Chapter 61

Jo Hyunsu nodded at Kang Jin’s suggestion.

“Let’s do that.”

“Don’t you need to discuss this with Mrs?”

“The president sells food, and we sell our store’s soju alongside it. We might benefit more from this arrangement.”

“That…you’re right.”

“Moreover, given my current skills, I can’t properly cook Mom’s recipes… So, I need his help.”

“Then let’s proceed as planned.”

“I’ll go fetch ingredients from the president’s restaurant.”

Kang Jin glanced briefly at the fires before turning down their heat slightly.

“Leave these for now, Mrs. Let’s head over together.”

“Let’s do that. Honey! Please watch over the fire here.”

At Jo Hyunsu’s words, Lim Mi-hyang hurriedly entered the kitchen.

Furtive glance!

Lim Mi-hyang looked at Kang Jin before turning her attention to Jo Hyunsu.

“Where are you going?”

“We’re getting some ingredients from President Kang’s store.”

“What kind of ingredients?”

“For Soondok’s hangover soup restaurant, what ingredients would he need?”

“Don’t we have plenty of ingredients already? Why bring more?”

“Just keep an eye on the fire for now.”

With that, Jo Hyunsu led the way out, followed by Kang Jin, who gave a small bow towards Lim Mi-hyang. Seeing this, Lim Mi-hyang crossed her arms angrily as Kang Jin exited the kitchen.

“It seems Mrs. Jo doesn’t like me much.”

“He isn’t a bad person. He just got roughened up after meeting some incompetent men…” Jo Hyunsu shook his head as he continued talking. “Let’s go.”

Outside, Jo Hyunsu climbed into a small truck parked on the street.

“You drive a truck?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I thought someone owning such a large restaurant would have a fancier car.”

“Regardless of its size, it’s still a restaurant. I sometimes visit markets for ingredients too. Hop in.”

Kang Jin got into the truck, and Jo Hyunsu drove towards One Meal Restaurant.

Vroom!

They arrived quickly since it wasn’t far away. However…

Vroom!

Jo Hyunsu overshot One Meal Restaurant. Kang Jin hastily pointed out:

“We’ve just passed our restaurant.”

“Huh?”

“You’ve passed my restaurant.”

“Eh? That can’t be… Oh? Really?”

Looking flustered, Jo Hyunsu checked the road and made a U-turn.

“It’s strange since I took this route earlier this morning.”

Kang Jin observed Jo Hyunsu’s confusion as he missed One Meal Restaurant.

Is it because of the ghosts in the kitchen?

Bae Yongsoo had summoned numerous ghosts to prevent food spoilage. Consequently, Jo Hyunsu instinctively bypassed the restaurant.

‘If someone who knows about the place still misses it… those unaware would never find it. During regular business hours, ghosts must be prohibited from entering.’

Kang Jin muttered to himself as Jo Hyunsu approached One Meal Restaurant.

“Stop here.”

“Here? Don’t we need to go further?”

“Stop!”

Following Kang Jin’s command, Jo Hyunsu halted his car on the road.

“It doesn’t seem like this is the place?”

As Jo Hyunsu appeared puzzled, Kang Jin got out of the vehicle. They had gone slightly past, but One Meal Restaurant was right next to them.

“Please wait here. I’ll bring it out.”

“Let me accompany you.”

“No, that’s okay.”

With that, Kang Jin opened the door and entered One Meal Restaurant. Jo Hyunsu looked at the restaurant with surprise, only realizing its presence after Kang Jin went inside.

“Huh? It really is here? Was my vision blurred somehow?”

Jo Hyunsu curiously observed One Meal Restaurant before hastily approaching Kang Jin as he emerged carrying a large bag.

“Is this it?”

“Yes, these are the offal, seonji, and bones.”

“You can keep the bones.”

“Pardon me?”

“You need to use the seonji right away, but you can freeze the bones for later use. Just take the seonji with you.”

“Are you sure that’s okay?”

“We have plenty of bones at our restaurant too. Save them for making broth.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem. Please bring out the seonji then.”

As Jo Hyunsu loaded the bag containing the offal into the trunk, Kang Jin returned to the restaurant and brought out only the bowl with the seonji. He placed it in the trunk and looked at Jo Hyunsu.

“Let’s go.”

Once Jo Hyunsu got into the car, Kang Jin followed suit.

“Welcome.”

Kang Jin was serving at Soondok’s hangover soup restaurant. They prepared Sunji hangover soup by simmering broth overnight and opened for business during lunchtime.

“Why are you working here when your own restaurant is closed, President Kang?” asked a regular customer with a smile.

Kang Jin sighed. “There were too many customers, so I couldn’t make Sunji hangover soup alone. That’s why I started working here.”

“Really?”

“I’m joking. Actually, my recipe for Sunji hangover soup is…”

“…the method of Oh Soon-young, right?” The customer interrupted, surprising Kang Jin.

“How did you know that?”

“I’ve been a regular here for several years; how could I not know? To be honest, I was surprised by this Sunji hangover soup. It tastes exactly like when Madam Oh used to make it.”

“Then why didn’t you mention it earlier?”

“With so many customers around, how would you get the president’s attention?”

“You have a point.” Kang Jin gestured towards the restaurant. “Please come inside.”

“Seeing you serve…it seems President Jo has perfected Madam Oh’s recipe.”

Kang Jin nodded at the man who seemed quite familiar with the restaurant’s situation.

“It appears you know our circumstances well.”

“As I said, I’ve been a regular customer here for over ten years. So, is the taste truly authentic now?”

“Certainly. President Jo worked diligently to recreate his mother’s original flavor. Please, go ahead and enjoy your meal.”

The middle-aged man nodded at Kang Jin’s words and entered with his companions. Watching this scene, Kang Jin looked inside the restaurant. It was crowded with many people. Originally, Soondok’s hangover soup restaurant had so many customers that there were lines even on weekdays, despite its mediocre taste. As Lim Ho-jin said, it used to be one of the top restaurants in South Korea before the taste changed, and even after the change, it maintained its reputation as a decent local eatery. Additionally, numerous companies nearby contributed to its steady clientele. However, during weekends, the number of guests significantly decreased due to the absence of office workers, and it wasn’t renowned enough for people to travel from afar specifically for it.

But today was different. Kang Jin had locked Han-Gi Restaurant for lunchtime and posted a notice directing patrons to Seonji’s hangover soup restaurant instead.

As such, customers who usually frequented One Meal Restaurant ventured here instead. Thanks to this, even during Sunday lunch hours, there were many patrons present.

The staff is definitely doing well.

Kang Jin observed the waitstaff efficiently taking orders and serving food while keeping an eye on Oh Soon-young. She wore a bright smile as she watched over the guests.

“Yes, they finished it all. They ate everything. Oh my! Was it tasty? Could you bring more side dishes, please?”

Although no one else could hear her, Oh Soon-young loudly requested additional side dishes for the guests. Kang Jin chuckled at her antics, retrieved some sides from the kitchen, and placed them on the table.

“The taste has returned to how it used to be.”

“That’s right. Why didn’t we do this earlier if it could be this good?”

“I didn’t know that. Still, it’s great news. One Meal Restaurant’s food is delicious, but I felt sorry for the owner having to manage everything alone.” The customer chuckled as they ate their meal while conversing with Kang Jin.

Kang Jin smiled and brought over some kimchi, saying, “Apologies for any inconvenience caused by me handling things solo.”

“Oh, I wasn’t expecting you to hear… Nonetheless, the soup here at One Meal Restaurant is truly tasty.”

“How about trying this one too?”

“It seems similar… Did the previous owner pass on the recipe to you?”

“Yes, President Kim taught me the recipe, and now I’m sharing it with our current president. In any case, please enjoy your meal.”

“We already are! Oh! Could you bring us another bottle of soju?”

“Certainly!” Smiling, Kang Jin retrieved a bottle from the refrigerator, handed it to them, and marked it on the order sheet.

As she served, Oh Soon-young approached Kang Jin.

“This is exactly the kind of restaurant I envisioned,” said Oh Soon-young softly.

“Hey.” Kang Jin looked at Oh Soon-young’s request. She smiled and gestured toward their guests.

“A place where customers and owner laugh together while sharing stories.”

Kang Jin shook his head. “This isn’t that kind of…”

As he spoke, Kang Jin noticed Jo Hyunsu conversing with some patrons on the side.

“How was your meal?”

“It was truly delicious!”

“I’ll treat you to more delectable dishes next time.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to come back again.”

“Let me pour you another shot of soju.”

Seeing Jo Hyunsu chatting and pouring drinks for the guests, Kang Jin opened his mouth.

“This is already that kind of establishment.”

The difference between ‘that’ and ‘this’ type of restaurant may be subtle but significant.

Oh Soon-young smiled at Kang Jin’s words. “Yes… this is what it has become.”

Suddenly, Kang Jin felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Oh Soon-young’s hand resting there.

“You’ll visit occasionally, right?”

“Of course.”

“Yes, thank you.” As Oh Soon-young spoke, a faint light began emanating from her body, causing Kang Jin to purse his lips.

‘Haein…you’ve been released.’

Kang Jin watched her for a moment before warning, “If the taste changes when I come back, consider it a final warning. I will ruin your establishment.”

Oh Soon-young smiled at him. “Yes… And thank you…”

Fwoosh!

With that, she disappeared amidst a burst of light.

Kang Jin smiled as he watched her disappear.

“I’ll definitely ruin your business,” Kang Jin muttered quietly and looked up just in time to see a piece of paper fluttering down from above.

Tap!

He caught it lightly between his fingers and examined it.

Payee: JS Finance

Amount: 10,000,000 won (ten million won)

Please pay this amount to the bearer of this check.

Issuer: Oh Soon-young

Kang Jin grinned while holding the check.

I’ll put it to good use.

The check was a gift from Oh Soon-young to Kang Jin. After gazing at it for a moment, Kang Jin tucked it into his pocket and resumed serving customers.

After wrapping up lunch service, Jo Hyunsu handed Kang Jin an envelope.

“Here’s today’s revenue. I also added a little extra for your day’s work.”

Kang Jin smiled and accepted it. “I should probably decline politely, but I’m not one for such etiquette, so thank you!”

“It’s been a while since we had this much profit from lunch sales since my mother passed away.” Jo Hyunsu grinned as he surveyed the restaurant. The middle-aged women who served customers appeared to be taking a well-deserved break, sipping sweet mixed coffee. At the counter, Lim Mi-hyang wore a wide smile while settling accounts for the lunch rush. It seemed she was delighted by the rare successful lunch service.

As Kang Jin observed this scene, he placed an envelope back into his pocket and said:

“I’ll come by occasionally to eat here and keep an eye on things.”

“Keep an eye?”

“To check if the taste of Sunji hangover soup changes… If it does, I will make it again myself.”

Jo Hyunsu looked at Kang Jin and responded:

“So you won’t be making it anymore for now?”

“It’s quite challenging for me to prepare Sunji hangover soup. Please ensure its quality is maintained; I’d like to get some sleep too.”

With these words, Jo Hyunsu smiled warmly at Kang Jin.

“Please feel free to visit anytime. We’ll serve you the best Sunji hangover soup.”

“And if you ever need help with cooking, please contact me anytime.”

“I feel so bad about…”

“Why should you feel bad? Are you not going to pay me for my work?”

“Pay you?”

“If you compensate me fairly, I’ll be available whenever needed.”

Jo Hyunsu smiled and nodded at Kang Jin’s words.

“I’ll reach out if we require extra help.”

In response, Kang Jin took off his uniform and handed it over.

“Well then, see you next time.”

“See you next time.”

After exchanging farewells, Kang Jin approached Lim Mi-hyang.

“I’ll come back again.”

Lim Mi-hyang raised her eyebrows slightly at Kang Jin’s remark. Seeing this reaction, Kang Jin feigned a smile, bowed once more, and left the restaurant.