[Bbanggubneun Tajagi] Is This Book a Happy Ending or a Bad Ending?

Akutagawa Prize Winner "Matitneun Bapeul Meogeul Su Itgireul"
Depicting the Subtle Psychological Battles of Work Life Through Food

*This article contains multiple spoilers. It is recommended to read the book first before reading the article.

Photo by Getty Images Bank

There are anecdotes such as responding to a boss’s words, "Today is the company dinner," with "I have a prior engagement today," or replying to the announcement, "The deadline is near, so let's work overtime today," with "I have finished all my tasks, so I will head out." Stories like these are often seen in news articles or internet posts under labels like ‘MZ generation culture.’ Usually, these writings tend to be somewhat unrealistic and are spiced up with stimuli commonly called MSG (monosodium glutamate) to make them more entertaining. However, the reason these stories continue to be created and spread is likely because many people empathize with them.

Such stories usually do not have any follow-up. There is no happy ending like ‘Snow White lived happily ever after with the prince,’ nor a bad ending such as ‘That employee was brought before the disciplinary committee and eventually resigned.’ The stories are consumed and end at that point.

Junko Takase’s "I Hope You Can Eat Delicious Meals," which won the Akutagawa Prize in Japan last year, presents a three-dimensional portrayal of the real-life version of the ‘MZ generation culture’ story.

The setting is a company that produces food label packaging. The main characters are three employees: a male employee Nitan?, and two female employees Oshio and Ashikawa. Their ages are almost the same. However, if applied to Korean-style conflicts, Nitan? represents the 40s-50s generation who have complaints but diligently perform their work, Oshio represents the 20s-30s generation who have ambitions but are often unfamiliar with or unwilling to engage in social work life, and Ashikawa, though somewhat difficult to define as a traditional office worker, can be seen as a figure within the traditional flow.

Nitan? and Oshio dislike Ashikawa because, despite being a low performer, Ashikawa is protected under the name of community. This is true even though Nitan? is in a relationship with Ashikawa. He thinks it’s good to date a kind and gentle woman like Ashikawa but dislikes the traditional family image that Ashikawa wants to share with him. Oshio dislikes that others cover for Ashikawa’s work when she leaves early. The way Nitan? and Oshio resist Ashikawa is by secretly refusing the snacks Ashikawa brings as a substitute for the work she fails to complete properly.

The conflict created in this relationship eventually ends with Oshio quitting the company and Nitan? transferring to another branch. In their last meeting, Oshio says, "It seems we are losing the ability to help each other. Perhaps we once had it but are letting it go because it’s easier to live that way." On the day of the farewell party, she starts by saying, "I’m sorry for the trouble, but I’m not feeling well," then declares, "But honestly, I didn’t really want to come, so I’m kind of glad my head hurts." It is both a declaration of defeat and a declaration of victory.

At the farewell party, Nitan? enjoys the cake from Ashikawa that he had secretly thrown away before, looking at his girlfriend. Feeling the sweetness that seeps into every corner between his gums, he praises it somewhat exaggeratedly as delicious while looking at Ashikawa. He finds her joyful expression irresistibly cute.

Is this empathy and understanding, or self-gaslighting? Without the phrase "They lived happily ever after," which is unbelievable but lets us just move on, we cannot know. It cannot be easily concluded whether this is happiness or unhappiness in any direction. This is the heavy weight of life conveyed by a novel with a light weight. Some may find it cold, others may smile. That is our work life and our life.

I Hope You Can Eat Delicious Meals | Written by Junko Takase | Translated by Heo Hana | Munhakdongne | 14,800 KRW