Chapter 7
Grand Opening (1)
“Wake up! Wake up! You have to get up! You’re the hero of South Korea!”
The alarm blared at 5:00 a.m., and my eyes flew open.
“Today’s the first day…!”
I jumped out of bed, rushed to the sink, and quickly washed the sleep from my face.
After changing into fresh clothes, I stopped in front of my grandmother’s framed photo in the living room.
“Grandma, I’m heading out!”
The moment I arrived at the shop, I went straight to the back door and tied the black apron that my customer had given me around my waist.
“Hup!”
I gave myself a quick pep talk and took a deep breath. The apron had obviously been washed before she gave it to me—the warm scent of fabric softener somehow calmed my nerves.
Alright… Let’s do this.
As soon as I entered the pocket dimension, the now-familiar fresh scent of grass welcomed me.
The gray cat statue hadn’t moved, which meant Haetae was probably still asleep. I quietly crouched beside the garden and checked the note I’d written on my phone the night before.
Opening Day Menu
-
Seasoned bean sprouts
-
Spicy shredded radish
-
Stir-fried or seasoned aster greens
-
Stir-fried zucchini
-
Braised beef (jangjorim)
-
Salad sandwiches
Since it was opening day, I planned a menu centered around simple side dishes that almost everyone liked.
“What are you doing, nya?”
“Oh. When did you get here?”
“I’ve been here the whole time, nya.”
Before I knew it, Haetae was beside me, lightly tapping my knee with his tail.
“Perfect timing. Don’t you grow bean sprouts in this pocket dimension?”
“Follow me, nya.”
Haetae slowly walked beyond the vegetable garden, and I followed after him.
“…Here?”
We arrived at a secluded corner hidden from the main garden.
A row of suspicious-looking black containers sat neatly lined up.
“These are where the bean sprouts are grown, nya.”
Haetae casually tapped one of the containers with his paw.
Something shiny rolled out from inside.
“Huh?! A frog?!”
Startled, I took a step back.
Looking closer, they weren’t ordinary frogs but tiny green tree frogs no bigger than my thumbnail. They sat huddled together quietly, staring up at me with glossy black eyes.
“…Those frogs grow the bean sprouts?”
“They do, nya. They eat the bean sprout husks and moss.”
Haetae nodded.
“Can they talk like you?”
“They can’t, nya.”
“I see… It would’ve been cute if they could.”
The frogs puffed out their round cheeks as if trying to speak and croaked happily.
“They say you can take the bean sprouts now, nya.”
“Got it!”
I pulled on my work gloves and lifted the black cloth covering the container.
A cool, fresh scent of water drifted out.
Beneath it were dazzling white, plump bean sprouts.
Croak!
Croak, croak!
The frogs puffed out their chests proudly, as if showing off the bean sprouts they had raised.
And they all stared at me with sparkling eyes.
“W-Wow! These look incredibly fresh! You all did an amazing job!”
The moment I praised them, they burst into cheerful croaks, almost like they were singing in harmony.
…They’re adorable.
The largest frog suddenly hopped right in front of me.
“Huh? Haetae, what’s it doing?”
“They’re curious what delicious dish their bean sprouts will become. It’s asking you to make something tasty, nya.”
As if to confirm it, the little frog nodded vigorously and thumped its chest with its tiny front legs.
“So… what should I make~?”
When I jokingly dragged out my words, Haetae shot me a glare.
He slowly raised one chubby paw, his claws gleaming threateningly.
“Quit fooling around and harvest them already, nya!”
I hurriedly pulled out several handfuls of bean sprouts.
Each time I did, status windows appeared before my eyes.
[Delicious Bean Sprouts (A)]
[Bean Sprouts Bathed in Dawn Dew (S)]
[Delicious Bean Sprouts (A)]
Not a single B-rank…?
Just how incredible are these?
“You frogs are seriously amazing!”
At my praise, the frogs immediately lined up in front of me, hopping into formation.
“Why are you all gathering like this? It’s kind of intimidating.”
“No one has come to harvest bean sprouts for a long time, nya. They’re asking you to visit more often.”
“That’s… kind of cute.”
Apparently satisfied, the frogs dispersed.
Some climbed the sides of the containers while others burrowed back into the bean sprouts.
“So you’re only selling basic side dishes?” Haetae asked.
“I don’t even know what the neighborhood customers like yet. It’d be risky to put out all kinds of random dishes.”
If I filled the display with too many things, it could easily backfire.
It was smarter to see what customers liked first and gradually expand the menu.
“But what’s this ‘salad sandwich,’ nya?”
“You looked at my notes?”
“Your phone was lying on the ground. It was impossible not to, nya.”
Embarrassed, I scratched the back of my neck.
“I was thinking about making Grandma’s salad sandwiches… but I wasn’t sure.”
I’d always wanted to sell the sandwiches Grandma used to make for me.
They were simple and delicious.
“The fact you’re asking means… you want to eat one, don’t you?”
“No, nya!”
“Sure you don’t.”
Chuckling, I returned to the garden and harvested the remaining vegetables.
Only one ingredient was left.
Radishes.
“Why are there so many kinds of radishes here?!”
I couldn’t help shouting.
“You can grow all of these?”
“You can grow any crop in this garden, nya. That’s how the others are grown too.”
I stared blankly at the countless varieties.
Sure, different radishes were grown in different seasons…
But I never expected every variety to exist here.
As I examined them, one sign caught my eye.
Japanese Radish
Long and slender.
The type commonly used for making pickled radish.
“Even Japanese radishes?”
“Those are the hardest to grow, nya.”
“They’re usually grown only for factory suppliers.”
It wasn’t something ordinary consumers ever saw.
Still, sightseeing could wait.
I picked up a Korean radish instead—the one I’d actually use for cooking.
Pop!
“Whoa… Why is this thing so huge?”
It was thicker than my forearm and almost twice as long.
[Exquisite Korean Radish (A)]
A radish this enormous and high-quality is only A-rank?
This place is insane.
Just imagining cooking with ingredients like these made my mouth water.
“Aren’t you going to start cooking, nya?”
Haetae’s voice snapped me back to reality.
I quickly harvested a few more radishes and hurried back to the shop.
***
“Alright!”
I carefully poured all the vegetables I’d harvested into the sink.
As clean water flowed over them, every vegetable seemed to come alive with vibrant color.
I glanced at the clock.
6:00 a.m.
“Can I place an order now?”
They had said they’d contact me first…
But I hadn’t heard a thing.
And I didn’t exactly have time to wait.
I pulled a gray, scale-patterned notepad from the counter drawer.
Its surface shimmered faintly like fish scales.
“Let’s see… what do I need?”
Thankfully, I already had enough seasonings.
-
5 kg peeled quail eggs
-
3 trays of eggs
-
2 kg peeled garlic
-
400 g beef chuck flap
-
600 g beef eye of round
I scribbled the list onto the notepad and slid it into the bottom compartment of the refrigerator.
“That should do it… right?”
Just in case something exploded, I cautiously stepped back about a meter.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
This time, it sounded like someone was kicking the door instead of knocking.
The lower compartment slowly creaked open.
I cautiously peeked inside.
“Oh… they’re here.”
The groceries were stacked neatly in the back.
As I reached in to grab them, translucent status windows filled the air.
[Freshly Laid Special Quail Eggs (S)]
[Freshly Laid Special Eggs (S)]
[Special Garlic That Boosts Immunity (S)]
[Premium 1++ Special Beef Chuck Flap (S)]
[Premium 1++ Special Eye of Round (S)]
“…Everything is S-rank?”
Every single ingredient looked flawless.
Absolute top quality.
…This feels suspicious.
There’s no way they’d hand out things this valuable so easily.
Nothing in life was free—
Especially not when dealing with beings that clearly weren’t human.
As I pondered this, I remembered Lee Jutaek’s bright smile.
He had spoken kindly about Grandma…
Maybe I was overthinking it.
Then something on the refrigerator floor caught my eye.
A note.
Written hastily in red pen.
Hey?
6 a.m.?
What kind of manners are those?
“…Oops.”
Maybe 6 a.m. really had been too early.
I carefully wrote a polite reply.
Yes.
I’m Hyangsook’s granddaughter.
I’ll be more careful next time.
Less than three seconds later—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The compartment flew open, and the notebook fluttered into the air.
LOL.
Delivery hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Use the notebook during those hours.
Also, someone from the company will contact you soon.
Don’t freak out. lol
Oh yeah.
Since today’s your grand opening,
we only gave you S-rank ingredients.
Don’t expect this next time.
So it’s because today’s opening day…
That explained it.
…But what’s with this smug way of talking?
Well…
I had been the one at fault.
So I politely wrote back.
K.
Looking at the neatly written reply, I smiled in satisfaction and slipped the notebook back into the refrigerator.
Time to start cooking.
There wasn’t a second to waste.
***
10:00 a.m.
By the time the pale dawn had given way to bright morning sunlight streaming through the windows…
Everything was finally ready.
I’d spent five nonstop hours cleaning vegetables and preparing side dishes.
Today’s preparations are finished…
Looking at the display cases filled with food, I felt both proud…
and nervous.
The shop had been closed for a long time.
Would any customers actually come?
“Why does a side-dish shop have tables and chairs, nya?”
Turning toward the familiar voice, I saw Haetae walking into the shop with one paw raised.
“Oh, you’re here.”
“I came to eat, nya.”
I couldn’t help laughing.
“What do you want?”
“Salad sandwich, nya!”
“I haven’t made those yet.”
“You said you were going to!”
“I ran out of time!”
“Hurry up! I’m hungry, nya!”
Before I knew it, Haetae had climbed onto my back and claimed my shoulder.
He enthusiastically messed up my hair with his paws until I finally surrendered.
“Alright, alright! I’ll make them!”
Instead of sliced bread, I took out small, round dinner rolls.
“Not sandwich bread, nya?”
“Nope. Grandma always made them with these before I went to school. They’re unbelievably good.”
They were firmer than regular bread, so they didn’t become soggy after being filled with salad.
I poured a little cooking oil into a frying pan and waited for it to heat.
“No butter, nya?”
“Nope. Grandma’s sandwiches were famous for their light, clean flavor. Just wait.”
I placed the rolls onto the hot pan.
“Nyaaaaa?!”
The rich aroma of toasted bread instantly triggered Haetae’s appetite.
“While that’s toasting!”
I mixed together mayonnaise, ketchup, and a little sugar to make a sweet and tangy sauce.
Then I took out the cabbage and carrots I’d already washed.
Status windows appeared.
[Cabbage Infused with the Energy of the Earth (S)]
[Delicious Carrot (A)]
“Ooh…?”
As I admired the status windows, one detail caught my attention.
The S-rank chili powder had been described as being infused with the power of the sun.
Then maybe this works too…?
Tip!
The window flashed.
[Ingredient TIP!]
Target Species: Human
Consumption Method: Any dish made with cabbage
Effect: Reduces sugar absorption by 100% upon consumption.
“Wait a second.”
Reduces sugar by 100%?
“Isn’t this basically a zero-sugar salad sandwich?!”
