The alarm announcing 5 a.m. made my eyes open wide.
“The first day…!”
I jumped out of bed, ran to the sink, and quickly washed my face to remove the sleepiness.
I changed clothes right away and went to the living room. I greeted the framed photo of Grandmother.
“Grandmother, I am going now!”
When I reached the shop I went straight to the back door. I tightly tied the black apron that a customer had given me the day before around my waist.
“Hahp!”
I made a short determined sound and took a deep breath. The soft smell of fabric softener, maybe from one wash, made me feel calm without noticing.
Alright! Let’s start.
When I entered the subspace the familiar fresh smell of grass welcomed me.
The gray stone cat statue was still the same, so Haetae seemed to be sleeping. I quietly sat down in front of the vegetable garden and checked the note I had written in my phone memo app last night: Shop Opening Day Menu!
- Seasoned bean sprouts
- Seasoned radish
- Stir-fried or seasoned chwinamul
- Stir-fried zucchini
- Jangjorim
plus Salad sandwich
Because it was the first day I chose only the most basic side dishes that everyone likes.
“What are you doing, nya?”
“Oh, when did you come?”
“I was here from earlier, nya.”
Haetae lightly touched my knee with his tail.
“Good. Don’t you grow bean sprouts in the subspace?”
“Follow me, nya.”
Haetae started walking slowly past the vegetable garden. I carefully followed him.
“…Here?”
We reached a corner of the garden that was hard to notice. There were many suspicious black containers in a line.
“These are the containers where bean sprouts are grown, nya.”
Haetae lightly touched one black container with his front paw. Something shiny like a jade bead with dew rolled out.
“Huk— a frog?!”
I was surprised and stepped back. Looking closely I saw tiny tree frogs the size of a fingernail sitting quietly together. They only looked up at me with black jewel-like eyes.
“…These frogs are growing the bean sprouts?”
“Yes, nya. They eat the bean sprout skins and moss, nya.”
Haetae nodded once.
“Can they talk like you?”
“They cannot speak, nya.”
“I see… It would be cute if they could talk.”
The frogs puffed their round cheeks and made soft gge-gul gge-gul sounds as if trying to say something.
“They say you can take the bean sprouts now, nya.”
“Okay! I understand.”
I took the gloves from my apron pocket and put them on. Then I removed the black cloth covering the containers. A cool clean water smell came out and very white plump bean sprouts appeared.
Gge-gul!
Gge-gul gge-gul…!
The frogs patted their small chests proudly as if showing the sprouts they grew and looked at me with sparkling eyes.
“W-wow! They look so fresh! You all grew them very well.”
When I praised them the frogs became happy and made sounds together.
…They are cute.
The biggest looking one jumped right in front of me.
“Hm? Haetae, why is this one doing that?”
“They are curious what delicious food the bean sprouts they carefully grew will become, nya. So they are asking you to cook them deliciously, nya.”
The small frog nodded hard and patted its chest two more times with its front feet as if agreeing.
“What kind of food should I make~?”
When I spoke in a playful way Haetae looked at me a little angrily. He raised his plump front paw and showed his claws as a warning.
“Stop playing and pick them quickly, nya!”
I quickly pulled several handfuls of bean sprouts. Status windows kept appearing in front of my eyes.
Delicious Bean Sprouts (A)
Bean Sprouts Holding the Morning Dew (S)
Delicious Bean Sprouts (A)
There was not even one B rank.
How high quality are these?
“You frogs are the best!”
When I said that the frogs jumped and lined up in front of me.
“Why are you gathering so much?”
“For a long time no one came to pick bean sprouts, nya. They are asking you to come often, nya.”
“They are cute……”
After finishing their work some frogs climbed the container walls and some went back between the sprouts.
“Are you only going to sell basic side dishes, nya?”
“I still do not know the local customers’ tastes. It feels strange to put out many different things right away, right?”
If I put many side dishes without thinking it could have a bad effect.
It was better to see the customers’ reactions first and slowly add the popular ones.
“But what is a salad sandwich, nya?”
“Did you see what I wrote?”
“Your phone was on the floor, nya. So I could not help looking, nya.”
I felt a little embarrassed and scratched the back of my neck.
“Actually I wanted to try making a salad sandwich but I was still deciding.”
I wanted to sell the salad sandwiches that Grandmother sometimes made for me. They were also simple to make.
“From the way you ask, you want to eat a salad sandwich, right?”
“No, nya!”
“Sure.”
I smiled a little and went back to the vegetable garden. I harvested the crops needed for the side dishes one by one.
Finally I had to pull the radishes…
“Why are there so many radishes in the garden?!”
When I saw all the different kinds of radishes in the garden I was surprised.
“Can you grow all of these?”
“In the vegetable garden you can grow any crop, nya. Other crops are also grown that way, nya.”
I looked at the radishes in disbelief.
Usually different types are grown in different seasons, but I never thought so many kinds would be here.
I carefully checked the radish types and found a sign for Japanese radish.
It was long and thin. This kind is usually used for danmuji.
“There is Japanese radish too.”
“This one is the hardest to grow, nya.”
“This radish is almost only for factories, right?”
Ordinary people rarely see this type so it was more interesting. But that was enough looking.
I chose the Joseon radish that I would really use for side dishes and pulled it with a ppok sound.
Then—
“What kind of radish is this strong?”
It was thicker and longer than my arm. Almost twice the size.
Exquisitely Flavored Joseon Radish (A)
A radish this big and good quality was only A rank? Unbelievable. Thinking about cooking with such ingredients made me hungry.
“Are you not going to cook, nya?”
Haetae’s words made me come back to my senses. I quickly pulled a few more and ran to the shop.
…
“…There!”
I carefully poured the crops from the garden into the sink. Under the running water the vegetables showed their colors and looked fresh.
I looked up at the wall clock.
6 a.m.
“Is it okay to order now?”
They said they would contact me first but there was still no news. And I did not have much time!
I took the gray scale-patterned memo pad from the counter drawer. The surface shone a little like fish skin when my fingers touched it.
“The ingredients I need are…”
Luckily the seasonings were enough.
Peeled quail eggs 5 kg
Eggs three cartons
Peeled garlic 2 kg
Beef blade 400 g
Beef eye of round 600 g
I wrote the list quickly and put the memo pad inside the lower door of the refrigerator.
“This should be fine, right?”
I was a little worried something might explode so I checked from one meter away.
Bang bang bang bang!
This time it sounded like someone was kicking hard with feet, not hands. Then the lower door slowly opened.
I carefully bent down and looked inside.
Oh, they are there.
When I reached my hand to take the ingredients that were deep inside, a half-transparent window appeared in the air.
Freshly Laid Special Quail Eggs (S)
Freshly Laid Special Eggs (S)
Special Garlic Good for Immunity (S)
Delicious 1++ Special Beef Blade (S)
1++ Special Beef Eye of Round (S)
“…All of them are S rank?”
Every one looked so perfect that it almost hurt the eyes. Truly the highest quality ingredients. But no matter how I thought it felt strange.
There is no way they would give these so easily.
Nothing in the world is free, especially if the other side does not seem fully human.
While I was thinking the bright smile of Lee Ju-taek came to my mind.
Remembering his nice smile and the good things he said about Grandmother, I felt there should not be any big problem.
I was lost in thought when something on the refrigerator floor suddenly caught my eye.
It was a strange and a little scary memo written with red ballpoint pen.
Hey?
6 a.m.?
What kind of manners is that?
…Oh. Six in the morning was too early.
I carefully wrote a polite reply letter by letter.
Yes, this is Hyang-suk’s granddaughter.
I will not do it again next time.
In less than three seconds—
Bang bang bang bang!
The door opened and the memo pad flew into the air.
Ah lol
Delivery hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Contact with the memo pad then
And the company will contact you soon
Wait and do not be surprised lol
And
Because it is the shop opening day I only gave S rank
Do not expect the same next time
Because it is the shop opening day…
I understood but what was this arrogant way of speaking?
Still I was the one who made the mistake so I stayed polite.
Yes
I looked at the neat circle drawn on the memo pad and smiled with satisfaction. I put the memo back in the lower part and brushed my hands.
Time to make the side dishes.
There was no time.
…
10 a.m.
The faint dawn feeling was completely gone and sunlight was coming through the windows when all preparations were finished.
From preparing the vegetables to cooking the side dishes I had moved without rest for five hours.
With this today’s business preparation is complete but…
Looking at the display filled with side dishes I felt proud but also worried if any customers would come to a shop that had been closed for a long time.
“Why does a side dish shop have tables and chairs, nya?”
When I heard the familiar voice I turned my head. Haetae came into the shop raising one front paw.
“Oh, Haetae you came.”
“I came to eat, nya.”
His confident attitude made me laugh.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Salad sandwich, nya!”
“I have not made that yet?”
“You said you would make it, nya!”
“I did not have time, time!”
“Make it quickly, nya! I am hungry, nya!”
Before I knew it Haetae climbed on my back and sat on my shoulder. He messed my hair with his front paws so much that I finally raised my hands and gave up.
“Ah, okay! I will make it, okay! I will make it!”
I took out not sliced bread but small round morning rolls from the refrigerator.
“That is not sliced bread, nya?”
“Yes. Grandmother always made it with these when I went to school so I could eat something simple. They are so delicious.”
They were harder than sliced bread so when filled with salad they did not become soft. I liked that.
I put a little cooking oil in the frying pan and waited for it to heat.
“You are not using butter, nya?”
“No. Grandmother’s sandwiches taste best when they are light and clean. Just wait.”
I put the bread on the slightly heated pan.
“Nyaaaaaa~?!”
The good smell that came out while the bread was toasting strongly stimulated Haetae’s appetite.
“While this is cooking!”
First I mixed a little mayonnaise, ketchup and sugar to make a sweet and sour sauce.
Then when I took out the already washed cabbage and carrots status windows appeared.
Cabbage Holding the Earth’s Energy (S)
Delicious Carrot (A)
“Oh…?”
I was looking at the windows with surprise when one sentence caught my eyes. Even the S rank chili peppers were named for holding the energy of the sun.
Then maybe this one too? Tip!
The moment I thought that a window sparkled and appeared.
Ingredient TIP!
Target race: Human
Consumption method: Any dish made with cabbage
Effect: Reduces sugar by 100 percent when eaten
“Wait a second.”
Sugar reduced by 100 percent?
“It is a zero sugar salad sandwich!”
