***
“Here it is.”
Hyun-soo arrived at Sunflower during lunchtime.
It took him a while to find it since it wasn’t near the station or located in the popular alley of restaurants that he passed by on his way.
“It’s tucked away in the back. Is this place really that good?”
He mumbled while looking at the phone attached to the selfie stick in his left hand. He seemed to be in the middle of filming. He was holding a selfie stick and an action camera in each hand. These were essential filming equipment for any YouTuber.
“The exterior is ugly. What’s with the mural? Crazy. Heh heh. Women might like it, but it’s not my style. What do you guys think?”
It looked like an ordinary house that had been renovated. Despite being called a famous restaurant, there was no line of people waiting.
He entered the store with the camera still rolling. He opened the small door between the stone walls and stepped into the courtyard, where there were a few stylish chairs and tables scattered around.
“Wow, there are a lot of people inside. It looks like they’re all waiting.”
Then, without asking for permission, he started filming the people waiting.
Some of them, noticing the camera, covered their faces with their wallets, looking annoyed.
“What’s with this guy?”
“I don’t know. Is he a YouTuber?”
“Annoying.”
He was an unwelcome guest during their leisurely lunch.
Ever since platforms like YouTube and American TV started popping up like mushrooms, there had been a surge of strange people.
They would barge in with their cameras without any manners. Even if they protested, they wouldn’t listen, so they usually just left them alone. It wasn’t because they were afraid of trouble.
“The yard is cool. They must have spent a lot of money on it.”
Hyun-soo walked into the store with the camera, completely ignoring the people who were openly expressing their displeasure.
As expected, the inside of the store was packed with people.
There weren’t many tables to begin with.
‘Why is it so cramped? Still, the tonkatsu looks delicious.’
The reactions of the people eating were also positive.
“This is really good.”
“I know, right? I’m glad we came.”
“Let’s eat quickly and take a picture with the cat.”
“Okay.”
He had a feeling that this place would be a hit.
The food looked good and the visuals were nice.
On top of that, there was even a mascot cat basking in the sunlight by the window.
‘What if this video goes viral?’
Hyun-soo’s mind was racing.
If he could get some free tonkatsu and take some footage of the cat, he could get a lot of views. If he could sweet-talk the owner into giving him some free advertising as well…
“Hehehe…”
“Are you alone? Please write your name on the waiting list and wait outside.”
Min-ju, who had spotted the man who had come in with a camera and was acting rudely, approached him with a polite smile.
At that, Hyun-soo, who had been in a state of euphoria, looked her up and down before asking bluntly, “You work here?”
“Yes.”
“Is the owner here?”
“He is, but he’s busy. He’s cooking in the kitchen.”
“I’m this kind of person.”
Hyun-soo slipped his business card, which he had received to commemorate reaching 100,000 subscribers, between his fingers and handed it to her.
Usually, when he said he was a blogger or a YouTuber, the owners would come out and fawn over him.
They knew the power he wielded and would never treat him rudely. Even more so if he was a famous blogger or had a Silver Button channel with over 100,000 subscribers.
“I want to film here.”
He said in a displeased tone.
“Filming?”
“Yeah. So tell the owner to come out quickly and set up a seat for me. They say the tonkatsu here is amazing. What else is good?”
He glanced at the menu.
“Cheese katsu and omelet rice? Is that all you have?”
He was so rude and arrogant that Min-ju thought he had made an appointment in advance.
She was angry at Hyun-soo’s rudeness, but she couldn’t lash out at him. If she made a mistake while dealing with people like this, they might post malicious comments or videos, which would negatively affect Hae-jun’s business.
Min-ju held back her anger and forced a smile.
“Please wait a moment.”
***
“What should we do?”
“What?”
“What did he say to you? I heard that there’s a YouTuber outside. I searched him up briefly while I was coming out of the kitchen, and he has 110,000 subscribers, so he’s not a huge star. I think it would be best to treat him to a nice meal and send him away without upsetting him.”
Hae-jun, who had been listening to Min-ju with an unreadable expression, stopped cooking for a moment and glanced outside.
‘Is that the guy?…’
Since the kitchen was partially open, Hae-jun could hear the conversation between Min-ju and the man earlier.
He didn’t like the way he talked to Min-ju and acted all high and mighty just because he was a YouTuber.
“I’ll take care of it.”
Hae-jun took off his apron and went out into the dining area.
“You were looking for me?”
“The owner? Oh, you’re young.”
“Are you here to eat?”
“Boss, you’re lucky. Usually, when I promote a restaurant like this, my sales go way up. It’s not easy to get on YouTube. First, let’s set up a seat…”
He acted friendly, putting his hand on Hae-jun’s shoulder and making rude demands.
Hae-jun, who couldn’t take it anymore, slapped his hand away and said,
‘Huh? He slapped my hand?’
Hyun-soo’s face contorted slightly at the unexpected reaction.
“Then, please write your name on the waiting list here and wait outside. As you can see, the dining area is small and the customers who are eating are getting upset. There’s also a space outside where you can sit and wait comfortably.”
“What?”
He doubted his own ears for a moment.
Wherever he went with his camera, the owners would always come out and bow to him.
Many places even prepared an envelope of money, asking him to edit the video nicely. And now, he was being turned away. In front of other people, no less.
‘Doesn’t this punk know who I am?’
“I think you’ve misunderstood something, Boss. I’m a YouTuber.”
“Really? YouTuber or not, everyone who comes to my restaurant has to follow the rules. If you have to wait, write your name down and wait quietly. When it’s your turn, you can come in and enjoy your meal. The people who are eating right now have waited anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. I can’t make an exception just because you’re a YouTuber.”
“Hey!…”
Hyun-soo’s face turned red with embarrassment. Not only did he not get a free meal, he also made a fool of himself in front of everyone.
The people who had been watching the situation snickered and laughed, covering their mouths.
“Boss, you’re making a mistake.”
“A mistake? I’m just telling him to wait his turn.”
“Well, that’s…”
“If you don’t like it, you can leave.”
Everyone in the dining area looked at Hyun-soo with contempt.
Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to save face if he stayed any longer, he turned around and hurried out of the store.
Click-
‘How dare he kick me out? This is ridiculous. Damn it. Just you wait.’
.
.
.
“Are you okay?”
After Hyun-soo left, Min-ju asked quietly.
“What?”
“That guy might post a weird video or something and we’ll lose customers.”
“It’s not our fault.”
“But if he nitpicks…”
“It’s fine. Did you forget? I’m the owner.”
Hae-jun smiled as if it was nothing.
Min-ju was the one who was worried.
If that guy posted a video badmouthing the store on YouTube, their sales would take a big hit.
“Don’t worry. If anyone else acts rude like that in the future, don’t hold back. Tell them off. I’ll back you up.”
***
A few days later.
Hyun-soo was scrolling through YouTube’s channels when he came across a video that made him curse.
“What the hell.”
It was a video by Dae-jang, a YouTuber with 1.57 million… no, 1.6 million subscribers.
[T/N: Dae-jang, also called ‘Captain’ in the previous chapter. ]
The video he uploaded this time had a whopping 1.5 million views in just one day.
The item was…
“Sunflower tonkatsu? Huh!…”
Judging from the thumbnail, it seemed like he had actually eaten tonkatsu there.
‘When I said I wanted to eat there, he told me to get lost.’
He clicked on the video in a fit of pique.
.
.
.
Dae-jang, a YouTuber with a slim figure, unlike his peers.
He started his opening remarks in front of a mural with sunflowers painted on it.
“My dear viewers! Today, I’ve come to a place that’s known for its insanely delicious tonkatsu. I’ll ask the owner for permission first and then come back.”
The scene shifted to the inside of the store.
He also took a shot with the store’s mascot cat, Mongchi, and looked around the interior.
And then, the sandwich he ordered.
“Wow. First of all, this fat sandwich. It’s huge. I think I’ll be full after eating just one. What? You say I’m bluffing? You’re right. No matter how big the fat sandwich is, I have to eat 20 of them. You know how big my stomach is. Haha. Unfortunately, it’s a limited-time offer, so I’ll try it for now and tell you how it tastes.”
Dae-jang devoured one tonkatsu sandwich in three bites.
His Truthful Eyebrows, which always drooped when he ate something delicious, pointed downwards.
Munch munch-
He mumbled as he exercised his jaw muscles.
Although he couldn’t understand what he was saying, he could tell from his expression that it was incredibly delicious.
Dae-jang wiped his lips with a wet tissue, feeling regret that he had finished the fat sandwich.
“It’s only available in the morning. Of course, I’m still hungry, so I’m going to wait here until lunchtime and eat the tonkatsu. Please wait!”
[3 hours later!!]
Dae-jang, who had taken a seat in the corner of the store, opened the lunch menu.
The old-fashioned tonkatsu was 6,500 won. The cheese katsu was 7,000 won. And the omelet rice was 6,000 won. Considering that it was located in Mokdong, the prices were quite reasonable.
“The rule for the lunch menu is that each person can only order one item. It’s not because two people came in and ordered only one portion, but because they ordered too much, so we had to limit it. Hahaha. Fortunately, there are only three of us: me, the cameraman, and the PD, so we can try all the items on the menu. So, if you want to try everything, come with the right number of people.”
After waiting for a while, the server brought out the food.
The old-fashioned tonkatsu, which was so big that it made his mouth drop open, the thick cheese katsu, and the omelet rice. Each dish was visually impressive.
Dae-jang zoomed in on the food with his action camera.
Even through the screen, the crispiness of the golden-brown fried coating was evident.
“The color is amazing. This is the most perfect color I’ve ever seen on fried food. And the smell is oh~ so good. This is the real deal. The real deal! Let’s cut into it first. Starting with the tonkatsu!”
Crunch- Crunch-
Sizzle-
The sound of the crispy coating was enough to make his stomach growl.
It was a fantastic ASMR that was close to torture just by listening to it.
“Wow~ Look at this, everyone. See how thick the meat is?”
He showed the tonkatsu to the camera from various angles before popping it into his mouth.
This time, too, his Truthful Eyebrows plummeted.
“Haah… This is crazy. This isn’t just some meat that’s been pounded thin until it falls apart. It’s been pounded to a moderate thickness, so the texture is good when you chew it. And the meat is good, but the fried coating is amazing. Wow~.”
Dae-jang also gave one tonkatsu each to the cameraman and the PD who were filming.
The staff members’ eyes widened as they tasted it. They shook their heads as if they couldn’t believe it.
They quickly divided the huge tonkatsu and ate it, and soon the plate was empty.
“First of all, the tonkatsu is a work of art. I mean it. Next is the cheese katsu! The tonkatsu was delicious, so I have high hopes for this one too.”
The cheese katsu was just as good, if not better.
When he stabbed the knife into the thick fried coating, cheese oozed out. He picked up a piece and cheese dripped down like a waterfall. How much cheese had they put in it?
“Wow, see the cheese? Cheese? This is no joke.”
Dae-jang’s eyes widened as he took a bite of the cheese katsu and the cheese stretched out.
Like the never-ending noodles in a cold noodle commercial, it kept stretching out- slurp slurp-. It was a scene that one would expect to see in a pizza commercial.
“The portions are big here, but the taste is really amazing. Wow~! It’s art.”
The video continued after that.
Not only did the stretchy cheese of the cheese katsu stimulate his appetite, but the sight of the egg spilling out when he cut the omelet on top of the omelet rice with a knife made the subscribers leave enthusiastic comments, saying that they couldn’t take it anymore.
Hyun-soo, who had been watching the video, frantically clicked the mouse button to turn off the screen.
He felt sick to his stomach seeing someone else doing well.
“Damn it. That was supposed to be my item. Haah…”
***
“Here it is.”
Hyun-soo arrived at Sunflower during lunchtime.
It took him a while to find it since it wasn’t near the station or located in the popular alley of restaurants that he passed by on his way.
“It’s tucked away in the back. Is this place really that good?”
He mumbled while looking at the phone attached to the selfie stick in his left hand. He seemed to be in the middle of filming. He was holding a selfie stick and an action camera in each hand. These were essential filming equipment for any YouTuber.
“The exterior is ugly. What’s with the mural? Crazy. Heh heh. Women might like it, but it’s not my style. What do you guys think?”
It looked like an ordinary house that had been renovated. Despite being called a famous restaurant, there was no line of people waiting.
He entered the store with the camera still rolling. He opened the small door between the stone walls and stepped into the courtyard, where there were a few stylish chairs and tables scattered around.
“Wow, there are a lot of people inside. It looks like they’re all waiting.”
Then, without asking for permission, he started filming the people waiting.
Some of them, noticing the camera, covered their faces with their wallets, looking annoyed.
“What’s with this guy?”
“I don’t know. Is he a YouTuber?”
“Annoying.”
He was an unwelcome guest during their leisurely lunch.
Ever since platforms like YouTube and American TV started popping up like mushrooms, there had been a surge of strange people.
They would barge in with their cameras without any manners. Even if they protested, they wouldn’t listen, so they usually just left them alone. It wasn’t because they were afraid of trouble.
“The yard is cool. They must have spent a lot of money on it.”
Hyun-soo walked into the store with the camera, completely ignoring the people who were openly expressing their displeasure.
As expected, the inside of the store was packed with people.
There weren’t many tables to begin with.
‘Why is it so cramped? Still, the tonkatsu looks delicious.’
The reactions of the people eating were also positive.
“This is really good.”
“I know, right? I’m glad we came.”
“Let’s eat quickly and take a picture with the cat.”
“Okay.”
He had a feeling that this place would be a hit.
The food looked good and the visuals were nice.
On top of that, there was even a mascot cat basking in the sunlight by the window.
‘What if this video goes viral?’
Hyun-soo’s mind was racing.
If he could get some free tonkatsu and take some footage of the cat, he could get a lot of views. If he could sweet-talk the owner into giving him some free advertising as well…
“Hehehe…”
“Are you alone? Please write your name on the waiting list and wait outside.”
Min-ju, who had spotted the man who had come in with a camera and was acting rudely, approached him with a polite smile.
At that, Hyun-soo, who had been in a state of euphoria, looked her up and down before asking bluntly, “You work here?”
“Yes.”
“Is the owner here?”
“He is, but he’s busy. He’s cooking in the kitchen.”
“I’m this kind of person.”
Hyun-soo slipped his business card, which he had received to commemorate reaching 100,000 subscribers, between his fingers and handed it to her.
Usually, when he said he was a blogger or a YouTuber, the owners would come out and fawn over him.
They knew the power he wielded and would never treat him rudely. Even more so if he was a famous blogger or had a Silver Button channel with over 100,000 subscribers.
“I want to film here.”
He said in a displeased tone.
“Filming?”
“Yeah. So tell the owner to come out quickly and set up a seat for me. They say the tonkatsu here is amazing. What else is good?”
He glanced at the menu.
“Cheese katsu and omelet rice? Is that all you have?”
He was so rude and arrogant that Min-ju thought he had made an appointment in advance.
She was angry at Hyun-soo’s rudeness, but she couldn’t lash out at him. If she made a mistake while dealing with people like this, they might post malicious comments or videos, which would negatively affect Hae-jun’s business.
Min-ju held back her anger and forced a smile.
“Please wait a moment.”
***
“What should we do?”
“What?”
“What did he say to you? I heard that there’s a YouTuber outside. I searched him up briefly while I was coming out of the kitchen, and he has 110,000 subscribers, so he’s not a huge star. I think it would be best to treat him to a nice meal and send him away without upsetting him.”
Hae-jun, who had been listening to Min-ju with an unreadable expression, stopped cooking for a moment and glanced outside.
‘Is that the guy?…’
Since the kitchen was partially open, Hae-jun could hear the conversation between Min-ju and the man earlier.
He didn’t like the way he talked to Min-ju and acted all high and mighty just because he was a YouTuber.
“I’ll take care of it.”
Hae-jun took off his apron and went out into the dining area.
“You were looking for me?”
“The owner? Oh, you’re young.”
“Are you here to eat?”
“Boss, you’re lucky. Usually, when I promote a restaurant like this, my sales go way up. It’s not easy to get on YouTube. First, let’s set up a seat…”
He acted friendly, putting his hand on Hae-jun’s shoulder and making rude demands.
Hae-jun, who couldn’t take it anymore, slapped his hand away and said,
‘Huh? He slapped my hand?’
Hyun-soo’s face contorted slightly at the unexpected reaction.
“Then, please write your name on the waiting list here and wait outside. As you can see, the dining area is small and the customers who are eating are getting upset. There’s also a space outside where you can sit and wait comfortably.”
“What?”
He doubted his own ears for a moment.
Wherever he went with his camera, the owners would always come out and bow to him.
Many places even prepared an envelope of money, asking him to edit the video nicely. And now, he was being turned away. In front of other people, no less.
‘Doesn’t this punk know who I am?’
“I think you’ve misunderstood something, Boss. I’m a YouTuber.”
“Really? YouTuber or not, everyone who comes to my restaurant has to follow the rules. If you have to wait, write your name down and wait quietly. When it’s your turn, you can come in and enjoy your meal. The people who are eating right now have waited anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. I can’t make an exception just because you’re a YouTuber.”
“Hey!…”
Hyun-soo’s face turned red with embarrassment. Not only did he not get a free meal, he also made a fool of himself in front of everyone.
The people who had been watching the situation snickered and laughed, covering their mouths.
“Boss, you’re making a mistake.”
“A mistake? I’m just telling him to wait his turn.”
“Well, that’s…”
“If you don’t like it, you can leave.”
Everyone in the dining area looked at Hyun-soo with contempt.
Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to save face if he stayed any longer, he turned around and hurried out of the store.
Click-
‘How dare he kick me out? This is ridiculous. Damn it. Just you wait.’
.
.
.
“Are you okay?”
After Hyun-soo left, Min-ju asked quietly.
“What?”
“That guy might post a weird video or something and we’ll lose customers.”
“It’s not our fault.”
“But if he nitpicks…”
“It’s fine. Did you forget? I’m the owner.”
Hae-jun smiled as if it was nothing.
Min-ju was the one who was worried.
If that guy posted a video badmouthing the store on YouTube, their sales would take a big hit.
“Don’t worry. If anyone else acts rude like that in the future, don’t hold back. Tell them off. I’ll back you up.”
***
A few days later.
Hyun-soo was scrolling through YouTube’s channels when he came across a video that made him curse.
“What the hell.”
It was a video by Dae-jang, a YouTuber with 1.57 million… no, 1.6 million subscribers.
[T/N: Dae-jang, also called ‘Captain’ in the previous chapter. ]
The video he uploaded this time had a whopping 1.5 million views in just one day.
The item was…
“Sunflower tonkatsu? Huh!…”
Judging from the thumbnail, it seemed like he had actually eaten tonkatsu there.
‘When I said I wanted to eat there, he told me to get lost.’
He clicked on the video in a fit of pique.
.
.
.
Dae-jang, a YouTuber with a slim figure, unlike his peers.
He started his opening remarks in front of a mural with sunflowers painted on it.
“My dear viewers! Today, I’ve come to a place that’s known for its insanely delicious tonkatsu. I’ll ask the owner for permission first and then come back.”
The scene shifted to the inside of the store.
He also took a shot with the store’s mascot cat, Mongchi, and looked around the interior.
And then, the sandwich he ordered.
“Wow. First of all, this fat sandwich. It’s huge. I think I’ll be full after eating just one. What? You say I’m bluffing? You’re right. No matter how big the fat sandwich is, I have to eat 20 of them. You know how big my stomach is. Haha. Unfortunately, it’s a limited-time offer, so I’ll try it for now and tell you how it tastes.”
Dae-jang devoured one tonkatsu sandwich in three bites.
His Truthful Eyebrows, which always drooped when he ate something delicious, pointed downwards.
Munch munch-
He mumbled as he exercised his jaw muscles.
Although he couldn’t understand what he was saying, he could tell from his expression that it was incredibly delicious.
Dae-jang wiped his lips with a wet tissue, feeling regret that he had finished the fat sandwich.
“It’s only available in the morning. Of course, I’m still hungry, so I’m going to wait here until lunchtime and eat the tonkatsu. Please wait!”
[3 hours later!!]
Dae-jang, who had taken a seat in the corner of the store, opened the lunch menu.
The old-fashioned tonkatsu was 6,500 won. The cheese katsu was 7,000 won. And the omelet rice was 6,000 won. Considering that it was located in Mokdong, the prices were quite reasonable.
“The rule for the lunch menu is that each person can only order one item. It’s not because two people came in and ordered only one portion, but because they ordered too much, so we had to limit it. Hahaha. Fortunately, there are only three of us: me, the cameraman, and the PD, so we can try all the items on the menu. So, if you want to try everything, come with the right number of people.”
After waiting for a while, the server brought out the food.
The old-fashioned tonkatsu, which was so big that it made his mouth drop open, the thick cheese katsu, and the omelet rice. Each dish was visually impressive.
Dae-jang zoomed in on the food with his action camera.
Even through the screen, the crispiness of the golden-brown fried coating was evident.
“The color is amazing. This is the most perfect color I’ve ever seen on fried food. And the smell is oh~ so good. This is the real deal. The real deal! Let’s cut into it first. Starting with the tonkatsu!”
Crunch- Crunch-
Sizzle-
The sound of the crispy coating was enough to make his stomach growl.
It was a fantastic ASMR that was close to torture just by listening to it.
“Wow~ Look at this, everyone. See how thick the meat is?”
He showed the tonkatsu to the camera from various angles before popping it into his mouth.
This time, too, his Truthful Eyebrows plummeted.
“Haah… This is crazy. This isn’t just some meat that’s been pounded thin until it falls apart. It’s been pounded to a moderate thickness, so the texture is good when you chew it. And the meat is good, but the fried coating is amazing. Wow~.”
Dae-jang also gave one tonkatsu each to the cameraman and the PD who were filming.
The staff members’ eyes widened as they tasted it. They shook their heads as if they couldn’t believe it.
They quickly divided the huge tonkatsu and ate it, and soon the plate was empty.
“First of all, the tonkatsu is a work of art. I mean it. Next is the cheese katsu! The tonkatsu was delicious, so I have high hopes for this one too.”
The cheese katsu was just as good, if not better.
When he stabbed the knife into the thick fried coating, cheese oozed out. He picked up a piece and cheese dripped down like a waterfall. How much cheese had they put in it?
“Wow, see the cheese? Cheese? This is no joke.”
Dae-jang’s eyes widened as he took a bite of the cheese katsu and the cheese stretched out.
Like the never-ending noodles in a cold noodle commercial, it kept stretching out- slurp slurp-. It was a scene that one would expect to see in a pizza commercial.
“The portions are big here, but the taste is really amazing. Wow~! It’s art.”
The video continued after that.
Not only did the stretchy cheese of the cheese katsu stimulate his appetite, but the sight of the egg spilling out when he cut the omelet on top of the omelet rice with a knife made the subscribers leave enthusiastic comments, saying that they couldn’t take it anymore.
Hyun-soo, who had been watching the video, frantically clicked the mouse button to turn off the screen.
He felt sick to his stomach seeing someone else doing well.
“Damn it. That was supposed to be my item. Haah…”
