They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 11

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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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11. Kimchi Pancake (1)

Today, my grandmother’s question came back to me.

– Ji-gu, Grandma’s curious. How was it at the Restaurant? Did you have many regulars?

Well, Grandma. Back then, I could never answer that question.

At the Restaurant, everything hinged on the head chef. I was merely nameless hands, a shadow of a sous chef. There was no way I could have regulars seeking me out by name.

And so.

‘Having regulars… it feels this strange.’

I collapsed into a chair outside the Convenience Store and cracked open a beer can.

Psssht—

The carbonation hissed softly into the night air. I tilted my head back to gaze at the sky, and it was far more refreshing than I expected.

“Tonight’s nice and cool.”

I smiled brightly and took a sip of beer. The cold liquid traced down my throat.

“B-Boss…!”

I turned at the familiar voice to find Hera standing beneath the Convenience Store’s lights.

“Oh, Hera?”

By now, calling her by name felt natural—I’d seen her so often.

“Boss… I was out getting side dishes and stopped by the Convenience Store… and here you are!”
“What side dish were you looking for?”
“Um… what was it? I… I forgot.”

I shook the beer bottle toward Hera, whose eyes rolled apologetically.

“When you have time, Hera… would you like to grab a beer with me?”
“Yes, yes…!”

Before I could even finish speaking, Hera bolted into the Convenience Store. Moments later, she returned with her arms full of beer and snacks, setting them down on the table with quick, decisive taps.

“If you only drink beer, it’ll upset your stomach. You need to eat snacks with it… Boss.”
“…You’re the only one who looks after me like this?”
“What? No, that can’t be…”

I chuckled softly and clinked my can lightly against Hera’s. The crisp, metallic ring of aluminum meeting aluminum. We each took a sip in unison.

“Ahh… I feel like I’m going to live.”
“Did something good happen to you, Boss?”

I chuckled again.

“Quite something.”
“Quite… something?”
“I gained two regular customers.”
“Wow! C-Congratulations, Boss!”
“It’s amazing, isn’t it!”
“Yes! It’s absolutely amazing!”

Hera clapped her hands enthusiastically, then immediately cracked open a fresh can and downed it in one go.

“You seem to drink quite a bit?”
“Oh, well…”

Hera hesitated, avoiding my gaze for a moment, before adding:

“I… I can drink two bottles of soju…”
“…Really? I can only handle one beer can…”

Even a single can was enough to make my face flush crimson and send me spiraling into intoxication. Yet here stood this petite figure before me, casually downing two bottles of soju without breaking a sweat. The sheer incongruity left me speechless.

“Hera, why did you come out? Do you have something troubling you?”
“Ah…”

Long hair cascaded over her shoulders as Hera hunched forward, rolling the beer can between her palms. The way her fingertips traced the aluminum surface seemed oddly anxious.

“My parents found out I quit my job… and we had quite an argument about it.”
“…Why would they argue about you quitting?”
“The Company I worked for was quite prestigious…. My parents used to brag about it…. So when I quit, I can’t blame them for being disappointed.”

A bitter laugh escaped her words. I took another sip of beer without thinking.

‘I thought she just wanted to quit.’

I hadn’t expected there to be a story behind it.

“How do you feel now that you’ve quit?”
“…It’s good.”
“Then isn’t that enough?”

At my words, Hera laughed quietly. Her flushed cheeks betrayed the effect of the alcohol. Long hair fell forward over her shoulders, half-obscuring her face.

“…You’re right. It should be enough. But when I wake up in the morning, I can’t breathe. Just seeing the Company building makes my stomach churn. At first, I thought I could endure it. I kept enduring, kept pushing through, but nothing changed.”

I said nothing and simply drank my beer.

“So… if I’d stayed even one more day, I felt like I wouldn’t be myself anymore.”

Hera wrapped both hands around her glass and lowered her head. Her voice grew clearer as the alcohol loosened her tongue.

“Hera.”
“Yes!”

I leaned forward slightly and met her eyes.

“You made the right choice quitting! Enduring in a place that suffocates you isn’t always virtuous, is it?”

I too had endured and endured before finally breaking free, but once I left, all my previous worries seemed trivial compared to the lightness I felt. Hera’s eyes widened in surprise, and she bit her lower lip.

“I didn’t expect you to say something like that, boss….”
“What? Do I really seem like such an unscrupulous employer?”

Hera quickly looked up, her hands waving frantically in denial.

“No, that’s not it! I was trying to listen to your troubles, but instead I received comfort from you. That’s why.”
“Well, then. That’s fine.”

As we exchanged words back and forth, the mountain of snacks that had been piled high vanished without a trace. In their place, empty cans lined the table in front of me.

“Hmm. Should we head to the Side Dish Shop?”
“Pardon? To the Side Dish Shop?”

I held up my index and middle fingers in front of Hera’s eyes.

“A second round. If we keep eating here, the Convenience Store clerk will scold us.”
“Ah!”

Hera began clearing the table with lightning speed. Her hands moved quickly, her motions precise. It was the practiced skill of someone who had done this many times before.

‘She’s… quite good at tidying up?’

“Um, boss?”

Hera called out to me, noticing I’d lost myself in thought.

“You’re already done cleaning?”
“Yes…! I wanted to hurry!”
“Ha ha. Then let’s go quickly.”

I shook my head with a smile, helped Hera finish tidying up, and we made our way to the Side Dish Shop.

***

As I stepped inside the Side Dish Shop, the familiar aroma of side dishes wafted toward me, tickling my nose. I gestured for Hera to sit at one of the tables.

“Sit here. I’ll bring the cups.”
“Yes!”

I pulled two chilled cups from the refrigerator. Frost already glistened on their surfaces.

“Do you drink alcohol often, boss?”
“I have a beer occasionally after closing the shop. Very occasionally.”

But there was one crucial thing missing: side dishes to go with the alcohol. The refrigerator held nothing but ingredients for banchan—nothing suitable as drinking snacks.

‘Hmm….’

“Boss?”

I glanced at Hera and asked.

“What would you like to eat as a snack?”
“Boss, I’m fine with just the alcohol!”
“Huh? Just alcohol?”

I furrowed my brow.

“You just scolded me for not eating snacks with my drink.”
“That’s not it—you’re exhausted, boss!”

Hera’s frantic hand-waving was so endearing that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m not tired, so it’s fine. How about kimchi pancakes instead?”
“Kimchi pancakes?”
“They’re perfect for a summer night, don’t you think?”

I’d already grabbed a mixing bowl and vinyl gloves.

“Huh?! Boss! Where are you going!”

I pretended not to hear and headed toward the Shop’s Back Door. There, my grandmother’s carefully fermented kimchi jars sat in their place. The moment I lifted the lid, the pungent, deeply fermented aroma of kimchi struck my nose with sharp intensity.

“Ah, yes. This is it.”

I pulled out a well-ripened kimchi leaf and placed it in the mixing bowl.

‘Though the portion’s rather small.’

Returning to the shop with a hint of regret, I noticed Hera fidgeting anxiously.

“Hera, would you set out the spoons?”
“Yes, yes!”

As if delighted to have work to do, Hera rose from her seat and gathered the utensils. Her small hands moved with practiced efficiency, arranging each spoon in neat rows.

“Just a moment.”

I rinsed the kimchi once in water. If the sourness was too strong, it would overwhelm the entire dish.

I added pancake flour, kimchi broth, and cooking oil in sequence, then diced the kimchi with scissors. My own modest struggle to minimize dishwashing.

After stirring the batter evenly with a spoon several times, I generously oiled the heated pan and poured the mixture in.

Sizzzzle—

The sound of the pancake cooking on the heated pan sang more appetizingly than the night air itself. Oil splattered, crisping the edges to a golden brown.

Hera sat at the counter, gripping her glass with both hands, her gaze fixed intently upon me.

“Why are you staring like that? Don’t you want to eat?”

At my teasing, Hera spoke with measured precision.

“Boss, your hands are incredibly fast! Ten minutes? It hasn’t even been five.”

Her voice—whether in admiration or nervousness—was endearing.

“Really?”
“Yes!”

I smiled and flipped the pancake. As the golden-cooked side revealed itself, the tangy aroma of kimchi mingled with the savory scent of hot oil, stirring hunger.

“Done.”

As I transferred the kimchi pancake to a plate, wisps of hot steam rose gracefully. When I pressed the edge with chopsticks, a crisp, cheerful crackle rang out.

“…Wow, wow!”

Hera unconsciously set down her glass and leaned forward eagerly.

“Try a piece first.”
“Really!?”
“Of course.”

Hera blew on the steaming pancake and took a bite.

“Oh, it’s hot! The kimchi is incredibly delicious!”
“Right? When you bite into that golden, crispy exterior first, it shatters between your teeth, doesn’t it? Then the moist, perfectly cooked batter bursts inside. The tangy bite of well-fermented kimchi mingles with the savory richness of the oil—it’s magnificent, isn’t it?”
“Yes? Yes! Exactly!”

I took a bite as well. Following it with a swig of beer, the greasy richness washed away cleanly, leaving only a refreshing aftertaste.

“Boss… eating this kimchi pancake made me think of something… I have a feeling many customers will come.”
“Hmm? You think so?”
“Yes… My mother ran a galbi restaurant… At first, there were hardly any customers, but then suddenly they started flooding in. It’s exactly like now…”

Hera’s speech gradually slowed, her words becoming slurred. It seemed she was the type who needed about seven cans of beer before her face flushed.

‘She really can drink…’

“You feel that way just from eating the kimchi pancake?”

I rested my chin in my hand and asked calmly.

“Boss… customers don’t become regulars just from eating once, you know…?”

Hera spoke to me with careful enunciation. Her eyes were slightly glazed from the alcohol, but her words remained sincere.

“They have to come multiple times… to become true regulars…”
“Ah, I see. I understand.”

I held back my laughter. But I couldn’t help it when she continued.

“…That’s why I’m your eternal regular, so don’t worry…”

I caught Hera as she was about to collapse onto the table. Quietly, I pulled out some tissues and gently placed them beside her head.

“An eternal regular—that’s a nice thing to be.”

I quietly lifted my glass and clinked it against Hera’s empty can. A delicate chime resonated through the air. With that sound, the loneliness that had permeated the Shop’s Back Door dissolved away.

I lingered in that peculiar warmth for a moment before hauling the intoxicated Hera upstairs and laying her down in the Second Floor Room.

***

The next morning, an extraordinary sight unfolded.

Less than an hour after unlocking the door, the Shop’s Back Door was already teeming with customers.

“Hey, shop owner. That seasoned bean sprout dish I had the other day—it’s been singing in my mouth ever since.”
“Give me some too, that seasoned bean sprout! I heard the sesame oil aroma just wafts up the moment you touch it with chopsticks.”

Customers rushed forward, their orders tumbling over one another as they crowded toward the display counter.

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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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