Chapter 21

Chapter 21

A Useful Clerk

4 PM.

[Closing at 4 PM. To serve delicious jajangmyeon, please understand.]

“Ah, a bit···! Cut off in front of me!”

“What? Sold out? Goddamn!”

“Ah shit, I even took half-day off and ran here?!”

Complaint-mixed words popped out from the mouths of people who couldn’t enter by a hair’s breadth.

“No, you have to row when the water comes in!”

But that was only momentary.

“Hey, honestly it’s not that I don’t understand. The young chef is doing it alone.”

“Moreover is the show ordinary flashy? My friend also works at a Chinese restaurant, if you do wok work like that the wrist will be completely smashed in less than a month.”

“Completely jajangmyeon made by grinding his own body··· ahyu.”

A strange consensus.

Even amid that someone who couldn’t abandon lingering regret made a complaining sound.

“No, if business is going this well, can’t they just hire a few more skilled chefs and increase? Then customers wait less and money is swept in.”

“Hey, would a chef who can make this crazy taste work under someone else as a salaryman, and at a neighborhood restaurant like this, if crazy? He’d just open a restaurant himself.”

“Right··· with this level of skill it would be a huge hit unconditionally wherever he goes.”

“Ahyu, it shouldn’t get more famous. We don’t even have enough to eat.”

“It’s already late. Probably if it’s like this the price will rise more soon?”

“Haa···.”

People had no choice but to turn their steps in regret.

A moment later, inside the restaurant.

The last remaining customers stood up from their seats with satisfied faces.

“Au, really ate well!”

“Thank you! Goodbye!”

“Go carefully, customer!”

Ding!

When the customers completely left, only then the mother whose tension released wiped the sweat formed on her forehead.

“Huu, today ended safely too.”

But the mother’s face was much brighter and more relaxed compared to before.

Thanks to Bong-gu.

“Hyung! These are the last empty bowls! If you leave them I’ll finish all the dishes clean!”

Bong-gu carefully pushed the stacked jajangmyeon bowls beyond the serving window and shouted vigorously.

“Bong-gu young man! We’ll do the dishes so rest a bit now.”

“No, madam! My stamina is completely full!”

“I said it’s fine. Thanks to you we don’t know how comfortable we were. Really worked hard.”

The mother looked at the smiling Bong-gu with pleased eyes.

Then she took out one white envelope prepared in advance from the apron pocket and held it out to Bong-gu.

“This isn’t much but take it. Sorry for suddenly making you work and suffering a lot today.”

“Yes? Ah, no! It’s not like I helped expecting money···!”

“I know that, but still if you worked you should naturally receive the wage. If you worked hard like that and go empty-handed, I’ll be sorry and won’t be able to stretch both legs and sleep tonight.”

“No, really it’s fine! Just watching hyung work is the same as receiving all the part-time pay! Moreover I ate delicious things too. Really!”

Bong-gu jumped and hid both hands behind his back and awkwardly stepped back.

The father who was watching that squabble laughed heartily.

“Hehe, this person. What kind of world is it these days, would I force passion pay! Just take it.”

“But...”

“Tsk!”

“...”

In the end Bong-gu who ended up receiving the white envelope in a daze.

But he just stood blankly tightly holding only the envelope.

Seeing that appearance the father smiled and lightly gestured with his chin toward the envelope.

“...”

Bong-gu glanced at the parents’ eyes and carefully slightly opened the envelope mouth and looked inside.

“...!!”

Four 50,000 won bills.

A whopping 200,000 won.

“Eot!”

Bong-gu’s two eyes widened as if they would burst.

Just for helping hall serving for a few hours, it was an unbelievably large amount for one day’s part-time pay.

“Ah, no! Madam! I absolutely can’t receive this much money!”

Bong-gu freaked out and tried to return the envelope again, but the mother shook her head.

“Put it away. On a busy day like today the young man did the share of two people so this level should naturally be received.”

“Right. Thanks to the young man we caught our breath today.”

“Ah··· really thank you···.”

A strange expression where all emotions crossed floated on Bong-gu’s face.

For him who didn’t have a proper job, the large sum of 200,000 won was by no means a small amount.

Bong-gu carefully shoved the envelope deep into his pants pocket one by one.

At that time the mother glanced at the clock hanging on the wall once and said toward Bong-gu.

“Bong-gu young man, eating dinner later would be awkward. Just eat with us and go.”

“Yes? Aei, no! Just eat. I’ll just...”

Bong-gu tried to refuse while waving his hands but paused.

The fried rice he ate yesterday and the cheongcho whatever he ate at lunch...

Having experienced the shock that taste gives.

‘I can eat hyung’s cooking again...?!’

Seeing Bong-gu’s gaze automatically heading toward the kitchen the father laughed heartily.

“Stop glancing and just eat. You must be hungry too.”

“Ah··· then, shameless but...”

He smiled awkwardly and glanced toward the kitchen again.

Inside the kitchen Jin Myeong was preparing the meal.

Sak sak sak.

The Chinese kitchen knife lightly danced at Jin Myeong’s fingertips.

Every time the knife brushed past, leftover meat, radish, and green onion were thinly and transparently sliced and stacked neatly on the cutting board.

‘A clear soup is perfect to gently wash the insides and replenish energy.’

This menu was an application of clear meat soup, cheongtang, that was served to soothe the fatigue of noble guests in the Central Plains of his previous life.

Jin Myeong received water in a small pot and put it on the stove.

Then he dropped the thinly sliced meat and vegetables all at once.

Bogeul bogeul bogeul.

As the heat began to rise, Jin Myeong placed his hand on the pot handle.

When he gently flowed the weak internal energy into the pot through his fingertips, the energy finely caused vibration.

At that moment the meat aroma of the meat and the refreshing sweet taste of the radish fully melted into the plain water.

Jin Myeong lightly inhaled the steam rising from inside the pot with the tip of his nose.

“...”

The aroma is clean.

A satisfied color brushed Jin Myeong’s two eyes looking down at the refined soup without a single off-smell.

Bong-gu who smelled that flared his nose.

“Eh···?”

The aroma of meat broth that is subtle yet gently wraps the tip of the nose.

Just smelling that seemed as if the fatigue of the muscles that had clumped while running around the hall all day was melting away.

Bong-gu closed both eyes without realizing and deeply sucked that aroma with his nose.

“Heuum...”

The father and mother also had their expressions brighten brightly at that smell spreading toward the hall.

“How can the smell be this savory and refreshing?”

“Right. Just smelling it the insides are already stirring.”

And...

Tak.

Soon the completed clear soup was placed on the table.

On the broth so clear that the bottom showed transparently, meat and vegetables sliced thin like paper were submerged.

Outwardly it was just a plain soup that looked boring.

“Okay, Bong-gu young man.”

The mother scooped freshly cooked white rice high and placed it in front of Bong-gu.

“...I’ll eat well!”

Bong-gu who had been glancing scooped one spoon of broth and brought it to his mouth.

Hururuk.

“······!!!”

At that moment, Bong-gu was shocked and opened his eyes wide.

A taste of a different dimension from the plain visual.

Behind the umami that gently wraps the tip of the tongue, warm warmth followed.

And the thinly sliced meat melted in the mouth like cotton candy.

Above all such a refreshing feeling.

“Keueueu! De, delicious···! Feeling like the fatigue of the whole body is completely released, really!”

At Bong-gu’s fuss the parents sitting opposite who were lifting spoons also looked down at the clear soup with curious eyes.

“What soup is this? It seems like meat soup but this clear is the first time I’ve seen.”

The father tilted his head and scooped one spoon of broth and tasted it.

“Eheo···!”

A deep exclamation flowed from the father’s mouth on its own.

The father whose eyes opened wide looked at the mother and said.

“Honey, eat quickly. Feeling like the oil smell soaked all day is completely disappearing from the insides.”

“Oh my, really?”

The mother also carefully tasted the broth and opened both eyes round.

“Oh my··· how is the broth this deep and clean? Jin-myeong, what dish is this on earth?”

Jin Myeong propped his chin and answered indifferently.

“Just··· clear soup.”

“Just clear soup.”

“Our Jin-myeong is amazing! There’s no dish he can’t do!”

The mother continuously admired and looked at the son’s face admirably and pleased.

The father also continuously drank the broth and smacked his lips.

The dining table that was always simple and quiet had at some point transformed into a warm family meal time bustling with exclamations and the sound of spoons colliding.

Bong-gu forgot even face and lifted the bowl itself and gulped the broth.

At that noisy mukbang the parents burst out pleased laughter once more, and Jin Myeong only silently swallowed his own rice with his chin propped.

“...”

Bong-gu who emptied two bowls of rice in an instant stood up from his seat.

“Haa··· really ate well! Insides are completely opened, it was by far the best among broths I’ve eaten since birth!”

Bong-gu continuously spat out exclamations and bowed in greeting.

He had even secured the thick part-time pay in his bosom, and experienced an unforgettable taste, so there seemed no more perfect day than this.

“Then I’ll go now!”

Just when Bong-gu was about to leave the restaurant with a satisfied smile.

“Come out tomorrow too.”

Bong-gu stopped his steps and looked back.

Jin Myeong sitting crookedly leaning on the chair was blankly staring at him with a languid gaze.

“Yes?”

When Bong-gu asked back with a dazed expression, Jin Myeong’s brow slightly narrowed.

“Don’t want to?”

“Ah, no! I’ll come out unconditionally! Of course I have to come out!!”

For Bong-gu it was a grateful mind.

A situation living with the grandmother who raised him alone.

A situation living by getting treated by friends every time.

Whether unlucky the workplaces he worked at until now went bankrupt, or he couldn’t work long due to misunderstandings about himself.

But to be able to work beside a chef of such amazing skill.

Is there a more perfect job than this?

“I’ll work hard!”

When Bong-gu clenched his fist and was moved, a bright pleased color also turned on the faces of the parents watching that appearance.

They were in a situation desperately needing an employee to take charge of the hall as customers flocked anyway.

Above all to the extent such words came out of the son’s mouth.

These days were a continuous series of miracles.

“Great! We also really liked Bong-gu young man. Jin-myeong also seems to have felt quite reliable that the young man works.”

The mother agreed with a happy face and lightly asked.

“But how old is our Bong-gu young man? If working we should organize titles comfortably with each other.”

“I’m twenty-five!”

At that answer the father opened his eyes round.

“Hehe, twenty-five? Didn’t know because the build is big but younger than expected. Then three years older than our Jin-myeong? Jin-myeong, from now on you’ll have to call him Bong-gu hyung.”

But as soon as those words fell Bong-gu freaked out while waving his hands.

“Aigo, absolutely not words that can be!”

“...Huh?”

“The chef is unconditionally hyung!”

“Still...”

“Hyung!”

A strange silence momentarily flowed inside the restaurant.

“...”

“...”

The parents opened their mouths half as if absurd and only alternately looked at each other’s faces.

But since he himself was insisting so seriously it was something that couldn’t be stopped.

But Jin Myeong even amid that only slightly nodded with an indifferent expression propped on his chin.

‘A useful clerk has appeared.’

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