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Episode 9 – The Set, the Lunch Truck, and… Him
The icy dawn air bit at Yeonwoo’s cheeks.
He had spent the past few days curled up in the blankets of his tiny rooftop room, restless and cold—but this morning, he’d forced himself out early. He was waiting for someone.
A van screeched to a stop in front of him.
Painted in huge letters on the side was the name “Dino Lunch Truck.”
Without hesitation, Yeonwoo climbed aboard.
“Good morning, sir. My name is Hong Yeonwoo. I’ll be starting work today. I’ll do my best.”
He’d done countless part-time jobs before, but this time, he was unusually tense. It wasn’t just because it was his first time working on a lunch truck—it was because this job had been personally introduced by Madam Soonhee.
The man in the driver’s seat, Yong Mancheol, merely nodded without a word. His face was stoic, his hands steady on the wheel as he steered onto the highway without even using GPS.
“I have a type-1 driver’s license,” Yeonwoo offered quickly, trying to make conversation. “And I used to work delivery, too.”
No resume, no interview—just a text the night before telling him to be ready at 5 a.m. and send his address.
He’d assumed this first day would double as a test run, but no questions came. The silence filled the van.
“Should I… drive, maybe—”
“Don’t bother. We’ll be there in two hours. Get some sleep.”
Mancheol’s tone was rough but not unkind. The van hummed along quietly.
Yeonwoo hesitated, then blurted out, “I’m a fox beastman.”
He said it too abruptly, voice stiff with nerves. Madam Soonhee had assured him it wouldn’t matter—but Yeonwoo knew better than anyone that, to most people, it did.
He swallowed hard, watching the highway signs pass, already planning what he’d do if the man told him to get out.
But instead, Mancheol asked,
“How many tails?”
“…Huh? Oh—just one.”
“Then we’re fine.”
“…Oh.”
Relief flooded him so fast he almost laughed.
He turned to the window, watching the first hints of sunrise glow over the horizon. His tight shoulders slowly eased.
They finally arrived at the destination—
a film set in the snowy hills of Gangwon-do.
Even though it was barely dawn, the place was alive with people and equipment.
“Wow…”
Yeonwoo gaped. It was like a whole village made of cameras, cables, and shivering staff. The set itself looked like a real Joseon-era town, complete with thatched roofs and stone walls.
“It’s not a set—it’s an actual village,” he muttered in awe.
While Yeonwoo stared, Mancheol was already unloading heavy equipment from the truck.
“Sir! Let me help!”
Snapping out of his daze, Yeonwoo hurried to assist, unfolding tents and arranging supplies. He might have been new to lunch trucks, but after years of odd jobs, he knew how to read the room and work fast.
“Should I put the fried food in the warmer?”
Mancheol nodded, securing the tent ropes. He lifted a huge pot of soup onto the gas burner.
Then, mid-task, he glanced over and asked casually,
“You know how to make stir-fried shredded potatoes and spicy pork, right?”
“Yes, sir!”
Those were the dishes Yeonwoo was best at—he’d made them countless times at Madam Soonhee’s diner.
“Prepped ingredients are in that cooler. Use what you need. Seasoning’s done, but adjust it if you want.”
“Got it!”
Soonhee had told him that Mancheol’s wife—his former cooking partner—had hurt her hip and couldn’t work anymore. Not wanting to sell the truck, Mancheol had agreed to let Yeonwoo take over.
Yeonwoo couldn’t replace years of teamwork and trust between the couple, but he could at least honor their effort. He rolled up his sleeves with quiet determination.
But then—
“Hey, it’s the Dino Truck!”
A booming voice made Yeonwoo freeze mid-step.
He turned his head—and nearly dropped the knife.
Standing by the tent was a massive man he instantly recognized.
The manager.
That manager.
The one who’d been with Sun Inhyuk in the parking lot.
Yeonwoo yanked up his hoodie and ducked into the back of the truck, heart pounding.
No way.
If that man was here…
That meant he was here too.
Sun Inhyuk—the man whose pants he’d ripped off, whose lips he’d—
Yeonwoo covered his burning face with both hands.
He peeked out. The bear-like manager, Kang Gwanghyun, was talking to Mancheol.
“Not ready yet,” Mancheol said flatly. “Come back around eleven.”
“Ah, got it.” Gwanghyun bowed politely and left.
Yeonwoo slumped in relief, then scrambled to look busy.
“I—I’ll finish this soon!”
He coughed awkwardly, pretending to focus on the stove—but his thoughts were spinning in chaos.
What do I do? Quit now?
He’d thought about apologizing if he ever ran into Inhyuk again—but not this soon!
No, he hasn’t seen me yet. Maybe he won’t.
Still, the idea of working in the same place as the man he’d accidentally… well, done things to… made his stomach twist.
He flipped the pork, trying to steady himself, but the oil splattered and nearly burned him.
No. I can’t quit now.
He couldn’t betray Madam Soonhee’s trust like that.
If I run into him, I’ll just—bow, apologize, maybe even kneel if I have to.
Decision made, he threw himself into cooking.
Working outdoors in winter wasn’t easy; even so, sweat rolled down his temples as he cooked in front of the hot stove.
“Use a bandana,” Mancheol grumbled. “Don’t wanna drop hair in the food.”
“Yes, sir.”
He tied his hair up, sneaking glances outside. The staff were trickling in, ready for their first meal of the day.
“Oh? You’re not the madam?” one of them asked, surprised.
The Dino Truck was well-known in the film industry, and Mancheol had many regulars. The sudden sight of a new worker made some heads tilt—but no one questioned it.
“Hello,” Yeonwoo greeted with a polite smile, trying to stay invisible.
Still, he couldn’t stop scanning the crowd. No Gwanghyun. No Inhyuk. He let out a shaky breath.
Behind him, Mancheol was chatting with old acquaintances.
“Didn’t you retire, old man?”
“Thought you sold this truck!”
Yeonwoo busied himself pretending to check ingredients, moving boxes around pointlessly, when a group of staff nearby began gossiping over their trays.
“I told you, the bad luck started because they didn’t do the ritual properly.”
“Please, who does full rituals these days? It’s just bad timing.”
“Bad timing? The lead actor gets busted for drunk driving, their lunch truck disappears, and now they bring in Dino Truck at the last minute? If this were a horror movie, we’d all be dead.”
Yeonwoo’s ears perked up at one name that followed.
“By the way, did something happen between Sun Inhyuk and Song Sungmin at Director Min’s party?”
“Not sure. But those two were never on good terms anyway.”
Yeonwoo froze, knife hovering midair.
The conversation went on—gossip about actors, tension on set, how Inhyuk had replaced another actor at the last second.
Each word made Yeonwoo’s heart sink lower.
“Still, Sun Inhyuk’s the scarier one, you know?” a woman whispered. “He doesn’t yell—he just smiles and talks softly while stabbing you with words. Cold, polite, terrifying.”
“Yeah, he’s been in a bad mood lately. Probably because of that sudden recasting.”
Yeonwoo’s face drained of color.
He’s… here. And he’s mad.
So much for apologizing.
He needed to stay invisible.
Thankfully, the morning rush ended without incident. No sign of Gwanghyun or Inhyuk.
Mancheol checked the remaining trays. “About twenty left. Don’t turn off the warmer yet.”
“Okay.”
Staff kept trickling in, hungry and chatty. Yeonwoo relaxed just a little—
Until someone behind him said softly,
“Yeonwoo-ssi?”
He spun around—
heart stopping.
