In This Life, I Want an Oscar, Not a Husband - Chapter 86

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

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This life, I choose The Oscars over a husband.
Chapter 86

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Wow, celebrities.
‘So they really can’t work.’
I watched Park Yoon-bae, Jung Ji-hwan, and Jung Min-hyun, completely panicked by the flood of orders, and thought to myself.
Had I only worked at a meat restaurant all this time?
Of course, I’d worked at a cafe too.
And there was one thing I learned from working at a cafe.
Speed is everything in a cafe.
Of course, this place is France, so it’s supposed to be a bit more relaxed, but a cafe is a cafe.
Drinks need to go out quickly, customers leave quickly, and so tables need to be cleared quickly.
So it’s only natural that these artists, who’ve never worked a day job before, would struggle.
“Wow… I can’t tell you how grateful I am that French people don’t drink iced coffee.”
“Ha, right. At Korean cafes, you just end up scooping ice all day.”
“Eun-rae, have you worked at a cafe too?!”
At Jung Ji-hwan’s question, I laughed awkwardly.
As if you, with your handsome face and a solid filmography built since your child acting days, landing lead roles the moment you became an adult, would understand—but apparently, most people in their twenties have at least one cafe job on their resume.
“Yes, I have.”
“I thought your presence was no joke, Eun-rae. You know when we messed up a customer’s order? You immediately brought out the sample menu. And you’re good at attracting customers too.”
“I’ve also worked doing customer outreach at department store pop-ups.”
Thanks to that, I’ve heard a thing or two about having solid vocal projection.
“… What job haven’t you done?”
“Plenty~ Anyway, thank you so much for your hard work today.”
“You’re the one who worked hard, not us. Ugh… I just want to go rest…”
As Park Yoon-bae stretched, I leaned forward and spoke firmly.
“We still need to organize the accounts, set up the tables, and prepare the ingredients for tomorrow’s kimchi focaccia in advance. Boss.”
“…!”
Where do you think you’re going?
You rascal.
At my words, Park Yoon-bae, Jung Ji-hwan, and Jung Min-hyun’s faces hardened in an instant.
“Aha, Eun-rae, you… um…”
Park Yoon-bae laughed awkwardly, glancing at Lee Seop-jae.
“She really does adapt well…”

* * *

Park Yu-jin, a seventh-year Entertainment Department reporter.
She had written an article like this just days ago.

[Purgatory’s Ha Eun-rae meets with Lee Seop-jae! Confirms appearance on 【Cafe for the First Time】!]

She had strategically inserted the high-traffic keyword “Purgatory” to maximize views.
In truth, even without that, Lee Seop-jae’s variety show had become a national phenomenon, and his guests were always the talk of the town.
Yet here was Ha Eun-rae as the first guest on this new variety show by Lee Seop-jae.
‘Ha Eun-rae’s doing pretty well?’
Given that her talent agency was small and Ha Eun-rae herself didn’t have particularly high recognition, I hadn’t expected her to land such a major variety appearance—it was surprising.
‘This is her first terrestrial broadcast appearance, right?’
I wondered if she’d pull it off.
Real variety shows like this are tough for rookies.
Especially when it’s a cafe management show.
‘Of course she can’t even wash dishes as a celebrity,’ ‘Look at her cooking without even removing her makeup’—she was set up perfectly for criticism.
And if she complained about how hard it was, she could easily be branded as unlikable and inconsiderate.
And most importantly, the most common outcome was—
‘You can’t even tell if she appeared or not; she fails to establish any character and just fizzles out.’
The case where a celebrity goes through all the hardship of a variety show but gains no recognition from it.
This could actually be worse than drawing negative attention.
‘Today’s the broadcast day….’
Park Yu-jin went home and opened her laptop.
Her wallpaper displayed a photo of Ha Eun-rae striking a pose on the Red Carpet.
She was so cute it was unbearable.
After seeing so many celebrities, she had developed her first true favorite—Ha Eun-rae.
And it was only natural to worry that her favorite celebrity might make a mistake.
‘Most of all, if you mess up, I’m the one who has to write about it!’
With such worries in mind, Park Yu-jin began watching 【Cafe for the First Time】.
Naturally, the first scene to appear was the casting scene.

【Yoon-bae! This time it’s a cafe~】
【Are you crazy? I’ve never run a business before!】

Park Yoon-bae’s familiar whining to Lee Seop-jae, yet ultimately going along with it, and—

【Haha, I’ll serve you well, senior!】

Just Jung Ji-hwan, who handled the dishes with a carefree demeanor.
And—

“A cafe? Ah, I do have a barista certification.”

Jung Min-hyun, who surprisingly seemed confident about the cafe.

“I actually ran a cafe with a friend once, but we ended up closing it…”

It was direction that even captured the small comedic moments.
However, the screen suddenly shifted urgently from this warm and friendly atmosphere.

[…If everything had gone smoothly like this, it wouldn’t be “My First Cafe.”]

“Yes… Dam Ro-yeon’s overseas performance schedule? Ah, I see… Yes, that’s certainly possible.”

Along with the writer’s weary voice, articles began flooding the screen.

[Dam Ro-yeon’s overseas tour schedule causes “My First Cafe” filming to fall through!]
[“My First Cafe” already in crisis?!]

…Several of them seemed similar to ones she’d written herself, and her conscience pricked her.

[But the production team refused to give up.]
[Running a cafe with just three people is impossible! So they proceeded with emergency casting….]

With such captions, the screen switched to a marinated short ribs restaurant in Cheongdam-dong.
‘Finally, Ha Eun-rae.’
Park Yu-jin smiled subtly as she watched Ha Eun-rae appear in modest attire.
‘She’s pretty.’
As always, she had that dignified yet adorable impression that suited her nickname, Blackgo.
Since this was her first observation variety show, wouldn’t she fumble around again?
That’s what Park Yu-jin thought, but—
Somehow the editing flowed strangely.

“I’ll give it a try.”

Ha Eun-rae with a very serious expression.
As she gripped the tongs, a “ching!” sound effect played, emphasizing her resolute expression.

“So… Eun-rae, this is your first variety show appearance, correct?”
“Yes, it is.”

Even as I answered the writer’s question, my hands moved with practiced ease—flipping the meat with perfect timing, trimming away the charred edges with surgical precision.
The writers’ eyes widened in astonishment at the display.

“The marinade burns quickly, so you have to flip it fast.”

[The production crew, utterly captivated by Eun-rae’s skill.]

“I really enjoyed your singing at the ‘Celebrity Talent Show.’ When did you become such an accomplished vocalist?”
“Um… well… I just practiced a lot…”

Barely managing the response, I grilled the meat and smoothly placed perfectly cooked slices onto the writer’s and Producer’s plates.
Then, with eyes as innocent as a cat’s, I looked at them and asked—

“How is it? Does it suit your taste?”
“…It’s absolutely delicious!”

After confirming their reaction, I smiled with genuine satisfaction.
Park Yu-jin couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.
That was when it all began.
The moment the word “versatile” became permanently attached to Ha Eun-rae’s name.

“Restaurant Owner, a child customer just arrived—could you pour some milk into a small cup for them?”

Impeccable customer service,

“The bill is ready. (quietly) Could someone clear that table?”

commanding leadership over the entire dining floor,

“I need to organize the ledger, reset the tables, and prepare the ingredients for tomorrow’s kimchi cheese focaccia in advance. Restaurant Owner.”

The versatile server, the versatile part-timer, the versatile Ha Eun-rae—running the entire restaurant!
Park Yu-jin watched in awe as the titles kept multiplying.
But what surprised her most was—

“[Ah, two orders? Yes, kimchi cheese focaccia. And a scallion bagel.]”

When on earth did she learn French like that?!
It was Ha Eun-rae’s remarkable language ability.

[The truth was that Eun-rae….]

Through archival footage, Ha Eun-rae appeared studying French in South Korea.
With a selfie camera propped on the table, she sat for hours on end, diligently studying French.
‘She’s putting in that much effort for a one-off variety show?’
Wow, there was absolutely nothing anyone could criticize about this.
And that wasn’t all.
Throughout her entire shift at the cafe, she kept her hair neatly tied back, and her hygiene standards were so meticulous that there wasn’t a single flaw to be found in the footage.
‘Wow.’

【I’ve actually worked part-time at a cafe before. I’ve also done street solicitation work, worked at a meat restaurant, worked at a fast food restaurant….】

[Part-Time Job Monster Ha Eun-rae]

The production team’s subtitle fit perfectly.
In other words—
‘She’d nailed her character.’
She had established a character that didn’t lose ground to Park Yoon-bae, Jung Ji-hwan, or Jung Min-hyun.
But Ha Eun-rae’s performance didn’t end there.
Against the backdrop of the twinkling stars of the Alps Mountains—

【Do you remember the song called ‘Moonlight’?】
【Of course.】
【Then shall we try it slowly?】

Ha Eun-rae’s song had begun.

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

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