The Debonair Cup dinner-cooking time began in earnest.
[Chiyo: If you shorten kimchi jjigae, it’s kim-jji~ kim-jji~]
Naturally, the one who darted into the kitchen was Chiyo.
Chiyo picked up a suitable pot.
[Chiyo: I’ll try making it about this size.]
Her voice instantly dropped into a serious and needlessly solemn tone, revealing just how sincere Chiyo was about cooking kimchi jjigae.
Not that the members recognized it.
[Naeun: The way I see it, Chiyo’s going to take an hour or two.]
[Ua: Unni should help—no, just cook it for her.]
Naeun and Ua watched the kitchen from the living room, surprisingly each tossing in a comment.
Somehow, there was a strange awkwardness in the air.
It wasn’t only because, even if one had only seen the members through their self-produced content, it was easy to know that the two who had just spoken were Naeun, who was unfailingly affectionate to the younger members every day, and Ua, who often playfully picked on them but naturally had kindness dripping from within.
[Dohui, Seoyun: ......]
It was because the aces of Tackle-z were, for once, sitting quietly on the sofa with their mouths shut.
[Naeun: The owner said he’s lighting the barbecue pit outside right now.]
[Ua: Okay. I’ll grill it super deliciously, okay? Last year I went camping with Mom and Dad, and I did the grilling.]
With their respective missions in hand, Naeun and Ua got up without a moment’s delay.
Naeun headed to the kitchen to assist and watch Chiyo.
Ua headed to the barbecue pit to grill the meat.
And at the same time, the living room fell silent, without even a breath.
Only after about a minute did the still-small sound of someone shifting begin to be heard.
[Dohui: Puhah...]
[Seoyun: Ahem.]
─ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Poor little baby birds?
─Aren’t they cunning little baby birds? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
But the focus and main event of this time slot was dinner preparation.
The two in the living room, rolling their eyes this way and that, were interesting enough just to observe.
But the camera decided to capture the three who were actually cooking, and headed to the kitchen first.
And there, someone’s back was visible as she chopped vegetables with utmost care.
[...tak! ......tak! ....ta...ak! ...ttak.]
Of course, with a supervisor beside her.
[Naeun: (frustrated) ...Should unni cut them for you?]
[Chiyo: Then this.]
[Naeun: Huh? All of it?]
Chiyo entrusted her with the cutting board and knife, then stood in front of the stove.
─I can already imagine what they’re like at the dorm ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─No, but everyone at least dotes on Chiyo, so what on earth did Dohui do while cooking that makes them all wave their hands in refusal?
└If you just search “Dohui prepping vegetables” on YouTube, it comes up... It’s famous, haven’t you seen it?
└Chiyo still cuts things straight, at least
[Naeun (kitchen assistant): You have to stir-fry the green onions first, okay?]
[Chiyo (kitchen main): Yep.]
[Naeun: The green onion oil is coming out.]
[Chiyo: Yep.]
[Naeun: Chiyo, want to go see if Ua’s grilling the meat well? Unni will watch the kimchi jjigae.]
[Chiyo: Yep~]
─No, then it’s just Naeun cooking ㅋㅋㅋ
─Naeun’s tone is gentle, but she’s purely practical ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
And so Chiyo dashed out of Naeun’s kitchen and pattered toward the barbecue pit in the pension yard.
[Chiyo: (patter patter patter patter)]
Only, when someone passed through her route, the two who held their breath again were caught on camera together.
[Dohui, Seoyun: ......]
─As soon as Chiyo passes by, they both close their eyes and pretend to be asleep ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─Did those two plan this or what? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─DoSeo-z synchronization is legendary
In any case, the kitchen began to run efficiently.
Naeun, who had enough hands free even while cooking kimchi jjigae in no time.
[Naeun: (thinking...) Girls, should I make steamed eggs too~?]
─The leaders really are good at cooking
└They’re older, after all, so they’ve been taking care of everyone since their trainee days
└Twenty-three-year-old Naeun is good at cooking because she’s old (slightly liberal translation)
└What...?
Fortunately, the barbecue pit outside also seemed likely to produce decently grilled meat.
As expected of same-age friends who had even gone grocery shopping together, the two were being all sweet and chummy.
[Ua: Chiyo, we’re total meat-grilling masters, masters.]
[Chiyo: I agree. Hehe, if we take it to them right away, the kids will like it.]
[Ua: Let’s do that, let’s do that.]
─The two of them are cute ㅋㅋㅋ
─And saying they’ll bring it over right away is so sweet ㅋㅋ
Even the living room was efficient, at least when it came to producing footage.
[.........Hmm........]
In the silence, Seoyun glanced around and turned her head.
[Seoyun: I feel like we should do somethihihing.]
Looking at Dohui, Seoyun let out an awkward laugh.
But Dohui’s firm words that came right after calmed Seoyun down.
[Dohui: That’s a compulsion.]
[Seoyun: Is it?]
[Dohui: Yeah.]
─Meanwhile, Dohui’s reading a book all elegantly again ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─What book is it this time?
└Looks like it’s The Interpretation of Dreams, by Sigmund Freud
As if proving she had a puppy-like face, Seoyun’s eyes went perfectly round and wide, like she had just realized something.
[Seoyun: Right, exactly! We came here to have fun!]
And Dohui’s perfect commitment to the concept continued.
Dohui nodded, elegantly setting down the cultured book.
[Dohui: Listen. There are lots of different sides of us that Airs like, right?]
─Agreed, agreed
─We like whatever you do
[Dohui: Among them, of course, there’s the side of us working hard and trying to be funny, but (touches Seoyun’s shoulder) then again, what is self-produced content? These girls—(gestures)—how do they rest? What do they usually do to heal? People must be so curious. (nods)]
It was a rather calm tone and impassioned speech, unlike what one usually saw from her.
[Seoyun: Oho...]
─I’m being convinced...
But Seoyun pointed at Dohui as if dismantling her logic.
[Seoyun: But. But then it makes it look like it’s always only you and me doing this.]
[Seoyun: I usually work hard at cooking too.]
[Dohui: (eyes flashing) Tsk, what are you talking about.]
[Seoyun: Mm... Is that not right? (hehe;)]
─For real, putting Seoyun and Dohui’s cooking skills on the same level crosses a line ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─But Seoyun is honestly pretty decent at cooking, she’s cooked on broadcast a few times too
└Then why isn’t she cooking now?
└Why ask when you know? Because it’s a hassle
[Dohui: Right, and earlier we worked so hard.]
As reference footage, a crop of Dohui passionately playing the clothes-rack guitar that afternoon was attached to the screen.
Nevertheless, Seoyun continued with a fairly self-critical attitude, still trying to excuse herself.
[Seoyun: But it just so happens that it always seems like it’s only you and me doing this. Not just today, always.]
As if deciding this wouldn’t do, Dohui even sat up in a proper posture and began preaching a new logic.
That logic was:
[Dohui: I mean, our members can’t sit still.]
─Conclusion: it’s the fault of the members who step up to cook ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[Seo: Mm.]
[Do: They think they have to do something.]
[Seo: Ugh, seriously.]
[Do: Because they’re still variety show rookies.]
[Seo: That’s true.]
─Such a rude train of thought ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─No, but they both sound so sincere it’s freaking hilarious ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─At least it’s definitely confirmed that those two are variety show geniuses ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
As if representing the viewers watching this perfect back-and-forth, laughter burst out from the staff here and there.
Dohui grew even more triumphant and even delivered her final argument and conclusion.
[Dohui: But if I go into the kitchen on top of that?]
[Seoyun: Wait...! (smacks forehead!)]
[Seoyun: Hey! It gets complicated, complicated.]
[Dohui: Exactly, it gets chaotic.]
[Seoyun: Ugh~ I thought about it and I’m already dizzy.]
─ㅋㅋㅋㅋ They really click so well
─But am I the only one who thinks the reason Seoyun agrees is the part where “if Dohui goes into the kitchen, it gets chaotic”?
└What are you, a Seoyun expert? 씨ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
And so the two quietly began watching TV.
[Seoyun: But is there no Netflix?]
─Seo-shameless ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
* * *
The cooking front continued without issue.
[Chiyo: Who wants to try some! We grilled it really well!]
[Chiyo: How is it...?]
Every now and then, Chiyo came into the living room, thrusting meat at them and telling them to taste it, and because she was busy receiving praise, she did not find it strange that the two were watching TV.
[Dohui: Wow, awesome. It’s really good. How did you grill it so well? Right, unni?]
[Seoyun: Seriously, it’s really well grilled.]
[Dohui: Chiyo unni is the best!]
[Chiyo: Hehe, we wrapped it in foil and trapped the juices while grilling it. I saw it on YouTube, and it said it’s tasty if you do it this way!]
─Meanwhile, she’s so cute getting happy after being praised ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─Those, those little foxes...
[Seoyun (devil 1): Wow, you’re seriously a demon.]
[Dohui (devil 2): What. You were agreeing right next to me.]
When Naeun had a moment free and looked over at the living room—
[Dohui: Ahem... Should we maybe set out the bowls and spoons and chopsticks?]
[Seoyun: Sh-should we~?]
They read the room and set the table.
[Ua: Ah, I’m going to die first.]
As for Ua, the final means of keeping them in check, she was busy grilling meat even for the staff and shedding tears because of the spicy smoke.
─Grilling meat through tears ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
─Why is it so cute how she calmly says she’s going to die while crying? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Still, dinner was completed rather easily.
[Dohui: Oh, that was quick.]
[Seoyun: Let’s eat, let’s eat!]
─They’re the ones paying, so I can’t even say anything, damn ㅋㅋㅋㅋ