A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset - Chapter 472

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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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Regression Manual for Idols Who Lost Their Original Intent Episode 472

Gyeon Hajun muttered with a gloomy face at the evaluation of the food we had brought back.

“Is it similar to how no matter how much you try to replicate it, you can never match grandmother’s touch? The neungi baeksuk costs 90,000 won, so I was worried about the impact on sales if we refused it and tried my best to recreate it exactly the same way…”

I understood Gyeon Hajun’s concerns. Once customers’ expectations for food are dampened and they become disappointed, there’s no next time.

Restaurants make people hesitate to visit again after just one disappointment. Even if you asked me to name restaurants I stopped going to just because the taste changed slightly, I could immediately list more than five places right here.

“From what I saw, it’s not just the personal touch, but the skill level in preparing the chicken also played a part.”

Seo Yehyeon replied indifferently while opening the refrigerator door and taking out a watermelon.

“How do we fix this? But hyung, are you really going to eat watermelon now…?”

At Seo Yehyeon’s unexpected behavior of cutting the watermelon boldly with a kitchen knife, Gyeon Hajun stopped worrying and asked.

Without answering, Seo Yehyeon cleaned a tray thoroughly, placed the nicely sliced watermelon on it, and gestured with his chin for us to follow him.

“Let’s go.”

Hajun and I exchanged glances, not knowing why this guy was acting like this, but decided to follow Seo Yehyeon anyway.

The place Seo Yehyeon arrived at with the watermelon tray was the wooden platform where the meal had just finished. Still, I secretly let out a sigh of relief at the considerably emptied pots and plates.

“Did you enjoy your meal? The food tastes a bit less good than yesterday, right? We’re sorry about that, so we’ll serve you watermelon as dessert on the house.”

Seo Yehyeon, equipped with a warm smile, set the tray down in the center of the dining table and pulled Gyeon Hajun to his side.

“Still, this guy really worked hard on the cooking.”

Thanks to the Project Blind Date viewers who recognized Gyeon Hajun, another light fan meeting and photo time took place.

“The owner’s touch is so good that even when we follow the recipe, we just can’t get that taste. Please make sure to visit us again next time. Then we’ll show you the proper touch. Of course, not me, but the owner.”

Gyeon Hajun, who immediately caught Seo Yehyeon’s intention, cheekily showed off his charm. The 5-year idol fan service experience doesn’t go anywhere. Who would have thought we’d need to demonstrate professional spirit in a place like this.

“Not at all. When would we ever get to eat food made by celebrities like this? It’s an experience you can’t have even with money.”

“It was delicious enough. Don’t worry too much about what we said. Usually, people are generous with their own cooking, but when it comes to others’ cooking that you pay for, even five-star restaurants get harsh evaluations.”

“This is better than me, and I’ve been cooking at home for 30 years.”

The customers with pleased smiles on their faces poured out warm compliments.

“Would anyone like some instant coffee?”

At Seo Yehyeon’s final question, not missing even the true meal-ending dessert, hands popped up here and there.

Seeing everyone talking about the bachelors’ thoughtfulness rather than the food, it seemed we could relax for now.

“We should come again next summer.”

On the way back to the kitchen to make coffee, I faintly heard the voice of someone who had said they wanted to come again next summer but felt it was a pity.

As soon as we returned to the kitchen, we exchanged high-fives of relief and joy and immediately started making eight cups of instant coffee.

Only after finishing the coffee delivery did we finally relax and take a brief rest.

We left the payment to Kim Dobin. With Ryu Jaehee next to him, there was no need to worry.

While washing the dishes that the youngest line brought after finishing payment and seeing off the customers, Gyeon Hajun opened his mouth with a relieved smile.

“Hyung, thank you.”

Seo Yehyeon, who had unconsciously brought his rubber-gloved hand to the back of his head, quickly withdrew his hand when he felt the dampness and replied awkwardly.

“No, what for. I didn’t really help with the cooking anyway, so I should at least help with something like this.”

“No, hyung, you also caught the chicken.”

I caught chickens too. Seo Yehyeon’s excessive humility was making me look like someone who did nothing.

“Still, Hajun, because it was your cooking, we could manage it like this. Think about it – if the youngest or Yoon Eden had cooked. That would be truly unmanageable.”

What made me more annoyed was that I couldn’t argue back.

After finishing all the dishwashing in an unnecessarily warm atmosphere that excluded only me, the new group of customers we received were too busy playing in the valley even past noon and showed no signs of ordering lunch, so we all finally collapsed in the room together.

It had been only two and a half hours since becoming temporary guesthouse owners, not even a full day, but we were already completely drained.

Gyeon Hajun, who was lying spread-eagle on the floor, suddenly declared.

“I’m just going to remove the chicken dishes.”

No one objected to the unilateral announcement.

“I agree, if only for the sake of the poor chickens. I don’t think I can eat chicken for a while. Ah, I think the chicken we caught today will appear in my dreams.”

Ryu Jaehee, who had dry-washed his face, muttered in a lamenting tone. It must have been quite a shock. Honestly, it was hard for me too.

“Then do we only take orders for duck bulgogi and seafood pancake now?”

At Kim Dobin’s question, I sat up abruptly and blurted out the brilliant idea that had flashed through my mind.

“No. Let’s go with a strategy of pushing our signature menu to raise expectations for the existing menu.”

“What are you talking about?”

I added a very kind explanation for the members who didn’t understand.

“If this is this delicious, how much more delicious would the baeksuk and chicken stew that this place is famous for be? Like that. That way we naturally induce the next visit.”

“You seem to have a talent for making nonsense sound convincing. Still, I also agree with removing the chicken dishes. I can’t do it twice.”

Seo Yehyeon raised both hands in disgust.

Anyway, everyone agreed to follow my opinion. It must have sounded quite plausible.

“The signature menu is good, but since we have a lot of group customers now, we need to plan the menu considering that. Something that’s okay to serve one pot per table like baeksuk or chicken stew. Oh, and also considering that we can utilize the ingredients in the kitchen as much as possible.”

“Should we keep the seafood pancake as is?”

“Since it’s after playing in the valley water, it would be good to have one soup dish or hot dish, what do you think?”

“Oh, Yehyeon hyung’s idea is also good. And if we don’t have ingredients, I can just drive my car and quickly go to the mart. Let’s decide for now.”

Since August was almost over anyway, we tore off the August page from the calendar on the wall and wrote menu names and prices on the back to make a temporary menu board. The menu prices were set after getting confirmation from Kim Dobin’s aunt.

We attached the temporary menu board made from calendar paper on top of the menu board attached to the wooden platform pillar. I stepped back a few steps to check the menu again and chuckled.

“Just looking at the menu board, you’d think we’re filming a guesthouse variety show.”

“Doesn’t it have its own character?”

Ryu Jaehee giggled while taking a photo of the temporary menu board with his phone camera.

As I was admiring the brilliantly selected menu again, a customer who had sneaked up behind us and was scanning the menu board while peeking around started talking to us.

“You’re the people working at this guesthouse, right? Is chicken baeksuk and chicken stew not available?”

“Yes, you can only order from the menu on that menu board. If you’re going to order, could you please write the quantity here?”

When Seo Yehyeon handed over the order form he had prepared in advance, the customer, with a flustered face, took it bewilderedly and said “Just a moment” before turning around.

“We’re going to eat at 2 o’clock, okay? Can we order rice later when we eat?”

The customer who returned after a while handed over the order form.

“Are you filming some variety show by any chance? We came here because we heard the chicken baeksuk and chicken stew were delicious, but suddenly the menu has changed to something strange, I mean, unique?”

At the subtly added question, I shook my head and told the truth.

“It’s not a broadcast, and we’re temporary workers for three days, so we can’t sell chicken dishes. If you come again, you’ll be able to have chicken baeksuk and chicken stew.”

Since Gyeon Hajun, the only one who could somewhat manage chicken dishes, had given up completely, I wasn’t lying.

“Ah, then you’re not celebrities? You look like someone who appears on TV, so I thought you came to film a broadcast.”

Jaehee and I just smiled awkwardly. We didn’t affirm it, but we didn’t deny it either, so we didn’t exactly lie.

We quickly bought only the ingredients not currently in the kitchen from the mart, came back, and started cooking. I couldn’t even estimate how many dishes we’d have to wash.

“Gambas and braised cutlassfish, four orders first!”

“One egg in hell went out, right? Take another one here.”

“Hyungs, when is the instant dumpling skin tteokbokki coming?”

“Take the tornado omelette kimchi fried rice!”

“We’re short one seafood pancake for one table! And table 2’s burner seems to be out of butane gas. The burner won’t light.”

“The butane gas is over there. Hurry up and take it to replace it.”

The kitchen serving nearly thirty group customers was like a battlefield. With Ryu Jaehee and Kim Dobin handling serving, essentially only Gyeon Hajun and Seo Yehyeon were cooking for nearly 30 people.

I felt a bit guilty to say I was contributing much to the cooking.

All I was doing was stir-frying kimchi fried rice that Gyeon Hajun had loaded with ingredients in the pan, making tornado omelettes to put on top, mixing the seafood pancake batter Gyeon Hajun made and pouring it into the pan, and rolling dumpling skins.

This time, I’ll have to make excuses that I couldn’t demonstrate my cooking skills because we didn’t have enough time.

The youngest line, who had finished serving the last food, returned to the kitchen with tired faces, trudging along.

“What did they say about the food?”

“They said the menu seems like a combination of a wine bar, a trendy Inbyeol restaurant, and a neighborhood old establishment.”

“How about the taste?”

“They said it’s delicious?”

I clenched my fist in joy, then quietly lowered it as sudden doubt washed over me.

We’re idols, but why are we getting emotional over food taste evaluations?

“Were there people who recognized you?”

“Someone said I looked like TTB’s youngest member, so a little kid said that oppa isn’t pretty enough so it’s not him… That kid even likes TTB’s youngest member, which is me.”

Since the little kid didn’t recognize him, this was Kim Dobin’s fault for not mastering the natural prettiness effect.

“The power of makeup, lighting, and post-processing.”

“Usually people don’t think that celebrities would be serving in this state at a guesthouse without cameras.”

After finishing the dishes, we sprawled out on a wooden platform. The children’s laughter could be heard coming from the valley. Ryu Jaehee, who was sitting leaning against the platform railing, pointed toward the upper stream and looked back at us.

“Hyungs, the kids are going up to the upper stream.”

“Oh no, come to think of it, I forgot to tell this group of customers not to go to the upper stream of the valley.”

“Hurry up and handle it, Dobin.”

Since it would be a disaster if an accident happened, Kim Dobin urgently shouted toward the little kids heading up to the upper stream of the valley.

“Hey kids, you can’t go up there! The higher you go up there, the deeper it gets and the stronger the current becomes, so it’s dangerous!”

“Wow, it’s deeper here!”

At those words, Kim Dobin pointed at the little kids rushing toward an even higher upstream area and spoke like he was tattling.

“Eden Hyung, the kids are just ignoring what I’m saying? I think you need to step in.”

“Got it. Hey kids, don’t go over there and come down!”

Just like Kim Dobin’s shouting, the little kids didn’t even pretend to listen.

Since the result of trying to stop them with just our voices was the same, we eventually went down to the valley ourselves to prevent accidents.

Sigh, from kitchen work to menu consulting, and now I’m even working as a safety guard.

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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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