Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Vacations Don't Go My Way (1)
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Vrooom—
Vrooom—
"What the hell?"
My voice comes out rough and gravelly.
The phone's buzzing woke me up.
Today was supposed to be the shop's day off, so I'd planned to lounge around as long as I wanted, but who the heck was calling this early?
I turn my head toward the bedside to grab my smartphone, but sunlight streams in through the gap in the curtains.
"Ugh! My eyes."
It hits me right in the face.
The effect is immediate.
I'm wide awake.
Gollup— Gollup—
Once my head clears, I spot my little sister's pretty toes wiggling as she sleeps.
She must've flipped over while talking in her sleep.
It happens all the time.
My sister is as energetic awake as she is space-hogging in her sleep.
Before checking my phone, I gently rub my eyes.
I touch the area around them.
"They're all puffy."
I cried for a while on the roadside last night, so my eyes are swollen.
Good thing today is a day off.
I can tell just how much I cried from the swelling under a light touch.
"Ummu... Wuh, ba."
Yoon-seule starts mumbling in her sleep.
"If you cwy... butt... hair... gwow."
Did she hear that from Grandma?
I'd never teach her something like that.
And it's not crying that makes hair grow on your butt.
Isn't it crying then laughing that supposedly does it?
Sounds like she only caught half of it.
If crying made butt hair grow, humans would be born with a bit of scalp hair and some shared butt fuzz from the start.
I shake off the nonsense and turn to my smartphone.
[O-nui Tycoon!]
The notification is from the Tycoon app.
The morning call was from O-nui.
[10:32]
I glance at the clock on my phone. It's not that early. My irritation eases a bit.
[Sun-nim: Morning call!]
[Me: Explain the valid reasons why you had to wake me on my day off.]
[Sun-nim: First reason: I have something to brag about.]
[Me: What?]
[Sun-nim: I made a bet with Ora-beo-ni, and I won.]
What am I supposed to do with that?
Not something I cared to know.
[Sun-nim: It was a muscle gain bet, and get this—I gained a whole 100g more muscle than Ora-beo-ni. He promised to buy my share of protein shakes and creatine too. Pretty impressive, right?]
[Me: That is genuinely impressive.]
Still not something I was dying to hear.
But gaining 100g more than Moon-nim is kind of surprising. Pure curiosity hits—what did they each gain?
I've hit the gym for health reasons before, so I can gauge how big a deal that is.
[Sun-nim: But that's not the only reason I woke you. As of last night, we've hit restaurant fame level 2! Clap clap clap—!]
[Me: Nice. I didn't check yesterday.]
Yesterday was a mess with my face unexpectedly getting soaked, so I didn't have the bandwidth.
[Sun-nim: Figured you'd want to know, so I called.]
Important info for rUnnieng the shop.
According to O-nui, higher fame has big ripple effects.
First off, more customers coming in.
Up till now, O-nui Restaurant was just a neighborhood gem.
Lots of folks from nearby offices and jobs popping in.
With limited tables, we fill up fast, but it was still local business.
[Me: Guess we'll get visitors from outside the hood now.]
[Sun-nim: High chance. O-nui Restaurant's even boosting foot traffic around Seongbuk Stream a tiny bit.]
That's what O-nui says.
Hard to picture our little place affecting pedestrian flow like some government office or public spot.
But if they say it, it's true.
They might goof around, but O-nui doesn't bluff on stuff like this.
[Sun-nim: And our influence on the mortal realm's grown too!]
[Me: Like what?]
[Sun-nim: Like briefly manifesting in the mortal world by borrowing a plant's body?]
Plants, of all things.
Wouldn't animals let them move more freely?
Animals have stronger egos than plants, though.
That's the rough reason they're limited to plants for now.
[Me: Anyway, congrats. Shop's stabilizing, profits are solid. Maybe time to think about moving.]
Not saying right now.
But it's been on my mind.
This place is too cramped for two.
With a small loan, we could swing a 15-20 pyeong multi-household home.
Add in the deposit from here, and we're golden.
[Sun-nim: That's great news. You two siblings seem happier lately, which makes me and Ora-beo-ni happy too.]
[Me: Thanks. It's thanks to you guys.]
[Sun-nim: We're partners. We're benefiting big time.]
Warm vibes.
Unlike Moon-nim, Sun-nim shines with her calm side.
Both gym rats, though.
[Sun-nim: Anyway, now for the real point.]
[Me: That wasn't it?]
[Sun-nim: Nope!]
[Me: What's left?]
[Sun-nim: You'll probably get a call from the landlord, Jeong Min-gu soon. Better get up now.]
[Me: Out of nowhere?]
[Sun-nim: He's waiting at the shop.]
[Me: He knows today's our day off.]
[Sun-nim: It's not for a meal.]
Right on cue, Sun-nim's message drops, and my phone rings.
It's Jeong Min-gu.
Yoon-seule's sleeping next to me, so I quietly get up and head to the bathroom.
"Yeah, hello."
- Joo-hyun, how've you been?
"Pretty good. Thanks to you, customers are pouring in, and business is booming."
- Haha, your voice sounds all sleepy. Bad timing on my part?
"Nah, I just woke up anyway, so it's fine."
- Whew, good. I know O-nui Restaurant's closed today, but sorry—can we chat at the shop real quick?
"What's up?"
- It's... complicated, hard to explain over the phone. Roughly, it's about rent and the shop. Not something I can decide solo.
A pause.
Rent.
That word grates.
With business booming, is he jacking up the rent? No sign of that last time we met.
People are unpredictable.
"Got it. Can't head out right now, but I'll be there by noon."
- Sorry to drag you out on your day off. Really can't handle it alone. Appreciate it.
I hang up with a heavy sigh.
Even at the end, Min-gu was polite.
Doesn't sound like a rent hike call. And if it were, he wouldn't summon me on a day off.
No need for paranoia.
[Sun-nim: It'll be fine. Definitely not bad for you, Ora-beo-ni Joo-hyun. Go with a light heart.]
[Me: You know what it is?]
[Sun-nim: Of course. After all our hard work? But it's a secret. Like a surprise gift.]
[Me: Gotcha. Guess I'll go without stressing, expecting a real present?]
[Sun-nim: Yep! Trust me.]
Sun-nim's words settle my nerves.
First, wake Yoon-seule.
I quietly turn the doorknob to leave the bathroom.
"Huh?"
Footsteps from the left blind spot by the bathroom door.
Height around 105cm. A bit tall for her age.
Weight about 13.5kg. Light for her height. My precious sister—light as a feather even when I scoop her up.
She's holding her breath to scare me. But her tense toes poke out, totally busted.
Conclusion: Adorably insane.
"Aigoo, gotta head out soon—should I wake Yoon-seule? Wonder if she'll get up without a fuss."
"Heehee—don't know."
Whispering to myself that close? She hears everything.
But there's such a thing as playing along.
Thud thud—
I stomp louder on purpose.
"Waaah! Oppa gonna eat you!"
Waaah! Oppa chomp!
She charges and clings to my thigh.
Tiny teeth nibble at the front.
Like a pea punch—zero damage.
"Keep this up, and all that's left of Oppa is bones? Then no fun outings or yummy food with Yoon-seule."
"Eek! Right! Yunseul-i don't know dat. Oppa no tasty."
Seems her inner 5-year-old predator kicked in.
Reason enough for Yoon-seule.
"Then since Yoon-seule saved Oppa, wanna eat something yummy together? Gotta head out."
"Huh? Where?"
"Think we gotta go to the shop."
"Hm? Today off. Yunseul-i know."
"But Uncle Min-gu asked us to come by quick. Yoon-seule too tired?"
Her face falls at the shop mention.
"Yunseul-i okay. But Oppa need off today. No off now. Yunseul-i mad."
"You're mad about that?"
Big trouble.
If we go like this, this 5-year-old might lose it and devour Min-gu's legs.
Even if our Yoon-seule is the boss, we can't let her eat the landlord.
"Yeah! Yunseul-i mad!"
"Then we need yummy food to cheer up? That'll melt the anger away?"
"Oppa cook make feel better."
"Yeah? Then eat yummy stuff, hop on the bike for a quick shop trip like a little stroll?"
"That okay den."
To save Min-gu's legs, I prep the beast's meal early.
Belly full, no drooling over the landlord's thighs.
Breakfast: rolled omelet.
Tried it at the shop recently; she loved it.
Mix egg batter with a splash of water and mirin for smooth texture—she dug it.
She sits on my lap at the table, munching happily.
Won't leave my side for meals at home. Fine alone at the shop, but home? Extra clingy.
"Yoon-seule, yummy?"
"Munch munch... Obvi."
"Obviously yummy?"
"Oppa food bestest. Munch munch..."
So she says.
Hearing this makes me realize why I cook.