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Chapter 17
A strange tension flickered between the gaps of silence.
“Ah, I’m really sorry. But I’ve got to catch someone.”
The words sparked the chase.
The contestants scattered—chasing and fleeing. Standing a little apart, Hae-rin glanced around warily.
“……”
And then—her eyes locked with Ju-ho’s.
“Sunbae-nim.”
“Ju-ho-ssi, turn your head. There are plenty of people closer on the other side.”
There really were—at least three contestants were within arm’s reach.
“Sorry. But I want you to be the one to taste my braised chicken.”
“I saw you gagging earlier.”
“Then let’s suffer together.”
Ju-ho closed the distance, his steps quickening.
Hae-rin’s face twisted in panic as she bolted.
Fortunately, she had a decent amount of confidence in her running.
“And he’s not even wearing sneakers.”
Glancing back mid-run, she saw she still had a safe gap. It looked like he’d nearly been caught himself and had only just shaken off pursuit.
Hae-rin used the moment to think.
“I spent too many coins picking that raw chicken.”
She had failed several challenges at the last moment, yet had to keep pushing because the atmosphere demanded it. By now, she probably had only around a thousand coins left.
Even if she managed to secure a taster, if her dish scored at the bottom, it would be meaningless.
The only way to avoid punishment was to nail the predicted score and earn that thousand-coin bonus.
But there was one massive problem.
“Why did I write ten points as my prediction?!”
She should have thought harder.
It was an absurdly high number—no one on a variety show would ever actually give a perfect score.
“Sunbae-nim!”
Ju-ho’s shout carried as he charged again. This time the path was clear, no one to block him.
“I’m really sorry, Nam Ju-ho. But I think someone could manage to eat braised chicken topped with French pie snacks. What I can’t stomach is braised chicken with a whole pack of 123 chocolate in it.”
Hae-rin’s eyes darted, searching desperately for another way out.
But the contestants standing idle had started grappling with one another. If she rushed in there, she might end up caught instead—and worse, forced to taste that grape-braised chicken.
“If I catch Ju-ho first…”
No, too risky. The gamble was too high.
Who, then?
Who was the safest choice?
The most bearable option was…
“……!”
She lunged, grabbing someone’s arm tightly.
Beep—!
“Time’s up! Stop right where you are!”
Everyone froze in place. Hae-rin quickly scanned her surroundings, her heart still racing.
That was close. Too close. Ju-ho had been right behind her.
Looking at the scene, he frowned and raised his voice.
“PD-nim. Does this count as a catch?”
“Huh? Over there—what’s happening?”
Seong-jae turned his gaze toward them.
“Oh! Did Hae-rin-ssi just catch I-hyun-ssi?”
The others joined in as the realization spread.
“She grabbed the anchor?”
“Wow, you must’ve really hated that chocolate braised chicken!”
Seong-jae clapped his hands to bring order.
“Alright, let’s confirm this. Yoo Hae-rin-ssi, accepted!”
“PD-nim, really? You’re acknowledging this?”
“Enough whining, Ju-ho-ssi. Everyone with tasters, gather up!”
* * *
Only three contestants had successfully caught tasters.
“First up, A-jin’s dish. Tell us about it.”
“Yes! I made braised chicken with paprika. It doesn’t look great, but the taste is solid.”
“Wait—did you just cut the paprika in half and toss it in?”
“Yes, yes. I used three total. Two I chopped up, and one I just halved. Trust me, it’s really good.”
Standing nearby, Hae-rin peeked into the pot.
“That paprika looks like it’s screaming inside the stew.”
“Wow, you’re right.”
The jagged cut surface, drenched in red sauce, gave the unsettling impression of a mouth wailing in agony.
It looked almost like a scene out of hell.
“Alright. And A-jin’s taster is…?”
“Hee-seo sunbae-nim!”
A-jin gestured politely toward him.
Hee-seo raised his hand slowly, his expression sour.
“You sure you’re okay? Honestly, you look worse than the paprika.”
“Haha… I got roughed up earlier. Still hurts.”
“I’m so sorry, sunbae! Just this once, please.”
A-jin ladled a portion onto a plate. Surprisingly, once served, the chunks of paprika actually looked decent.
“That doesn’t seem too bad, actually.”
Especially compared to the poor soul who’d have to eat the gummy worm braised chicken.
Hee-seo prodded the dish reluctantly.
“Ah… it just doesn’t look edible. I can’t.”
The atmosphere turned awkward.
At that moment, Gi-ho jumped in with perfect comedic timing.
“Hee-seo-ya, I’ll do it. Just give me a thousand coins.”
He winked at Hae-rin. Clearly, it was a signal to play along.
“No way. I’ll do it for seven hundred.”
“Five hundred.”
“Four hundred.”
“Three hundred!”
“Then… I’ll ask Gi-ho sunbae, please…”
The tension cracked, laughter bubbling through the room again.
“Phew. Variety shows really aren’t easy.”
Just timing your lines could drain you completely.
The tastings continued—past the paprika dish, then on to the gummy worm braised chicken.
“If I collapse after this, someone call 119 immediately.”
Gi-ho, face twisted in agony, stuffed both jelly and meat into his mouth.
“Mmmph—this is… What’s the word…? Feels like eating Chinese glass noodles.”
“Really?”
“Does it taste good?”
“No. Not at all. It’s horribly sweet, in a gross way. PD-nim, this food prank—it ends here, right?”
“Of course, of course. First and last time.”
As the chatter flowed, Hae-rin sneaked a glance at I-hyun.
His cold, sharp eyes were already on her. She almost jumped.
“Um… I’m sorry, anchor-nim.”
She whispered under her breath. He probably hadn’t expected to be dragged into this as a taster.
“It’s fine. I was curious who’d end up with your dish—turns out, it’s me.”
“At least it should taste okay. I checked the seasoning carefully.”
“I know.”
“You… you know?”
Their words trailed awkwardly. Finally, she dared to ask—
“If it suits your taste, could you maybe score it generously? You know how a five-star review makes people so happy.”
He stayed silent.
“….”
“Hopeless? He looks like the type who’d score by principle, no matter what.”
Still, she prayed.
Her mind spun, tallying coins in desperation. Gi-ho had gained coins from Hee-seo earlier, throwing the rankings into chaos. She was no longer safe.
“Now for our final dish—Hae-rin’s braised chicken!”
All eyes turned as the pot was carried forward, steam rising in mouthwatering clouds.
“Look at that. Garlic makes all the difference. When this airs, please show Ju-ho’s chocolate chicken right beside it—so the contrast is clear.”
“Smells amazing. Can’t I taste this one instead?”
“Contestants, settle down.”
Hae-rin gazed down at her bubbling dish.
“One last taste, before serving.”
Even knowing the flavor, the final check always brought peace of mind.
She scooped a spoonful—
“…?”
Her face froze.
“What’s wrong?”
“Is it bad?”
“Wait, wait—something’s wrong. My dish…”
She took another bite, stunned.
“Why… why is it this salty?”
Seong-jae quickly calmed the uproar.
“Contestants, we’ve just confirmed someone poured salt into Hae-rin’s dish. But rules are rules! Tasting proceeds as planned.”
Her mind reeled.
The braised chicken was ruined—more salt than food.
Expression steady, I-hyun accepted the plate.
“I’m so sorry. You’re about to frown, I know it.”
The spoon lifted. The salt-drenched chicken entered his mouth.
