"Wait, were you seriously thinking of selling Korean soup and stir-fried pork bone stew rice?"
"Hm?"
"I an, realistically, those dishes don’t make sense for a food truck."
Sujin, who was practically glued to my side, looked at skeptically.
"Of course not. I just threw it out there."
I shrugged, thinking back to that mont.
‘The decision happened pretty fast—though there was a slight pause before they agreed.’
The way they responded wasn’t imdiate.
If I had to put it into writing, there would have been an ellipsis before the reply.
‘They must realize how impractical Korean soup and stir-fried pork bone stew rice are.’
Could ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) it be prepared?
Sure. It wasn’t impossible.
Plenty of street markets used pre-prepared broth for quick serving.
at could also be pre-cut the day before.
But from an entertainnt perspective, it would be a disaster.
‘Too ti-consuming, not visually impressive enough.’
Plus, it was mid-May now.
By the ti we got started, it would be late May at the earliest.
Korean soup?
Seasonally, it wasn’t the right fit.
For the amount of effort required, it wouldn’t even feel like a proper seasonal dish.
‘Maybe in winter, but not now.’
It was a decoy nu.
The real choices were stir-fried pork bone stew rice and cheese potato pancakes.
As for Korean soup—
‘It was a way to leave an opening for discussion.’
Because that’s how things get done.
‘There are five of us, so we need so level of delegation.’
With those thoughts in mind, I pulled Sujin into a tight hug.
"The first week is just for testing nus and figuring out logistics. We can take our ti."
"True."
The four-week filming period was designed to give us plenty of breathing room.
We weren’t selling every single day.
Since we were using a food truck, we’d operate four tis a week and aim for at least ten sales runs overall.
‘Plus, we’re traveling across the U.S., so between transit tis and other logistics... four weeks made sense.’
I wasn’t sure how everyone else’s schedules worked out, but considering the money Netflix was pouring into this, it was clear they were all on board.
With Netflix securing the funding, budget concerns weren’t even an issue.
"So, are we just going to spend this entire week hanging out?"
Sujin grinned and casually draped her leg over mine.
"Not sure you can handle that, though. Soone’s stamina is pretty weak."
I teasingly ran my fingers along her waist, checking under the covers.
"If breathing is this hard, can you even keep up with ?"
"Eep...! That tickles! Kim Donghu, you’re insane. You’ve gotten even worse!"
Oh, I’ve gotten way stronger.
Sujin propped herself up on the bed, smirking.
"Oh yeah? So, have you been working out?"
"...That’s completely different, you idiot."
"But you did say your stamina improved."
"I ant I just want to spend more ti with you!"
Alright, guess I’ll just have to shut her up.
Smooch.
Sujin suddenly crashed her lips onto mine.
And damn—
It worked.
I completely blanked out, my focus consud by her.
From that day on, we stuck together all week while preparing for filming.
Honestly, "preparing" was a strong word.
All we did was—
Endlessly debate the nu.Refine recipes for the dishes we had already chosen.‘Of course, those two things alone took up a ridiculous amount of ti.’
Since food trucks needed quick service, but also required eye-catching performance, a stir-fried dish using a wok was essential.
‘Cheese potato pancakes would be a hit with Westerners.’
That left one last gap in the nu.
What could replace the Korean soup?
"Should we go with handmade burgers or hot dogs?"
"Those are really common in the U.S., easy to sell. But they don’t feel Korean enough."
"You originally suggested Korean soup to emphasize the authenticity, right?"
"Yeah. I want at least one dish that truly represents Korean flavors."
We tossed around various ideas.
The most promising option was bibimbap—
But it was scrapped because of ingredient prep.
A real, well-made bibimbap wasn’t just about tossing random stuff into a bowl. It required proper ingredients, and that took too long to prepare.
‘Way too many components—definitely not suited for a food truck.’
Since we already had stir-fried rice and pancakes, adding another stove-heavy dish would be a logistical nightmare.
‘We’re bound to get swamped with custors. We need sothing that can be prepped in advance...’
One perfect answer flashed through my mind.
Sothing so obvious that I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it sooner.
One of the most iconic Korean foods.
"Let’s do kimbap."
"Kimbap? Isn’t that similar to bibimbap?"
"The key difference is that we can make it ahead of ti."
"But what if we run out?"
"Easy—we market it differently. Instead of saying ‘limited quantity,’ we call it a special or ‘exclusive’ nu item."
Since rolling them individually would take too long, we could pre-cut them into half-rolls for a grab-and-go feel.
Like eating a hot dog, but Korean-style.
It would save ti, highlight Korean cuisine, and fit perfectly as a food truck dish.
‘Of course, prepping all the ingredients the night before would be ti-consuming...’
But as a light, easy-to-eat nu item, it was perfect.
"Alright! The final nu is: Kimbap, Stir-Fried Pork Bone Stew Rice, and Cheese Potato Pancakes!"
"Yep!"
And so, on Saturday of our first week, the nu was officially locked in—
And we rushed off to do so serious grocery shopping.
***
To be honest, stir-fried pork bone stew rice wasn’t exactly food truck-friendly either.
‘Since you have to make the pork bone stew first.’
The dish relied on using the broth and at from the stew to make the fried rice.
Which ant we had to cook the stew itself in advance.
Sure, once the broth was ready, we wouldn’t need to keep making it, but it still required prep ti—and the only reason I insisted on this dish was personal greed.
‘Because the best part of pork bone stew is when you stir-fry the rice at the end.’
I was curious—what if we sold that version from the start?
Besides, Will It Work on the Mainland? wasn’t about sticking to the sa nu.
We could adjust and experint along the way, so there was no need to fear failure.
Anyway—
We finished preparations faster than expected.
WEEK 2, DAY 1
Our first sales location?
A university campus.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Targeting a younger crowd ant easier SNS exposure, so it was a logical choice.
But—
"...Donghu, there’s literally no one here."
"Yeah, I... didn’t expect this either."
Forget SNS buzz—
we didn’t even have a single custor.
We had great nu choices, we had modified the recipes to suit foreign palates—
And yet, we overlooked the biggest issue.
‘Existing businesses.’
More specifically, competition.
We weren’t the only food truck around, but we had assud that as long as we prepared well, custors would naturally co.
"Wow, there are so many other food trucks... and they’re all packed."
Sujin scanned the surroundings, frowning.
"It’s not even like we picked a bad location, but still..."
"Should I go out there and do so juggling or sothing?"
Kim Hyunjun and Ahn Suhwan looked just as stumped, while Ove remained optimistic, still prepping ingredients.
Then ca the harsh reality—
Lunch ended.
Sales: 0.
Not a single dish was sold.
We were completely overshadowed by the long lines at other food trucks.
We tweaked the nu board, we tried so flashy fire-based cooking, but nothing worked.
"This kimbap we rolled... I guess we’re just eating it ourselves."
"...I never thought we'd actually end up saying, ‘The staff enjoyed the leftovers.’"
Total failure.
So suggested we move locations, but I refused—insisting we stay for the evening rush.
"You have so kind of plan?"
Sujin raised an eyebrow.
"I have a face."
I made up my mind.
I was going to handle this myself.
***
It’s a proven fact—the prettier the cashier at a PC café, the higher the sales.
It’s an undeniable law of business.
Simply put—
‘A store’s sales are directly influenced by appearances.’
People have been known to visit cafés just to see a certain worker.
Looks matter when running a business.
So, in this case—
‘Why not take advantage of that?’
Instead of staying in the kitchen, Sujin and I would step outside to attract custors.
anwhile, the rest of the team would focus on cooking.
A face-based marketing strategy.
Would it work?
We’d find out tonight.
***
The night scene near the university was lively.
Laughter, drinking, the buzz of conversation—the energy was completely different from lunchti.
There was a sense of freedom, of celebration.
And in a setting like this, good food was essential.
"What should we eat? Tacos? Burgers? Maybe hot dogs?"
"I kinda want to try sothing new tonight."
Two slightly tipsy girls, Janie and Mayki, were seriously debating their dinner options.
Then—
"...Oh?"
They noticed a food truck.
Or rather, they noticed the man sitting in front of it.
A guy sitting alone, illuminated by the truck’s warm lighting.
The mont they saw him—
"...Holy crap. How is soone that good-looking?"
Janie froze in place.
"Yeah, we’re going there."
Mayki was already walking toward him.
Like moths to a fla—
People naturally started gravitating toward the food truck.
Because of one person.
Kim Donghu.
A sculpted face, as if carved by a god.
The kind of man who makes you believe in first love, the type of person you might never see again in your lifeti.
His marketing strategy?
Just sitting there.
‘...This is insane.’
Even the production crew watching from the sidelines was stunned.
‘With a face like that... yeah, I’d go there too.’
This was a sales tactic only Kim Donghu could pull off—
And the results?
Phenonal.
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