GalaxyTL
As Chisako hugged me tightly, I was inwardly taken aback.
She actually came all the way here.
While I had made remarks that might’ve sounded like casual invitations, I hadn’t genuinely expected her to show up.
But being from a wealthy family, it seemed she had no qualms about hopping on a plane.
Having breakfast in Korea and dinner in Japan…
She was living the kind of life that sounded like a dream come true.
That thought reminded me of the cryptocurrency I had told my dad about.
Now that I think about it, what happened with that?
It was around the time Bitcoin was starting to gain mainstream attention and its price was skyrocketing.
I wondered how the trades were going.
Judging by the silence, it seems like it’s handling itself just fine.
I decided to ask him about it later and shifted my focus back to gently peeling Chisako off me.
"Thank you so much for letting me post this on Twitter!"
"Oh, it’s no big deal. It helps with promotion for me, so it’s a win-win."
"Even so! Most people wouldn’t agree to something like this."
I didn’t bother giving a reply to that.
It’s true, I suppose.
Whether someone agreed or not didn’t make them inherently good or bad;
everyone has their own reasons for what they choose to share or keep private.
"So, what are you planning to do after the dubbing is over?"
"After the dubbing?"
"Yeah! With how popular you are right now—on Twitter and the radio—you could even appear on variety shows!"
Her comment made me consider the possibility.
The dubbing is progressing incredibly fast.
It helped that the film was action-heavy and didn’t have too much dialogue.
But more than that, the enthusiasm of the Japanese voice actors was driving the process forward.
The high-quality, high-energy performances of seasoned voice actors made a huge difference.
On top of that, there wasn’t much localization work needed, so there weren’t many roadblocks.
At this rate, the only delays would come from post-production work.
Timing adjustments and mixing aren’t my responsibility, anyway.
If things continued like this, I could potentially have a five-week break once the dubbing was done.
A Japanese activity break, huh?
I glanced at Seokho-hyung, who immediately caught on to what I was thinking.
"Taking a break when you can is the right thing to do. If you want to go for it, that’s fine, but… honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it," he said.
"Why not?"
"There aren’t many shows for you to go on. Plus, you know as well as I do that Japanese variety shows are very different from Korean ones."
The tone.
He wasn’t wrong. Not even a little.
Seokho-hyung added another point.
"Even if you get offers, they’ll probably be prank-heavy shows, and I don’t think that would be great for your image right now."
Image management.
This was crucial for any celebrity.
How you handled your image could determine the roles you were offered,
and in extreme cases, it could even end your career.
From that perspective—
There’s no need to come off looking ridiculous.
The conclusion was clear: Japanese variety shows wouldn’t do much to help my career.
Be funny, but don’t make a fool of yourself.
So, should I just fully embrace the idea of taking a proper break?
Maybe I could visit a theme park or check out some museums.
++++++
Mid-August
The dubbing for the project had finally wrapped up.
To get straight to the point, I didn’t go anywhere special or make any big plans.
This is a rare chance to truly relax.
Instead of draining myself in crowded places,
I focused on enjoying a calm, leisurely routine that I wouldn’t get to experience otherwise.
Even though I’d been trending on Twitter and mentioned on the radio,
it wasn’t to the extent that I’d get swarmed by people just walking down the street.
For the first time in a while, I got to enjoy an unbothered, peaceful life.
Every job has its own challenges, doesn’t it?
Reflecting on this, I sent a message to Seokho-hyung.
Can you find me some Japanese movie scripts?
"Huh? Oh, planning to study? Sure, I’ll see what I can dig up!"
Thanks a lot!
It would be great if I could gain any perks from studying Japanese scripts.
The more advantages I had, the better.
Relaxing isn’t so bad.
Once I returned to Korea, there’d be a mountain of tasks waiting for me:
Oh, and I need to check in on Seohyun.
As her one and only older brother, I should show my face more often.
If I didn’t, she might start calling me "uncle" one day, and that thought terrified me.
Anyway, today’s plan is simple—stay in bed all day!
Just as I reached this satisfying conclusion, my phone buzzed.
"Hello? Seokho-hyung?"
What could have happened to make him stutter so much?
This had to be something big.
As I started to wonder, Seokho-hyung took a deep breath to steady himself.
A pioneer in mukbang culture,
the show follows Kurata Gorou, a freelance salesman,
as he travels around Japan, dining alone at various restaurants.
How could I not know it? I used to watch it while eating in my previous life.
It was popular in Japan and had a solid fanbase in Korea too.
But why was hyung suddenly bringing it up?
No way…
I shot up from bed, completely shocked.
I had a vague feeling something like this might happen, but I didn’t expect it to be real.
Expecting the same pay I’d get in Korea would’ve been absurd.
This was just a short guest appearance, after all.
Earning what I normally did simply wasn’t realistic.
It’s not about the money—it’s about getting exposure on Japanese media.
This was an opportunity to boost my visibility and recognition.
"So, if I’m introducing Korean cuisine, does that mean I’ll be playing a chef?"
So, my cooking would be featured on Japanese TV, and Gorou-san would eat it on screen?
Wow.
I’d better brush up on my cooking skills.
Good thing this place has a kitchen.
Time to head to the grocery store.
+++++
How Did Kim Donghu End Up on Solitary Gourmet Season 4?
It all boiled down to the actions of just two individuals.
"Donghu needs to build more and more—more! recognition in Japan."
"Hmm, right. My daughter likes him."
Kiryu Sota and Usami Kenji shared the same goal, but their motivations were entirely different.
For Kiryu Sota, the reasoning was:
“If Kim Donghu gains TV exposure and becomes a familiar face, the audience won’t feel any resistance to seeing him in movies later.”
For Usami Kenji, it was:
“If my daughter is going to meet and marry a man eventually, it might as well be Kim Donghu.”
Kenji’s reasoning was a bit more layered.
“Chisako…”
As a father, Usami Kenji was deeply loving but also exceptionally realistic and pragmatic.
While he adored his daughter, he knew she wouldn’t stay in the family’s protective bubble forever.
“All men are wolves—that’s just a fact. And Kim Donghu is no different.”
But there was one key distinction:
“Kim Donghu is the alpha. The leader of the pack.”
A wolf you could trust.
Having worked with Donghu, Kenji had a solid grasp of his personality, work ethic, and values.
The conclusion he reached was clear:
“If my daughter’s going to get married, it should be to Kim Donghu.”
Thus, Kim Donghu became Usami Kenji’s gold standard for a potential son-in-law.
The Plan Comes Together
With their motivations aligned, Kiryu and Kenji made their way to Tokyo TV,
a relatively progressive network compared to Japan’s typically conservative media landscape.
They believed Tokyo TV would be open to featuring someone like Donghu.
“Of course, the final decision lies with Donghu and his agency.”
“But getting the proposal on the table? That, we can handle.”
When the two pitched their idea to the network, they were pleasantly surprised.
“Is that really true?”
“Yes. Honestly, we want this as much as you do. Not riding this wave would be a huge mistake.”
It turned out Tokyo TV was already interested in Donghu but had been unsure how to approach him.
“Exactly! Right now, Kim Donghu is a rising star. We need to make him shine even brighter.”
“Agreed.”
Without Donghu even being present, discussions about him unfolded seamlessly.
The result was clear:
“What?! Kim Donghu on Solitary Gourmet?!”
By the next morning, Choi Seokho received the offer.
It was an incredibly fast decision—Kim Donghu’s appearance on Solitary Gourmet was confirmed in record time.
thanks for the chapters!