Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Regrettable Farewell (3)
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Jeong Il-jun tossed a pre-prepared question to Kang Han-do, who was making his first appearance on the program today.
“Han-do ssi. What food comes to mind first when you think of Chuncheon?”
“When it’s Chuncheon, it has to be…… dakgalbi, right? Are we having dakgalbi today?”
“Oh! You’ve got good instincts. Alright, everyone, please turn around!”
Jeong Il-jun pointed to the small shop behind them.
As Kang Han-do had said, today’s lunch menu was tasting Chuncheon dakgalbi.
The panelists reacted in their own ways.
Of course, Kang Han-do put on an enthusiastic reaction as well.
Reactions were the flower of variety shows. Even the main MC was no exception.
“Hands up if you like dakgalbi!”
Everyone shot their hands up high. Kang Han-do had never met anyone who hated dakgalbi.
But Jeong Il-jun picked on Lani, who had her hand raised.
“Lani-ssi hates spicy food, doesn’t she? This dakgalbi is famous for its heat. Can you handle it?”
“Huh?! It’s spicy?”
Lani’s pupils shook dramatically in an instant. It was a genuine reaction, not a scripted one.
She had come just hearing it was dakgalbi. She hadn’t known it was the spicy kind.
Kang Han-do eyed the happiness value floating above Lani’s head.
It had plummeted below average.
‘She really can’t handle spicy food, huh.’
She was a woman who had lived abroad for a long time. She still wasn’t used to Korean spicy flavors.
Jeong Il-jun reassured her not to worry.
“We can just ask the owner to make it mild. Don’t make such a despairing face. This is a broadcast, after all.”
“R-right. Ohoho.”
But her laugh came out awkward as could be. Woo Sung-cheon PD decided to turn this into a comedy bit.
After the brief talk.
Jeong Il-jun moved on to the next segment.
“Alright, let’s head inside the shop. Let’s eat up.”
“Yes!”
“Lani-ssi too.”
“I-I’ll do my best.”
Kang Han-do couldn’t help smiling at her cute response.
At the same time, he was impressed by Jeong Il-jun’s hosting skills.
Rather than mumbling on endlessly by himself to force the mood, he was the type to lead the atmosphere through conversations with the panelists or guests.
It was clear he was intentionally giving more camera time to the panelists and guests.
Kang Han-do recalled what Oh Sin-hoon had said.
A host’s job wasn’t to shine themselves but to elevate the guests.
‘I need to learn from this.’
It felt like a great learning opportunity.
* * *
There was one key element in a mukbang program.
How deliciously you ate the food and how well you expressed it.
Kang Han-do had practiced at home repeatedly for this day.
He had honed his skills further by watching streamers who often did mukbangs on personal broadcasts.
Today was his chance to show off the results of his special training.
“Han-do ssi, give it a try.”
Jeong Il-jun yielded a bite to Kang Han-do.
Among the dakgalbi, there was one particularly large piece.
Kang Han-do targeted it.
‘They say a good-looking rice cake tastes good too.’
He opened his mouth wide and swallowed the piece of dakgalbi.
“Oh! This is amazing! It melts in your mouth right away, like butter. And it’s not just spicy—the sweet sauce that follows adds even more depth to the flavor.”
“Out of all the dakgalbi Han-do ssi has eaten so far, where does this Chuncheon dakgalbi rank?”
“Number one, hands down!”
Kang Han-do generously handed the top spot to Chuncheon dakgalbi.
Woo Sung-cheon PD showed immense satisfaction with Kang Han-do’s taste review.
No need to check the happiness value. His constant vigorous nods said it all.
The shop owner watching from behind the camera also gave a thumbs-up, clearly thrilled with Kang Han-do’s review.
Next up was Oh Min-tae.
Oh Min-tae handled the “stuffing your face” role more than taste reviews.
Even in private, he could polish off three servings solo.
Just showing him eat was plenty.
The problem came next.
It was Lani’s turn, and she couldn’t handle spice.
“Ch-challenge!”
Unintentionally, Lani’s “Spicy Flavor Challenge” corner was born.
As she pondered which piece to pick, Kang Han-do subtly pointed one out with his chopsticks.
It was one with the least sauce on it.
Lani gave a small nod, expressing her gratitude to Kang Han-do.
She picked up the piece Kang Han-do had indicated.
Gulp!
She put the meat in her small mouth.
Munch, munch. Her cheeks moving was incredibly cute.
It evoked the image of a little hamster eating.
“Mmm! Just like Han-do ssi said, it’s delicious. It’s not just spicy—there’s sweetness mixed in too. I think I can handle this!”
Dakgalbi even Lani could eat.
Today was a total win for the shop’s promotion.
* * *
Kang Han-do wrapped up filming the Chuncheon dakgalbi episode.
The shoot itself wasn’t long. Just getting to the location had taken time.
‘The short recording time is nice. Min-tae found a good gig.’
Strictly speaking, it was PD Yoo Tae-hwan who had landed it, but still.
Jeong Il-jun didn’t hold back on praise for Kang Han-do.
“You were great today. Recording with you, your talking skills were spot-on? Way better than on TV. No stumbles, good pacing. You’ve got MC talent.”
“Thank you, sunbae-nim. But I’ve got a long way to go. If you have any advice, please share anytime. I’ll take it gratefully.”
“What advice could I give? It didn’t show at all. Just keep going like this. Oh, and don’t cause any scandals. The industry can tank you on one mistake. You know that, right?”
“Of course.”
He knew it too well, if anything.
Before leaving the site, Kang Han-do also greeted Oh Min-tae.
“Good work, Min-tae-ya.”
“Good work? It’s all thanks to you. I got tons of praise from Woo PD-nim.”
“Why?”
“Said I brought a great guest. Thanks to you appearing, I scored points with PD-nim too. I should be thanking you.”
“Hahaha! Then buy me a drink later.”
“Deal. I’ll make it a big one!”
It was a recording where all cast and staff were thoroughly satisfied.
Kang Han-do’s mukbang debut could safely be called a success.
* * *
The next shoot was Happy Trip.
A variety show with the concept of traveling abroad to introduce hidden tourist spots.
The overseas filming excited Kang Han-do.
‘Aside from when I was really little, this’ll be my first time going abroad.’
He even had to get a new passport.
The destination was the Philippines. A 2-night, 3-day shoot was planned there.
It was incredibly tight. Even the edited episodes felt rushed.
PD Seo In-jang, in charge of directing, was obsessed with cutting costs, leading to a packed schedule.
Kang Han-do and Nemid arrived at Incheon Airport.
Shooting started the moment they arrived.
Kang Han-do exchanged greetings with the regular Happy Trip cast. Even those greetings were captured on camera.
Happy Trip had no dedicated host. They just traveled around without a script, chatting casually. The show edited and aired those moments.
Honestly, it wasn’t a high-ratings program.
‘It’s one with some directing shortcomings.’
That’s what Kang Han-do thought.
Joining the shoot himself made those shortcomings feel even bigger.
‘There’s so much potential here. Can’t be helped. Maybe I’ll toss in a few sources.’
After arriving at the airport, they headed straight to a Philippine night market without even unpacking at the lodging.
There were tons of new sights.
Along the way, Kang Han-do spotted something fun.
“They’re selling coconut drinks over there.”
Kang Han-do pointed out the coconut stall to the cast.
He naturally drew everyone’s attention there.
“It’s hot out—shall we grab these and sip while we go?”
“Sounds good!”
“I’m in!”
The cast, apparently thirsty, agreed with Kang Han-do.
The vendor picked up a head-sized coconut and started hacking the top with a machete.
Thud, thud, thud!
Powerful chops.
He sliced the top off and stuck a straw in, handing over the whole fruit.
While the vendor prepped the coconut, Kang Han-do naturally switched to MC mode.
“Has anyone here tried coconut drink before?”
“Nope.”
“Me neither.”
“I’ve seen the fruit, but don’t remember drinking it……”
Everyone shook their heads.
Kang Han-do was the only one among them who knew what it tasted like.
He had tried coconut water on a past overseas trip.
The memory was still vivid.
“Looks like they’re done.”
Kang Han-do took the coconut and passed it to the cast.
“Give it a taste.”
Each sucked on the straw, drawing out the drink inside.
They all made different faces.
“It’s nothing like I imagined…….”
“This isn’t the coconut flavor I know?!”
“Did the ajusshi give us the wrong ones?”
“Haha, no, this is right.”
It felt like drinking something bland and just refreshingly cool.
Not everyone panned it, though.
“I think it’s good?”
Benny, from the girl group Mio—like Lani who was on Food Master—was the sole positive voice.
Kang Han-do’s eyes lit up for a moment.
‘Benny, huh? Time to craft her a character.’
Kang Han-do naturally led Benny into a bit.
“Really? You’re not acting?”
“Really. I like it?”
She kept slurping the coconut water as she spoke.
The other cast shook their heads.
Their faces screamed, ‘Even if you’re thirsty, chugging this……’
Benny demanded the coconut from a male cast member holding it.
“Give it here. I’ll carry it and drink.”
“You’re really gonna finish all this?”
“Yeah. But isn’t it good? Why does everyone dislike it?”
No acting—just genuine.
Kang Han-do checked the happiness value above Benny’s head.
Above average.
‘She really loves the taste.’
If this aired, Benny would get a nickname like this.
‘Coconut Girl. Sounds decent?’
Kang Han-do smiled inwardly.
Starting with Benny, he resolved to craft characters for each cast member before leaving.