Cheat day

Aged Kimchi

“I emphasized that I don’t feel the immediate need for an MCN, but I can benefit from their help in growing my channel.” I’ll keep discussing and bring the contract at the appropriate time.

Deputy Manager Muk Eun-ji reported on the meeting with the side dishes department.

Team Leader Oh Hyung-man of the Planning Support Team at Hongdangmu Entertainment nodded nonchalantly.

Since joining Hongdangmu, Mukunji has been signing several major contracts.

Although there was a feeling of not quite fitting in with the team, on the other hand, they built trust with the creators well, resulting in high customer satisfaction.

Since I even said I would bring the contract, I wasn’t too worried.

“Okay.” You did a great job. “Can I look forward to it again this time?”

“Yes.”

Returning to her seat, Mukeunji quickly skimmed through the latest video of the creator she was managing.

After organizing the main items, including the number of views, we checked the schedule for each person.

Since it was a task I repeated every morning, I handled it mechanically, but I never neglected a single day or a single person.

I judged that I could only fulfill my role as a person in charge if I understood the situation the creator was in.

Thanks to that, Muk-ji was able to continue the conversation no matter what the creator in charge said.

Just that alone was enough for creators to trust Mukbang.

How much time has passed?

The office atmosphere has changed.

“What should we eat today?”

Team leader Oh Hyung-man stretched and asked his team members.

“How about some hot oyster soup?”

Kim Seo-jin, who leads the atmosphere in the team, asked.

“Okay.” Let’s go together, those who are going to eat.

When the team leader stood up, most of them left their seats as well.

“Do you want to eat separately, sir?”

Team member Park Hyung-wook asked Deputy Manager Muk Eun-ji.

“Yes.”

“There’s a new pho place that just opened up nearby. Do you want to go together?”

“I’m sorry.”

Park Hyung-wook, who had suggested lunch, smiled to hide his embarrassment and left the office.

Deputy Mukeunji, alone in the office, silently stared at the monitor and then took a pack of drinks out of the drawer.

It was her daily meal.

I didn’t even want to eat this, but after collapsing several times and causing disruptions at work, I reluctantly started eating.

It was solely for the purpose of working.

As a compulsive workaholic and anorexia patient, she pushed herself to the limit every day.

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The stress I experienced while preparing for job applications was the beginning.

Six years ago, at the age of 26, Muk Eun-ji was a responsible and sociable job seeker.

Despite the difficult family circumstances, he was a strong person who graduated from college on his own by working part-time jobs.

Even though my graduation was somewhat delayed compared to my peers, I didn’t mind much.

Believing that if you live diligently, there is a future, I wrote my self-introduction every day, formed a job study group to share information, and thoroughly prepared for certifications, personality tests, and official English exams.

However, the door to employment did not open easily.

The people who were studying together gradually found their places.

At first, I had the luxury of genuinely congratulating, but as time went on, a small unease began to sprout in my heart.

Among the initial members of the study group, only Mukji remained.

Even the new arrivals announced their final acceptance, and the anxiety grew uncontrollably.

“Eunji, Mom couldn’t go to work this month because she was sick.” I’m sorry.

I’m telling you, it’s fine. I’m working part-time, you know. Did you go to the hospital?

‘Just lie down for a bit.’

‘Here we go again.’ How much could the hospital bill possibly be? I’ll send you money, so make sure to go.

In the meantime, the wallet was always empty.

I split my nonexistent time to work part-time, but I had to send money to my mother one day and to my younger sibling the next.

Around that time, it became common to have meals with ramen and rice provided by the goshiwon.

Due to stress, I often feel hungry even after eating, and the amount I eat keeps increasing.

Even when she could no longer be satisfied with just one or two bowls of ramen, she continued to go to interviews.

That day, everything went well.

After a long time, I had a refreshing morning, and as soon as I arrived at the bus stop, the bus came. There happened to be an empty seat.

The questions asked by the interviewer were all included in the expected problems, and Mukunji answered them without any hesitation.

The only blemish was the interviewer’s quiet remark as I left, feeling secretly proud.

“I’m not really into it.”

At the time, I couldn’t understand what those words meant.

Since that day, I have only been feeling it little by little.

Strangely, as I walk down the street, more and more people seem to come up and deliberately bump into my shoulder.

At first, I thought he was just a strange person and didn’t pay much attention, but as we walked face to face, she often avoided him on her own.

The people on the street seemed to think that the old man should naturally step aside.

I went to buy clothes and received some strange looks. When asked if there was a size available, the staff member answered without checking and said there wasn’t.

On the bus or subway, no one wanted to sit next to me.

Rather than direct words or actions, mocking, ignoring, and disdainful glances tormented her.

It was a world I had never experienced in my lifetime before.

Just because I gained a little weight, people were reluctant to come near me. Avoided, ignored, or mocked.

In the discrimination she had never experienced before, Muk-ji gradually became depressed.

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I couldn’t find any signs of brightness and energy.

I started avoiding crowded places.

“Why did you gain so much weight?”

“I won’t recognize you.”

“Are you having a hard time?”

Even meeting friends has become burdensome.

Isn’t it better to lose some weight? These days, self-care is also a part of your qualifications. You look lazy.

In the meantime, the words left by the person who got a job and went to the study group gave Mukji a big shock.

I couldn’t argue against the remark that I looked lazy, even though I was living harder than anyone else.

Since that day, Mukjin has been unable to eat. I suffered from severe depression and an eating disorder.

I didn’t even have time to take care of myself.

Because of the strong sense of responsibility to protect the family, he kept walking without even realizing he was in pain.

Ironically.

Around the time I returned to my previous, normal weight, I received the final acceptance notice from Hongdamu Entertainment, a subsidiary of the largest platform company in the country.

I got accepted into the big company I had longed for, and my mother cried tears of joy, but I didn’t smile.

It was only a momentary relief.

The pressure that if you show even a slight weakness, you will be left behind never disappeared.

Mukjin reduced his sleep to focus on his work at the company.

They also achieved results.

Among my peers, I was the fastest to reach the assistant manager position.

Around that time, the gradually decreasing food intake came to the point where nothing was eaten except for water.

It was frequent for me to collapse.

Although he received a warning from the doctor, Mukji’s thoughts did not change much.

Body care, huh?

I dismissed it as an easy task that only someone without the worry of being left behind could do.

I endured the day with the liquid food in that small paper pack and repeated sit-ups until I collapsed in exhaustion every evening.

Wounds began to appear on the emaciated back.

Wounds upon wounds had festered, leaving no time to heal, but the old man paid no mind and kept doing sit-ups.

What made her that way was neither poverty, unemployment, nor disdain.

An environment where you can’t even express your pain, even if you’re hurting.

Loneliness so profound that I can’t even say I’m in pain.

The strong sense of responsibility that allowed her to overcome all those trials was leaving scars on her back.

“…….”

As Muk Eun-ji was scrolling down, her eyes caught sight of a side dish store.

During the month of December, the average daily views exceeded 200,000.

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Compared to November, it increased by a whopping 180,000 times, so the growth trend was extraordinary.

Of course. I live to eat.

Assistant Muk Eun-ji recalled Ban Chan-yong’s answer from yesterday’s meeting.

Unlike himself, who starved to live, he couldn’t understand the man who lived to eat.

I was also angry.

There were times when I felt annoyed by him enjoying his food.

When I found out that he had diabetes, I couldn’t help but think that eating food was indeed a mistake.

However, I kept seeking him out, who smiled so easily over just a meal.

Please provide the text you would like to have translated.

The 3rd of every month is the most important day for YouTubers.

Because the estimated income for the previous month has been finalized and is displayed on the payment page.

As soon as I accessed the YouTube Studio for the side dish store and checked the payment page, I couldn’t think of anything.

US$ 13,711.41

I stared blankly at the monitor and then shook my head.

As I became convinced it wasn’t an illusion, my eyes and mouth opened involuntarily.

“$13,000?”

When I roughly calculated after removing the decimals, it came out to 17,229,516 won.

Of course, when the actual payment is made, the amount may vary due to deductions for invalid activities, and exchange fees may also apply, but there is still no significant difference in profit.

The view count was so high that I was somewhat expecting it, but 17 million won?

The tingling sensation starts around the waist and spreads throughout the body.

“Cows, beef.”

On this cheat day, I must eat beef.

“……really?”

Or should we look for that restaurant that Cha Ji-chan treated us to last time? Since it’s winter, should I eat some sashimi?

While I was reminiscing about the food I couldn’t eat because it was too expensive, my smartphone rang.

It’s Baek Woo-jin.

He is the greatest benefactor who helped my channel achieve its first million views.

“Woojin!”

Huh? What?”

“This pretty thing.” You know I really love you, right?

-I don’t want to.

“Then I’ll find out from now on.” “Uuummm, over here!”

“Ahh! Gives me chills!” What are you doing!

“Are you free on Saturday?” I’ll treat you. Really.

-What’s going on? Ah, today is the 3rd.

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I can’t believe this situation right now. Let’s eat something delicious.

-Okay. I’m glad for you, so I’m happy too. What should we make the topic for this week?

“Ah.”

The reaction is strangely calm.

It seems like he doesn’t find it very impressive since he’s always been good at making money.

I’m fine. You can win.

“Hm.”

Baek Woo-jin let out a hollow laugh.

Now that I think about it, it seems you’ve been holding a grudge since you lost the last debate.

The reason for the lukewarm reaction earlier must be because of that.

-Then I’ll decide and let you know later.

“Okay.” Yeah.

The more you come out sincerely like this, the better it is.

Whether you win or lose, the important thing is the view count.

No matter what argument Baek Woo-jin prepares, as long as he can get the views, it doesn’t matter.

“Ha.”

After finishing the call with Baek Woo-jin, I sent a message to Cha Ji-chan and Joo Ji-seung.

Thank you for helping me.

When I told them that I wanted to treat them to a delicious meal on Saturday, both of them congratulated me.

“…….”

After that, I pondered what to do, but nothing particular came to mind.

I earned an unbelievably large income, but now I don’t know where to spend it.

If there’s anything I need right now, it’s obviously a house, but I’m far from being able to buy one, and a car is also a bit of a stretch.

The phone is only three years old.

The computer runs just fine.

I think it would be nice to change the microphone and lighting, and besides giving my mother some pocket money, there’s really nothing else that comes to mind.

Indeed, the reason people earn money is to have a delicious meal with their loved ones.

I turned off the computer and lay down on the bed.

Thinking of my mother who will be surprised by the allowance, I can’t help but laugh.