APCA 18🦚

Chapter 18

Tension rippled through the studio.

Even Kiho, who normally joked around, was dead silent and focused.

If the dish had actually tasted good, all this attention would have been welcome. But knowing exactly what it tasted like, the silence only made dread pile up.

What on earth happened here?

Who would do something like this?

There had been a short reset when they were placing the dishes in front of the tasters. Whoever it was must have taken that moment to sneak in and dump a mountain of salt.

But the bigger disaster wasn’t that the food was inedible.

It was that someone had basically shoved a bowl of salt water in front of the guest that she herself had brought in.

I shouldn’t have given that “five-star review” example…

It was like serving up brine and then proudly demanding a perfect score.

The silence broke when Lee Hyun set down his tasting plate.

I know that face.

The same unchanging mask he wore on the news.
That poker face wasn’t a sign that everything was fine—it was the exact opposite.

“……So, is it good or not?”

Kiho’s question, dry and oddly comical, only deepened Haerin’s gloom.

“Yes, this has become the dish everyone’s most curious about. Hyun, please lift the score panel in front of you!”

Haerin felt her stomach twist. She already knew what was coming.

I lost a thousand coins for sure. The only thing left is to pray I’m not dead last.

Maybe some others had wasted their coins too. If so, then…

“No way.”

“Wow, ten points!”

“Ohhh, so that was his delicious face.”

…Huh?

Haerin leaned forward, blinking. At the very end, the highest number possible—

It was definitely 10.

“We have a ten! And let’s not forget—Haerin guessed the score correctly. That means she wins a thousand coins!”

“Lucky!”

“Oh no, then the rankings…”

Stunned, Haerin collected the coins. She glanced back. Hyun’s expression was as rigid as ever, but his hands moved in a quiet clap.

There he was.

He really didn’t leave yet.

After filming ended, Haerin deliberately came down to the parking lot later than the others. Unlike last time, this time it was on purpose—she wanted to talk to Shin Hyun.

She had asked if he could stay behind a little while. And sure enough, his sedan was still waiting. Relief washed over her.

I really need to talk to him. But it’s impossible during recording; every sound gets picked up by the mics. Inside the building, you never know who you’ll run into. Out here is the only chance.

Scanning the lot, she approached the driver’s side window. Before she could knock, the glass slid down.

“Get in.”

“Excuse me?”

“You said you had something to say. Let’s talk inside.”

…In his car?

We’re not going to talk long enough for this, are we?

After a quick hesitation, she climbed into the passenger seat. Better to be cautious—and thorough.

The first thing she noticed was the scent. Not the synthetic sharpness of a car freshener. Subtle, familiar, and warm. Hyun’s cologne.

She finally spoke.

“……Wasn’t the braised chicken too salty for you?”

“It was.”

Her shoulders slumped. The image of him gulping water right after the shoot came back to her.

“Did you give it a ten because I asked you to?”

“There was no reason not to.”

“But it wasn’t a ten-point dish. You seem like the type to score coldly when something’s off.”

She bit her lip. That sounded harsher than intended, but anyone would think the same.

“You asked me. So I did as asked.”

Her eyes wandered, searching for a safer spot to land. Finally, she said:

“That day at the café…”

“Mm.”

“It wasn’t because you disliked me, was it?”

Their eyes locked. Startled, she almost flinched. For the first time, his steady mask wrinkled.

“Of course not.”

The tone carried a hint of What nonsense are you spouting?

Right. I didn’t really think you were that cruel.

Still, the way he had said it that day had been sharp enough to sting. If not for the chaos of the variety show, she probably would have brooded over it endlessly.

So if it wasn’t dislike, then the real question is—

Where did we meet before?

“Anyway… thank you for today. Thanks to you, I earned coins and avoided the penalty.”

Without those extra coins, she would have been locked into last place.

I owe him more than I realized. He didn’t just play along—he saved me.

The ambiguity of last time cleared. Today proved he wasn’t insane.

“You’re thankful?”

“Sorry?”

“Are you thankful to me?”

“Of course. Truly.”

“Then repay me.”

“…What?”

Repay? Haerin blinked.

“You don’t need coins, right? Are you saying you’ll join the missions next time? A host’s mission?”

She rambled nervously. The show was insane enough that even that didn’t sound far-fetched.

“Whatever it is, if you need something, just say it. I always repay my debts.”

“Can I trust that?”

“Yes. I mean it.”

Hyun’s answer was simple:

“Then have a meal with me.”

“A… meal?”

Haerin’s mouth fell open.

“With me?”

“You told me to ask for what I wanted.”

Why a meal? What would they even talk about?

Normally, she would have refused. But not this time.

Maybe this is how I’ll figure it out. Who Shin Hyun really is.

“All right. Let’s eat. I’d like to go wherever you enjoy.”

If nothing else, his food preferences might be a clue. Maybe they had shared a table before.

Hyun paused, then slid something across the console. A sleek business card.

“Whenever it’s convenient. Weekends are fine. Weeknights, I get off late. Keep that in mind.”

“I know when you finish. The news ends at seven sharp, right? I used to wait for it and watch every time…”

Her words trailed, and then she froze.
Had she really just said that?

She bit her lip hard.

“I’ll… call you later then. Please drive safe.”

Haerin scrambled out, not daring to look back.

Why did I say that? Why ‘I used to wait for you’?

She had sworn not to let slip that she’d once been a devoted fan.

Her cheeks burned.

Sitting back behind her own wheel, she finally exhaled.

“Haa…”

Only then did she notice the glossy business card still in her hand.
The name Shin Hyun gleamed against the polished surface.

She forced herself to ignore the stirrings of old fandom bubbling up beneath the relief.

“……Better to save the number, just in case.”

It would be a pain to lose it later. She quickly tapped it into her phone.

Hello, this is Yoo Haerin.

The message was crisp, businesslike, and sent. She tucked the card neatly into her wallet.

“A meal, huh. Fine. Why not.”

Maybe face-to-face, she’d uncover who he really was.

He acted like once I understood him, I’d also understand those words. Maybe then I’ll want an apology.

Pulling out of the lot, she happened to glance at the row of parked cars. Hyun’s sedan was still right where it had been.

She drove past too quickly to be sure, but it looked like he hadn’t even started the engine.

Still here? Even after all this time?

She had spent ages fiddling with the card and sending the text.

Yet Hyun remained.

So he has his own secrets too.

Tilting her head slightly, Haerin steered onto the main road.