NOVEL NEXT 7
“Oh, my aching bones!”
Lee In-cheol barely managed to lower himself into a chair, clutching his back as if it might snap.
The storage room for ingredients was the only place he could briefly escape prying eyes. No, not the customers’ eyes, but rather…
“Boss, two takeout orders~!”
“Alright, I’m coming!”
Perhaps he was fleeing from that part-timer’s gaze. Of course, he’d be dragged back to the kitchen soon enough!
A new order ticket emerged with a whir.
Thwack!
He stuck it on one side of the kitchen and hurriedly set to work. Just as he finished ladling out two bowls of soup…
“One more takeout!”
“Another takeout order~!”
As the dining area and kitchen traded calls back and forth, he caught a glimpse of Song Woo-yeon’s smirk.
“Could you wait here for a moment? We’ll prepare your order right after serving the customers who arrived earlier.”
She guided customers with such skill, she could have been waiting tables for decades.
‘That, that cunning fox!’
That’s how Lee In-cheol described Song Woo-yeon.
It all started when he hired a part-timer for the dining area, following regulars’ advice. Even with slow business, they said it didn’t look good for the owner to both cook and serve.
Looking at the resume, he figured someone who’d tried every job under the sun from a young age wouldn’t slack off, so he hired her.
The first week, she quietly did as told, but after exactly seven days, her attitude completely changed.
‘That awkwardness with adults vanished. Suddenly it’s all about business and profit margins. How does that young thing know all this?’
There were many suspicious points.
He briefly wondered if she had lied about her age on the resume, but he’d seen her actual ID and bank account copy, so that couldn’t be it.
‘It’s baffling, really.’
Even he, the owner, loses his head during the lunchtime rush.
Occasionally, he’d misread a ticket for a table already served and cook the dish again, or forget an order for a certain table altogether.
Each time, Lee In-cheol’s heart would sink, but Song Woo-yeon acted as if she’d anticipated these situations.
She’d explain to customers, soften their hearts with small gestures, and even skillfully untangle mixed-up orders.
‘Is that possible just from having lots of part-time experience?’
But with living proof right before his eyes, he couldn’t outright deny it either.
“Number 57, two takeouts; Number 58, one takeout!”
Even lost in thought, Lee In-cheol’s body moved automatically, packaging the soup. He was in a near-meditative state.
“Alright, received two takeouts for Number 57, one for Number 58~”
Song Woo-yeon took the orders, handed them to customers, and smoothly processed payments, all in one fluid motion.
Anyone could see this was no ordinary skill.
‘It’s amazing how much a place can change with just one new person.’
A strange feeling welled up in his chest.
Song Woo-yeon’s decision to start takeout orders had been a resounding success.
After putting up a sign offering discounts for takeout, not only did takeout orders increase, but dine-in customers grew as well.
Bewildered by this turn of events, he asked why, and Song Woo-yeon responded as if it were obvious:
– We’ve clearly shown that we’re open for dinner too. Plus, we’ve gained a competitive edge by lowering our profit margins, right? We’ve advertised our dine-in prices along with the takeout promotion. People are coming in after seeing that.
How on earth does this green youngster know all this? It’s mind-boggling!
“Boss, great work today. I’ve closed out the register, so once we tidy up, we can head home.”
“Alright.”
Finally, time to clock out!
When business was slow, his heart ached. Now that it’s booming, his body aches instead.
Lee In-cheol happily began cleaning the kitchen.
As he hummed a tune, he noticed Song Woo-yeon checking today’s sales.
The way she counted cash was uncanny. She looked like someone who’d been doing it for 30 years. Impossible, of course, but still.
“Song Woo-yeon! How much did we make today?”
“Today… about 1.44 million won.”
“What?!”
Their daily sales had soared past 1 million, approaching 1.5 million won! This was only possible with a constant stream of customers.
“We had a bit of a lull at the start of the month, so I was worried. But at this rate, we’ll hit 30 million in sales in no time, right?”
That smug grin wasn’t even irritating.
Oh, you bringer of fortune!
“Hehehe… I’m in a good mood! Go home early today!”
“What? Me, first?”
“Yes! I’ll finish closing up alone.”
“…So you can throw money in the air and play by yourself?”
Busted. H-how did she know? It had been a secret fantasy of his, something he planned to do when left alone in the shop!
‘Sometimes it’s like she can read my mind. No, more like someone who’s known me for a very long time….’
Ahem, Lee In-cheol cleared his throat and feigned innocence.
“Do I look like that kind of person? You come in at the crack of dawn to watch me make broth and all. I’m worried you might collapse!”
“Is that so? Hmm…. Well, I knew someone similar to you a long time ago. Whenever he was stressed, he’d do exactly that.”
“What kind of person does that!”
“Right?”
Her gentle smile should have been lovely, but for some reason, it sent chills down his spine.
Lee In-cheol carefully avoided her gaze.
“…Alright. I’ll leave it to you today, Boss. You won’t slack off on closing just because I’m not here, right?”
“Good heavens! Of course not!”
As Lee In-cheol reacted in shock, Song Woo-yeon nodded as if she expected as much.
Ding-a-ling.
“See you tomorrow, then~”
As Song Woo-yeon left, Lee In-cheol found himself completely alone. He finished cleaning the kitchen and moved to tidy the dining area.
“Ahem, ahem.”
Though no one was watching, his conscience pricked him as if he were about to do something wrong.
He sidled crab-like towards the counter. As he opened the cash register…
“Gasp!”
There was a hefty stack of 10,000 won bills!
While most people pay by card these days, the cash was nothing to scoff at. Today had been particularly good for cash sales.
“Hehehe…”
A mischievous grin spread across his face. Now he could do what he’d been too embarrassed to do before!
Just as Lee In-cheol picked up a bundle of 10,000 won notes and was about to smell them…
Ding-a-ling~!
A clear, cheerful bell rang out.
“!”
Lee In-cheol’s head snapped up.
“I’m sorry, we’re closed for the day… Huh?”
It wasn’t a customer. Lee In-cheol’s expression shifted as he automatically began to explain the closing time.
“Boss Lee, you’re looking good.”
“Well, I’ll be!”
Lee In-cheol’s face lit up at the sight of an old friend.
“Kim Jong-chun!”
“Yeah, it’s me, you fool.”
“How long has it been! Wait, how did you know I was running a business here?”
“It’s a long story. Hey… I got laid off.”
At those words, Lee In-cheol froze. Kim Jong-chun sat down with a bitter smile, pulling up a chair.
“I haven’t told my family yet.”
“…….”
“So I’ve been wandering aimlessly… Remember when you quit the company and said you’d open a soup restaurant around here? You said your mother used to run one.”
“…….”
“It suddenly came to mind. I’ve been to every soup place in the area.”
Kim Jong-chun recounted his bitter tale with forced composure. As Lee In-cheol struggled to find words of comfort, Kim Jong-chun spoke up first.
“Buy me a drink, will you?”
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Even after arriving at a nearby bar, they remained silent for a while.
Kim Jong-chun stared quietly at the table, lost in thought. When the drinks arrived, he wordlessly poured one and drank it first.
“Come on, man. Eat some food when it comes.”
“Hey, In-cheol. ……Getting laid off, well, I’ve dwelled on it so much… it doesn’t even hurt anymore.”
Kim Jong-chun took another gulp.
“But… how to live from now on. That’s what’s overwhelming. Everyone I know is just a salaried worker like me. I got a lump sum as severance pay, but… damn, should I just open a chicken shop or something?”
“…….”
“That’s why I came looking for you out of the blue. Sorry for the sudden visit. You’re the only one I know who runs a business.”
Lee In-cheol silently looked at Kim Jong-chun.
“Looks like business is going well? …Not that I meant to pry. But when I walked in, you were holding a wad of cash.”
Kim Jong-chun chuckled awkwardly.
“Maybe I should have quit with you back then. You asked me to run a soup restaurant together…”
“Forget it. It hasn’t been easy for me either.”
“Right. Running a business isn’t simple.”
That’s not what I meant. For the past few years, I’ve been barely scraping by. Lee In-cheol started to say this but held back.
He didn’t want to shatter his former colleague’s illusions.
“I’m not trying to pressure you. At my age, I can’t even dream of finding a new job. I’ll have to start my own business too… But I don’t know how to do anything, so I’m at a loss. That’s why I came to you. To catch up, too.”
Seeing Kim Jong-chun’s weak smile as he said this, Lee In-cheol felt something well up inside him.
They had met as new hires and spent their shining youth together.
Lee In-cheol knew better than anyone how diligent and responsible his friend was. Why did such unavoidable misfortune befall him of all people…
Lee In-cheol took a swig of his drink and said solemnly.
“Hey, want to learn the ropes at my soup restaurant?”