They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 106

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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106. Interview (5)

“Oh! Song-i!”

The two exchanged a few words in hushed tones, their laughter rippling through the air like wind chimes. Their expressions told the story well enough.

“Do you two know each other?”

Cha Beom-seok tilted his head curiously.

“Yes! We’re very close friends! We’ve been friends since fourth grade in elementary school.”

Now I understood why the busy Jung Song-i had become a judge for the Spring Festival. Cha Beom-seok smiled warmly and extended his hand to Yun Ga-rin.

“I wouldn’t want to keep you any longer—it wouldn’t be polite. I’ll bid you both a wonderful time together. I have some things to attend to as well.”

Jung Song-i nodded lightly.

“In that case.”

Cha Beom-seok released her hand with a wink and stepped back.

“After the Spring Festival ends, let’s have a meal together—I’ll bring my student.”
“That sounds… nice.”

Cha Beom-seok turned and retrieved the guidebook tucked at his side, grasped the door handle, and stepped out. Through the window, he caught sight of Jung Song-i vigorously wiping her hands, and he shrugged his shoulders with amusement.

***

Returning to the Side Dish Shop, I found myself being directed and manipulated by Lee Hae-ra’s camera—the angle at which I opened the door, the way I stepped inside, even the precise movements of removing and retying my apron.

“Is that all now…?”
“Yes! We just need to film inside the shop and do the interview!”
“Please capture it well.”
“Of course.”

I flipped on the fluorescent lights one by one.

Click.
Click.

With each light that illuminated, Lee Hae-ra captured the glow blooming throughout the Side Dish Shop—from the display cases of banchan all the way to the Kitchen.

Knives, cutting boards, the gas range with its countless small scratches. She photographed everything I had ever touched, as if documenting the grueling labor this shop had endured.

‘These marks aren’t mine, though….’

They belong to my grandmother.

I leaned against the wall and watched her work.

“You handle that camera quite well, Lee Hae-ra.”
“I have to… capture it properly. When you just gloss over something in editing, you can tell how interesting a person’s life really was.”

…It’s strange how her speech becomes normal when she’s working.

Lee Hae-ra answered without lifting her eye from the viewfinder, focusing on the unscripted details. Photographing them so meticulously… it felt like….

‘Like she’s exposing my very soul.’

“A person’s life is preserved through traces like these, isn’t it? These days everyone chases what’s new, constantly bringing in new things, so these kinds of marks are disappearing. It’s a shame.”
“My grandmother used all of this, though.”
“The Side Dish Shop owner, you—”

She asked me with a tense voice.

“When was your happiest moment in this shop?”

Even Hae-tae, whom I thought was sleeping on my head, asked the same question.

“When was it?”

…When was it? I gazed meaninglessly at the ceiling.

“Hmm….”
“…Hmm?”

I turned the question over in my mind, savoring it slowly.

“The best moment was….”
“The best moment?”
“Obviously when I close the shop.”

Had I stated the obvious? Lee Hae-ra blinked.

“Let me explain further.”

I gestured toward the display counter.

“After closing the door, I sweep my eyes across the side dish display. I can see which dishes sold out today—oh, this one’s gone? This dish must be popular. Then I head back to the kitchen. I carefully wash the pots, cutting boards, and knives that endured the day alongside me. When water cascades off the grease-free stainless steel, that sensation is beyond words.”

I spoke with a smile tugging at my lips.

“It’s the same for any business owner. Clocking out is absolutely the happiest moment.”

As I continued, I scratched my cheek.

“Did I… talk too much?”

Lee Hae-ra shook her head side to side.

“G-g-g….”
“G?”
“Great!”
“That’s quite a decent answer, isn’t it?”
“Y-y-yes…!”

I was relieved it went well.

“Now….”

As I continued speaking, my smartphone rang.

– This beautiful land!

Ah.

I furrowed my brow at the screen displaying [Cha Seop].

“Excuse me for just a moment while I take this call.”
“Of course!”

I answered the phone.

“Hello?”
– Ji-gu, I’m hungry.

He calls out of nowhere just to say he’s hungry. How bothersome.

– I knew you’d find this annoying.
“…No, that’s not it?”
– The way you hesitated confirms it.

…Is he watching me from somewhere? I gripped my smartphone with both hands and glanced around nervously.

“Did you overhear something?”
– That hurts my feelings~
“You’re always getting your feelings hurt.”
– That shouldn’t happen, though.

What’s his problem? I haven’t done anything to him. I rubbed the back of my neck and rolled my eyes.

– You left the pamphlet behind.
“Ah.”

I could just go back and retrieve it.

– I’m already on my way to bring it to you.

He probably didn’t do it for my sake, but… what can I do? He nearly got into trouble because of me today, after all. The least I can do is treat him to a meal with a grateful heart.

“…I understand. Are you coming over?”
– Meow~

Glancing at the wall clock, I realized it was already late evening.

‘I should feed Lee Hae-ra too.’

I set my smartphone on the counter and turned my head.

“Who is it?”
“Chef Cha Beom-seok.”

Lee Hae-ra suddenly perked up, as if remembering a question she’d forgotten to ask.

“You two are really that close?!”
“He was my student, after all.”

I picked up the apron I’d left on the chair and tied the strings securely.

“Really, truly?”
“Why?”
“Well, it’s just….”

Hmm? I tilted my head to the side.

“So you really were a chef, boss… I just realized that….”
“You’re surprised?”

Lee Hae-ra nodded.

“Well….”

Of course she’d be surprised—she’d only ever known me as the Side Dish Shop owner.

“N-no! I don’t mean it like that! Not now, anyway…!”
“I know.”

I stepped toward the cooking station and picked up a knife.

“Aren’t you hungry, Lee Hae-ra?”
“Oh, no….”

Even as Lee Hae-ra tried to deny it, her stomach betrayed her with an honest growl. Her face flushed crimson in an instant.

“Should we eat first and then do the interview?”
“Huh? Yes! Could we film the cooking process too?”
“By all means.”

Lee Hae-ra raised her camera and asked.

“What will you be cooking?”
“I don’t have many ingredients in the Refrigerator, so something simple….”

I grasped the Refrigerator handle and opened it to check what I had. Since I’d used up all the seasoned vegetables for side dishes, only water dropwort and thinly sliced pork belly remained.

“Water dropwort and thinly sliced pork belly…?”
“Hmm….”

I wished there was pasta in the drawer.

“Water dropwort and thinly sliced pork belly stir-fry with sesame oil soy sauce noodles?”
“Pardon?”
“Anyway, I’ll make that. You don’t dislike anything, right?”
“No! I don’t!”

I set a pot of water to boil. While waiting for it to heat, I sliced the pork belly and water dropwort into appropriate sizes for stir-frying.

“I knew your hands were fast, but…wow….”
“Fast?”
“Somewhat… yes.”

I rendered oil from the thinly sliced pork belly in the pan and stir-fried the water dropwort. The sizzling sound crackled like rain.

“Yo!”

Cha Seop appeared.

“Seop?”
“Yes, hello, Chef!”

Cha Seop accepted the greeting with practiced ease, stepped into the Kitchen, and swiftly surveyed the pans and cutting board.

“That water dropwort noodle soup?”
“Yes.”

Cha Seop spoke while looking at Lee Hae-ra.

“The chef here really knows how to use water dropwort.”
“R-really?”
“Every time I cooked, they’d add water dropwort, and there were difficult times because of it, you know?”

What… he’s speaking like he’s recounting some old fairy tale.

I timed the noodles and lowered the heat slightly. The pan continued to emit a sound like falling rain. Steady and consistent.

‘Sugar and soy sauce…’

I pulled out the sugar and soy sauce from the drawer. Eggs weren’t needed. I adjusted the seasoning with my fingertips, added minced garlic, and stir-fried once more. The ingredients blended together as if drawn to one another.

Adding oyster sauce would finish it. I turned off the heat just before the water dropwort became tiresome.

“Seop, please sit in a chair.”
“Ah, I’m starving. So hungry.”

I glared at Cha Seop, then quickly added the noodles to the boiling water. The strands slowly spun like a top before sinking into the water.

“Your hands remember, don’t they? Did you make this often?”
“It’s been a while, though.”

I fished out a single strand of noodle with chopsticks and tasted it. Perfectly cooked. I grabbed the pan handle with a towel and lifted the noodles out.

Splash, splash, splash—

I rinsed the noodles in cold water, shaking my wrist to drain every last drop. Without giving a single droplet time to fall, I divided them among three bowls. Then I poured the stir-fried water dropwort and thinly sliced grilled pork belly over the noodles.

As the oil enveloped the noodles and quietly seeped in.

“Perilla oil~~!”

I hummed as I drizzled the perilla oil lightly over the dish.

“Okay! Let me get an insert shot!”

Lee Hae-ra filmed the minari-shaved grilled pork belly stir-fry with perilla oil soy sauce noodles… well, that dish anyway.

“The dish name is too long. Try shortening it.”
“There’s no way to shorten it.”

I placed the remaining two bowls on the table.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had this.”
“It’s a dish born from someone’s harassment, but it tastes delicious.”
“That someone must have suffered too.”
“I hope so.”

Lee Hae-ra returned after finishing the insert shot and sat down in her chair. She set the camera beside her and picked up her chopsticks.

“Wow, wow, wow, wow…!”
“Shall we try it?”

Cha Beom-seok lifted the entire bowl and smelled it first.

“Minari? You used quality ingredients?”
“Yes. We used quality ingredients.”

What kind of minari is that, I wondered, hearing Hae-tae’s breath from above my head.

“So, how should we eat it!?”

Lee Hae-ra asked excitedly.

“You should eat the noodles soaked in the grilled pork belly oil first, then eat the stir-fry.”
“Got it!”

I twirled the noodles with my chopsticks first. The perilla oil clung to the strands, giving them a lustrous sheen. As soon as I placed a few sprigs of minari and a piece of grilled pork belly on top and put it in my mouth, both their expressions were identical.

‘This looks delicious.’

“Mm.”

Cha Seop let out a short laugh.

“It’s delicious even after all this time.”
“Right?”

Lee Hae-ra nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

“It’s, it’s really delicious! The perilla oil and water dropwort are really tasty!”
“The perilla oil just adds aroma—the water dropwort is what gives it the kick!”
“The kick!”

Perilla oil was meant for fragrance, not flavor. I finally picked up my chopsticks. As I twirled the noodles and brought them to my mouth, a familiar taste touched my tongue. Nothing particularly special about it.

“Originally, it’s just water dropwort that gets stir-fried.”
“Just water dropwort?”
“The thinly sliced pork belly gets ground and mixed in. It’s somewhat like beef and red chili paste stir-fry.”

That’s how it should have been, but I just threw it in because I was lazy.

“Did you film the interview?”
“Not yet. We’re planning to do it after eating.”

Cha Seop gave a knowing glance, as if to say I should handle the guide pamphlet on the table myself.

“Thank you so much.”
“Of course, it’s for my student.”

Lee Hae-ra scraped the last noodles from her bowl and set down her chopsticks.

“Oh, that’s right! The interview questions? Would you like to see them now?”
“Yes, I’d like to see them now.”
“If any questions feel difficult or uncomfortable, you can skip them—just let me know.”

Lee Hae-ra pulled the interview questions from her bag and handed them to me. I held a fork in my mouth as my gaze shifted to the end of the question sheet.

‘Huh?’

I scanned through the questionnaire. The questions were straightforward enough.

But then….

“…this last question is rather difficult.”

[Q. Do you consider yourself a chef?]

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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