Chapter 101

Translator: True Detective

Chapter: 101

Chapter Title: Grand Chef Korea - Kang Yerin Leaving?

1.

A meeting room at a broadcasting station.

PD Jung Inseon, Writer Seo Nahyun, and the key production staff of Grand Chef Korea were all gathered here.

Amidst the heavy silence, someone cautiously opened their mouth.

"So... what are you going to do?"

There was only one reason for this emergency summons. It was to decide whether Kang Yerin should leave the show.

Currently, the online communities were boiling over with controversy regarding her 'abusive language'. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Since the program's viewership ratings had just started to climb, they couldn't afford to delay the decision.

"Is there anything to think about?"

PD Jung Inseon tore open a bag of chocolate snacks in front of her. With a nonchalant expression, she popped a piece into her mouth, chewed slowly, and continued.

"Of course, we keep going with her."

"...Are you serious?"

Someone asked cautiously. PD Jung Inseon nodded.

"Then what? You want to cut the most popular contestant on the show just because of a controversy this size? Seriously?"

"When an abusive language controversy breaks out, it's a rule to usually have them step down. Even if we get lucky and pass over it this time, what about next time..."

"I know."

PD Jung Inseon cut him off.

"Kang Yerin isn't that kind of person. Looking at the details of the incident in the first place, the situation where she lashed out is somewhat understandable, isn't it?"

"That is true. But is there really a need to carry a ticking time bomb?"

A brief silence.

Jung Inseon rolled up the snack wrapper and tossed it onto the table. Making eye contact with each staff member in the meeting room, she spoke in a low voice.

"You all know who pulled up our program's ratings right now, don't you?"

"...Kang Yerin's share is the largest."

"Right. The person who dragged up the ratings, which were playing around rock bottom in the beginning, is none other than Kang Yerin."

Jung Inseon nodded and continued.

"And thanks to this controversy, the ratings will go up even further. We are essentially raising a goose that lays golden eggs right now."

"Still, the risk..."

"Where in the world is there a broadcast without risk?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"But imagine if Kang Yerin, a strong candidate for the championship, drops out midway due to an 'abusive language controversy'. What do you think will happen to the program?"

"The center will collapse. The tension will disappear as well."

Jung Inseon pointed at the staff member who answered and clapped her hands.

"Exactly. Imagine the Hero suddenly disappears while on the way to catch the Demon King. What kind of futile ending is that?"

"That is correct."

"What we should be afraid of right now isn't controversy, but a drop in ratings."

Silence lingered for a moment. Jung Inseon looked around the meeting room, scanning the expressions of the staff.

'They aren't 100% convinced ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠yet.'

True, Kang Yerin wasn't particularly rude on set, but she didn't feel particularly friendly either. It felt like she was always keeping a distance.

'What to do...'

She could push this decision through with her authority as PD. She had that much power.

However, forcing it without understanding would inevitably lead to problems. The staff might comply outwardly, but...

'Broadcast quality is ultimately related to the staff's motivation.'

Jung Inseon took a short breath and opened her mouth again. In this case, she had to throw them some bait.

"Are you guys not going to take your performance bonuses and paid vacations?"

A short silence. The expressions of the staff began to change in an instant.

"The ratings right now. You know the momentum is good. If we just maintain this atmosphere well, there's a good chance of winning."

She tapped the chocolate snack bag in front of her with her finger and continued.

"I'll ask one more time. Kang Yerin, what should we do?"

"...Let's go together."

Soon, other voices followed.

"It's not like it was school violence. It's not drunk driving or drugs either. Honestly, at this level, it doesn't even count as a controversy."

"That's right."

Watching the staff suddenly start to agree, PD Jung Inseon smiled.

"Good. Then it's decided that we go with Kang Yerin. Instead, if another problem arises and harms the program, I'll take responsibility then."

"Understood!"

When she mentioned the word 'responsibility', the staff responded with much more vigorous voices.

"Okay. Then let's end the meeting here. Good work, everyone."

"Good work."

The staff left the meeting room one by one. PD Jung Inseon and Writer Seo Nahyun, just the two of them, remained in the room.

"Writer, aren't you going?"

"PD. Will you really be okay?"

"What is there not to be okay about? In the first place, this is a program that got here thanks to Kang Yerin... no, thanks to Hayul-ssi."

She slowly leaned her body against the backrest and continued.

"So, doing this much is just basic human decency. I'm not some ungrateful beast."

"If you think so, PD. I understand."

Seo Nahyun nodded as she spoke. Jung Inseon let out a long sigh.

"...And actually, it would be too much of a waste to have her drop out here, considering the mission prepared after the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠food truck. Don't you think?"

Seo Nahyun stopped while holding the meeting room door.

"...But regarding that, do you really intend to do it?"

"Yes. Who was it that suggested the next mission? Wasn't it you, Writer Seo?"

"...Still, I feel like it's a bit too cruel."

"Competition programs are originally like that."

Jung Inseon picked up the chocolate snack bag on the table. As she tore the bag, crumbled pieces of the snack fell to the floor in a heap.

She quietly looked down at the crumbs and said,

"I wonder what the participants' expressions will be like when they receive the next mission. I'm truly curious."

"......Clean up the cookie crumbs you spilled on the floor before you come out."

"Ah."

2.

"I can't believe four days have already passed! Waaaa...!"

Yurim shouted in a very bright voice. Chaeyoon, sitting next to her, also raised the corners of her mouth and smiled along.

"I know. It's a relief we only had to do it for four days. If this was a week... I might have really collapsed."

"It really was hard. Especially the morning sales. I really didn't want to wake up, moving like a zombie because I was so tired."

Lee Seohwa shook her head as if the memory alone was dreadful.

"Ah, right. Seohwa-ssi's team also started morning sales from the second day, right?"

"Yeah. We saw you guys selling at Gangnam Station and copied it. We thought if sandwiches sold that well, gimbap would have potential too."

Hesitating for a moment, Yurim spoke cautiously.

"You aren't offended by any chance, are you?"

"Why? Don't be silly. It's not like I patented the strategy of targeting office workers on their way to work."

There had always been many elderly people selling gimbap near subway stations at dawn. In the end, I had just referenced that as well.

"I don't really mind. Don't worry about it too much."

"Yes!"

"The broadcast is starting!"

At Lee Seohwa's shout, all our eyes naturally turned to the TV in front of us. On the screen, the 4th episode of Grand Chef Korea was airing.

"Was this episode the turn for the Four Seasons team mission?"

"Yeah. back then I was really lost on who to team up with... I don't know how grateful I was that Yurim approached me first."

"I only worked up the courage because Yerin unni suggested I ask!"

"Really?"

Lee Seohwa looked at me and smiled brightly.

"Thank you!"

'Actually, I said that because I didn't want to team up with her. Yurim is so shy I thought she wouldn't even be able to start a conversation...'

I never dreamed she would actually bring her. I was so flustered back then.

"...No problem."

I felt a pointless pang of guilt and blurred my answer.

"By the way, with what mindset did you come to our team back then, Chaeyoon-ssi?"

Lee Seohwa turned her head to the side and asked.

"Now everyone is in the TOP 10, but at that time, our team probably didn't look that strong."

Chaeyoon smiled quietly and said,

"I went looking only at Yerin unni. She passed first place in the mission right before that. So I thought, 'I have to try teaming up with that unni.'"

"Even just back then, Chaeyoon was... how should I say it. A free spirit."

At my words, Lee Seohwa smirked and nodded.

"Right. She came out of nowhere and spoke informally; for a moment I thought, 'What is wrong with this kid?'"

"B-Back then I was barely human... please forget it..."

Chaeyoon blushed and bowed her head low. It seemed she was ashamed of her past.

"Oh, they're announcing the results now."

The screen showed the scene of Gil Taerin's team going up to the judging table. Individual scores were announced one by one, followed by the team score, and then the subtitle 'All Eliminated' appeared.

"...That was truly a shock back then."

"Exactly. There were participants whose individual scores were decent. So we thought one or two might pass, but to be eliminated as a whole group because the team score was low..."

"That production is cruel even looking at it now."

Everyone added a comment while watching the TV screen. Even while speaking, their eyes were fixed on the screen.

"Exactly."

I nodded and quietly took out my phone.

My sister had already sent me several messages. Seeing how she kept sending them even though I hadn't replied, she must be bored.

After sending that reply, I stealthily entered the Grand Chef Korea community gallery. I was curious about the reaction.

"Hmm."

Discussion about the broadcast was dominant, but they were seemingly still fighting about me cursing at a customer.

Of course, their reactions would change soon.

"Our team is coming out now!"

I looked up at Yurim's voice. On the screen, the four of us were standing on the judging platform in order.

"Yurim looks like she's about to cry?"

"Unni, you were nervous too!"

"Well, it felt like being on a guillotine."

While the two were chatting affectionately, Han Chaeyoon's expression wasn't very good. Naturally, she hadn't produced very good results during the Four Seasons mission.

I lowered my head again to check the atmosphere in the community.

『Seol Yurim-ssi, who was in charge of Spring.』

『Individual score, 41 points.』

"Even hearing that now feels good."

Yurim said, smiling broadly.

People in the community marveled quietly at Yurim's score. It must have been much higher than they expected.

『Next is Lee Seohwa-ssi, who was in charge of Summer.』

『Individual score, 40 points.』

"I felt so good when I got 40 points."

Lee Seohwa smiled brightly.

There wasn't a huge reaction to Lee Seohwa's score. Just a feeling that it was exactly as expected?

『Next is Han Chaeyoon-ssi, who was in charge of Autumn.』

『Individual score, 29 points.』

"Ughhh..."

Chaeyoon groaned, covering her face. Yurim and Lee Seohwa patted her shoulders and back.

The reaction to Han Chaeyoon wasn't very good. Her image must not have been great.

Looking at me facing the final evaluation, people offered various opinions.

"The highlight is coming!"

All three of them leaned forward, focusing on the screen.

『Finally, Kang Yerin-ssi, who was in charge of Winter.』

Gulp-

Along with the sound of swallowing saliva, Chef Kang Taeyeon's mouth opened.

『Individual score, 50 points.』

"Ugh, I get goosebumps seeing it again now."

"...Insane."

"So cool..."

The three of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them voiced their impressions in turn. I smirked and shifted my gaze to the community on the screen. It was the moment I refreshed.

The community was flooding. The moment I refreshed again.

"Uh...?"

The community had exploded.