They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 51

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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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51. Hae-tae (2)

Why was I sleeping here? There was no need to rest against this uncomfortable sofa.

I could have gone into the bedroom instead. Did I enjoy self-imposed hardship?

And so Hae-tae arrived at a conclusion.

Ah.

“Is he an idiot?”

Yes. An idiot. Ji-gu was.

I lowered my head, gazing at Ji-gu sleeping against the sofa in that awkward position. The human who had kept vigil beside me all night long. Watching him, I tilted my head slowly to the side.

“Humans truly are fascinating creatures.”

Just as the Divine Being who raised me once said.

– Humans are fascinating, you see.
‘Why?’
– Why, you ask? Because humans are simultaneously the wisest and the most foolish of all beings.
‘Foolish?’

The Divine Being’s words that followed captivated my mind.

Humans possessed the frailest of bodies,
yet willingly carved away their own limits for the sake of others,
they endured the invisible weight of their hearts,
and when they could not bear it, they led themselves toward ruin,
and yet still, they overcame even that ruin.

Young as I was then, I dismissed the Divine Being’s words entirely. Why? Because throughout all the years I had walked since, I found those words to be anything but wrong.

Every human I’d encountered so far was far from remarkable—they were all bloated with greed and desire.

– Money, I need money urgently.
– Hae-tae, Hae-tae, how do I abandon my parents?
– My wife….
– My husband….
– If you give me money, I’ll do anything….

Yet they yearned for cosmic justice while desperately wishing the world would bend to their will—a relentless, vicious breed.

Watching the Divine Being derive endless amusement from such humans, I turned away.

But.

Now, observing this human sleeping uncomfortably before me, I couldn’t help but feel something unfamiliar stirring within.

“How curious.”

I tapped Ji-gu’s nose with my front paw.

“Ow….”

He showed no sign of waking.

“…This truly feels different from Grandmother Hyang-suk.”

Grandmother Hyang-suk was a human with purpose. For Ji-gu’s sake, she would stop at nothing—even exploiting divine water if necessary.

Yet while she poured her razor-sharp hatred upon the world, she showed compassion for humans, all in the name of Ji-gu.

Everything revolved around Ji-gu—goodness itself. Because Grandmother Hyang-suk only showed kindness to those around Ji-gu’s age. Thus, she was the most selfish human of all.

Even when the day came that she received her death, having lived so relentlessly for herself, it was no different.

– Hae-tae has arrived.
‘For someone who received a death date, she’s remarkably ordinary.’
– Is that so? I’m happiest this way.
‘Because you received a death date?’
– Because I’m not becoming Ji-gu’s shackle.
‘So that’s what makes you happy?’
– Of course. I thought I would become Ji-gu’s shackle and torment her, you see.

Until the day I died, everything revolved around Ji-gu.

‘How relentless. Madness.’
– …But I’m sorry that I’m leaving behind yet another shackle just like that one.
‘You mean the Side Dish Shop?’
– That’s right.
‘Pointless sentiment, really. That’s for your granddaughter to choose, not you. It’s not your choice to make, is it? You’re too controlling.’
– …Is that why Ji-gu tried to escape from me?
‘Perhaps.’
– No, that’s not it. It was what Ji-gu wanted.
‘Wanted?’
– She told me to raise her however I saw fit.

So I thought Grandmother Hyang-suk’s granddaughter, Ji-gu, would be similar. But meeting her anew, she was different. She expressed her emotions more openly than any human I’d ever seen.

She cried well,
laughed well,
and feared well.

– Hae-tae!
– Ow!
– Gluttonous cat….
– Hey!

I was beginning to understand why Grandmother Hyang-suk had always sheltered Ji-gu so fiercely. Just a little, perhaps.

“…Hmm.”

Hae-tae lifted her head and gazed out the window.

“Morning is coming.”

It hurt so much.

Morning sunlight descended upon Ji-gu’s body like an ancient seal being pressed down. And Hae-tae’s shadow began to shift subtly.

“You must be exhausted because of me.”

This is a grace I bestow upon you.

At first, it seemed his tail was lengthening, and then a strangely unfamiliar curve rose along his back.

Slowly, Hae-tae lifted a small foreleg and gently tapped my forehead. That foreleg soon covered my face, shielding the world’s noise away.

“You’ve worked hard.”
“…mmm….”

My expression, which had been clouded with accumulated exhaustion, gradually softened. The furrow between my brows loosened, and my breathing became far more peaceful.

“…hmm.”

Hae-tae bent down and gazed at my sleeping form for a long while. It was as though even his shadow was warmly embracing me. Against the cold floor, that shadow seemed unusually warm.

***

I opened my eyelids almost as though launching upright.

‘Did he sleep well?’

So I reached out my hand to where Hae-tae should have been and felt around. But… my fingertips met only the cold, hardened leather of the sofa.

No warmth?

Where did the sick one go!

“Hae-tae? Hae-tae…!”

I frantically scanned the empty Living Room, calling out his name. In that moment, a familiar, languid voice drifted up from below.

“What are you doing?”
“Oh, Hae-tae…?”

When I glanced down, Hae-tae wiped the corner of his mouth with his front paw.

“Are you awake now, meow?”
“Your body—are you really okay? Is it alright to move around like this?”
“I’m fine, meow.”

…? This was the same creature who had collapsed in such agony yesterday. His recovery was shameless enough to make my all-night vigil seem pointless.

“Did you eat the vegetable porridge?”

The vegetable porridge I’d made and left on the table last night was gone.

“I ate it, meow.”
“How was the vegetable porridge?”
“Vegetable porridge is vegetable porridge, meow. It got cold and tasted awful, meow! Porridge is supposed to be eaten hot, meow.”

Hae-tae snorted and flicked his tail sharply. It tasted bad because it cooled down. From his grumbling tone, the original blunt Hae-tae had returned.

“Is that so? It was tasteless?”
“That’s right, meow.”

I suppressed the laughter threatening to escape and answered.

“I’ll make you something more delicious next time.”
“….”

I was stroking Hae-tae’s head when I suddenly tilted mine in confusion. This was the creature who would normally throw a fit and demand I remove my hand, yet he was quietly accepting my touch.

“Hae-tae?”

Why wasn’t he saying anything?

“…Do as you please, meow.”
“…Huh?”
“Even though it got cold, the vegetable porridge was delicious, meow.”

This creature who always spoke coldly, always with that blunt edge to his words.

“Are you right now….”

Hae-tae looked up at me, his ears twitching.

“What, what meow!”
“You must be incredibly hungry, right? That’s the only way you’d compliment me like that….”

Hae-tae suddenly swatted my arm with his front paw.

“Ow, ow, that hurts…!”
“I hit you because it hurts, meow. Is that all you can think of, meow?”

I rubbed the stinging spot on my arm.

“I thought you were just so hungry that you….”
“Stop worrying about useless things and get downstairs to work, meow. Do you know what time it is, meow?”

What time…?

Hae-tae’s sharp rebuke snapped me back to reality. When I checked the time, I realized I’d already missed the window for opening preparations.

“Oh, oh no!”

I’d been so absorbed in caring for Hae-tae that I’d completely forgotten I needed to open the Side Dish Shop today. This is exactly why people say time flies when you’re living with a cat.

“Go quickly, meow.”
“Huh?”

I was going, but…

“You have to come with me, Hae-tae.”
“…?”

I extended my hand to Hae-tae.

“What? You’re not coming?”

Hae-tae stared at my hand for a moment, then smiled slightly. With practiced ease, he climbed onto the back of my hand and settled gracefully on my shoulder.

“Let’s go, meow.”

***

The morning passed peacefully, and afternoon began to settle in.

“B-boss…”
“Lee Hae-ra?”

Lee Hae-ra was passing by listlessly, dressed in a crisp business suit unlike her usual attire—apparently returning from a job interview. I rose from my chair, opened the shop door, and called out to her.

“Lee Hae-ra!?”

Lee Hae-ra stopped in her tracks and turned her head. Her expressionless face melted the moment she saw me.

“Ah, boss…”

Even her soft voice calling out to me lacked energy. She seemed exhausted from waiting through the interview process for hours.

“Where are you headed? Home?”
“Yes… I’m going home. What about you, boss? Isn’t this usually a busy time for you?”
“Afternoons are always like this. Once the lunch crowd clears out, business gets sparse.”

I nodded quietly and opened the door wider.

“Want to rest for a bit? You look terrible.”
“What? No, I couldn’t. Boss, you’re running the shop—I’d be in the way…”
“Come on, what are you saying? Besides, I have plenty of food left over from lunch. Come eat. I’d hate to waste it.”

Lee Hae-ra was hesitating.

‘What is that?’

Even in the middle of the Street bathed in brilliant sunlight, an unnatural shadow stretched long behind Lee Hae-ra. Something about it felt deeply wrong.

So I stepped on it.

Crack!

The shadow then shimmered as if alive, flinching before immediately ceasing its movement.

‘What on earth is this?’

“Boss?”
“Oh… yes. Come in quickly.”

The dark silhouette passing by my side—Lee Hae-ra’s shadow—rested a hand upon her shoulder as though it were her master, clinging to her in the manner of one supporting the exhausted. In truth, it was hanging from her.

“Ah…!”

In that moment, as Lee Hae-ra swayed precariously, I instinctively steadied her by the waist.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt somewhere?”

Lee Hae-ra offered a forced smile, her complexion ashen, and nodded.

“I think I’m just a bit tired…”

The dark form that had not dissipated beneath the sunlight scattered like mist the moment we stepped into the shop.

“Have you eaten lunch? Did you have something?”
“Just… something random.”
“Something random?”

Lee Hae-ra lowered her head deeply.

“…I’m sorry to ask, but…”
“You have much to apologize for. What is it?”
“Could you make braised beef bibimbap today?”

I replied, placing a hand upon Lee Hae-ra’s slender shoulder.

“Of course. Make yourself comfortable and sit.”

I seated Lee Hae-ra in a chair and prepared the braised beef bibimbap.

‘Keep it simple.’

I placed a generous knob of fragrant butter in a large bowl first, then ladled freshly cooked rice generously atop it. The heat melted the butter swiftly, allowing it to seep between the grains.

I sliced three pieces of the glossy braised beef and arranged them over the rice, then scattered seaweed powder and green onions—the bibimbap was complete.

As the finishing touch, I placed an egg yolk on top with a gentle tap.

I set the bowl down in front of Lee Hae-ra and asked naturally.

“How have you been lately, Lee Hae-ra?”
“…Well, I keep going to interviews. I haven’t been rejected, but nothing’s sticking.”
“Nothing’s sticking? You, Lee Hae-ra?”
“Yes… even when there is….”

She absently broke apart a piece of braised meat with her chopsticks and muttered.

“Only places without a Bathroom stick.”

Her gaze quickly fell downward.

“I think I should have just taken it….”
“Why?”
“…Well, even those places are blessings, but I didn’t take it.”
“No. That’s not right. A place without proper facilities isn’t a proper place.”

Without a Bathroom, it’s not really a Company.

‘It must be a black company.’

“How’s your health?”
“Lately my body… it’s been struggling too.”
“Because of the interviews?”

Lee Hae-ra nodded slightly.

“That’s why I keep having nightmares….”
“Nightmares?”
“I took magnesium to take care of my body, right? They say it causes nightmares, so I stopped taking it, but I still get them.”

Her hand trembled slightly as she brought the braised meat to her mouth.

“What kind of nightmares?”

Lee Hae-ra exhaled slowly. Her chopsticks clicked against the bowl, and then her lips parted.

“It’s a dream where you’re chasing me in a desperate rush!”

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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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