SWNOVELXO Chapter 155
Chapter 155
Inside the tent, the food prepared by the idols was lined up on the long table outside.
“It looks like a buffet when it’s set up like that.”
“Indeed.”
“Smelling the food makes me hungry…”
“Me too.”
Although I had eaten a lunchbox for dinner earlier, the constant aroma of delicious food since the cooking started made me hungry.
“Can we eat some of that too?”
“Won’t they give us at least a bite?”
– The judging will now begin.
It was time for the judging.
Three judges came out and tasted each dish one by one.
– Oh, it’s delicious despite appearances. I was worried because I saw some fumbling while cooking, but fortunately, it turned out well. Good job.
– The texture is quite overwhelming. Just dumping cheese on food doesn’t suddenly make it tasty.
One of the judges was overly harsh, not considering the fact that the idols were not professional chefs.
– Chef Go Gun-min, what do you think of Nike and Jae-min’s dish?
– I saw them dumping an entire packet of ramen seasoning earlier. It seems they failed at portion control. It’s overly salty. It might have been better to just cook ramen instead of going through the trouble of making this…
Later, I found out that Chef Go Gun-min was a popular star chef known for his cold and sharp character on variety shows.
– However, this tofu okonomiyaki is delicious. It’s thin, crispy, and easy to keep eating without feeling overwhelmed.
Thanks to his clear compliments, his image wasn’t too bad.
Since it was quite a task for the judges to eat all the prepared food, they allowed the members who cooked and those sitting nearby to have a taste as well.
“Wow, it’s really good.”
Some audience members also got a chance to sample the food.
The idols brought portions of their dishes to their fans.
Finally, it was time to judge Kang Ji-woo and Lee Da-in’s food.
Their unique cooking process heightened the expectations of those around them.
– Now, let’s take a look at the dishes prepared by Orca’s Ji-woo and Cheristine’s Da-in.
The camera panned to the food prepared by Kang Ji-woo and Lee Da-in.
– There’s quite a variety.
While others barely managed to complete two or three dishes in the limited time, Kang Ji-woo and Lee Da-in had prepared five dishes.
Hallabong salad, stir-fried octopus with rice cakes, potato omelet, fruit tanghulu, and strawberry juice.
Even though there was no meat, the dishes, made using all the ingredients that Ji Young-seo and I had gathered, looked appetizing with a glossy finish.
My dear Kang Joo-boo wasn’t just good at Korean cuisine; he excelled at everything.
The spicy stir-fried octopus with rice cakes, which seemed perfect for my taste, and the fruit tanghulu, which had set nicely while waiting, looked particularly delicious.
– Ji-woo seems to know how to cook well, so I have high expectations.
– Just by looking at the ingredients, preparing this dish is no easy task. Washing, cutting, and trimming them are all tough jobs. But that process was really neat.
The favorable comments from the judges were followed by them each taking a small portion to taste.
– Da-in and Ji-woo, could you each share your thoughts on your dishes?
“Ji-woo is such a great cook. While I was working on one dish, he was handling two or three at once.”
“No, Da-in sunbaenim was so skilled that we quickly decided on the menu, and I just followed her instructions.”
Lee Da-in spoke modestly, and Kang Ji-woo displayed even more humility.
– Alright then, let’s hear the judges’ opinions.
– The composition of the dishes is so good they could be sold as a set meal.
– The stir-fried rice cakes have a proper smoky flavor. You mentioned he’s the son of a Korean restaurant owner, but this shows he’s interested in various cuisines and cooks often.
Even Chef Go Gun-min, who tasted Kang Ji-woo’s stir-fried octopus with rice cakes made with a flambé, nodded in approval without any harsh criticism.
As I stood by the table, thinking how much I wanted to try it, I heard:
“Hey, open wide.”
“Ah.”
Reflexively, I opened my mouth, and a piece of rice cake and octopus coated in red sauce was popped in.
The unexpected late-night snack awakened my weary mind.
But it’s alright; I don’t swell even if I eat.
Since it was an off-season and I had no schedule the next day, even the other members, who usually managed their diets meticulously, took a bite without hesitation.
“Give us your reaction. Your reaction.”
Kang Ji-woo kept feeding me bite after bite of different dishes, ensuring I couldn’t stop chewing.
He enjoyed hearing my opinion after feeding me his food.
Of course, I always said what he wanted to hear.
So, I gave him the desired feedback, and his favorability towards me increased.
[The sibling who eats well is the prettiest in the world. Kang Ji-woo feels full just watching you eat. Kang Ji-woo’s favorability +10, current favorability +100]
Was there no limit to Kang Ji-woo’s favorability?
And was it really possible for someone to like me more and more each day?
While I pondered this seriously, Seul-ah, who was listening beside me, laughed out loud and called Yoo Hana nearby.
“Our feedback will be given by Raon.”
Somehow, the microphone was handed to me.
– Raon, could you share your thoughts on the taste?
It wasn’t a personal conversation with Kang Ji-woo, but a public statement, so I needed to be straightforward.
“First, the refreshing Hallabong salad made by Da-in sunbaenim enhances the appetite. And this stir-fried octopus with rice cakes is… exceptional. If regular stir-fried rice cakes are worth 3,000 won, this stir-fried octopus with rice cakes is worth 30,000 won. The spicy flavor with the smoky taste is perfect for my palate.”
“That’s because I cooked it to suit your taste, Raon.”
Was that the secret?
“Hyung…”
“Hey…!”
The best part about being the youngest was being favored.
“Anyway, if the spiciness gets overwhelming, just take a bite of the slightly salty potato omelet for a fantastic balance of spicy and salty. Finishing with the crispy and sweet fruit tanghulu is perfect… If I say more, Ji-woo hyung might cry from being touched, so I’ll stop here.”
Kang Ji-woo, whose eyes were shimmering, quickly regained his composure, but it was too late.
– Raon practically rapped just now.
“If I had expressed my emotions slowly, it would have delayed everyone’s departure, so I had to speak quickly. If it was hard to understand, please add subtitles below.”
He made a gesture indicating where the subtitles should be placed.
– Ah, such deep consideration for our finishing time.
– No need to worry. We heard you loud and clear.
– That concludes Orca and Cheristine.
After that, the judges finished evaluating the other teams’ dishes, and the results of the second preliminary round were announced.
[1st place: Orca & Cheristine (297 points)]
Naturally, we advanced to the finals.
* * *
A few days later.
On the day of the finals shoot for the Idol Variety Show.
This time, the filming took place entirely in an indoor studio without any audience, which made the atmosphere feel noticeably quieter than during the preliminary shoot.
From today, we would be competing against Cheristine, whom we had partnered with during the preliminaries.
The first match of the finals pitted us against the team we had competed with in the preliminaries in a 1:1 showdown.
The winning team between us and Cheristine would advance to the grand finals.
When I first heard that we had to team up with a girl idol group for the preliminaries, I criticized the broadcasting station for not reading the trend.
Yet, in just one day, I had grown attached to Cheristine, who felt like comrades-in-arms.
“Don’t get soft-hearted. Yesterday’s ally is today’s enemy.”
“Isn’t that phrase usually used the other way around? I get what you mean, though.”
Dressed in sleek chef’s uniforms, we greeted other celebrities and whispered about today’s shoot while waiting in the studio.
“I’ve been thinking, this is a variety show, but Ji-woo hyung was too serious last time.”
“Yeah, it’s called Idol ‘Variety’ Show, not Idol Cooking Show.”
“You guys ate my cooking so deliciously!”
As usual, Kang Ji-woo protested his mistreatment, but he calmly acknowledged that the cooking process wasn’t entertaining last time.
You could say he was too professional as a chef.
“We need to be funny. Being funny is top-tier here.”
“Indeed.”
[Guys… You can stop being funny now… Kwak Sang-hyun Favorability +0, Current Favorability +46]
Kwak Sang-hyun, looking distressed, tried to stop us with his eyes from afar.
Although we were far away and speaking quietly, he seemed to understand our thoughts just by our expressions. How touching.
“We’re starting the shoot!”
In the first match of the finals, just like last time, we would be cooking, and the rules were as follows:
1. Ingredients are obtained through mini-games by each group.
2. Only one person designated by the opposing team can participate directly in the cooking. Other members can only help verbally from a distance.
3. Those who participated in cooking in the second preliminary round cannot do anything.
4. However, by chanting a certain spell once, the person cooking can receive direct help for 3 minutes.
5. The team with the higher score after judging the dishes advances to the finals!
Not being able to use our all-around cooking machine, Kang Ji-woo, was a significant disadvantage for us.
And the person Cheristine chose to cook was…
“We choose Seo Moon-gyeol.”