The first thing that people thought of when they thought of pojang-macha would be the bustling noises from the customers. Going past that orange-colored curtain would increase the noise level by at least double. It was a place where all the emotions in life reverberated and where glasses hit each other with a clang. It was a place of complete disinterest when it came to other people making noises. It might feel desolate at first glance, but people still gained consolation from it.

Maru lightly brushed his hand over the fold-out table. This pojang-macha in the middle of the set had less of that noise. Other than the time when a drunk customer came by and complained about life to the owner, it would be very quiet. The people that came here just sat down and ate udon and paid for their meals before going off to wherever they had to go. It wasn’t like other pojang-machas where people finished off the day by spending hours here; this place was a refuge where they could rest their bodies and minds.

Maru picked up a boiled egg and looked in front of him at Ganghwan. He had turned into the owner of a pojang-macha in just one day. After the cut ended, Ganghwan kept making bowls of udon without rest and handed them to the staff when it was supposed to be a break. It was 8 p.m. There was no better time to end their starvation than now. Everyone in each department,...