CH2

Ian's body jerked violently as he scribbled in Korean in an empty notebook.

"Ian, Ian. Hey, hey, hey."

"…I hear you, I hear you."

Exhausted, Ian looked up from his shadow-cast desk at the friends from his elementary school days, whose faces he couldn't even remember, shaking him and calling his name.

It would have been easier if it was just about racial discrimination or being ostracized.

After all, he was more than willing to share the secrets of surviving among homeless people who lived with guns.

But…

"When are you going to come over to my house?! I've already got permission from my mom!"

"What are you talking about? Ian has to join the football team with me. Don't you know how well Ian did yesterday?"

"Don't you know spring is the best time for baseball? Ian! Let's play baseball together!"

Despite the sounds of desire for him that made his ears bleed as if there weren't enough hours in the day, he found no solution.

'It reminds me of a movie where they make enchanting perfume out of murder.'

Wasn't it about being devoured by people in the end?

Anyway, he couldn't understand why this change had happened. He certainly didn't remember having kid-attracting pheromones in his life before.

'If it had been my real face, they wouldn't have come near me.'

In the past few days, he painfully realized how annoying those who had no connection with him due to his face being scarier than a Halloween costume could be.

Ian said firmly,

"I'm not going anywhere for a while."

"Why?! You did well yesterday."

To Ian, who was always eager to learn and try anything, standing out on an elementary school football team was no big deal.

'What's the point in winning against kids?'

Becoming a sports athlete wasn't his goal.

It's not that he didn't want to do sports.

His parents, like other parents, were also keen on their children's sports activities, and a healthy body was essential for a long acting career.

By the time he reached high school, there wouldn't be many years left to enjoy football, which would be dominated by bio-weapons as it is now.

It's just that there were more important things than sports at the moment.

"My knee and ankle are sore from overdoing it yesterday, so I'm planning to rest a bit. I've already told my parents."

"Lies! You were dodging just fine yesterday!"

'Ha, this sharp-witted kid.'

He wanted to kick him, but the fear of a lawsuit held him back.

"Anyway, that's the end of the discussion! Everyone, go back. The teacher is here."

As Ian said, the teacher entered the classroom and clapped her hands lightly to draw attention.

"Kids, let's all sit down and start the lesson."

As the kids returned to their seats, Ian breathed a sigh of relief.

He thought positively that it was much better than being ostracized by the kids and worrying his parents.

Ignoring the teacher's lesson, Ian looked at his notebook with an excited expression.

'All these works haven't been released yet?'

Glancing at the titles filling up the notebook, his heart raced for a moment.

Looking down at his hands, he felt a sense of regret.

The opportunities for Asian child actors were indeed scarce.

Ian lamented the scarcity of roles for Asians in a predominantly white American society but did not resent his skin color.

'If I plan well, my skin color can definitely be an advantage.'

Considering the sizable Japanese market, the lucrative Chinese market, and Korea, which was becoming a powerhouse of strong content.

It is hopeful to think that there is a possibility to break into niches that are difficult for white actors to penetrate. Unlike before, when he could only be frustrated due to his disfigured face, even if he had the language skills. 

Of course, this is about the future. As an elementary school student, there was no way to go abroad, nor did he have any intention to do so. And the day that changed his life was not far off.

-Ian! Don't worry and stay here, okay?! Mom and Dad will take care of everything.

The last words of his parents, the gunshot that pierced his eardrums, and the hot flames that engulfed the house. 

Recalling the memory that left a deeper mark than any burn, Ian suddenly felt nauseous and broke out in a cold sweat.

"Ian? Ian! Are you okay?"

The teacher, who had approached at some unknown point, shook him, bringing Ian back to his senses.

"Yes, yes? I'm okay. Sorry, I was just lost in thought for a moment."

"That's good to hear. If you're feeling unwell, please let me know."

After the teacher left, worried, Ian firmly resolved to himself.

'It's okay. I can change everything.'

He had no intention of losing his family or his dreams. He would use every means necessary.

Ian then wrote down a name with his pen.

-Ben Roberts

A middle-aged actor representing Hollywood and the first homeless person who instilled admiration in him. Taking full advantage of the upcoming opportunity was just the beginning.

***

At 3 PM, school dismissal time, he got on the school bus. Ian stood up after the bus, lacking seat belts, allowing kids to move freely and chatter until they gradually disappeared. The bus stopped in front of a shop. Through the stained glass window, the door opened to reveal a familiar face against the backdrop of red leather chairs lined up inside.

"Ian, did you have a good day at school?"

"Yes!"

After a light embrace with his mother, Chloe, who smelled strongly of grease, Ian looked up. The sign read Pryce's Diner. It was a place like any other diner, dealing with fast and affordable food like pancakes, bacon and eggs, burgers, and fries. Yet, seeing this unremarkable place filled him with warmth.

"Ian, what are you standing there for? Aren't you coming in?"

"Of course."

Entering, the smell of meat and grease hit his nose sharply. However, despite the strong food smells, the only customer inside was an old man reading a newspaper with a cup of coffee. At a glance, it wasn't a thriving business.

'You can tell just by the fact that they don't even consider operating 24/7.'

The lack of need for additional staff due to the business's lackluster performance was a bitter pill to swallow, especially since his parents never showed signs of worry despite the dire situation.

As Ian surveyed the diner, his father, Dylan, with a gentle smile full of joy, lifted him up.

"Whoa! My son, you're here?"

Given Dylan's early departure for work and late return, it was especially hard to see him on weekdays.

"So, what made you skip sports to come here?"

"I just wanted to take a look around the diner. It's not as quiet during dinner time."

For his plan, he needed to inspect the kitchen, which would be difficult during busy hours.

After a brief check to ensure no dangerously sharp objects were left out, Dylan gestured playfully.

"Then take your time looking around, guest."

Entering the kitchen, the first thing he noticed was how clean it was.

The meticulous care even in places prone to getting dirty, like the fryer full of oil and the griddle for cooking hamburger patties, was evident.

"Do you clean the kitchen, Mom?"

"Huh? How did you know?"

Ian pointed with his finger to a small gap.

"It seems like it'd be difficult to clean with Dad's thick fingers. And honestly, Dad isn't exactly the meticulous type, right?"

"Ha ha, Chloe does take a lot of care."

"Ah, why are you proudly laughing when you're more of a handful than Ian?"

While Dylan laughed off Chloe's scolding as if it was nothing new, Ian looked around the kitchen and nodded.

'They use fryers, griddles, and ovens.'

Well, with just those three, you could indeed make almost any dish.

After checking that the fridge was well-organized with basic ingredients like meat patties, sausages, bacon, and cheese, the sound of a bell rang.

"Are you done looking around? A customer has come, so let's go out."

Ian passed by the customer who was looking at the menu and sat down in an empty seat.

'Of course, reviving my parents' diner takes priority over other work. At least until I can earn a decent amount of money.'

If he were a bit older, it might be different, but at his elementary school age, he had no choice but to rely on his parents.

The easiest way to revive a quiet diner was to add new items to the menu.

Ian immediately took out his notebook and wrote down the necessary conditions.

-First, it must be affordable and quick to prepare, suitable for a diner.

-Second, it must not require additional equipment.

-Third, it must be a food that will sell well.

With three conditions to meet, it was hard to come up with a good menu right away.

"What do they sell in other countries?"

Considering that diners or simple eateries exist all around the world, he racked his brain for references.

'First off, England…'

He wished it could just be excluded.

Tacos and burritos, Mexican food, were out due to already existing large franchise restaurants.

Japanese food was plentiful in LA and didn't fit the diner theme. Chinese food, which requires wok cooking, was out of the question.

'Korea would be gimbap… but that requires rice, so it would be difficult, right? Wait, Korea?'

Thinking of Korea, something seemed on the verge of coming to mind. It felt like he was just a small hint away from remembering.

"Ah… huh?"

Frustrated, he looked up and saw hot dogs listed on the menu. The sight of sausages wrapped in bread immediately sparked his memory.

"Corn dogs!"

Korean-style corn dogs.

It was almost foolish how long it took him to think of food that's called hot dogs in Korea. It was popular enough in the US for the number of stores to steadily increase each year.

'Unlike corn dogs that use cornmeal, Korean ones use rice flour, making them much crispier.'

The ones coated with potatoes were the most popular, and some used crushed ramen instead of breadcrumbs. They were also served with lots of sugar and various sauces.

It was a food familiar to Americans, unique enough to be a main dish, and could be sold at an affordable price.

There was no food more perfect for the diner.

As Ian was jotting down the remembered recipe, Chloe approached.

"Corn dogs? Why do you want corn dogs?"

This was good.

After all, if they were to sell it at the diner, he had to convince his parents, so they had to try making it.

Ian, playing the part of an innocent child, nodded vigorously.

"I want to eat it! Korean-style corn dogs!"

"Uh…? Korean-style?"

"Yes! Yuna told me once. Korean style and American style are different."

"Oh, I see."

Mentioning the name of the Korean babysitter who taught him Korean, Chloe looked perplexed.

She wanted to make it but knew nothing about it. As she wondered what to do, Ian offered her the solution.

"She also taught me how to make it! Can we try making it together?"

As Chloe looked at the notebook, a face popped up beside her.

"This sounds fun. Should Dad make it once? Hmm, just need rice flour and mozzarella cheese. For potatoes, we could just cut up some fries."

"We also need yeast."

After reviewing the ingredients, Dylan placed his rugged hand on Ian's head.

"Can you wait just one day? I'll buy these ingredients when I go shopping for groceries tomorrow and make it for you."

"Of course!"

With Dylan's approval, Ian clenched his fist tight.

Done. If they made it right, he was confident he could persuade them to add it to the diner's menu.

Adding Korean-style corn dogs to the menu was a good start.

'Next is promotion.'

Even if "Korean corn dog" was added to the menu, it was still a very unfamiliar food in the US, so there was a high chance it wouldn't sell well.

Ian smiled broadly.

'Ben Roberts'

He thought of a way to use the leading Hollywood actor as a free model.