Chapter 84

After finishing his workday, Kang Jin was preparing to cook yukgaejang soup. Although it wasn’t exactly payment, Kim Sohee had mentioned she would come by today for spicy chicken feet and yukgaejang after helping those high school ghosts.

“I’m heading out today.” Bae Yongsoo muttered, prompting Kang Jin’s nod.

“It’s not just any virgin ghost but their boss coming over. Of course, you should stay away.”

As he spoke, Kang Jin briefly peeked into the pot boiling meat for the yukgaejang before turning back to Bae Yongsoo.

“Let’s have lunch at Woonam Restaurant on Saturday.”

Bae Yongsoo looked up as Kang Jin casually suggested this plan.

“Woonam Restaurant?”

“I’ve been worried since Mrs. Suk seemed frail.”

“Oh, right.”

Recently, Bae Yongsoo had expressed sadness about Mrs. Suk-su seeming older at Soondok’s hangover soup restaurant. Among all the ghosts, Sung Yongsoo has been with Kang Jin for the longest time and received much help from him. Therefore, Kang Jin decided to take Yongsoo along this time, as he felt guilty for summoning Yongsoo during the training retreat despite not needing his assistance.

Bae Yongsoo nodded in agreement before suggesting, “Let’s bring Heo Yeonwook with us.”

“Heo Yeonwook?”

“You know, the acupuncturist?”

“Ah…”

Kang Jin understood what Bae Yongsoo implied and nodded.

‘Indeed, Heo Yeonwook is quite skilled.’

One could tell just by experiencing his acupuncture; it was significantly different from treatments at regular clinics.

Thus, Bae Yongsoo planned to bring Heo Yeonwook along to assess Mrs. Suk’s condition.

“But can we even see her?”

A quick internet search revealed that she was quite famous and often appeared on television. Kang Jin wondered if someone like her would agree to be examined by him.

Bae Yongsoo chuckled at his question. “The customer is always king—at least, that’s our policy here.”

“Really?”

“And our Mrs. Suk? If a customer compliments her food and requests to meet her, she’ll come out to greet them—even if it means putting down her knife mid-cooking.”

“A knife?”

“I mean, no matter what she’s doing in the kitchen,” clarified Yongsoo.

Kang Jin laughed at this revelation. “That must surprise some guests.”

“It’s just how she is. So, we’re going on Saturday then?”

Seeing Bae Yongsoo’s mood improve, Kang Jin nodded in agreement.

“Saturday.”

“Okay!” With a smile, Sung Yongsoo left the kitchen.

Kang Jin poked at the meat for yukgaejang with chopsticks and turned off the stove as it neared 11 PM. He paced outside the restaurant, waiting for Kim So-hee to arrive since she typically showed up around this time.

Ordinarily, ghosts would be lingering outside the door at this hour, ready to enter the restaurant precisely at 11 PM to manifest themselves. However, today there were no ghosts present. They had dispersed early due to the arrival of not just any virgin ghost but the boss herself.

As Kang Jin kept watch near the entrance, people began parting like waves on either side, creating a path.

As people parted to create a path, Kim Sohee slowly walked towards them.

‘Indeed… Her presence is quite formidable.’

Even those who couldn’t see her sensed her eerie aura and made way for her. As Kang Jin observed Kim Sohee walking straight towards him, he slightly bowed his head.

“You came.”

“I told you I would,” replied Kim Sohee with a smile.

Kang Jin smiled back, “Yes, you did. Please come inside.”

Kim Sohee nodded at Kang Jin’s words and entered the store.

Hwoosh!

Once inside, Kim Sohee underwent a transformation. Her hair, which had been dripping blood, transformed into a neatly braided style, and her clothes changed into pristine traditional hanbok attire.

Following her lead, Kang Jin entered the restaurant as well. Kim Sohee silently took her usual seat, and Kang Jin placed a bottle of soju on the table without prompting.

Kim Sohee watched him set down the bottle, then opened it and looked at him expectantly.

“Shouldn’t you give me a glass?”

“I’ll bring some side dishes to enjoy with your drink.”

“Please do.”

In response, Kang Jin served her a generous portion of yukgaejang, the spicy beef soup he had already prepared earlier.

“Wait just one minute for the spicy chicken feet.”

Kang Jin returned to the kitchen after placing the yukgaejang on the table. There, he briefly seared the chicken feet that were ready to go using a blowtorch.

Fwoosh!

As flames from the torch engulfed the chicken feet, their outer layer crisped up instantly.

With that, Kang Jin brought out the food infused with a smoky flavor. Meanwhile, Kim Sohee had already started drinking soju with her yukgaejang.

“How is it? To your taste?”

“It tastes like Mrs. Kim’s cooking.”

“Thank you.” Taking Kim Sohee’s words as praise, Kang Jin placed the chicken feet on the table. “Please try these too.”

Kim Sohee picked up one of the chicken feet and raised an eyebrow after taking a bite.

“This doesn’t taste quite the same as usual?”

“I added my own twist to Mrs. Kim Bokrae’s recipe.”

“What did you do?”

“I lightly charred them at the end using a kitchen torch.”

While attempting new dishes without recipes was challenging for Kang Jin, he could easily modify existing ones.

Recipes were great, but people’s tastes varied widely.

“A torch?”

At Kim Sohee’s question, Kang Jin brought over a kitchen blowtorch from the kitchen.

“Hmm… I’ve seen this before. Is that what they call a ‘torch’?”

“It’s called a gas torch.”

“Why is it named a gas torch?”

“That…I’m not sure myself.”

“Interesting…”

“People just refer to it as a gas torch, so that’s what I call it too.”

Kim Sohee didn’t respond further and simply continued eating her chicken feet. She hadn’t asked out of genuine curiosity; she merely made conversation with Kang Jin since he was present.

As Kang Jin observed her, he poured more soju into her empty glass.

Glug!

While pouring soju for Kim Sohee, Kang Jin noticed the horimdaegi pendant around her neck. As he gazed at it, Kim Sohee squinted slightly and gently placed her hand over the pendant. She couldn’t outright say “Don’t stare” due to her upbringing as a lady from a noble family, so she covered it with her hand instead.

Kang Jin hastily looked away and responded, “I thought the horimdaegi suits you well.”

“The horimdaegi?”

Upon hearing this, Kim Sohee glanced down at the pendant, then slowly lowered her hand.

“It tastes good,” said Kim Sohee, attempting to change the subject.

In response, Kang Jin also shifted the conversation, “I’ve heard there’s an Afterlife Restaurant in every region of Korea. Have you visited them all?”

“You’ve been there.”

“What place had the best food?”

“All restaurants in the Afterlife serve delicious meals.”

“Really?”

“They’re different from ordinary eateries.”

Kang Jin raised an eyebrow at Kim Sohee’s comment.

‘Does practicing cooking in that room influence the taste?’

He wondered if any other places shared similarities with his cooking practice room.

Then Kang Jin asked, “Still, mustn’t there be one that suits your palate more than others?”

Kim Sohee paused briefly before responding, “My hometown is Jeonju.”

Realizing the significance of her statement, Kang Jin probed further.

“So, there must be an Afterlife Restaurant in Jeonju as well.”

“Yes, but I rarely go there.”

“Why not?”

“The owner makes me uncomfortable.”

“How so?”

“It seems so.”

Kim Sohee looked at Kang Jin as if she didn’t want to discuss it further and raised her glass of soju.

“Would you like a drink?”

“I’d appreciate that.” As he spoke, Kang Jin grabbed his shot glass and moved to sit at a separate table next to hers. Previously, when they agreed to dine together, he had joined Kim Sohee’s table, only to receive criticism for not understanding proper etiquette.

Kim Sohee nodded slightly in approval.

“You know your manners well.”

“Not sure about manners, but I should avoid making the same mistake twice.”

As Kang Jin extended his glass with a smile, Kim Sohee rolled up her sleeve and poured him some soju. After drinking from the glass she filled, Kang Jin then poured soju into Kim Sohee’s cup.

Thus, these two individuals continued their somewhat peculiar joint meeting while seated at separate tables.

Saturday, around 1 pm, Kang Jin and Bae Yongsoo arrived near Seoul to observe Woonam Restaurant.

“Wow…”

A gasp of admiration escaped from Kang Jin’s lips.

“Isn’t it incredible?” asked Bae Yongsoo.

Kang Jin glanced again at Woonam Restaurant before responding, “Absolutely amazing!”

He had anticipated that the establishment run by South Korea’s most renowned Korean cuisine chef would exude elegance, but Woonam Restaurant surpassed his expectations. The long, ornate fence surrounding the property looked straight out of a movie, with a beautiful garden nestled inside. This garden felt reminiscent of one where ancient kings might have strolled, showcasing exquisite landscaping.

Beyond this garden stood traditional Korean houses resembling palaces.

“Wow!” Kang Jin murmured softly.

Next to him, Heo Yeonwook replied, “Yes, it always surprises first-time visitors.”

“Have you been here before, Doctor?”

“I occasionally dine with patients at this restaurant.”

“Patients?”

“There are some who avoid hospitals. For such individuals, I conduct their medical checkups while sharing a meal here.”

“Why do your consultations at a restaurant?” Kang Jin asked curiously.

Dr. Heo smiled and explained, “If the chairman of SamSong Group goes to the hospital, it makes news headlines, doesn’t it? And depending on his health status, the company’s stock prices can fluctuate.”

“That’s true.”

“It’s similar for people whose health directly impacts their companies or those around them. They prefer consultations outside of a hospital setting.”

Doctor Heo Yeonwook continued with a smile, “Moreover, I’m proficient in both Western and Eastern medicine, so I can diagnose most illnesses using just my fingers and eyes.”

Kang Jin noticed the subtle boasting and asked, “Did you treat any celebrities while you were alive?”

“Indeed. Although I cannot disclose due to doctor-patient confidentiality, there were some celebrities that would surprise you if I mentioned their names.”

“Can’t you tell me at least one?”

“As I’ve already stated, doctors have an obligation to protect the secrets learned during treatment.”

“But since you’re a ghost now, isn’t there…

“Just because I became a ghost doesn’t mean my principles vanished.”

Kang Jin nodded at Heo Yeonwook’s words.

“In that case…”

As they continued their conversation, Sung Yongsoo interjected:

“Shouldn’t we go now? The restaurant closes for lunch at half past one.”

“I thought it was open until two?”

“They stop taking orders at half past one. Afterward, no more orders are accepted.”

With this information from Bae Yongsoo, Kang Jin nodded and started walking towards the building.

Initially, they had planned to arrive earlier, but Sung Yongsoo suggested coming later since Mrs. Suk would be too busy during peak lunch hours. They aimed to visit around 2 PM when there would be a lull, making it easier to converse with Mrs. Suk.

Hastening inside the building, Kang Jin heard a friendly greeting:

“Welcome.”

As soon as Kang Jin entered the building, a well-dressed female employee greeted him with a smile.

“Do you have a reservation?”

“No, I’m here alone.”

“Please follow me.”

The staff member led the way, and Kang Jin followed closely behind her. The interior of the restaurant was elegantly decorated, with horimdaegi ornaments adorning the walls.

Yongsoo mentioned they decorate with horimdaegi… It’s true.

Recalling Bae Yongsoo’s words, Kang Jin took the seat indicated by the hostess.

Tables were spaced generously apart rather than being crammed together. This immediately conveyed the ambiance of the establishment. They could easily fit more tables if they reduced the spacing, but it showed consideration for their guests’ comfort.

Nice atmosphere.

Due to this spacing, one couldn’t hear others eating nearby, which was quite pleasant. This alone made it a good establishment. It showed consideration for its patrons by not cramming too many tables inside.