Chapter 3
Hyangsuk’s Side-Dish Shop (3)
“So all I have to do is harvest the 500 chili peppers shown in the window?”
“That’s right, meow.”
Five hundred.
I walked over to the chili patch and stopped in front of the wooden sign labeled Chili Peppers. Bright red peppers hung from the plants in thick clusters.
“But… how do I harvest them?”
“You don’t even know that, meow?”
“I mean… sort of.”
Embarrassed by Haetae’s jab, I scratched the back of my head. Kitchen work was one thing, but I’d never worked in a vegetable garden before.
Haetae looked at me as if I were hopeless before lightly tapping my calf with his tail.
“You either cut them with scissors or snap the stem off by hand, meow. Since we don’t have scissors, I’ll teach you how to do it by hand.”
Pointing a paw at a ripe red pepper, he continued,
“Grab that one and bend the stem upward slightly, meow.”
Following his instructions, I bent the stem upward.
Snap!
With a crisp little pop, the pepper came free and landed neatly in my hand.
I stared at it for a moment before raising it up.
It was the first thing I had ever harvested in my life.
A quiet sense of accomplishment welled up inside me.
Ding!
A translucent window appeared before my eyes.
Garden Chili Peppers (1/500)
“Oh! A notification popped up!”
“Now take a closer look at the pepper, meow. You’ll notice something.”
“Notice what?”
I focused on the chili pepper in my hand.
Another translucent window appeared.
Delicious Chili Pepper (Grade A)
My eyes widened.
“What is this? A quality grade?”
“You can now see the quality and condition of every ingredient, meow.”
“Not just the ones here?”
“Can I see the quality of ingredients at grocery stores or markets too?”
Haetae silently nodded.
Only then did I understand why Grandma never needed to ask vendors questions at the market.
She would simply pick up exactly what she wanted without hesitation.
She could see all of this…
For a chef…
This ability was nothing short of a blessing from heaven.
Curious, I picked another pepper.
Garden Chili Peppers (2/500)
This time only the harvest notification appeared.
There was no quality window.
“If you stop performing good deeds, you’ll lose this ability, meow.”
“That’s a shame.”
Losing something this useful would be painful.
“Try looking again, meow.”
“Again?”
“I still can’t see it.”
“You haven’t cleared the tutorial yet, meow. Until then, it’ll only appear randomly.”
“So once I finish the tutorial, I’ll always be able to see it?”
“Smart, meow!”
There was no reason to hesitate anymore.
I tightly tied my long hair back with a hair tie.
Watching my determined expression, Haetae let out a quiet chuckle.
“Looks like you’ll be picking all five hundred today, meow.”
After yawning, Haetae wandered over to the soft grass beside the garden, curled up comfortably, and settled into the classic cat “loaf” position.
He clearly intended to sit back and watch.
“Go ahead, meow.”
I nodded and turned toward the pepper field.
*
Who would’ve thought repetitive work could be this exhausting?
Only…
Garden Chili Peppers (105/500)
I’d picked just over a hundred peppers.
The spicy oils had seeped into my fingertips, leaving them burning and sore.
My arms ached so badly that even lifting them hurt.
Has my stamina really gotten this terrible?
I really should’ve kept exercising.
Straightening my back, I glanced at Haetae.
The little guy had found the sunniest spot imaginable and was peacefully taking a nap, stretched out like a person enjoying a sunbath.
Growl…
My stomach rumbled loudly.
Embarrassed, I coughed into my fist.
Several hours had passed.
No wonder I was starving.
“Maybe I’ll make something with those canola greens first…”
I swallowed as I looked at the bundle I’d picked earlier.
“What are you going to cook, meow?”
Wait…
You weren’t asleep?
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
Why would a cat be interested in human food?
Don’t tell me…
“You want some too?”
“Why shouldn’t I, meow?”
Isn’t that obvious?
Cats aren’t supposed to eat human food.
“You’re a cat. How can you eat people food?”
“I eat human cooking too, meow.”
Apparently understanding exactly what I was thinking, Haetae puffed himself up.
“Did you seriously think I only eat cat food, meow?!”
“Well… you’re still a cat.”
Wasn’t that how cats worked?
“I’ll be fine, meow.”
Haetae gracefully stood and padded over before tapping my leg with one soft paw.
“Now.”
“Carry me to the kitchen, meow.”
Unbelievable.
Still, I dusted the dirt from my hands and picked him up.
“Hurry, meow!”
“Yes, yes. Right away, Your Divine Beast.”
Carrying the cat in my arms, I walked back through the door into the shop.
The moment we entered, Haetae wrinkled his nose and covered it with a paw.
“There’s dust everywhere, meow!”
“I haven’t cleaned everything yet.”
He glanced around the floor before looking back at me.
“Put me down, meow.”
“Here you go.”
I gently set him on the floor.
Then another thought crossed my mind.
Should I really let an animal into the kitchen?
Food safety came first.
Especially in a restaurant.
If cat hair got into the food…
“Haetae.”
I called after him as he casually explored the shop.
“Do you shed?”
His tail slammed against the floor.
“Bend down, meow.”
“Huh?”
I crouched until we were eye level.
Smack!
Without warning, Haetae jumped up and smacked me across the cheek with one paw.
“Are you treating me like some ordinary animal, meow?”
“Well… you do look like an adorable cat.”
“Hmph.”
“I don’t shed.”
“So stop worrying, meow.”
“Really?”
“Hmph.”
“I’m a divine beast.”
“I don’t lose fur.”
“If you don’t believe me…”
“Go ahead and pet me.”
I ran a hand along his back.
His fur was unbelievably soft.
Not a single hair came off.
None stuck to my hand.
None floated through the air.
“That’s… actually incredible.”
“…It’s been a long time since someone treated me like this, meow.”
Haetae sounded oddly drained.
I couldn’t help smiling.
“Alright.”
Standing back up, I grinned.
“I’ll make you some seasoned canola greens.”
“Not I’ll make you some…”
“You must make me some, meow!”
I tightened my ponytail again before wiping away the dust around the kitchen.
Then I pulled my chef’s knife from my bag.
“It’s been a while.”
Although I hadn’t held a knife in months…
My body remembered everything.
I placed it on the cutting board.
Then dumped the canola greens into the sink.
A fresh fragrance filled the room.
Another status window appeared.
Golden Canola Touched by Stardust (Grade S)
S Rank?
Even higher than A?
No time to dwell on it.
I filled a pot with water and placed it on the stove.
While waiting for it to boil, I began preparing the greens.
Canola greens—also called winter greens—become tough if the stems are too thick.
As I washed them, I carefully removed the thicker stalks.
Fresh vitality seemed to flow through my fingertips.
By the time I finished trimming them…
The water was boiling vigorously.
I grabbed some sea salt from the shelf and dissolved it into the pot.
Time to cook.
“In you go.”
I dropped the greens into the boiling water.
Once they turned a deep emerald green, I scooped them out immediately.
After rinsing them in cold water to stop the cooking process, I squeezed out the excess moisture.
Let’s see if they’re done properly.
Pressing one stem with my thumbnail…
Perfect.
“So…”
“The seasoning…”
Should I use soybean paste?
Or soy sauce?
Soybean paste would give a deep, hearty flavor.
Soy sauce would be cleaner and more savory.
“Soybean paste today.”
The seasoning itself was simple.
Into a mixing bowl went the greens.
Then soybean paste.
Minced garlic.
Red pepper flakes.
Using my hands, I gently massaged everything together.
Finally, I sprinkled toasted sesame seeds over the top…
Then finished it with a single drizzle of sesame oil.
A rich, nutty aroma instantly filled the kitchen.
“Hmm…”
If only I’d had some chopped green onions…
That would’ve made it perfect.
But with how hungry I was…
That was a luxury.
“Done!”
Near the front entrance, Haetae—who had been lazily sunbathing—perked up his ears.
“The seasoned greens are ready, meow?”
“Yep.”
“I used soybean paste.”
I scooped a small portion into a separate bowl for him.
“Want to taste it?”
Haetae licked it first.
Then stuffed the whole bite into his mouth.
After chewing thoughtfully for a while…
“It’s delicious, meow!”
“But I’m on Team Soy Sauce.”
“…Really?”
“The soybean paste version is good.”
“But soy sauce tastes even better, meow.”
“I’ll make it that way next time.”
Apparently this cat preferred soy sauce.
I quickly piled a generous helping onto a bowl of steaming rice and took a huge bite.
How long had it been since I’d eaten a proper meal?
For the past year…
I’d lived on convenience-store food, eating only to fill my stomach.
“Yes…”
This is it.
It felt as though spring itself had burst inside my mouth.
The fragrant greens…
Their crisp texture…
The deep savoriness of the soybean paste…
Everything blended into a gentle bitterness that lingered pleasantly.
Grandma…
It tasted remarkably similar to the canola greens she used to make.
Not exactly the same.
But the warmth beneath the flavor…
That was identical.
The more I chewed…
The more deeply I felt the emptiness she’d left behind.
…Can I really do this?
Could I honor Grandma’s name…
Using ingredients this incredible…
And fill people’s hearts through food?
Just as fear threatened to creep in—
“Meow, meow, meow!”
Haetae whined for another serving.
I burst into laughter.
Right.
I wasn’t alone.
“I’ll heat up some instant rice for you.”
“Aren’t you eating more, meow?”
“I still have peppers to harvest.”
“I thought you’d take a break, meow.”
As I put a microwaveable bowl of rice into the microwave, I smiled.
“Break?”
“Not a chance.”
I mimicked Haetae’s speech.
His face instantly scrunched up.
“Don’t copy the way I talk, meow.”
I handed him the hot rice and sat down.
“Here.”
“Eat.”
“When you’re done…”
“Come back to the garden with me?”
“Hm, meow?”
“I don’t want to be there by myself.”
“It’s kind of scary.”
Pretending to be reluctant, Haetae buried his face in the bowl.
The soybean paste stuck to his cheeks looked so ridiculous that I laughed again.
*
I put on a fresh pair of gloves and picked Haetae up.
“Let’s go.”
Time to finish the tutorial.
The moment we stepped back through the rear door…
The scent of fresh rain drifted through the air.
“It rains here too?”
Haetae glanced at me.
“This place has weather too, meow.”
“So it really rains here.”
“That’s right, meow.”
Looking at the innocent orange tabby, I couldn’t resist rubbing under his chin.
“Just wait a little, meow.”
“…Amazing.”
“Meow~”
His tone practically said, You only figured that out now?
I set him down on the damp ground.
Rain had washed every crop clean.
They sparkled as though someone had carefully polished each leaf.
The droplets hanging from the ripe red peppers slowly fell to the earth.
Without realizing it…
I smiled.
“So this is why Grandma always came back smelling like fresh plants…”
“And why she’d smile every time.”
I could picture her standing in the shop…
Looking over every vegetable with quiet happiness.
“Not starting yet, meow?”
Haetae tapped my ankle with a muddy paw.
“Right.”
“Let’s do this.”
*
Garden Chili Peppers (481/500)
Garden Chili Peppers (482/500)
“You aren’t going to sleep, meow?”
“I can sleep when I’m dead.”
“That’s intense, meow.”
Moving my arms almost mechanically…
I snapped off the stem of the very last pepper.
The moment it came free—
I shouted without thinking.
“Yessss!”
“I’m finally done!”
Garden Chili Peppers (500/500)
The notification appeared.
I immediately collapsed onto the grass beside the garden, spread out like a starfish.
My fingertips throbbed.
My arms and legs trembled uncontrollably.
Tutorial Complete!
Harvest 500 Garden Chili Peppers
“Good work, meow.”
“Thanks.”
“I worked hard too, meow.”
…
You just watched the whole time.
“What next?”
“We’re moving on immediately, meow!”
Haetae dramatically pressed one soft pink paw into the air.
A new translucent window appeared.
Tutorial 2: Wash the Chili Peppers and Dry Them in the Courtyard (0%)
