NOVEL NEXT 68
“TV… you say?”
What TV?
I couldn’t help but echo the unexpected suggestion. This person isn’t a TV producer, so what’s this about?
“Ah~ It’s nothing special. I know a TV producer who’s looking for participants for an upcoming show.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course, feel free to decline if it’s burdensome.”
Slurp.
Kang Yu-ha continued while eating her kimchi stew.
“What kind of show is it?”
“I wonder if I should say. Well, it’s for participant recruitment, so it should be fine. Just don’t mention it to anyone else.”
Kang Yu-ha leaned forward and lowered her voice.
“You know how competition programs are all the rage these days, right? Singing, dancing, and all that. Oh, and I hear
“I’m aware that singing audition programs are popular.”
Anyone with eyes would know. Flip through the channels and there’s always a new audition program. It’s an era where there are so many audition shows it’s hard to count them all.
I heard that K-POP Star, which opened up this new frontier, had applicants swarming like bees.
“Is there a new cooking competition program?”
“Haha.
Oh ho.
Catching onto that trend, huh? Not bad.
Kang Yu-ha is right. After this audition program era ends, there was supposed to be a cooking program boom for a while.
“So, the program will feature eight chefs showcasing simple dishes that can be made with common ingredients. To make it interesting, it’ll be in a competition format, and the ingredients…”
Kang Yu-ha grinned as she continued.
“Will be from the refrigerators of celebrity guests.”
Ah.
That program.
“Just having chefs would be boring, right? It’d feel too much like an educational program. To add a bit of entertainment value, it’s better to have guests.”
“Hmm. And?”
“I’ve given you a general overview of the program. The issue is these eight chefs.”
Even from this brief explanation, I recognize it as that successful program from before my regression.
I remember it had decent ratings.
What particularly sticks in my mind is…
“They want one of the eight to be someone without professional chef experience.”
…Right.
Despite that, that person repeatedly beat out seasoned chefs, adding a lot of entertainment value.
I quite enjoyed watching it too. That contestant had impressive, bouncy ideas and wit.
“They’re almost done recruiting chefs, but that last spot is the problem. They need someone with good variety skills who can also create buzz. But they can’t be a complete novice in cooking either.”
“So I’m perfect for it?”
“You’re not a chef, but you’re interested in cooking, and you’re the protagonist of a hot issue right now. Isn’t it a perfect fit?”
Kang Yu-ha smiled innocently. In other words, there’s a gap in this upcoming program, and she’s asking if I can fill it.
“Plus, from what I’ve seen, you’ve got good variety skills, CEO Song. During the interview, you had good comebacks and knew how to sprinkle in some MSG when needed.”
With my experience dealing with the media, how could I not manage that much?
I know exactly where to put emphasis to get the article headlines I want.
“I owe this PD a favor, and it’d be a waste to let your talent sit idle. Why don’t you think of it as an opportunity to break into the broadcast world and have a chat with our PD?”
Kang Yu-ha added, “Of course, the final decision on your appearance will be made by the PD after meeting with you.”
To think this proposal would come to me in such a roundabout way.
It felt somehow interesting, as I couldn’t have imagined this before my regression.
“Hmm. I’m not sure I want to expose myself any further, though.”
“Come on. Your face is already out there, why hesitate now?”
“That was unavoidable due to the circumstances.”
If it weren’t for that sudden plagiarism controversy, I wouldn’t have had to reveal my face like this.
Is this a blessing in disguise? After that incident, franchise inquiries exploded, making franchise owner recruitment much easier.
“You weren’t planning to hide behind the scenes forever, were you? That’d be such a waste.”
Kang Yu-ha seemed to genuinely think so. I’m not so sure. Was I really that suited for broadcasting?
Of course, I had been thinking that someday I’d actively participate in broadcasts and media exposure without reservation to prevent Hyeonmu from easily targeting me, but…
‘The timing is perfect, though.’
When else would I have this much attention on me?
This is the time to show my face to the public. People forget quickly. Later, I might become old news, buried under other issues.
‘Plus, the program is a guaranteed hit.’
After pondering for a moment, I spoke to Kang Yu-ha first.
“Could I get that PD’s contact information?”
“Oh! Really?!”
“I’d like to meet and hear a detailed explanation of what kind of program it is. Even if I don’t commit to appearing.”
“Wow. I should contact them right away. That PD is desperately searching for participants. They’ll be thrilled.”
As if to prove her words weren’t a lie, Kang Yu-ha immediately picked up her phone. She made a call somewhere, then looked at me and began speaking.
“Oh, PD Kim~ How are you, have you eaten?”
A woman’s muffled voice could be heard from the phone. I couldn’t make it out clearly, but the voice didn’t sound too good, as if she was lamenting something.
“Oh dear. You should eat properly. Yes, yes. I’m doing well. PD Kim, about the participants for that program you’re preparing. Have you decided on all the candidates?”
-……
“Ah~ I see? Then may I recommend someone?”
-…?
“You know, the Snow Flower Bingsu? I know the CEO who invented it, how about them?”
-……. ……!
Kang Yu-ha pulled the phone away from her ear, wincing slightly. After the sound subsided a bit, she put the phone back to her ear.
“Oh my, PD. I almost lost my hearing~ Yes, yes. They’re having a meal with me right now. I’ll pass along their contact information, so please have a good talk with them. This settles my debt from last time, right~?”
Kang Yu-ha said playfully, winking at me.
Is that a sign of gratitude? Why is she doing that?
“Pardon?”
At that moment, Kang Yu-ha’s expression changed slightly to one of bewilderment.
“Ah, we are nearby, but… Are you really coming?”
What?
Kang Yu-ha slightly covered the noisily buzzing phone with one hand and pulled it away from her ear.
Then, looking at me, she asked:
“Um, CEO. The PD says they’re coming here right now… Is that okay?”
“Right now?”
“Yes. They say it’s urgent.”
Kang Yu-ha scratched the back of her head, looking a bit embarrassed.
“Well, I don’t mind.”
It’s a bit surprising, but what can we do if it’s urgent? Kang Yu-ha nodded and resumed her phone conversation.
“Well. We’ve almost finished our meal, so this place isn’t ideal. I’ll give you the address of a nearby café. Come there. How long will it take? Ah~ Okay, okay. Then I’ll just introduce you two and excuse myself.”
Yes~ Kang Yu-ha ended the call and smiled brightly at me.
“Wow~ The PD is really excited. Looks like they’ll be flying over like a bullet. Thanks to this, I’ll be able to save face too.”
“I’m the one who should be grateful for such a good opportunity.”
“Haha. Then shall we call it a win-win?”
Kang Yu-ha shrugged.
“Shall we go to the café then? There’s actually a café run by our company nearby.”
“Ah, you mean Bingwa?”
“No, not that one.”
“?”
Kang Yu-ha looked puzzled. Her face seemed to ask if there was another café besides that one.
“You’ll see when we get there.”
I said with a gentle smile.
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“Here are your two Americanos~”
Thud.
The size of the Americano cups the part-timer set down was remarkable. They were even larger than the ‘large’ size when compared to other coffee shops.
“Wow~”
Kang Yu-ha’s jaw dropped.
“What’s with this size? It’s too big!”
“It’s about 24 ounces.”
“How much is that?”
“In liters, it’s about 0.6 liters… Um, if I say that a Starbucks venti size is about 20 ounces, would that help you understand?”
“So this is even bigger than a venti.”
Correct.
“Isn’t this too much? And the price was incredibly cheap too.”
“We still make a profit even with this.”
I said with a smirk.
“Of course, we’re still in the menu planning stage, so you can’t buy this right away.”
That would be too soon. We need a bit more time to create another café brand.
“But I often come here and buy this using my authority as the owner. Under the pretext of taste testing.”
Before my regression, I used to drink a liter at a time, so the Americanos sold in the market now don’t satisfy me. Once you get used to it, it’s hard to go back.
“Shall I get you one to take away when you leave, Reporter-nim? You seem like you’d drink quite a bit of coffee.”
“Oh my. I appreciate it. I was going to buy the coffee.”
“Nah~ Don’t worry about it.”
It feels like a waste of money when I buy coffee outside.
I picked up the two large Americanos and found a seat inside the café.
“This is that place, right? Where you first sold Snow Flower Bingsu.”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s often used as a waiting area for customers of the soup restaurant across the street. It also serves as a parking lot.”
Maybe it’s because of the odd hour. Having come after a late lunch, there weren’t many people in the waiting area.
Of course, the soup restaurant across the street was still bustling.
“Wow. I’m impressed all over again.”
Kang Yu-ha let out a small exclamation. Come on, this is nothing.
As we were exchanging small talk and moistening our throats with Americano, it happened.
Ding-a-ling~
“Welcome to Song Coffee~”
Along with the part-timer’s greeting, I sensed someone striding towards us.
Bang!
Someone slammed their hand on the table.
“Reporter Kang.”
I slowly turned around to the shadow looming over me.
A woman with frizzy hair sticking out in all directions stood there, wearing dark sunglasses even indoors.
This must be the PD Kim that Kang Yu-ha had called.
“Oh, PD Kim. You’re here.”
Just as Kang Yu-ha greeted her cheerfully, PD Kim’s face contorted into a scowl.
“Reporter Kang, do you have a death wish?”
…Somehow, the atmosphere seems to be heading in an unexpected direction.