They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 49

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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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49. Aralia Shoots (3)

Of course I do.

“I have business cards!”

I hurried over to the counter and rummaged through the card holder. I pulled out a crisp business card and respectfully handed it to Yun Ga-rin.

“Here’s my card.”
“Oh! Thank you so much.”

Yun Ga-rin carefully accepted it with both hands. The card was somewhat rustic, with the shop’s name written in crooked letters and my contact information.

Yun Ga-rin read through the characters on the card carefully before asking.

“If I call this number, can you deliver lunch boxes too?”
“Delivery…?”

The unexpected question left me speechless.

“You can’t?”
“Oh, no. It’s not that….”

Yun Ga-rin’s expression visibly brightened.

“That’s a relief then.”

One thing nagged at me. I couldn’t help myself and blurted out what was on my mind.

“But… your father runs a lunch box shop. Is it really okay for you to order lunch boxes from our shop?”
“Yes, it’s fine. Your father’s hand is hurting right now anyway.”
“Well… still.”

Yun Ga-rin waved her hand dismissively, as if to tell me not to worry.

“I was planning to tell you to stop delivering lunch boxes. You don’t need to worry about lunch box deliveries anymore!”
“…I see.”

It should be fine.

“Why do you need lunch box deliveries?”
“Sometimes the civil servants need lunch boxes.”
“C-civil servants?”
“Yes, we have some connections with the Township Office. When meetings or lunch events come up, we sometimes place bulk orders for lunch boxes.”

I swallowed hard.

Civil servants,
Township Office,
Bulk lunch box orders.

The moment these three words aligned in my mind, my mental calculator began spinning rapidly.

‘I could showcase my side dish lunch boxes to a public institution.’

It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Originally, my father’s shop handled all of it, but he injured his hand, so we couldn’t manage large orders anymore. That’s why we had no choice but to give the work to another nearby shop.”
“Ah….”
“But the taste wasn’t great and the lunch box composition was lacking too… I had to find a different shop, so I’m glad I met you.”

I lifted the corners of my mouth into a smile.

“This is all precious fate.”

Yun Ga-rin gently waved my business card.

“I’ll definitely contact you as soon as an event is scheduled.”

Indeed, a merchant must always do their best for every connection, even those met by chance on the street. I felt my smile deepen.

***

Yun Ga-rin clutched the lunch box bag she’d purchased from Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop tightly as she headed home.

Will Father eat it?

Worry pressed heavily against my chest. After I pushed too hard with deliveries, Father’s wrist ligaments were completely destroyed. Since that day, even the simplest task of picking up food seemed to burden him.

“Sigh….”

Yun Ga-rin steadied her breath and opened the entrance door. A faint smell of oil drifted out.

“Daughter, you’re home.”

At her father’s low, dry voice from the living room sofa, Yun Ga-rin nodded.

“Dad, I’m here.”

Yun Ga-rin lifted the bag slightly to show him.

“On the way home, I picked up a lunch box from Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop. I heard their side dishes are delicious.”
“Never mind.”

His answer was curt and sharp.

“Why?”
“I have no appetite.”

At those words, Yun Ga-rin’s fingers clenched the edge of the bag.

“Father, you’ve been refusing to eat lately.”
“Ga-rin.”

Father lifted his head.

“I’m going to keep doing this.”
“….”
“Don’t bring lunch boxes from other shops and tell me to eat. You focus on your own work. Don’t worry about me.”

Yun Ga-rin bit her lip hard. She understood without him saying more.

Father wasn’t being stubborn out of pride. It was the refusal to acknowledge collapse and the fear that seeped into the void left by losing family.

“…Dad.”

Yun Ga-rin’s voice was very careful.

“Resting is work too. Even if my brother had been here, I would have told you to rest.”

The father’s eyelid, which had been perfectly still, trembled ever so slightly.

“Dad….”
“….”
“My brother wouldn’t want you working yourself to exhaustion. So please.”

The father’s gaze lowered. Like the broken branch from that day, his heart remained fractured.

“Ga-rin.”

After a long silence, the father finally spoke.

“Yes.”
“Your brother…”
“He must be living happily in heaven, don’t you think? And your mother is watching over you from there too.”

The father’s eyes drifted away, as if fleeing, slowly settling on the table.

“So please, live long and healthy with me. All right?”

A subtle aroma of aralia shoots wafted faintly from the lunch box wrapped in Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop packaging.

“This… foolish thing.”

The father covered his face with both hands. His bandaged knuckles trembled faintly. Even he didn’t know who he was speaking to.

Was it words for his brother, or words for himself?

“I have to leave soon. Eat quickly.”

The father drew in slow, deliberate breaths, as if pressing down the sorrow that kept threatening to overflow.

“All right.”

At her father’s reluctant response, Yun Ga-rin displayed the lunch box.

“Doesn’t it look delicious?”

The fragrant aroma of aralia shoots dispersed the stale, oily smell that had lingered in the living room.

“Here. This is a special aralia shoot seasoned side dish and aralia shoot wrap rice lunch box made by the owner of Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop.”
“…It’s all vegetables.”

Her father offered a blunt complaint.

“Dad, really! Do you know how rare this is?”

Yun Ga-rin broke into a playful laugh.

“I know.”

As he reached for an aralia shoot wrap, his bandaged wrist flinched. He still seemed afraid of eating.

“Can you pick it up?”
“I can.”
“Okay then.”

In the end, her father picked up the wrap rice with his bare hand instead of using chopsticks. He placed it in his mouth. The delicate fragrance of aralia shoots seemed to gently embrace his wounds.

“….”

His eyes closed very slowly.

“How is it?”
“….”
“Dad.”

And in a very small voice, he answered.

“…It’s delicious.”

The words rang louder in her ears than any other sound. Her father sat quietly, savoring the aralia shoot wraps for a long time, like someone carefully accepting food for the first time.

“And aralia shoots too!”
“…Why are there so many requests.”
“What do you mean? You don’t dislike it either, Father.”

At Yun Ga-rin’s words, her father placed a spoonful of seasoned aralia shoots into his mouth. The moment the leaves touched his tongue, they dissolved into silk. They melted away instantly and slipped smoothly down his throat.

“Where is this place?”

Yun Ga-rin smiled as if she had been waiting for this question.

“Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop.”
“That place closed….”

Her father’s words trailed off into silence.

“It’s been a year, but the granddaughter has reopened it.”

Her father drew out a story as if retrieving a diary from an old drawer.

“Back then, I went there with your brother when we were shopping at the market.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”

It was a moment when talk of his brother—words he hadn’t spoken aloud in years—flowed out naturally. The mere fact of it made Yun Ga-rin’s heart swell with emotion.

“How was it back then?”

Her father looked at Yun Ga-rin, his gaze lifting as if searching through memory.

“I couldn’t stop your brother.”

Between them, a gentle and warm current flowed—one that needed no words to be understood. It was like sunlight slowly seeping into a heart that had been closed for so long.

***

Outside, the shops were already turning off their lights one by one. The acrid scent of the oppressive summer was gradually fading.

Click.

I was in the middle of slowly lowering the shutter halfway down.

“Dad! Over here!”

A bright and clear voice pierced through the quiet evening. When I turned my head, I saw Yun Ga-rin walking with plastic bags in both hands. Beside her, the owner of the Sibling Bento Shop walked slowly, matching his daughter’s pace.

‘They must be coming back from shopping.’

Then our eyes met directly across the empty space—Yun Ga-rin’s and mine.

“Oh! Boss!”

Upon spotting me, Yun Ga-rin waved brightly. I stopped my hand on the shutter and greeted her with a smile.

“Just finished shopping?”
“Yes! My father said he’d cook dinner for us.”
“Your father? And your hand is doing well?”

The owner nodded confidently.

“Yes.”

A warmth different from before flowed gently between the two of them. Certainly, it was different.

‘Have they made up?’

“My father said—”

Yun Ga-rin held up the bags as she spoke.

“He’s going to make tonight’s side dishes similar to Hyang-suk’s.”
“Oh? Like our bento boxes?”

Her father murmured softly.

“I also cook a bit.”
“Dad!”

I stood there for a moment, my mind blank.

‘…I suppose I’m a little envious.’

Having someone beside me in the kitchen to banter with—I understood all too well how much strength that could provide.

“I’ll make a dish too, boss!”
“Is that so.”

Yun Ga-rin quickly stepped in and bowed her head deeply.

“I’ll come by tomorrow to buy some side dishes!”

I whispered back knowingly.

“Then I’ll set aside some of the tastier ones for you.”
“Exactly! Boss, see you next time! Song-i’s waiting, so let’s hurry.”

Yun Ga-rin smiled brightly and gave a polite bow.

“Please come again!”

Then a deep voice came from beside me.

“The side dishes…”
“…?”
“They’re delicious.”
“…Ah.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”

It was the boss.

“Your spicy braised pork bento was delicious too.”

After that, I stood there for a long time without lowering the shutter, watching the two figures disappear down the evening alley.

‘…My heart feels so warm and fluffy.’

In that moment, the scent of aralia shoots drifted gently into the shop. In the silence where not a single sheet of paper trembled, the praise sticker board quivered.

And from that light, a translucent, glowing hand rose up. As if this were its own home, it naturally pressed a praise sticker depicting aralia shoots onto the board with perfect precision.

“I’ve already saved up quite a bit….”

As I examined the praise sticker board closely, a window materialized across my vision.

[You have obtained Karma Points and unlocked detailed shop information.]

‘Unlocked.’

The detailed shop information window expanded fully.

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[Ji-gu]
– Local Reputation 110 (Word has begun to spread in the neighborhood community that this is a beloved local eatery worth waiting in line for.)
– Divine Reputation: 55 (Even among the Divine Beings, rivals are emerging and they are pleased to see it growing splendidly.)
– Karma Points: 11 (Reward unlock conditions not yet met)
[Business Status]
Today’s Customer Count: 75/60
Regular Customers: 111
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I shook my head at the absurd system message.

‘A rival shop in the neighborhood, of all things.’

That was when it happened.

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!-

A notification sound rang out from beneath the Refrigerator—a note had arrived.

“A note?”

I lowered the shutters completely and walked into the Kitchen, peering beneath the Refrigerator. Sure enough, a note was sticking out conspicuously.

==========
Wal-wal
Rating: ★★★.9
Not really my taste ^^
The aralia shoot wrap rice would be great for health-conscious folks,
but for those of us not so concerned with health, the flavor was a bit off-putting.
However, the fried tofu made it delicious.
==========

“Fair enough.”

I folded the note and chuckled softly. It was a taste that divided people—the distinctive aroma and subtle bitterness of health food. The bento had always been one where preferences split cleanly down the middle.

“Not a bad review at all.”

It was an honest assessment—pointing out flaws where they existed, but acknowledging what worked.

‘Now I just need to head into the Dimensional Space, harvest ingredients, and rest….’

Thanks to preparing materials in advance during my day off, today’s work would be relatively smooth.

I’d already harvested plenty of greens, marinated the meat, and even planned out the composition for the bentos I’d be making later….

“I can finally catch my breath now.”

Before I quietly slipped into the Dimensional Space, I thought I’d prepare a delicious dinner for Hae-tae as well.

“…meow.”

Suddenly, a weak cry escaped from behind me.

“Hae-tae?”

Hae-tae had been crossing the threshold into the Dimensional Space when he suddenly collapsed, his body going limp. The eyes that normally sparkled with vitality had turned dull and unfocused.

“Hae-tae…!”

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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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