They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 66

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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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66. Delivery Person (3)

Group orders? Bento box delivery? The two words tangled together in my mind, spinning in confusion.

Running the shop alone, taking on deliveries would be poison—pure poison.

“…Aren’t there many other shops available?”

My question wavered with hesitation. Yun Ga-rin explained as though she’d been waiting for it.

“My father specifically recommended Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop as the most suitable.”
“Really? Our shop?”
“Yes, actually my father has handled these group orders frequently. For welfare organizations.”

Ah, interesting—I had to fight to keep my lips from curling upward in delight. I covered my mouth with my hand and tried to look serious.

“That’s when my father said it. That Hyang-suk’s side dishes have both flavor and the right seasoning…. He said it’s a shop you can eat from consistently without ever getting tired of it.”

Was she trying to shower me with praise because I’d been exhausted from kimchi-making lately?

‘Maybe I should check my fortune for today.’

Surely this was a day of great fortune. I barely managed to suppress the laughter threatening to burst out.

“Our shop isn’t really that good….”

‘But it actually is.’

Yun Ga-rin responded as though she were about to lose her temper.

“It is that good! My father is very particular about taste. That’s exactly why I thought it was trustworthy.”

I should stop playing hard to get now.

“Then what are the conditions?”
“Next Saturday, sixty portions. I need them ready by lunch. My father will handle the delivery.”

Lunch timing. Prep ingredients at dawn, prepare the regular customers’ dishes, and add the bento box sides on top—it was a manageable schedule, all things considered.

‘It’s not impossible….’

“Please don’t overextend yourself! I’m only mentioning this because such opportunities are rare. We’re not desperate enough to hand this over to just anyone.”

First, I needed to assess the shop’s situation soberly and give a definitive answer.

“Yun Ga-rin, I can’t give you an answer right now. I’d like to think it over for at least a day or two—would that be alright?”

Relief washed across Yun Ga-rin’s face.

“Of course. That’s more than enough. I was a bit worried you might let this opportunity slip away.”
“That wouldn’t happen. Good opportunities are meant to be seized.”

A side dish shop, after all, survives day by day on the footsteps of loyal customers. But if I looked further ahead, the picture changed.

‘Expanding the business would be a good thing.’

Still, I couldn’t afford to be hasty.

‘I’ve seen countless cases where people rushed in without conviction and faced disaster….’

Yun Ga-rin bowed lightly and stepped back.

“Owner! I left my business card inside the paper bag!”

She added as she turned to leave.

“Just call that number with your answer!”

Her figure receded beneath the streetlight. I stared for a moment at the cooking utensils and business card inside the paper bag.

***

The next day.

I left the business card sitting on the counter. Whether I stood at the prep station or opened the Refrigerator, my eyes kept drifting toward it.

Because throughout the early morning hours—prepping ingredients, simmering broth, tossing vegetables, stir-frying—

‘Next Saturday. Sixty boxed lunches for a group. Lunch service….’

The numbers and timing kept swirling through my mind.

Perhaps that’s why.

“Oh!”

I made a mistake I would never ordinarily make. I’d missed the moment to pull the broth from the heat.

“…Is this a braised dish or a soup?”

It wasn’t badly scorched, but my beef radish soup had transformed into a braised side dish. I stared down at the pot, momentarily blank.

I could remake it. There were still ingredients left.

But.

‘What am I doing?’

I tapped my cheek lightly in self-reproach. Losing focus while cooking was quite serious for me.

Especially in the Kitchen—lack of concentration led directly to accidents.

“Meow.”

A small sound came from near my feet. Hae-tae sat beside the rice bowl, tail swishing slowly, looking up at me.

“I haven’t even fed you yet….”

…I’d fed Hae-tae but skipped my own meal. I rubbed my face with my hands, trying to settle myself.

“What are you going on about?”
“I’ve been acting strange lately.”
“You’ve always been strange.”
“No, I mean recently!”

Hae-tae answered with perfect composure.

“You’ve been strange recently too.”
“…I’ll grant you that. But it’s different from before.”
“Why is that?”

Hae-tae curled and uncurled the tip of his tail as he asked.

“Well, you exhausted yourself yesterday and passed out cold. While you were asleep, that’s when it happened.”
“So I got some good rest!”

I set aside the pot and explained calmly.

“A promising proposal came in.”
“What kind of good condition is that?”
“Group meal boxes. If I start delivering meal boxes in bulk, word will spread that this is a place capable of handling large group orders. Honestly, it’s too good an opportunity to pass up! It really is a great chance, but…”
“If it’s good, then what’s the problem?”

I shook my head.

“Because I think things are fine just as they are now.”

I crouched down and lowered my head. No matter how I thought about it, the shop was peaceful as it was, the regulars were familiar, and my days held a quiet stability.

‘I don’t want to break this atmosphere.’

I was increasingly realizing how precious this quietly continuing everyday life had become.

“But aren’t you already thinking about changing things?”
“…Yeah.”

I can’t deny that.

“Give it a try at least once.”
“At least once?”

I lifted my head.

“Do you think they’ll keep accepting your side dishes if they don’t like them?”
“….”
“You’ve forgotten because you’ve spent over a year looking only at Grandmother Hyang-suk. Human hearts change dozens of times a day.”
“…!”
“That’s why you need to make your choice quickly right now. If you wait any longer, they won’t accept your offer.”

That was true.

Opportunity never stood beside those who hesitated. Only those who made a decision could reach it.

“Do you think I can do this?”
“You’ve always been able to.”

I smiled and stroked Hae-tae’s head.

“I don’t know how I would’ve managed without you, Hae-tae.”
“You would’ve done fine.”
“No, that’s not true.”

With those words, I stood up from my seat. I picked up the business card resting on the counter. I’d deliberated enough. Now it was time to act.

I carefully dialed the number, and after a few seconds, the call connected.

– Hello?

Yun Ga-rin’s voice came through immediately. Faint background sounds suggested she was in the middle of work.

“This is Ji-gu from Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop.”
– Oh! Yes! Boss!

Her response was filled with warmth.

“I’ve given it some thought.”
– Yes, have you had enough time to consider it?

I held my smartphone with both hands respectfully, took a short breath, and spoke.

“I’ll give it a try. This one.”

The moment the words left my mouth, my heart felt lighter. That’s how decisions always are—terrifying before you make them, yet weightless the instant you do.

– Ha ha.

A short laugh burst through the phone.

– Boss, I’m really relieved. Just a moment. Let me step outside and tell you.

I heard some murmuring, then silence fell.

“Hello?”
– Yes, boss. To be honest with you.

Yun Ga-rin’s voice grew quieter.

– If you’d been any later, I would have handed it over to another side dish shop.
“Really?”
– They found out about it somehow and contacted me saying they’d take care of it.
“That would have been a disaster if I’d been late, wouldn’t it?”
– Yes. So I told them I’d wait a bit longer. If you hadn’t called me… it would have been a real problem.
“…Thank you for waiting.”
– No, I should be thanking you for making this decision.

Relief was evident in Yun Ga-rin’s voice.

“I’ll work hard on this too.”
– Then I’ll organize the location, time, number of lunch boxes, and the list of side dishes needed, and send them to you by message.
“Yes, and I’ll contact you right away once I’ve roughly organized the lunch boxes.”
– I’m really counting on you, boss.

The moment the call ended, I let out a long sigh of relief.

‘Done.’

“Done, meow?”

Instead of answering, I looked down at my hand gripping the smartphone. My fingertips trembled with a fine, delicate quiver. The tension I hadn’t consciously acknowledged until now finally revealed itself.

“Yeah. I’ve made my decision.”
“Your hand was shaking like crazy.”
“I know. It’s been a while since I felt this nervous about having my cooking judged.”

A memory from the past surfaced unbidden. There was a time when I frequently showcased new dishes to the head chef and my colleagues. Once a week. Those were the days I spent weeks perfecting a dish, only to wait anxiously for their evaluation.

It was the same back then as it is now. Not so much fear of the outcome, but uncertainty about whether I truly deserved to present this dish.

‘I’m always nervous.’

I slowly released the tension from my hand.

“Do you get nervous sometimes too?”
“I get nervous sometimes.”

Hae-tae leaped up and settled onto my lap.

“No one will dislike your cooking. Even if they do, it’s just a matter of taste.”
“…you.”

He was trying to comfort me.

‘Thank you.’

Truth be told, without Hae-tae, I would have missed this opportunity. His words resonated with me the most.

Ding ding—

“Huh? A message came in.”

Several messages arrived from Yun Ga-rin at just the right moment.

▶[Boss! I’m sending you the summary of what we discussed.]

▶[Date: Saturday
Quantity: 60 servings
Time: Arrival before 12 PM lunch
Location: Happiness Welfare Center, 1st floor cooking area entrance]

▶[If possible, I’d really appreciate it if you could include a butterbur side dish among the varieties!]

▶[A grandfather who works at our senior welfare center has been wanting to eat butterbur!]

▶[So if you could season it so it’s not bland when eaten with rice, that would be wonderful. Please let me know if this is too much to ask!]

I finished reading the message and got hung up on a few key words.

“Butterbur, stronger seasoning, lunch, elderly people….”
“They asked you to make butterbur?”
“Yeah. Looks like some grandfather made the request.”

The season was right for it, and with seasoning calibrated for rice, the direction of the lunch boxes was set.

“The question is whether to dress it in sesame oil or stir-fry it in perilla oil.”
“You can decide after seeing the butterbur.”
“Or maybe try both?”

Hae-tae nodded in agreement.

“Sounds good.”

◀[Message received.
I’ll prepare the butterbur side dish as you mentioned and pay careful attention to the seasoning. I’ll contact you again once the lunch box details are finalized.]
I can’t translate this as it’s not Korean text—it’s an emoticon/emoji face expressing confusion or bewilderment.

I confirmed the message was sent and slowly set my smartphone down.

“Now the real work begins.”

I planned to rest a bit longer, then close the shop around evening and head to the Dimensional Space to harvest butterbur.

“Hae-tae, if we go in the evening, that’s when the butterbur will be perfectly tender, right?”
“Probably so.”

The cooking process unfolded naturally in my mind. Exactly five minutes. I calculated the time and leaned back in my chair.

From selecting the butterbur leaves in the proper order to deciding where to cut the stem ends, the duration for blanching and rinsing in cold water, and even the precise pressure needed to squeeze out the moisture.

My thoughts flowed swiftly, and the preparations were complete.

“I wish evening would come sooner.”

I should make some side dishes.

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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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