Chapter 899: You’ve waited a long time, haven’t you? (28)

A dining table set with side dishes.

The fishing variety show “Honey, I’ll Go Fishing” had a fairly fixed routine.

-Fish! → Eat something delicious.

Among those, the “delicious meal” part was crucial.

Fishing drained both physical strength and mental energy more than expected, so eating well was important.

In particular, “Honey, I’ll Go Fishing” was famous for its mouthwatering food visuals that made viewers crave food on Friday nights.

So no matter how badly the fishing went, once people sat down at the table, they usually laughed and chatted.

But today—

"..."

"..."

Only silence filled the table.

Trot singer Baek Sanggyo sat with his arms crossed, staring at the ground. Veteran actress Oh Hyunsuk rested her face on her hands with her eyes closed.

Actor Chu Giseok blankly stared at the sky, and entertainer Kang Manho held his forehead.

"..."

NewBlack beside them looked the same.

Jiho leaned against Biju’s shoulder with sad eyes, and Ri Hyuk covered his face with both hands.

The staff burst into laughter.

"Alright, everyone."

Producer Lee Junhee asked with a grin,

"Today’s fishing is finally over!"

"Waaah..."

"Why does everyone look so down?"

Baek Sanggyo sighed.

"Why else? We got completely crushed by a machine! What kind of machine does the work of ten people?"

Complaints about the Woo Jung Hyun Bot began pouring out.

Kang Manho grumbled,

"At this point, the show should be called ‘Robot Fishing’ instead."

"Exactly!"

"Even though we won, it doesn’t feel like we won..."

NewBlack also didn’t look happy despite their victory.

That was only natural.

"First, let’s announce today’s results."

Producer Lee Junhee cleared his throat.

"This is the first time in the show’s history—there’s nearly a fivefold difference in score. The Honey Fishing team caught 17 fish for 36 points."

"..."

"And the Biriho team caught 87 fish for 200 points."

Even after hearing the results, both sides kept their eyes shut.

Jiho raised his hand.

"How many did the Woo Jung Hyun Bot catch?"

"64."

Kang Manho spoke.

"Good thing we released everything today. If we had kept them, it would’ve been a disaster."

The robot had caught fish at a level that could’ve damaged the ecosystem.

Oh Hyunsuk added,

"Still, you did win. We caught 17, you caught 23. Three people beat four."

"Thank you..."

Both sides still looked gloomy.

The staff chuckled quietly.

From their perspective, it had been incredibly entertaining.

-There it goes again!

-Unplug it!

-It runs on batteries!

At first, NewBlack had cheered for the robot—but later, they switched sides, shouting “Protect human pride!”

They even suggested a bonus segment: “Human vs Machine.”

From a production standpoint, it was gold.

‘This could even be edited into 2.5 episodes.’

Freshwater fishing was usually edited into a single 1 hour 40 minute episode.

Compared to ocean fishing, it had fewer variables and could get boring.

But since NewBlack appeared, the higher-ups demanded at least two episodes.

At first, Lee Junhee had worried—

‘Two episodes from freshwater fishing...?’

But now, they had enough footage for even 2.5 episodes.

‘As expected of NewBlack. Even freshwater fishing turns into double the content!’

Smiling, he said,

"You all worked hard today. Biriho team, please come receive your trophy."

"Yes."

They were handed a golden carp trophy.

The moment Ri Hyuk saw it, his face fell.

Biju and Jiho pushed it into his arms.

"Hyung, it’s your friend. Say hello."

Jiho imitated a voice.

"Oooong. Carp King wants a kiss. Ack!"

"Hey!"

Everyone burst out laughing as Ri Hyuk smacked him.

Then Biju gave a speech.

"It was an honor competing with such amazing seniors. We’d also like to thank the robot and the development team who helped us today. Thank you."

"Mom! Noonas! Wooju hyung! I love you! Oh—Junghyun hyung too!"

"Thank you for your hard work!"

They bowed to the staff.

Baek Sanggyo clapped.

"But where are those KAIST guys?"

"They left with the robot. Said they’re busy."

"At least they could’ve stayed for a meal."

"So what’s for dinner?"

"Ah!"

Producer Lee Junhee smiled.

"Biju will be cooking today’s dinner!"

"Oh!"

"Ohhh!"

Oh Hyunsuk asked worriedly,

"Will you be okay? You must be tired."

"Yes, I can do it."

Known in the industry as a great cook, Biju drew immediate attention.

"What’s the menu?"

"A very simple dish—braised fish."

"Ohhh."

Ri Hyuk and Jiho lit up.

"That’s what you prepared?"

"That’s insane!"

They clapped excitedly.

"His braised fish is amazing. It’s number three on the Ho Michelin list."

"Even I like it, and I don’t usually like fish."

Biju tied on an apron and bandana.

Staff cooed at how cute he looked.

Like a character in a red hood.

Ri Hyuk even put a transparent chef mask on him.

"So cute."

"Am I?"

They took photos as Biju posed.

"When do we eat?" Baek Sanggyo asked.

"Ah! Right away!"

"The elders need to take their medicine."

The cast shook their medicine packs.

Biju quickly began prepping ingredients.

Everyone gathered to watch.

"Oh my, look at his knife skills."

"Yes, Your Majesty~"

They even improvised a historical drama skit.

Everyone laughed.

Biju explained the recipe.

Sesame oil to remove fish odor, seasoning tips—

It turned into a cooking class.

When it finished cooking—

"Wow!"

Everyone tasted it.

"This broth is incredible!"

"This is insane..."

"Made from just mackerel?"

The soft fish melted in their mouths.

Baek Sanggyo smiled widely.

"I didn’t expect much—but this is no joke."

Even staff were called to taste.

They were stunned.

"This isn’t ordinary braised fish!"

They devoured everything.

Even the radish was praised.

"Get more rice!"

They finished everything down to the last drop.

"...What do we do now?"

"We wrap up," Biju said.

It was time to say goodbye.

The staff cheered for NewBlack.

"Come again, Biju," Baek Sanggyo insisted.

"You don’t even have to be funny. Just come cook."

"We don’t need the others!"

Everyone agreed.

NewBlack laughed.

"Come again!"

"Or just send Biju!"

After saying goodbye, they got into the car.

"I’m so full..."

It had been a long day.

But they couldn’t sleep yet.

"About 30 minutes left."

They were heading to Junghyun’s family home.

A place of overwhelming strength.

"Feels intimidating..."

"Actually, it’s just a normal village," Biju said.

They arrived—

A normal-looking house.

But then—

"Welcome!"

Huge relatives appeared.

Each handshake felt bone-crushing.

Even the cousin looked stronger than Junghyun.

"Did you eat?"

"Yes!"

"Stay the night!"

"We have schedules..."

They insisted on giving side dishes.

Boxes kept stacking.

And then villagers joined in.

"Take some kimchi!"

Boxes piled endlessly.

"...We can’t fit all this in the car."

It felt like a folktale.

Finally—

Back at the dorm.

Two trucks.

Wooju and Junghyun stood there.

"...Side dishes."

"...All of this?"

"Yes."

"Who sends side dishes in two trucks?!"

"Our village."

"...That’s true love."

Junghyun smiled happily.

They barely avoided disaster.