Chapter 47

Chapter 47

The phrase "Blue and White Cooking King," which Reporter Park Seon-ju had left behind, stayed in Hong Man-gi's mind for several days.

'A cooking program... and one of the hottest programs around?'

Hong Man-gi was now a proper B-rank Hunter.

He had taken his first step as a powerful Hunter who would not be ignored in any ordinary dungeon.

But not long ago, he had still been an F-rank Hunter struggling across dungeon floors just to survive.

The idea of appearing on a famous cooking program felt incredibly distant and unfamiliar.

At the same time, however, a small flame of excitement over the new challenge was burning inside his heart.

Perhaps it could become an opportunity to introduce Full Moon Restaurant to more people.

Perhaps through his food, he could bring comfort and hope to even more people.

Two days after Park Seon-ju suggested that he appear on Blue and White Cooking King,

Hong Man-gi met a rather unusual-looking man.

The man's name was Gu Sang-hoon.

He was the producer in charge of Blue and White Cooking King.

"Hello."

Hong Man-gi politely greeted the man, who was considerably older than him.

Gu Sang-hoon gave a brief nod.

"Yes, is this Full Price Restaurant?"

"It's not... Full Price Restaurant. It's Full Moon Restaurant."

"Ahaha! My mistake. Sorry."

Gu Sang-hoon was unusual from the first impression.

His head was completely shaved.

His body was not merely large, but had the imposing size one might associate with a gourmet or someone who loved eating enormous amounts of food.

His eyes looked slightly blurry behind thick horn-rimmed glasses, perhaps because of the strong prescription.

However, there seemed to be sharp observation and intelligence hidden behind them.

He had personally come to Full Moon Restaurant.

* * *

It was early afternoon.

The restaurant was quiet because dinner service had not started yet.

Poming had not been summoned.

Lee Yu-han had not arrived for work either.

Hong Man-gi stopped preparing for opening and sat across from Producer Gu Sang-hoon.

"Mr. Hong Man-gi. I've heard quite a lot about you from Reporter Park Seon-ju."

Producer Gu Sang-hoon smiled casually and held out his hand for a handshake.

But his eyes carefully looked Hong Man-gi up and down, as though analyzing him.

"Thank you for personally coming all the way here, Producer Gu."

Hong Man-gi lightly bowed and shook his hand.

"I heard your cooking skill isn't ordinary. If Park Seon-ju praised you that much, I became curious about what kind of food you make, so I decided to come see for myself."

"I'm sure you're busy, so thank you for thinking highly enough of me to visit."

"Well, finding good contestants is part of my job. Contestants with strong concepts are what raise our program higher."

Producer Gu Sang-hoon gave a meaningful smile and continued.

"You're a Hunter, right?"

"Yes."

"I'm an ordinary person, so I don't know much about ranks. What rank are you?"

"B-rank."

"What?"

Producer Gu Sang-hoon looked at Hong Man-gi with confusion.

"If you're B-rank, why are you running such a small restaurant? I heard you used to operate a food cart too. Is cooking some kind of hobby?"

"Actually, until very recently, I was an F-rank Hunter. I couldn't continue Hunter work without another source of income, so I started the food cart as a side job."

"Oh-ho...."

"Maybe it became a blessing in disguise. Running the food cart somehow had a positive influence on my life as a Hunter, and I quickly rose to B-rank."

"Then did you quit Hunter work and decide to focus only on cooking?"

"No. I'm still doing both. You could call it having two jobs."

"Hmm... I understand. But Reporter Park told me something interesting."

Producer Gu Sang-hoon's gaze sharpened.

"I heard you sometimes cook with things you bring back from dungeons...."

"Ah, yes. Sometimes."

"Do you communicate with spiritual beings or something?"

Hong Man-gi looked surprised for a moment.

Then he quickly regained his calm expression.

"Come on. Rumors are just rumors. I'm simply a restaurant owner who does his best to feed the customers who visit, and I'm also a Hunter. I don't have spiritual powers or anything like that."

"Hmm. I see."

Producer Gu Sang-hoon picked up the menu on the table and looked through it.

His eyes suddenly became sharper.

"By the way, Mr. Hong Man-gi. Do you know about our program, Blue and White Cooking King?"

Hong Man-gi answered honestly.

"I'm sorry, but I've been extremely busy recently. Before that, I was struggling just to survive, so I didn't have much time to watch programs or other content. Reporter Park introduced the show to me, so I plan to start watching it now."

At that answer, Producer Gu Sang-hoon's brows slightly furrowed.

Then he laughed in disbelief.

"Oh, come on! Someone who cooks, someone who has even opened a restaurant, doesn't know our program? Doesn't that mean you started a business without knowing much about the world? Among aspiring chefs, our show is called a dream stage."

His voice carried subtle pride.

At the same time, there seemed to be an intention to look down on Hong Man-gi slightly.

It was almost like he wanted Hong Man-gi to treat him as someone more important.

In other words, it was a small battle for control.

But Hong Man-gi did not fall into it.

He kept his calm smile and answered.

"Thank you for your concern, Producer Gu. But I didn't start this restaurant because I wanted to make money or become famous. I simply wanted to share good food with good people. I've heard that your program is excellent. I'll make sure to watch it."

His answer was polite but firm.

Producer Gu Sang-hoon stared at Hong Man-gi for a moment.

Then he laughed again.

He seemed to realize Hong Man-gi was not as easy to push around as expected.

"Fine. Well, that isn't really important."

Producer Gu Sang-hoon adjusted his sitting position and moved to the main point.

"Then Mr. Hong Man-gi, if you appear on our program, what kind of food would you show us? Do you have some kind of signature weapon prepared? Our program cares about more than simple cooking skill. We value dishes that carry each contestant's unique story and personality."

Hong Man-gi thought for a moment.

All the strange and mysterious things that had happened since he first opened the food cart came to mind.

The souls of Hunters on their way to the afterlife.

"When you say story, something does come to mind. I cook for Hunters who are heading to the afterlife...."

Hong Man-gi stopped himself.

'Wouldn't the concept of cooking to soothe spirits sound a little too unrealistic...?'

But serving an ordinary dish did not seem competitive either.

"I haven't thought about anything specific yet. If I appear on the program, I'll prepare my own special dish then. If you're asking what I can serve you right now, well, it would probably be the kind of food you could commonly find at a food cart."

"Food cart dishes?"

Producer Gu Sang-hoon's eyebrow twitched.

"Are you joking with me right now? You're planning to challenge Cooking King with ordinary food like that?"

His voice clearly showed disappointment.

Hong Man-gi kept smiling.

"I don't think the care put into food becomes ordinary just because the dish itself is familiar. Sometimes the most familiar taste gives the greatest comfort. If you're willing, I could make seafood pajeon and okonomiyaki. I'd appreciate it if you'd taste them."

"Seafood pajeon? Okonomiyaki?"

Producer Gu Sang-hoon laughed in disbelief.

"Mr. Hong Man-gi, what exactly do you think I am? Aren't those things sold everywhere? What kind of competitive value could they possibly have?"

Despite his words, curiosity was shining in his eyes.

Judging from his appearance and profession, he was clearly a serious gourmet.

Perhaps some part of him wondered whether this confident young cook could truly create something extraordinary from ordinary dishes.

"Well... sigh. Fine. If you're that confident, bring them out. My palate is quite demanding, so ordinary cooking won't satisfy me."

Producer Gu Sang-hoon crossed his arms arrogantly.

Hong Man-gi smiled.

"Understood. Please wait a moment."

* * *

Hong Man-gi stood and headed toward the kitchen.

There was no tension on his face.

Instead, he seemed to be smiling with excitement.

Rather than feeling burdened by the need to satisfy a picky gourmet, he seemed thrilled to have another chance to show his cooking.

'A new challenge without Poming!'

Hong Man-gi first began preparing the batter for seafood pajeon.

He slowly added cold water to pancake flour until reaching the right thickness.

Then he added plenty of chopped green onion and seafood, shrimp, squid, and oysters.

Finally, he cracked an egg into the mixture to add richness and softness.

[Sizzle]

He generously coated a heated pan with oil and spread the batter thin and wide.

Soon,

the edges turned golden and a savory aroma began rising.

'Hmm... good.'

Hong Man-gi carefully controlled the heat so the pancake would not burn.

Once one side was fully cooked, he skillfully flipped it.

The pajeon made a beautiful turn in the air before landing perfectly.

Its other side also began turning a delicious golden color.

Producer Gu Sang-hoon watched from the table with growing interest.

'The young man is pretty skilled....'

At the same time, Hong Man-gi was preparing okonomiyaki in another pan.

He cooked a thick round batter filled with finely chopped cabbage, pork, and seafood.

Then he generously covered the top with bonito flakes, mayonnaise, and okonomiyaki sauce.

The bonito flakes danced gently from the rising heat.

It was enough to stimulate anyone's appetite.

'Oh... he's fast.'

Producer Gu Sang-hoon silently watched Hong Man-gi cook with his arms crossed.

His expression became serious.

He sniffed the air more and more often.

Despite initially looking down on the food as simple food cart dishes, Hong Man-gi's movements were skilled.

And the aromas rising from the dishes made his nose twitch.

Finally, both dishes were finished.

The golden seafood pajeon was cut into easy-to-eat pieces and placed on a plate.

The generous okonomiyaki was served on a hot iron plate covered with delicious sauce.

Steam rose from both dishes.

They looked appetizing enough to make anyone hungry.

"They're ready, Producer Gu. Please try them."

Hong Man-gi placed the seafood pajeon and okonomiyaki in front of him.

His face showed complete confidence.

The menu itself might be ordinary.

But his care and experience had been placed completely inside the dishes.

"Then I'll try them."

Producer Gu Sang-hoon picked up his chopsticks and spoon.