Chapter 46
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Because Hero Arbel Would Surely Have Done That
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1.
"Is this the place?"
I double-checked the café sign and stepped inside. She'd said she was sitting by the window, and sure enough, there was only one table with someone there.
"PD Jeong In-seon said we should meet up at least once, but honestly, this feels like a waste of time. She's a Virtual YouTuber to begin with."
The conversation drifted over as I headed toward the woman. With no one else around, she must have been on the phone.
"If you're that confident in your looks, just go public with your face. Why bother hiding it? Right?"
"Excuse me."
I lightly tapped her shoulder, and she slowly turned her head. Our eyes met, and her face went blank for a moment.
"H-Hold on... I'll call you back in a bit."
The woman swallowed hard and hurriedly ended the call. Her hands primly folded in her lap.
"Are you... Carrier, by any chance? The one I was supposed to meet today...?"
"That's me."
"Oh, please, have a seat...!"
She gestured to the chair, and I nodded, sitting down across from her.
"I-I'll go order drinks. Is there anything you'd like?"
"I'll get them."
"No, no. We invited you, so of course I should...!"
"...Then I'll have a strawberry yogurt smoothie, please."
"S-Stawberry yogu! Got it!"
The woman stood up with a stiff expression. Watching her head to the counter, it seemed she'd realized I'd overheard her call.
'This turned into an awkward situation.'
Still, it didn't bother me much. I wasn't insecure about my looks, and I'd once thought the same way myself.
"H-Here you go... "
She carefully set down the ordered drink and sat back across from me, glancing nervously.
"Thank you."
"Um, what I said earlier... that was just my personal opinion. I didn't mean any harm... "
"It's fine. You can think that way. A lot of people do, actually."
I replied calmly.
"N-No!"
She shook her head and waved her hands frantically, but then clamped her mouth shut. She must have realized denying her earlier bold words would look ridiculous.
"I didn't expect our first meeting to start off like this."
"...Me neither."
A brief silence fell. I quietly sipped through the straw. The smoothie spread cool and sweet across my tongue.
"Where's PD Jeong In-seon?"
"W-Well... I don't really know... She suddenly jumped up and ran out."
It was so absurd I activated Eye of Truth. And it was true.
"...She's quite unpredictable."
"She hears that a lot."
Silence settled again.
The woman across from me fiddled awkwardly with her straw. She was just as uncomfortable as I was.
"Um, I'm Seo Na-hyun, a broadcast writer. I work with PD Jeong In-seon."
She suddenly pulled out a business card and handed it over. Her polite bow and greeting earned her a bit of my trust.
"I'm Carrier, streaming on the Zizik platform. My real name is Kang Hayul."
"Ah, yes. Hayul. It's truly an... h-honor to meet you in person... "
Seo Na-hyun's face flushed red. Her slightly trembling voice showed how embarrassed she was right now.
"Likewise. Nice to meet you."
The conversation stalled awkwardly. I had no idea how to keep it going in situations like this. My social skills were lacking too.
"Y-Your face is really beautiful...!"
"...For a Virtual YouTuber?"
"N-No! Beyond that! You're just really pretty! I've been in this industry a while, and I've never seen anyone with such a striking presence!"
She said it in a panic.
"...Thank you. But why did you contact me?"
"I don't know the details either. PD Jeong In-seon just asked me to come along. She didn't explain anything... "
A PD pushing a writer into work without any explanation? Did that even make sense?
'It does?'
Eye of Truth confirmed it was true.
Their relationship felt oddly one-sided, like one was dragging the other around.
"Ah! PD Jeong In-seon is here!"
Seo Na-hyun's face lit up instantly. Following her gaze out the window, I saw a woman's back. The writer jumped up and knocked on the glass.
Knock knock-
Only then did the woman turn. Her expression screamed annoyance at everything. A cigarette dangled from her lips. Her gaze shifted from the writer to me.
"...Huh?"
Suddenly, the PD's eyes widened like she'd seen a ghost. Startled, the cigarette crumbled in her mouth, tobacco flakes scattering in the wind.
"Why is she acting like that?"
"...No idea?"
I voiced my confusion as she rushed inside. The writer across from me looked just as baffled.
"N-Nice to meet you! You're Carrier, right?"
The woman, now right in front of me, panted as she asked.
"Yes. That's me. You're PD Jeong In-seon?"
"Yes! That's right. I'm PD Jeong In-seon. It's so great to meet you in person!"
"Nice to meet you too."
PD Jeong In-seon extended her hand, and I shook it naturally. Her shoulder twitched slightly. A bit unsettling.
"PD, please calm down. Hayul must think this is weird...!"
"Ahem... "
At the writer's whisper, the PD cleared her throat and glanced at me. She took a sip of the espresso in front of her.
"Whew. I must have shown an embarrassing side. Sorry about that."
PD Jeong In-seon set down the cup, steadied her breath, and continued.
"...It's fine. These things happen."
I was curious why she'd freaked out, but I didn't ask.
"Shall we skip the small talk and get to the point?"
"Sounds good."
I wasn't interested in chit-chat either.
"The person we want to introduce you to is Chef Kang Tae-yeon."
"I see."
I nodded calmly. But a subtle change crossed PD Jeong In-seon and writer Seo Na-hyun's faces.
"Do you know Chef Kang Tae-yeon?"
"...No. Do I need to?"
"Not necessarily. But since you're in the food world, it's surprising you haven't heard."
I wasn't exactly in the food industry. But no need to correct her.
"It's possible not to know."
PD Jeong In-seon nodded lightly and went on.
"Simply put, Chef Kang Tae-yeon is the first in Korea to receive three Michelin stars."
"And you're introducing someone like that to me?"
"Yes. Exactly."
"What's the reason?"
With that achievement, his fame must be massive right now. Introducing him to me without any strings attached?
'No way it's just goodwill.'
I'd suspected it before coming, and sure enough, they wanted something from me. I just didn't know what yet.
"To gain your favor... You wouldn't believe that, would you?"
"No."
Eye of Truth said she wasn't lying. It shook me briefly, but I pressed on.
"We're preparing a cooking competition show called 'Grand Chef.' We want Chef Kang Tae-yeon as a judge."
Makes sense. Authority and credibility for the show. Promotion and buzz. Sponsors and endorsements. Even elevating the program's quality.
One chef like that catches dozens of rabbits at once.
"Unfortunately, he turned us down. Fresh off the three stars, he wants to focus on his restaurant for a while."
"That's understandable. But why tell me this?"
"You'll see if you keep listening."
I took a short breath and nodded.
"...Go on."
"It was too good to let slip. So we pitched multiple times, tweaking conditions—schedule, pay, even creative control."
PD Jeong In-seon sighed and tapped her cup.
"Still refused."
"Too bad."
I chimed in to ease the awkwardness. She smiled faintly and continued.
"We must have been too persistent. Finally, he accepted. But with one condition."
"What condition?"
"Chef Kang Tae-yeon said there's one dish he wants to taste again in his life. Recreate it exactly, and he'll join the show."
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"And you want me to do that. That's why you reached out."
"Yes. No point hiding it now."
PD Jeong In-seon rested her arms on the table and continued.
"Exactly. We need your help to get Chef Kang Tae-yeon. And it's not a bad deal for you, right?"
I lifted my smoothie cup and finished the rest, chewing the strawberries inside as I pondered.
'They're the ones in a hurry, not me.'
The question was how to leverage this.
They were a PD and a writer. Play this right, and there was a lot to gain.
'But if negotiations drag, Yura takes more hate.'
That wasn't what I wanted. And honestly, I had no clue how to use them anyway.
I wasn't into broadcasting. No plans to open a restaurant. Curious about Michelin three-star food, sure—but just curiosity.
In the end, I had nothing to gain from them.
Since returning from that other world, I'd planned to live leisurely. No desire for fame or achievements from the start.
And if this helped Yura get less flak... that was enough.
"Sure."
I was done with headache-inducing haggling. I'd had plenty of that with nobles back there.
"R-Really?"
Both their faces lit up.
"Yes. But you handle persuading him. I just want to cook for Chef Kang Tae-yeon."
"Of course! We'll take care of it! Thank you so much!"
They clasped hands and beamed. Their joy lifted my mood too.
'Well, this isn't so bad...'
Occasional no-strings kindness might be nice. Hero Arbel surely would have done the same.
And who knows? This goodwill might come back someday, in some form.