They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 45

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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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45. Neighborhood Exploration (2)

“Information, you say?”
“Yes. I should know about the area anyway. Since I’ve started my own business now, I thought it would be helpful to learn about the neighboring shops.”

A brief silence fell between us.

“So you’re proposing we do business together.”
“Exactly! And acorn jelly is my payment!”

A small smile played at the corners of Oh Jong-hee’s lips.

“Understood. I’ll share what I know.”

Oh Jong-hee pulled a small notebook from his bag. For a lawyer, it had an endearingly practical cover—adorned with a cute bear design.

‘A bear?’

It suited him more than I expected.

“Then… let’s establish the terms of our agreement first. Since this is a transaction with consideration, we should make it legally sound.”

…Over a single bowl of acorn jelly?

“…Is that the lawyer in you talking?”
“I suppose you could call it an occupational habit.”

Oh Jong-hee and I exchanged glances and maintained our silence.

“You mentioned information about the neighborhood’s side dishes, correct?”
“Yes!”

So much had changed since I left this neighborhood that I couldn’t navigate it anymore. I’d wanted to ask Lee Hae-ra for help, but…

‘She seemed busy.’

I suppose.

“Well, you see, I have a fondness for keeping records. While it’s convenient to organize things on a smartphone map, I prefer to write them down here.”

Oh Jong-hee opened his notebook against the shop wall. A rough neighborhood map was already sketched across the paper.

“You drew this map yourself…?”
“Recording things is enjoyable.”

Shop names were written in the precise, upright handwriting of a lawyer.

“Now then, let me tell you. A side dish shop a bit removed from this neighborhood is called Kim’s Side Dish Shop.”
“Oh! I know Kim’s Side Dish Shop pretty well!”
“Then it should be easy to find, wouldn’t it?”

Oh Jong-hee circled a spot on the sketch map as he spoke.

“They specialize mainly in kimchi, pickled vegetables, and holiday side dishes. The taste is there, but it doesn’t appeal to younger generations.”
“Doesn’t appeal to younger generations?”
“You understand, don’t you?”
“Well, I suppose…”
“You’ll understand once you try it.”

I nodded in admiration.

“And a bit further down is the Siblings’ Lunch Box Shop.”
“Oh, a lunch box shop?”
“It operates primarily as a side dish shop, but it once had lines of customers thanks to its superior quality and reasonable prices compared to convenience store lunch boxes.”
“Once had?”
“Yes. These days, they have fewer customers.”

Oh Jong-hee continued calmly.

“Later, the owner injured his hand while making a delivery, so the shop was closed for a while.”
“Is he doing better now?”

I asked in surprise. Oh Jong-hee smiled slightly.

“She has since recovered.”
“Oh… that’s a relief.”
“It was long ago, but I recorded it during my analysis of the neighborhood side dish shops.”

I spoke with genuine admiration at how meticulous he was.

“You really do keep detailed notes.”

I could tell how thoroughly he’d explored the side dish shops—with each page he turned, the lives of the neighborhood establishments flowed past like brief chronicles. Each person’s day and story read like a small essay.

“And finally… here.”

Oh Jong-hee paused his pen momentarily, then moved it across the paper with deliberate slowness.

“This is ‘That Couple’s Side Dish Shop,’ located at the very heart of the neighborhood. Their sales have skyrocketed over the past year. It’s a rare case of establishing brand recognition in such a short time.”
“Interesting.”

I nodded. So that couple who visited our shop must have owned that place.

“However.”

Oh Jong-hee continued, his tone carrying a hint of displeasure.

“Their food is remarkably sweet. For me, it was more like a dessert shop.”

Oh Jong-hee smiled with his eyes.

“But here’s the thing.”

Oh Jong-hee’s ballpoint pen began moving slowly again, stopping at the words “That Couple’s Side Dish Shop.”

“Their sales curve has recently begun to decline.”
“A decline…?”

I asked for clarification, and Oh Jong-hee nodded slightly.

“The essence of a side dish shop is to complement rice—to enhance the meal. That means the flavors must have impact and never become monotonous. But sweet side dishes…?”

Oh Jong-hee pronounced each word with deliberate precision, as though delivering testimony.

“Sweetness may attract consumers initially, but it’s fatal in terms of sustainability. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes… you’re right.”

Why does he understand this better than I do?

“I believe this Side Dish Shop occupies the dessert category rather than the main course. That’s my assessment.”
“So that’s why you used the term ‘dessert’?”
“Precisely.”

Sweet side dishes would certainly enjoy temporary popularity. Everyone’s tongue is seduced by that sweetness at first. But as Oh Jong-hee had said—

‘There’s no staying power.’

Korean palates prefer moderate saltiness or spice over sweetness. That’s what makes the rice go down.

So sweetness eventually becomes cloying. It quickly bores diners at the table and vanishes from customers’ memories like foam. After all, there are substitute shops everywhere.

“Well, Owner. That concludes my information.”

Oh Jong-hee closed his notebook and finished speaking.

“If you’d like to know more details, you could also check the app. There are review sections on portal sites for each shop. Surprisingly, the ratings and reviews are written quite specifically.”

…Truth be told, portal sites were more accurate and detailed than apps. Though you shouldn’t trust them too much.

“Thank you so much for explaining everything in such detail.”
“Then the acorn jelly….”

Oh Jong-hee looked at me and swallowed hard.

“Of course I’ll give it to you! After providing all this information, if I ate and ran, that would be thievery.”

And I glanced toward Myeong-ja’s Bakery. Beyond the glass door, customers bustled about while Grandmother Myeong-ja hurried between the register, brushing flour from her apron. It was time for me to step aside now.

“Grandmother! I’m leaving now.”

I waved my hand broadly in greeting toward the busy Grandmother Myeong-ja. The Twins came out to say goodbye to me and nodded at Oh Jong-hee.

“Let’s go now.”
“Very well.”

I took Oh Jong-hee and headed to Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop.

***

After handing the acorn jelly to Oh Jong-hee, I settled into a chair at the table. The faint aroma of cooled coffee brushed against my nose.

I pulled out my smartphone, and the search bar glowed on the screen.

‘A portal site….’

A familiar logo appeared.

‘Our Neighborhood’s Side Dish Map.’

A review site that had recently spread like a trend. Restaurants, side dish shops, even street food vendors—everything was listed. Star ratings had become the currency of reputation.

‘…Oh.’

I exhaled quietly. The name Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop was displayed prominently on the screen.

【Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop ★ 4.9 / 219 Reviews】

As I entered the review list, short sentences flooded my vision.

★ 5 / The side dishes here taste the best lol
★ 5 / Great value for lunch boxes!
★ 4.9 / The taste has changed from before, but it’s still delicious
★ 5 / I miss Hyangsuk’s side dish shop. When will you come back? ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

As I slowly scrolled with my fingertips, the reviews sounded like living voices.

Light, laughing tones, emoticons pressed down like complaints. And that final sentence.

‘When will you come back…?’

My eyes caught the date stamped in the lower right corner of the screen.

One year ago.

‘The oldest review at the bottom is from a year ago….’

As I scrolled upward, the remaining reviews had all been posted within the last month.

“What are you doing?”

Hae-tae wagged his tail and settled onto the table.

“Oh, I was just looking at the reviews for the shop’s side dishes.”
“There’s something like that?”
“Yeah. Look here.”

I thrust my smartphone screen right up to Hae-tae’s nose, showing him the reviews posted on the app.

“These are reviews. People come to the shop and write down whether it was delicious.”
“Hmm, I already knew that.”

Hae-tae stared intently at the screen, then scratched his head with his front paw. Watching him gaze so seriously at the display, I suddenly became curious.

“But can you actually read?”

That was when it happened.

Thwack!

A heavy front paw struck my crown with perfect accuracy.

“Ow!”
“You still haven’t abandoned that prejudice that cats can’t read?”

I rubbed my head, which now felt like it had a lump forming, my expression bewildered.

“No, I was just curious. How did you learn to read?”

It was remarkable that the Divine Being could read.

“…I learned it from the Divine Being.”
“You learned it?”
“From the Divine Being, yes.”

Hmm. That made sense. I slipped my smartphone into my pants pocket and spoke.

“So here’s the thing, Hae-tae.”
“Meow?”

Hae-tae tilted his head curiously.

“They say cats are territorial animals, so it’s not good for them to leave their territory.”
“I’m a divine beast, meow!”

Hae-tae puffed out his chest, raising his tail high with pride.

“Right. So then, want to go out and explore the neighborhood together?”
“Explore?”
“Yeah, explore! We’ll go outside together.”

Hae-tae’s ears perked up.

“If we explore, can we eat something, meow?”
“Well… maybe?”

Hae-tae scratched his cheek with his front paw and laughed shyly. The gesture seemed oddly human-like.

“I’ve never… left this place before, meow.”
“Never?”
“That’s right, meow. No one ever asked me to go out. They always told me to stay by their side, meow.”

I tilted my head in confusion.

“But when you go outside, no one can see you anyway. So it should be fine to go, right?”
“That’s true, meow.”
“Then why not?”
“I need to guard the house, don’t I?”

Something in my heart ached at Hae-tae’s casual words.

“That’s a bit unfair.”
“Meow?”

I chuckled while stroking the gluttonous cat’s head.

“Would you like to ride in my bag? How would you prefer to go?”

Hae-tae gazed up at me intently, then in a flash, scrambled up onto my shoulder and settled in. His tail brushed gently through my hair. I felt the warmth radiating from his small body.

“I’ll stay here, meow.”
“Perfect! Let’s go!”

I grabbed my wallet and coat, then pushed open the shop door wide. The outside air immediately touched my face.

“The smell is different, meow.”
“If you’re already saying the smell is different, what will you do? You haven’t even seen better places yet.”

I laughed and stepped onto the street. The shop signs lining the alley cast long shadows in the low afternoon light.

“What do you think?”
“Why do humans live so complicatedly, meow?”
“I couldn’t say.”

I began walking along the alley. Beyond a low stone wall, a tangerine tree poked its head out, and a dog barked in the distance.

“Where should we start, meow?”
“Kim’s Side Dish Shop first.”
“That’s been around for a while, hasn’t it, meow?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”

I inserted earbuds and pretended to be on a call as I walked slowly. Strangely, this was the only way to avoid drawing unwanted attention from passersby.

“Here we are. Our first location.”

Kim’s Side Dish Shop was small and saturated with the scent of time. The glass door was covered with scratches left by the years, and papers listing popular side dishes were plastered all over it.

Ding—

As I opened the door, a delicate chime rang out. Inside, the aroma of soy sauce mingled with the savory scent of side dishes, tickling my nose.

But then.

‘…Hmm, it really is all ancestral ritual dishes.’

Attorney Oh Jong-hee had been right. So I selected a few side dishes, placed them in a black plastic bag, and completed the purchase in silence.

The moment I stepped outside the shop into the sunlight, Hae-tae whispered against my ear.

“I want to taste it, meow.”
“You want to taste it?”

I glanced around. Fortunately, there was an alley with not a soul in sight. It was a narrow, quiet passage between a laundry shop and a storage room, where sunlight filtered through only halfway.

“Let’s eat there.”

I walked over and crouched down, opening the plastic bag. I picked up a pajeon—one of Kim’s Side Dish Shop’s specialties—with chopsticks.

“Open your mouth. Here it comes.”
“Meoooow!”

Hae-tae’s mouth opened wide. Small fangs gleamed, ready to receive the food.

“Mew… ow?”

Hae-tae’s pink tongue tip poked out slightly, wrapping around the scallion pancake and swallowing it. As Hae-tae chewed for a moment, his ears twitched.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

His eyes darted left and right, and his expression gradually stiffened. Then he whipped his head around, and a sharp cry erupted.

“Ptooey!”

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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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