GIJS

Chapter 196 D-DAY

The rivalry between 'Restaurant Maker' and 'SSS-Grade Chef is Excellent at Bizarre Dishes' was a significant topic of interest among 7IN fans. This time, with the program focused on healing rather than competition, fans were able to watch 'Restaurant Maker' from start to finish without anxiety. However, the real tension came after the program ended.

'Restaurant Maker' had previously remained in the second place of Friday variety shows due to the popularity of the Bizarre Dish Chef. But once it became known that 7IN had filmed an episode of 'Restaurant Maker', many eagerly awaited the *
'Restaurant Maker – Hiking Trail Restaurant' episode.

Moreover, thanks to the unintentional noise marketing by the fluorescent pants trio, interest in 'Restaurant Maker' was higher than ever.

However, 'SSS-Grade Chef is Excellent at Bizarre Dishes' was not to be left behind. In response to the hiking trail restaurant episode, the Bizarre Dish Chef made even more bizarre dishes to attract attention.

[Today's 'SSS-Grade Chef is Excellent at Bizarre Dishes' was seriously insane;;;] [Why is Jangpoong making something weird again?] [This isn't just weird, it's so bizarre that I can't believe it was on TVㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [What is it?? Just hearing about it is attracting so much attention] [He made something like beef tripe dumplings] [Beef tripe dumplings? That sounds tasty???] [No, it's not normal tripe... It's actually dumplings made to look like human organs] [Oh, damnㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [I'm curious thoughㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [It's disgusting but I keep getting more curiousㅋㅋㅋ] [Jangpoong's dishes always have that tasteㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [Is it possible that the hiking trail dumplings will surpass usㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [Oh, this is crazy] [But Bizarre Dish Chef's ratings have always been 5% higher than Restaurant Maker] [Restaurant Maker is already on a minor channelㅠㅠㅠ] [Sigh, I'm feeling nervous. This feels like a competition] [Why are we competing over ratings when we were supposed to be relaxing?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

Both 7IN members and fans were understandably focused on the ratings. But the results were a decisive victory.

'Restaurant Maker', which had consistently ranked second in ratings since its launch, achieved a record-breaking victory with 7IN's episode, surpassing 'SSS-Grade Chef is Excellent at Bizarre Dishes' by more than double.

'Restaurant Maker' reached number one in Friday variety show ratings with 17.4%, proving the '7IN Effect' once again. Meanwhile, 'SSS-Grade Chef is Excellent at Bizarre Dishes' achieved a new high for itself at 8.2% but was overwhelmed by 'Restaurant Maker'.

'Restaurant Maker' Hits Number One in Friday Variety Ratings... 17.4% Viewership [Cable Cooking Show Surpasses 10% Viewership, Reinforcing the '7IN Effect'.]
['SSS-Class Chef's Bizarre Dishes' Updates Its Own High Rating with 8.2% but Loses to 'Restaurant Maker' by an Overwhelming Margin...][7IN Dominates with 'Hiking Trail Restaurant,' Could it Spark a Hiking Trend Among the Youth?][TNBC – Yang Hong-seok PD, No Plans for Extended Broadcast of 'Restaurant Maker' 7IN Episode... A Clean Conclusion with a Direct Approach]

"Wow, we won! And it was such a huge victory!"

"Haha, I'm somewhat relieved~"

"We didn't start this to compete over ratings, but... it feels good to have won!"

"We must have done a lot of competitions, huh?"

The synergy between 7IN and 'Restaurant Maker' didn't end with the rise in ratings.

The next day, a sunny April Saturday, the hiking trail was bustling with young hikers. 'Restaurant Maker' had added fuel to the already growing trend of hiking among the 10-20 age group.

Especially, the restaurants at the trailhead experienced unprecedented prosperity. Young female customers, somewhat out of place in the rustic interiors, were seen ordering acorn jelly and potato pancakes while taking photos, much to the amusement of the older patrons.

"Hehe, what's that, taking pictures for Instagram?"

"Hehe, yes! Do you know about Instagram too?"

"Of course, my kids made it for me~ I'm a hiker too~"

"Oh, a hiker? You look more like a hiking deity!"

"Oh, you flatter me! I guess we're not hikers but hiking fools~"

"Ah, that's not what I meant..."

"Kim, it turns out we were the fools!"

"Hahaha—"

The articles about the surge in weekend hikers due to the '7IN Effect' made the members proud. The one who was particularly pleased was Gunja.

"I'm so proud to have spread the true joy of enjoying nature to the younger generation. Reflecting on it, it was indeed a fulfilling broadcast."

"True. The ratings are one thing, but I'm more glad that PD Yang seems to be pleased."

"Right, PD Yang said he hopes the hiking culture becomes more active thanks to this episode."

"I wasn't sure if it would happen, but... anyway, it feels good, hehe."

While viewers of 'Restaurant Maker' hiked up the mountains, an unexpected visitor arrived at the Solar System practice room. The leader of the boy group Velocé, Pael, along with Baek Jung-hoon from 'Restaurant Maker' and PD Yang Hong-seok, came to visit the members with a mobile kitchen setup.

"It's been a while, Chillin!"

"Everyone, how have you been? Thanks to you, our ratings and buzz have been amazing!"

"Wow, why do you all look so tired?"

Idol leader Pael, healing variety show PD Yang Hong-seok, and home-cooking expert Baek Jung-hoon.

The combination of these three, seemingly unrelated, surprised the members.

"Huh? What kind of combination is this?"

"Haha, yeah. I'm actually still a bit awkward with PD Yang!"

Though they were still a bit awkward, they shared a common goal.

To fill the 7IN members' stomachs.

PD Yang and Baek Jung-hoon wanted to thank the 7IN members for their help in 'Restaurant Maker'. At that moment, Pael reached out to Baek Jung-hoon.

As a fan who kept up with 7IN's performances and live broadcasts, Pael noticed that despite the energetic live broadcasts, the members looked quite exhausted.

Thus, Pael contacted Baek Jung-hoon, with whom he had some familiarity, to ask for advice on nourishing dishes that could be gifted to the tired members.

Since Baek Jung-hoon and PD Yang Hong-seok also owed a debt of gratitude to 7IN, they decided to not only offer advice but also personally prepare the food.

"Is preparing for the concert tough?"

"Hyung, it's really exhausting. Is preparing for a solo concert always this hard?"

"It depends. Honestly, some just coast through it. It's tough because you're doing it properly."

"Hmm... We've rearranged all the songs and revamped the performances for the concert, and I'm having some regrets about it..."

"Hey, if you perform the same songs and performances as on music shows, what's the point of a concert? You're doing it right. You'll definitely feel proud and rewarded later."

"Really?"

"Of course. Our team always ends up regretting things. My role is to soothe the whining. Even with years of experience, the end of the concert still brings whining and complaints. But after it's all over, watching the footage and reading the reviews will make you feel good. Even your favorite soldier said, 'Do whatever you can handle.'"

As Pael and the members engaged in a heart-to-heart chat, Baek Jung-hoon started cooking with his selected kitchen crew.

The large container truck quickly filled with delicious smells. Baek Jung-hoon's dishes, carefully balanced in taste and nutrition, were served one after another.

"Wow, thank you for the meal!"

"Wow, the smell is amazing."

The members, who hadn't had a proper meal in a while, were finally able to enjoy a hearty meal. Seeing the members' improved complexion from the meal, Baek Jung-hoon smiled warmly.

"If it's alright, I'd like to talk to the agency director about providing meals for you until the concert. Is that okay?"

"Really? If you do it personally, it would be wonderful!"

"Eating well is great, but you shouldn't overeat and gain weight. I'll make sure to balance it so you can enjoy delicious meals."

"Thank you, sir!"

The scene of the members enjoying Baek Jung-hoon's cooking was broadcasted live to fans.

Fans, who had been worried about the members not eating well, were extremely relieved to see them happily eating.

[Wow, Mr. Baek is doing this?] [ㅠㅠㅠㅠ I'm so relievedㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [I was worried because the members don't eat much during J-Live events······] [I didn't say anything because I didn't want to add to their stress during concert preparations, but I was really worried ㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [N-D-N-D··· I'm sure everyone noticed that and took care of itㅠㅠㅠ] [Phew, I'm so relieved that Mr. Baek is here with us.] [Shouldn't we hang a wreath for Mr. Baek at the concert hall?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [Thank you so much, Mr. Baekㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [Is there no photo card of Mr. Baek Jung-hoon?] [Are you kidding meㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ a photo card of Mr. Baek?]

"Eh? What's a photo card?"

"Teacher! A photo card means 'grape seed oil canola oil.'"

"Oh, grape seed oil canola oil? Then I have a lot of photo cards too?"

[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ah,ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [The guts of Kwon Tae-woong to joke with Mr. Baekㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ So funnyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [And Mr. Baek's pronunciation of 'photo card' is so accurateㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [ㅋㅋㅋㅋ He's the best at pronouncing '-yu' in our countryㅋㅋㅋ] [ㅋㅋㅋㅋ When did our kids get so close to Mr. Baek?] [It's also cute seeing Yuchan and In-hyuk laughing in the cornerㅋㅋㅋㅋ] [Phew, I was really worried they'd be exhausted from concert preparations, but seeing them like this is such a reliefㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ] [Now I just want to meet them at the concert quickly♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎]

The visits from Pael, Baek Jung-hoon, and PD Yang Hong-seok were a healing time for both the members and the fans.

Time continued to pass, and before long, it was the night before the concert.

For fans who had successfully purchased tickets, the time seemed to drag on unbearably. Two people who had experienced the theory of relativity painfully, were lying side by side on their hotel beds near the concert hall. Yeon-ji, the number one fan of Gun-ja, and Gong Yu-min, the public official who worked on the "Mission ImpossiBuddha" project with 7IN.

The two, who had become close through SNS activities, had met offline and shared their hobbies. Having succeeded in the fierce competition for the 2nd round reservations, they planned to wake up at 4 AM after a perfect night's sleep to line up at the goods booth.

"···Unnie, I'm so nervous···."

"You've been to so many of these, and you're still nervous?"

"But you worked with the 7IN members before."

"That's true, but thinking of seeing them again makes me nervous, heehee."

"Why does my heart keep racing no matter how many times I see them?"

"I know, right?"

"I need to sleep···."

"I can't sleep, what should we do?"

The two tried to fall asleep with a live broadcast of Gun-ja's ballad cover playing, but somehow, Gun-ja's voice made their minds even more alert.

Tomorrow, they would actually hear this voice!

Eventually, Yeon-ji and Yu-min fell asleep two hours later than planned. In their dreams, Gun-ja appeared in a colorful hanbok and smiled brightly.

"Muhahaha, muhahahaha··· Master Gun-ja··· No, that's not right···."

The two, wandering in their happy dream, jumped out of bed the moment the alarm went off. Finally, D-Day had arrived. The morning of 7IN's first solo concert and their first album showcase had dawned.

"Let's go, Yeon-ji!"

"Yes, unnie!"