Chapter 4
Who Hates Money?
It seemed she had no choice but to treat it as if nothing had happened.
There was only one hour left until the Happy Restaurant opened.
The system popped up an alert announcing the start of business, but SoRi ignored it.
After all, being awakened as the owner of a restaurant despite being completely useless at cooking didn’t make any sense. Awakenings should go to talented people, she thought.
On top of that, she nearly got her face covered in blood from being pricked by a hedgehog during the awakening. Anger rose on its own.
“Why me? Do I have to bleed just because I awakened and I’m not even S-rank?”
She pulled out her phone.
“Let’s see… what was the number for the Hunter Bureau again? Or… should I call the police?”
SoRi was considering what to do with the restaurant building the previous owner had abandoned.
Then, a new window appeared on her screen—urgently.
From Step One to Michelin 3-Star!
Before customers arrive, let’s do a full clean to get that fresh reopening feeling. The tablecloths are filthy!
Quest Name: Full Restaurant Cleaning (0/1)
Time Limit: 30 minutes
Reward: 200 Gold, ???
Failure: !DEATH!
“…?”
A quest had suddenly appeared. She was indeed an awakened person. But…
“Clean the entire restaurant in thirty minutes?”
And if she failed, she would die? SoRi rubbed her eyes, thinking she must have misread it.
Even after reopening her eyes, the “!DEATH!” warning remained clear. She couldn’t focus on the reward because of the looming threat.
“Ah, no… it can’t be. Surely cleaning the restaurant isn’t a death sentence.”
SoRi was still holding onto John, the hedgehog, who was struggling with the thorn stuck in him. John wriggled in her hand.
“It can’t be, right? I won’t die if I don’t do it?”
She asked the innocent hedgehog persistently.
Then, another window appeared.
“What now, damn it…”
The system window was starting to scare her.
Congratulations! You have entered a contract with your companion John.
John’s Title: Junior Manager
Affiliation: Happy Restaurant
“A contract?”
SoRi’s efforts to escape this miserable situation were gradually collapsing. Or rather, she was sinking into it like a swamp.
Startled, she let go of the hedgehog.
“I didn’t even do anything!”
But then she remembered: John the hedgehog was her companion, helping with restaurant operations, wasn’t he?
“The new owner must be pretty clumsy.”
At that moment, a human-like voice came from John.
SoRi turned and saw John standing proudly on a rock. She recalled that communication was possible once she had a contract with her companion.
“Wow… the hedgehog really talks!”
She decided to cling to John for now.
“Is this your first time seeing a talking hedgehog?”
John placed his tiny hands on his hips and acted arrogantly.
“…Yes, it is,” SoRi replied.
“Two guys died because they couldn’t even complete the tutorial quest.”
Back in the restaurant, John began bragging about his experience.
“So it’s real?”
“Don’t you believe me? The system doesn’t lie.”
“So… what do I do? How am I supposed to clean the entire restaurant in 30 minutes? This isn’t a tutorial level.”
Time left: 26 minutes 37 seconds.
The countdown showing the remaining time grated on her nerves.
“You fool! Did you forget that you’re an awakened person?”
“You’re an awakened person in name only! You can’t do anything!”
“Follow me.”
John scurried to the center of the restaurant and climbed onto a table.
“Cleanliness is my power!”
John spread his tiny, stubby arms and recited what sounded like a spell.
A gentle wind began to stir inside the closed restaurant. Faded curtains fluttered, dust on the floor swirled like a tornado, and was sucked up the fireplace chimney.
The tablecloth floated up, spun around, and astonishingly became completely clean in an instant.
Plates, tissues, forks, knives, and spoons were neatly arranged on the now spotless table.
John shouted at SoRi, who was staring in awe.
“What are you doing? Don’t just stand there!”
“…Cleanliness is my power!”
She copied John’s words. Thinking nothing would happen, she was wrong.
The same wind that John had summoned started around the table near her. Her heart thumped.
“Am I… doing it too?”
Of course, a new window appeared.
Congratulations!
With the help of Junior Manager John, you have learned your first skill.
Skill Acquired: Cleanliness is My Power (C)
Achievement Unlocked: First Skill Learned
Reward: 100 EXP
You are now Restaurant Owner (Lv. 2)!
She leveled up and gained an achievement with only one spell.
Before she could even question it, the restaurant transformed spectacularly according to her spell.
The faded curtains became pristine. The mat at the entrance floated and dusted itself off.
“Wow…”
SoRi couldn’t close her mouth at the sight.
“This… is the power of an awakened person. Not bad at all.”
John praised her.
“I just copied what you did.”
She tried to sound modest, but John shook his head.
“I said two people died just because they couldn’t finish the tutorial. Not everything works just by copying.”
“So… can I interpret this as having talent?”
“Remember, only two people died.”
John didn’t offer a second compliment.
Soon, the restaurant cleaning was complete—kitchen, bathroom, and even the small terrace. The old, dilapidated restaurant was now functional. Normally, it would be miraculous for any customers to come here.
Congratulations!
Quest ‘Full Restaurant Cleaning’ Complete!
Please claim your reward.
She had completed the quest without dying. Heart pounding, she clicked “Claim Reward.”
200 Gold deposited.
100 EXP gained.
Golden Muslang Steak Recipe X1 acquired.
Three rewards! SoRi could hardly contain her excitement.
“Wow, EXP goes up fast! What’s this Golden Muslang Steak?”
Though the steak was impressive, the most important thing was the gold. Her eyes fixed on the 200 Gold. Gold was a currency used in the Hunter Market.
“How much is 200 Gold?”
As a newly awakened beginner, she didn’t know much. John answered.
“You’re still dumb. One Gold is worth 10,000 Korean won.”
“What? I’ve been awakened less than an hour, it’s natural I don’t know… Wait, 10,000 won per Gold? So 200 Gold is… 2 million won?”
She had just chanted one spell and earned 2 million won. She had called a part-time job paying 20,000 won per hour a “sweet gig,” and now she had earned 2 million before even opening the restaurant?
Wow, awakening was truly incredible. Was Kang SoRi about to become a super-rich person?
Her earlier resolve to report and run away had completely vanished. Only the greed for rewards remained.
“So… the next quest will give me this much too, right? I still have to pay my rent deposit…”
“Hey! Snap out of it!”
John smacked her forehead with his tiny hands.
“Ouch! Why? Can’t you think?”
“Stop fantasizing and open your stat window.”
“Stat window?”
“You don’t mean to tell me an awakened person doesn’t know what a stat window is!”
John seemed ready to bring a whip next.
“Oh, I know! I’ve seen it on TV. Open my stat window, right?”
She crossed her arms and confidently recited the command. John snorted.
The stat window popped up.
Basic
Name: Kang SoRi (26 years old)
Class: Restaurant Owner (Extended) (Lv. 2)
Strength: 7, Endurance: 6, Luck: 9
Skills
Passive: The Customer’s Joy is My Joy (D)
Active: Cleanliness is My Power (C)
Remaining Stat Points: 2
“See it?” John asked.
“Yes. But there’s a lot I don’t know.”
“Not the time to explain everything. Can you see the skill window?”
“Yes. But what’s ‘The Customer’s Joy is My Joy’? Never seen it before.”
“Click on ‘Description.’”
Following John’s instruction, she saw the small “Description” text next to the skill.
Skill Description
Passive: The Customer’s Joy is My Joy (D)
—Applies from Lv. 2
—Allows sensing the customer’s mood.
—Details: Mood is represented as a value from -100 to +100; the closer to -100, the worse the mood.
“What? The numbers are so blunt. Do I really need to know this? Oh, and there are remaining stat points.”
“That’s for later. Just remember the skill for now.” John advised.
Anyway, it was almost time for the restaurant to open.
Restaurant Opening in 1 Minute.
“Wait, I forgot. John! Can you cook? Please tell me you can cook.”
She had forgotten the most important part: with customers coming, food would be ordered!
But SoRi had never made anything more than instant noodles in her life. She had no choice but to rely entirely on John.
“Have you never cooked before?”
John just clicked his tongue instead of answering.
“I never had a hobby for cooking!” SoRi protested.
The restaurant officially opened.
The system window automatically hung an “Open” sign at the entrance.
Good luck!
And the additional message… well, it wasn’t exactly encouraging:
“Today, the only menu is ramen.”
SoRi clutched her head, imagining every possible disaster. She had a skill, but still no idea about cooking.
Could it be… I’ll die when customers come?
Customer Greeting Quest Failed!
—Congratulations—
Death
Her mind was running through every possible simulation.
Amazingly, before thirty minutes had passed since opening, the sound of the door opening reached her.
Ding-dong!
Before she could even greet the customer, a man was already sitting at a table by the window.
“Welcome…!”
As she rushed to him, a window popped up.
The Customer’s Joy is My Joy (D) has been activated.
Current mood of A-Table customer: -70
-70?
An ominous sign right from the start.
