Chapter 175

As Kang Jin watched Pom, the white dog waiting for its deceased master, he sighed and gently lowered his hand. The dog approached him and licked it.

Seeing this interaction, the ajumma stood up.

“We’ll see each other again sometime.”

Kang Jin responded with a question.

“Um, what happened to Pom?”

The ajumma sat back down and explained.

“I brought her here last summer, but she seemed sick—refusing food and lying around all day. Thinking she was in pain, I took her to the vet…and they suggested euthanasia.” She sighed and shook her head.

“So, I brought her back here. It felt like this is where she wanted to be.”

Since there was no hope for Whitey at the hospital, she brought him back to where he had been waiting for his master.

“He seemed uneasy at the hospital, but when I brought him here, he smiled while looking over there before closing his eyes peacefully.”

Kang Jin sighed as the ajumma pointed towards the pavilion.

Even until the end, he waited for his owner.

Kang Jin pursed her lips and looked at the ajumma.

“You took him to the hospital too, didn’t you?”

“Yes, because he was in pain. Whether human or animal, they need medical treatment when sick or injured.”

Seeing the ajumma’s cheerful smile, Kang Jin returned it with a sigh.

“One day, your kindness will be rewarded.”

“For something like this?” The ajumma laughed, and Kang Jin joined her.

“People say if you commit sins, you’ll go to hell, but if you do good deeds, you’ll be rewarded.”

“That’s right.”

“Eventually, you’ll realize how true those words are.”

The ajumma chuckled at Kang Jin’s remark.

“You sound like an old man despite being so young.”

“Do I?” Kang Jin smiled and picked up the bowl Whitey had eaten from as he stood up. “Thanks to you, today seems promising.”

“I feel the same way. Oh! And please remember to take the bowls after feeding them.”

“The bowls?”

“Some people enjoy feeding strays or sponsor their meals, but…there are also those who dislike seeing cats and dogs roaming around our neighborhood… So occasionally, someone will tamper with the food bowls.”

“Tamper with them?”

“Lightly, they might overturn the bowls or fill them with trash and throw away…”

“And severely?”

The ajumoni sighed at Kang Jin’s question.

“They sometimes put poison in it.”

“Poison?”

“Like rat poison.”

“Rat poison? It’ll kill them!”

“Yes, that’s their intention.” She shook her head sadly.

“It doesn’t happen often, but when such people are around, I have to clean up the bowls within one or two hours after feeding time. Not only for the animals’ sake but also because those who dislike the cats would be upset seeing these bowls.”

“I see.”

“Well then, see you later.”

With a wave of her hand, the ajumoni smiled. Kang Jin nodded and left the park. After watching him depart, she glanced around before getting up and vacating her spot.

As soon as the ajumoni left her spot, cats and dogs emerged from various hiding places to gather under the pavilion. The ajumoni smiled at this sight before exiting the park.

Upon leaving, a middle-aged man hurriedly approached her, took hold of her cart, and started pulling it along. They reached a parked truck where he unloaded the items from the cart, folded it, and stored everything inside.

Slam!

After closing the trunk, the man got into the driver’s seat, prompting the ajumoni to give directions.

“Please take me to the company.”

“Yes ma’am.”

The man swiftly started the car, and they began their journey. As they drove, the ajumoni suddenly mentioned:

“There’s a cell phone store near the train station entrance.”

“Should I take you there?”

“No. There’s supposed to be a restaurant next to it, right?”

“Oh! You mean One Meal Restaurant?”

“You’ve been there?”

“I’ve visited a few times during weekends for the decent food.”

“Is it good?”

“It’s not just about taste… The atmosphere and food there feel comforting.”

“The food feels comforting?”

He understood what Jin meant by the atmosphere being relaxing, but he couldn’t comprehend how the food could be described as such.

“I’m not sure how to explain this properly, but…it reminded me of home-cooked meals from my mother.”

“Your mother’s cooking?”

“It tastes great, but more importantly, it has that comforting feeling.” He paused briefly before continuing. “It reminds me of dishes my mother prepared when I took breaks during my military service.”

“If your mother made it…then it must be delicious indeed.”

The knight remained silent at her comment, knowing well from his long tenure serving under her that she wasn’t expecting a response.

Back at the restaurant, Kang Jin and Bae Yongsoo were discussing their lunch specials for the day.

“We’ll go with home-style meals today.”

“Let’s add a few more side dishes and make them unique to stand out,” suggested Kang Jin.

Bae Yongsoo looked at him thoughtfully. “The mackerel is especially good today.”

“Did we get some?”

The ingredients Shin Woo provided were always fresh and excellent quality, but he never included fish since unsold seafood needed to be immediately frozen if not consumed right away.

“They say winter mackerel tastes best, so I think that’s why he brought it. Mackerel is indeed tastiest during this season.”

“Really?” Kang Jin searched around until his eyes landed on an ice chest sitting off to one side. He placed it atop the sink and opened the lid, revealing mackerels nestled in ice. Their clear eyes and shiny skin indicated they were of high quality.

“Looks great!”

“Nice!”

“So should we…make grilled mackerel with this?”

Bae Yongsoo looked at Kang Jin.

“Let’s also grill some.”

“Grilled mackerel…”

“It tastes great when grilled.” Bae Yongsoo gazed at the fish and continued. “Since these aren’t marinated, it might be bland if just grilled as is, so let’s make a sauce to go with them.”

“Is it tasty that way?”

“You’ve never had it before?”

“I think my family only ate marinated mackerel.”

Kang Jin nodded, and Bae Yongsoo put on plastic gloves, grabbed one of the fish, and started filleting it.

Shhhk! Shhhk!

With swift movements, he split open its belly, and its innards spilled out.

Krik-krik! Krik-krik!

After cutting through the bones, Bae Yongsoo retrieved a frying pan, poured oil into it, and placed it on the stove.

Sizzle! Sizzle!

While waiting for the mackerel to cook, Bae Yongsoo prepared the condiment.

Bae Yongsoo added red pepper powder, chili paste, garlic, sake, and anchovy sauce to the bowl. He then stirred in soy sauce, minced garlic, and some black pepper before turning towards Kang Jin.

“Try this.”

Following Bae Yongsoo’s suggestion, Kang Jin dipped his chopsticks into the seasoning mix and tasted it.

“Isn’t it too salty?”

“This is just right.” With that, Sung Yongsoo turned back to the fish on the grill.

Zzzt! Zzzt!

He watched the mackerel for a moment before flipping it over.

Sizzle! Sizzle!

Kang Jin smacked his lips as he admired the nicely browned side of the fish.

“It looks delicious even without any extra seasoning.”

“Well, grilled fish always tastes good, but eating it plain can be quite bland.”

As Sung Yongsoo waited for the other side to cook, he flipped the fish one last time and transferred it onto a plate. Then, he spooned the seasoning mixture inside the fish and gently mixed it with the flesh using a spoon and fork.

“Give it another try.”

At Bae Yongsoo’s urging, Kang Jin picked up the cooked mackerel meat with his chopsticks.

Fwsh!

Steam rose from the freshly grilled mackerel.

Sssk!

Kang Jin savored the taste as he chewed the fish.

“It’s delicious.”

“Right?”

“The inside is tender while the outside has a delightful crispiness.” Kang Jin placed another piece of mackerel in his mouth and looked at Bae Yongsoo. “The condiment tasted too salty when eaten alone, but it’s perfect with this dish.”

“That’s because the steam and oil from the mackerel dilute the seasoning,” explained Bae Yongsoo. “Try eating the skin along with the meat. The skin is especially flavorful.”

Following Bae Yongsoo’s advice, Kang Jin nodded appreciatively after taking a bite.

“It’s really good. This brown part tastes amazing.”

“I love that part too. It’s…”

Bae Yongsoo pointed to the flesh near the fins.

“…absolutely delicious here.”

“And it’s great in sashimi form too.”

“Absolutely.” Kang Jin took a bite of the flesh near the fins. Its moistness combined with the richness was delightful.

The fish was delicious here.

“Okay! Let’s go with this.”

“So, mackerel jungseok for lunch?”

“…” Kang Jin pondered briefly before speaking up.

“Let’s charge 5,000 won each for steamed and grilled mackerel jungseok. We can call it ‘Special Mackerel Jungseok’ and charge 7,500 won when serving both options.”

Kang Jin suggested charging 5,000 won per menu item, but if customers order both, they would pay 7,500 won.

“You’re right; offering both dishes at just 5,000 won each would be too cheap.”

Having decided on two menu items - steamed and seasoned grilled mackerel - Kang Jin wrote them on a whiteboard and placed it outside the store.

Meanwhile, Bae Yongsoo, who had been preparing the mackerels, chimed in:

“Shouldn’t we text the menu to our former colleagues?”

“No, I won’t send any texts.”

“Why not?”

“They’ll likely come today since it’s my first day after retirement. Sending a message saying ‘What’s on the menu today?’ might make them feel obligated to visit.”

“Oh, I see.”

“If you want to come here comfortably, then I should make this place comfortable for them.”

“That’s a good mindset.”

Bae Yongsoo laughed as Kang Jin wagged his finger at him.

“It’s just savvy business sense. A place where one can comfortably eat…a place with great food but not necessarily convenient to reach… Which would be more inviting?”

“The first option mentions comfort twice, so obviously that one.”

“Right. If we insist too much on people coming, they might feel burdened and avoid us altogether. Even if it is their preferred restaurant, constantly urging them to visit could create discomfort.”

“You have a point there.”

As they continued chatting, both men swiftly began preparing mackerel dishes. Once Kang Jin finished cleaning the mackerels, he started cutting vegetables while Bae Yongsoo prepared other ingredients accordingly.

Around 11 AM, Kang Jin received several phone calls.

[I’m making reservations today.]

Kang Jin smiled at Lee Sangsub’s message.

“How many seats do you need?”

[All our team members will be attending. I’ll send you the list.]

“Boss.”

[What’s up?]

“I’ve prepared mackerel dishes today.”

[Mackerel dishes?]

“We have braised and grilled mackerels. They taste quite good. If anyone doesn’t like them, we can prepare something else for those individuals.”

[Taste good?]

“Yes, indeed.”

[Kang Jin has prepared braised and grilled mackerel dishes. Is there anyone who wants something different?]

As Kang Jin heard Lee Sangsub relaying this information over the phone, he paused momentarily.

[I’m fine with it.]

“Understood.”

[I’ll arrive around 11:40 am.]

“Got it.”

With that, Kang Jin ended the call and looked at the table.

“We can start serving from 11:40 am onwards.”

“There are already reservations for eighteen people.”

“A promising start.”

The Overseas Business Team 2 and Export Executive Assistant Team 2 had made these reservations, totaling eighteen individuals.

“Let’s get ready.”

Following Kang Jin’s words, Bae Yongsoo started preparing side dishes for the home-style meals. Today’s sides included stir-fried octopus, rolled omelet, and fried fish cakes alongside the standard accompaniments.

As promised, teams from Overseas Business Unit 2 and Export Executive Assistant Unit 2 entered the store at 11:40 AM sharp. Additionally, two tables of regular customers arrived, making the place bustling with activity.

“Kang Jin, could you put some rice in my soup bowl?” asked Lim Ho-jin.

While complying with his request, Kang Jin enquired, “Should I drain the water from your pickles?”

“No need.”

Lim Ho-jin then sliced a large piece of pickled radish and placed it on top of the rice mixed with soup.

“You truly appreciate the flavor when eating pickled radish drained of its water,” explained Lim Ho-jin as he took a bite, combining the water-soaked rice with the undrained pickled radish. He nodded repeatedly, savoring the taste.

“It’s really delicious.”

“Is it good, Manager Lim?”

“You should try it too.” As Lee Sangsub looked at Kang Jin upon hearing Lim Ho-jin’s suggestion, Kang Jin understood and brought him a bowl of rice mixed with broth. Following suit, Lee Sangsub added pickled radish to his watery rice and ate it.

“Oh… It melts in my mouth.”

“That’s right.”

After witnessing their conversation, other employees also requested Kang Jin mix rice with soup for them. Seeing everyone enjoy the pickled radish, Kang Jin remarked:

“The pickled radish is quite popular.”

“Originally, the tastiest part of mackerel stew is the pickled radish. The fish just complements it.”

“It seems like they’ve swapped roles.”

Traditionally, mackerel is the main ingredient while the pickled radish serves as a side dish. However, since the radish was more enjoyable than the fish, their roles had inadvertently reversed.

“If all role reversals taste this good, I’m always up for it.” Lim Ho-jin grinned, giving a thumbs-up.

Kang Jin smiled back at Lim Ho-jin before surveying the guests throughout the dining hall.

‘Today’s lunch service was successful. If every day goes like this, I’ll become rich quickly.’

Kang Jin looked content as he observed his customers until a ghost entered through the restaurant door. It was a middle-aged man ghost, unfamiliar to him, hesitating while scanning the place before approaching Kang Jin.

“Ummm… Can you see me?”

Kang Jin gave a small nod affirmatively.

“Well… Could you give me some food?”

As Kang Jin regarded the man, he subtly gestured towards the kitchen. Embarrassed, the middle-aged ghost headed there with Kang Jin following close behind.

Once inside the kitchen, Kang Jin turned to the man.

“You should come at 11 pm for dinner, but if you still want something now, would you like some sacrificial rice?”

The middle-aged ghost scratched his head sheepishly and replied, “It’s not for me… My children are hungry.”

Kang Jin appeared puzzled by his response.

“Your children are hungry?”