Chapter 15
Sampling Corner (1)
The place the Starving Ghost had swept through was a complete disaster.
“Now… all that’s left is cleaning up….”
“Can you handle it, nya?”
“You have no idea how fun cleaning can be.”
“You’re the only one in the world who thinks that, nya.”
Carrying the dishes, I walked into the kitchen, only to freeze in shock.
“Wooooow!”
The potatoes I had harvested from the Divine Garden were scattered everywhere.
“How am I supposed to deal with all of this…?”
Each box held about 5 kilograms, and there were seven boxes.
‘That’s enough for nearly 170 servings…’
What was I supposed to do with all these potatoes? Give them away?
These days, people didn’t really appreciate receiving raw ingredients. If I handed them out for free, I might even get criticized.
Even if…
“…I turned all of them into stir-fried potatoes and sold them….”
“They still might not sell, nya.”
“…You’re right.”
Haetae was correct.
Even if the potatoes from the Divine Garden stayed fresh for a long time, very few customers would come just to buy stir-fried potatoes.
“You can’t sell raw ingredients from the Divine Garden to humans, nya. If that were allowed, everyone would start selling Divine Garden produce at the market, nya.”
“Yeah… that makes sense.”
I nodded.
“Then there’s only one option left.”
If I couldn’t sell the ingredients…
“I’ll have to make stir-fried potatoes and give them away.”
“Give them away, nya?”
With a determined expression, I gently stroked Haetae’s chin.
He looked at me suspiciously.
“You think you can make all of that in one day, nya?”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I don’t, nya.”
I confidently nodded.
“I used to cook for over a hundred people.”
Back when I worked in a restaurant, I’d often prepared meals for more than a hundred customers at once.
Compared to that, seven boxes of potatoes were nothing.
“I guess it’s time to open a tasting corner for Hyangsuk’s Side Dish Shop.”
As I washed the dishes and my hands, I began planning.
“A tasting corner, nya?”
“Yeah. Earlier, the status window said Grandma’s old regular customers had started talking about Han Jigu’s cooking.”
“Did it, nya?”
“So there are probably people who don’t trust my cooking yet.”
That was understandable.
Whenever the chef at a restaurant changes, the taste often changes too.
From a customer’s perspective, it was only natural to be skeptical.
“There are humans like that, nya?”
Haetae frowned.
“Are you taking my side?”
“Maybe I am, nya.”
“You’re actually supporting me?”
“I think it’s perfectly normal. I haven’t had a chance to prove my cooking yet.”
Haetae quietly sat beside me.
“Hmm… Humans don’t believe what other people say until they experience it themselves, nya.”
“Exactly.”
“So I’ll let them experience it.”
I rinsed the basket of potatoes with water.
“And stir-fried potatoes aren’t a heavy dish. They’re perfect for a tasting corner.”
There was a reason every supermarket had free samples.
Once people tasted something delicious, their guard naturally came down… and before long, they opened their wallets.
“I thought you only knew how to cook. Turns out you’ve got brains too, nya.”
“So you’re saying I’m usually an idiot?”
Haetae walked over to me.
“In that case… I’ll help you, nya.”
“…What?”
Seeing my confused expression, he answered casually.
“Peel one potato first, nya.”
I quickly peeled one and handed it to him.
“How are you so fast, nya?”
“I’m Korean.”
Haetae lightly tapped the potato with his front paw.
Tap.
The potato instantly sliced itself into perfect French fry-shaped strips.
“You could do that?!”
My eyes widened.
Haetae answered tiredly,
“I’m only doing it because you’re giving the food away for free, nya. Otherwise, I never would have bothered.”
“…Does it use a lot of energy?”
“If I use this power, I have to return to the Divine Garden afterward to recover. It’s pretty exhausting, nya.”
I rolled up my sleeves.
“Thanks for helping.”
Haetae, who had been yawning, glanced at me.
“It’s nothing, nya.”
Then, looking embarrassed, he rubbed his face with his paw.
“Why are you embarrassed?”
“…It’s nothing, nya.”
I chuckled but didn’t press him any further.
If I teased him too much, he’d probably stop helping altogether.
Quietly, I gripped the peeler in my right hand and a potato in my left.
“Alright.”
“Let’s begin.”
I peeled potatoes one after another.
“So fast, nya!”
Haetae stared in amazement while I continued peeling.
The peeled potatoes quickly filled the basket.
Watching me, Haetae thought for a moment before jumping onto the sink.
He carefully washed both front paws before hopping back down.
“You washed your paws?”
“You said hygiene is important, didn’t you, nya?”
“I did.”
Haetae gently tapped another potato.
The potato split apart as smoothly as a breeze.
In the blink of an eye, it transformed into perfectly even potato strips that drifted neatly into the basket.
Each strip was thin, uniform, and flawless.
“…”
I was speechless.
“…This is even more precise than a machine.”
Haetae flicked his paw proudly.
“Of course. It’s me, nya.”
I gave him a thumbs-up.
“That’s my cat.”
“O-Our cat, nya?!”
“Why? You are my cat.”
Haetae narrowed his eyes and sighed.
“Fine, nya. Just make me some stir-fried potatoes later.”
I laughed and nodded.
Just then, while Haetae continued tapping potatoes…
He suddenly lifted his head.
“I smell bread, nya.”
“Bread?”
At that moment—
Knock! Knock!
Someone knocked on the shop door.
Looking outside, I saw Grandma Kim Myung-ja standing there, waving a paper bag.
“Grandma Kim?”
I hurried over and opened the door.
“Grandma, what’s wrong?”
“The bakery finally got its oven installed, so I baked some bread. I brought you some to try.”
She slipped the paper bag onto my wrist.
“What are you doing with a potato in your hand?”
Only then did I realize I had rushed outside while still holding one.
I smiled awkwardly.
“I accidentally ordered too many potatoes, so I’m thinking about opening a tasting corner.”
“A tasting corner?”
“Yes, like the ones at big supermarkets. So… if any of the people you know would like to try some stir-fried potatoes, could you send them over?”
Grandma immediately understood what I meant.
She laughed heartily and lightly smacked my arm.
“I know exactly what you’re trying to do.”
“Wow… you’re quick.”
“A lawyer I know is coming tomorrow.”
“A lawyer?”
“He buys side dishes all the time. I’ll help you gain another regular customer.”
‘This only benefits me…’
“Grandma… I really want to do something for you!”
I blinked rapidly.
She scratched the back of her neck.
“You want to repay me?”
“Yes! Anything you ask!”
Unexpectedly, she smiled.
“Then… can you grant me one favor someday?”
“A favor? What kind?”
She gently brushed the hair off my forehead.
Her rough hands still carried the warm, comforting smell of freshly baked bread.
“Later.”
“Of course! Whatever it is.”
“What if it’s something difficult?”
“I’ll still do it.”
“Then I’ll have to make it a very difficult favor.”
She smiled softly.
“But… can you really do all this by yourself? Want some help?”
“No! I can handle it!”
“That’s good then. I’ll be going.”
“Yes! Take care!”
I watched her walk away.
Then I went back inside and held out my palm toward Haetae.
“For tomorrow’s success.”
“Nya.”
Haetae glanced at me.
Then he quietly raised his pink paw…
…and gave my palm a tiny Nyan Punch.
Oh Jong-hee.
A lawyer famous for being stubborn and having extremely high standards when it came to food.
He had known Grandma Kim Myung-ja for many years.
Because of some business, he stopped by Myung-ja Bakery, where the interior renovations were still underway.
“Grandma Kim, what are you eating?”
The moment he stepped inside, he witnessed a strange sight.
“What else? Stir-fried potatoes.”
Grandma Kim picked up some stir-fried potatoes from a paper cup with her chopsticks and took a bite.
The rich aroma of potatoes browned in oil immediately filled the air.
“That smell…”
Oh Jong-hee unconsciously swallowed.
He wanted to say he wasn’t interested.
But the fluffy potatoes released an irresistible savory fragrance.
The sweetness of the onions mixed with the aroma of the oil, making his empty stomach growl even louder.
“Want to try some?”
Grandma Kim asked with a knowing smile.
“Uh…”
He couldn’t answer.
His lips merely twitched.
“Where did you get this?”
“Hyangsuk’s Side Dish Shop.”
“Hyangsuk’s…?”
The moment he heard the name, his expression changed.
“That’s the shop you complained had a weird sign.”
Grandma Kim grinned as she lifted the paper cup.
“Remember?”
Silently adjusting his glasses, Oh Jong-hee tried to ignore the tempting smell.
But the aroma kept drifting into his nose.
His stomach growled loudly.
“Well, Lawyer Oh Jong-hee… I guess you’re still human after all. I thought you were an AI.”
“That’s enough….”
“If you want some, just eat it.”
“When did I ever say I wanted any?”
“You’ve been saying the side dishes at your usual shop don’t taste the same anymore. Maybe it’s time to find a new favorite.”
“…That’s true.”
Seeing him almost give in, Grandma Kim delivered the final push.
“They’re giving out free samples of stir-fried potatoes. Go try some.”
“Free samples?”
“That’s right. That’s where I got this paper cup.”
“Well… then…”
Before he realized it, Oh Jong-hee was already walking toward Hyangsuk’s Side Dish Shop.
Stopping across the street, he looked up.
“Hyangsuk’s… Side Dish Shop….”
Even from a distance, the signboard was impossible to miss.
The faint aroma of stir-fried potatoes drifted through the cool morning air.
“Should I go… or not?”
After hesitating for quite a while…
He finally made up his mind.
“It’s only a free sample.”
With that, he walked over to the shop.
“We’re offering free samples of our stir-fried potatoes! Come give them a try!”
A bright, cheerful voice greeted him.
On a small table outside the shop sat freshly cooked stir-fried potatoes, still steaming.
The warm aroma tickled his nose.
“Would you like to try some?”
Han Jigu smiled warmly and offered him a paper cup.
Oh Jong-hee was about to refuse.
But at that exact moment…
Grrr…
His stomach growled so loudly that he nearly lost his balance.
“These were just cooked, so they’re delicious! Please give them a try!”
“Then… I’ll just have a taste.”
