Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Bread Fan Meeting
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I stopped by the neighborhood butcher shop with Eun-ah unnie to buy some meat, then headed to the convenience store.
"Not going to the big mart?"
"We grill meat so often that we have plenty of ingredients at home. We just need to buy the meat."
"I see."
"Yeah. Let's just grab some beer at the convenience store."
—ding
The bell above the convenience store door chimed crisply as we entered.
"Welcome."
"Yes, hello."
By the time I looked around, Eun-ah unnie was already at the fridge, picking out beer cans labeled ten thousand won for four.
"Pick whatever. Beer is beer, right?"
"Gasp. This might be the first time I'm disappointed in Ga-eul."
After a heated debate with beer enthusiast Eun-ah unnie, we headed to the counter loaded with a ton of beer.
—beep! beep!
"Customer, insufficient balance."
The person checking out in front of us heard the sound and made the world's saddest face while removing a triangle kimbap and a loaf of bread one by one.
—beep!
"Um, customer. It's still showing insufficient balance."
A girl who looked about elementary school age, dressed in shabby clothes.
The card with a kid's drawing on it seemed like a child welfare card.
I just want to live comfortably. Just take care of myself and get by, but the world has way too many things that catch my eye.
"Excuse me, let me pay for this."
"Yes."
The cashier helping with checkout seemed inwardly sympathetic and quickly took the card I offered.
—beep!
"All paid."
The cashier finished ringing up even the items the girl had removed and handed back the card.
I gave the bag with her stuff to the fidgeting girl, and she carefully took it.
"Thank you."
As we stepped out, instead of fresh air, cigarette smoke assaulted my nose.
Someone was smoking in the alley.
"Kiddo. How much can you spend on that card?"
"...Five thousand won."
"What? Five thousand?"
💬 Comments — ⚔️ That only covers one meal a day. — ⚔️ Fuck, not even three meals—just one? How's she supposed to survive on that little? "Holy f—mmph!"
"Ga-eul, pretty words!"
Eun-ah unnie hurriedly covered my mouth, probably because of the kid.
"Mmph, mmph!"
I made an "okay" gesture before she finally released me from her grip.
"Whew, do you like meat?"
"Meat?"
"We're having a samgyeopsal party at my place today. Come play."
Whether embarrassed or not wanting to impose, after a long wait, she mumbled softly.
"Um, my little sister..."
"Little sister? Bring her too. Does she have trouble walking or something?"
"No..."
"Then hold her hand and come. See that house on the rooftop over there? Head that way."
She bowed her head with no reply.
Kids who go through hardship mature way too fast. That's the problem.
"Wanna be friends with me?"
"Huh?"
"I learned it somewhere—friends eat together and stuff."
"Friends..."
"Yeah, friends. See the pretty unnie next to me? We just met today and became friends. That's how you make friends."
— ⚔️ Is that how it works lololol — ⚔️ Boss has no middle ground. "If you wanna be friends with unnie, come eat meat. If it's too awkward, just eat that."
I finished talking and turned to leave when Eun-ah unnie quickly sidled up.
"Ga-eul, is that okay?"
"What?"
"She's just a kid. Shouldn't we keep helping her?"
"Unnie, are you gonna support her till she's an adult?"
"Well..."
"There are so many struggling people in the world. We can't help every nameless one, and I'm not that saintly anyway. I just helped a bit because she bugged me."
"Hmm. Ga-eul's all tough on the tough and soft on the weak?"
Eun-ah unnie sounded just like Da-rin unnie for a second, overlapping in my mind.
But my answer was always the same.
"Nah. I'm tough as fuck on the tough and tough on the weak too."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Sizzle.
Thickly sliced samgyeopsal sizzled deliciously on the grill.
"Ga-eul, I washed the lettuce."
"Yeah. Plates are on the table. Put it there."
Unnie and I bustled around preparing.
"Unnie, like doenjang jjigae?"
"Grr! Of course! You gonna make some?"
"Already simmering!"
"Yay! Awesome!!"
One lobster tail butter-grilled wasn't gonna cut it, so we grilled meat first while prepping.
"Come on in, teacher."
"Ahem, nice."
Unnie added bean sprouts and kimchi in the gaps between meat.
"Ahh, listen to that sound. Already craving fried rice."
"No cooked rice, but we have instant packs. Let's use those."
"Perfect!!"
Bubble bubble.
Doenjang jjigae bubbled tasty, and the meat browned perfectly.
—knock knock!
Just as we were about to eat, a small knock pierced my ears.
"Who is it!!"
— ⚔️ Boss, let's check it out. — ⚔️ Kids from earlier are here? I flung open the iron door blocking the rooftop room, and there stood the girl from before, clutching an even smaller kid's hand.
"You made it?"
"Y-yeah..."
"Your voice is so weak it's draining my energy. Say it louder or the meat might run away!"
"Y-yes!"
"Good. Come in."
Unlike the hesitant older girl, the little sister bolted in excitedly.
Just that showed the sister had protected her one and only sibling well in tough times.
"Hey kids, hi! I'm Yang Eun-ah. Call me Eun-ah unnie."
"Unnie's last name is Yang?"
"...?"
— ⚔️ lololololol — ⚔️ Truly our boss lolol — ⚔️ Sorry teachers, but the kid's good-hearted. Unnie's dumbfounded expression poked at the tiny bit of conscience I had left.
"Ahem. So, what's your names, kids?"
"Yoon Ji-ah."
"Yoon Ji-woo!"
"Alright, Ji-ah, Ji-woo. Go wash your hands before meat time."
Young but sharp sisters.
Without directions, they found the bathroom and came back with fluffy-clean hands.
"Ji-ah, Ji-woo, sit."
Their shoulders lined up exactly with the table edge when seated.
No way they'd eat like that, so I rolled up blankets thick from the room and padded the chairs. Now the height was perfect.
While I set up chairs, Eun-ah unnie cut meat into kid-sized pieces.
"Ji-ah, Ji-woo. Copy unnie. Lettuce in!"
"In."
"In!"
"Meat and ssamjang!"
"In."
"In!"
I didn't mean mimic word-for-word, but their chick-like parroting was adorable.
"Eat up yummy."
"We'll eat well."
"Eat!!"
Ji-woo seemed full of energy.
"Tasty, right? Doenjang jjigae's hot, so blow blow."
"Hottt."
"Waaah!"
"Yeah, eat tons. Plenty here."
We chatted a lot over meat with the kids.
Everyone has some personal story. It was that kind.
"Ji-ah."
"Yes, unnie."
"Here, for you."
Ji-ah stared blankly at the card I offered, then slowly reached out.
"What's this?"
"Master meal card."
"Master?"
"Yours is five thousand, right? Mine has no limit. Eat five meals a day."
"Isn't this valuable?"
"A card for food? Nah. I'm grown-up now, can't use it. Yours now."
Ji-ah listened seriously to my nonsense, then stood and bowed.
"Thank you."
"Oya. But promise unnie one thing. Don't let anyone see that card. Can you?"
"Yes, I can!"
"Good. Our secret. Hide it tight and only use for needs."
"Yes! Thank you, Ga-eul unnie."
"Ongya."
I ruffled Ji-ah's hair, and her brittle strands brushed my fingers.
"Ji-ah. Know where the pharmacy is? Later go say, 'Children's multivitamin please.' Like this."
"Children's multivitamin please."
"Right. Pay with the card I gave you."
"Yes!"
"Give to Ji-woo too, take regularly. Anything else you like?"
"I like bread."
I recalled her sad face removing bread at the store.
"Wait. Unnie'll give tons of bread."
"We got lots already."
"Kids gotta eat a ton. Till your belly bursts."
I pulled out my phone and dialed a saved number.
—click.
— Hahaha! My daughter!
"Grandpa, your daughter is Isabelle."
— Kahaha. Was she?
"Drinking again?"
— Just a little!!
His booming voice suggested more than a sip.
"Dennis grandpa. Need bread. Can you send some?"
— Of course! Wait a sec. Tons incoming.
"For kids, don't need tons at once. Regular small batches."
— Kids gotta eat well and run wild!! That's being a kid.
Dennis grandpa promising without asking details made me smile.
"Thanks, grandpa. Visit soon!"
— Yeah, call anytime you need.
Dennis grandpa hung up abruptly; I swear I heard Isabelle nagging at the end.
"Anyway. Here, take this."
I'd activated three phones: streaming, chat reading, calls.
Handed the chat one to Ji-ah.
"Unnie's number saved. Trouble? Press 1."
"Thank you."
She fiddled with the first phone she'd ever had, inspecting it.
"Like it?"
"Yes, love it."
We had a rowdy meat party feeding and chatting with Ji-ah and Ji-woo.
How much time passed?
"Yes, hello."
— Hello, Han Ga-eul. Blancerie Korea.
"Where?"
— Blancerie Korea. Bread's here, but huge amount. Rented empty lot nearby.
"Huh? Wait, coming down. Hold on."
Bread delivery, but empty lot? Totally confusing, so I took unnie and sisters downstairs.
A middle-aged woman waited.
"Hello. Han Ga-eul?"
"Yes. What's this about empty lot?"
"Nice to meet. Park Min-kyung, Blancerie Korea branch. As said, too much, so rented that lot."
Following her finger, I saw the usual logistics warehouse lot.
"Bread's there?"
"Yes. Over here."
Following her, huge 11-ton trucks lined up in the lot.
I stared blankly as truck beds opened like wings.
— ⚔️ Wing body truck? — ⚔️ What situation lolol Lids slowly opened, revealing pallets stacked mountain-high with bread.
— ⚔️ Whoa insane bread lololol — ⚔️ Boss mode: no half-measures lol "Uh... Ji-ah, Ji-woo, want bread?"
As time passed and she'd warmed up calling me unnie, Ji-ah shot me a cold glare for the first time.
"Hey. That's no look for your sky-like unnie. Tsk!"
— ⚔️ Boomer — ⚔️ Chewboomer — ⚔️ Han boss buster call too strong? — ⚔️ Hans-ter call incoming lol Everyone from drivers to bystanders stared at me. What now?
"Kids, want bread?"
— ⚔️ Throw in a warzone, last a month lolol — ⚔️ lolol boss eat up Chat showed viewers were baffled too.
"Argh. No choice. All my babies, assemble."
— ⚔️ ??? — ⚔️ We're already here "Not stream—real life, come here. Fan meeting. No, bread meeting."
— ⚔️ Boss serious? — ⚔️ Fan meeting for THIS?? — ⚔️ Going insane lolol boss never does normal "Come eat bread, share leftovers. Best kid gets a kiss."
— ⚔️ Real real? — ⚔️ lolol bread all gone if you're late — ⚔️ My mom calls me breadboy "All my babies, assemble!!!"
— ⚔️ (･`◡´･)ゝ — ⚔️ (･`◡´･)ゝ ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 📰 Breaking News Late Santa Claus's Bread Gifts? Reporter Kim Jun Yesterday afternoon, a mysterious group made a surprise appearance at daycares with kids and vulnerable housing areas. They dumped ultra-massive amounts of bread from famed luxury brand Blancerie, so-called "wholesale stuffing"... — Eong Base Meat Bread Puppy and owner Eong Base Meat handled by me, Baek Seol-i, so rest easy!