They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 2

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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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2. Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop (2)

A cat speaking transcended the realm of mere prejudice—it was something far more inexplicable.

No matter how closely I examined it, the creature was an utterly ordinary feline, yet this was…

“What… are you?”

The cat lifted its head from grooming its fur with its tongue.

“I am Haetae, the guardian of this Forest, meow.”

With a stretch, the cat shook itself with casual grace. Then it padded toward me, settled down with a soft thump, and swished its tail languidly back and forth.

“Haetae?”
“That’s right, meow.”

The legendary divine beast Haetae from ancient tales flickered through my mind, though the adorable creature before me seemed hardly to match such a grandiose image.

“Did Hyang-suk tell you to come here, meow?”
“Yeah. My grandmother said that when she left, I should go to the Shop’s Back Door, so I came…”
“Then you know nothing at all, meow?”
“Right, I know nothing.”

Haetae’s eyes narrowed to slits.

“I know you well, meow.”
“How could you possibly know me?”
“Your name is Ji-gu, you’re thirty-one years old, 171 centimeters tall, a black belt in Taekwondo, boxing, and judo, meow? Your personality? Slightly dim-witted. You worked as a sous chef at a Restaurant, but your friends stole your recipes and started a YouTube channel with them, meow?”

I was rendered speechless by the torrent of information pouring from that small feline mouth.

“…Yeah. That’s right. But aren’t you knowing way too much?”

With that, Haetae settled itself deliberately before me and sat down.

“I am a great divine beast, so should I run this side dish shop?”
“That is… I still don’t know. Whether I should or shouldn’t?”
“Look at you, hesitating like that.”

I gazed past the divine beast toward the Vegetable Garden visible beyond and posed my question.

“If I say I won’t do it, what happens to this place?”

The divine beast spoke as though it were obvious.

“That is something I cannot say.”

Cannot say?

“Why can’t you say it?”
“It’s a matter of contract.”

Contract? What could this possibly mean? As bewilderment seized me, the divine beast continued.

“Since Hyang-suk’s granddaughter will arrive soon and they said they would come straight away, you’ll understand soon enough.”
“Straight away? They’re coming here?”
“Wait in silence and see.”

At the divine beast’s words, I looked around, but in every direction stretched only trees and Forest. How would anyone even arrive here?

“They’re coming now!”

Before the divine beast’s words had even finished, white mist rose from beneath my feet like smoke. In an instant, the vapor engulfed my ankles and climbed to my waist, while the temperature around me plummeted into an eerie chill.

Then came the sound of something sweeping across the ground—*whoosh*—layered with a low, hollow cry.

‘What is this, a horror film…!’

Through the murky haze, a white silhouette rose from the ground. Then another.

White hair and white formal attire—from head to toe, they were dressed entirely in pristine white.

From their pallid skin emanated an otherworldly, chilling aura.

“Hello?”

The woman extended her hand first. Her perfectly professional demeanor prompted me to reflexively reciprocate, and we shook hands.

“Ah. Hello. It’s alright to shake hands, isn’t it?”
“Haha! Yes! Of course we can shake hands.”

My first impression wasn’t bad at all.

“Let me introduce myself first. I’m Lee Yeo-ui.”

Beside the woman who had introduced herself, the man broke into a radiant smile.

“I’m Lee Ju-taek! Wow, I get to meet our new contractor! It’s a pleasure to work with you!”

Along with the man’s energetic voice, something glimmered inside his mouth.

‘Scales?’

…Why would there be scales? At any rate, he didn’t seem entirely human.

I chose my words with utmost caution before asking Lee Yeo-ui.

“Did you come to meet me?”
“Yes, we did.”

Lee Yeo-ui withdrew a tablet from her pocket and answered concisely.

“Why?”
“It’s regarding the succession of the contract with Han Hyang-suk. Have you not heard anything about this?”
“No, nothing at all.”
“Oh my. I suspected as much. Your grandmother is quite secretive by nature….”

Lee Ju-taek interjected sympathetically, but Lee Yeo-ui paid him no mind and proceeded directly to the matter at hand.

“Well… I suppose I need to explain. Ji-gu, you nearly died when you were young, correct?”
“…Yes? That’s right.”

I had been in a car accident with my parents on an outing when I was a child. Back then, I came perilously close to death.

“How do you think I survived?”
“The doctor said it was miraculous that you… wait.”

The moment I uttered the word “miracle,” Lee Yeo-ui’s pupils seemed to shift vertically—but seeing my expression, she let out a soft laugh.

“That ‘miracle’ was something we performed. Han Hyang-suk earnestly requested our assistance in saving you, you see.”
“Then, how exactly did you save me?”
“An excellent question! We set a condition: until Han Hyang-suk’s life came to an end, she would accomplish a predetermined amount of good deeds. She completed them most admirably. Thanks to her, Ji-gu was able to be reborn as a complete, whole life.”

I lowered my head and ran my hands over my body.

‘Grandmother protected me….’

Lee Yeo-ui withdrew a white envelope from her jacket pocket and extended it toward me.

“Here—a letter from Han Hyang-suk.”
“…A letter from Grandmother?”
“Before she passed, Han Hyang-suk called us over and entrusted this letter to our care. It’s practically her final will.”
“Thank you for keeping it safe.”
“Ha ha, not at all.”

I took the white envelope from Lee Yeo-ui’s hands and withdrew the letter.

[My treasure, my dear granddaughter Ji-gu.
My little puppy.
By the time you read this letter… you will have crossed through that door.
Now you’ll understand why Grandmother was so adamant about keeping you away from the Back Door.
If you knew all of this was because of you, how much pain would it cause my little puppy’s heart? That’s why I hid it.
So blame your foolish grandmother if you must, but never, ever blame yourself.
I did all of this for my own peace of mind.]

I tightened my grip on the letter slightly.

[And yet, the shameless reason this grandmother led you there was because I hoped you would protect our side dish shop to the very end.
Forgive this grandmother who could not hold on and left before you.
I’m sorry.
Truly, I’m sorry.]

Grandmother’s heart came through perfectly in every word. A tender ache bloomed in the depths of my chest.

‘…Why didn’t you say this sooner?’

I wasn’t the type to refuse Grandmother’s request, yet she had come all this way to ask me herself.

I smiled and carefully folded the letter, tucking it into my pocket. Then I lifted my gaze toward Lee Yeo-ui.

“If Ji-gu doesn’t inherit it, the side dish shop will disappear.”
“The side dish shop Grandmother built? Completely?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”

The world tilted before my eyes.

Lee Ju-taek glanced at the tablet beside him and added his voice.

“Ah, we forgot to mention something important. If you refuse the contract, all causality derived from it will be erased. In simpler terms, it means Ji-gu’s memories of living here will vanish entirely.”
“Does that mean all my memories with Grandmother will disappear?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”

Every precious memory I’d shared with Grandmother—gone in an instant?

I was speechless. Utterly speechless.

“If I inherit the side dish shop, do I have to accumulate merit in the same way Grandmother did?”
“Yes, precisely!”
“How… do I accumulate it?”

Lee Yeo-ui checked the tablet and spoke.

“To protect the side dish shop, Ji-gu must help one hundred people.”
“One hundred people…?”

I instinctively furrowed my brow. The number seemed absurdly modest.

With at least ten customers coming through daily, a mere hundred seemed trivial—yet I knew this wasn’t simply about serving a hundred patrons. It was a warning that the task would be far more demanding and difficult than it appeared.

“Well then, Ji-gu. Have you made your decision?”

I knew I had to do this.
Losing my memories with Grandmother would be like having half my life stripped away entirely. Yet I lacked the confidence to shoulder this surreal contract.

Could I truly do what Grandmother did?

Then, as if my tangled thoughts had found a thread to follow, my mind suddenly crystallized with clarity.

‘I have to make this work.’

No matter how difficult, I must preserve it.

Because it was Grandmother’s final request to me, and the only path through which I could truly exist as myself.

“I’ll do it. The side dish shop.”
“An excellent decision!”

Lee Yeo-ui and Lee Ju-taek applauded simultaneously in approval. Lee Yeo-ui extended a tablet toward me.

“Are there any clauses you’d like to add?”
“Besides the side dish shop?”
“Of course! Han Hyang-suk took out a 1 billion won loan from us for both extending Han Ji-gu’s life and establishing and maintaining the shop. You’ll receive equivalent benefits!”

Lee Ju-taek explained enthusiastically, his face alight with excitement.

“1 billion won?”
“Yes! Once you successfully complete the business, the loan disappears, so there’s nothing to worry about!”

Now I understood why Grandmother had always given me such generous allowances. Everything finally fell into place.

“I’ll do exactly as Grandmother did.”
“Excellent! Our new contractor, Han Ji-gu, will sign under identical terms! One moment, please!”

Lee Ju-taek quickly retrieved the contract and made several swift corrections before sliding it across to me.

“Please review the contract carefully and sign here! Ha!”

‘I need to read contracts thoroughly.’

I took a deep breath and examined the contract meticulously.

‘Nothing particularly…’

There’s nothing wrong with that.

However, the contract stipulated that all ingredients used at Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop would be provided by them.

‘Surely they’re not just handing everything over without any conditions attached?’

As I scrutinized the contract terms with suspicion, Lee Yeo-ui spoke up.

“As stated in the contract, we will provide all the ingredients, so you need not worry.”
“So when you say ingredients, that includes not just vegetables, but seafood, meat, seasonings—everything?”
“That’s correct.”

Seizing the opportunity, I asked immediately.

“You’re just… giving all of that away?”

Lee Yeo-ui leaned her face close to mine, her lips curving into an exaggerated smile as she whispered.

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.”

‘Of course she wouldn’t reveal it so easily.’

But I didn’t hesitate any longer and signed my name on the tablet screen.

[Ji-gu Han]

“Is that all?”

Lee Yeo-ui nodded.

“The contract is now binding.”

A transparent contract materialized above the tablet, fluttering like paper through the air and leaving trails of luminescence in its wake.

At the same moment, Lee Yeo-ui and Lee Ju-taek stepped back. Golden smoke soon billowed from the contract, coiling around me.

‘…Like a fantasy, or rather—’

It was fantasy.

The contract seeped into my body like water through silk. Lee Yeo-ui spoke with measured calm.

“Han Hyang-suk’s estate—that is, Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop—will be formally transferred to Ji-gu’s ownership upon completion of the designated task. Until then, it remains under our management.”

Lee Yeo-ui delivered those weighted words and handed me a notepad bearing a small scale logo and a business card.

“Write down any necessary ingredients on this notepad and place it in the bottom compartment of the commercial refrigerator.”
“The bottom compartment? Ah, could it be…?”
“Yes? Is something the matter?”
“No… I was looking at the refrigerator earlier and heard a sound.”
“Ah, our new employee must have taken a wrong turn. My apologies!”

Lee Ju-taek scratched his head. So that was a passage.

‘…I never would have guessed that was a passage.’

I swallowed hard.

“Ah, yes.”
“And here is our business card.”

A business card?

[Lee Yeo-ui]
[444 – 010 – 1111]

Only a name and phone number. Not even a company name. A chill suddenly ran down my spine.

‘Why this inexplicable dread…?’

“All done?”

At the Haetae’s words—spoken while it sat basking in sunlight—Lee Yeo-ui and Lee Ju-taek bowed their heads.

“It is complete.”

Lee Yeo-ui added with a faint smile.

“If you have any questions after this, ask Haetae. They’ll tell you.”
“A cat?”
“Yes, despite appearances, they’re an old friend of ours. We’ll be taking our leave now.”

In unison, they bowed and vanished into white smoke.

“Now it’s just us, meow. I’ll say it one more time—I’m Haetae, don’t call me a cat, meow. And!”

Haetae stretched their soft pink paws into the air and continued.

“You said you’d run a side dish shop, meow.”
“Yeah!”
“There’s no turning back now, meow!”

At that moment, a translucent window materialized before my eyes with a soft chime.

[Tutorial: 1. Harvest 500 Red Peppers from Vegetable Garden (0/500)]

A tutorial—anyone could see this was….

“A game window?”

Haetae rested their soft paws against their chin and spoke with utmost seriousness.

“Gen Z style, meow.”
“Gen Z?”
“Otherwise you won’t find it fun, meow.”

…Now even a cat is discussing generational trends.

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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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