They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 74

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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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74. Them (2)

***

Another day had come to an end.

I tallied up the register, closed the shutter, and locked it behind me.

“Have a good evening, boss!”

Song Ae-rim, who had been minding Myeong-ja’s Bakery, came out and waved goodbye. Song Ae-hyuk followed behind her, bowing respectfully.

“You too, both of you.”

I raised my hand in return, exchanged farewells, and pulled the shutter down completely before locking it.

Only after turning off the kitchen lights did I finally roll my shoulders to ease the tension.

‘Another day done….’

I climbed the familiar stairs to the Second Floor, my footsteps echoing softly. I turned the doorknob and stepped inside without bothering to flip the light switch, heading straight for the sofa. Out of habit, I reached for Grandmother Hyang-suk’s photograph on the dresser.

“Grandmother….”

I called out to her, knowing full well she wouldn’t answer, yet unable to break the habit.

“Ah, like this I can’t see your face clearly.”

I switched on the desk lamp. The warm yellow light gradually illuminated the room, and Grandmother Hyang-suk’s face became clear once more.

“…If you were watching me from heaven, you’d be shocked.”

I muttered to myself, laying bare my honest thoughts.

“Never going to my room, just lying on the sofa all day.”

A long breath escaped in short gasps.

“When I go to my room, I feel so alone. But lying here, Grandmother Hyang-suk is with me.”

I lay there gazing blankly at the ceiling.

“…I miss someone.”

‘Is tonight one of those nights?’

Loneliness—perhaps it’s the greatest luxury granted to humanity. I often think that way. When you’re rushing through life, there’s no space to feel it anyway.

Then, a brief vibration cut through the silence beside me. It was my smartphone, tucked in the padding pocket of my jacket. I lazily reached over to check the screen.

[Lee Hae-ra]

“Lee Hae-ra?”

I answered the call.

“Hello?”
– B-boss!
“Yes. Lee Hae-ra?”
– I-I have something to tell you!

Something to tell me? I sat up and asked.

“What is it?”
– It’s about… that kimchi-making shorts video I showed you, remember?
“Yes, I remember.”
– About that… I have something to say.
“Something to say?”

Had something gone wrong?

“Come to the Side Dish Shop right now. Okay!”

Her joyful voice came through the phone clearly.

– Can I bring alcohol too…?!
“Alcohol?”
– I can’t do this without it!

If that’s what the visitor wanted.

“Bring it.”
– Oh, and I’ll prepare some side dishes too…!
“No, I’ll make the side dishes and have them ready for you.”
– Y-yes, okay!

The call ended there. I moved the picture frame from atop my stomach to the drawer. As I rose from the sofa, my joints creaked softly.

“It’s better than being alone.”

The loneliness that had been pressing down on me lifted at the mere prospect of someone coming to visit.

***

I headed downstairs and turned on only the kitchen light. The moment I opened the Refrigerator door, cold air brushed against my face.

Without hesitation, I pulled out ground meat. From the adjacent shelf, I also grabbed the thin crackers I often snacked on. A rough idea of what side dishes to prepare was already forming.

“Here we go.”

I fetched my apron and reached for a pan. Side dishes for drinking didn’t need to be elaborate. Simple food that was easy to eat by hand and well-seasoned would suffice.

“The simplest option….”

I set the pan on the heat and drizzled oil into it. A thin sizzle confirmed the temperature was rising.

The moment I dumped in the ground meat.

Sssssizzzzle—

A crackling sound like rainfall filled the entire kitchen.

As the clumped meat broke apart and changed color, I slowly stirred it with a spatula.

‘I’ll make it with the pork ribs marinade.’

I anchored the flavor with soy sauce, added plum extract to mask the gaminess and enhance umami, then lifted the sweetness with sugar.

Here in South Korea, minced garlic was essential to brighten the aroma, and I drizzled sesame oil across the top.

A few cracks of black pepper and a splash of cooking wine, and the marinade was complete—fragrant enough to call for a drink.

“Green onions~green onions~?”

I added the already-minced green onions and gave the pan a light shake. The meat simmered gently in the marinade, absorbing every drop. I didn’t rush the cooking. The meat needed time to drink in the flavors.

“Let me taste it.”

I lowered the heat and sampled a piece.

“Mmm!”

Perfect. Savory and sweet.

I spooned a portion of meat onto a cracker and popped it in my mouth. The crisp cookie crumbled, and the savory-sweet meat on top created a celebration on my tongue.

‘Not bad.’

I set aside several portions on a separate plate.

‘I should save some for Hae-tae.’

Otherwise, who knew how much he’d complain.

“When will she arrive?”

I glanced at the clock. While waiting for Lee Hae-ra, who hadn’t shown up yet, I continued arranging meat on crackers.

That’s when it happened.

“Boss! Boss!”

I smiled softly as I saw Lee Hae-ra knocking on the door.

“To the side.”
“Y-yes!”

I lifted the shutter slightly and opened the door.

“Come in.”

From within the black long padding coat, bottles emerged one by one—a bag of pineapple juice and a small bottle of whiskey.

“Wow, wow! The smell of your appetizers is already making my mouth water, boss!”
“That’s why I said I’d make the appetizers.”

Lee Hae-ra smiled brightly and set the bottles on the table.

“Go wash your hands!”
“Yes!”

While Lee Hae-ra washed up, I moved the dishes. Utensils were laid out and the appetizers gathered in the center.

I pulled my chair back and asked.

“Did something bad happen with your shorts?”
“Ah… well, you see.”

Lee Hae-ra continued, drying her hands with a towel.

“Don’t be shocked when you hear this!”

I widened my eyes and took my seat.

“…Nasty comments keep getting posted!”

My hand froze in mid-air as I was about to set down a glass on the table.

“Malicious comments?”
“Ah, I suppose I should call them malicious comments?”

Lee Hae-ra’s voice grew quieter.

“At first, I was just going to let it slide. I mean… whenever there are cooking shorts or cooking content, people tend to share their opinions pretty freely….”
“But then?”
“On the kimchi-making shorts, they kept….”

I poured alcohol into my glass slowly.

“Starting with things like, ‘You can’t make kimchi outside like that’…?”
“Starting with that?”
“They keep writing things like, ‘Is the hygiene okay?’ and ‘Where exactly is this Side Dish Shop?’ And then that shorts….”

Lee Hae-ra swallowed hard.

“I, if you just watch the shorts, you’ll understand…!”

I tilted my head as I looked at the familiar thumbnail.

‘There are a lot of comments on a shorts that only has 30,000 views.’

– Where is that place? Reporting for hygiene violations
– Isn’t it illegal to make food outside like that these days lol
– What do you know
– It reminds me of when my mother was around back then.^^
– I’ll buy some…

Lee Hae-ra carefully pointed to a comment near the top of the screen.

“These comments and the ones below them. Even though I keep deleting them, they keep coming back….”
“They keep coming back?”
“The phrasing is exactly the same. Especially.”
“Wait a moment.”

By clicking on the commenter’s profile, I could check their recent comments.

“…Huh?”

There was a history of comments left on a video called Simple Cooking Chef.

“Do they keep coming back?”
“Yes, yes! I delete them as soon as I see them.”

I set my smartphone down on the table and asked.

“So that’s why you contacted me today?”
“Yes… I was worried I might blow things out of proportion on my own…. I thought it was better to tell you first, boss….”
“Not at all. If anything, I’m grateful.”

‘I have a rough idea who it is….’

I tapped my fingers against the table before letting out a small laugh.

“I’m the one who escalated things….”
“No. You did the right thing deleting those comments. You did well. Lee Hae-ra!”

Lee Hae-ra blinked several times while holding her glass.

“Why are you praising me….”

I met Lee Hae-ra’s gaze directly.

“The person who left those insults is at fault, not you for uploading the video, right?”
“…Ah. Thank you for saying that. Now… what should we do….”
“For now, we just document everything.”
“Document it?”
“Screenshots of the comments, user IDs, timestamps—everything. Send them all to me.”

Evidence needs to be accumulated. At that, Lee Hae-ra’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

“Instead, try the biscuit appetizers I made!”
“Oh, yes!”

Finally, Lee Hae-ra picked up a biscuit. She gripped it firmly with her fingers, worried the meat on top might fall off. Then she brought it to her mouth.

Crunch.

Her teeth met the biscuit first.

“…What is this?”
“It’s delicious, isn’t it?”
“It’s so… incredibly delicious? This meat. Did you marinate it in galbi sauce…? This is… better than I expected….”
“Perfect as a drinking snack, right?”

Mid-sentence, Lee Hae-ra slowly rolled what remained in her mouth.

“It’s not a cloying pastry, so it pairs wonderfully with the meat….”
“Have a drink.”

After Lee Hae-ra took a sip of the whiskey mixed with pineapple juice, laughter burst from her.

“Truly… so delicious….”
“I’ll make it for you again next time.”

I smiled as I sipped my whiskey.

“That… boss! I feel like I’ve only been sharing bad news with you….”
“Why? Do you have good news too?”

Lee Hae-ra, holding her glass with both hands, broke into a grin.

“I got hired… at an Advertising Company!”
“You got hired!?”
“Yes, I hadn’t heard anything until this morning, and then it came…!”
“Congratulations!”

At the good news, I rose from my seat and pulled Lee Hae-ra into an embrace.

“That’s wonderful!”
“…I’m… so happy I could share good news with you, boss….”

I released Lee Hae-ra from my arms and asked.

“How did you end up joining an Advertising Company?”
“I’ve always… enjoyed video editing and… watching videos. So I applied, and….”

I swirled my glass once, listening to the ice clink against the sides.

“They asked me to submit a video from the company. So I recently submitted footage of the kimchi-making shorts and the entire kimchi-making process… and it worked.”
“It worked?”
“Yes! They said the shorts were clean and polished… It’s all thanks to you, boss.”
“Then I’ll buy you dinner later. Got it?”

Lee Hae-ra exclaimed as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Of course…!”
“Then we’re good.”

I raised my glass to her.

“Let’s toast. Cheers.”
“Yes, cheers, cheers!”

Lee Hae-ra clinked her glass cheerfully and laughed as brightly as a child. Listening to the clear ring of the glasses, I fell into thought.

‘Should I collide with the world too?’

Lee Hae-ra was living her life, throwing herself at the world with all her might….

“By the way, boss, can you drink? Is tomorrow a day off?”
“Tomorrow is my day off. Originally, I was planning to just lie on the couch and watch time pass….”

There was an event that opened every winter.

“I’m thinking of going somewhere.”
“Where? That place?”

I took a sip of whiskey and lifted one corner of my mouth.

“A place where people live?”
“Pardon?”
“A place I swore never to return to?”
“Yes, yes?”
“Anyway, I’m planning to go to such a place.”

Now it was time for me to harmonize with the world and live.

***

Every winter, the chefs would gather together.

▶[You’re not coming this year either?]
▶[Let’s at least see your face]
▶[It’s just a year-end dinner, come light-hearted]
▶[You’re really not coming!?]
▶[Seriously, you’re not coming.]

When winter arrived, I’d receive messages like these.

Using the season as an excuse, they’d dress it up with names like year-end dinner and even preemptively attach new year’s celebration as justification, layering on talk of achievements and such, but in reality it was merely a gathering to confirm their connections with one another.

‘They’d always tell me to come more often, but since there was no real purpose or topic to discuss, I never went.’

Eventually, the owner even said he’d keep a seat reserved for me, that I could come whenever I wanted.

‘I wonder if it’s still there.’

I stepped out of the car and confirmed the Restaurant address I’d written down long ago.

“Welcome. May I have your name, please?”
“Ji-gu.”
“Of course. Let me show you inside.”

I nodded and stepped through the entrance. It was a space that had once been my daily world.

‘Some things have changed, others haven’t.’

Familiar faces were scattered across the tables.

“Hey. Wait.”

Someone recognized me first.

“Isn’t that Ji-gu?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“What’s he doing here?”

I chuckled lightly and found my designated seat.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

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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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