Chapter 7: The Perfect Stir-Fried Dish
Kang Jin made the stir-fried dish without any hiccups and now stared blankly at the bowl. The yellow-white fried egg garnished the top of the colorful stir-fry. It looked delicious even at first glance. Kang Jin absentmindedly picked up some with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth.
The tender yet crunchy texture combined with savory oiliness and flavors from various ingredients exploded on his tongue, making him salivate profusely.
It’s delicious.
He wished he had more mouths to savor this taste as he quickly devoured the dish. After finishing, Kang Jin glanced at the empty bowl left by the sink. Only greasy residue remained, indicating how thoroughly clean it was eaten.
Kang Jin stared at the empty bowl and smacked his lips. No matter how he thought about it, the dish was truly delicious… It tasted just like the japchae his mother used to make.
“It’s been a while since I’ve had something this good…
It had been so long that he almost couldn’t recall when last he’d enjoyed such a tasty meal—especially one reminiscent of his mother’s cooking.
As Kang Jin continued staring at the bowl, he glanced sideways at the practice room located above the kitchen counter.
“This is insane.”
It really was unbelievable. Following recipes left by Kim Bok-rae had genuinely improved his culinary skills—a bizarre turn of events indeed.
“But who exactly is Mrs. Kim Bok-rae? Or rather…”
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“When you think about it, even her customers here seem quite affluent.” Customers arriving alone, dressed in traditional hanboks amidst bustling Gangnam, or wearing high-end clothing despite not being luxury brands… Could they all be short on money?
It wasn’t like they were ordering expensive dishes either; at most, it was around ten thousand won per person for their meals. Of course, soju purchases were extra.
In any case, Kang Jin continued to mutter “strange” as he inspected the practice kitchen. It truly was bizarre.
Klack!
Just then, the door opened. Kang Jin peeked out toward the dining area.
Two unfamiliar people had entered the restaurant.
“We’re not open yet,” Kang Jin informed them.
The man who appeared to be in his late thirties smiled back at him. “Hello there. I’m Shin Soo-young, and I supply your ingredients. This is Shin Soo-gui, our liquor supplier.”
“Nice to meet you.” As Shin Soo-young introduced him, Shin Soo-gui bowed politely.
Kang Jin emerged from the kitchen. “I’m Lee Kang-jin.”
“I’ve heard you have a pleasant demeanor, and indeed, it’s true. It’s nice to meet you.”
In response, Kang Jin gestured for them to take their seats while retrieving some beverages from the refrigerator.
“Please sit down.”
As Kang Jin poured drinks into glasses, Shin Soo-gui glanced at the fridge.
“It looks like you didn’t have many customers yesterday.”
“Only a few bottles of soju were consumed.”
“About seven bottles, right?”
“You’re spot-on.”
“I always restock the fridge, after all.”
Kang Jin nodded at Shin Soo-gui’s explanation before asking another question.
“Could you tell me about Ms. Kim Bok-rae?”
“Our mother?”
“Mother?”
Seeing Kang Jin’s confusion, Shin Soo-young smiled warmly.
“She has been raising us since we were young, so she is like a mother to us—no, she truly is our mother.”
“I see.”
“And to answer your question…she was a wonderful person.”
“By any chance…was there anything special about Mrs. Kim Bok-rae?”
Shin Soo-young looked at Kang Jin and smiled warmly.
“Everyone is special in their own way.”
Kang Jin pursed his lips at him response.
Should I just ask outright?
However, he feared they might think him crazy if he did. After all, claiming that practicing cooking in a video game made one an excellent chef sounded like a recipe for ridicule.
While Kang Jin pondered how to proceed, Shin Soo-young asked another question.
“How was business yesterday?”
“It was uneventful, aside from those customers who couldn’t afford their meals.”
“Do you plan to continue operating?”
“Of course,” Shin Soo-young nodded at Kang Jin’s response and continued, “If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. Since this is your first time running a food business, I imagine there might be many things you’re curious about.”
“I noticed in the rules that during operating hours from 11 PM to 1 AM, we shouldn’t charge customers who can’t afford it… But does that mean we should also not charge outside those hours?”
In response to Kang Jin’s question, Shin Soo-young glanced at Shin Soo-gui, who raised him eyebrows quizzically.
“What’s wrong?”
“My mother only operated the restaurant between 11 PM and 1 AM… so I’m not sure about the procedures for other times.”
Shin Soo-young then took out him phone.
“I’ll ask my brother. Please give me a moment.”
As Shin Soo-young stepped out with him phone, Shin Soo-gui got up and inspected the refrigerator.
“How would you like us to stock your alcohol?”
“I’d appreciate it,” replied Kang Jin.
With that, Shin Soo-gui left the room, returning shortly after with a box of soju. he filled the empty space in the fridge and placed the rest beside it.
Meanwhile, Shin Soo-young finished him call and reentered the kitchen.
“So what did he say?”
“He said we should follow the rules as usual.”
“What does that mean?”
“The time doesn’t matter, but according to the rules, we must serve food even if customers can’t afford it and accept whatever payment they offer.”
“Oh!” A look of disappointment crossed Kang Jin’s face before he sighed heavily.
“Is this place some kind of free cafeteria?”
Shin Soo-young shook his head with a smile at Kang Jin’s words.
“It may seem like a loss now, but this good deed will come back to you later.”
“Good deed?”
“Yes, once we pass away, our deeds return to us, so don’t worry too much.”
Kang Jin pursed his lips at Shin Soo-young’s explanation.
Isn’t it all over when we die? Who cares about such things then? I’m focused on the present.
As Kang Jin muttered internally, Shin Soo-young continued:
“In exchange, you can charge market price for alcohol from 11 PM to 1 AM.”
“I can charge full price for alcohol during those hours?”
“Yes.”
Nice!
Just charging properly for alcohol would make the business profitable. Selling ten bottles could bring in around 40,000 won. A broad grin spread across Kang Jin’s face as he suddenly turned to Shin Soo-young.
“By any chance, have you heard of JS Finance?”
“Yes.”
“You know them?”
“Of course. We do business with them too.”
“But I couldn’t find anything about them online?”
“They only deal with select clients…kind of like a third-party finance company.”
“Why would you transact with such a company that isn’t recognized within the financial sector?”
“It’s convenient for businesses like ours since they handle collections themselves.”
“But if they go bankrupt…”
“Hahaha! Don’t worry. Even if the world collapses, JS Finance won’t fail. In fact, their fortunes might skyrocket amidst chaos.” Shin Soo-young chuckled and then looked at Kang Jin expectantly, as if anticipating more questions.
Kang Jin shook his head. “I’ll reach out if there’s anything else I’m curious about.”
“Let’s do that. First, I’ll check the refrigerator.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Let me see…” Shin Soo-young stood up and inspected the ingredients in the kitchen while jotting notes on a memo pad.
Kang Jin observed his actions and mentioned, “I heard today’s company dinner at JS Finance requested buckwheat jelly and pork dishes…”
“Oh… People from there tend to enjoy buckwheat-based meals. Then we need buckwheat jelly, buckwheat flour… And some hearty pork dishes should complement it well.”
“Buckwheat flour?”
“They’re quite fond of buckwheat; they also love buckwheat pancakes.”
“Not everyone in the company, right?”
“Actually, everyone enjoys it.”
“How peculiar.”
It seemed unusual for an entire company to have such a preference for buckwheat. Smiling, Shin Soo-young glanced back at the refrigerator.
“Well then… I’ll send over meat dishes with buckwheat jelly in about an hour.”
Shin Soo-young then scanned the kitchen and licked his lips, seemingly reminiscing about Kim Bok-rae. After a moment, he exited the kitchen with Shin Soo-gwi following close behind.
Kang Jin accompanied them to see them off.
“I miss my mother whenever I’m here. Let’s go visit her later today.”
“I’m quite busy today.”
“It doesn’t matter; come along anyway.”
“All right.”
Their conversation left Kang Jin feeling uneasy.
Are they planning to visit her grave?
“Well, thank you for everything.”
“Wishing you all the best.”
Kang Jin bowed at Shin Soo-young’s words, which were not merely wishing his good business but genuinely hoping for his success.
After watching them leave, Kang Jin closed the door and headed back to the kitchen. he wanted to try making other dishes from the practice room, needing further confirmation that this incredible reality was indeed true.
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