Season 3: Chapter 297. A Familiar Face (1)
While Coffee and Bread held off Guan Yu, the cavalry archers broke through the Chinese horsemen. The glint of halberds and arrows could be seen as both sides crossed paths.
Thud! Thud!
At the head of the charge was Almond, relentlessly aiming for Guan Yu’s throat. He raised his bow as he closed in. He drew the bow taut and fully stabilized his body with his feet firmly planted in the stirrups. He looked as balanced as if he was on solid ground despite being on horseback.
Without blinking, he pulled back his arrow and shut out all distractions except for the galloping horse beneath him.
Thud... Thud...
When the hoofbeats echoed like a distant rumble, he released the arrow.
Click.
The arrow seemed to freeze in mid-air and everything else stood still while the camera rotated around the arrow’s path. Then, the perspective shifted from third-person to first-person as the arrow closed in on Guan Yu’s eye.
Click.
The camera zoomed in, getting rid of unnecessary angles and rejoining the video with subtitles before resuming.
Thud. Thud.
The faces of the charging cavalry archers flashed one by one in close-ups. Almond’s face was especially highlighted. Then, as the arrows flew, Guan Yu appeared closer and closer from the arrow’s perspective.
Ji-Ah nodded in satisfaction.
“This will do nicely.”
With that, the video for tomorrow’s Fake National Team episode was complete.
“Wah!”
Thunk.
PD Jang gave her chair a playful tug, startling her.
“Ah! Ahh!”
“Haha! What’s got you so jumpy?”
“Why— why do you keep doing that?”
“If you’re done, let’s go. The upload is tomorrow, so we’ve met the deadline. Let’s have a beer.”
“Where are we going?”
“Oh, to the... cough... priciest and best place there is. It’s the last hurrah, after all.”
“?”
She could’ve sworn that he muttered something like “cheapest and best,” but it would probably still be the priciest for them.
“Oh~”
Ji-Ah grinned and grabbed her coat as she got up, eager for an upscale treat.
“What’s the occasion, PD?”
She wore a pastel cardigan suitable for the warm spring day. It was 3 P.M. and the sun still shone bright. It felt like an awkward time to leave, but they had officially finished their work and it was time to clock out. The chubby staff member Park Oh-Hoon stretched as he trailed behind Ji-Ah and PD Jang.
“Yaaawn, so sick of it~ so sick of it.”
The relief in his voice was palpable.
“What’s there to be tired of? There were so many epic shots.”
“True, true! But work is work and lots of epic shots make us extra tired, you know.”
Ji-Ah mumbled softly with a bittersweet expression, “Still... I wouldn’t have minded more epic scenes.”
***
“This is embezzlement. Don’t you agree?” Park Oh-Hoon muttered with an angry glare.
“... I don’t know about that.”
Ji-Ah, sitting across from him, scratched her head. She wanted to agree, but calling it embezzlement seemed like a stretch.
“He said we’d go to the priciest and best spot and brought the company card, yet we end up at an all-you-can-eat pork belly place. How is that not embezzlement?”
“He didn’t actually say priciest and best. He said... cough... cheapest and best.”
“...”
Park’s expression turned incredulous, but calling it embezzlement because they ended up somewhere cheap wasn’t right either. PD Jang was simply frugal to the core.
“If we roasted PD Jang himself, he’d come pre-salted.”
“He’d be saltier than seafood. We’d need to boil him in water.”
“Never shake hands with him. He’ll sap all your moisture through osmosis.”
As Park and his colleagues shared these biting jokes, PD Jang came over with a large beer bottle, oblivious to their playful banter about him just moments earlier.
“Everyone! You’ve done great! We’re here at a great spot today! So eat, drink, and enjoy!”
“...”
At the word “great,” neighboring tables glanced over. They were mostly filled with high school friends or families with children. A solemn atmosphere settled in for some reason.
“Hahaha! Why so stiff? It’s all-you-can-eat, folks.”
“...”
PD Jang chugged his beer and grilled the meat enthusiastically. The first to support him was Ji-Ah, who raised her glass and took a bite.
“Let’s eat. It actually... doesn’t look bad.”
While his long-suffering staff had grown weary, Ji-Ah felt differently. During her short time on the Fake National Team series, she had experienced some of the most impactful moments in her career.
PD Jang’s company was the first to recognize her talents. Just as Hui-Chul acknowledged Ju-Hyeok, she had been acknowledged by PD Jang. This experience would stay with her. An all-you-can-eat pork belly dinner was nothing in comparison.
“Yeah, let’s eat to our heart’s content!”
Park Oh-Hoon lifted his beer and ate a slice of meat.
“To our heart’s content!”
“Yaaaah!”
Clink.
The team’s beer glasses clinked, marking the start of the meal.
Chomp chomp.
Park tore into the pork belly as if venting all the overtime stress onto every pig in the world.
‘Actually... it’s pretty good?’
Maybe it was just the first plate, but the pork tasted decent for an all-you-can-eat place. The others reacted similarly. They didn’t want to admit it, but the unlimited pork belly tasted good. They continued eating while looking vaguely unsettled.
‘Wow, have I really sunk this low?’
‘Am I actually okay with this? I’ll max out that company card if it’s the last thing I do.’
‘Dammit... it’s delicious.’
The team ate with mixed emotions while PD Jang grinned slyly in satisfaction.
‘A 40-year life of cost-effectiveness... I’ve brought them to one of my top-tier, best-value spots. Naturally, they’d love it.’
As a seasoned penny-pincher, he had a knack for finding the best bang-for-buck spots.
“Excuse me, can we get a refill here?”
“Our table, too!”
For the second plate, Park Oh-Hoon glared intensely at the already-devoured remains.
‘The true colors of an all-you-can-eat place only show from the second plate onward.’
While he pondered this, Ji-Ah was already cooking the second plate’s meat and eating it.
“Mm. Mmm. Oh. Mmm.”
Despite her small frame, she had quite an appetite equal to or possibly surpassing Park Oh-Hoon’s, who was well into the high 90-kilogram range.
“Wow. The pork jowl is great.”
Her enthusiasm was evident. PD Jang watched her eat with satisfaction, which somehow stirred a hint of jealousy in Park Oh-Hoon.
‘Even back when we went to Burger Shack, I knew she wasn’t just an average eater.’
During lunch breaks, Ji-Ah occasionally went to Burger Shack. They often went together since it was one of Park Oh-Hoon’s favorites. She would always finish two burgers while he ate three, but he could tell. Any true foodie could recognize another.
‘Real recognizes real, as they say.’
Heroes knew their own kind. He quickly understood that two burgers weren’t her full capacity. It was just that factors like money and the short lunch break limited her appetite. Today, her true ability had finally revealed itself at this all-you-can-eat spot.
“Another round, please!”
When Ji-Ah ordered the third plate, he snapped out of it.
Sizzle!
He quickly set the second plate of meat on the grill.
***
A little later...
“Ugh...”
Everyone walked out of the restaurant rubbing their swollen bellies.
“Phew... Ahhh...”
Finally, Park Oh-Hoon stumbled out panting like Darth Vader.
“D-Dammit, sir. Next time, we’re eating Hanwoo beef. Okay?”
“You ate to your heart’s content and now you’re saying that?”
PD Jang chuckled, amused.
“Come on! Please promise!”
Park Oh-Hoon was apparently a little drunk.
“What do I look like, a cow owner?”
“Come on, just say yes!”
Laughter erupted as the two playfully bantered and the employees joined in. Ji-Ah giggled as she patted someone’s arm.
“Oh-Hoon, with an appetite like yours, how could he ever treat you to Hanwoo beef?”
“Jeez...”
PD Jang led them to a nearby bar for a second round.
“All right, all right. Stop arguing here. Whoever’s in for round two, gather up!”
Nobody opted out. With such a small team, they were all quite close.
“Wow, you guys are pros at maxing out the company card. All right, I like it. And Oh-Hoon...”
“...?”
“You can buy your own Hanwoo beef.”
The group burst into laughter, thinking PD Jang was just teasing Park Oh-Hoon as usual.
“Bonuses are coming, nearly as much as your salaries.”
“!”
Then, they realized he meant something else entirely.
“Wait, our salaries?”
“W-What?”
“We’re not getting docked next year, are we?”
PD Jang chuckled, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his worn coat. He wore a tattered scarf around his neck and his unruly hair framed his sparkling eyes.
“Our Fake National Team project did incredibly well. We’ve got lots of sponsors and investments coming in. When else would I reward my employees if not now? Next year’s salaries won’t be affected. Bonuses are coming, so don’t worry about sharing a fancy Hanwoo dinner with me. Take your family out. Buy what you couldn’t before...”
He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence as Park Oh-Hoon suddenly burst into tears.
“Huhhh... nghhh...”
Park Oh-Hoon and the other employees were also on the verge of tears. The reason PD Jang had been so frugal during dinner was now clear. He wanted to keep as much company money intact as possible to share with the team for those who had joined him on this uncertain journey.
‘Wow.’
Even Ji-Ah, who wasn’t getting a bonus and whose salary wasn’t affected, found herself tearing up.
‘This... is a good company.’
Knowing PD Jang’s nature with a tight budget, it was probably hard for him to give such large bonuses. He could very well retain these employees for life. Even if only half of them stayed forever, he’d be a successful boss. In the editing industry, talent was everything.
“But what about you, PD?”
A female employee clung to PD Jang, crying.
“What about me? Don’t worry. I’m taking my cut too.”
“Liar! You’re always in that old coat and that scarf is a cheap one too!”
PD Jang’s face turned red. He probably didn’t expect anyone to notice.
“... Oh, come on. Don’t worry about it. I’ll leave the industry someday and then you can all complain about me.”
“We’ll complain! Don’t leave!”
Those who teased him for being frugal suddenly rallied around him, chanting like a cheer squad.
“Don’t leave! Don’t leave!”
“Woooo!”
“You guys are nuts. Money really does talk, doesn’t it?”
Even though it didn’t concern her, Ji-Ah joined in and shouted along with the others.
“Don’t leave! Don’t leave!”
***
The next day, Almond's channel uploaded a new video showcasing the efforts of all the national team competitors, the editing crew, and various sponsors.
[Fake National Team ep.10: The Beginning of the End]
[Now premiering live!]
— Here it is... my addiction.
— Ah, yes.
— They say watching this before heading to the airport triggers an investigation. Is that true?
— Thumbs up if you skipped the China match for this, lol.
— Finally!
— The title alone is intense.
The video began with a scene in the company office.