TGMC 21

chapter 21

You didn’t block me, right?

Wow. This is crazy. Seriously.

I boldly announced that we’d start dinner service, but…

Does this even make sense?

Really—there’s nothing else to say but “really.”

Just how many people are there?

Customers were lined up like a long snake.

I couldn’t even see the end.

“…This is way too many.”

I never expected an opening rush like this.

Was YouTube’s influence really this strong?

It was astonishing.

‘Still, we prepared thoroughly.’

I’m confident.

Over the past fifteen days, we prepared a lot of things.

First, we installed a waiting system.

The weather was still chilly, and we couldn’t have people standing outside in line the whole time.

They could just enter their phone number, get a waiting number, and receive a message when it was their turn.

We also made a waiting room.

It wasn’t very big, but we set it up like a greenhouse.

We put a heater inside and brought in several chairs.

That wasn’t all.

We simplified the menu.

We removed meat items like pork belly and pork neck.

Carrying portable gas stoves and grills back and forth was inefficient.

Cleaning grill plates was no easy task either.

Another big reason was that Bangwooli couldn’t make them taste better.

Aside from that, we switched almost everything to self-service.

If we still end up short-handed after all this?

Then I plan to hire even more staff than actually needed.

Trying to save on labor costs at the expense of food quality was not an option.

“We’ll be seating guests starting with those who were waiting first. Other guests, please wait a bit longer. Feel free to use the waiting room.”

After announcing this to the line,

I guided in the first customers.

They were a couple, both wearing excited expressions.

“Please sit here. Our restaurant is self-service, so please keep that in mind. We only have one menu item—duruchigi. It comes with soybean paste stew, and rice must be ordered separately.”

“Two servings of duruchigi, and two bowls of rice, please.”

“Got it. Your first order has been received. Thank you!”

You could tell from the way they spoke.

They weren’t locals.

They must have rushed over after watching Kim Hajoon’s ‘I’m Going to Eat!’.

How many hours did they wait?

It was hard to imagine.

“Mom, please prepare two servings of duruchigi.”

“Okay!”

While my mom started cooking,

I placed the side dishes she made, rice bowls, a water bottle, and cups onto a tray and walked over to Table 1.

After neatly setting everything down, I spoke.

“We’ll bring the duruchigi and soybean paste stew as soon as they’re ready. Enjoy your meal.”

“Thank you.”

“We came after watching Hajoon-oppa’s YouTube. We can expect a lot, right?”

I replied with a smile and guided the next guests to their table.

It was a young couple with their small daughter.

I seated them at Table 2 and took their order as well.

In the meantime, I overheard the conversation from Table 1.

“Oppa, try this. This is good too.”

“But honestly, the rice is insanely good. How does plain rice taste like this? Now I get why that stylist ate three bowls.”

“I thought Hajoon-oppa was exaggerating his reactions. But after actually eating here, I get it.”

Listening to their conversation made my chest feel warm.

Customers enjoying the side dishes my mom made and the rice cooked with spirit water.

I felt proud.

And happy.

Is this what they call small but certain happiness?

‘I’m glad I moved to the countryside.’

If I were still working at the company,

I’d only be stressed out and never get to feel this kind of happiness.

Because I made the bold choice to move here,

I met spirits.

And thanks to them, the restaurant is doing well too.

Honestly, all of this was possible because I won first prize in the lottery.

If not for that, I wouldn’t have found the courage.

So, in that sense—

Jihyun, my ex-girlfriend who picked the winning lottery numbers.

You’re doing well, right?

Thank you. Really.

Thank you!

* * *

YouTube really is incredible.

Two million subscribers.

I knew it was a huge number,

but I never imagined the impact would be this big.

We kept taking reservations, but the waiting list was enormous.

Our restaurant closes at 10 p.m.

We need time to clean up and prepare for the next morning.

But looking at the number of reservations now…

‘We’d have to stay open all night.’

That’s how full it was.

At this point, running out of ingredients was the bigger concern.

So we stopped taking reservations earlier.

We couldn’t ask people to wait when we didn’t even know if we could serve them.

There are seven tables in the restaurant.

Thanks to removing all the floor seating during the remodel, the number of tables increased.

Tables one through seven.

All of them were already full.

“One bottle of soju, please.”

“Yes. I’ll bring it right away.”

Aside from grabbing drinks from the fridge,

there wasn’t much for me to do.

Almost everything was self-service.

All I really did was handle payments at the counter and send messages to waiting customers telling them their table would be ready soon.

Once the dining area settled down a bit,

I went into the kitchen.

My mom was sweating as she worked.

Since she cooked each order fresh instead of in advance, she had to keep moving nonstop.

But her face was full of smiles.

The more customers came,

the more grateful a restaurant owner felt.

“Another group will be coming in soon. Are you okay?”

“Of course. I’m fine. Ah—later, when you’re not busy, clean up the return station.”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

Once customers cycled out, dishes would pile up at the return station.

Moving them to the sink was my job.

When I returned to the counter, the couple at Table 1 stood up.

I glanced at their table.

The duruchigi plate was so clean it could’ve been brand new.

The same went for the stone pot stew and rice bowls.

Most of the side dishes were gone too—it looked like they enjoyed everything.

As they approached the counter, I asked,

“How was the food?”

“If we say more, our mouths will hurt. It was seriously amazing.”

“It was the best duruchigi of my life. I want to come again, but it’s such a long way—it’s a shame.”

From Seoul to Uljin.

Unless you drive, public transportation isn’t easy.

“You really can’t do takeout, right?”

“Yes. I’m sorry. As written at the entrance, we don’t do takeout or delivery.”

“That’s too bad. We wanted to bring some to our parents.”

“I’m sorry. The taste can change during transport, so we don’t offer either.”

That wasn’t a lie.

Duruchigi, soybean paste stew, rice—even the side dishes—

They all had one thing in common.

They used spirit water.

And the biggest drawback of spirit water is this:

Its effects disappear once it gets too far from me.

That’s why delivery and takeout are impossible.

Even meal kits won’t work.

So if you want to eat duruchigi made with spirit water,

you have to come here—to Happy Restaurant in Nagok-ri, Uljin County—and eat it here.

That’s the only way.

“Next time, we’ll bring our parents with us. Thanks for the meal.”

“Thank you. Please come again.”

After sending off the first guests,

I called the eighth group on the waiting list and wiped down Table 1.

Thinking about how cleanly the dishes had been emptied made my heart swell.

My body was tired, but my heart felt warm.

* * *

One full rotation passed.

Except for a few tables drinking alcohol, the rest were empty.

I started moving quickly before the next guests came in.

Most of the dishes at the return station looked clean.

The customers had scraped off every last bit of seasoning.

Still, they needed to be washed.

We had extra dishes, but it was best to clean them right away.

The problem was manpower.

I had to manage the counter and hall, and my mom had to stay in the kitchen.

So I planned to hire someone just for dishwashing.

But it fell through at the last minute.

The restaurant was in a remote location, and word had spread that the work was extremely demanding because of the Kim Hajoon channel.

Even part-timers avoided us.

As a result, we ended up hiring someone nearby.

That someone was Bangwooli.

“Bangwooli, ready?”

[Yes! Mister! Put everything in!]

Bubble, bubble.

Bangwooli was releasing bubbles inside the sink.

I dumped in the mountain of dirty dishes and utensils.

A moment later,

A whirlpool formed in the sink.

Along with it, Bangwooli began cleaning the dirty dishes, stone pots, and utensils spotlessly.

Dishwashing with a spirit.

This was the ultimate dishwasher.

All I had to do afterward was place the clean dishes on the drying rack.

My mom, who was sitting nearby, watched in amazement and asked,

“That water spirit… you said its name was Bangwooli?”

“That’s right. Bangwooli. Super cute.”

“I wish I could see what it looks like.”

My mom looked genuinely disappointed that she couldn’t see Bangwooli.

[All done!]

Bangwooli shouted proudly.

In just a few minutes, the mountain of dishes was completely clean.

Not only was it incredibly fast, the quality was insane.

Every dish and utensil sparkled.

“Great job, Bangwooli. You’re the best.”

Bangwooli grows through positive energy.

I didn’t hold back on praise.

Bangwooli smiled brightly, as if it understood my intentions.

But only for a moment.

Then Bangwooli looked at me sharply and said,

[Mister, you have to keep the promise you made to me.]

“Yeah. I know. I’ll keep it.”

When I asked Bangwooli to help with the dishes, we made a promise.

The promise was—

I transferred the right to name things to Bangwooli.

Bangwooli had never liked the names I came up with, saying they were too random.

So this time, it took that right away from me.

Honestly, it was a win-win.

I wouldn’t have to suffer over naming things anymore.

[Go to the counter. A customer is standing up to pay.]

“Okay. Thanks—keep up the good work.”

When I stepped out of the kitchen, just as Bangwooli said, the family at Table 3 was standing up to pay.

As I took the credit card and started the payment,

I met the eyes of a little girl staring at me.

“Hi.”

I waved and greeted her.

She smiled shyly.

She looked about three or four years old.

Her smile was incredibly cute.

‘Is this why people say daughters are the best?’

As I returned the card, another thought crossed my mind.

‘I guess I really am getting older. I never thought I’d want a daughter.’

In the past, it would’ve been unthinkable.

Back then, all I did was struggle through company life, trying to survive each day.

But now that life has some breathing room,

I can play with spirits and cats.

And I want to raise kids here, with mountains behind us and the open sea in front.

Just as I was thinking again how glad I was that I moved to the countryside,

The four-year-old girl bowed deeply and said,

“Thank you for the yummy food, mister.”

Her polite bow made me smile.

“Thank you. Take care.”

After waving them off,

I was wiping down the table and getting ready for the next guests—

When the phone in my pocket started vibrating nonstop.

I checked the message, wondering who it was.

And the moment I read it,

I froze.

• Oppa, that restaurant on Kim Hajoon’s YouTube—
  isn’t it your mom’s restaurant?

• Wow! What happened? How did your mom’s restaurant end up on the channel?

• Oppa! Can you see my messages?
  You didn’t block me, right?