Chapter 1007: It Was Beautiful From Far Away.. (19)

If there were a dictionary inside my head, then the very first word listed in it would probably be Kim Deoksun.

Kim Deoksun.

[noun]

The greatest thing in this world

A term referring to the person who possesses the world's cutest grandson

If there were a parallel universe populated entirely by Sun Woojus, then the word Kim Deoksun would probably be used everywhere.

Kim Deoksun-class aircraft carrier!

Kim Deoksun-class left-handed pitcher!

If you think I'm just saying random nonsense right now, then you'd be correct.

I am saying random nonsense!

"Ehehehehehehe!"

Ah. Happiness.

"Ehehehehehet!"

Being wrapped tightly in such warm arms made happy laughter spill out of me naturally.

The members smiled like they were already used to this, while the production crew watched with slightly fascinated expressions.

Then a warm voice reached my ears.

"Hey."

"Yeah, Grandma~"

"Back up a little."

"......"

"Good grief, it's hot as hell. This clingy little thing."

"Hmph."

I loosened the hug and grabbed Madam Kim Deoksun's hand instead.

As Grandma and I held hands, Jiho's father turned toward his son.

'Son.'

'Nope.'

Chairman Wang Hyeontak walked over with a sad expression.

Meanwhile, the members greeted the guests.

"Waaaaah- Grandma!"

"Grandma! It's been so long!"

At the members' greetings, Grandma smiled brightly with delight.

"Hello, sir."

"Have you been well?"

Chairman Wang Hyeontak also stood beside his son with a gentle smile.

It had been a while since we'd seen each other's families, so greetings were exchanged warmly.

At the same time, we took a moment to introduce the guests for viewers who had no idea what was going on.

"Our viewers are probably wondering who these people suddenly are, so we'll give a brief introduction~!"

The writers held up sketchbooks with keywords written on them.

-#1 in sales

-Startup success myth

-Model Businessman Award

-#1 in franchise locations

"That's right! Starting from a tiny chicken restaurant and building a startup legend—number one in sales! The chairman of Hoho Chicken, the #1 chicken franchise by store count, Chairman Wang Hyeontak!"

"Haha."

"And he's also our maknae Jiho's father."

"Yes, nice to meet you all~"

The middle-aged businessman with neatly slicked-back hair greeted everyone.

He wasn't quite as outrageously handsome as his youngest son, but you could definitely tell he'd been quite good-looking in his youth.

According to Jiho, this was how you were supposed to describe him.

-He kind of looks like a greedy old goblin from folklore, except without the lump? Like Nolbu, but handsome?

I had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but apparently that was the idea.

Then Jiho tilted his head.

"Huh? But Dad isn't really a self-made success story though?? Grandpa opened the chicken shop for him, and then he succeeded."

"!"

Chairman Wang spoke with embarrassment.

"Son...."

"No, no, Dad. These days if you succeed because of family connections but pretend you did it all alone, you get hate comments."

"Really?"

Chairman Wang looked intrigued and quickly corrected himself.

"My son is right. Thanks to the chicken restaurant my father opened while saying, 'That youngest one of mine....' I was able to succeed all the way to this point. Father, if you're watching, I respect and love you."

"Grandpa, love you!"

The father and son made heart signs toward the camera, drawing laughter from everyone.

For a moment, I could understand where Jiho got some of his personality from.

Biju glanced at the sketchbook and said,

"I heard you recently received the Model Businessman Award and even attended a banquet at the Blue House."

"Ah, yes. That's correct."

While Jiho's father explained how it all happened, we blinked.

Honestly, it still didn't feel real.

'Father....'

'A model businessman??'

Back during debut days, he definitely hadn't given off that kind of vibe.

Even the management strategies Jiho occasionally told us about sounded incredibly sinister.

But at some point, before we even realized it, Jiho's father had transformed into a model businessman.

-[Chairman Wang Hyeontak of Hoho Chicken receives Minister of Economy and Finance commendation as exemplary taxpayer]

-[Interview] Chairman Wang Hyeontak demonstrates ESG management best practices through "ethical management"... "You ask what remains? People remain."]

-[Hoho Chicken ranks #1 in franchise reputation index, stock surges after strong first-quarter performance]

I had no idea what made him suddenly change his management style.

But thanks to that, Hoho Chicken, once only around third place among chicken franchises, had risen proudly to first.

Turns out ethical management led to the highest sales in company history.

Life truly was mysterious.

"Thanks to our son, it feels like life has become full of interesting experiences. Hahaha! Even appearing on such an incredible variety show."

"Ehehe!"

"That's right. Our son is the best...!"

"My dad's the best too...!"

Jiho and his father immediately became excited and hugged each other while giggling happily.

While the father-son affection exploded beside us—

I introduced Madam Kim Deoksun.

"And here we have another legendary success story from the food service industry."

"The Queen of Baekban."

At Junghyun's comment, all of us nodded solemnly.

"The creator of the New Bulgogi Baekban recipe that shook Korea back in 2016. The baekban witch—ah, witch? The baekban beauty! Our CEO Kim Deoksun!"

"I'm Kim Deoksun."

Grandma greeted everyone shyly like a debutante entering high society.

I narrowed my eyes.

'What's with that tone.'

'Don't tell me what to do. Unless you're gonna go through hell for me instead.'

Madam Kim Deoksun, whose default expression was usually grumpy, was smiling with a full-blown capitalist smile.

If she possessed such a beautiful smile, then naturally she should be showing it to her grandson.

Biju smiled brightly and asked,

"Grandma, I heard this is your first variety show appearance. How do you feel?"

"Well... I've been on television a few times before, but this is my first time appearing on such a gigantic program, so it's fascinating and very nice."

At the expression "gigantic program," the production crew burst into laughter.

I pointed toward Producer Gu Jaeyoung.

"Grandma, that's Producer Gu Jaeyoung. He's the producer who filmed me really nicely back during Living Together."

"Nice to meet you~"

The rugged-looking chief producer clasped both hands together politely and introduced himself.

The rest of the staff also bowed respectfully.

"Grandma, thank you so much for the Antarctica parkas last time!"

"We'll definitely go to Antarctica!"

Who said Antarctica just now?

While we glared at the staff, Madam Kim Deoksun continued speaking shyly in front of the camera.

"Like Chairman Wang said, this really is very nice. Life's become very fun these days."

"Hehe."

"It really has."

Grandma smiled proudly.

"I think it's all because I raised my grandson so well. Makes all the suffering worth it."

"......"

As I stared blankly into the distance, voices around us murmured things like, "As expected of Wooju's grandma."

Meanwhile, the father and son duo beside us looked at us like, We're different from those people! while openly showing affection.

"Son~ My son is the best~"

"Daddyyy~♡"

The chairman and our maknae threw hearts at each other.

Watching them lovingly grill premium sirloin right in front of a starving person made veins bulge on my forehead.

Ri Hyuk grabbed my arm.

'You must endure.'

'Hooo....'

After the NewBlack members finished introducing the ultra-special guests—

Producer Gu Jaeyoung addressed the cast.

"You're all professionals on stage, but when it comes to running a business, you're complete beginners, aren't you?"

"That's right."

"So before your Goblin Restaurant debut, we've invited elders here to give you advice. Chairman Wang Hyeontak, an expert in food service business strategy."

"Ahem."

Chairman Wang crossed his arms proudly in his suit.

"And the true master of practical experience in this field, CEO Kim Deoksun. We'll be doing one final rehearsal today."

"Yes!"

As the members moved to their respective positions, Producer Gu Jaeyoung asked the two guests,

"What areas will you two be focusing on today?"

"Well, first of all, we'll be checking for inconveniences from the customer's perspective. In the chicken business, quickly handling orders is the most important thing. So... how do you get food out quickly? About those kinds of know-how...."

While Chairman Wang talked, the production staff sat down at the tables pretending to be customers.

Soon afterward, Junghyun walked over carrying cups of water and a tablet while wearing an apron decorated with goblin characters.

"I'll take your order."

"Hmm, we'll have two Bulgogi Steaks and Buffalo Wings as a side. Two zero colas for drinks."

"Yes~ Got it."

A voice came from the next table over.

"Boss! We'd like to order!"

"Yes, coming."

This time, Ri Hyuk walked over.

Watching the two busily take orders, Chairman Wang stood up.

"The number one priority is how you handle incoming orders, right? That's the most important thing, isn't it, Grandma?"

"That's right~"

The two of them stood.

What do beginners struggle with most when first running a restaurant?

Communication between the dining hall and the kitchen.

Scenes like this were the most common thing in restaurant variety shows.

-Oh no! What do we do? We forgot one of the main dishes! They've been waiting twenty minutes already!

-Oh my goodness.

-We need it right now—wait, but for that menu.... Do we still have sauce left?

Basic mistakes like the dining hall forgetting orders or the kitchen forgetting after reading the ticket.

"No matter how good someone's memory is, things can get tangled up very easily."

Chairman Wang said this while moving toward the kitchen to observe the members working.

Ding dong!

"...?"

Ding dong!

Ding dong!

"??"

"???"

Every time Junghyun entered an order on the tablet in the dining hall, the table status board appeared on the monitor in the kitchen.

Alongside it, the work priorities were also displayed.

[Bulgogi Steak Order Priority]

Table 1 [Quantity] 2

Table 17 [Quantity] 1

.

.

.

Detailed instructions showed exactly which dishes needed to be served first.

Then, for confirmation, Junghyun clearly repeated the orders aloud while the kitchen staff verbally confirmed them back.

"Oh...."

Wooju and Biju cooked busily while Jiho pulled out dishes and assisted.

As menu items were completed one by one, Wooju walked over to the monitor and touched the screen to call the dining hall staff.

Ding dong!

Junghyun and Ri Hyuk then approached and began serving in order.

Customers immediately started eating, while anyone needing something pressed the bell on their table to call over the dining hall staff.

"......"

"......"

The two food service experts who had come to give advice stared blankly.

Madam Kim Deoksun blinked and called over the producer.

"What is this...?"

"Ah. Well... the members worked together really hard and somehow...."

Producer Gu Jaeyoung awkwardly explained,

"They succeeded in digitizing the restaurant system...."

"......"

"Young people these days really are amazingly knowledgeable about technology."

"Then why did you invite us?"

At that question, the nation's producer avoided eye contact.

"I didn't expect things to turn out like this either, Grandma...."

"I'm not upset. I was just curious."

"I thought perhaps you'd been offended...."

"What are you talking about? I'm extremely pleased."

Chairman Wang and Producer Gu Jaeyoung swallowed nervously.

'We thought she was angry.'

'That expression means she's happy...?!'

Her default expression was simply too intimidating.

Even if she had no such intention, the two men felt nervous whenever Sun Wooju's grandmother so much as twitched a finger.

'Sun Wooju's grandmother....'

'The Grand Empress Dowager...!'

Lemon Entertainment, now the number one entertainment agency in Korea thanks to subsidiaries like Studio Lemon and NBS.

And who was the ruler of Lemon Entertainment?

The attention-seeking King Gwanjong, now in the fifth year of his reign.

Since Madam Kim Deoksun was the person who had raised such an individual since childhood, simply sitting still made everyone instinctively cautious around her.

"Good grief, there's nothing for me to do."

Madam Kim Deoksun muttered.

"Guess I'll just eat."

"I'll guide you to your table, Grandma."

"It's alright. I'll watch a little longer."

She secretly took pictures while watching her grandson command the kitchen busily—

"Deoksun~!"

"Oh my."

Wooju had noticed her gaze and suddenly flashed a V-sign cutely, startling Grandma for a moment.

Producer Gu Jaeyoung laughed.

"Wooju's always energetic, but I've never seen him this excited before."

"Really?"

"Yes. Isn't it because you're here, Grandma? Thanks to you gracing us with your presence...."

For some reason, the nation's producer had unconsciously begun flattering her.

Meanwhile, Grandma clicked her tongue while watching her grandson expertly lead the kitchen.

"He's always been like that. He'd come saying, 'Grandma, I'm doing something difficult, I can't do it,' so I'd get worried and secretly go watch him—but he'd always be doing perfectly fine."

"There's really nothing to worry about."

Chairman Wang deeply agreed.

'Was my son always this hardworking?'

Watching the boy who only ever worked hard at things he liked now living so diligently made his chest tighten emotionally.

'I can't ruin that future.'

What would happen if he committed wrongdoing and blocked Jiho's future?

The kid would probably slack off and coast through life relying only on his face.

Just to prevent that alone, Chairman Wang resolved to live even more diligently.

Meanwhile—

Producer Gu Jaeyoung spoke to the two guests.

"You must be getting hungry by now. Shall I guide you to your table?"

"Yes, alright."

Since there wasn't much advice left to give, the two quickly sat down at a table.

Then, as they placed their order, Kim Junghyun hurried toward the kitchen.

"Hyung!"

"Hm?"

"Grandma ordered from Table 17!"

"!!"

Wooju's eyes flashed wildly while standing at the grill.

"Biju."

"Yes."

"From this moment onward, we create a legendary dish."

"Okay. I'll work hard."

"We're going to create the greatest dish ever and move Madam Kim Deoksun to tears."

The passion of the two men burst into flames inside the kitchen.

Together with Biju, I completed the ultimate dish.

Meat cooked to the exact doneness Koreans loved most.

Perfect fully-cooked egg yolk, exactly the way Madam Kim Deoksun preferred it.

Delicious rice served alongside sauces and sides overflowing with as much love as I could possibly cram into them.

"Hehehehe."

Jiho and I personally carried the dishes to the table ourselves.

After placing down all the various sides, we stood proudly before them.

"Please enjoy. The chef's special."

Jiho's father inhaled the aroma and went, "Oh?"

Madam Kim Deoksun cut into the hamburger steak with her knife and fork before taking a bite.

"How is it, Grandma?"

"The...."

Watching her with sparkling eyes, I waited for her review.

"Don't you have kimchi?"

"......We do."

"Wooju, bring Uncle some kimchi too."

We'd tried our best to reduce the greasiness, but apparently it still felt a little rich for older adults.

While eating, Madam Kim Deoksun continued giving various pieces of advice.

"And I think it'd be better to reduce the sauce a little."

"Isn't more sauce a good thing?"

At Jiho's question, Grandma shook her head.

"I looked at the other tables too, and there's enough sauce left over to flood the Han River. Lots of sauce is nice, but you still shouldn't make it feel like food is being wasted. It should end with the customer scraping up the last bits of sauce with the final piece of meat like this."

"Oho."

"If people feel like there's too much food left over after eating, they start thinking maybe the meal wasn't satisfying."

We nodded while taking notes as she suggested simply giving extra sauce upon request instead.

Grandma continued passing down all kinds of restaurant operation tips.

Perhaps feeling a sense of crisis, Jiho's father desperately tried offering tips too.

"Uh... aren't you curious about franchise management tips or something?"

"......"

"Like headquarters management know-how, handling labor disputes, dealing with viral attacks from competitors...."

"......"

Chairman Wang quietly ate with a wounded expression.

Meanwhile, Ri Hyuk's special shaved ice and desserts featuring Gurye's famous sansuyu fruit were served.

And the reviews were—

"It's good, but a bit sweet."

"Whoa, sweet."

Since the dishes leaned too heavily toward younger tastes, the adults found them somewhat overly sweet.

Just as we were thinking we'd need to improve that too—

Grandma suddenly asked while we prepared to wash dishes after finishing the mock restaurant service.

"But aren't you boys eating?"

"We'll eat later."

"Wait a second."

Madam Kim Deoksun rolled up her sleeves, causing us to scream while covering our mouths.

Immediately, she began cooking with ingredients from the refrigerator.

"Wooooow...."

Even the production crew swallowed nervously at the incredible visuals of the dishes that appeared.

Beautifully colored rolled omelets.

Tteokgalbi made using the Bulgogi Steak ingredients.

Spicy bibim somyeon noodles topped with rich seasoning sauce.

"Grandma. Is there anything I can help with?"

"Stay still. I came on television today and haven't done anything. Least I can do before I leave."

At those words, Jiho's father wandered near the kitchen and asked,

"Maybe... do you have anything to fry?"

"We don't."

"Then maybe anything else fryable...."

"Just rest, Dad."

As the CEO of a company making hundreds of billions of won annually silently teared up—

"Production staff, come eat too."

"Thank you so much...!"

Grandma generously prepared enough food for the production crew as well, and chopsticks and spoons immediately began moving everywhere.

"!"

"!!"

Producer Gu Jaeyoung, after tasting Grandma's cooking, said,

"We need to do a variety show with Grandma next time.... No, seriously... making all this so effortlessly with whatever's in the fridge...."

"Wow, this seasoning sauce is insane. What's the secret?"

While the staff marveled, the members and I devoured the food Grandma had prepared for us.

The audio director spoke with an expression like he'd discovered a whole new world.

"This is the first time the audio's been this empty."

"What do you think, Director?"

"It's heaven... so quiet...."

Even though audio was literally his job, the audio director looked blissfully happy because there was no audio.

We protested at his betrayal with offended expressions while—

Junghyun wiped at his moist eyes and said,

"Hyung, I'm so happy."

"Me too."

All of us were unbelievably happy.

The food Grandma made was delicious, and the tension we'd been carrying before opening the restaurant was gradually melting away.

"This episode's gonna get great ratings, huh?"

"Seriously."

The production crew was happy too.

"Is it good? You'll upset your stomach eating that fast. Slow down."

"It's so good, Grandma."

Madam Kim Deoksun patted my shoulder while smiling with her usual gruff little expression.

And she looked happy too.

The set overflowed with happy-virus energy.

Everything had gone smoothly, from the flawless mock restaurant operation onward, and both the cast and crew were feeling delighted when—

"Uh...?"

Chairman Wang Hyeontak, who had stepped outside together with Madam Kim Deoksun, looked confused.

"It's over already?"

"Yes, thank you for your hard work."

"No, but... I didn't actually do anything."

"Thank you for your hard work."

"No, I...."

The NewBlack members waved at them enthusiastically.

"Dad, bye!"

"No, but...."

"Thank you both for your hard work!"

"No, kids, Uncle really...."

Overwhelmed by the chaotic energy of the cheering idols, Chairman Wang was practically pushed into the vehicle.

As he sat inside the car, the NewBlack members waved at him.

The CEO and management genius behind Korea's number one franchise company silently screamed inside the vehicle.

'No... I seriously didn't accomplish anything...!'

Chairman Wang had ended up becoming a man who simply came, ate a meal, and left.