“So I just need to pick 500 peppers like the window says, right?”
“That’s right, nyan.”
500 peppers.
I walked over to the garden plot and stood in front of the sign that said Chili Peppers. Red, ripe peppers hung from the plants in heavy clusters.
“So… how do you pick a pepper, anyway?”
“You don’t even know that, nyan?”
“I mean, I know… generally.”
I shrugged sheepishly at Haetae’s scolding. Kitchen work was one thing, but garden work was a first for me.
Giving me a pathetic look, Haetae nudged my calf with his tail.
“You either cut them with scissors or snap the stem with your hand to harvest them, nyan. Since we don’t have scissors right now, I’ll teach you how to pick them by hand, nyan.”
Haetae pointed a front paw at a beautifully ripe red pepper and continued.
“Hold that pepper and snap the stem slightly upward, nyan.”
Following his instructions, I snapped the stem upward, and with a crisp snap, the pepper landed neatly in my hand.
Staring at the pepper that had detached much easier than expected, I raised it into the air.
This was the very first harvest of my life. A quiet sense of accomplishment swelled from deep inside my chest.
Ding!
A semi-transparent window popped up in front of my eyes with an alert chime.
[Garden Peppers (1/500)]
“Oh! The notification came up!”
“Now look closely at that pepper, nyan. You’ll see something, nyan.”
“See what?”
Tilting my head, I focused my eyes on the pepper in my hand, and a status window of the exact same style appeared.
[Delicious Pepper (Rank A)]
I looked at Haetae with wide eyes.
“What’s this? A rank?”
“Now you can see the rank and condition of all ingredients, nyan.”
“Can I see things in grocery stores or markets too, not just the stuff here?”
Haetae gave a silent nod.
Only then did I remember how Grandma used to quickly bag items at the market without asking the vendors a single question.
‘So Grandma could see all of this too.’
This ability was nothing short of a divine blessing for a cook.
To test it out, I picked one more pepper.
[Garden Peppers (2/500)]
However, only a simple notification popped up this time; no status window appeared.
“This ability will vanish if you stop doing good deeds, nyan.”
“That’d be a shame.”
It really would be a huge shame if it disappeared.
“Look again, nyan.”
“Again?”
“I don’t see it now, though?”
“Since you haven’t cleared the tutorial yet, it’ll only show up randomly, nyan.”
“Meaning I’ll always see it once I completely clear the tutorial?”
“Smart, nyan!”
There was no reason to hesitate. I pulled my long hair back and tied it firmly with a hairband.
Watching my grim determination, Haetae chuckled.
“Guess I’ll have to pick all 500 today.”
Haetae let out a small yawn and settled onto the plush grass next to the garden. Then, as if to watch the show, he tucked his paws in like a loaf of bread and looked up at me.
“Give it a shot, nyan.”
I nodded and turned my gaze toward the pepper patch.
Who knew simple repetitive labor could be this grueling?
‘Only…’
[Garden Peppers (105/500)]
I had only picked a little over a hundred peppers, but the spicy sting had seeped into my fingertips, making them throb. And my arms were so stiff it was hard to even lift them.
‘Was my physical stamina really this trash?’
I should have worked out more. Straightening my back for a moment, I glanced at Haetae—the guy was lying in the sunniest spot, peacefully enjoying an afternoon nap like the world was at peace… Just like a human sunbathing in the heat.
Grumble.
Embarrassed by the loud noise, I let out a fake cough. A few hours had flown by, so it was no wonder I was hungry.
“Maybe I’ll cook something with that canola I plucked earlier and then get back to this…”
Looking at the canola left next to the peppers, I swallowed hard.
“What kind of dish are you going to make, nyan?”
What the. You weren’t sleeping?
I narrowed my eyes and stared at Haetae. Why on earth was a cat showing interest in human food?
‘No way.’
“Are you planning to eat too?”
“Why shouldn’t I eat, nyan?”
Isn’t that obvious? Cats shouldn’t eat human food!
“You’re a cat. How can you eat human food?”
“I eat human cooking too, nyan.”
Catching my drift, Haetae declared, “Obviously! Did you think I just ate cat kibble, nyan!?”
“A cat is a cat, though.”
Is he not? I tilted my head.
“It’s fine, nyan.”
Haetae rose with a dignified air, walked over to me, and patted my leg with his front paw.
“Now, take me to the kitchen, nyan.”
It was absurd, but I brushed the dirt off my hands and scooped him up into my arms.
“Let’s go already, nyan!”
“Alright, alright. Right away, Your Divine Majesty.”
Carrying the cat in my arms, I stepped through the door and back into the shop.
Haetae blocked his nose with a paw, scrunching up his face.
“It’s full of dust, nyan!”
“That’s because I haven’t finished cleaning up yet.”
Haetae looked at the floor and then darted a glance up at me.
“Put me down, nyan.”
“Here you go.”
I gently set Haetae down on the floor. But then it suddenly occurred to me—was it really okay to leave a pet in the kitchen?
‘Hygiene is life when it comes to food.’
Especially in a shop, hygiene was trust. We couldn’t have Haetae shedding fur everywhere.
“Haetae.”
I called out to Haetae, who was leisurely exploring the shop.
“Do you shed?”
At my question, Haetae’s tail slapped the floor in annoyance.
“Bend down, nyan.”
“Bend down?”
I bent my upper body to match Haetae’s eye level.
At that exact moment, Haetae leaped up and smacked my cheek with his front paw! Thwack!
“Are you treating me like a mere animal, nyan?”
“Well, you look like a cute cat to my eyes.”
“Hmph! I don’t shed fur, so don’t you worry, nyan.”
“Really?”
“Hmph, I am a divine beast, nyan. Fur like mine doesn’t fall out, so feel free to pet me if you’re suspicious, nyan.”
To test it out, I stroked Haetae’s back. I felt only a soft texture; not a single strand stuck to my hand or scattered in the air.
“That is pretty neat.”
“…It’s been a while since I’ve been treated like this, nyan.”
At Haetae’s exhausted tone, I laughed.
“Got it.”
Straightening my back, I gave a broad grin.
“I’ll give you some if I make seasoned canola greens.”
“Not ‘give me’—you must give me some, nyan!”
I re-secured my tied-back hair and wiped down the dusty surfaces first. Then I pulled a knife out of my bag.
“Been a while.”
It had been a while since I last held a knife, but my body remembered every single sensation.
First, I set the knife on the cutting board and dumped the harvested canola into the sink. Along with a fresh fragrance, a status window popped up.
[Gold Canola Stained with Stardust (Rank S)]
‘A higher rank than A?’
Setting aside my stray thoughts, I immediately poured water into a pot and set it on the gas stove.
Until the water boiled, I focused on prepping the canola greens.
Also known as winter greens, canola greens can be tough and stringy to eat if the stems are too thick. So while washing them in water, I picked out the thick stems. Fresh vitality vibrated through my fingertips.
Just as I was nearly finished prepping the canola, the water in the pot began to boil furiously.
I took down the sea salt kept on the top shelf and dissolved it in the water.
The time had come.
“In you go.”
I placed the washed canola into the pot and pulled it out the moment it turned a deep green. Rinsing it quickly in cold water, I rapidly drew out the heat and squeezed out the moisture.
‘Let’s check how well it’s cooked.’
Pressing a stem with my fingernail, it gave way smoothly, perfectly cooked.
“For the seasoning…”
I hesitated between soybean paste and soy sauce. Soybean paste would give a savory, deep flavor, while soy sauce would yield a clean, umami taste.
“Let’s go with soybean paste today.”
Seasoning was easier than expected.
Placing the canola greens in a mixing bowl, I added soybean paste, minced garlic, and chili powder, then tossed and mixed them by hand to bring out the flavor.
Finally, I shook in some toasted sesame seeds and added a drop of sesame oil. A nutty, fragrant aroma instantly filled the kitchen.
Gulp…
It would have been the icing on the cake if I had minced some green onions to throw in, but in the face of hunger, that was a luxury.
“Done!”
Haetae, who had been sunbathing near the front door, perked up his ears and stood up.
“The greens! Are you done, nyan?”
“Yep. Seasoned with soybean paste.”
I set aside a small portion of canola greens in a separate tiny bowl for Haetae.
“Wanna give it a taste?”
Haetae licked the seasoned canola in the dish before popping a bite into his mouth. Chewing for a good while, the cat exclaimed in admiration.
“Delicious, nyan! But I’m on team soy sauce, nyan.”
“…Huh? Really?”
“Soybean paste is good, but I’m saying soy sauce is better, nyan.”
“Ah, I’ll make it that way next time then.”
It seemed this cat preferred soy sauce over soybean paste. I hurried to place a generous heap of seasoned canola over freshly cooked rice and shoved a big mouthful in.
How long had it been since I had eaten a proper meal? The dry monotony of instant food I had mechanically shoved down just to fill my belly over the past year flashed through my mind.
“Mmm! Now this is the flavor!”
It felt like spring exploding in my mouth.
The fragrant aroma and crisp texture of the canola, along with the rich umami of the soybean paste, gently wrapped around the slightly bitter finish.
‘Grandma…’
It tasted just like the seasoned canola greens Grandma used to make. It wasn’t completely identical, of course, but the underlying warmth was exactly the same. The more I chewed, the more the void left by Grandma throbbed softly inside me.
‘…Will I really be able to do well?’
With ingredients this good, carrying Grandma’s name, would I be able to satisfy people’s hearts? Just as fear threatened to spread like a salty sting—
“Nyan-nyan-nyan-nyan.”
Seeing the guy whining for more brought a sudden chuckle to my lips. Right, I wasn’t alone.
“I’ll heat up some instant rice for you.”
“Are you not eating any more, nyan?”
“I have to harvest the peppers.”
“I thought you were going to rest, nyan.”
I popped the instant rice into the microwave for Haetae and curled the corners of my mouth up.
“Rest my ass, nyan.”
When I mimicked his tone, Haetae scowled fiercely and grumbled.
“Don’t copy the way I talk, nyan.”
Pulling the instant rice out of the microwave, I sat down on a chair.
“Here, eat up. Once you’re done, come to the garden with me, okay?”
“Huh, nyan?”
“I just don’t want to be alone. It’s scary.”
Haetae buried his face in the bowl as if giving in. The streak of soybean paste seasoning on his cheek made me burst out laughing.
Equipped with a fresh pair of gloves, I scooped Haetae into my arms.
“Let’s go.”
Time to clear the rest of the tutorial.
The moment I stepped back through the rear door, the damp smell of rain greeted me.
“Does it rain here too?”
Haetae glanced up at me.
“There’s weather here too, nyan.”
“So it rains here as well.”
“That’s right, nyan.”
I vigorously rubbed the chin of the cheese tabby staring at me with a innocent expression.
“Just wait a second, nyan.”
“…It’s mysterious.”
“Nyan-nyan~.”
Haetae’s tone sounded as if to say, ‘You just realized that now?’
Setting Haetae down on the damp ground, I headed toward the garden plot.
Washed clean by the rainwater, the crops glistened as if someone had meticulously polished them.
Looking at the drops of water clinging to the bright red peppers before dripping to the ground, a smile spread across my face unawares.
“Now I think I finally understand why you always had a bright smile whenever you came back smelling so fresh.”
The vivid image of Grandma returned to me—how she could never stop smiling whenever she looked over every single crop in the shop.
“Aren’t you gonna start, nyan?”
Haetae tapped my ankle with a muddy paw and asked.
“Starting right now!”
[Garden Peppers (481/500)] [Garden Peppers (482/500)]
“Are you not going to sleep, nyan?”
“I can sleep when I’m dead.”
“You’re vicious, nyan.”
Mechanically moving my arms, the moment I snapped the stem of the very last pepper, an involuntary shout of joy escaped my lips.
“Waaaaah! It’s finished!”
[Garden Peppers (500/500)]
Along with the notification, I sprawled flat on my back right next to the garden. My fingertips throbbed, and my arms and legs trembled uncontrollably.
[Tutorial: 1. ‘Harvest 500 Garden Peppers’ Completed.]
“Good work, nyan.”
“Thanks.”
“I worked hard too, nyan.”
…All you did was watch from the side, what hard work did you do?
“…What’s next?”
“Coming right up, nyan!”
Revealing the majestic glory of his squishy pink jelly paw, Haetae pressed down on the air, and a semi-transparent window floated up before my eyes.
[Tutorial: 2. Wash the peppers and dry them in the yard. (0%)]
