The Main Act Begins
Walking had long since become a habit of mine.
I had found this city by chance, but by now it was as good as my home base.
On the way from the market to the shop — where I went to try out new dishes — I naturally passed through Shinsigaji.
"Whoa. They're dressing the place up like this?"
Unexpected brilliance had taken root there. LED lights glittered from every corner even in broad daylight, and celebratory wreaths stretched out in long lines. As if everyone had agreed on the same hour, the crowds were already considerable.
Flashy.
I wondered what all the pomp was for — and then I understood at once.
"So they're finally opening?"
Business genius Jang On-gyu. The restaurants he had prepared were opening one after another.
Looks like he means to swallow the whole street whole.
Just as he had done with the first Jang Sa-jang Street he built, shops of every kind were lining up here with the same aggressive momentum. Every last one of them was a franchise he had created.
Were they hoping to ride the same wave?
"Damn. That one opened too?"
The storefronts we had failed to lease when we first looked for a place — already rented out back then — now flaunted their finished renovations in full glittering glory. These were people who moved fast once they heard a rumor; you could see the care poured into everything from the signs to the interiors.
Impressive.
I felt a pure, uncomplicated admiration. For anyone in the so-called self-employed world, watching shops open with this kind of force was a rare sight.
I was still watching when a familiar voice called from behind me.
"Sunwu?"
"Huh?"
I turned and found the owner himself — the business genius, Boss Jang. He looked as if he had just stepped out of a car, and a considerable entourage trailed around him.
"It's been a while."
"Yes. It has."
He offered his hand. The picture of a gentleman, if there ever was one.
"You've been well?"
"Of course. Ah — and congratulations."
"Congratulations?"
At the word, one of his eyebrows twitched.
"Yes. Naturally I should congratulate you. You're opening shops, aren't you? Haha."
"Ahh. That congratulations. Haha. Thank you. Thanks to everyone, the openings went smoothly."
"Glad to hear it."
"Yes. Though it's a little unfortunate I couldn't fill everything out exactly the way I wanted. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see on that."
Wow. There were bones in that man's words. Who, exactly, had failed to make it into that "everything" was painfully obvious.
"Come on. Is there really any need to wait and see?"
"Is that so? Changed your mind, then?"
"People don't change easily. That's why there's no need to wait and see. Filling everything out is going to be hard."
The eyebrow twitched again.
So that's a habit of his.
Displeased? That face comes out, is that it?
"Do you really think so?"
"What do you mean?"
"People can change not of their own will, but by force from outside, can't they? We usually call that correction."
"Correction. Interesting take."
"Haha. Isn't it? I thought you might appreciate it."
So that was how he was looking at this. Was it excessive self-regard to think I was the intended subject of his "correction"? I was past the age of overflowing self-confidence; normally I would have denied it on principle.
"My. The look you're giving me is awfully intense."
That look alone was enough to make me certain. No matter how you sliced it, Jang On-gyu still hadn't let go of me.
"Is it? Must be the openings — my heart seems especially heated today."
"I envy the passion."
Was there any need to needle him any more directly? We had recognized each other. For now, that was enough.
"Thank you. Well then — I've got work to attend to."
"Of course. Go ahead. Congratulations again."
Jang On-gyu turned, raised a hand in a casual acknowledgment of the farewell, and strode off without a backward glance. The people clustered around him fell into step as if by instinct.
Among those following him—
Some familiar faces, aren't there?
Quite a few people I had run into before. This was starting to feel like the main act was about to begin.
So that's him.
Lee Chae-min, the PR team leader standing behind Jang On-gyu, had listened to their conversation from the closest vantage and made up his mind. While Jang On-gyu was still speaking with someone else, Lee Chae-min went straight to the secretary.
"Secretary Park — the person you mentioned before. That's him, right?"
"Pardon?"
"The one who turned down the CEO's offer."
At the blunt question, Secretary Park's face tightened with discomfort.
"Ah. Yes, that's correct."
"I knew it."
Still, he answered without resistance. Correct.
Good at his job, but soft.
He was competent enough that the soft personality was usually forgiven — but when the CEO still clearly hadn't let this go, was simply looking troubled really enough?
Lee Chae-min revised his assessment of Secretary Park and pressed on.
"From the looks of it, the CEO still has unfinished business with him, don't you think?"
"Well — probably. He's a man of considerable appetite, after all."
"Yes. A man of considerable appetite."
"Why do you ask?"
"No reason. Just thinking we ought to work out a way to bring him over, if possible."
"Ah — the secretary team will look into methods on our end."
"How, exactly?"
"By adjusting the terms, for instance?"
"Ordinary adjustments don't seem like they'll cut it."
"Ah. We'll handle it ourselves."
So he considered this an intrusion into his territory. Secretary Park's expression hardened. Fair enough — "secretary team" was only the name. As Boss Jang's ventures had grown, Secretary Park and his people had come to cover a wide range of practical operations. The scope was considerable. Before the PR team even existed, they had handled publicity as well. Scouting promising shops for franchising and making contact — that was their work too. Of course he would be angry to have that ground encroached on.
So the PR team should stick to PR, is that it?
Lee Chae-min's insides bristled with dissatisfaction — but on the outside he only smiled brightly and answered.
"Of course. I trust you'll handle it well."
"Yes. So leave this matter with us. Haha."
"Naturally. It's the secretary team, after all. I believe in you!"
"Haha. Thank you."
Perhaps the show of respect, even surface-level, was enough. Only then did Secretary Park's rigid face ease. The atmosphere turned cordial again.
"Well then — the CEO seems to be waiting. Shall we head in?"
"Right. Let's go."
Lee Chae-min saw no need to spoil the mood. For the moment, the secretary team was still under the same roof, different department or not. And at the same time, he thought—
Colleagues under the same roof can help each other out, can't they?
The PR team had methods of its own.
I'd better make a few calls. This falls under publicity too, doesn't it?
A week had passed since Boss Jang's shops opened.
Three-thirty in the afternoon — peak hours for Brother Woo.
"This is a bit serious."
And yet there was no one left to pour coffee for.
"Fewer customers than usual, huh."
"That's what I'm saying. Normally this hour was full house."
"Right. People only started filtering out around four."
Empty seats dotted the shop here and there — a different picture from the days when every table was taken. There was no denying it. Even when they weren't coming for a meal, people who stopped in just for coffee had always filled the seats. Today there were simply fewer of them.
How was the morning rush, again?
I ran through the faces of everyone who had come and gone. Most of them were familiar.
"The regulars don't seem to have dropped off. It's the new customers that are thinning out."
"Yeah. Definitely."
You couldn't run a business on regulars alone. A restaurant of this size needed a steady stream of new faces. And that stream had dried up. Where the inflow had been cut off needed no explanation.
Boss Jang's openings. More precisely — the explosive openings across Shinsigaji.
They spent money like water from day one, so it was inevitable.
On top of that, they were pouring cash into promotion. This much effect from the opening events alone. It was big.
"I hear they're even bringing in YouTubers over there, little by little."
"YouTubers?"
"Yeah. Boss Jang's got a wide network. There's bound to be a PR team under him, and they're the ones moving. That's how it works."
"Ahh…"
Opening events, and now YouTubers on top of it. Something big was coming.
This is more nerve-racking than local TV.
Every single punch landed hard — and the problem was that this felt like only the beginning.
"Doesn't look like they've called in any of the big names yet, but there are plenty of people with real recognition."
"Man. This won't be easy."
Without even a proper main act yet — just the prologue — the inflow was already dropping. And the YouTubers were still waiting in the wings for the main story.
I had to admit it. This was strong. Very strong.
"Boss Jang really is no ordinary man."
"Told you. Not an opponent to take lightly."
Crisis. A crisis of a completely different kind from the apocalypse of my past life.
Crisis or not, the shop still has to run.
Thinking about it, this wasn't a life-or-death crisis either.
"Welcome!"
The moment dinner service opened, regulars started coming in — and even the new customers who trickled through, I was confident I could turn into regulars. In the short term it was a crisis. In the long term? I had no confidence at all — no confidence that I would lose.
"Brother! Table for two! They say they want something that packs a punch!"
"Something that packs a punch? Got it! Coming right up!"
I had clawed my way through an apocalypse. Was I really going to lose to this? Fire in my gut, I threw myself into the cooking. Before long, Jinwoo and Harang's bright, booming greetings rang out.
"Welcome!"
"Hello!"
Did they know I meant to charge straight through? Both of them had more fire in their voices than usual.
"Order up! Two here!"
"On it!"
"I'll take that table of three!"
"Yes!"
We kicked it into high gear and kept the plates flying out to the floor.
This is how you do it!
Food went out, and the customers ate it with bright, open smiles. Those smiles filled me with raw, surging strength.
Then, mid-order, Jinwoo suddenly came over.
"What is it?"
"Brother. Uh… they asked if they can film a bit?"
"Ahh…"
Film? I glanced over and spotted someone holding a small camera.
"So that's one of those YouTubers we kept hearing about."
"Right? Looks like they were shooting over in Shinsigaji and wandered over here."
"Yeah."
Since they were already out, they figured they might as well shoot a few more things before calling it a day?
You really never know how the world is going to turn.
So the people Boss Jang had summoned could end up helping us, too. Funny how that worked.
But then again—
I had no idea what unexpected thing was about to bloom after this.