They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 72

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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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72. Fuki Greens Group Bento Box (6)

Life itself had already been hell.

‘Mun-ji… where should I go?’

Where was the dividing line between heaven and hell? Yet even that thought had faded away. I had to live as a human being.

‘I’m fine going anywhere….’
‘Then come with me.’

After finishing elementary school, there was nothing I hadn’t done. My hands were always stained with grime and dust.

There was a reason I did all this.

To clear my brothers’ names.

No victim, yet they called me a criminal—why? How could they so ruthlessly and without hesitation pin charges on such good people? When their only crime was trying to escape to an island.

So I endured. Day after day, pushing forward. Not because I had the strength to stand, but because I didn’t even deserve to fall.

Yet when reality finally arrived, it didn’t crush everything. A glimmer of hope became tangible, and I wept tears I couldn’t understand.

I was not a criminal.
I was not a murderer.
I had simply been forcibly taken away.
Only then did I cry.

The memory of the day my brothers were dragged away remains vivid. Their smiling faces, knowing nothing.

When I recall the side dishes my brothers made that day, that hazy scene comes alive again.

Now, aged and weary, those memories blur as time wears them down.

Naturally, family comes, family is lost, and I live on alone.

“I suppose I’ve grown old as well.”

Tears seeped from my eyes as I ate the fuki leaf side dish—perhaps this was an emotion only permitted at the end of one’s life.

“My final days… I’m grateful they’ve been happy.”

I hadn’t lived my life receiving applause. At least I hadn’t lived shamefully. So surely I could say this to myself.

I lived well.
I will remember until the very end.
Now you can rest a little.

***

As I stepped out of the Happiness Welfare Center, the winter wind clung to my body as if reality I’d forgotten had caught up with me. Each time I drew a deep breath, my nose stung from the cold.

“You must be exhausted.”

The Sibling Bento Shop Owner greeted me warmly first.

“It’s all thanks to you. Without your help, the schedule and logistics would have been overwhelming.”
“That’s right! Thank you so much!”

It wasn’t mere formality. If Ae-rim and I had done this alone, the schedule would have been too much.

‘Thank goodness someone helped us.’

As Song Ae-rim bowed deeply and called out loudly, the Sibling Bento Shop Owner’s eyes softened warmly.

“It reminds me of when our daughter was young….”

Song Ae-rim rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly and laughed brightly.

“Shop owner! Let’s walk to the shop!”
“Walk?”

I checked the time on my smartphone.

‘We still have twenty minutes.’

Hmm… I still had time to spare for a walk.

“Is that so?”
“Let’s go to a cafe together! I’ll treat you!”
“There’s something delightful about taking money from your younger sibling.”
“What?!”

At that moment, Yun Ga-rin’s voice rang out.

“Shop owner! Shop owner!”

Ga-rin came running toward me, waving both hands.

“Ga-rin!”
“You’re still here!”
“I was just about to leave.”

Ga-rin caught her breath and smiled brightly.

“Thank you so much today. My father keeps praising you.”
“Is that right?”

The Sibling Bento Shop Owner turned his head and let out a short cough.

“And this too!”

What Ga-rin handed me was another letter.

“Go Moon-seo wrote a short note for you.”
“Grandfather is currently…”
“He said he’s too embarrassed to face you. He’ll stop by the shop later.”

I should read the letter from Go Moon-seo quietly at the shop.

‘Now I can head to the shop…’

“Oh, and one more thing!”
“Yes?”

Yun Ga-rin grabbed me again.

“We’re planning the Local Spring Festival for next year, you know? We hold it every year.”
“The Local Spring Festival… I’ve heard of it.”
“Yes! We’re planning to hold a competition with restaurant and Side Dish Shop owners from the neighborhood. Just a moment… where is she? She should be here by now.”

Yun Ga-rin glanced around, muttering as if searching for someone.

‘Who’s coming?’

“She said she’d be here at this time…”

In that moment, Yun Ga-rin’s eyes widened noticeably. Her gaze fixed on the far end of the Happiness Welfare Center parking lot.

“There she is!”

Yun Ga-rin gasped. A woman approached us with impeccable, composed strides, backlit by the winter sun.

‘Who is that?’

What first caught my eye was her neatly tied ponytail, secured firmly so it wouldn’t sway in the wind. She wore a black suit and matching coat. As she drew closer, her refined, striking features became apparent.

‘She’s remarkably beautiful…’

Her makeup was understated, her gaze calm and serene as she surveyed her surroundings, as if searching for someone.

“Song-i Representative Jung Song-i, over here!”

The woman stopped when she heard Yun Ga-rin’s call.

‘Song-i?’

Yun Ga-rin approached me and explained in a low voice.

“She’s the representative of the Song-i Brand.”
“The Song-i Brand Side Dish Shop?”

I know of it. The Side Dish brand that entered the Department Store Food Section.

‘As expensive as they are, the side dishes are immaculate—and precisely because they’re immaculate, there’s a certain distance to them….’

“These days, she’s become quite the sensation with her side dish-making YouTube channel. She appears frequently on broadcasts, and she receives countless offers from cooking programs!”

That’s why I found it puzzling.

‘Why would she…?’

A face I’d glimpsed on television from time to time. Wasn’t she gaining popularity on cooking programs with her composed yet incisive remarks?

‘She’s different in person than on screen.’

Jung Song-i slowed her pace as she approached us.

“Song-i Brand’s representative took on the overall coordination for this Local Spring Festival.”
“I see.”

Overall coordination for this spring festival…?

“Does she have a connection to our local community?”
“She was born in our neighborhood.”

Ah. The moment Yun Ga-rin finished speaking, Song-i Brand’s representative stood before me.

Yun Ga-rin quickly opened her mouth.

“Representative Song-i, this is the owner of Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop, who’s taking care of the bento boxes for this event.”
“Ah, yes.”

Song-i Brand’s representative’s gaze shifted to me. Her eyes swept up and down, and it wasn’t an unpleasant look. Rather, I straightened my posture and offered a smile as if to prove something.

“Hello. I’m Ji-gu from Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

I extended my hand.

“Ah. I see.”

But Song-i Brand’s representative didn’t accept it.

“I came straight from cooking, so I have oil on my hands. My apologies.”

I sensed a certain displeasure in her gaze.

‘What can I do about it.’

If the first impression is ruined, so be it!

“Yun Ga-rin, why did you arrange for me to meet with the representative?”
“The representative will explain that.”

Jung Song-i nodded.

“It’s about the Local Spring Festival this spring. We’re planning to create a local food booth.”
“A food booth?”
“Yes. With food that’s convenient for visitors to the area, but not overly complicated.”

The representative continued from there.

“I’d also like the food to showcase the character of each shop. Would you be interested in participating, owner of Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop?”
“…Me?”

Both Yun Ga-rin and Song Ae-rim looked at me simultaneously.

‘This is something.’

Ae-rim’s eyes had gone wide, and she was even holding her breath.

“From what Yun Ga-rin told me, I heard you’ve been preparing lunch boxes centered around vegetable side dishes. I thought it would be wonderful if you could create simple, easy-to-eat food to sell, even if not in lunch box form.”

I smiled warmly.

“To be honest with you.”
“Yes.”
“I’m a bit surprised. It’s quite a sudden proposal, in a way.”
“It is.”

Jung Song-i seemed to understand to some extent.

“I’ve never participated in a festival before. Besides, it’s been about a year since I’ve stepped away from cooking—and I was quite skilled at it.”
“Would you do it if I gave you time to think?”

I scratched the side of my temple and laughed awkwardly.

“Pardon? If you give me time to think… well, of course I would.”
“You see, I’ve heard about Ji-gu from others.”

…What was that supposed to mean? I tilted my head and looked down at Jung Song-i.

“What did you hear?”
“Have you heard of the YouTube channel called ‘Simple Cooking Chef’ recently? I learned about you from two people I met there.”

I said nothing, simply watching the representative.

“They’re planning to participate in the spring festival as well.”
“…As participants?”
“Yes. To help revitalize the Local Spring Festival. They mentioned you, so I made this request.”
“…!”

Seeing my reaction, Jung Song-i’s lips curved up slightly.

“Does that answer your question?”

It did.

“Still, that’s plenty of reason to think about it.”

She’d brought up my name—that was the point.

***

Ji-gu bowed politely.

“Please take care on your way, Sibling Bento Shop Owner!”
“You too. Take care, Hyang-suk’s Shop Owner.”

Yun Ga-rin saw her father off, and Jung Song-i paused for a moment in place. Everyone had left. Yet her gaze naturally lingered in the direction where Ji-gu had disappeared.

“Song-i?”
“Just call me like you always do.”
“Alright, Song-a.”

Yun Ga-rin called out to Jung Song-i casually.

“Mm.”

Jung Song-i soon collected herself and looked down at Yun Ga-rin.

“Our Ji-gu’s shop seems fine, doesn’t it? Isn’t it perfect for the spring festival stall?”
“Yes. It seems more suitable than I expected.”

If such rumors had spread at the restaurant, it would have been quite troublesome. Jung Song-i turned her gaze away as if it were nothing and entered the Happiness Welfare Center.

A single lunch box remained on an uncleared table, catching her eye. It was one an employee had left half-eaten.

“The composition is quite ambitious….”

Jung Song-i raised her eyebrows slightly.

“Is there a reason for this composition?”
“An elderly customer asked us to prepare a side dish with fuki leaves.”
“I see….”

While Yun Ga-rin launched into praise of the lunch box, Jung Song-i picked up her chopsticks.

“Can I taste this?”
“Huh? But it’s been partially eaten…?”
“You know I’m not the type to worry about such things.”

Jung Song-i first reached for the seasoned fuki greens.

“The texture is different…. They must have used high-quality fuki leaves.”
“You can tell just by looking?”
“Of course.”

Without a word, Jung Song-i placed the sautéed fuki into her mouth. The stems yielded softly as she chewed, their firmness undiminished.

“The preparation was excellent, too.”

This was a palate that had tasted countless dishes. The flavors aligned with current trends, yet the bento box composition stimulated the elderly’s taste buds in just the right way.

I’d used inari sushi to awaken their palate, then balanced it with milder fuki leaf stir-fry and fuki leaf salad—dishes that wouldn’t overwhelm.

‘An intentional bento box.’

Full of purpose, yet without greed.

“Hyang-suk’s Side Dish Shop owner is famous, you know!”
“Famous?”

Yun Ga-rin’s expression brightened with pride.

“Within just a few months, she’s become the neighborhood’s go-to side dish shop. That’s why people say she’s following in Grandmother Hyang-suk’s footsteps.”
“I see….”
“The lotus root tempura was savory enough that the elderly enjoyed it as dessert.”
“Lotus root tempura to cleanse the palate? As the finale?”
“Exactly! Hyang-suk’s owner does the same thing.”

The lotus root tempura seemed to serve as the bento box’s perfect closing note.

Suddenly, I recalled Jung Song-i’s silhouette as she bowed in greeting. Her demeanor was far more understated than the rumors suggested—no ostentation at all.

Neat.
Clean.

And yet….

‘Food reflects its cook.’

The rumors didn’t match reality at all.

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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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