Part-Timer, You're Not the Culprit
"But have they caught the people who accused our boss of being a kidnapper?"
"The rumor originated from an anonymous community, so it'll be tough to track them down."
"Can't you report it to the cyber police station?"
Haru deliberately mangled the terminology to avoid sounding too savvy.
"Well... even if we do, they'd probably just get a fine since it's some bored user messing around. Anyway, what are your plans for running the restaurant...?"
On their regular day off at Bulpae Pochaa, Shin Do-young's crew was holding a strategy meeting with Haru and Sun-ja.
"Since your son quit and Hee-yeon only knows kitchen work, wouldn't it be best for the boss, who knows the place inside out, to handle the front? We can pause sales of the Jeyuk Set A for now."
"Ugh..."
Park Sun-ja opened her mouth as if to speak, then clamped it shut.
She was probably about to say something like, 'This is the jeyuk that paid for your academy and school...'
Haru had confided in her family—Sun-ja and Ha-seong—that she was Lee Ha-neul, but asked everyone else to keep it secret. So with Shin Do-young and the crew around, she couldn't drop her loli act.
"We can always bring it back once things improve. But boss, you know there've been a lot of complaints about your jeyuk, right?"
As Sun-ja pulled the same sulky face she'd worn at Bulpae Pochaa months ago under Haru's onslaught, Shin Do-young stepped in to mediate.
"How about this? Haru and Boss Park Sun-ja could alternate between kitchen and front-of-house. It'd make for some fun rivalry..."
This setup would create a showdown dynamic and drag Haru out of the kitchen for camera gold.
"No way! If I leave the kitchen, the quality of my jeyuk drops!"
Shin Do-young and the crew fell silent, overwhelmed by Haru's stern, solemn, utterly serious expression.
"But Haru..."
"Didn't my preference ratings crush everyone else's during that stretch and yesterday?"
"W-well, yes!! But this is our jeyuk—mine and my husband's! The regulars love it... it's the soul of our restaurant!"
"How often do those regulars even show up?"
Day 2: 3 customers
... Yesterday: 8 customers.
Average around 6.6. They only order jeyuk and soju—barely a blip in revenue.
"I don't know for sure, but..."
"If those 'great' regulars came more than once a week with their kids and grandkids instead of just their drinking buddies, that'd be nice. Spread the word too."
"Ugh... but still, Boss Myeong never charged management fees and didn't raise the rent for eight years."
Boss Myeong was the leader of Bulpae Pochaa's longtime regulars and the building owner, an old friend of Haru's late father.
"Maybe that's because the location sucks?"
Ding!
As the argument heated up between the two, Ha-seong and his wife Yoo Hee-yeon returned from the police station.
"Sorry. I lost my cool at a bad time."
Ha-seong glanced briefly at Shin Do-young's side before bowing to Haru and Sun-ja. Lingering bad blood from the side dish recycling fiasco.
"No, it was awesome! Your son!! So full of fire!!"
"Sigh, seriously!! Show some restraint!!!! Haru's pissed now!"
"Aigoo, you punk!!!"
Whack!! Whack!!!
Sun-ja and Hee-yeon's sharp hands smacked Ha-seong's back.
Huh??
Haru, hardened by the fantasy world's rough edges, had meant it as genuine praise, but everyone thought she was being sarcastic.
Haru admired Ha-seong's growth—not just for calling out his friend, but the full footage showed extenuating circumstances.
She hasn't told Hee-yeon unnie the full story, huh...
"You managed not to get locked up, though. Nice one, son."
"Yeah, we were both busy, so we settled it."
The cop had said fights over meat quality happened often around there.
"Regrettably, Lee Ha-seong won't be appearing on our Health Restaurant Korea. His footage will be edited out."
"Got it. So who's handling the front?"
"Boss will. I'll go meat shopping with Bang Aji the hunter. Annoying, but I have to see it myself..."
"Uh... could you give me one more shot?"
"Wha... huh?"
The hefty Ha-seong dropped to his knees with a thud.
"I said I'd handle it... I want to take responsibility."
Haru's body couldn't do everything (though soon...), so delegating to limbs like this was ideal, but...
"Word's spread all over Myeongdong about you flipping out—think you can still make deals?"
"Three bosses already called?"
"Localism's strong here... Fine, give it a try."
"Better than moping around pretending to reflect."
With Haru's okay, the rest of the family followed suit.
"I'll visit ten-plus spots and report back..."
***
Tasty Grilled Mackerel, a mackerel specialist a mere 50 meters from Bulpae Pochaa.
They'd appeared on Shin Do-young's Health Restaurant Korea, but Bulpae Pochaa stole the first episode's spotlight, slowing their customer uptick. Owner Kim Moon-hee paced anxiously.
Blatant Seong Chan-ho worship won over his fans.
Diner: 2 years
XX Rest Area Noodle Corner: 6 years
Driver's Eatery: 3 years
Mackerel House: 4 years
19 years as a Korean food veteran!!
"Wow, your fridge stocks are perfectly aligned. Textbook stuff for a Saint Burger joint."
Strong marks on experience and hygiene.
"How's the taste??"
"The mackerel... has heart, but needs minor tweaks."
"Aigoo..."
"But the side dishes? Next level. If I'd started here instead of Metro Work, I'd have three Michelin stars in Korean food!!"
<Chef Seong Chan-ho's thumbs up!!>
Despite rave reviews on everything but mackerel, over half the tables sat empty. Their deal with Shin Do-young gave illusory hype, but mediocre taste meant no repeaters.
Yet Kim Moon-hee and daughter Jeong Ji-su aimed their ire elsewhere.
It's all that gloomy bitch's fault.
They glared at Im Mari, the part-timer sweating solo over front-of-house and register.
Once eager despite her timid nature, she'd withered under the toxic mother-daughter duo. Overtime past closing daily left her skin wrecked, clothes rumpled—barely sleeping.
Just hold on. A few more days and I'll hit one year for severance...
Poor but Seoul uni-bound, her wages barely covered rent, leaving scraps for living.
"Hey, Im Mari! Gochugaru spilled on that table."
Jeong Ji-su, fiddling on her phone between kitchen and floor, pointed while beckoning her. Calling her "Im Mari" nickname even on camera showed brazen confidence.
Stuff she could do herself... Pretending to multitask but useless at both. Her broadcast makeup still smeared.
"Busted... Mom. Need a word."
They huddled, then during break—off-camera—dragged Im Mari aside.
There sat the duo and a suited glasses man.
"What's this about?"
"Oh, come on! 'What's this about?' Never pegged you for creepy, Mari."
"Oh Baek-oh Attorney from XX Law Firm. Care to see this footage?"
CCTV Footage: Im Mari pocketing cash from the register.
"Our audit of your 11 months showed about two million won missing."
"Boss? That's the money you told me to take for utilities and supplies from my account. Here's proof..."
"Look at this bitch. Was that our utility account?? Show her more, attorney."
"And here, sneaking mackerel bit by bit."
"Huh? You said old stock was fair game..."
"When did I ever say that!!!!"
Mari distinctly remembered, but no recording meant no rebuttal.
With her spirit broken, the trio went for the kill.
"Fine, every shop's part-timer skims a bit. But phone fiddling and shady stuff?"
"Pardon???"
Oh Baek-oh showed posts from the Cooking Master Korea Gallery.
"You tried real hard to screw us over, huh?"
All about Bulpae Pochaa's owner family—Tower collapse victims Lee Haru—being accused of embezzlement and exploited via blackmail. The anonymous poster's IP matched Tasty Grilled Mackerel.
"I've never written anything like that..."
"So we did?? You know who my husband's connected to?? Your career's toast..."
Timing matched her breaks—no defense.
"Now, now. Calm down, ma'am. Dragging this out tires everyone..."
The attorney slid over a settlement: admit it all, walk with two months' pay.
"Don't sign, and it all airs on Health Restaurant. Face's out there—no part-time or influencer gigs for you."
Jeong Ji-su's finisher broke her; sniffling, Mari signed.
Scraping by daily, court cops and lawsuit fees crushed her.
Fired, she slumped at the bus stop amid whispers.
"Isn't that the part-timer??"
Dreading, she checked the newly discovered Kumako Gallery...
"Ha... haha... why'd I..."
Tears streamed; even hiding her face, accusatory fingers haunted her vision.
"Why live????"
Sobbing, wandering, a second-floor rooftop beckoned.
Like a moth to flame, past Bulpae Pochaa to the edge.
Nearby door creaked open.
"Huh?? Haru-nim! Suspicious woman!!!"
Bang Aji teleported before Im Mari, restraining her.
"H-Haru-nim. This person's...!!"
"Tasty Grilled Mackerel's part-timer, right?"
Facing her victim—who'd peg her as the rumor-monger—Mari wished to crawl into a hole despite her lanky frame.
"Enemy of Haru-nim's restaurant—restrained. And short-term memory..."
Bang Aji whipped out special wire, binding Mari's long limbs.
Haru's brown pigtails danced in the evening breeze.
She's... smiling???
Up close, the little devil smirked sweetly. Stuck in the kitchen, yet her scent was sweetly tart.
"Don't you have something to say to me?"
"Sob... waaah!!"
Innocent all day, yet apologies first.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorryI'msorryI'mso..."
"Stop!!"
Too soulless, maybe.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Fear of her next move, but rock bottom meant no deeper fall.
"Unnie, you're not the culprit."
Haru's words yanked her from hell.