Cheat day

The More You Empty, the More It Fills Up (3)

“Waaahhh!”

As Cha Ji-chan, who had protected the protein, let out a loud scream, Muk-ji shifted his gaze.

It hadn’t been a week since they left Seoul, but the subscriber count for the side dish store had noticeably increased.

860,000.

This was a jump of 150,000 compared to when they started.

Both Ban Chan-yong and Muk-ji concluded that this steep rise was a temporary phenomenon.

They viewed it as a result of the 200 YouTubers, streamers, and BJs who were participating in “Walking to the Sky” promoting Ju Ji-seung, Cha Ji-chan, Ban Chan-yong, and Baek Woo-jin.

However, it was increasingly clear that the number of live stream viewers was rising day by day, making it hard to regard this as just a temporary phenomenon.

Search volumes for keywords like Baek Seung-yong’s car, side dish store, and Ban Chan-yong skyrocketed, with most of the search results being favorable.

At first, it seemed like the good deeds of successful young people were being positively received, similar to when they launched their lunchbox project.

But as time passed, other reasons for their success began to surface.

People who felt frustrated by the continuous rain found a sense of openness by tuning into ASMR.

Those who had experienced the long trek during their youth reminisced, and locals were pleased to see it.

Today, Muk-ji could clearly see how Baek Seung-yong’s car had achieved its success.

The four seemingly ordinary men in their 30s often bickered but also cherished one another.

While the lunchbox idea was Ban Chan-yong’s and the long trek idea was Cha Ji-chan’s personal concept, all four willingly stepped forward for a good cause.

There were moments of joy and sorrow throughout their journey.

Walking in the rain for 10 hours every day was no easy task, but the laughter never ceased when they played with the children from the orphanage.

They all felt heartache seeing the hidden wounds in the children’s innocent faces, and to prove this, when Baek Seung-yong’s car distributed toys and smartphones, the total sponsorship across all four channels approached 10 million won.

When they distributed fans and lunchboxes to elderly people living alone and listened to their stories, everyone became solemn.

When the overworked Baek Woo-jin had to go to the hospital, they all worried together, and when Cha Ji-chan, facing muscle loss, rolled his eyes and shouted, everyone laughed.

There was a sense of humanity in the air.

As life became increasingly desolate, watching the activities of Baek Seung-yong’s car made Muk-ji feel alive, laughing and crying together.

At least for Muk-ji, he judged the success of this event by the warmth of human connection.

“Hmm.”

Muk-ji stretched.

When they announced that they would proceed with “Walking to the Sky,” there were many voices of concern.

Muk-ji was also worried about Ban Chan-yong, who was willing to go out even after donating 10 million won.

However, it was already being proven in the chat that he, Ju Ji-seung, Cha Ji-chan, and Baek Woo-jin were right.

└Wait, does this even make sense?

└How did Baek Woo-jin win? Hahaha!

“Who would have thought Baek Woo-jin would win? Wasn’t there some vote manipulation?”

“Ban Chan-yong seemed so lacking in empathy, I felt sorry and voted for him.”

“Me too, hahaha!”

“When the names of the murderer and the American wolf were mentioned, I thought it was too harsh. Did they really have to go that far?”

“At this point, it seems like Ban Chan-yong intentionally pushed him to do that.”

“Right? If they mess up here, the WH sponsorship will be in jeopardy.”

“Did he really do that on purpose?”

“If it seemed like they were going easy on him, public sentiment would have burned, so instead, it feels like he mercilessly beat him to gather sympathy.”

“Seeing Baek Woo-jin cry right away and then asking for the vote makes it seem like that’s the case.”

“Hahaha! Are you serious? Do you think they thought that deeply about every little thing they did?”

“LOL. I was just watching it for the laughs. I didn’t realize it would get this deep.”

“Oh, Cha Ji-chan shouldn’t have had protein. Too bad.”

“If he was preparing for the Strongman competition, it might have exploded for real, hahaha!”

“I just wanted to help them, so I voted for Baek Woo-jin. Honestly, if he wants to do something good, there’s no reason to get in his way.”

“Me too.”

“This was Ban Chan-yong’s well-calibrated move. If he had done it wrong, public sentiment would have plummeted, but he managed to get through it like this.”

“Did I just watch it without thinking? I just found it funny, and I didn’t realize people were thinking this much about it.”

“I didn’t think about it either, haha. I just accepted it as it is.”

In reality, Ban Chan-yong’s choice came with pressure.

He took on the role of the villain to direct votes toward Baek Woo-jin, and he could have faced significant criticism.

If Ban Chan-yong had won the debate, the WH sponsorship would likely have been canceled, and Baek Woo-jin, who wanted to do good deeds, would have had to return to Seoul.

In the past, I wouldn’t have understood Ban Chan-yong, who risked a half-month of strenuous work, 10 million won, and the risk of criticism.

But through the lunchbox project and the long trek, I had witnessed how Ban Chan-yong’s good intentions and actions returned in ways beyond measure, making it all seem quite miraculous.

The more he opened his heart, the more his chest swelled with pride for him.

***

The more empty the bowl became, the more my appetite grew.

Watching the beef sizzling on the grill awakened the hidden appetite within me.

“Eat. Eat. That’s right. You’re eating well.”

“Can I eat more?”

“Of course. If our Woo-jin wants to eat more, then he should. What should I order for you?”

“Shrimp.”

“Boss, please add two servings of shrimp!”

Cha Ji-chan added the shrimp that Baek Woo-jin wanted. He seemed so happy to have guaranteed his protein intake that he grilled the meat himself.

“Can I eat cold noodles?”

As the thought of cold noodles crossed my mind, Cha Ji-chan shot me a glare.

“Just sitting there is enough for me to be grateful.”

“Thank you for your gratitude.”

Cha Ji-chan and Baek Woo-jin regarded me with hostility.

“Why?”

“Why do you think? Did it really have to go that far?”

“Did it have to?”

The two were in perfect sync.

“Don’t do that. If Chan-yong hadn’t done what he did, the situation would have gotten weird, right?”

“What do you mean?”

As Ju Ji-seung explained my thoughts, Cha Ji-chan and Baek Woo-jin blinked in realization.

It seemed they finally understood my deeper meaning.

Cha Ji-chan snatched the beef that Baek Woo-jin had wanted and handed it to me.

“Our side dish has worked so hard. Huh? How could this guy not know that? Eat.”

“That’s my meat.”

“Stop eating, you jerk. Do you know how much I’ve been worried because of you?”

As Baek Woo-jin, who had quickly become a leftover, spooned some soybean paste stew, Ju Ji-seung shared his portion with him.

“Then are we going back to voice tomorrow?”

At Ju Ji-seung’s question, Cha Ji-chan nodded.

“Right. Tomorrow we’ll go with voice, the day after tomorrow to Chungju. The day after that, we’ll head to Mungyeong.”

“Mungyeong is the problem.”

The distance from Chungju to Mungyeongsejae is over 50 km.

It’s longer than any course they have experienced so far, and once they leave Chungju, it’s all mountains with constant ups and downs.

It’s questionable whether they can reach Mungyeong in a single day.

“If it really doesn’t work out, we can stay a day at Suanbo or Yeonpung.”

“Is the schedule okay? We took a break for a day, so won’t there be any issues with reservations?”

Baek Woo-jin asked.

“We can’t help it. I thought from the start that a day or two would end up changing.”

As Cha Ji-chan served well-cooked meat to both himself and Baek Woo-jin, he continued.

“More importantly, are you okay, Hyung?”

“What?”

“Your hair.”

I’m worried about that too.

Since he himself said it was embarrassing, if he can’t shave for three days, his hair is going to look quite strange.

“Oh. No problem.”

Surprisingly calm.

“Really?”

“It doesn’t grow that much in three days. It’ll get a bit dark, but if I shave before bed tonight, it shouldn’t be noticeable.”

“Then why did you say that?”

“Because it’s more fun if you exaggerate a bit.”

“Oh.”

I was worried, but I’m relieved.

“Then what about you?”

Cha Ji-chan asked.

“Me?”

“You also lost, so you have to do something.”

“Right. Only Hyung didn’t have to do anything.”

Cha Ji-chan and Baek Woo-jin pressed him.

“…I let you win on purpose, you know?”

“Come on. But you still have to do something.”

“Right, you should.”

“Seriously. I saved someone, and now you want me to hand over my belongings?”

“Haha!”

I gave them a serious look, and the three burst into laughter.

***

For a change, I feasted on beef.

Thanks to the rest day, I felt quite refreshed. I lay down in bed and called Muk-ji.

“Yes?”

“Did you get off work?”

“I’m on my way home.”

Her voice sounded a bit curt, which made me a little disappointed, but it seemed she was outside. She looked cute, blushing a bit.

“I just finished showering. The beef was really delicious. I wanted to come with you, Eun-ji.”

“I don’t like meat that much.”

“…What?”

“I don’t like the smell.”

I thought, how can a person not like meat? But then I realized, since she’s an angel, maybe it’s possible.

“How was today?”

“It was fine. You talked nonsense as usual, and thanks to that, we got through without any problems. I commend you.”

“Not about the broadcast. I mean, how do you feel? Did you eat well?”

Silence.

I wondered if the call had dropped and checked my smartphone, but the call was still going.

“Hello?”

“I can hear you.”

“Did something bad happen?”

“No.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“…Please wait a moment.”

Wondering if something was up, I waited. I heard her get off the bus, but after that, there was still no sound. I was checking community reactions when Muk-ji cleared her throat.

“Hmm. Hmm.”

“Are you okay now?”

“Yes. Did you ask how I felt?”

“Yes. I’m curious about how you felt, what you did, and if you had a good time.”

“It wasn’t that good.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

Silence.

Again, there was no answer, so I pulled the smartphone away from my ear, but Muk-ji’s voice came through.

“I miss you.”

“Ugh.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Just a few days ago, she said she was fine, and now she’s saying she misses me. It’s adorable how she seems to be aware of her surroundings and brought it up after getting off the bus.

“Hehehe.”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because I’m happy.”

Silence.

“I’ll see you in three days, so hang in there until then.”

“I know the road from Chungju to Mungyeong is quite rough. The distance is long. Are you okay?”

“Yes. After taking a day off, I feel recharged. If it really doesn’t work out, we decided to rest at Suanbo in the middle.”

“That seems like a good idea. Always prioritize your health.”

“I will. Please do the same, Eun-ji.”

“You don’t need to worry about me. I successfully ate a salad today.”

“Really? That’s amazing! That’s a personal record.”

“If I do it, I do it.”

The intention behind saying, “Please do the same,” was that I wanted Muk-ji to think of me too, but anyway, she seemed pleased to have finished a salad, making my heart feel all warm and fuzzy.

“That’s so great! What did you have for lunch?”

“I had a salad.”

“Oh, you had salad for lunch. What about dinner?”

“I ate the leftovers.”

“Whaaat?”