A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 420

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A Regression Guide for Idols Who Lost Their Original Intent Episode 420

Moreover, in that program, whether it turned out good or bad, you had to complete the dish in just 15 minutes.

Recalling the day I packed Kim Dobin’s college entrance exam lunch box, when stir-frying the spicy pork took less than 5 minutes but chopping ingredients and measuring seasonings took over 20 minutes, I figured I’d be more of a burden than help.

The broadcast format had four teams total – student team, housewife team, celebrity team, and office worker team – each making food for 15 minutes using ingredients prepared in the studio according to the given cooking theme, then getting evaluated.

Since these were one-time appearing teams, prize money was given to the winning team. Though it wasn’t even as much as DTB’s prize money, I don’t know why they were so obsessed with it.

“You’re saying I have to cook alone for 15 minutes, aaahhh…! You at least know how to prep ingredients, right?”

“Hyung-nim, what do you take me for?”

“No, I can’t even trust you with that! You’ll probably destroy all the ingredients!”

Seo Yehyeon, who had been writhing in despair, suddenly calmed down in an instant.

“Right, if it’s not Hajun, all three of you are pretty much the same. Though Dobin is somewhat better among you.”

“That’s not right, hyung-nim. Why are you underestimating Dobin? Dobin is much better than you. While you can’t make high-calorie food, Dobin has a track record of successfully making braised short ribs. You probably can’t even make braised ribs because they’re high-calorie.”

“Wasn’t it boeuf bourguignon, not braised ribs?”

“Isn’t that French-style braised ribs?”

The conversation that had progressed from Kim Dobin’s cooking skills to the relationship between boeuf bourguignon and braised ribs returned to square one due to Seo Yehyeon’s earnest plea.

“Anyway, I never expected or hoped for Dobin-level cooking skills from you, so please! I beg you! Just support me well from the side.”

When I nodded roughly, Seo Yehyeon rattled off his requests.

“Don’t prep ingredients I haven’t assigned you, don’t modify the recipe your way for no reason, don’t try to substitute essential ingredients with something else, got it? Don’t do things like measuring seasonings either. Just do what I tell you to do. You in the kitchen are just like me in the recording studio. Do you understand?”

That much was fine. No matter how bad I was at cooking, I could follow those precautions well enough.

We arrived at the studio where the variety show filming was taking place with our manager, greeted the PD and production crew, and looked around the studio that was quite familiar from seeing it on TV. Besides us, the other cast members who would compete with us today also arrived at the studio one by one.

Meanwhile, having heard about the other teams, Seo Yehyeon recited the specs of one of our competing teams, the student team, with a very gloomy face.

“We’re doomed. Those kids are first-year students from a culinary high school.”

“What’s wrong with culinary high school students appearing on a cooking competition program, hyung-nim? How fortunate that it’s not Michelin or hotel chefs or restaurant owners with 20 years in the food business.”

“We’re just here to be supporting actors for those students. If Hajun were here, we could at least try to compete, but with this combination, we’ll just be comparison material to highlight those students’ results…!”

To calm down Seo Yehyeon, who was caught up in worries about things that hadn’t even happened yet, I changed the topic.

“First-year high school means seventeen years old. You’re twenty-five this year. Oh, to those kids, you’re practically like an uncle, aren’t you? An uncle can’t be seen competing with students.”

“Uncle… what uncle am I! And I haven’t had my birthday yet, so I’m twenty-three in international age, you know? It’s really weird how everyone ages one year together.”

“Right, younger brother. I count by the age where everyone ages together. Then I’m twenty-four and you’re twenty-three, so I’m the hyung, right?”

“As expected, if you’re Korean, you should count by Korean age.”

Seo Yehyeon attempted a rapid change of stance. Geez, how can a person be so inconsistent?

“Why start counting by international age now? I’m going to count by international age starting from thirty. Is there any need to reduce my age from now?”

“If you’re going to do it, be consistent about it. The purpose of starting from thirty is too obvious.”

“Anyway, I can only claim to be in my twenties for exactly one year, hyung-nim. Please refrain from unnecessary speculation.”

“No, it’s just pathetic that when you enter your thirties, you’ll subtract a year from your age to look even a little younger.”

“Let’s see if you won’t do the same, hyung-nim. You have five years left.”

While we were dealing damage back and forth to each other, the culinary high school students who had been our conversation topic earlier slowly approached us.

“You’re Yoon Eden, right? I really enjoyed watching DTB. I even voted in the final text voting.”

“Oppa, I’m Daydream! Daydream Season 2!”

This friend is indeed Daydream. That friend only mentioned DTB, so they’re probably not our fan.

“Oh, me and Yehyeon hyung are really lucky. Coming for a schedule and having a fan meeting like this. Hyung-nim, who was being wary of our fans, should give autographs as an apology. Ah, does the friend who said they enjoyed DTB not need an autograph here?”

When I pulled Seo Yehyeon closer, the student who had been staring at Seo Yehyeon’s face in a daze quickly shook their head at their friend’s poking. But I saw the Daydream friend also zone out for a moment.

“N-no!”

Watching them receive autographs without even making eye contact with Seo Yehyeon reminded me of when Yoon Jeonga first met Seo Yehyeon.

No matter how much I performed in DTB, I guess I can’t beat the original debut fairy or whatever.

“But oppa, this is a cooking program. So why did you come instead of Hajun oppa? The konjac tteokbokki and Juni’s birthday table…”

“Because I knew Daydream would appear and wanted to help you win?”

When I shot back with a grin, the student who claimed to be a fan covered their mouth and kept hitting their friend.

As the culinary high school students who received two autographs each moved away, their conversation could be heard faintly.

“Wow… hey, did you see? He’s insane in real life, seriously.”

“I know, right. I was speechless for a moment. His face is insane. Hey, the camera really can’t capture it all. I admit your oppa’s face is really crazy.”

Even though they said they watched DTB and talked more with me, only Seo Yehyeon was mentioned. This damn world that only remembers faces.

I think I could now vaguely understand why the rappers who participated in DTB dissed me so much about my appearance. So you guys felt this way too.

Seeing Seo Yehyeon take it for granted rather than being proud made me relate even more to those rappers including Hyeongjin.

It was truly regrettable.

If I had experienced this before filming DTB Season 4, I wouldn’t have appeared masked in the fight money diss battle, telling them to diss my shining appearance to their heart’s content as much as I had pent up.

Before filming, we greeted the other cast members and the regular panelists who served as judges. Following staff instructions, we washed our hands clean, listened to safety precautions, and filming soon began.

The first thing to do was draw lots for ingredient selection order. Naturally, the earlier you could select ingredients, the better since you had more choices.

Seo Yehyeon, pushed by me to draw a ball, picked number 3. Since Seo Yehyeon would do all the cooking anyway, I had no particular complaints about being third.

After everyone drew their order, the theme was revealed.

【Theme: Street Food】

At least it’s fortunate we avoided last week’s theme. Last week was Chinese food.

Watching them put a ladle of oil in dishes like fried rice and jajangmyeon, Seo Yehyeon freaked out calling it crazy, so I wouldn’t have to worry about us fighting over the amount of oil being broadcast.

The white cloth blocking one side of the studio fell to the floor with a thud, revealing the ingredients that had been behind it. Starting with the student team that drew number 1, ingredient selection began.

“When it comes to street food, it’s definitely tteokbokki. Hyung, do you know how to make tteokbokki?”

Since it was a broadcast, I temporarily dropped the hyung-nim speech. Seo Yehyeon replied weakly with an enlightened face.

“I’m not confident with such high-calorie food. I’ve never made it before.”

I figured as much. There’s no way Seo Yehyeon, who only makes food that tastes like the ingredients’ natural flavors, could recreate worldly tastes.

With so many foods he can’t make, why did Seo Yehyeon firmly believe he would be helpful? I really couldn’t understand.

“Even if hyung were confident, it looks impossible now. All the rice cakes are gone.”

I sighed while pointing at the empty rice cake bowl that had been cleared before our turn even came. It seemed the student team and office worker team also chose tteokbokki as their competition menu.

“Hey, Yoon Eden. What street food is there besides tteokbokki?”

“Right, how would someone who’s lived on diet food their whole life know street food? Gimbap, fried food, ramen, dumplings. And, um… hot dogs? Fried chicken? Rice cake skewers? That’s all I can remember.”

Even listing them all, there was nothing we could make except ramen.

Since the theme was street food, the only thing Seo Yehyeon was better at than me was controlling the heat. He might even insist on using zero oil for fried food. Then it wouldn’t be fried but grilled.

“If we just boil ramen and submit it, we’d lose any chance of winning, right?”

Actually, we’d already lost any chance of winning.

If the theme were diet low-calorie food, maybe, but now the theme is street food which is all high-calorie, so how could me and Seo Yehyeon’s combination make that?

I was only planning to assist Seo Yehyeon (ex. handing ingredients, handing necessary cooking tools, turning on burner flames, telling remaining time on timer), but at this rate, there wouldn’t even be anything to assist with.

“Should we make gimbap? But do you see gimbap ingredients? Am I the only one who can’t see them?”

“Looks like the ingredients were cleared out like the tteokbokki rice cakes. Honestly, tteokbokki and gimbap are the most standard street foods. Just boiling ramen would be the shortest time, but that’s too half-hearted.”

As our turn to select ingredients gradually approached, I scanned through the remaining ingredients. There was also a time limit for taking ingredients, so we couldn’t waste time on deliberation.

I wasn’t sure exactly what was needed for tteokbokki sauce, but red pepper powder and gochujang seemed sufficient. Cabbage was still left too. Fish cake wasn’t exactly essential.

Then, my gaze stopped on one ingredient that caught my eye. Couldn’t we somehow manage with this?

I poked Seo Yehyeon to get his attention and whispered in a lowered voice, worried someone might steal the idea.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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