Chapter 177: Country Diner (3)
The cast members had energetically greeted their very first group of customers, but not even Kang Ra-Eun had expected them to be drunkards.
‘Of all the customers, why...’
It was far too early to be day drinking. Only cameras were installed in the diner; it was impossible to communicate right away with staff members because they were monitoring the camera feed from a nearby building.
The cast members exchanged glances with each other to figure out what to do. Je-Woon suggested chasing them out, but Ji Han-Seok and Tae-Chan suggested they at least try serving them. Just when it was Ra-Eun’s turn to choose, one of the drunkards glanced at the cast members with bleary eyes.
“Hm? What’s this? Isn’t this Mr. Kim’s diner?”
The “Mr. Kim” that they were referring to was the owner who had lent this country diner to the cast members. The customers did not seem as drunk as the cast had thought despite the strong stench of alcohol emitting from them.
Je-Woon, who had been given the role of supporting both the floor and the kitchen, spoke up first.
“We’ve been given the duty of managing this diner up until this Thursday.”
The two drunkards did not seem to have any idea of who the four of them were. It was natural for people of their age to be more familiar with trot singers or celebrities that had been active for a very long time. The two drunkards expressed disappointment from being unable to see familiar faces, but they took their seats since they had already come all this way.
“What’s on the menu?” one of the drunkards asked.
“Would you like me to bring it to you?” Tae-Chan acted first.
“Sure.”
“Yes, sir. Here you go.”
It felt wrong to chase out their very first customers. However, Je-Woon still felt uneasy.
“I don’t have a good feeling about them,” he remarked.
However, Han-Seok disagreed, and Ra-Eun also took his side.
“It’s not like we have any other customers. They seemed to have drunk a lot, but they don’t seem to be completely drunk, so why don’t we wait and see for a little longer?”
“What if they cause trouble?”
“If they do...” Ra-Eun said as she made scissors with her index and middle finger. “I’m sure Director Choo will cut it out.”
The greatest advantage of having recorded footage was the ability to edit it. Most problems could be solved with the power of editing.
‘But it’s not omnipotent.’
Resolving things before they became problems was the most important. Meanwhile, the two drunkards looked through the menu that Tae-Chan had gotten for them with nasty frowns. They couldn’t have cared less if they were being recorded or not.
“What a terrible menu!”
“Where the hell is the alcohol?!”
They were already raising their voices. Je-Woon had an expression on his face that screamed “I told you so.”?Just then, they got a call from Director Choo, who had been monitoring the situation.
- Some staff members and I are on our way. We’ll explain to them what’s going on and get them to go somewhere else.
“Yes. I think that's best.”
Han-Seok and Tae-Chan couldn’t help but change their minds about serving them as the drunkards were already singing boisterously. As the three male cast members had given up...
“Could you give me the phone?” Ra-Eun asked.
She received the phone from Han-Seok.
“Could you wait for a few more minutes, Director Choo?”
- Wait? What for?
“I’m going to try to appease them the best I can.”
- What?
It was hard to imagine what Ra-Eun could possibly do to control two drunkards who were barely holding on to their reason. The male cast members also dissuaded her.
“It might become a bigger problem if you step in, so let’s just leave it to the staff members.”
“Han-Seok is right, Ra-Eun. You don’t have to push yourself.”
One trying their best was commendable, but Han-Seok had seen many times of such enthusiasm making things even worse. However, Ra-Eun was confident that she could control them. She took off her apron and handed it to Tae-Chan.
“Hold this for me. And could you get me a menu?”
“Huh? Sure... But what are you gonna do?”
“Just stay here and watch with the other sunbaes.”
After instructing Tae-Chan on what to do, she stroked down her hair and walked up to the drunkards’ table. Their attention was fixed on the beauty that had suddenly appeared.
“Good morning, sir! Are you troubled because you can’t find something in particular on the menu?”
The two men were momentarily bewildered by her affectionate attitude.
“Well, uh...”
“What would you like? We do have a menu, but since you seem to be long-time regulars of this diner, we’ll try to make what you would like,” Ra-Eun remarked with a smile.
There weren’t many people in the world who wouldn’t be entranced by Ra-Eun speaking to them softly with a smile. It was even effective on drunkards.
“W-Well, we... we’re not picky eaters.”
“Th-That’s right.”
“I understand. How about I make something that helps with hangovers? It’s starting to get so hot lately, and you both seem to have drunk enough, so I suggest you relieve your hangover here and then go home to take a nap under the cool breeze of a fan. How does that sound?”
Since they did not sell alcohol here, Ra-Eun shifted the mood from one of a round two of drinking to one of hangover relief. The two drunkards acknowledged Ra-Eun’s suggestion before they had even realized it.
“Should... we? What do you think, Mr. Choi?”
“Me? Well, I guess it’s time for me to head back. Who knows what my wife will nag at me about if I stay out for too long.”
“Yeah, yeah. We’ve been drinking all morning, so let’s call it quits here for today like the pretty young lady here is suggesting.”
“Good idea. As for what we’ll have, we’ll leave it to you, Miss.”
Ra-Eun took their order with a smile. She returned to where the other cast members had been waiting for her, and took back the apron that she had left with Tae-Chan, who was staring at her dumbfoundedly.
“I’ll make some spicy fish stew. Tae-Chan, Je-Woon sunbae, please prepare the side dishes,” Ra-Eun stated.
“O-Okay. Let’s go, Tae-Chan.”
“Got it, hyung.”
“Come with me to the kitchen, Han-Seok sunbae,” Ra-Eun remarked.
Ra-Eun had fully mastered how to use her looks after becoming a high school girl. Han-Seok was genuinely impressed by how skillfully she controlled other people’s emotions. Country Diner might have started off with a huge accident from the first day if she had not been here.
***
More customers visited the country diner one after another after the drunkards had relieved their hangovers with the spicy fish stew that Ra-Eun and Han-Seok had made for them. The reason was unexpected.
“Mr. Choi was talking about how good this place was.”
“Mr. Choi?” Tae-Chan asked.
A housewife in her fifties, who had come to eat at the country diner with her family, nodded.
She answered the confused Tae-Chan, “He happened to meet my husband while on his way back from having spicy fish stew here with his friend. He’s been spreading rumors all over the village about how amazing the food was here, so we visited to give it a try as well.”
“Oh, I see.”
Tae-Chan had once again come to realize that Ra-Eun’s choice had been the correct one. This had been exactly what she had been aiming for. This was not a city, but a small village in the countryside where its inhabitants were extremely close with one another. If they had chased the drunkards away, rumors would spread that this diner discriminated against certain customers, resulting in customers not coming and becoming a massive problem for the variety program. Hence, Ra-Eun had resolved the situation in the most accommodating way possible.
‘I guess things went exactly as Ra-Eun had planned,’?Tae-Chan thought.
He couldn’t help but be impressed by her insight. Whatever the case, far more people had visited the country diner than the cast members had expected from just the first day, throwing them into chaos.
“The grilled mackerel for #3 is ready!”
“Baekban for two for #7! What are you doing, Je-Woon?! Move your feet!”
The diner had turned into a warzone. They had wished for there to be more customers when there were only flies, but they had changed their minds completely. Their minds were filled with the desire for customers to stop coming so they could take a break.
However, it was also rather fun, especially for Ra-Eun, whose second wish was to set up her own restaurant. This was an extremely fresh experience for her. After weathering the massive storm of customers, only two groups remained. They had served them their food as well, so the cast members had finally been given time to breathe.
They happened to catch a conversation of newlyweds, the second group of customers.
“Honey. I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick, so take care of Chae-Won for me,” the wife said.
“But Chae-Won is gonna cry like crazy if you leave her to me,” the husband remarked.
“It’s not like I can hold her while I do my business. You’re her father, so you should also take care of the baby every now and then.”
The husband had no choice but to hold the baby after getting a nagging from his wife.
Waaaahhhh—!
As expected, the baby’s wails filled the diner as soon as the wife left. The husband tried his best to calm the baby down while completely flustered.
“I guess it’s my time to shine.”
Just then, Han-Seok gallantly walked up to the husband and the baby.
“Should I take care of the baby for you?” he asked.
“Huh? Are you sure?” the husband asked in return.
“Yes. I may not look like it, but I’ve taken care of my nephews ever since they were babies.”
Han-Seok loved kids, so he was very confident in taking care of babies as well. He could get precious screen time, and stop the baby’s crying; he would kill two birds with one stone if he succeeded. However, things in life were not so easy. The baby cried even louder once it entered Han-Seok’s embrace.
Je-Woon, who had been watching from the sidelines, stepped in.
“Leave it to me, Han-Seok.”
He was handed the baton, but he had only assisted in raising the tone of the baby’s cries. The same went for Tae-Chan. There was only one more person to try.
“Do I have to do it too?” Ra-Eun asked while pointing at herself.
The three men nodded as if it was obvious.
“But I don’t know how to calm down a baby.”
Ra-Eun did not hate children, but children had been scared of her in her past life due to her occupation as bodyguard. However, she had no choice but to hold the baby as the other cast members pressured her to do it.
And then, a miracle occurred. The baby, who had been crying so hard until just a second ago, calmed down in an instant. She buried her face in Ra-Eun’s chest and rubbed against it while giggling.
Ra-Eun asked while greatly flustered, “A-Am I holding her properly?”
“Huh? Y-Yeah.”
The three men, albeit for a moment, were jealous of the baby.
1. Trot is a famous genre of Korean music, known for its use of repetitive rhythm and vocal inflections. It was very popular in the late 20th century and early 2000’s.
2. Baekban is rice served with various side dishes commonly eaten at home.
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