Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: The Angry Neighbor
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"Car! Move it! Out!"
It was a sudden shout, but I wasn't taken aback. My first thought was simply, *Here it comes.*
I quickly sized up the unexpected intruder who'd just barged in.
A middle-aged man in a simple jumper and jeans. His face was twisted in fury, like he was ready to chew out anyone in his path.
And above all, he was a face I'd seen around before.
Kim Jong-chun, bustling away in the kitchen, poked his head out with wide eyes.
I motioned for him to hold on a moment, then approached the man with a friendly smile.
"Sir, could you tell me the license plate number of the car you're looking for?"
"0X57!"
"Yes, we'll find it right away and let you know. We're very sorry."
"No, this isn't something a sorry can fix. Do you have any idea how many people have been parking right up against my house wall these past few days because of this place?!"
He bellowed it loud enough for everyone to hear, showing no signs of backing down easily. But handling folks his age wasn't all that tricky.
I bowed deeply once more.
"We're sorry. We'll make sure to direct people to the building parking lot from now on."
You can't think of bowing as a hit to your pride.
In the food business, pride is just a side dish you sell with the meal. If wielding it would solve the problem, I'd do it in a heartbeat—but it doesn't help one bit with issues like this.
"Ahem. Hm."
As I kept my posture low, the edge in his voice softened a touch.
They say you can't spit on a smiling face. I kept grinning warmly and spoke gently.
"You're a local around here, right?"
"Eh? How'd you... Ah!"
He stared at my face for a moment, then his eyes widened as the memory hit him.
"We've seen each other passing by. We should've come to you first and asked for your understanding. Our apologies."
"Oh, well..."
"The owner has been worried about it several times, too. Concerned about bothering the neighbors."
I shot a quick hand signal toward the kitchen. *Come out quick.*
Kim Jong-chun hurried over, removing his chef's hat and bowing politely.
"Sir, we're sorry for the inconvenience."
"Ah, aah. You're that owner who cleans the street out front every day."
Just as I'd instructed, he'd been cleaning every nook and cranny of the alley in front of the shop. The moment he saw Kim Jong-chun's face, the man's expression brightened right up.
"It's only been a short time since we opened, so I hadn't paid attention to that yet. I'll make sure to from now on."
Kim Jong-chun was a pro at dealing with people. With his smooth smile, he clasped the man's hand firmly, and the sharp aura from when he'd stormed in melted away like snow.
"Ahem. Hm. If I'd known it was your shop, I wouldn't have gotten so mad.... There are so many eateries around here, and I tend to get a bit hot-tempered."
He looked sheepish, averting his gaze. Good—90% won over.
"No, no. It's on us to be more mindful. We'll get your customer's info right away."
"No, no need. Customers won't be here forever and a day."
The man waved it off, holding Kim Jong-chun back.
"Just move it within the next three hours or so. And if someone parks in front of my place, leave a note saying it's a customer from this restaurant."
"Sir, thank you so much. Have you eaten?"
"I just had lunch."
"Come by next time, and I'll treat you to some delicious gukbap. Stop in anytime before a meal."
"Goodness, really."
The man looked at Kim Jong-chun in admiring disbelief.
"The owner here has some real charm!"
He even clapped Kim Jong-chun on the shoulder with a hearty laugh. Kim Jong-chun humbly replied, "No, sir, you're the one showing us consideration first," and the man's grin grew even wider.
"May your business boom~."
The man who'd stormed in grumbling left with a smile lighting up his face.
As Kim Jong-chun turned back, watching him go, I gave him a thumbs-up.
"Whew. You saved me there, Woo-yeon."
Kim Jong-chun said as he put his chef's hat back on.
"I ran into him this morning while cleaning in front of his house at dawn. He praised me left and right, saying I'm unusually diligent for someone my age."
"Ah, got it."
That explained why he warmed up to Kim Jong-chun so quickly.
"He said all the other merchants around here only clean right in front of their own shops, but I don't, and he liked that...."
"I told you, didn't I?"
I shrugged once, then whispered.
"It's all~ coming back around."
"Yeah, you're right."
"Especially in a neighborhood spot like this with limited parking, it's good to stay on friendly terms with the locals."
Because out-of-towners don't realize they can park in front of residents' homes.
If this keeps happening, locals get annoyed as a matter of course. And the busier your business gets, the more you're seen as a neighborhood headache.
To prevent that, you have to build those relationships steadily from the start.
"You handled it great yourself, Uncle."
I knew he was capable, but he was even smoother than expected.
"You think so? I just treated him like a client. Wasn't it awkward?"
"Not at all. Just keep doing it like that. You don't need to overthink every word customers say, but you can't be rude either. It was perfect."
So many people struggle with politely stating the official line in a soft tone. In that sense, Kim Jong-chun's handling was near flawless.
"Good.... Whew, I'm breaking out in a cold sweat. Guess I was pretty tense."
The weather was warming up a bit, but not enough to work up a real sweat. Beads of perspiration dotted Kim Jong-chun's forehead.
*I used to get like that too.*
Most customers eat and leave peacefully, but these occasional flare-ups drain your mental energy and stamina like nothing else.
"Pull yourself together. We've still got plenty of customers."
Lunch rush was winding down, but there were still several bowls of gukbap waiting to be served.
"Yeah. Right."
At my urging, Kim Jong-chun nodded and headed back into the kitchen.
I scanned the dining hall.
*The opening buzz is still helping, but even so, the crowd is solid. At this rate, the shop should steadily trend upward.*
A smooth start.
Much better than the main branch, which struggled with low accessibility on the second floor and weak dinner crowds.
A few months like this, and it'd settle in nicely.
*Whew. Good thing.*
At least I'd have some face to show Mrs. Owner later.
As always, inducing someone else's investment weighed heavier on my mind than putting in my own money.
I was determined to make it succeed somehow, but it was following even better than expected.
"We'll check out."
"Yes~."
I smiled at the customers approaching the counter. Their table had two empty gukbap bowls.
"We take cards. Receipt?"
"No, that's fine."
"Yes, thank you."
I set the printing receipt aside and handed back the card.
Watching the pair head out, I swept my gaze over the hall. Good. All clear.
"Uncle, I'll step out for a sec. Hall's mostly cleaned up, right? Five minutes!"
"Huh? Oh, sure."
Kim Jong-chun nodded cluelessly, and I immediately untied my apron and dashed outside.
"What the—?"
I ignored his puzzled voice from behind.
As I stepped out, I undid my hair tie—now passersby wouldn't recognize me.
"Ah, so full~."
The customers who'd just left.
I slowed my pace to trail behind them, pretending to check my phone to keep my gaze natural.
"Portion was good, right?"
"Yeah. Finishing a bowl hits just right."
"Gonna crash for a bit when we get back~. You, coffee?"
"Yeah. Gotta grab a cup on the way."
Their casual chat flowed on. Curiosity piqued, I glanced ahead, then ducked my head again.
"But is this a chain gukbap joint?"
"Dunno. First time hearing the name."
"Nah, it says Nowol Branch."
Now they were biting.
"Great value, so it'd be nice to come back sometime."
"Yeah, exactly. Broth's perfect for mixing with rice."
"Place was packed."
"But it's K-fast food, right?"
Their giggling voices carried genuine fondness for the shop. Looked like repeat visits were on the cards.
*Good.*
Eavesdropping on their reactions truly set my mind at ease.
Whew.
Any farther, and I'd be too far from the shop. Time to head back—I turned on my heel.
"......"
"......"
If not for the eyes we locked onto, I'd have gone straight back.
"...Hello."
I bowed slightly to Han Mi-ae. Oops. Now I noticed we were right in front of her snack bar.
"You changed the tteokbokki griddle."
Spotting the obvious change, I spoke first, and Han Mi-ae clapped both hands over her mouth in surprise.
"Oh my, oh my!"
"No kitchen towel under the fritters either."
"Sorry, kiddo. You startled me. I was just thinking I'd grab lunch there. And boom, perfect timing running into you...."
No wonder she'd stared at me like I'd seen a ghost.
"They say even tigers come when you speak of them."
"I heard your place is doing well. Congrats."
"Oh, you flatter us. Looks like you've got a good crowd here too."
Lunch hour was nearly over, but a table or two lingered inside.
"It's all thanks to you, kiddo."
Han Mi-ae's gentle smile brought out nice crow's feet around her eyes.
"I really wanted to repay you, but we stay open later, and I just couldn't make the time."
An idea flashed through my mind then.
Before my regression, I'd run a small but thriving snack bar myself. Like Altaran—a really solid spot.
I'd picked up all my snack bar know-how back then.
"Owner."
I smiled brightly at Han Mi-ae and delivered the familiar line.
"What if I told you there's a secret to making this snack bar pull in ten times the sales it does now?"