LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 34
Chapter 34
“But is it okay to let an outsider like me into the trainee dormitory?”
I asked as we entered the city of Seoul.
It would be more troublesome if I went in forcibly and caused problems later on.
Kwak Sang-hyun, who smiled at my question, turned the steering wheel following the GPS directions on his phone and answered.
“Technically, outsiders shouldn’t be allowed in. But since Yohan called and got direct permission from the president, don’t feel too pressured and just relax for a while.”
Direct permission from the president?
Seo Moon-gyeol, seeing my expression, explained in a calm tone.
“Yohan’s uncle is the president.”
The more I knew about this guy, the more annoying he became.
“You don’t have to say thank you.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
“You’re really shameless.”
“Well, what do you want me to do?”
It was clear now that Ban Yo-han lacked only one thing: a good personality.
“So, will there be other people when we get there?”
“Yeah. We have two other trainees. They’re really nice kids, so you should get along well. I already told them you’re coming.”
The car smoothly turned into a residential area. Kwak Sang-hyun, knowing the area well, turned off the phone’s navigation.
“We’re here. You must be tired, so go in and rest.”
“Aren’t you coming up with us, Sang-hyun hyung?”
“I have work to do. Ah, and you can use the company practice room if you want. It’s not very big, but it’s usually empty, so it should be fine.”
With that, Kwak Sang-hyun dropped us off with our luggage in front of the apartment and drove off.
“Here it is.”
Soon after, we took the elevator up and opened the door. The moment we stepped in, a delicious smell that stimulated my salivary glands wafted out. I suddenly felt very hungry.
“I’m hungry.”
“Me too.”
Just then, a male student with a light cast on one leg came out of the kitchen holding a spatula.
Thanks to the mark floating above his head, I knew his name was Kang Ji-woo.
“You’re here?”
Kang Ji-woo, who spotted me standing behind Seo Moon-gyeol and Ban Yo-han, smiled brightly and approached.
“Ah, welcome.”
“Hello.”
“I heard about you. You must be hungry since you probably haven’t had lunch. I’ve cooked, so just put your stuff down anywhere, wash your hands, and sit down.”
Wow, he’s really a good person.
We hadn’t even met for a minute, and all I knew was his name, but people who give you food are inherently good.
“Gyun Seong-ha! I know you’re awake, so come out and set the table!”
By the time we finished washing our hands and came out of the single bathroom, Gyun Seong-ha, with disheveled hair, emerged from the innermost room holding a phone.
“Is Gyeol hyung here?”
“Yeah.”
“Why don’t you greet me too?”
“…Hello, Yohan hyung.”
Gyun Seong-ha was a tall, healthy-toned young man with a striking face featuring sharp eyes and thick eyebrows, giving off a cool and aloof vibe.
But when he greeted Seo Moon-gyeol, whom he seemed close to, his eyes softened, and he looked somewhat… like a dog.
‘This company may be small, but it certainly has a great visual team.’
Then Ban Yo-han asked.
“Don’t you have practice today? Why are you here?”
From the kitchen, Kang Ji-woo replied.
“We’re on a break today. Greetings can wait; Seong-ha, get the table set before the food gets cold. You guys wash your hands and help out.”
“We’ve already washed up.”
“Oh, really? Then help bring out the food. Guests can just sit on the sofa.”
“No, I’ll help too.”
It would be awkward to just sit around while everyone else was working.
Surprised by my sudden offer, Kang Ji-woo nodded with a refreshing smile.
“Alright then. Can you help set the table with spoons and chopsticks?”
“Sure!”
I took out enough spoons and chopsticks for five people and placed them on the large table that Gyun Seong-ha had set up. I was surprised once by the quantity of food the others brought out, and twice by how appetizing it all looked.
There was beef stew, japchae, meatball soup, vegetable tempura, and more. It was enough to break the table legs.
Is it someone’s birthday today? Why so much food? Can trainees even eat this much?
Soon, all five of us were sitting around the table.
I couldn’t resist asking Kang Ji-woo, who was sitting with his cast leg stretched out.
“Did you make all of this by yourself?”
“Haha, yeah. Enjoy your meal.”
“That’s impressive.”
“Even with your leg still in a cast.”
At Seo Moon-gyeol’s comment, Kang Ji-woo laughed warmly. He was definitely a cheerful person, or rather, an NPC.
“Today, I wanted to treat everyone since they’ve been working hard. Usually, we don’t have this much food because of diet control. Don’t worry about the cast; it’ll be off soon.”
“It’s going to be delicious. He has a Korean cuisine chef license.”
Ban Yo-han added.
“Ji-woo hyung, the food’s getting cold.”
Gyun Seong-ha, flipping through channels on the small TV in the living room with the remote, spoke briefly.
“Then, let’s toast to welcome Gyeol, Raon, and Ban Yo-han back!”
Kang Ji-woo raised a cup that looked like it was bought from Daiso.
A toast? Here? Now?
Gyun Seong-ha had a face like, ‘Here he goes again,’ Seo Moon-gyeol looked indifferent, and Ban Yo-han looked annoyed as they raised their cups.
I followed suit, swept up by the atmosphere.
“Why am I just Ban Yo-han?”
“To welcome Yohan. Satisfied?”
“Yeah.”
I could start calling him the master of backhanded compliments.
With a clink, the five cups collided.
This made me want to drink. Why am I only eighteen?
I contemplated what to eat first and settled on the beef stew in the center. Suddenly, an information window popped up.
[Food Item: Beef Stew (Maker: Kang Ji-woo)
▶ Consuming a certain amount reduces fatigue by 10.]
I had never seen such an information window for food before. The only items that had ever shown up were those damned quest chairs.
[Tip! Non-quest items may occasionally have special effects based on the maker’s skill and effort.]
[‘Master’ or ‘Artisan’ level makers have a high chance of producing items with special effects.]
I looked around the table.
Most of the dishes, except for side dishes like kimchi that seemed store-bought, had special effects. Are you a master chef?
Seeing me stand still, Kang Ji-woo asked.
“Raon, aren’t you eating? Don’t you like the food?”
“Everything looks so delicious I was just wondering where to start. It all looks great.”
“Thank you. Eat a lot.”
“Thank you for the food.”
I took a large spoonful of the beef stew I first eyed and put it in my mouth.
“!”
As soon as I bit into the stew, a thrilling sensation ran through me.
The background music from *The Legendary Chef* played as our galaxy unfolded before my eyes. Tasting the galaxy through food. It was a truly cost-effective cosmic trip.
When would I ever get to eat such delicious beef stew again?
“The addition of cabbage gives the broth a sweet and refreshing taste, with a hint of umami. The mushrooms are chewy, the noodles are springy, and the thinly sliced beef is tender and flavorful. It’s perfect in both taste and nutrition.”
Moved by the delicious food, I wiped the tears that welled up at the corner of my eyes.
“Please forgive my lack of culinary knowledge and expression skills, as I cannot adequately describe this wonderful dish.”
After a brief silence, Ban Yo-han, who had been biting his trembling lips, managed to swallow what was in his mouth and said.
“No… That was a pretty good description.”
“He looks really happy.”
“…Did you guys starve over there?”
Regardless of what the others said, Kang Ji-woo, looking pleased, filled my plate with more stew.
“I’m happy if you enjoy it. Eat a lot.”
We devoured the food in silence for a while.
[Watching you eat heartily after dealing with trainees who pick at their food even when prepared with care, Kang Ji-woo feels a rare joy from cooking. Kang Ji-woo’s affection +9 Current affection +21]
How could I resist such delicious food in front of me?
Kim Jun-woo always scolded me for eating too little, but that was because the dorm food was tasteless.
I could eat a lot when it was tasty.
By the time we finished the mountain of food, another notification popped up.
[Your fatigue has decreased by 70 from eating food made by Kang Jang-geum.]
The era of Dae Jang-geum is over. Now, it’s Kang Jang-geum.
After roughly cleaning up the table and eating the sweet and sour strawberries that Kang Ji-woo brought out, I asked the question that had been on my mind.
“But why did you get the Korean cooking license? As a hobby?”
Kang Ji-woo, who had been watching me eat with satisfaction, answered with a bright smile.
“My family runs a Korean restaurant. My childhood dream was
to become a chef. I learned cooking from my parents and continued it as a hobby even after deciding to become an idol.”
He’s really good at cooking for someone who learned it as a hobby.
Sounds like the title of a drama.
“When he suddenly announced he wanted to become an idol, his parents genuinely opposed it for three years.”
Ban Yo-han added, making Kang Ji-woo smile wryly.
“They still oppose it.”
“Really?”
“Really. But they reluctantly agreed after I promised to take over the restaurant after retiring.”
“May I ask why you wanted to become an idol? I mean, your cooking is amazing.”
“Haha, thank you. Um… Do you want to see something?”
Kang Ji-woo nodded towards the TV, which was showing a rerun of a music competition show.
A singer was singing a ballad, hidden behind a screen, showing only their silhouette.
Judging by the clean voice without much technique, it seemed to be a young male singer.
His emotions in the mid-range were excellent, and he hit the high notes steadily, supported by his rich voice. His falsetto was strong, not thin at all.
Even though I started listening in the middle, it was enough to make my chest feel tight.
The panelists shown on the screen were wiping away tears or dabbing at their eyes.
“How is it?”
“He sings really well.”
Kang Ji-woo smiled, clearly pleased with my response.
“Keep watching.”
At that moment, the host asked to reveal the singer’s face, and a man walked out from behind the screen while singing.
Sweat-drenched but smiling brightly, it was Kang Ji-woo.
The TV host shouted excitedly.
[The 17th King of the Masked Singer, who successfully defended his title for 35 days and entered the Hall of Fame, is the runner-up of *Voice of Heaven* season 2, Kang Ji-woo!]
In a daze, I asked.
“Have you debuted?”
“Almost, but not quite.”
Kang Ji-woo turned back to the TV, where he and the host continued talking.
[Hello. I’m Kang Ji-woo.]
[It’s been about a year since you were the runner-up on *Voice of Heaven*. How have you been?]
[I’m still a trainee, honing my skills and pursuing my dream of becoming an idol.]
A trainee? Judging by his singing, he’s more than ready to debut ten times over. What more does he need to hone?
Seeing my expression, Kang Ji-woo smiled bitterly and explained.
“Before I came to Seed, I was in the debut lineup of another agency, but at the last moment, the group’s concept changed, and I was dropped.”
As he stopped speaking, the TV host resumed.