer up even his life if a woman ordered it♥”
Twitch twitch twitch♥
“You need to become that pathetic masochist puppy♥”
Twitch twitch twitch twitch♥
“Become the slave of superior women♥ Get so happy about it♥ Be so happy♥”
Sploosh. Sploosh sploosh. Sploossssh.
The hand kneading my ass. The whisper that melted past my eardrums and straight into my brain. It felt like my soul itself was being corrupted.
Seoh-ah took her hand off my rear and smiled with pure innocence.
“Cookie’s going to be happy so soon♥ You’re already breaking down♥ What a good boy♥”
“…Yes♡”
“Starting today, Master will make sure you feel really, really good. Look forward to it♥”
It wasn’t until later that I realized I had already come.