Godsent Top Star [EN]: Chapter 159

The Specially Commissioned Work (2)

159. The Specially Commissioned Work (2)

2022.04.08.

“Where are we going?”

Ai asked, her voice small.

“We’re going to the mart.”

“The mart? We just went.”

“Yeah. There are a few things we’re short on.”

As Yeon-woo replied with a gentle smile, Ai shyly hid behind Lee Ji-yeon, the woman beside her.

Next to Ai, a ghost constantly shedding tears bowed its head, a picture of sorrow.

[Thank you. Thank you so much……]

The tearful ghost’s name was Kim Gil-dong.

Age 36.

He was a newly deceased soul, having passed away a mere 14 days ago.

[Aigoo. With a story like that, of course, I have to listen.]

Right next to Kim Gil-dong, the Child Spirit [a spirit of a deceased child] sniffled and nodded in agreement.

[That was really bothering you?]

[I was too busy to be a proper dad. I promised I’d make him a great birthday meal this time……]

[Sniffle. I understand how you feel… but you can’t just stay here without going to the afterlife. If it weren’t for our Yeon-woo, you might have become an evil spirit filled with resentment.]

[An evil spirit……?]

[Yes! An evil spirit attached to your beloved family.]

[Heok……]

[Don’t be too surprised. You should know you’re lucky, mister. You met our Yeon-woo, so you don’t have to worry about that happening.]

The story was this.

Kim Gil-dong, who was attached to Ai and Lee Ji-yeon, was none other than Lee Ji-yeon’s husband and Mirim’s father.

Kim Gil-dong.

His stage name was Charles Kim.

Apparently, he was a well-known, successful chef.

The Child Spirit told me that he had even appeared on TV once.

His wish was to make a delicious birthday meal for his young daughter Mirim, who was still in kindergarten.

However.

[It’s not like I wanted to schedule a TV appearance. But what could I do when they offered so much money? Besides, there’s nothing better than TV for raising awareness… I suffered so much to get on the show. And our restaurant is fine dining, so customers don’t like it when I’m not there, so I couldn’t just leave. So, just when I was about to become a regular…]

[Right, right. You know, mukbang [eating broadcast] is all the rage these days. Cook-bang [cooking broadcast] too.]

[Keuheung. I was trying to work hard while the iron was hot, you know? That way, I could pay off the loan for the new store and set up my own decent restaurant. But… but……!]

Kim Gil-dong, who had gained fame as a celebrity chef, was expanding his business and enjoying great success.

He thought everything would be fine, so he reduced his sleep time and did his best.

‘The problem is that his best was too much, and he died from overwork.’

Kim Gil-dong was planning to prepare a surprise for his daughter’s birthday.

[I was a terrible father. I was always too busy to play with her properly. The kitchen is a dangerous place for kids, so I didn’t even let her set foot in there… I was a really bad dad.]

Tears continued to stream from Kim Gil-dong’s eyes.

[I promised her I’d make her a delicious birthday meal today, a great birthday party… I guess my wife remembered. Seeing her buying groceries like that……]

The promise to Lee Ji-yeon, his wife who wasn’t good at cooking, was that he would make sure she only ate delicious food for the rest of her life.

That promise was broken two weeks ago.

He couldn’t even keep the promise he made with his daughter.

[What is it with this overwork……]

The things he did to give his family better things and more experiences ended up taking his life.

[Would you please make my daughter’s birthday meal? I’ll tell you everything about how to make and prepare it. I want to keep at least that last promise.]

“I understand.”

The deal was made.

The moment Yeon-woo’s mission to prepare a birthday meal began.

*

[But Yeon-woo. You can’t cook, can you? Are you really going to try?]

“Then should I fake it?”

They stopped by the mart first to buy the remaining ingredients.

The production team was amazed to see Yeon-woo picking things so skillfully and without hesitation.

-Are you perhaps going to cook?

-Yes.

-Uh… we haven’t secured a location yet, just a moment.

-No. Don’t worry, I’ve already arranged a place.

The place prepared was none other than the company’s office kitchen.

This dining room, which rivaled most hotel-class restaurants, was rarely used.

Of course.

Because there were only two actors affiliated with the company.

The production team’s mouths were even wider open than at the mart.

The interior of the building, decorated with only the finest materials, was enough to overwhelm anyone.

-We’re actually coming here…

-Are we the first?

-Can we film…? Do we need to get permission to film…?

Leaving the production team, who were overwhelmed by the rapidly changing situation, Yeon-woo began to prepare the meal in earnest.

[Aaaani. I mean, I want you to listen because I feel bad for that mister’s story.]

“Me too.”

If he had to grant someone’s wish anyway.

Wouldn’t it be better to grant the wish of someone so desperate?

‘After all, the outcome of the competition isn’t that important.’

That’s why Yeon-woo was able to step forward so readily.

It was his judgment that it would be more desirable to do the mission with something only he could do.

Anyone can grant a common wish or request.

But.

[Harvestable lifespan: +14 days]

This kind of wish is something only one person in the world can grant.

Yeon-woo himself.

[Additional harvestable stat: Savory Hand Taste][A-]

The part that was clearly marked on the status window that appeared when he touched Kim Gil-dong.

It’s an additional stat.

However, that wasn’t why Yeon-woo accepted the request.

Even if there were no stats, the decision wouldn’t have changed.

‘You have to give back as much as you receive.’

Reciprocity.

And repayment.

The rule of this industry is that you have to give back as much as you receive.

If it’s a grudge, then a grudge.

Or if it’s help, then repayment commensurate with that.

However.

‘The help I received from an unspecified number of people… I have no choice but to return it to an unspecified number of people.’

He received help in the form of lifespan from countless people.

Even though Yeon-woo was the one who first moved and influenced them, it didn’t matter.

‘It’s always such a mysterious thing to feel……’

The fact that his influence reaches people he doesn’t even know, and he receives the results in the form of lifespan.

It’s always fresh and conveys a new feeling every time.

On the contrary, he’s used to receiving contempt for no reason.

-I heard his reputation is really weird. He looks like a super gloomy guy just by looking at him?

It was still a sticky and unpleasant residue of memory that clung to Yeon-woo’s ankles.

It wasn’t just once or twice that he was ridiculed and mocked by someone he didn’t even know, just because of a rumor.

It’s something he’s already used to, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay.

But.

It’s completely different now than before.

Every single action he takes.

Every single word he says.

The pleasant warmth of the favor that people who have seen everything clearly send him……

Maybe that’s why.

The reason why Yeon-woo has become even more serious about this.

‘If I’m going to give back, I should do my best. Starting with that mister in front of me.’

There are many ways to do it.

For example, he could consistently show acting that resonates with the hearts of those who are waiting for his acting, allowing them to fall deeply into it……

“What I can’t do, that person will fill in.”

Moving directly like this isn’t bad either.

Especially if it’s a request so desperate that it’s worth risking a lifespan.

[Of course. I’ll teach you as thoroughly as possible!]

Kim Gil-dong, who had stopped crying, shouted with burning determination.

[If you just do as I say, there won’t be any problems.]

Kim Gil-dong’s teaching, who had an A+ grade cooking stat, was quite harsh.

[Hold the knife like this, and hold the ingredients with your fingers bent.]

[You have to cut the ingredients into uniform sizes! That way, the texture won’t be awkward, and the ingredients can harmonize with each other. Our Mirim doesn’t like to eat vegetables, so chop them up finely.]

[No, how can you not even know how to properly grease the pan!]

[Use more wrist snap to mix the ingredients more evenly!]

“……”

Kim Gil-dong, who seemed weak when he was just shedding tears.

But in the kitchen, he showed tremendous propulsion, like Messi cutting through the grass [a reference to Lionel Messi’s skillful soccer dribbling].

‘This. I’m sure I’m doing well……’

A slight sense of skepticism arises.

Something’s wrong.

I came here to prepare a birthday meal, but somehow I’m doing an ultra-short-term Spartan-style cooking lesson.

[Wow… cooking isn’t easy.]

The Child Spirit exclaimed from the side.

“Come over here and help. You can at least move a knife.”

[No way. My spiritual power will decrease. And how can I step up when the camera is filming? What am I going to say if I get caught on camera!]

That’s true.

There’s no microphone, but an observation camera is attached.

[No, seriously. How can someone not even know how to make a jidan [thin egg omelet]?!]

“……Isn’t it strange for an ordinary man to be good at making jidan?”

[Why can’t you get the cream consistency right? I clearly said one to one to one.]

“I did it right, but it doesn’t taste good, what do you want me to do?”

[Haa…… Seriously. I can’t believe there’s someone who collapses the meringue.]

“It’s weird to make egg whites like this in the first place. I really want to see the face of the pervert who came up with the idea of ​​whipping egg whites like crazy.”

Haaaaaa.

The sighs of two people echoed in the kitchen at the same time.

This. It’s harder than I thought.

While Yeon-woo was agonizing over it.

“A man who cooks is definitely cool……?”

“Did you see him hitting the meringue by hand? The veins popping out on his forearms were just……”

“It’s a shame we can’t film up close because he’s concentrating. We should stick right next to him and capture every single detail and leave it behind……”

“Still, we’ve attached several observation cams, so……”

Yeon-woo and Kim Gil-dong’s hellish Sparta was being beautifully repackaged.

How much time has passed?

“It’s done.”

Although it was slow, it was a table setting that was neatly completed with meticulous fingertips one by one.

The production team’s expression was filled with surprise when they saw it.

[These things… are all the things our Mirim liked. I can finally keep my promise……]

Kim Gil-dong, who had suffered together, also teared up next to him.

On the table was the culmination of their efforts, neatly arranged.

Fried rice stir-fried with finely chopped vegetables.

And jidan [thin egg omelet] covering it.

The jidan was cut into pretty rabbit shapes with cute eyes, nose, and mouth.

All of this decoration was also made by Yeon-woo with the spirit of a craftsman under the direction of Kim Gil-dong.

In addition, he somehow managed to make carbonara tteokbokki [Korean rice cakes in carbonara sauce], which is a cream sauce base that his daughter especially likes, and colorful meringue cookies that she always begged for because they looked like princesses were eating them because of their pretty colors and flavors.

‘I thought my shoulders were going to explode. My forearms too……’

Kim Gil-dong. He was a chef with the belief that meringue must be beaten by hand.

He also did not forget to use sweet potatoes and potatoes to make cute animals that children would like as croquettes.

If he didn’t have the knack, he wouldn’t have been able to make all of this in just a few hours.

But fortunately, Yeon-woo didn’t have cooking skills, but he had a god-given knack.