I Quit My Job and Run a Café - Chapter 237



Only Krnovel

Episode 237

It was easy to understand why the hardware store owner was here.

But why is the condition like that?

It’s clear that until recently, he was a really clear and strong person.

But how long does it take for a person to become like that?

‘It looks just like a sick chicken.’

It’s not that it wasn’t there, but the aura it had wasn’t just murky, it was a bit alien.

This is the first time I’ve seen a case like this.

It was neither a curse nor a withering of talent.

The aura of a person with evil spirits is even worse… … .

Why is it like that?

I wanted to take a closer look at the condition.

But with all the people gathered, the empty lot was noisy.

I also enjoy this swan, and I even more so because I can see spirits that are invisible to other people.

Surprisingly, Su-ah and Sia were there too.

“Why don’t you go to school?”

“It’s our school’s anniversary! Hehe!”

“ah.”

It’s good to be a student.

There’s also something called the school anniversary.

The company didn’t have anything like that.

Isn’t it?

There is, of course.

That’s because the founding anniversary event was more troublesome than work.

anyway.

“So you said you wanted to go to the mountain yesterday?”

“How is it? My thorough plan.”

“That’s great. That’s amazing.”

I nodded in recognition at Su-ah, who raised her head and made a confident expression.

To this extent, I can admit it.

“Sia eats a lot too. Well, it’s not something I prepared.”

“yes.”

I spoke to Sia, who was already mumbling diligently next to Su-ah, and tried to glance at the hardware store owner again.

But today wasn’t easy.

There’s nothing I can do.

First, we decided to finish the acorn jelly party and then meet the hardware store owner again.

You can come to town later.

“I made this instead of makgeolli, so try it.”

Before we started to properly prepare the table, I quickly brought over the drinks I had made earlier.

And then I poured it into a wooden cup and turned it to get a feel for it.

“Wow! It tastes like makgeolli! Did you make it for me?”

“Huh? Uh-huh. Well. I guess so.”

Actually, I just made it because I wanted to drink alcohol during the day.

I didn’t know Suah and Sia would come, but somehow the timing was perfect.

So that even kids who can’t drink can have fun together.

Su-ah looked slightly moved.

I feel sorry for nothing.

“Sir, you didn’t know we were coming. You idiot.”

“Huh? I see. What is it! Liar!”

There’s no need to feel sorry.

Because Sia whispered the truth to me from the side.

After being caught in an instant, he quickly left the place and gave a cup to each of the others.

“Let’s cheers! Cheers!”

“This is a drink.”

“Hey, you can toast with drinks too.”

Yeah, that’s true.

Everyone laughed and lifted their cups at Suah’s suggestion.

And they toasted each other by clinking their cups.

It was a secret that only I knew that Soo-Jung was also sneaking in there.

“Eww~ This is delicious! Wow! This is really delicious! It’s similar to that sunshine drink, but even more delicious!”

The rice drink was a successful response.

Su-ah ran around and received another drink.

Of course, Sia too.

I had expected it, so I took out the cans I had prepared in large quantities.

And next to it he took out another can.

“This is a different version. It’s a bit thicker.”

What I just ate was made using the first method.

And the new one is a thick version with milk.

I gave everyone a little bit to taste.

Interestingly enough, the reactions were divided.

For adults, a thick drink.

Children have a clear drink.

“This is better, more like nurungji.”

“I’ll take this! They’re both delicious, but I think I could eat more of this!”

“Haha! Yeah, yeah. It’s the perfect time to eat.”

Well, everyone’s tastes are different, but it doesn’t matter because everyone says it’s delicious.

After taking a sip of each drink, it was time for the main lunch.

Acorn jelly set menu was served.

“Wow~ In the side dish, in the soup, and even in the rice bowl! It looks so delicious!”

“Hey, eat up.”

“yes!”

Hansong-i ate right next to the woman.

Because the old woman grabbed a bunch of flowers and laid out almost everything in front of them.

I vaguely guessed why.

‘Ma’am, you said you had a son too.’

I don’t know how old you are, but anyway, that was the reason.

I didn’t pay much attention to it because it didn’t seem like Hansong was particularly uncomfortable.

“hello?”

“Oh, yes. Hello. Haha. Is it okay for me to be here?”

Instead, I thought this was the time to go to the hardware store owner, who was like a borrowed neighborhood cat rather than a local resident.

Although the aura and condition were not good, it did not show on the outside.

“Of course. Please feel free to eat. Are you going to come and install the curtains for the writer?”

“Haha. Yes. I was just about to install it when the customer told me to eat something before I left, but I didn’t know it would be this big.”

“I didn’t know either. I’m sure you said let’s just eat something simple.”

We sat next to each other and had a natural conversation.

When I spoke to him, the hardware store owner’s expression brightened, as if he felt a little more comfortable.

But the condition is still not good.

It wasn’t because I was unfamiliar and uncomfortable with this place in the first place that I was in that state.

If that were the case, I would have gone already.

The exact situation was this.

[Jang Won-jun]

*situation

─Regular damage

─Stress-induced tension

I could guess what the stress-related tension was, but I was a little puzzled by what was in front of me.

Regular damage, huh?

I think it refers to a state where the aura is like that.

I’m still not sure.

“Haha. Well, I’m fine. I was really hungry after coming back from a business trip this morning. I have plans for the next time I’m here, so I had to stop by the hardware store and grab a quick bite to eat before I leave. It’s a good thing. You too, boss, eat quickly.”

“Oh, yes.”

After hearing the hardware store owner’s words while smiling, I decided to eat it too.

First of all, let’s start with the silence.

It was a refreshing dish of dried radish mixed with various vegetables and seasoning.

I took a bite with some vegetables.

Crunchy vegetables and chewy, yet soft, jelly that feels like it’s there but not there.

‘It’s delicious.’

This was a real delicacy.

I don’t know what kind of vegetable it is, but it was sour and went really well with acorn jelly, which also had a similarly sour taste.

But above all, the seasoning was really good.

I felt the same way when I made bibim guksu, but it seemed like the lady was really good at cooking.

How do you get the balance right for the ingredients?

It may seem like the bitterness would be too much, but the seasoning took care of it all.

Salty and sweet.

It’s spicy and sour, and even though I ate the whole thing, my mouth starts watering just thinking about it.

“Mmm~ This is delicious. Wow! It goes well with drinks too.”

“Is that so?”

The hardware store owner also ate it once and then drank the drink I made, saying:

Fortunately, the combination of the two worked well together, almost as if it was planned on purpose.

“You two are both amazing. I could never make something like this. Haha! Oh, and of course my wife is also a good cook.”

“Huh? Are you married?”

“Yes. Haha.”

I didn’t know, but I guess you’re married.

This is a bit of a twist.

“So, is it because of your wife that you settled down here?”

“No. My wife settled down here because of me. Haha! My dream was to live in a house, and since I happened to inherit a hardware store, I was able to realize that dream. I’m really grateful to my wife.”

“Aha! I’m so grateful to my wife.”

“Yes. Because you trusted me and came here.”

As we chatted about small things, I also got to hear some personal stories from the hardware store owner.

This is good.

These are stories that would have been difficult to ask naturally if the issue had not become so big.

I’m glad we had the silent party.

“But why did the boss open a cafe here?”

“Oh, I inherited it too.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yes. My grandfather passed it down to me before he passed it on.”

“Then, wasn’t there something you were doing originally?”

“I was just working at a company, but I don’t know if it was fate or not, but I just wanted to quit, so I just quit and came down.”

“Wow~ Is that so? You’re amazing, Mr. President. It’s understandable to quit your job, but to come down here right away like that?”

The hardware store owner also came from the city and was around the same age as me, so there were a lot of stories I could relate to.

I thought about it before, but there is also something in common in that they inherited a hardware store and a cafe.

“But isn’t this something that usually requires some dexterity?”

“Isn’t a hardware store similar?”

“Haha! Is that so?”

There were many things in common.

If this had been real makgeolli instead of a drink, I think I would have had it with my friend right away.

“But, is something wrong?”

I asked casually while the atmosphere was good.

but,

“Me? Haha. No, not really. Is it because I’m a bit of a dead person?”

“Oh, no. That’s not it. You just seemed deep in thought earlier.”

“Hey, that was just a blank stare. It’s a bit unfair.”

“Is that so?”

At the hardware store owner’s refusal, he scratched the back of his head and turned away.

There was clearly something there, but it seemed like it wasn’t something that could be easily talked about.

Or maybe you don’t even know.

I decided to change the subject naturally, because I was afraid that if I brought it up too deeply, it would make her avoid me.

Finally,

“Why isn’t it shrinking here? Is it tasteless?”

“No, that’s not possible. I was just about to eat. Oh! I’ll take another plate of side dishes.”

“Haha! Okay. Sit down. I’ll bring it over. I feel good because everyone is eating well.”

While we were talking and not eating, the lady came and asked us.

He said no to both and quickly emptied the vegetable dish in front of him and asked for more.

And while I was putting in new food, I ate a bowl of rice.

“Hmm?? Is this kimchi?”

“Have you tried it, sir? The kimchi is really delicious, isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s sour, but not too strong. It’s the perfect flavor for a bowl of rice.”

They both nodded at the same time at the taste.

The hardware store owner continued, wondering if he had anything more to say.

“That’s right. I really want to give this to my wife. Actually, my wife loves kimchi. I tempted her by saying that if she followed me, we could eat kimchi from a country jar… … But the twist is that neither of us are very good at eating food. So we only eat what people around us give us. Haha!”

“Oh my! Then I’ll give you some too. Come and get it.”

“Huh!? Really? Then I won’t decline.”

“Haha! I really like the young boss here because he refuses everything. He’s also very witty.”

When did you come?

The old woman listened to the hardware store owner and said she would give him kimchi.

“Then I’ll also… … .”

“I’m the owner of the tiger shelter. If you ask, of course I’ll give it to you.”

“thank you.”

Thanks to that, I also got some kimchi from the side.

By the way… …

Whenever his wife came out of his mouth, the hardware store owner’s face was filled with longing.

And at the same time, darkness was visible.

‘Is that it?’

Why the hardware store owner is in bad shape.

Somehow I felt like I had found the source.

It definitely had something to do with my wife.

But even if you know it, it’s a problem that’s not easy to approach, so… Ah!

“Come to the cafe with your wife sometime. We don’t have kimchi though.”

“Haha! I guess so. Even if it’s not kimchi, I think my wife would like this place. The atmosphere is really nice. And this too. The owner’s cooking skills are extraordinary, so I think I can confidently recommend it to my wife.”

“Yes. The menu changes every season, so I can’t tell you what we have, but I guarantee it’s delicious.”

I can say this with confidence.

For now, I decided to just connect it like this.

But somehow I had a feeling that we would come together soon.

Or what… … I’ll call you.

You can just make it happen if you go to the hardware store.

For now, we decided to eat quickly before Suah and Sia steal more of our food.

There were still many things I had not tasted.

* * *

So the party ended in a hurry.

A few more days have passed in a flash.

And then… … the hardware store owner came to visit.

Alone, with the condition worsening.