06.
06.
Ganghun thought the customer was lying.
Rubbing his eyes as if he couldn't believe the numbers on the digital scale.
"Whoa? That customer was right?"
A bottle of beer in the evening with his younger brothers, together with a chef's daily routine that reads as labor though written as exercise.
A bottle of wine before bed.
In the past, he used to gain more than three kilograms a month.
Ganghun looked in the mirror.
"Now that I think about it..."
He confirmed that his jawline had become sharper and his facial contours more defined.
Ever since Sihu started making the staff meals, his stomach had strangely been at ease.
Ganghun had always suffered from bloating while tasting food bit by bit before serving it to customers.
Realizing that the bloated feeling had disappeared at some point, Ganghun tilted his head slightly.
The skin breakouts that had been red and inflamed were gone.
"Is it because I've been eating Sihu's food?"
Ganghun's gaze changed curiously.
**
Tok- took-
Sihu went down to the garden carrying a basket and harvested beans along with the vegetables.
Korean cuisine is sometimes called a cuisine of devotion.
Each time his hands passed over them, the ingredients were neatly trimmed.
After harvesting a full basket of beans, he went up to the kitchen and soaked them.
The water used to soak the beans was also drawn from the garden pump.
While the beans were soaking, Sihu went out to the yard.
"I should pull the napa cabbage and radishes before it gets too late."
Sihu came out with a kitchen knife, stabbed the base of the napa cabbage, then twisted and turned it.
Shhk-
It was a napa cabbage with good seeds, so the inside was packed tight.
Sihu pulled the napa cabbage and radishes and came inside.
'There aren't many heads, so should I pickle them right away?'
After thinking briefly, he made cuts at the base of the napa cabbage and split it slightly with his hands.
He made the cuts so the salt would penetrate better.
He poured salt into a large basin and made brine.
He dissolved salt in warm water, then rubbed it evenly over the napa cabbage and stood the heads upright.
This was so they would pickle a little better.
"The cabbage is set. Now I need to make the seasoning."
Sihu moved quickly.
He put ingredients from the garden into the blender, prepared the seasoning, and tasted it by dipping his finger.
"Huh? What's this?"
A spiciness and umami he had never felt before came from the seasoning.
He thought that once the cabbage was pickled and the kimchi was stored, it would surely be delicious.
"For the cabbage to pickle..."
Sihu looked at the clock.
The clock was already nearing midnight.
After quickly cleaning the kitchen, Sihu showered and then came into his room to lie down.
Before sleeping.
He looked at his parents' photo and greeted them.
"Good night."
**
Swish- swish-
He evenly coated the pickled cabbage with the prepared seasoning, shaped it neatly, and put it in a container.
It was only a few heads of kimchi.
Sihu checked the clock and gulped down a cup of barley tea.
"Phew-"
These days, Sihu's daily routine began with waking up and going to the basement garden under the master bedroom.
When he breathed in the fresh air, all of yesterday's fatigue seemed to melt away.
Then he drew well water from a corner of the garden into a bucket and came back up.
After finishing all the housework, he went to work at [SeeYou].
When he opened the door, Ganghun and Hayun were talking in a corner.
"Hello!"
At Sihu's greeting, the two welcomed him with smiling faces.
"Welcome."
"Sihu, you're here?"
After greeting them, as Sihu headed to the changing room to change clothes, Hayun approached.
Hayun came up to Sihu and asked quietly.
"Sihu. Where did you buy those ingredients you bring?"
"Uh... well..."
At Hayun's question, Sihu's pupils moved slightly to the right.
'I can't tell him it's from the basement garden...'
Hayun wore a curious expression.
Sihu decided to evade the question.
"There's a vegetable vendor my parents told me about. They deliver early in the morning."
"...Hmm, really?"
"Yes."
Sihu answered briefly and turned away before more questions could be asked.
Hayun watched Sihu's behavior and tilted his head slightly.
When Sihu entered the kitchen, Ganghun asked while cleaning a frying pan.
"Sihu. I'm going to make the staff meal today. Is there anything you want to eat?"
Sihu said what he had wanted to eat.
He mentioned one menu item he had been eyeing.
"I want spicy shrimp pasta."
"Okay, got it. Hayun! What about you?"
Hayun's answer came from the hall where he was preparing to greet customers.
"The same as Sihu!"
"Huh? So you want spicy shrimp pasta too?"
"Yes!"
Ganghun put pasta noodles into the boiling pot and took shrimp out of the refrigerator.
Sihu took in Ganghun's movements and actions with his eyes.
Watching Ganghun cook alone was a great learning experience for Sihu.
Ganghun glanced at Sihu while cooking.
'Look at that kid's eyes sparkling.'
Ganghun quickly made the spicy shrimp pasta and plated it.
"Let's take it over."
"Yes."
While the three of them were eating, they glanced at Sihu.
"Sihu. About those ingredients you bring."
At Ganghun's words, Sihu choked on the pasta as he tried to swallow.
Cough- cough-
At Sihu's severe choking, Hayun patted his back, and Ganghun handed him a glass of water.
"You okay?"
"Ah-. Yes."
Once the coughing stopped, Ganghun asked Sihu what he had been curious about.
It was the same question Hayun had asked.
Sihu gave the same answer he had given Hayun.
"Really?"
"Yes, they leave it in front of the gate early in the morning, so I don't get to see them either."
Sihu roughly evaded the topic of purchasing vegetables.
Ganghun and Hayun honestly opened up to Sihu.
"The reason hyung is asking is, you know I had gastritis, right?"
Sihu nodded at Ganghun's words and listened silently.
"After eating your food, my gastritis healed, and my belly fat went down too."
Sihu narrowed his eyes at those words.
"C'mon-. You're lying."
At Sihu's reaction, Hayun also shared his experience.
"Yeah. Like Ganghun-hyung said, I lost some weight too. It's true. I lost five kilos."
Hearing the two say they had lost weight, Sihu began to slightly suspect the garden crops.
'If I cook with crops from the garden, not only is the taste superb, but there are added effects too?'
Bzzzt-
A phone vibrating sound was heard.
"Huh? That's my phone. One moment."
Ganghun picked up his phone, got up from his seat, and headed outside the store.
After cleaning up all the eaten plates,
Sihu began preparing side menus to serve to the customers.
Ganghun called out to Sihu as he entered the kitchen.
"Sihu."
"Yes?"
"I told you hyung is going to Japan in two months and closing the shop, right?"
"Yes, you did."
Sihu continued, looking at the calendar on his phone.
"Now there's about a month left. Now—"
"Right... But the Japan side needs me to come in a bit earlier. Let's proceed with the shop contract in two weeks."
"Huh?"
Sihu was truly bewildered.
He hadn't even secured the money yet, but taking over the shop? His head began to spin.
'The menu isn't even set yet?'
Whack-
"Ugh-."
Ganghun hit Sihu's back.
"Get a grip, man. I'm not telling you to take over the shop tomorrow. Let's talk again after we close. It's about time for customers."
"Yes..."
Sihu pushed Ganghun's words aside and focused on his work.
Ring-
"Welcome! Are you dining alone?"
"Yes. One person."
"Please have a seat anywhere comfortable."
Hayun took water and a menu and approached the customer.
The customer looked at the menu and immediately asked Hayun.
"Excuse me... Is the three-tiered feast available by any chance?"
"That's a weekend-only menu."
"Is that so? I ate it so deliciously last weekend that I wanted to have it again. What a shame. Then I'll have the tofu steak."
"Yes, please wait a moment."
Hayun came into the kitchen and spoke.
"Sihu. Make one tofu steak."
"Yes."
Sensing the kitchen atmosphere, Hayun asked Ganghun with his eyes what was going on.
At Hayun's question, Ganghun shook his head and mouthed words.
'Let's talk in the evening.'
Hayun nodded and went to take the order of another customer who had entered.
***
Sihu, after getting off work.
Headed to his alma mater.
He tried to sort out his thoughts while walking.
It was deeply suffocating and confusing.
Ganghun's trip to Japan suddenly moved up to two weeks.
"Sigh-"
Ganghun's words circled in Sihu's head.
"Hyung will go through the enrollment process at the cooking school in Japan first, then come back to Korea and tell you the rest. Don't worry too much."
Sihu answered Ganghun, but on the other hand, he was worried.
He felt at a loss as to how to run the shop.
Sihu clicked his tongue once and shook his head.
"If worrying solved things, I'd worry. But I just have to dive in and try."
Sihu settled his mind and headed to the university's central library.
As soon as he entered the library, the librarian recognized him.
"Oh my? You were a student here?"
When Sihu saw the librarian, he recalled that she was a regular customer at [See You].
"Ah, hello."
After greeting, Sihu searched for books on shop management.
Sihu found books in the archive room, read them briefly, and picked one he liked.
When he held out the book to the librarian to borrow, she opened her mouth curiously.
"That tofu steak you sell there."
"Huh? Ah. Yes."
"You must use really good tofu?"
The librarian continued with a smile as she saw Sihu's expression.
"After eating that tofu steak there, I tried a similar menu somewhere else?"
Sihu waited for what followed.
'Was it not as tasty as ours? Why is she telling me this? Is it a complaint?'
Sihu felt his palms getting slightly sweaty.
"I don't know if it's the really good tofu or the devotion put into it, but I can't eat tofu steak anywhere except the one sold at [SeeYou]. The other menus are like that too... How can that be? I think my palate has become high-class."
Sihu broke into a bright smile at the librarian's next words.
"Haha-. Thank you for the compliment."
The librarian looked at the book Sihu had chosen and asked.
"But... this book? Are you planning to open a shop?"
"I think I will soon."
"Wow- that's amazing. Let me know when you open. I'll definitely come."
The librarian smiled and asked Sihu.
"What will your menu be?"
"I have some ideas, but I'm thinking of Korean food that anyone would like."
"Hmm... Then, how about a fusion Korean menu?"
"Fusion Korean?"
"Yes, personally I think it would be nice to add variations to Korean food. For example, putting yukhoe inside a croissant base, topping it with an egg yolk, and finishing it with pear."
"That sounds good too. Thank you for the suggestion."
Sihu had also been thinking about fusion Korean food.
But hearing it from the librarian was a bit surprising.
He was grateful for the librarian's hint about the Korean menu.
With an honest heart, he expressed his gratitude.
As he exited the library and headed toward the main gate.
"Freeze-."
Recognizing the owner of the voice, Sihu smirked and raised both hands as he asked.
"You didn't go home after work, Hyung?"
It was Hayun.
"Yeah! A good junior was heading to school with a gloomy face, so I came because I was worried."
"I see."
Sihu nodded and continued as if envious.
"I don't know who that junior is, but he must be receiving plenty of his senior's love."
Hayun looked at Sihu as if dumbfounded.
"Yeah, I'm giving plenty of love."
Feeling Hayun's warm heart, Sihu smirked and said.
"So you followed me?"
"Half right, half wrong."
"Half wrong?"
"Yeah. A junior from the department said he had something to talk about, so I came up."
"Yes, ah. Hyung. After Ganghun-hyung hands over the shop to me, will you keep working there, Hyung?"
Hayun's expression turned sullen.
And at the words that followed, Sihu couldn't help but widen his eyes.
Thank you for reading.
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