Chapter 38: The Ghost Grandmother
Kang Jin briefly glanced at the ghost grandmother before taking his seat elsewhere. Although he could see her, Kang Jin had no intention of acknowledging her presence. After all, ghosts tend to become bothersome once you pay attention or pretend familiarity with them.
‘The number of ghosts visiting my store is already overwhelming.’
There was no need for him to acquaint himself with new ones unnecessarily.
“The Sunji hangover soup here is quite good,” Lim Ho-jin mentioned, prompting Kang Jin to look at the menu. However, it hardly qualified as one:
That’s right; there were only two options on the menu.
“I’ll have the Sunji hangover soup.”
“Then I’ll go with regular hangover soup.”
As each staff member placed their order, Kang Jin made his choice as well.
“I’ll also have the Sunji hangover soup.”
As soon as Lee Kang-jin made her choice, Lee Sangsub placed their order. Kang Jin then set up spoons and chopsticks for everyone at the table.
“You’re very observant, Ms. Lee Kang-jin.”
“Thank you.” While pouring water into Lim Ho-jin’s glass, Kang Jin subtly asked him, “May I ask something that has been bothering me?”
“What is it?”
“Do…do you usually speak formally to others?”
“Formally?”
“To interns, I mean.”
This was what Kang Jin found intriguing. All the employees showed respect towards her and Choi Donghae. Occasionally, there were slips, seemingly accidental, but most interactions ended with honorific suffixes like ‘yo,’ ‘da,’ or ‘ka.’ Interns typically occupy the lowest rung in a company hierarchy, so using informal language wouldn’t be unusual.
Kang Jin initially thought it was just due to his first day, but even on the second and third days, everyone continued addressing him politely, which felt odd. Choi Donghae also looked puzzled at Lee Kang-jin’s question, indicating he found it strange as well.
Noticing their confusion, Lim Ho-jin chuckled and explained:
“Lee Kang-jin, you mentioned having lots of part-time work experience, right?”
“I’ve been working non-stop since graduating high school.”
“When someone spoke casually to you during those jobs, how did it make you feel?”
“It didn’t sit well with me, regardless of whether they were customers or not.”
“That’s correct. Regardless of age, one should always show some courtesy upon meeting someone for the first time. Treating a younger employee disrespectfully from the start doesn’t reflect well on others.”
Lim Ho-jin then glanced at Kang Jin and Choi Donghae.
“That’s why.”
“We’re still ‘strangers’ to you,” Kang Jin remarked.
Lim Ho-jin nodded in agreement. “Once we become more comfortable with each other, I presume our interactions will change accordingly?”
“I hope that day comes soon.”
“Isn’t it likely to bring its own set of challenges when things get too relaxed?”
Becoming relaxed would primarily affect the employees, not Kang Jin or Choi Donghae. Even if the staff felt at ease, addressing them informally wouldn’t be appropriate for Kang Jin or Choi Donghae. Additionally, relaxation often leads to increased responsibilities.
“It’s crucial to find comfort mentally, even amidst physical discomfort.”
“You’re right about that.” As they continued chatting and smiling at each other, their food arrived.
“Well then, let’s dig in!” Lim Ho-jin grinned as he ladled some broth onto his spoon and took a sip.
“Ahh… Delicious—” Lim Ho-jin reflexively started to praise the taste but suddenly stopped, eyeing the Sunji hangover soup. He smacked his lips thoughtfully before taking another sip.
“That…”
Just as he was about to say something more, he noticed the employees watching him.
“What do you think?”
“It tastes just like usual, sir.”
“Really?” Puzzled by their response, Lim Ho-jin raised an eyebrow and tried the broth again. It seemed similar to how it tasted before, yet…something felt slightly off.
Lim Ho-jin licked his lips and looked at Kang Jin, who was already enjoying his meal with gusto.
“Lee Kang-jin, is it good?”
“It’s delicious.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Despite feeling something wasn’t quite right, Lim Ho-jin watched Kang Jin for a moment before starting to eat as well. Although there was something odd about the food…
It certainly wasn’t tasteless. In fact, it tasted quite good.
Kang Jin relished eating the Sunji hangover soup. He had always preferred simple flavors, and hangover soup was one of his favorite dishes.
Sip! Sip!
As he smiled while sipping on the broth, Kang Jin noticed the ghost grandmother passing by their table.
He noticed something moving between tables.
What’s she doing?
The ghost grandmother was weaving among diners enjoying their meals. Kang Jin kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.
Sssk! Sssk!
She inspected dishes left by customers. Each time she saw food remaining on plates, her expression hardened slightly.
“What should I… What should I do with this?”
Kang Jin suddenly looked toward the wall as he heard her muttering.
There hung a photograph of a kindly-looking grandmother, smiling gently with her hands clasped together.
“Delicious hangover soup does not come from culinary skills alone.”
Delicious hangover soup is made with quality ingredients and sincerity. >
Rather than relying on technique, I will repay you with good ingredients and heartfelt care. <
Kang Jin glanced at the writing beneath the grandmother’s photo in the frame, then looked back at the ghostly figure. The ghost and the woman in the picture were one and the same.
She must be the owner.
As Kang Jin alternated between looking at the ghost and her photograph, he hastily bowed his head as the ghost turned towards him.
While Kang Jin resumed eating, Lim Ho-jin whispered to Lee Sangsub.
“Sangsub.”
“Yes?”
Lim Ho-jin quietly continued, “Doesn’t it taste slightly different?”
“Well, I’m not sure…”
“Is it because I haven’t been here for a while?” Lim Ho-jin licked his lips and looked at Kang Jin. “Lee Kang-jin, do you know how to make hangover soup?”
Kang Jin pondered Lim Ho-jin’s question briefly before nodding.
It is available in the cooking practice room…
There was indeed a recipe for hangover soup in the cooking practice room, but…
“I can make it, but it takes quite some time.”
“Really?”
“Yes, first, I need to simmer beef bones for about 12 hours to create a rich broth. Then, once the fat rises, it must be skimmed off… It would take approximately 15 hours.”
“It takes that long just to prepare one pot of hangover soup?”
“The method I learned requires that much time,” Kang Jin explained.
Lim Ho-jin nodded and put down his spoon. Seeing this, the other employees quickly finished their meals and also set down their utensils.
“Take your time.”
“No, thank you. We’re done eating as well.”
Upon hearing this, Lim Ho-jin took out 7,000 won from his wallet and handed it to Lee Sangsub. The other employees also paid for their meals.
“Huh… They left so much behind. What should I do?”
While the employees were gathering money, the ghost grandmother appeared next to Kang Jin’s table, inspecting the dishes. Both he and Choi Donghae had finished everything, including the broth. Kang Jin was easy to please when it came to food, eating almost anything set before him. As for Choi Donghae, with his muscular build, he always had a hearty appetite.
However, there was leftover hangover soup in the bowls of the other employees. While they might have stopped eating because they were full, the sight seemed to sadden the ghost grandmother.
As Kang Jin observed the ghost grandmother sighing and checking each dish after every customer left, he stood up.
“What…what should we do about this?”
Kang Jin exited the store with his colleagues while hearing the grandmother’s mumbling from behind them.
Outside, they gathered around the coffee vending machine at the entrance, drinking their beverages and chatting among themselves.
“I think the taste has changed here.”
“I had that feeling too while eating it. It feels like…the depth of flavor is gone?” Lim Ho-jin continued to criticize Sunji’s hangover soup, seemingly still dissatisfied, and the other employees chimed in agreement. While not as overtly flattering as Manager Jang, they moderately supported Lim Ho-jin’s viewpoint.
Initially, they hadn’t noticed, but as they ate, it became clear that the taste had indeed changed slightly.
“It used to be my favorite place… Too bad.”
“I haven’t seen the grandmother lately.”
“That’s right. She always asked if we enjoyed our meal before leaving, but…she hasn’t been around recently.”
As the employees chatted, someone approached Lim Ho-jin and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Lim Ho-jin.”
Recognizing the man who touched his shoulder, Lim Ho-jin bowed respectfully.
“Upperclassman!”
“It’s been a while.”
The man glanced at the hangover soup restaurant and whispered softly after acknowledging Lim Ho-jin’s greeting.
“The taste has changed, huh?”
“You’ve been here too, Upperclassman?”
“I came once. The taste was different… That’s why I don’t come anymore.”
“It definitely doesn’t taste the same, does it?”
“Yes, ever since the owner passed away.”
Lim Ho-jin looked at the restaurant with surprise based on the man’s words.
“Huh? The president passed away?”
“He died during their busiest time, so you didn’t know?”
“No, I didn’t.”
As Lim Ho-jin gazed back at the establishment, the other man joined him and continued.
“It used to be one of the top five places for Sunji hangover soup in South Korea… Now it’s just an ordinary eatery.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Indeed. After working late nights, there was nothing better than having a drink here while enjoying some hangover soup.” With regret, the man glanced at the restaurant before suddenly turning to Lim Ho-jin.
“Do you happen to know about Woomin Industries?”
“Woomin Industries? Did they also approach you?”
“So that means they approached your company as well?”
“We received their proposal last week.”
“Last week… Then it must have been rejected during today’s meeting on items.”
“How do you know about that?”
“I attended this morning’s meeting. They were excited because it was worth ten billion won.” The man chuckled and looked at Lim Ho-jin.
“But why reject them? Ten billion would’ve helped us reach our quarterly goal.”
Lim Ho-jin laughed at his question.
“It seems like our meeting here wasn’t coincidental after all?”
“The visit to see you is true, but bumping into each other here is indeed a coincidence. So, why did you reject them?”
He came to see Manager Kang and coincidentally bumped into this man here. By the way, they seem quite close.
Both men leaned forward towards each other. Leaning forward doesn’t always indicate friendliness; it can also be used as a show of dominance by appearing physically larger than the opponent. However, in this case, it was indeed a sign of camaraderie.
As Kang Jin observed their interaction, Lim Ho-jin spoke up.
“I felt uneasy about it.”
“Uneasy…?”
“On paper, everything seemed fine, but I couldn’t trust that president fellow.”
The man nodded in agreement with Lim Ho-jin’s sentiment.
“You’re right. Sometimes, you have to rely on your instincts over paperwork.”
“Did something strike you as odd too, sir?”
“You’re right. Ten billion is quite a fortune for someone like me who deals with small-time trades…but as you said, something felt off.”
“What’s your plan then?”
“How could a small-timer like me handle goods from such a huge corporation? I’ll have to kill it.”
Lim Ho-jin didn’t argue further after hearing this decision. Once the item was marked for destruction, it no longer belonged to them. The issue lay only before the kill; afterward, there would be no need to worry about it anymore.
The man noticed Kang Jin and Choi Donghae standing behind Lee Sangsub.
“Interns?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I envy you being able to hire interns so easily… For someone like me, even finding regular employees is challenging, let alone interns.”
“Why did you leave your previous company, though?”
“To strike out on my own.”
The man patted Lim Ho-jin’s shoulder with a smile and said, “Let’s grab a drink sometime as fellow dads.”
“I know a good place. Feel free to contact me anytime.”
“Sounds great.” The man then turned towards Kang Jin and Choi Donghae. “Looking forward to working together once you’re officially hired.”
“‘Working together’?” Confused, Kang Jin looked at him quizzically.
The man chuckled and raised his hand in farewell to Lim Ho-jin. “I’m off now.”
“I’ll keep in touch.”
With that, the man left, and Lim Ho-jin resumed walking back to the company alongside his employees. As Kang Jin followed behind them, he spotted the hangover soup restaurant through its window. There, the ghost of the grandmother could be seen moving between tables.
Is she unable to ascend because she’s worried about her shop?
Kang Jin shook his head while observing the grandmother’s ghost.
Why worry about your store even after death… Just move on.
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