Chapter 7

Chapter 6

Kang Hoon thought the customer was lying.

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief as he looked at the number on the digital scale.

"Wow? Was the customer right?"

Kang Hoon, who worked as a chef that was more labor than exercise, and drank a bottle of beer with his younger brothers in the evening, and a bottle of wine before bed, used to gain more than three kilograms a month.

Kang Hoon looked in the mirror.

"Now that I think about it…"

He noticed that his jawline had become sharper and his facial contours more defined.

Ever since Shihoo started making the staff meals, his stomach had felt strangely better.

Kang Hoon, who used to suffer from indigestion while tasting the food before serving it to customers, realized one day that the indigestion had disappeared.

The skin troubles that used to appear on his face had also vanished.

"Is it because of the food Shihoo makes?"

Kang Hoon's eyes changed in a peculiar way.

* * *

Tap, tap, tap.

Shihoo came down to the vegetable garden with a basket and harvested beans along with vegetables.

Korean cuisine is often called a cuisine of sincerity.

Each ingredient is carefully prepared with care.

After filling a basket with beans, he went back to the kitchen and soaked the beans.

The water for soaking the beans also came from the garden's pump.

While the beans were soaking, Shihoo went out to the yard.

"I need to pull out the cabbages and radishes before it gets too late."

Shihoo took a kitchen knife, stabbed the base of a cabbage, and twisted it.

Rip—

The cabbage was full and firm because of the good seeds.

Shihoo brought the cabbages and radishes inside.

'Since there are only a few, should I ferment them right away?'

After a moment of thought, he made a cut at the base of the cabbage and split it a little with his hands to help the salt penetrate better.

He filled a large basin with salt and made a saltwater solution.

After dissolving the salt in warm water, he evenly sprinkled salt on the cabbage and stood it up.

This was to help the salt penetrate better.

"Cabbage is done, now I need to make the seasoning."

Shihoo moved quickly.

He put the ingredients from the garden into a blender, made the seasoning, and tasted it with his finger.

"Huh? What is this?"

He felt a spiciness and umami he had never experienced before.

He thought the kimchi would definitely be delicious once the cabbage was fermented.

"Cabbage needs to ferment…."

Shihoo looked at the clock.

It was already approaching midnight.

After quickly cleaning the kitchen, Shihoo took a shower, went to his room, and lay down.

Before sleeping, he greeted his parents' photo.

"Good night."

* * *

Rip, rip—

After evenly coating the fermented cabbage with the seasoning and arranging it nicely, he put it in a jar.

It was a small batch of kimchi.

Shihoo looked at the clock and took a sip of barley tea.

"Phew—."

Recently, Shihoo's daily routine started with entering the basement garden in the morning.

Inhaling the fresh air seemed to wash away the fatigue from the previous day.

He then brought up a bucket of well water from a corner of the garden.

After finishing all the housework, he went to work at [SeeYou].

When he opened the door, Kang Hoon and Ha Yun were talking in a corner.

"Hello!"

Shihoo's greeting was met with smiling faces from both of them.

"Come in."

"Shihoo, you're here?"

After greeting, Shihoo headed to the changing room to change his clothes when Ha Yun approached him.

Ha Yun quietly asked Shihoo.

"Shihoo, where do you buy the ingredients you bring?"

"Um… that's…"

Shihoo's eyes moved slightly to the right at Ha Yun's question.

'I can't say it's from the basement garden…'

Ha Yun looked curious.

Shihoo decided to dodge the question.

"There's a vegetable vendor my parents told me about, and they deliver it to me in the early morning."

"Hmm, really?"

"Yes."

Shihoo gave a short answer and turned his body before Ha Yun could ask more.

Ha Yun tilted his head slightly at Shihoo's action.

When Shihoo entered the kitchen, Kang Hoon was cleaning a frying pan and asked.

"Shihoo, I'm going to make the staff meal today. Is there anything you want to eat?"

Shihoo mentioned what he wanted to eat.

He mentioned a menu he had been eyeing.

"I want to eat spicy shrimp pasta."

"Got it. Ha Yun, what about you?"

Ha Yun's answer came from the dining area where he was preparing to welcome customers.

"Same as Shihoo!"

"Huh? So you want spicy shrimp pasta too?"

"Yes!"

Kang Hoon put pasta noodles in a boiling pot and took shrimp out of the refrigerator.

Shihoo watched Kang Hoon's movements and actions.

Just watching Kang Hoon cook was a great learning experience for Shihoo.

Kang Hoon glanced at Shihoo while cooking.

'Look at that kid, his eyes are sparkling.'

Kang Hoon quickly made the 'spicy shrimp pasta' and served it on a plate.

"Let's take it."

"Okay."

During the meal, the three of them glanced at Shihoo.

"Shihoo, you bring those ingredients, right?"

At Kang Hoon's words, Shihoo choked on his pasta.

Cough, cough—

Ha Yun patted Shihoo's back, and Kang Hoon handed him a glass of water.

"Are you okay?"

"Ah—. Yes."

After the coughing stopped, Kang Hoon asked Shihoo a question.

It was the same question Ha Yun had asked.

Shihoo gave the same answer he had given Ha Yun.

"Really?"

"Yes, they leave it at the front door in the early morning, so I don't get to see them."

Shihoo vaguely explained the vegetable purchase.

Kang Hoon and Ha Yun honestly told Shihoo.

"Brother, I asked because I had gastritis, remember?"

Shihoo nodded and listened silently to Kang Hoon.

"Since I started eating the food you made, my gastritis has completely healed, and my belly fat has also gone down."

Shihoo narrowed his eyes at this.

"Come on, you're lying."

At Shihoo's reaction, Ha Yun also shared his experience.

"Yeah, like Brother Kang Hoon said, I've also lost some weight. I lost about five kilograms."

Hearing both of them say they had lost weight, Shihoo began to suspect the vegetables from the garden.

'If the vegetables from the garden are used in cooking, they are not only delicious but also have additional effects?'

Buzz—

Shihoo's phone vibrated.

"Huh? It's my call. Wait a moment."

Kang Hoon took his phone and went outside the store.

After clearing the plates, Shihoo started preparing the side dishes for the customers.

Kang Hoon called Shihoo as he entered the kitchen.

"Shihoo."

"Yes?"

"Brother said he was going to Japan in two months and close the store, right?"

"Yes, that's what he said."

Shihoo looked at the calendar on his phone and continued.

"Now, it's about a month left, right?"

"That's right… but I need to go to Japan a bit earlier. Let's proceed with the store contract in two weeks."

"Huh?"

Shihoo was really flustered.

He hadn't even prepared the money yet, and the store transfer? His head started to spin.

'The menu isn't even set yet?'

Rip—

"Ugh—."

Kang Hoon patted Shihoo's back.

"Snap out of it. I'm not saying to take over the store immediately. Let's talk about it after everything is done. It's time for the customers to arrive."

"Okay…."

Shihoo put Kang Hoon's words aside and focused on his work.

Ding—

"Welcome! Are you alone?"

"Yes, one person."

"Please take a seat wherever you like."

Ha Yun brought the menu and water to the customer.

After looking at the menu, the customer asked Ha Yun.

"Um… can I have the three-tier set?"

"That's only available on weekends."

"Is that so? I really enjoyed it last weekend and wanted to have it again. It's a shame. Then, I'll have the tofu steak."

"Sure, please wait a moment."

Ha Yun went to the kitchen and said.

"Shihoo, make one tofu steak."

"Okay."

Reading the atmosphere in the kitchen, Ha Yun asked Kang Hoon with a look.

Kang Hoon shook his head and mouthed.

'Let's talk later.'

Ha Yun nodded and went to take the order from the next customer.

* * *

After work, Shihoo headed to his alma mater.

He tried to clear his thoughts while walking.

He felt very frustrated and confused.

Kang Hoon's sudden trip to Japan in two weeks.

"Phew—"

Kang Hoon's words kept echoing in Shihoo's mind.

"Brother will go through the registration process at a cooking school in Japan and then come back to Korea to teach you the rest. Don't worry too much."

Shihoo answered Kang Hoon but was still worried.

He felt lost about how to run the store.

Shihoo clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Worrying won't solve anything. I need to face it."

Shihoo cleared his mind and headed to the central library of the school.

As he entered the library, a librarian recognized him.

"Oh? You were a student here?"

Shihoo remembered the librarian as a regular customer at [SeeYou].

"Ah, hello."

After greeting, Shihoo searched for books on running a store.

After finding a book in the reference room, Shihoo read it for a while and chose a book he liked.

When he handed the book to the librarian for checkout, the librarian asked curiously.

"Isn't there a tofu steak at your place?"

"Yes? Ah, yes."

"Is it really good tofu?"

The librarian smiled and continued.

"After eating the tofu steak at your place, I tried a similar menu elsewhere."

Shihoo waited for the librarian to continue.

'Was it not as good as here? Why is he saying this? Is it a complaint?'

Shihoo felt a slight sweat on his palms.

"Only the tofu steak at [SeeYou] is good. The tofu is really good and full of sincerity. I can't eat it anywhere else. The other menus are also great… How did you do it? It feels like my taste has become more refined."

Shihoo smiled widely at the librarian's next words.

"Ha-ha, thank you for the compliment."

The librarian looked at the book Shihoo had chosen and asked.

"By the way… this book? Are you planning to open a store?"

"Probably soon."

"Wow, that's impressive. Let me know when you open the store. I'll definitely come."

The librarian smiled and asked.

"What menu are you thinking of?"

"I have some ideas, but I'm thinking of Korean food that everyone will like."

"Hmm… how about fusion Korean food?"

"Fusion Korean food?"

"Yes, I personally think that adding a twist to Korean food could be good. For example, putting yuksae (Korean-style raw beef) in a croissant and topping it with a yolk, and finishing it with a pear."

"That sounds good. Thank you for the suggestion."

Shihoo was also thinking about fusion Korean food.

He was a bit surprised to hear it from the librarian.

He was grateful for the hint about the Korean food menu.

With a sincere heart, he thanked the librarian.

As he left the library and headed to the main gate, a voice called out.

"Freeze—."

Shihoo recognized the voice and chuckled, raising his hands.

"Brother, didn't you go home after work?"

It was Ha Yun.

"Ah! I was worried about a good junior walking to school with a gloomy face."

"Is that so?"

Shihoo nodded and said enviously.

"I don't know who that junior is, but they must be getting a lot of love from their senior."

Ha Yun looked at Shihoo as if he couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, I'm giving a lot of love."

Shihoo felt Ha Yun's warm heart and chuckled.

"So you followed me?"

"Half right, half wrong."

"Half wrong?"

"Yeah. A junior from my department said they wanted to talk, so I came up."

"Ah, I see. Brother, will you continue working after transferring the store to me?"

Ha Yun's expression turned serious.

And the next words made Shihoo's eyes widen.

A genius chef using this world's garden ingredients?!