Y13 [EN]: Chapter 66

Y13-66 Regular Season 2010-11

I thought looking around a department store selling various items might help me find a new hobby. But, has it really been an hour since I started browsing?

“Ugh… I’m bored.”

Youngjae was really starting to understand how tiring it would be to date a woman who loves to window shop. After wandering around for over an hour without finding anything that sparked his interest, Youngjae, feeling bored, gritted his teeth and resolved to check out the remaining sections anyway. As he stood up and looked around with a listless expression, a pleasant aroma caught his attention. ‘It’s about time for lunch anyway,’ Youngjae quickly reasoned with himself, grabbed a menu, and ordered a reasonably priced grilled pork neck with vegetables and a pasta set.

“Mmm!!”

Youngjae felt his appetite returning and his energy levels rising, probably because he was eating after being so exhausted. While mindlessly enjoying his meal, Youngjae suddenly had an idea.

“That’s it! Wouldn’t cooking be fun?”

During the season, he often didn’t eat at home, but during the off-season, he had to prepare his own meals. Even during the season, it was often difficult to find time to cook, so he frequently ate out. Cooking seemed like a practical and enjoyable hobby for Youngjae.

After living in America for so long, his taste had become somewhat Westernized, but Youngjae sometimes missed Korean flavors. Cooking seemed like a really good way to satisfy those cravings.

“Hmm. Good, good.”

As soon as Youngjae finished eating, he enthusiastically started picking out cooking tools and books. Deciding that there was no need to buy incredibly expensive equipment for a beginner, Youngjae, true to his practical nature, purchased a simple kitchenware set from T brand. He also bought a recipe book by chef Jamie Oliver, who was so famous that even Youngjae, who knew almost nothing about cooking, had heard of him. After sitting in a cafe for a while and looking through the book, Youngjae made a list of ingredients for the recipes he wanted to try during his break and went grocery shopping with both hands full.

“I’m going to become a man who’s good at cooking!”

Youngjae drove his SUV, filled with grand culinary dreams.

“Wow, it’s so neat and nice!”

December 25th. The city center was bustling with people celebrating Christmas, but the residential area was quiet and peaceful. Meli was admiring the small, well-kept house in the residential neighborhood.

“Is this Yoon’s house?”

“Yeah.”

David, who got out of Meli’s car, stared at Youngjae’s house with wide eyes. It was even more amazing and impressive because it was the home of his idol. Meli put her arm around David’s shoulder and said, “Let’s go in quickly, it’s cold!” and hurried towards Youngjae’s house.

“Okay, take off your shoes.”

“Huh? Why take off my shoes? Sis?”

“It’s Korean style. In Korea, you take off your shoes before going inside.”

David awkwardly took off his shoes and entered Youngjae’s house barefoot, looking around in amazement. Meli also took off her shoes and went inside, smacking her lips involuntarily when she smelled a delicious aroma coming from somewhere.

“Wow~”

What they saw when they entered the living room was a beautifully arranged spread of food on a wooden table. A fresh cream cake sat in the center, surrounded by a vibrant salad with fruit dressing, generous portions of sirloin and tenderloin steaks, and four plates of pasta with plenty of rosé sauce.

“Did you come? Meli.”

Youngjae, who came into the room a little later while the two were admiring the food, greeted them wearing an apron.

“Wow, wow! Youngjae! Did you make all of this?”

“Yes, I did. I’m quite skilled, you know?”

In fact, Youngjae was reasonably skilled, though he avoided any complicated knife work. He cooked carefully, especially mindful of protecting his hands, which were so important to his basketball career.

“But, you look a little tired since the last time I saw you… Are you feeling alright?”

“Yoon, are you sick?!”

Youngjae waved his hands, denying it, but the truth was that for the three days leading up to their visit, he had been experiencing a terrible bout of digestive issues, leaving him completely drained. He was good with his hands, but getting the seasoning right and mastering the cooking process was a different story. There was a big difference between reading about something and doing it yourself, and it was nearly impossible to replicate Jamie Oliver’s dishes perfectly unless you *were* Jamie Oliver.

So Youngjae changed his strategy. He decided to rely on pre-made products as much as possible. He still prepared, stir-fried, and seasoned the ingredients himself, but he started buying sauces and stocks (broth made by boiling ingredients) from organic brands. Once he adjusted his approach, the food preparation became much less stressful, and he no longer had to spend so much time in the bathroom because of the strange flavors.

“Anyway, sit down. But where’s your cousin…?”

“I know, I thought he’d be here before us?”

Ding-dong-

As soon as Meli spoke, the doorbell rang. The three of them went to the front door and asked, “Who is it?” A man with a slightly soft but cheerful voice replied, “It’s me!”

“Oppa [term for older brother used by females]!”

“Meli! Long time no see!”

A man of average height (around 5’7″), who looked ordinary but had a charming quality despite being older than Meli, came in cheerfully and gave Meli a quick hug.

“Oh… Y13? Nice to meet you.”

“Haha, nice to meet you. I’m Youngjae Yoon.”

“Sorry I was a little busy with filming at the time… You know how it is, right?”

Youngjae smiled involuntarily as he looked at the man’s playful expression and nodded knowingly.

“Of course. But what’s your name…?”

The man made an ‘ah-‘ sound and scratched his cheek as if embarrassed.

“See, I told you he wouldn’t know, right?”

“You probably don’t recognize me without all the dirt and makeup from the drama. Haha! Nice to meet you, I’m Steven Yeun.”

Only then did Youngjae realize why he looked familiar. Youngjae exclaimed, “Oh!!” and started talking excitedly.

“Glenn from *The Walking Dead*?!”

“That’s right, that’s right. It’s Glenn! It’s really cool that Y13, a successful basketball player, recognizes me!”

*The Walking Dead* Season 1, which premiered on October 31, 2010, and ran for six episodes until December 5, told the story of a group of survivors in a world overrun by walkers (the show’s term for zombies). It was highly praised not only for its depiction of survival but also for exploring the internal conflicts and human desires that emerged in extreme situations.

And Steven Yeun, the only Korean-American actor in the cast, played Glenn, who famously replied “I’m Korean” when asked “Are you Chinese?” in the show. Glenn quickly gained a large fan base, with many viewers saying that the character was very similar to Steven Yeun himself.

“Wow, I can’t believe such a famous actor is Meli’s cousin… Ah! Let’s go inside first. You must be hungry.”

Youngjae led the three into the living room and served them food. Steven was delighted, exclaiming, “Wow, you made all of this?” and joking that he was the first actor to eat Y13’s cooking. The four of them enjoyed Youngjae’s food, which was mild but flavorful, and played with David. David gave Youngjae an ankle brace as a gift, and Youngjae, in return, signed a basketball he used for training and gave it to David. After David, full and sleepy, drifted off, the three of them finished the cake for dessert, drank the coffee Youngjae had made, and chatted about various things.

“I try to watch your games whenever I have time. You’re really doing great things, aren’t you?”

Youngjae smiled awkwardly at Steven’s words and felt a little embarrassed.

“I’m just trying to help the team.”

“Mmm, yes. So the articles weren’t lying? You’re really humble.”

“Steven, who are you a fan of?”

“I live in LA, California, so I used to be a fan of the LA Lakers. But I’ve been invited here and got delicious food, so I have to become a fan of the Dallas Mavericks! Haha!”

“Hey, oppa, you’re just starting to watch the NBA, so that’s why, right?”

“No, no~ I decided to become a fan of the Mavs the moment I heard I was going to meet Yoon Youngjae. Don’t misrepresent my sincerity like that.”

Youngjae felt like he was watching an entertaining sitcom as he listened to the two of them bickering and joking. It was nice to have people chatting in the house, which had been so quiet lately.

“Meli, is your job hard these days?”

“It’s been a few months, so it’s manageable. I’m working hard to fend off Adidas, an NBA sponsor, from catching up to us!”

Adidas, which had signed an 11-year contract with the NBA starting in 2006, was struggling to close the gap with Nike and the Jordan brand (Air Jordan), which controlled about 95% of the basketball shoe market. Nike was making every effort to maintain its lead. Nike’s sales were overwhelmingly high worldwide, but in the US market, Adidas was the number one sports apparel brand, followed by Under Armour, so Nike couldn’t afford to be complacent.

“Oh, you’ve become more ambitious since you became a team leader at Nike?”

“Doesn’t the position make the person? When Meli was working as a clerk, she was always on the phone, crying, ‘What if I can’t do what I want to do?’~”

Meli’s face turned red at Steven’s teasing and she retorted, “When was that?”

“By the way, since I’ve been treated so well, I’d like to return the favor sometime.”

“It’s okay. I wanted to thank David and Meli for helping me so much, so you really don’t have to worry about it.”

Steven shook his head, insisting that it wasn’t right, and handed over his contact information.

“Season 2 will probably start filming in the first half of next year. After the NBA season is over, please come to the set sometime. There might be some things I can’t show you, but I want to give Yoon Youngjae some fun memories.”

“I’d appreciate it. I’m really looking forward to it. I’ll definitely visit if you let me know.”

That’s how the short but enjoyable meeting with the three of them came to an end. Youngjae carried the sleeping David to the car, took pictures with Meli and Steven, and signed T-shirts and hats to give them as gifts.

“See you next time~”

“Yeah! See you next time!”

“Of course. See you next time!”

The three of them, who had become comfortable enough to drop honorifics, parted ways, and the next day, the media went wild.

[The Walking Dead’s Glenn and Dallas’ Y13, heartwarming photo authentication!]

Steven Yeun, a Korean-American actor who played the role of ‘Glenn’ in *The Walking Dead* Season 1, posted a photo on his SNS [Social Networking Service]. The photo features Steven Yeun, Meli Yeun (who placed in the top 3 on *Project Runway* Season 8 and is currently a Nike sportswear designer team leader), and Yoon Youngjae (who is performing exceptionally well for the Dallas Mavericks), all smiling brightly.

Steven Yeun also posted several food photos on SNS with the caption ‘Newly met relationship, Y13’. It’s becoming a hot topic that the food was made by Yoon Youngjae, who invited Steven Yeun and Meli Yeun to his home. Yoon Youngjae, who has proven his skills both on the basketball court and in the kitchen, is currently taking a short break around Christmas.

He has played in all 28 games for the Dallas Mavericks and is having a remarkable rookie season, but he faces stiff competition for the Rookie of the Year award due to the outstanding performance of Blake Griffin, another rookie.

(Omitted)

============================ Work Review ============================

@Hello! This is Signature’s younger sibling. I wanted to depict a week-long break starting from Christmas, and I hope it’s fun.

@Meli’s cousin is Steven Yeun… Yes. That’s right, sob. I sometimes flinch when you guys make such sharp predictions.

@In reality, Adidas no longer signs a contract with the NBA after 11 years of long-term contracts. The reason is said to be because the gap with Nike has not narrowed.

Comment on Episode 64-

magara / Oh my, Team Signature would be very grateful if you watch with concentration! We will try harder.

Omarion, -DarkANGL-, Goddess Yuri Praise, Finance Kun Dara, Brilliant Legacy, Jian / Thank you. It’s reassuring to know that you’re watching well!

dydqlsl / But there’s Blake Griffin, the unanimous Rookie of the Year in this season;; The more I study it, the more I think the NBA is just a world of monsters.

Yabes / In the end, he knelt to Cleveland. Pau Gasol’s injury seems to have been critical;

misscherry / I also write while dancing when I write. That’s how I get excited and feel realistic~

Lafir and Jint / It’s not over until it’s over in basketball! lol

Cheonsangbyeolri / Instead of someone’s performance, the discord with Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was highlighted ㅠ

Anti, Chic Sergeant / No! Signature tries to adhere to the principle of one episode per day as much as possible!

Comment on Episode 65-

Purota / Utah’s huge big men, Gobert and Favors, and scoring machine Gordon Hayward showed good performances. But compared to that, Exum and Hood need to develop a little more. It’s just my personal opinion, but if Exum and Hood get a little bigger, they’ll be a really scary young team.

Lonz Heart Team / From Chris Paul’s injury to the game, he looked very tired physically; I always lose when I watch the games of the team I support. I don’t watch the games for the team I support! lol

Goddess Yuri Praise, Cheonsangbyeolri, Finance, Lafir and Jint, Kundara, Omarion, abcd Ganadara, Brilliant Legacy / Thank you~ Did you have fun? I hope you relieve stress and have a good time while reading this article.

whomi / I will do my best to provide continuous and stable serialization. I am so grateful for the excessive love for my lacking first article ㅠㅠ I hope it will be a pleasure for those who read it while running through to the end!

Rough 99 / Boboa ㅠㅠ Boboaah!!! I never knew that was going to be his fate…