Ch.123I need to go to the mart.

I was inwardly surprised as I looked at Chisako who was hugging me tightly.

‘I can’t believe she actually came here.’

I had said something along those lines, but I didn’t think she would actually visit.

Being from a wealthy family, she clearly had no hesitation about taking a flight.

‘Breakfast in Korea, dinner in Japan…’

To think she was actually living out such a dream-like scenario.

As that thought crossed my mind, I suddenly remembered the cryptocurrency I had told my dad about.

‘Come to think of it, I wonder how that turned out?’

It was around the time when Bitcoin was becoming mainstream,

and prices were skyrocketing.

I suddenly became curious about how the trading was going.

‘Judging by the silence, it seems to be going well on its own.’

Making a mental note to ask about it later,

I gently detached Chisako from my embrace.

“Thank you so much for letting me post on Twitter!”

“It’s nothing, it’s a win-win since I get publicity too.”

“Still! Many people don’t usually allow this kind of thing.”

I didn’t give any particular response to that.

‘That’s true, I suppose.’

Honestly, allowing it doesn’t make someone good, and refusing doesn’t make someone bad.

Everyone has their own circumstances.

“By the way, what are you planning to do after the dubbing is finished, senior?”

“After the dubbing?”

“Yes! With the radio and Twitter… your popularity is soaring, so I think you could appear on variety shows!”

Hearing Chisako’s words, I thought that might indeed be possible.

‘The dubbing is progressing at an incredible pace.’

It helped that this was an action-focused movie without much dialogue.

But more importantly, the Japanese voice actors were showing tremendous enthusiasm.

High-quality, passionate dubbing from experienced voice actors.

Plus, there was no need for language localization, so there were no obstacles.

At this rate, the only time-consuming part would be post-production.

‘Sound timing adjustments and mixing aren’t my area anyway.’

This meant that if things continued this way, I could have at least a five-week vacation.

‘Activities in Japan, huh.’

I looked at Seokho hyung.

He immediately understood my intention and answered.

“You should rest when it’s time to rest. If you want to do it, you can… but honestly, when your recognition is only based on looks, I don’t recommend it.”

“Why not?”

“There aren’t many suitable shows for you, and as you know, Japanese variety shows have a different vibe from Korean ones.”

Different vibe.

He was absolutely right.

Seokho hyung added more to his explanation.

“And even if offers come in… they’ll probably be prank-focused shows, which honestly wouldn’t be good for your image right now.”

Image management.

This was extremely important for celebrities.

How you manage your image can determine the roles you get,

and in extreme cases, it could even end your entertainment career.

From that perspective.

‘There’s no need to appear in a ridiculous manner.’

The conclusion was that Japanese variety shows would be unlikely to have a positive impact on me.

Make the situation funny, but don’t make yourself look foolish.

‘Should I just enjoy a proper vacation then?’

Visit an amusement park, check out a museum?

++++++

Mid-August.

By this time, the dubbing had completely finished.

To cut to the chase, I didn’t go anywhere special.

‘Since it’s a rare chance to enjoy some rest.’

Rather than going to crowded places and getting drained,

I focused on enjoying a leisurely daily life that I couldn’t experience otherwise.

Even though I had trended on Twitter and been mentioned on radio,

I wasn’t famous enough to be instantly mobbed on the streets.

So I was able to enjoy a comfortable life where nobody recognized me, which hadn’t happened in a long time.

‘Looking at it this way, every profession has its own challenges.’

Thinking that, I sent Seokho hyung a KakaoTalk message.

<Hyung, can you get me some Japanese movie scripts?

>Huh? Oh, you want to study? Alright, I’ll get you everything I can find!

<Thanks.

I wondered how great it would be if I could get special benefits from related scripts in Japan too.

Having more perks was never a bad thing.

‘Taking it easy isn’t so bad either.’

When I returned to Korea, I had mountains of things to do.

First, I needed to show consistent tournament results

to qualify for the national boxing team.

I also needed to prepare for the year-end awards ceremony,

attend meetings for incoming advertising offers,

and study in advance to prepare for my senior year of high school.

‘Ah, and I need to see Seohyun too.’

Being her only brother, I should show my face often.

I was afraid she might call me “mister” if we became too unfamiliar with each other.

‘Today, I’m just going to stay in bed all day!’

Just as I came to that conclusion.

Ring ring ring.

My phone rang.

“Hello? Seokho hyung?”

-Do-do-do-do, do-do-do, do-do, Donghu!

“Yes, hyung. Are you okay? Did something happen?”

-Ho, maybe, No-No-No-Noble!!!

“Noble?”

What could possibly make Seokho hyung stutter like this?

It must be something quite extraordinary.

While I was wondering,

Seokho hyung took a deep breath and continued calmly.

-The, The, The Noble Gourmet, do you know it?!

“Of course, does anyone not know it? It’s super famous.”

It’s one of the pioneers of food shows.

A drama where the protagonist, Kurata Toro, enjoys his free life as a salesman,

visiting various restaurants across Japan and dining alone.

‘How could I not know it, I used to watch it often during meals in my past life.’

It was a program with considerable recognition not only in Japan,

but also in Korea.

But why was he suddenly mentioning it?

Could it be?

-This episode! In season 4, they’re featuring Korean food, and they’re asking if you’d like to appear! That, that’s the offer they made!?

“What?!”

I jumped up from my bed in surprise.

I had somewhat expected it, but I couldn’t believe it was real.

-Wh-what do you think?!

“I’d like to do it if possible?”

-But, well… as you know, the appearance fee won’t be much, given the difference in our positions.

“Ah, but that’s unavoidable. I said I wanted to do it with that in mind, I still want to.”

It wouldn’t make sense to expect the same pay in Japan as in Korea.

I’d probably just be a brief guest on The Noble Gourmet anyway.

Of course, it was impossible to receive the same amount as usual.

‘What matters is getting exposure in Japanese mainstream media, regardless of the pay.’

This was an issue of recognition.

“But if I’m introducing Korean food, will I appear as a chef?”

-Ye-yeah, we’ll need to hear more details when we get the script and contract… but that seems likely?

So my cooking will be shown on Japanese TV with Toro-san eating it?

‘Wow.’

I should practice cooking a bit.

‘Fortunately, my accommodation has a kitchen.’

I need to go to the supermarket.

+++++

How did Kim Donghu end up receiving an offer to appear on <The Noble Gourmet Season 4>?

It was all due to just two people.

“I think Donghu-kun needs to, needs to, NEEDS TO build more recognition in Japan.”

“Yes, that’s right. My daughter likes him.”

Kiryu Sota and Usami Kenji.

They shared the same goal but with completely different intentions.

In Kiryu Sota’s case:

‘Get Kim Donghu on TV to raise his profile so there won’t be resistance when he appears in movies later.’

That was his thinking.

For Usami Kenji:

‘If my daughter is going to meet a man and get married anyway, Kim Donghu would be good.’

That was his calculation.

Usami Kenji’s reasoning was particularly complex.

‘Chisako….’

Usami Kenji was an extremely objective and realistic father.

He loved his daughter immensely,

but he also knew she wouldn’t stay in the family’s embrace forever.

‘All men around her are wolves, that’s not wrong. The same goes for Kim Donghu.’

But there was a difference.

‘Kim Donghu is the leader, the one who commands the wolf pack.’

He was a wolf you could trust.

Having worked with him, he knew his character,

how he approached his work,

and had a vague understanding of the values that guided his life.

As a result:

‘If she’s going to get married, it should be to Kim Donghu!’

Kim Donghu became Usami Kenji’s standard for an acceptable man.

Anyway.

These two men went straight to Tokyo TV.

They thought Tokyo TV, which sought innovation in the relatively conservative Japanese mass media,

might be able to feature Kim Donghu.

‘Of course, the final decision would be up to his agency and Donghu-kun himself.’

‘But we might be able to at least get them to make an offer.’

With that in mind, the two visited Tokyo TV, and:

“Is that really true?”

“Yes, we honestly want him too. If we don’t ride this wave now… we’d be fools.”

They heard that Tokyo TV also wanted Kim Donghu.

They had just been wondering how to approach him.

“Right, right. Kim Donghu is a shining star right now, we need to make him shine even brighter.”

“I completely agree.”

The conversation flowed smoothly.

In Kim Donghu’s absence,

a story for Kim Donghu was being successfully written.

And the result was:

“What, WHAT?! Donghu appearing on The Noble Gourmet?!”

The very next morning, Choi Seokho received a casting call.

That was the moment when Kim Donghu’s appearance on <The Noble Gourmet> was decided at lightning speed.