"Oh, I didn't expect my eyes to open so early.”

The next morning.

It was just about time for the sun to rise, but one day I was in front of a oral fairy tale.

Last night, I went home early and went to bed as advised by Choi Han-seok, but I woke up too early because of my habit of cooking until dawn every day.

"But it's refreshing because I haven't stayed up all night in a while."

Every day, they serve ghosts at midnight and extend the rest of their lives in return.

Until a few days ago, even a single day was indispensable. Because a day's life is really near at stake.

However, things changed a little as one began to bring in several other ghost guests.

This is because life began to increase slowly as five to ten guests were received a day.

Eventually, now I have as much as four days to spare.

That's why I was able to enjoy a short day off.

"Of course, there's no one at this time, right?”

There are still about one or two hours left before others go to work, but one day I came to the restaurant first.

I'm gonna have to clean the kitchen as always. I opened the restaurant thinking.

"Uh……?"

But something was off.

It was obviously a restaurant where no one was supposed to be, but there was someone inside.

Plus a very familiar scent that spreads out.

"This smells like Chef Choi Han-seok's beef bone soup. Oh, and Chef Park Joo-hyuk, why?"

The day murmured in surprise.

In a restaurant where the lights are almost off.

Park Chu-hyuk was dozing off while leaning against a chair in the hall.

With a thin blanket that I don't know who covered it.

Although the kitchen was neatly organized, the smell of green beef bone soup showed what Park Joo-hyuk had done yesterday.

Oh, you're a day early.

"Chef Choi Han-seok! What happened? Chef Park Joo-hyuk yesterday...….”

Choi Han-seok was sitting next to the nodding Park Joo-hyuk.

Finding the day late, he rushed over and whispered.

Well, that's what happened. Joohyuk cooked until dawn instead of you yesterday. I just fell asleep, so don't wake me up.

"Oh, I see. By the way, did you cook all night yesterday?”

What do you think? It's my beef bone soup! Oh, that's right. Haru, come here and try it. What do you think?

Choi Han-seok took the day to the corner of the kitchen.

In a small container, there was some gomtang that Park Joo-hyuk had made.

It hasn't been that long since I made it. The oil isn't too greasy yet. Haru picked up a spoon and tasted it a little.

Slurp!

What do you think?

"It's delicious. It's greenery, and it doesn't smell much."

Haru gave a simple impression, but Choi Han-seok only looked at him with a meaningful smile.

As if you know what's really on your mind.

Really? Is it really good? Just be honest with me. Because I know everything.

When Choi Han-seok said this, there was nothing much I could do about it.

After a small sigh, he confirmed that Park Joo-hyuk was sleeping well and opened his mouth as if he were whispering.

"To be honest……. I think it's a little less tasty than the one you and I made. It smells a little bit, and it tastes a little less."Right? As expected, right? Hm, Haru, now you can feel this subtle difference. I'm so happy for you. You know how I feel, right?

I wondered how a living man would know the spirit of a dead ghost, but he nodded for now.

Choi Han-seok looked at Park Joo-hyuk, who was sleeping, and said.

Actually, Joohyuk did that yesterday. This is better than the beef bone soup he made, but it's not as good as the beef bone soup you made yesterday. That's why I overdo it. To my pride.

"Oh, really?"

I can't believe that the food made by Park Joohyuk, the master of Korean food, was tastier than Haru's.

I'm so tired of it that I can't stand it.

One day's shoulders shrugged at the sudden surge of praise.

However, Park Chu-hyuk's sweet sleep could not be missed.

Has it been less than 10 minutes?

Kim Ho-sung appeared as the door of the restaurant opened vigorously.

Chirirring-!

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Huh? Joohyuk, why are you here?"

Park Joo-hyuk wakes up with a strange sound at the rattling bell.

He wiped his saliva naturally to his cheeks and noticed Haru and Kim Ho-sung.

"Ahahaha... Is your brother here?"

"Wait. This smell. Did you make beef bone soup?”

"Uh... ..that's...….”

"Y, this is Chef Choi Han-seok's beef bone soup! Joohyuk, did you change your mind?”

Kim Ho-sung walked around the restaurant, spitting out words like lightning.

Park Joo-hyuk, who was dragged around by his pace, peeked at the day and said carefully.

"When I made it yesterday, my teacher's gomguk was a little more delicious. Of course I'll have to do more research. Anyway, that's what I've tried once. Yes."

A slightly arbitrary answer.

However, Park Chu-hyuk's intention was conveyed properly.

Kim Ho-sung said, clutching Park Joo-hyuk's hand tightly.

"Joohyuk, let's do our best. It's going to be Michelin Judge this season. I'm going to keep three stars this year. If you don't want to be ashamed of Chef Choi Han-suk!"

"Yes, I'll do my best."

Two people who are trying to cheer up.

Haru and Choi Han-seok looked at it happily, and Park Joo-hyuk called Haru in a small voice.

"You too, Haru, let's do our best."

Haru replied briskly with a big smile.

"Yes, Chef!"

It was the moment when a small wind of change began to blow in the oral fairy tale.

* * *

As soon as my mother cooks the soup, a week's meal is as good as a set meal.

Beef bone soup is also a food that requires a huge amount of boiling at once, and there are countless dishes that can be made as a base.

It starts with just adding salt and pepper to beef bone soup, kimchi stew, rice cake soup, and so on top of that.

The amount of gomguk that Haru made was also quite large.

"In that sense, today's menu is rice cake dumpling soup. It's okay, right?"

The same oral story of midnight as always.

For hungry ghosts, I cooked rice cake dumpling soup for a day.

Warm soup to soothe tired souls!

There was also a lot of rice cake soup and rice cake, but the amount was quite filling because two pieces of meat and kimchi dumplings were added.

I love Tteokguk with dumplings. I was surprised because I thought the restaurant was closed because you weren't there yesterday.

"Huh, I had a day off yesterday for some reason. I'm going to keep doing business from today."

Of course there was one as a guest.

A high school girl ghost, she found oral fairy tales almost every day.

He was not the only one.I kept the promise that Haru made with free cheese tteok-galbi.

I brought other ghosts to the restaurant every day, if not every day.

From ghosts his own age, to ghosts of old ladies and men.

Not to mention that the rest of the day's life is steadily increasing as restaurants slowly start to be crowded.

There were as many as three customers today.

Hana and a high school girl ghost of a similar age that she brought and regularized.

And the ghost that I met on the street today.

"By the way, what's your grandmother's name?"

Flower. Kim Flower.

"Kkotja? Wow, your name is so pretty. Which food do you like?”

It's good. It's warm.

The ghost of an old lady with the name Kim Ggot-ja seemed to have had a hard life.

There were traces of time on his face and hands, and he was wearing several layers of thin clothes, not a sturdy padding.

One said Grandmother Flower was selling vegetables while sitting on a bridge near the restaurant.

Of course, other ghosts didn't even look at it, but they were sitting on the concrete floor of Eomdongseolhan shouting silently to buy some vegetables.

I had some expectations of what kind of life grandmother Kkotja would have lived.

And what kind of death did you suffer?

So I did my best to treat my grandmother more warmly.

Because I thought it was the best courtesy and duty a day still alive could do.

"Take your time and eat a lot. Would you like some more soup if you don't have enough?"

-No, it's okay. Oh, and by the way. You're a good cook. He has a nice personality.

"Huh, thank you. It's better for me because my grandmother likes it."

I love it. My son looked just like a bachelor. He's nice, he's nice. You cooked well, too.

"Really? Wow, your son is amazing."

No, there's no such thing as a bad son! You haven't contacted me since I was over 80. It doesn't even come down during the holidays. Man, I was hoping to hear his voice. I don't remember my voice anymore. Even if my face is blurry, it's in my head.

"You said you were a great son.”

He's a great guy. I'm sure it's because you're busy. What's the point of contacting me? It's a distraction to work. Aren't you going to draw it'

"Then I'll be your son today! Mom, you have to put kimchi on top."

A day where I put a piece of kimchi on my grandmother's spoon and chopsticks with a pure smile.

Did the word "being a son" work?

The grandmother's hand, who was being treated as a cute act, trembled lightly.

You are also... eating well, right?

I'm asking if you're eating well.

It was a word that I heard from my mother, but at the same time, it was the word I missed the most as soon as I turned around.

Knowing that, one day I smiled as brightly as I could and opened my mouth.

"Of course! I don't eat instant food, I don't eat convenience store food. I'm eating well because I cooked. Don't worry."

Okay, that's enough. That's enough for me.

Two people who really talk like real mothers and sons.

Although the content of the conversation was heartbreaking, it was somewhat familiar to Haru, who treated ghosts with stories almost every day.Choi Han-seok, who was watching the scene while cleaning up the kitchen, threw a nice smile.

Haru Shiki, did you get a lot of fun lately? Desirably.

Perhaps she was hungry, Grandmother Flower-ja emptied a bowl of rice cake dumpling soup, which was quite a lot.

After filling up his stomach, he put down his spoon and chopsticks and stood up.

Thank you so much. Thanks to you, I ate very well.

"Well, I'm more grateful that you enjoyed it."

Grandmother Flower Ja pulled out a ball of wrinkled money from her waist.

He drooled on his fingers, counted the money slowly, and put down five 1,000 won bills.

It's for a meal. And this is.

Grandmother who has been selling vegetables on the street for a long time.

And a few of my grandmother's friends put me in.

Grandmother Flower's purse was really thin. I'm sure it's a minor, but most of the 1,000 won bills and no 50,000 won bills could be found.

But the value was enormous.

In heaven, 1,000 won for the good was more valuable than 10 million won for the rich.

It was a precious thing with more than general value, but Grandmother Flower offered it as if she had no regrets anymore.

Three cabbage leaves. The crumpled 30,000 won was placed on top of the 1,000 won bill.

This is allowance. It's like our son, so I can't just go.

"Grandma... .. You don't have to give it to me like this."

If you give it to an adult, I'll just say thank you and take it! It's time for me to go. What's the point of a dead man taking his money? Don't you think? This is for young people. A nice person like a bachelor.

Grandmother Flower rose from her seat saying so.

Stomping, stomping.

Slowly, but quickly left the restaurant.

At the same time, strange things began to happen.

As I took one step at a time, my grandmother began to look younger slowly.

Wrinkles and black mushrooms that had filled the body disappeared, and traces of suffering were erased.

And when she finally arrived at the door, she was a beautiful woman in her early 30s, who had just given birth.

Thanks to you, eat well. Thank you.

"What…… I'm grateful for everything. Well, get in there!"

Haru bowed his head with sincerity.

A sight that surprised me at first, but now I'm somewhat used to it.

He said that when ghosts with resentment are holy, they change to the best times they think they are.

The happiest moment of Ggotja's life was when she gave birth to her own son.

Even though the son left him alone.

Grandmother Kkotja was trying to relieve her resentment and reach the holy grail.

I can't believe I treated you to a nice bowl of rice and had a few warm conversations pretending to be your son.

I thought it was a good thing, but on the other hand, it was a moment when I felt sick.

Click, click.

The sound of footsteps has changed. From the old market altar, to the high-heeled cleavage.

The 30-year-old Kkotja started oral fairy tales like that.

"Phew……"

The day, which was a little exhausted, sat down and touched the money that Kkotja's grandmother gave me.

At the same time as the piercing and bright light burst out, the hands of the right hand twirled.

Three laps in total.

Just now, life has been extended for as long as three days.

Haru, did you do another one? Good job, dude.

"Well, thanks to your cooking, huh……, by the way, it bothers me. It's nice that she's a saint, but she didn't see her son's face after all."You fool. Think about it. How can a mother resent her son? No matter how much you abandon yourself. That's what parents are. Isn't it?

"I think it's because you said so."

It's almost dawn.

Hana and her friend ghost, who finished eating slowly, also got up from their seats and finished paying.

Thank you for the meal. It was delicious today too.

"Yes, thank you. By the way, are you going to go right after eating again today?”

Oh, yes. There's a place I have to go.

Looking at one, as usual, pulling a coin out of his charred Doraemon wallet, one day thought.

One always went somewhere beyond the alley as soon as he finished eating.

What the hell is beyond that and you rush every single day.

'By the way, what's the point of course. I think it's related to beyond the alley. Hmmm.'

Hana left the restaurant, saying thank you for the meal.

Right after breaking up with my friend, I turned to the corner of manners.

As expected, it bothers me.’

Strangely enough, one of the backs was caught in my eye today.

One day when my house was near here, I knew what was behind it.

You said it was a redevelopment area, didn't you? By the way, I know it's already being redeveloped over there...….’

A day of endless gazing at the alleyway where the black shadow falls.

I was just thinking, but the opportunity came earlier than I thought.

I didn't know if it was fate or a joke.

Kim Ho-sung, who came to the day at lunchtime, opened his mouth slightly.