Chapter 950: Nothing Goes According to Expectations (4)

Gu Jaeyoung PD let out a quiet chuckle.

‘Hehehe.’

The PD was practically vibrating while imagining the edit in his head when—

“PD-nim?”

“Hm?”

Wooju was quietly staring at him.

“The scene we just filmed really is going to be edited in a cool way, right?”

‘Sharp little brat.’

Gu Jaeyoung PD flinched at the words from the most perceptive member of NewBlack.

The variety PD rolled his eyes like a bear while debating how to answer.

“Just as I thought....”

‘Did he catch me? My Plankton Boss plan?!’

“So you really are planning to edit us in a cute way? I guess we’re closer to cute than cool anyway.”

“Yes. That’s exactly it!”

He was both incredibly perceptive and somehow completely oblivious at the same time.

While Gu Jaeyoung PD swallowed his laughter internally, the NewBlack members continued munching on burgers.

Junghyun asked the staff,

“PD-nim.”

“Hm?”

“Aren’t you going to eat the fries from the combo set?”

“I’m too full. Want them?”

“Then we’ll gladly take them.”

While the production crew rubbed their stomachs, the NewBlack members diligently began devouring the fries.

Main writer Yang Mihyun blinked.

“You guys... aren’t full?”

“No.”

“That’s seriously amazing.”

Everyone couldn’t help admiring the digestive capabilities of men in their twenties.

‘They’re like black holes.’

‘They’re not humans. They’re vacuum cleaners.’

At first it had been funny.

Back when NewBlack first showed up in those flapping oversized clothes, that was what they thought.

‘How much could they possibly eat?’

But then—

Seriously.

They seriously had no idea they’d eat this much.

Even Ri Hyuk, who everyone assumed was the smallest eater in NewBlack, kept eating endlessly.

He nibbled delicately, but the nibbling simply never stopped for hours.

“Still, thanks to that, we don’t need to worry.”

Oh Taejun PD said,

“The next restaurants are the important ones.”

“Right.”

Since the upcoming restaurants had world-famous chefs personally appearing, the members’ reactions were crucial.

No matter how professional a broadcaster someone was, once they got full, their reactions naturally weakened.

So from the production staff’s perspective, the members continuing to eat this enthusiastically was actually a good thing.

“Done eating?”

“Yes.”

After Junghyun scraped even the soup bowl completely clean—

The camera director burst into laughter.

“You guys don’t even need dishwashing, huh?”

They had eaten so thoroughly the plates were practically sparkling.

The NewBlack members smiled sheepishly while the restaurant owner watching from afar wore a proud smile.

As NewBlack said goodbye to the owner, the production crew exited the restaurant first.

“By the way.......”

Oh Taejun PD glanced at the map while speaking.

“Shouldn’t the members change clothes? Dress codes matter a lot at fine dining places.”

“Should we?”

“Don’t you remember our Paris special for Please Save Han? We got rejected because we didn’t know there was a dress code.”

Fine dining.

These expensive luxury restaurants usually enforced strict dress codes.

Especially in Western countries. If you wore slippers or shorts, even celebrities could get denied entry.

‘Those flapping clothes definitely seem a bit.......’

That was what they were thinking when—

“Hm?”

“Uh?”

The production crew blinked at the sight of NewBlack emerging after taking commemorative photos with the owner.

‘Huh? Wait, they look fine?’

The clothes that had been flapping wildly all morning were now perfectly fitted to their bodies.

Like they actually matched their physiques.

Seeing the members looking adorably rounder, Gu Jaeyoung PD reached out in confusion.

“H-how did they.......”

“You mean why the clothes that were flapping around this morning fit perfectly now?”

“Yes.”

Seo Ri Hyuk smirked.

“Because we calculated that before choosing the outfits.”

Then the members casually threw on lightweight summer jackets handed to them by their managers, making the production crew burst into laughter.

Wooju and his lackeys struck cute poses.

“How do we look? Pretty cool, right?”

The production crew nodded and gave thumbs-ups.

Bosco.

The fine dining restaurant we were visiting for dinner today.

The restaurant’s name meant “forest” in Italian, and its specialty was Italian cuisine.

It was run by the Italian American world-famous chef Dante Cellini.

“I’m so excited. I can’t believe I’m meeting him in person.”

Our second member was extremely hyped.

“I’m seriously a huge fan. I liked him ever since he was a judge on Master Chef US. One contestant told him, ‘Then you do it yourself,’ and he just stepped right up.”

“He must’ve looked really cool.”

“He did. Watching that made me decide something too.”

Biju’s eyes sparkled.

“I want to become that kind of expert in dance too. The kind of person who can walk up when people say, ‘That choreography’s impossible,’ and go, ‘Actually, it’s not.’”

Our expressions instantly turned cold.

‘So this guy’s responsible.’

‘This is why Biju hyung always goes, “Impossible? Watch this,” and demonstrates everything.’

We suddenly felt hostility toward someone we’d never even met.

While chatting like that, we entered Restaurant Bosco.

“Oh.”

Modern interior design.

Warm lighting characteristic of American restaurants, with candles placed on every table.

As we walked in listening to the murmur of conversations, diners throughout the restaurant caught our attention.

“This place really is famous.”

Ri Hyuk commented.

“I recognize people everywhere.”

“Seriously.”

American celebrities we’d previously seen at award shows and events appeared one after another as we passed tables.

While a waiter guided us to our seats, someone called out.

“Hey!”

A singer-songwriter with brown hair and striking red lips sat elegantly in a beautiful dress.

“What brings you here? It’s so good to see you!”

“We came to eat.”

It was Mandy Spice, the popular singer-songwriter we often ran into at award ceremonies.

We used to just exchange casual greetings, but after sitting at the same table during the Met Gala, we’d become fairly close.

“There are cameras?”

“We’re filming a TV show from Korea. Want to say hi?”

“Hi, nice to meet you, Korea everyone! I’m Mandy Spice. I’m currently appearing on NewBlack’s TV show~! Please keep watching!”

The singer skillfully threw in fanservice comments about how passionate Korean fans had been during her last Korea concert.

Mandy introduced the friends sitting at her table.

“These are my friends. Vanessa, Katie, Helen.”

Apparently she’d come to eat with close model friends, and we exchanged smiles and greetings with them.

I turned back toward her.

“Congratulations on your album release. Your new songs are seriously good. I heard even the B-sides entered the Billboard chart.”

“Even so, I still couldn’t get first place because of someone.”

I laughed at her teasing tone.

Mandy Spice’s new album, which had recently received incredible scores from Rolling Stone, was dominating the upper Billboard rankings.

Of course—

#1. Cold Brown & Wooju - Answer

First place was still the collaboration song between me and Cold Brown.

Our song had remained #1 for eleven consecutive weeks and was predicted to stay there another three or four weeks.

“Let’s meet again later.”

“Sure. Call me.”

After that, we exchanged greetings with other people dining at nearby tables.

We shook hands with famous talk show host Larry Gordon as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

We warmly greeted a popular drama actor who had been our presenter at the Billboard Awards.

“.......”

Seeing the production crew suddenly fall silent after reaching our table, we asked,

“What’s wrong?”

“I suddenly feel distant from you guys. This indescribable distance....”

“Hm. In that case.”

The members and I smiled.

“Hehehe....”

“A little more.”

“Hehehehe!”

“Whew. Okay, now you feel close again.”

We burst into laughter at the staff’s response.

“What are you talking about? We’re always the same people.”

“No, but you’re casually greeting people we only ever see in movies and on TV.”

“They’re all just people too.”

Back then, Hollywood had seemed like this overwhelming “wow” kind of place to us too.

But after actually coming here, people everywhere turned out to be the same.

“Sibal!”

“?”

“I just felt like shouting it!”

Well, except Hailey....

As we sat down at our reserved table, a waiter approached.

“Nice to meet you. My name is TJ.”

“Nice to meet you too, TJ.”

“These are the standard menus, and if anyone here is vegetarian, I recommend focusing on these selections.......”

Following the waiter’s guidance, we looked over the menu.

It was a course meal system where we only needed to choose certain dishes.

After selecting the recommended sablefish as our main—

“Do any of you have allergies related to the ingredients in the menu you selected?”

“No allergies.”

Maybe because this was overseas, but the consideration regarding allergies was incredibly thorough.

While waiting for the appetizers, the members and I discussed details like that too.

“We should definitely learn from this. We need to notify customers about possible allergens in advance too.”

Ri Hyuk nodded.

“And I think we should make vegetarian menu items too. Come to think of it, we’ve focused way too much on meat.”

“I agree.”

As we discussed the meticulous details we’d need to consider when opening our restaurant—

“Your appetizers have arrived.”

“Woooow...!”

The appetizers arrived, and we gasped in admiration.

‘This really is.......’

‘An impressively tiny amount of food...!’

It felt like placing a single bean in front of a bear family.

Thank goodness we’d already filled our stomachs while touring restaurants earlier.

“So this is confit.”

Pretty vegetables decorated the sides of a tiny chicken drumstick dish.

We carefully lifted our knives and forks and took a bite.

“!”

“!!”

Without realizing it, our brows furrowed as admiration escaped us.

“It’s delicious...!”

“Wow, this is seriously incredible.”

The chicken meat melted in our mouths the instant we bit into it.

Slightly rich, but in a way that truly justified the price. It was the kind of taste that immediately made you reach for another bite.

But—

“It’s gone.”

“Seriously.”

“.......”

“.......”

One bite and it was over.

We once again realized we didn’t possess refined gourmet tastes as we steadily finished each course.

After finishing the main dishes and moving on to dessert—

“Whoa...!”

“Cellini! It’s Dante Cellini!”

The murmuring around the restaurant suddenly grew louder, and we turned our heads.

A middle-aged chef with neatly combed white hair and a stern expression walked between the tables.

After shaking hands with guests and asking if they’d enjoyed their meals, the chef finished greeting people and approached us.

‘Oh.......’

‘His presence is insane.’

His perfectly upright posture and walk.

Even his appearance alone radiated perfectionism toward cooking, and combined with his hooked nose, he truly resembled an eagle.

A chef holding seventeen Michelin stars.

A chef famous worldwide and also the CEO of numerous businesses across the globe.

Beyond his fame, he was renowned for his overwhelming skill.

A man who could identify every ingredient in a dish after a single bite and immediately pinpoint improvements if something was wrong.

That chef approached us.

“.......”

An intimidating chef radiating a terrifying aura.

Just as our bright eyes met the chef’s sharp gaze in midair—

Smack!

Someone slapped the chef’s clothes from behind, and Dante Cellini’s expression instantly changed.

His cheeks twitched as his face softened warmly.

“It is truly... an honor... to meet NewBlack, the greatest singers in the world.”

The chef who had been greeting other guests sternly just moments ago suddenly wore a business smile, making us blink.

Then our gazes slowly lowered.

The person controlling the world-famous chef into greeting us more gently by smacking his thigh—

A tiny little girl barely reaching his waist peeked out from behind him.

“Hello.”

The child greeted us.

“My name is Luna. I’m seven years old. Souffle.”

Seeing the elementary school-aged Souffle clutching her father’s clothes shyly, we burst into laughter.

“Mind if I sit down?”

“Of course.”

“My daughter is a huge fan.”

As Dante Cellini said that, he sat his daughter on his lap.

When we waved and said “Hiiiii,” the child shyly twisted her body around while her father smiled proudly.

On TV he always looked strict and prickly, but around his daughter he seemed completely foolish.

“I hope the food suited your tastes.”

“Yes. It was truly delicious.”

When we gave him detailed compliments, he nodded with satisfaction.

“Well, naturally. After all, who do you think created the dishes?”

Smack-

“...It is an honor... to hear NewBlack, the greatest singers in the world, praise my cuisine so highly.......”

We burst into laughter at the sight of the daughter controlling her father like some dark sorcerer.

While the production crew grinned happily over the excellent footage, Cellini interlocked his fingers.

“I heard you’re preparing to open a restaurant.”

“Yes.”

Once we explained the plan, he stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“If you’re aiming for food targeted toward the general public... then I probably can’t help much. Many of my recipes are simple, but most are far removed from everyday food, and they certainly aren’t something you can tackle with passion alone.”

“Does it take a long time to learn?”

He held up ten fingers.

“It would take around ten years before the flavor truly develops.”

“I... see.”

“But I can help in other ways.”

The chef, with his daughter still sitting on his lap, began giving us various pieces of advice.

Things like basic restaurant management tips.

As someone who traveled the world by private jet running businesses, his advice was definitely worth listening to.

“The beginning and end of restaurant management is role distribution. Even if you hire absolute trash—”

“Dad.”

“—terrible employees, a restaurant will still operate reasonably well if responsibilities are divided properly.”

After hearing we hadn’t assigned roles yet, he asked,

“Have you decided on a menu?”

“We’re still thinking about it.”

“Then I’ll help with that part.”

“?”

The chef spoke.

“The reason you can’t choose a menu right now is simple. You don’t understand your own abilities.”

“Ah.......”

“Because you don’t know your skill levels, you don’t know which menu suits you.”

We all exclaimed in realization.

“Ah, that explains why choosing a menu has been so hard.”

“You only realized that now? It’s basic common sen—”

Smack-

“It’s understandable. People may not realize it.”

Holding his daughter in one arm, the chef gestured for us to follow him.

After passing through a separate door, we entered a place resembling a culinary research laboratory.

“This is where I personally study cooking.”

A space filled with cooking tools and industrial freezers.

Dragged here before we even realized it, we were suddenly given assignments as the chef announced he would evaluate our cooking skills.

“First, try preparing these ingredients simply.”

Following the chef chopping vegetables with a knife, we each began slicing vegetables at our cutting boards.

Cellini called over Jiho, Junghyun, and Ri Hyuk.

“You three should peel onions instead.”

“Yes!”

While watching the members peel onions, Cellini called out to Jiho.

“Jiho.”

“Yes!”

“Dishwashing.”

In an instant, the maknae had been demoted to dishwasher, making us burst into laughter.

The maknae protested.

“Why?!”

“You truly wish to know the reason?”

Smack-

“Dishwashing is also an important kitchen duty. I believe Jiho’s abilities will... shine there.......”

While we snickered at the maknae being assigned dish duty—

Crunch.

Junghyun crushed an onion while peeling it.

The onion collapsed into juice and pulp.

“Junghyun.”

“Yes.”

“You are currently destroying the ingred—”

Smack-

“You belong in the dining hall. You have excellent observational instincts, but delicate tasks seem difficult for you.”

We burst into laughter as Junghyun was effectively banished from the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Cellini observed Ri Hyuk carefully peeling onions.

“Ri Hyuk.”

“Y-yes?”

“You are in charge of beverages.”

He assigned Ri Hyuk to drinks because his movements suited delicate work.

“Hm.”

Then Cellini stopped in front of Biju and me.

Perfectly prepared ingredients.

“You two pass.”

Biju and I high-fived.

Cellini examined the ingredients we prepared with a stern expression.

“?”

After looking at the cross-section of the ingredients I had cut, Cellini told me to cut them again.

“Where did you learn knife skills?”

“Watching famous chefs on MyTube...?”

“How strange.”

After making me cut ingredients once more, he gave another instruction.

Demonstrating it personally.

“Now peel the tomato skin. Like this.”

“Yes.”

“That’s right. Very good. You avoided damaging the ingredient. Now coat the heated pan with olive oil and melt the butter.”

“Yes.”

“Good. Sauté the onions just as I showed you....”

“Done.”

“Excellent. Then add the meat and stir-fry it together—no, counterclockwise like that. Exactly.”

Matching the instructions shouted beside me, I focused completely while responding, “Yes, Chef!”

And then—

“Chef! The dish is complete!”

“Excellent.”

Looking at the fragrant stew releasing delicious aromas, Dante Cellini and I high-fived.

“You possess talent as a cook. To imitate things this well simply by observing beside me......”

“Thank you, Chef!”

“Continue striving.”

“Yes! I’ll continue to devote myself to impr—”

Cellini and I both froze.

“Huh?”

“Uh...?”

Something felt strange.