Chapter 47

Sunday, at an old café near Nowon Station.

Park Dongsu, who had arranged to meet Jinhyeok, repeatedly checked his wristwatch.

There were still fifteen minutes until their appointment.

Yet his palms wouldn't stop sweating.

Your mother doesn't have to close her restaurant.

Those words kept echoing in his ears.

He had no idea what they meant, but he couldn't ignore someone claiming to be from Seongun.

What if he's a scammer? Is he going to tell me he can make the restaurant successful if I pay some kind of deposit?

Seongun was a company so famous that practically everyone knew its name.

Dongsu couldn't understand why such a company would take an interest in his mother's failing noodle restaurant.

Jingle.

The café door opened, and a man entered.

The person who had introduced himself as a team leader had a youthful face and appeared to be in his mid-thirties.

"Are you Mr. Park Dongsu?"

"...Yes, that's me."

Dongsu awkwardly rose from his seat.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kang Jinhyeok."

[Seongun Development
Commercial District Analysis Team
Team Leader Kang Jinhyeok, General Manager]

Dongsu carefully examined the business card he had been handed.

"You can trust me. If you're still worried, you can call my company tomorrow morning and verify my identity."

Dongsu's wariness eased slightly.

"My sudden call must have surprised you, right?"

"...Yes. It was completely unexpected."

Understanding the man's anxiety, Jinhyeok explained what had happened during his recent vacation in Tongyeong.

He told Dongsu how they had removed the construction waste and attracted customers through social media promotions.

"Could you search for 'Grandma's Noodles Tongyeong' on a search engine?"

Dongsu took out his phone and entered the search term as instructed.

His eyes gradually widened.

Photographs of a place and food he knew all too well appeared one after another.

[Tongyeong's Amazing Old Alley Restaurant! Forty Years of History and Tradition in Every Bowl of Ice-Cold Noodles.]

[A Local Tongyeong Favorite. My Honest Review After Paying With My Own Money.]

[Introducing the Best Ice-Cold Noodles I've Ever Had.]

"H-How... How did this happen?"

Dongsu's mouth fell open.

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

It wasn't fake.

Dozens of reviews filled his phone screen.

"It's only been two days, and we're already seeing results like this. There will be even more reviews in the future."

It sounded like a miracle.

When he had last visited his hometown, his mother's restaurant had been practically deserted.

Now it was packed with customers.

The unfamiliar man sitting across from him wore a pleased smile.

That was why Dongsu couldn't help asking,

"...Why have you done so much for us? Did you sign some kind of contract with my mother?"

He wasn't being suspicious anymore.

He was genuinely curious.

Jinhyeok quietly looked down at his coffee.

"I'm a commercial district analyst."

"...Excuse me?"

"That's my profession. I've been doing this work for ten years. After tasting your mother's noodles, I couldn't simply walk away. The flavor was exceptional, and it was something we could save without too much effort."

"That's... the only reason?"

"Yes. And you're the final piece of the puzzle, which is why I came to see you."

Dongsu was speechless.

Someone was helping them without expecting anything in return?

In the world Dongsu had lived in, such things simply didn't happen.

It sounded like something out of a fairy tale.

"...What do you mean when you say I'm the final piece of the puzzle?"

"I heard you're planning to bring your mother to Seoul at the end of this month. Is there a particular reason?"

Dongsu fell into thought.

A couple of months earlier, he had seen his mother secretly enduring her aches and pains.

He had firmly told her that she'd done enough.

He was a grown man now. What did she have to worry about when she had a son who could look after her?

Back then, he hadn't known.

He hadn't imagined that the company where he expected to work for at least another ten years would run into difficulties and that he would be among the first employees to be discarded.

"There's no special reason. Business isn't going well, and my mother is having a hard time, so naturally..."

"I see. In that case, could you take a look at this?"

Jinhyeok handed him the tablet he had prepared.

It contained the data Oh Ilman had calculated, including sales of pressed pork and alcohol.

[Grandma's Noodles, Tongyeong Branch - Commercial District Analysis Report]

[Estimated Average Daily Visitors: 180]

[Estimated Monthly Revenue: 42 Million Won]

[Estimated Monthly Net Profit: 18 Million Won]

"...E-Eighteen million won in net profit?"

"Yes. That's after deducting everything, including ingredients, rent, electricity, and other expenses."

Dongsu's hands began trembling.

Eighteen million won in monthly net profit.

At present, he worked day and night for an entire month just to earn around three million won.

"...Are these figures real?"

"They're based on Seongun's data."

Jinhyeok pointed at the business card lying in front of Dongsu.

"And I'm putting my own name behind them. What do you think? Do you still believe closing the restaurant is the right decision? It won't make you rich overnight, but the income is certainly better than the salary of most office workers."

"But there's no guarantee it'll stay that way..."

He had a point.

During his ten years in the industry, Jinhyeok had seen countless businesses.

He had even seen children ruin restaurants their parents had spent their entire lives building.

However, after checking the diary app, Jinhyeok already knew that the grandmother wouldn't be moving to Seoul.

He also knew that the man sitting in front of him would help run the restaurant.

That was why Jinhyeok wanted to find out something important.

Was the grandmother's son someone worthy of inheriting her noodle restaurant?

"If you don't mind me asking, could you tell me what kind of work you currently do?"

"...My... occupation?"

"Yes. To be honest, I came here hoping you might consider moving down to Tongyeong to help your mother."

Jinhyeok recalled the photograph he had seen on his phone.

Dongsu would eventually move to Tongyeong.

The only question was whether he deserved to inherit the restaurant.

"I was an ordinary office worker."

Jinhyeok didn't miss the fact that Dongsu had spoken in the past tense.

"Did you... leave your job?"

"W-Well, the truth is..."

After hesitating briefly, Dongsu told him everything.

He had been unexpectedly informed that he was being laid off.

He was working as a designated driver while keeping it a secret from his family.

Now, he didn't even know how he was supposed to bring his mother to Seoul.

Only after hearing the entire story did Jinhyeok understand why Dongsu had appeared in the photograph.

He was a man doing everything he could to earn money and fulfill his responsibilities as the head of his family.

And someone who became teary-eyed simply from talking about his mother was unlikely to ruin her restaurant through reckless behavior.

"That's actually good news."

"What?"

"There's been one problem. As you probably know, your mother is having a very difficult time physically. The more customers she gets, the harder it'll become."

"..."

"So here's what I think. If possible, you should go down there as soon as you can. Receiving ingredients, serving customers, handling payments... Your mother can't do all of that by herself."

Dongsu remained silent for a long time.

His mother had raised her children by making noodles.

Instead of being able to bring her home and take care of her, he would be returning to ask for her help.

The thought made him feel miserable.

More than anything, he lacked confidence.

"Do you think... I can really do it? I've spent more than twenty years working in an office. I've never even put on an apron."

"..."

Jinhyeok checked the phone lying on the table.

The diary entry remained unchanged.

So it isn't changing.

This man was definitely going to Tongyeong.

That was why Jinhyeok decided to say something that might hurt a little.

"Mr. Park Dongsu."

"..."

"I think you need to pull yourself together."

Dongsu raised his head.

"Do you know what your mother said yesterday? She thanked us for letting her see something wonderful at the very end. Can't you imagine the expression on her face when she said that?"

"..."

"You know what that place means to your mother, don't you? You know the real reason she couldn't leave, even when business was failing and her whole body was hurting."

Dongsu's vision blurred.

He knew better than anyone.

His mother had become a widow before she was even thirty.

His father had gone out to sea and never returned.

With nothing but a pot for cooking noodles, she had raised two children.

She woke up at three every morning to make broth.

She slept only three hours a day.

And she had never once raised her prices.

Mom, why don't you raise your prices?

When Dongsu had asked her that long ago, she had answered with a bright smile.

Oh, you silly boy. How could I raise my prices just because I'm having a hard time? I raised you children thanks to those people. To me, they're like family.

Remembering that old conversation made Dongsu's eyes burn.

"...I..."

His throat tightened as he tried to speak.

"Do you really think... I can do a good job?"

Jinhyeok answered with a warm smile.

"It'll be much easier than working as a designated driver. Because you won't be alone there."

You won't be alone.

Those words broke through the tears Dongsu had been desperately holding back.

His mother had always been alone.

And now, so was he.

It had taken him until he was over fifty to truly understand what it meant to carry the responsibilities of a family.

He would return to his mother.

In a sense, he would be returning to his mother's embrace.

But Dongsu didn't feel the slightest bit ashamed.

"...When should I go?"

A smile spread across Jinhyeok's face.

"The sooner, the better. Even now, there are more customers than your mother can handle by herself."

Looking at Dongsu, whose expression had become noticeably more determined, Jinhyeok added one final request.

"Promise me just one thing."

"A promise? What kind of..."

"If business becomes so successful that you want to turn it into a chain, you have to do it with me. Not Seongun. Me personally."

"What? What do you mean...?"

"Just remember that for now. You'll have your hands full dealing with all the customers coming in anyway."

Early the next morning.

Malsun was sitting in front of her cooking pot, just as she did every day.

She divided the broth she had prepared the previous night and placed it in the refrigerator.

Three hours before customers arrived, she would transfer the broth to the freezer.

That was how she created the delicate ice crystals in her noodles.

There was only one problem.

Her physical condition.

Although her body had followed the same routine for most of her life, it was no longer as strong as it used to be.

"Ugh..."

Her back, knees, and wrists all ached.

There wasn't a single part of her body that felt completely healthy.

But to Malsun, these injuries were practically marks of honor, proof that she had raised her children.

She shook out her hands and picked up a knife.

Thanks to the kind young people who had come from Seoul, she had been getting far more customers lately.

She wanted to prepare even one more bowl for them if she could.

So why was it happening?

Tears kept gathering in her eyes.

"...Why did it have to happen now?"

Malsun rubbed her aching wrist and muttered,

"If only I were ten years younger. No, even five years would be enough."

She had only about twenty days left.

The young man from Seoul had promised to find a solution before leaving, but she wasn't expecting much.

Her son would arrive at the end of this month.

Or at least, that was what she thought.

Jingle.

The restaurant door opened before the sun had even risen.

"Mom. I'm here."

Her son stood in the doorway, carrying a large bag.

"How... How are you here at this hour?"

Unable to believe her eyes, Malsun rubbed them repeatedly.

Her son, who had promised to come at the end of the month, had appeared on a Monday before dawn.

And he was standing there with his head lowered.

Malsun immediately understood.

Something had happened to him.

Forgetting even the pain in her body, she sprang to her feet and rushed toward the door.

She looked up at his face.

"Did something happen? What's with that bag? Tell me!"

"I got fired from my job."

Dongsu gave an awkward smile as he entered the restaurant.

"So I came here. I'm going to start working with you today."

"..."

"I haven't told my family yet. I've been secretly working as a designated driver to get by. I'm sorry I hid it from you too, Mom."

Malsun's knees gave way.

"Oh, my goodness... My poor boy. Why are you only telling me now...?"

She sank to the floor, tears streaming down her face.

She had never once cried in front of her children.

Not during the year when her husband failed to return.

Not during the winters when they ran out of rice and she had to fill her stomach with cold water.

Not even once.

But now, she couldn't hold back her tears.

"Oh, my poor son. You must have suffered so much... You should've told your mother when something like that happened. Oh, what am I going to do...?"

Malsun weakly pounded Dongsu's chest as though scolding him.

Dongsu pulled his mother's small shoulders into his arms.

"I'm sorry. That's why I'm here now. I can work here, can't I? That man told me I wouldn't be alone here. Let's stay together from now on, Mom. Okay?"

Dongsu's tears soaked into his mother's shoulder.

Only then did Malsun manage to compose herself.

She reached up and gently stroked her son's face.

"Don't cry, son. Your mom... Your mom is right here. Why would you cry when you have me? Hmm? You don't have to worry about anything. You know that, don't you?"

Pale steam rose from the pot in the kitchen.

The familiar scent of clams and anchovies simmering together filled the air.

It was the scent that had always surrounded them throughout their lives.

And now, as though it had been waiting for this moment, it gently enveloped them both.