Chapter 993: It Was Beautiful From Far Away.. (5)

Friday night.

Souffle was happy.

I love Fridays. Fridays are the best~

Finally Fridayㅠㅠㅠㅠ

I’m unemployed but Friday is still my favorite

The online forums bustled with activity.

Lately, Friday nights had become the busiest time for Souffle.

The reason was simple.

[Newverse Live Discussion Thread]

Every Friday at 9 PM, NBS aired .

It was the sacred hour when exhausted Souffle members finished washing up, cracked open a can of beer, and sat down in front of the TV.

‘Khhh! This is the life!’

Souffle slurped down foamy beer and grinned brightly at the online TV schedule.

And today, there was something extra.

10:40 PM Mission Singer (TBC)

The very show that had recently turned Ri Hyuk into the hottest topic in the music industry with his monstrous vocal ability.

‘Newverse ends and then straight into Mission Singer live.’

It was, quite literally, the perfect way to end the week.

As Souffle happily sipped beer, the commercials on NBS ended and Newverse began.

Online communities buzzed in anticipation before the broadcast.

Even casual viewers and ordinary non-fans had joined in, giving the whole thing the atmosphere of a nationwide variety show event.

Today’s the new special episode, right???

ㄷㄱㄷㄱ

Jaeyoung, I believe in you... give us another banger episode

Just be as good as the driver’s license special pls

Last week’s driver’s license special had finally concluded.

The members had invited acquaintances for driving practice and a retreat, then gathered Souffle together for a fan meeting.

‘The ratings dipped a little, but...’

Unlike the celebrity-heavy specials, the side story focused on fans had a calmer, healing atmosphere and didn’t draw as much mainstream attention.

Even so, despite dropping by 2%, the show was still pulling an astonishing 8–9% rating.

And it had produced the legendary meme clip of Kim Junghyun driving a bus.

Of course...

Some people had already started using the relatively lower ratings as ammunition to needle Souffle.

What are they doing today? The fan episode was boring as hell so I skipped last week;

Looks like the early hype’s finally wearing off.. the production team’s getting complacent

Ratings are slowly dropping now.. hmm..

If ratings don’t bounce back today they’re gonna be in decline for a while

Crunch.

The aluminum can in Souffle’s hands crumpled under the pressure.

‘Seriously, over just two episodes...’

The recent special, where NewBlack listened to fans’ worries and held performances together, had been a warm healing-style arc overall.

A slight decline was only natural.

The real problem was the antis causing a scene over “falling ratings” even though 9% was still considered an enormous success.

And whenever Souffle tried to argue back, the response pattern was always the same.

So did the ratings go up though?ㅋㅋㅋ

Using even the slightest drop compared to previous performance as an excuse to pile on criticism was a long-standing tradition in idol fandom culture.

‘Sigh.’

The Souffle members about to reply gave up and turned back toward the TV.

The reason the antis were acting like this was obvious.

‘Because today’s the food special.’

They were already holding funeral rites in advance because they expected today’s ratings to fall even harder.

[Newverse Gourmet Special]

The new arc followed NewBlack traveling overseas to explore food culture.

To be fair, the antis’ reaction was understandable at first glance.

Celebrity gourmet variety shows rarely pulled high ratings.

Travel formats were one thing.

But regular celebrities eating food without being culinary experts usually struggled to create entertaining content.

Still, Souffle possessed an unshakable faith.

Our boys are funny even when they’re just walking around!!

That was right.

Living comedy machines. That was their favorite group.

When Souffle stopped responding, the antis interpreted it as victory in the first round and celebrated gleefully.

‘Food special! This is our chance!’

Surely this would become the most boring special yet.

How entertaining could watching people eat possibly be?

Their fingers tapped excitedly across keyboards.

I wish they’d stop going overseasㅠㅠ Aren’t they supposed to be the nation’s idols? Why are they always abroad

Why are they even doing a food special?

Didn’t they say at the press conference they’d show something different from other observation showsㅋㅋ now it’s just another observation variety

Another food show? Enough already

Seriously if I wanted to watch celebrities eat and “heal” I’d watch something else.. there’s way better stuff out there

...And just as those comments were being posted—

The actual broadcast of Newverse began.

Immediately, NewBlack appeared on TV holding a serious meeting with Producer Gu Jaeyoung and the writers.

[We want to try a restaurant special.]

[We’ll open a restaurant at a domestic tourist spot and run the business ourselves.]

NewBlack had declared they were opening a restaurant...!

“!”

“!!”

While the antis blinked in confusion, the comment section exploded with viewer reactions.

holy shit

Wait a restaurant??ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Are they gonna do ticketing??? Where’s it happening??

Guys!! NewBlack’s opening a restaurant!!!

Oh god are we getting Hell Evaluation 2.0?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I’m so excited

It was the same team that had once transformed Jeungpyeong Rest Stop into the infamous “Hell Evaluation Rest Stop” and created the legendary dish NewBulbaek.

Even entertainment reporters watching live immediately started publishing articles like “Is the NewBlack Restaurant Project Beginning?”

Then subtitles appeared on screen.

[Which is why we prepared this.]

[NewBlack Gourmet Special!]

Upbeat music played as NewBlack’s destinations were revealed.

Starting with Los Angeles in the United States, then Brazil, Argentina, England, France...

The lineup alone thrilled viewers.

The antis simply blinked silently.

Usually, food programs failed because their goals lacked clarity.

But this time...

At the meeting table, Biju smiled brightly and explained their objective.

[We want to experience and learn about foods from around the world, then introduce them in Korea.]

The justification was perfect.

They would learn various cuisines abroad and bring them back to serve Korean people.

Just like that, the easiest criticism—“Why are they opening a restaurant overseas?”—became unusable.

They’re really gonna milk this gourmet special for like 3 or 4 weeks..?

Isn’t that way too long

Feels like there won’t even be much to show though

Even they themselves knew the attacks sounded pathetic now, but it was too late to suddenly admit, “Actually this looks fun.”

And honestly, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

‘What exactly are they gonna show?’

Surely it would just be them eating food at restaurants while pretending to explore world cuisine.

There was no way they’d seriously learn anyth—

“Huh?”

At that exact moment, the highlight teaser appeared.

[And the masters arrive.]

“?”

“??”

[Hi.]

A stern-faced white chef appeared onscreen.

[Hello, Korea. I’m Dante Cellini.]

Dante Cellini.

Judge on and one of the most famous chefs in the world.

???

Wait what?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-[Breaking] Dante Cellini appears

Hey turn on Newverse right now NBS is going insane

Teacher?? Why are YOU here..??

A world-famous chef had appeared in the preview.

And not just briefly, either.

He wasn’t simply popping in to say hello—he was personally teaching NewBlack how to cook.

And that wasn’t all.

[I’m Bobby Ross.]

A massively built Black chef famous enough for many viewers to recognize instantly appeared teaching NewBlack as well.

Then came Brazil’s top barista teaching Ri Hyuk how to brew coffee.

Famous chefs often seen on TV lined up one after another in the teaser.

“......”

After previewing something absolutely enormous—

Community reactions and online news articles exploded instantly, and the antis died glorious deaths.

Quietly, they turned off their TVs.

‘Fuck...’

But three minutes later—

“......”

“......”

The antis awkwardly turned the TVs back on.

Honestly...

Even they were curious now.

One hour and thirty minutes.

Including commercials, it was an ordinary runtime for a variety show.

But today, Newverse viewers felt like it ended far too quickly.

“Wow......”

The vivid reactions from foreigners on TV poured out one after another.

[Oh?? Boss! NewBlack came to our restaurant!]

[It’s NewBlack!!!! I’m Souffleeeee!!!!]

[Jiho, I’m dressing as you for Halloween this year.]

A burger shop employee covering her mouth in shock.

A deeply tanned Souffle fan sprinting over with a surfboard.

A chubby man referencing the drama .

Korean viewers’ lips curled upward.

“Damn... they’re insanely popular.”

“I heard they were big overseas too, but wow.”

No matter the country, very few people truly dislike the feeling of national pride.

People only hate the obviously forced stuff like, “Koreans are all handsome and beautiful,” or “You’re the lead actor of a 10 billion dollar PBS historical epic!”

But seeing fellow Koreans succeed overseas?

That felt fantastic.

Stop awakening my inner patriotism

Ahㅋㅋㅋㅋ my smile keeps creeping up

Wowㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

They seriously recognize all of them

More... show us more, Jaeyoungㅠㅠㅠ show us more

The reactions resembled those given to international pop stars, and Koreans nodded with strangely satisfied expressions.

Meanwhile, the contents of Gourmet Special Episode 1 unfolded.

‘Waaah...’

Palm trees and beaches stretched beautifully across the LA scenery.

Authentic American foods like hamburgers, hot dogs, and tacos filled the screen.

‘I want to eat that too.’

‘Why are only YOU guys eating...?’

And every time, Koreans immediately opened delivery apps.

“W-What?! Why are there suddenly so many orders......!”

“Boss! They’re doing an American food special on Newverse right now!!”

“My god...”

Owners of handmade burger restaurants grinned ear to ear.

As overloaded restaurants began posting “Orders temporarily unavailable,” customers flooded chicken and pizza places instead.

The viewers smiled brightly.

‘Khhh.’

‘This is it.’

Every time NewBlack visited a restaurant, the owners personally came out to introduce and promote their menus.

Viewers chuckled seeing foreign restaurant owners nervously catering to them—so different from those older overseas variety shows where locals would react to “They’re Korean celebrities” with indifferent arrogance.

Seriously humans are all the sameㅋㅋㅋ

I wanna show this to people always saying westerners don’t care about celebritiesㅋㅋㅋ

Customers who can change your yearly revenue depending on how you treat them

Didn’t NewBlack get racially discriminated against once at some Australian restaurant?

That place shut down and an Indian restaurant moved in next doorㅇㅇ

At the same time, Newverse was faithfully fulfilling its role as a gourmet program too.

[Mm. If I had to describe these buffalo wings... they’re a little spicy, but not greasy? The sauce kind of reminds me of gochujang. Though by Korean standards I think it’s about Shin Ramyun level spicy.]

[It’s the kind of flavor you cleanse your palate with after eating something rich.]

[The outside’s crispy, but the inside is incredibly juicy.]

Junghyun and Jiho somehow made every food look delicious.

A close-up showed crispy buffalo wings coated in sauce, steam rising from the tender meat inside.

“Ahh, that looks good.”

“The boys really know how to eat.”

Not just younger viewers—even middle-aged audiences swallowed hard.

They knew perfectly well it would probably feel greasy to Korean tastes, but the way the members ate made it look irresistible.

Meanwhile, Biju and Ri Hyuk’s conversation flowed naturally into viewers’ ears.

[I heard there are several theories about ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) the origin of buffalo wings. The most widely accepted one is that they originated in Buffalo, New York in 1964.......]

Ri Hyuk explained the food’s history after thoroughly researching it, and viewers listened with sparkling eyes.

Then Biju started discussing the recipe.

[It seems like a sauce based on hot sauce and chili sauce. There’s a bit of garlic too, and instead of salted butter they probably used another kind of butter.......]

He politely asked the restaurant owners about the recipe, and each time, the owners reacted with visible surprise.

Yet another day the culinary world loses talented recruitsㅠㅠ

Look how accurate Biju isㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

As expected from the guy who made braised fish hit #1 trending

Biju please release the recipeㅠㅠㅠㅠ

And Wooju displayed the qualities worthy of the head chef of Goblin Restaurant.

[After calculating the costs, I think this might be difficult. Ingredient prices for this dish have gone up a lot recently.......]

[Biju. What do you think? Could the two of us handle this together?]

[The menu consistency would be a problem....]

At the leader’s words, each member offered opinions.

Scenes of them selecting menu items and debating ideas like real restaurant entrepreneurs unfolded onscreen.

Grandson of a diner owner indeed

Wooju would succeed no matter what he did

Has Wooju actually run a business before???

Heard he worked at his grandmother’s restaurant before enlisting

As viewers smiled warmly at how seriously they approached business—

NewBlack finally finished their food exploration and moved beneath the sunset skies of LA.

Their destination was Dante Cellini’s restaurant.

And as people inside recognized NewBlack, Korean viewers looked stunned.

“Isn’t that girl really famous?”

“No, Mom. Everyone in there is famous.”

As expected of one of LA’s most prestigious restaurants, Hollywood celebrities dining there greeted NewBlack casually.

A trending singer-songwriter named Mandy Spice.

A famous talk show host.

A well-known actor eating with his agent.

It felt bizarre watching global celebrities normally seen only in movies or concerts casually greet Korea’s national idols.

And then—

The star of today’s highlight finally appeared.

[Hello. I’m Dante Cellini.]

[I’m Luna....]

The stern-faced chef appeared alongside his daughter.

Every time he acted overly strict toward NewBlack, his daughter smacked him on the knee as if saying, Behave yourself, and viewers burst into laughter.

So he only came because of his daughterㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

I DID wonder why a chef at Cellini’s level would appearㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

His daughter’s a Souffle what was he supposed to doㅋㅋㅋ

I wanna know how the daughter reacted after Tosanim showed upㅋㅋㅋ bet she became a superstar among kids

Soon, viewers exploded with laughter at Dante Cellini’s elite training session.

The world-famous chef secretly watched Wooju cooking, then smiled with deep satisfaction as though he liked what he saw.

[Wooju. I’ll teach you some techniques.]

[Excuse me?]

[Now. Follow me.]

[...Excuse me?]

[Your passion for cooking moved me. I can see how much effort you must have put in to reach this level.]

[Me?]

Cooking lessons suddenly began while Wooju wore a thoroughly bewildered expression.

Dante Cellini sincerely taught him advanced skills, and Wooju somehow kept up with everything.

Just as viewers were laughing and wanting more—

“Ahhh...!”

“No!”

The cruel 1 hour and 30 minutes came to an end.

The preview for next week showed their meeting with Chef Bobby Ross and the beginning of the Brazil food tour.

“Ah......”

“They cut it off at the perfect spot.”

As sponsor logos appeared and the program moved into commercials—

Viewers reluctantly switched channels.

To TBC, a terrestrial channel much farther down the dial.

People who turned to channel 11 waited casually for the commercials to end.

“Isn’t that thing on again today? Ri Hyuk?”

“No.”

At her parents’ question, one Souffle fan shook her head while staring at her phone.

“Ri Hyuk appears, but probably only briefly. His actual performance will probably air near the end next week.”

“Ahhh.... Guess we’ll switch if it’s boring.”

While the parents said that, the Souffle members stared at their phones with enormous smiles.

Tomorrow’s ratings weren’t out yet, but they were already certain today’s Newverse had gone absolutely insane.

[Real-Time Trending Searches]

#1 Dante Cellini

#2 Newverse

Entertainment news articles were already flooding the internet.

Speculative headlines like “Where Will Goblin Restaurant Ultimately Be Located??” appeared everywhere.

Communities overflowed with Newverse posts.

Just as everyone was losing track of time checking reactions and posting on social media—

“Hey, hey.”

The parents called out.

“Hm?”

“Didn’t you say Ri Hyuk wasn’t appearing today?”

“Yeah. He isn’t.”

“Then why is Ri Hyuk on TV right now...??”

The Souffle fan looked up from the phone with a confused expression—

And nearly choked.

[Hello, everyone!]

A crane mask was making a V sign with its fingers while acting cute.

[This is Korea Hip-Hop’s Number One, Seo Ri Hyuk!!]

The Souffle fans staring blankly at the TV shot to their feet.

“Holy shi—”

“Your mother told you not to swear. Makes you look uncivilized.”

“No, I... I just saw God.”

It genuinely felt like the kind of moment where someone should scream, I HAVE SEEN GOD!

As their hearts pounded wildly, Souffle members who recognized the silhouette began posting online.

GUYS!!!!! TURN ON TBC RIGHT NOW!!! WOOJU’S ON!!

Wooju just appeared on Mission Singer

Korea Hip-Hop’s Number One Seo Ri Hyuk 등장

Not just online forums—even messenger chats erupted.

[HOLY SHIT]

[My husband Sun Wooju appeared on Mission Singer]

[fuck off]

[I’m serious;;]

News spread everywhere through frantic messages saying, “Sun Wooju showed up!”

‘Holy crap.’

‘Write first. Edit later.’

Entertainment reporters hurriedly published typo-filled articles in a frenzy.

And then—

People returning home late from enjoying Friday night saw chaotic group chats and online news alerts.

‘Mission Singer’ welcomes Korea Hip-Hop’s Number One Seo Ri Hyuk... “I came to defeat King Sun Wooju”

“!”

“!!”

Everyone frantically grabbed their phones.

If had blown a refreshing wind through television audiences earlier—

Then this was a full-blown storm.

Of course...

“So Wooju appeared as Ri Hyuk? Which means Wooju isn’t Wooju, he’s Ri Hyuk?”

“Yeah.”

“And Ri Hyuk is the comedy king Sun Wooju.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s awfully strange. Weird kids......”

Souffle couldn’t say a word in response to the bewildered reactions from ordinary people.

The crane mask appeared onscreen.

“He’s here!”

“Finally!”

Biju and Jiho cheered.

“Ugh....”

“Sweet-potato horn moth....”

Ri Hyuk looked like he didn’t even want to watch again, while Junghyun wore an expression of complete exhaustion.

Meanwhile, I simply laughed happily.

“Kyaaaahahaha! Do you see this, minions?!”

The name “Korea Hip-Hop’s Number One Seo Ri Hyuk” had completely swallowed the trending searches and portal sites.

The attention was scorching hot.

“Kyaaaahahaha!”

“This is blowing up!”

As I danced in circles celebrating with the others—

“Seriously....”

I brushed my hair back and picked up my phone.

“I’ve waited for this day for so long.”

“Is it finally time to contact your grandmother?”

“That’s right!”

For the past two weeks, she’d been using a King Sun Wooju profile picture while bragging, [My grandson.]

Do you know how infuriating that had been?

Now it was time to change it.

Tap tap. Tap-tap-tap.

Me [Kim Deoksun]

Me [You should use this as your profile picture now]

I sent her a screenshot.

But...

“......”

“......”

No response.

I wondered if she was leaving me on read, so I sent six more messages, but still nothing.

Usually she would at least reply with something like “What nonsense” or “Damn brat.”

Junghyun asked as I started calling her.

“Hyung. Did you tell Grandma to watch today’s broadcast?”

“No...?”

And then a familiar voice rang in my ear.

[The customer you are trying to reach currently has their phone turned off...]

It was Kim Deoksun’s trademark pattern whenever she went to sleep.

“She’s asleep.......”

“.......”

“No, seriously, what kind of elementary school bedtime is this?!”

The younger members burst into laughter.

“Uaaaaaagh...!”

“Pwahahaha!”

Do you know how long I’ve waited for this day...?!