Chapter 13
Chapter 13
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: First Franchise Pitch
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"So."
I pulled a spoon out of the freezer and handed it to Kim Jong-chun as I continued.
"What did you tell your wife?"
"Sniff..."
Kim Jong-chun, who had shown up for work with puffy eyes, pressed the spoon to the corner of his eye and swallowed hard.
No, he was pressing the spoon to his eye and tears were streaming down again. His eyes looked so raw and sore...
"I told her the truth... that I'd been laid off a while back. So it wasn't like I suddenly quit a job I was doing fine at, it was the company that... Waaah!"
He burst into tears mid-sentence.
Lee In-cheol pulled out some tissues and handed them over. Kim Jong-chun took them, wiping at his eyes and blowing his nose as he spoke.
"S-sorry. I tried to hold back the tears, but they've been nonstop since yesterday..."
It was like a dam that had held firm finally springing a leak—his pent-up sorrow was pouring out.
Even with his throat choked up, making it hard to continue, Kim Jong-chun kept talking steadily.
"I thought I'd used up all the tears I'd ever shed after getting fired... Guess not."
"Of course not, man. Bottling it up alone is totally different from opening up to someone else."
Lee In-cheol clicked his tongue sympathetically, handing over tissues nonstop as he pitied the guy.
"So, what did your wife say?"
"Sniff. My wife... Waaah! She hugged me tight and started crying too! And you know what she said?!"
Kim Jong-chun wailed as he shouted.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?! How much have you been wandering around in this cold weather...! She said she's sorry for not realizing."
Hm. That sounded just like her.
Kim Jong-chun's wife, Park So-in, was someone I'd gotten fairly acquainted with. Of course, before my return.
The Lee couple and the Kim couple would often get together with other franchise owners.
'We were closest when we had about five stores.'
After that, as the franchises multiplied exponentially, it got harder for everyone to stay personally connected.
"You're lucky a guy like you ended up with her, man."
"I think so tooooo...! She's such a great person, and all I do is make her suffer—I'm the worthless one! Sob sob!"
He was bawling his eyes out again, snot and all. Those puffy eyes were beyond saving.
"So, what did she say? That you could go ahead with the business?"
Sorry, but that was the most important thing to me right now. When I asked point-blank, Kim Jong-chun wiped away his tears and looked up.
"Well... she's still got a lot of worries. It's something she never even considered. And it'd mean pouring in all our severance pay..."
It made even more sense considering Kim Jong-chun was someone who'd never touched a kitchen knife in his life.
Times like this called for the direct approach.
"Bring her here sometime."
"Huh?"
"A picture's worth a thousand words. No amount of talking will just make her worries grow. After closing time, bring her by and serve her a bowl yourself, Uncle."
"......!"
Kim Jong-chun's eyes went wide.
"She'll know for sure once she tastes it. Whether it'll work or not."
He clamped his mouth shut for a moment, then nodded vigorously.
"Yeah!"
"[Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap], [Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap]... Is this it?"
Park So-in compared the map on her phone to the building in front of her, looking around nonstop.
That's when she spotted the A-frame sign on the sidewalk. It had a big photo of Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap's menu items with prices listed beside it.
"Here it is."
She looked up and saw the [Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap 0212] sign gleaming brightly.
Second floor of a four-story walk-up with no elevator. She even wondered if people could find the somewhat out-of-the-way spot.
Thud, thud. As she climbed the stairs, someone coming out from the second floor brushed past her.
They were holding a takeout bag.
'...Smells delicious.'
Impressed that they still had customers this late, she felt saliva pooling in her mouth.
Kim Jong-chun had insisted she skip dinner and come straight over, so she hadn't eaten properly all evening.
She hurried to the door and pushed it open, the savory aroma hitting her even stronger.
"Welcome. We just finished up the takeout orders, so... Oh!"
The part-timer, who'd rattled off the greeting out of habit, let out a short exclamation upon seeing Park So-in's face.
"Madam, you've arrived."
Madam?
The unfamiliar title made Park So-in feel a bit embarrassed.
'How'd they recognize me? Did he show them a photo?'
As she gave an awkward greeting amid her guesses, the part-timer with the "Song Woo-yeon" name tag smoothly guided her to the center table in the dining area.
"Table three, one gukbap~!"
"One gukbap!"
Park So-in jumped in surprise. That "one gukbap" shout was way too familiar.
She whipped her head up toward the kitchen.
There was her husband, in a white chef's uniform and clear mask, beaming at her.
"Honey! I'll make you a delicious bowl of gukbap!"
She'd heard he'd been learning to cook, but she'd been inwardly anxious. A guy who'd spent his whole life in an office suddenly deciding to run a business...
She'd even resented that college buddy of his for filling his head with nonsense, or so he'd told her.
But...
Chop chop chop chop.
Skilled knife work slicing green onions, then meat to the perfect thickness for boiling—was that really her husband? Park So-in stared, unable to believe her eyes.
Unless he'd brought in a dead ringer to put on a show, how was this possible?
With the open kitchen, Park So-in could watch Kim Jong-chun's every move.
"Here you go!"
Kim Jong-chun personally brought out the gukbap and set it in front of her.
Steam rose invitingly from the bowl, making her mouth water instantly.
Park So-in picked up the spoon as if entranced. The moment she took a big bite, a thunderbolt of flavor exploded in her mind.
When she came to, the bowl was empty, and Kim Jong-chun was watching her contentedly from across the table.
"How is it?"
He asked proudly.
"Delicious, right?"
"...Yeah. It is."
Park So-in answered honestly.
"You think others would like it too?"
"Yeah. I bet. ...When did you practice your knife skills? I've never seen you do that at home."
"I learned hard here at the shop. Oh, this is In-cheol, who taught me everything! And this is..."
Kim Jong-chun pointed next to the part-timer who'd first greeted her.
She'd thought he was just a hardworking kid... but Kim Jong-chun said something totally different.
"The franchise HQ president."
"...Pardon?"
President?
This guy?
Before her bewilderment could linger, Song Woo-yeon extended his hand with a bright smile.
"Nice to meet you, Madam. I'm Song Woo-yeon. I handle the planning and overall operations for the [Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap 0212] brand."
His boyish face belied the polished words of a seasoned professional. The contrast gave Park So-in pause.
She shook his hand awkwardly, and Song Woo-yeon got down to business.
He pushed the gukbap bowl aside and pulled out a thick stack of documents.
"This is...?"
"First, thank you for attending our [Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap 0212] franchise presentation among so many brands. Now, I'll walk you through our current status, future vision, systems, and profit structure step by step."
Thus began the first-ever [Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap 0212] franchise presentation.
"...And that's it."
No PPT or projector, but I'd call this presentation a success.
'Of course. I've got the experience.'
I'd done investor pitches hundreds or thousands of times. Park So-in seemed to follow my fluent explanation without issue.
"If you have any questions, feel free."
"...You covered everything I could think to ask."
Park So-in smiled faintly. Of course—this presentation was tailored perfectly for her.
Know your enemy and know yourself, and you'll win every battle. Fitting words for this.
"At first, I was skeptical about such a young president, but after hearing you out, all those doubts are gone."
"Thank you for the praise."
"And the food was fantastic too. ...With flavors like this, I think other customers would come back."
Things were heading in a hopeful direction. Park So-in looked at Kim Jong-chun, whose eyes were already welling up, and said.
"Let's do it, honey. I'll support you."
"...So-innaaa!"
Kim Jong-chun hugged her tightly with a trembling voice. Park So-in patted his back, consoling him as he sobbed.
"You can do it. Yeah. I married you for that diligence of yours, right?"
"Sob..."
"No more crying. Cut it out."
At her words, Kim Jong-chun sniffled like a child.
Watching them, my shoulders felt heavier. Opening a store meant entrusting an entire household's livelihood.
So I hoped Kim Jong-chun—and all my franchise owners—would last.
With all my heart, please.
Poke. Lee In-cheol jabbed my side and whispered.
"At least she gave the okay—one less worry. Right?"
"Who knows. This is just the start."
"Huh?"
I chuckled at Lee In-cheol's puzzled tone. They'd only just decided to open the store.
"President. What do you think is the most important thing when starting a business?"
"Uh... the taste of the food?"
"That's basic. But in whether a restaurant succeeds or not, taste only accounts for about 30%."
Just my personal take. If taste alone guaranteed success, Lee In-cheol's place would've been a hit hotspot ages ago, even without me.
"Then? Is there something more important than taste in the food business?"
"Yes."
I looked at Lee In-cheol and answered with utter conviction.
"Location. That's what you nail first."