They Told Me to Build Good Karma by Selling Side Dishes - Chapter 84

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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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84. Planning (1)

“Next time, let’s add a touch of vinegar to the anchovy broth and really bring out that savory depth.”
“Sure.”

And just like that, the Dokkaebi vanished without a trace. Gone in the blink of an eye.

“Next summer…”

I’d become someone waiting for next summer.

Winter’s chill still lingered as I stood before the praise sticker board. A finger that resembled the Dokkaebi’s horn appeared and affixed a sticker depicting buckwheat jelly strips.

“Did he leave?”
“Yeah. Hae-tae.”

Hae-tae approached with a stretch and gazed at the praise sticker.

“Even when I tell him to say goodbye properly, he never does.”
“Why? Are you hurt?”

Hae-tae shook his head at me.

“That’s just how his personality is.”

That seemed about right.

“Oh, Kkabbi gave me this too.”

I pulled out the paper I’d received from the Dokkaebi earlier and showed it to him. Hae-tae looked startled, his eyes darting between me and the paper.

“You received this?”
“Yeah. I got it.”

The corners of Hae-tae’s mouth lifted slightly.

“Why are you smiling like that?”
“The Dokkaebi seems to have taken a liking to you, meow.”
“Really? He even kissed my forehead earlier.”
“Meoooooow?!”

Hae-tae let out a shriek of shock and lunged at my face in an instant. He clung to my face and thrashed about, rubbing his entire body against me frantically.

“Hae-tae!”
“Wipe it off, meow!”
“Wipe what off!”
“It’s dirty, meow!”

I couldn’t help but laugh as I struggled to peel Hae-tae away from my face.

“If you gave me a kiss mark, shouldn’t there be an exchange?”
“Not interested, meow!”

Just as I finally managed to detach Hae-tae and caught my breath.

[You have obtained Seon-eop Points and unlocked detailed shop information.]

A window for unlocking detailed information that could turn the situation around appeared.

‘Unlocked!’

The detailed shop information window fully expanded.

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[Ji-gu]
– Local Reputation 160 (Ji-gu’s reputation is being reflected in reviews for the Side Dish Shop.)
– Divine Realm Reputation: 80 (In the Divine chat room, they couldn’t stop laughing after seeing Ji-gu’s flailing.)
– Seon-eop Points: 16 (Reward unlock conditions not met)
[Business Status]
Today’s Customer Count: 40/80
Regular Customers: 180
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I tilted my head while holding Hae-tae suspended in the air.

‘A review of the Side Dish Shop?’

I’d accepted that a few reviews would pop up on portal sites. It was simply part of running a business.

But then.

“The Divine Beings saw my threshing work?”

Where could they have seen it?

“The Divine Beings are watching over Seon-eop Shop, that’s why.”

Hae-tae wagged his tail from side to side as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Hmm… is that so?”

I swallowed my words and was watching when my smartphone’s notification window flickered.

▶[Boss Ji-gu!
Do you have time this evening?
I’d like to tell you about something related to the Spring Festival.]

I gazed quietly at the message.

◀[Sure!]
Where should I go?

A reply arrived shortly after.

▶[Please come to this location by 8 PM!]
▶[(hamster emoticon with wagging tail)]

Followed by a location share. The map on the screen showed a place not far from the shop.

“I should go after closing the shop.”

There were still many traces left from Dokkaebi’s visit, so there was work to be done.

“An evening appointment, meow?”
“Yeah. It’s about the Spring Festival.”
“Hmm, meow.”
“Want to come along?”

Hae-tae looked at me, then climbed onto my head.

“I’ll rest here, meow.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s nothing delicious to eat, meow?”

…This gluttonous cat.

“You can just go outside and eat fish-shaped pastries, can’t you?”

Hae-tae’s eyes snapped wide open at the mention of fish-shaped pastries.

“Well…. I’ll go, meow. Not because of the fish-shaped pastries, meow.”

Sure, right.

***

I wrapped the excess buckwheat jelly strips in cloth and secured them tightly to sell as side dishes.

After scanning the shop one last time, I flipped the switch. The lights cut out with a click. The shop that had been filled with all sorts of sounds fell silent in an instant. All that remained was the hum of the refrigerator and the display case.

Outside, the sun was already sinking low. The snow that had melted during the day had refrozen, leaving a thin sheet of ice along the street.

Crack.
Crunch!

Walking while stepping on the thin ice with my feet was quite fun. But continuing like this was getting tedious.

“This is hard to walk through, meow?”
“Hard, meow?”
“Yeah. Aren’t you cold, Hae-tae?”
“Not really cold, meow. Where are the fish-shaped pastries, meow?”

Well, I’m not sure.

“There’s nowhere selling fish-shaped pastries today?”
“Fish cakes don’t exist in winter!”

I arrived at Myeong-ja’s Bakery while listening to Hae-tae’s murmuring. As I drew closer, the mingled scent of butter and flour grew stronger. When I opened the door, a gentle chime announced my arrival, followed by Christmas background music.

“Oh my, Ji-gu, you’re here?”

Grandmother Myeong-ja poked her head out from behind the counter. From the kitchen came an even richer aroma of freshly baked bread.

“Yes, Grandmother. But the shop already has such a festive Christmas atmosphere?”
“I barely did any of it—the Twins did most of it.”
“The Twins did?”

Christmas was, indeed, just around the corner.

A Santa figurine sat beside a tray on the counter, and silver decorative ribbons were loosely draped along the edges of the glass display case.

“…It’s decorated quite nicely.”
“If you want to decorate the shop for Christmas later, ask the Twins about it.”
“Could I request the Twins’ help later?”
“Of course.”

Grandmother nodded with a smile.

“Look at the tree.”

My gaze turned toward one corner. It was a modest tree, but the decorations were quite tasteful. Family photos hung in the middle of the tree, drawing a smile from me.

“The kids picked these out, you know.”
“Winter should have things like this. But where are the Twins?”
“They’ll be coming from the Academy soon. They’re busy with their final year of high school.”
“Final year already….”

Time flies so quickly.

“I heard about it from Ae-hyuk recently.”
“Heard what?”
“That you’ve been volunteering together with Ae-rim. Is she doing well?”

I winked and smiled.

“Ae-rim has very skillful hands.”
“She does indeed. She takes after me—has that same deft touch.”
“Then that’s all that matters.”

I pulled a container of buckwheat jelly from my bag and set it on the counter.

“I made buckwheat jelly today, but I made too much. I brought some for you.”

Grandmother Hyang-suk’s eyes widened as she looked down at the container.

“You made buckwheat jelly?”
“I harvested the buckwheat myself. Ground it into flour, made the jelly….”
“Goodness, in this freezing weather?”
“Yes. It was quite the effort.”

Grandmother Hyang-suk unwrapped the cloth to examine the buckwheat jelly.

“You can tell a lot of work went into this.”
“You can tell?”
“Of course. See how the surface has those air bubbles?”

I suppose if I were selling it, the uneven surface might be a concern.

“Thank you, Ji-gu. This will be perfect when the Twins arrive.”

Fresh bread emerged from the oven with a soft sound. The sweet aroma tickled my nose.

“Would you like to take some with you?”

I shook my head.

“I have somewhere to be this evening. I’ll bring it next time!”
“Somewhere to be? Who are you meeting?”
“Yes. It’s someone important.”

That’s when Hae-tae tapped my forehead with his front paw.

“I want to eat, meow.”

‘This glutton.’

I pretended not to notice and let a subtle smile cross my lips.

“…It does seem like he wants something? Grandmother… would you give us just one?”
“Take it with you on the way.”

Then Grandmother picked up a piece of paper.

“Which one should I give you?”
“Any—”

Before I could even finish saying “thing,” Hae-tae interjected.

“Salt bread, meow!”

…How does he know about salt bread? Hae-tae’s requests are swift.

“S-salt bread, please.”
“Salt bread?”

Grandmother’s eyes widened in surprise.

“How did you know there’s salt bread in the oven?”

Hae-tae let out a scoffing laugh.

“I smelled it, meow.”

It was Hae-tae’s voice—inaudible to Grandmother.

“By… by smell.”
“Just as expected from a chef! You’re really different!”

She handed me a paper bag containing salt bread.

“Thank you so much. I’ll enjoy it!”
“No need to thank me.”
“I’ll be on my way then. Please tell the Twins to enjoy it!”

I bowed lightly to Grandmother Myeong-ja and left Myeong-ja’s Bakery. The aroma of fresh bread that had clung to me inside dispersed into the evening air.

“Here.”

I opened the paper bag and held it out to Hae-tae. Without hesitation, Hae-tae bit into the salt bread with a crisp snap.

“Do you like it? Is it delicious?”

Crumbs scattered before my eyes like snow.

“Mwah!”

…The crumbs really do fall like snow.

“The salt bread is so savory, meow!”
“That’s because of the salt.”
“I can’t believe I’m eating salt bread like in the dramas, meow!”

Hae-tae’s tail brushed against my neck. It was something he always did when he was in a good mood.

“The shell is crispy and…”

Hae-tae continued speaking without stopping his chewing.

“The inside is soft and delicious, meow.”

I gazed down the street in rhythm with Hae-tae’s chewing sounds. People passed back and forth beneath the streetlights.

I pulled out my smartphone to check the time—there was still a while before my appointment.

‘I should look around a bit.’

Cafe Alley was brimming with Christmas spirit in every shop. The decorations sparkled under the glow of lights strung across the windows.

Hae-tae opened his mouth after finishing the salt bread.

“It’s Christmas, meow.”

I nodded in agreement.

“I should change our shop’s atmosphere to match Christmas too.”

People carrying takeout cups passed by with smiles, and the aroma of steaming coffee filled the winter air.

“Here it is.”

As I finished admiring the cafes, I arrived at the promised location. I lifted my head upon spotting the small sign outlined with lights.

‘Seolseol?’

Cafe Seolseol. The moment I opened the door, warm air embraced me. The scent of wood, coffee, and caroling filled the entire space.

I took a seat by the window and draped my coat over the chair.

“I want an Americano too, meow.”

I shook my head in refusal and headed toward the counter, pretending to study the menu board.

When anyone comes to a cafe….

‘The answer is already decided.’

“One iced Americano, please.”

The staff member took the order with practiced ease. They didn’t even bat an eye at the audacity of ordering an iced Americano on a day when ice froze solid.

‘Truly, the ice-cold Americano enthusiast lives on.’

The staff member’s hands moved without hesitation, as precise and efficient as a master surveying the battlefield.

“One iced Americano for you!”

About three minutes had passed. The iced Americano arrived.

“Wow, thank you.”

As I grasped the cup, its chill transmitted through my palm.

‘Perfect. This is it.’

The cold beverage actually sharpened my senses. I walked slowly to a chair, sat down, and gazed out the window.

Slurp.

The iced Americano disappeared halfway down rapidly. As the bitter-sweet taste swept across my palate, I craved a dessert. I set the cup down and checked the time.

Still a few minutes left.

“I want to drink some too!”

Hae-tae descended from my shoulder and burrowed into my lap. He glared at me with those eyes, demanding to know why I wouldn’t share.

“I’ve got salt bread in my mouth, so I want an iced Americano too!”

…What kind of modern palate is this?

“All the main characters in dramas and movies do this!”

…I really need to cut off his drama watching. This is why media is harmful. I shook my head and lowered the cup slightly to a height where Hae-tae could reach it comfortably.

‘What kind of covert operation is this?’

There had to be security cameras in the cafe…

That’s when it happened.

A soft chime rang from the cafe entrance. I lifted my head absently, nearly losing my grip.

“Meow!”

I quickly grabbed the table to steady my wrist and kept the cup from spilling. I reached over to pat Hae-tae’s head apologetically before standing up.

Jung Song-i, having shed her thick winter coat, spotted me and approached.

“Hello?”
“I came in place of Ga-rin.”

Jung Song-i replied in her soft, melodic voice.

“Ah, so Ga-rin…?”
“She was planning to come, but she’s been swamped with work.”

Jung Song-i pulled out the chair across from me and sat down with an easy grace. The hem of her coat brushed against the seat. Every movement was economical, never excessive.

“…So, what would you like? My treat.”
“I’ll have an iced Americano too. I’ve heard this cafe’s desserts are excellent—could we also get the cheesecake and carrot cake?”

Jung Song-i smiled warmly.

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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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