Chapter 199
Chapter 199
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 199
Chapter Title: Representing the Franchisees
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Song Woo-yeon and Kim Jong-chun faced each other. It was after the gukbap restaurant's operating hours had ended, the doors locked, and only the fluorescent lights illuminating the empty shop.
On the table sat a few scraps of leftover meat from the day's sales, serving as anju, with a soju bottle that hadn't been empty for long occupying one corner.
*Uncle was the one who said we should meet first.*
It was a perfectly ordinary suggestion.
Except that our usual gathering spot wasn't the Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap restaurant but Happiness Snacks.
*And considering Han Owner, who stays open until the crack of dawn, our meetings were usually pretty late anyway. But today, he suggested meeting right when the gukbap place closed?*
That was when instinct kicked in.
Kim Jong-chun had something to discuss with me alone.
*But why Uncle?*
At first, I couldn't guess. Business was going well, and he was diligently sending in his check-in photos. What could possibly be the problem that he'd request a one-on-one?
*It might not be about the shop at all.*
Just like how I'd told the two of them that Baek Jae-ha seemed to be going through puberty. Kim Jong-chun might have personal family issues or worries about Lee In-cheol he wanted to confide.
But even then, with Han Mi-ae excluded, I couldn't gauge what it might be.
That's when Kim Jong-chun added one final remark.
-As the representative of the franchise owners, there's something I need to say.
It felt like a smack to the back of the head. *Representative of the franchise owners?*
*Was he on close terms with the other franchise owners?*
Well, initially, the shops introduced for training were either Lee In-cheol's or Kim Jong-chun's. Before the system was fully in place, franchisee orientation was held at those two locations.
When explaining the franchise, we'd always say seeing is believing, so we showcased Kim Jong-chun's shop near the company office a lot.
*So naturally, they'd exchanged numbers in the process, and it wouldn't be strange if they'd stayed in touch afterward.*
They were running the same franchise, and Kim Jong-chun was the trailblazer. He'd be a much closer advisor than headquarters.
It wasn't hard to imagine them reaching out to him whenever they hit a snag. Given his personality, he'd respond with his usual hearty openness.
*But even so... that doesn't put him in a position to throw around "representative."*
Or maybe he'd been secretly gathering and communicating with the franchise owners behind the scenes?
I scrutinized Kim Jong-chun's face closely. If he was scheming something like that, I needed to figure out his intentions.
*Organized action from the franchise owners can be trickier to handle than you'd think.*
Perhaps sensing my cold, sinking gaze, Kim Jong-chun flinched for a moment. Then, as if making an excuse, he added,
"Don't get the wrong idea, Woo-yeon. I'm not trying to act like some franchise representative or anything. It's just that complaints from the franchise owners keep piling up, and they needed someone to compile their feedback and propose it to headquarters..."
Kim Jong-chun rubbed the back of his neck and continued.
"I'm an early member, close to the company, and personally friendly with you, Woo-yeon, so..."
I could roughly see how things had unfolded.
"They wanted to talk it over with headquarters before filing formal complaints directly."
Even that earnest face of his could be a ploy to lower my guard.
But if that were the case, the way he brought it up was far too clumsy.
If Kim Jong-chun had set his mind to it, he could've slipped it in much more smoothly—in a lighter atmosphere, as casual chit-chat.
Not like this, dragging me into a serious one-on-one.
So, fiddling with the glass in front of me, I asked,
"What's this about, then?"
Kim Jong-chun fell into a long silence.
When he finally spoke after much deliberation, it was the half-expected topic.
"A lot of them want to raise prices."
"Prices."
"We haven't increased the gukbap price once. In the two years since, meat and veggie costs have shot up, and don't get me started on labor."
Kim Jong-chun continued like someone who'd prepared for a long time.
"Ingredient and operating costs keep rising, but prices are frozen, so profit margins are shrinking."
I gestured for him to go on.
"We set a bowl at 6,500 won originally because gukbap was usually 6,000 to 7,000 back then. Now it's mostly 7,000 to 8,000."
"That's true."
"So, what if we bump it up 1,000 won to 7,500? That'd give the franchise owners some breathing room."
Kim Jong-chun kept glancing at me nervously until he finished.
But reading anything from my consistently blank expression—just nodding coolly along—must've been tough.
In the end, unable to gauge my reaction to the proposal, he asked with a face full of tension.
"What do you think, Woo-yeon...?"
Arms crossed, I stared steadily at Kim Jong-chun.
No matter how I thought about it, this idea didn't seem to originate from his head.
First, I asked what needed confirming most.
"Which franchise owners have you been talking to?"
"Huh? Well, that's..."
"Can't name names, right? Feels like snitching. Whatever, franchise owners gotta stick together. I'm not gonna tell you not to build friendships."
Even the king gets cursed where he's not. Franchise owners griping about headquarters? No big deal, as long as it doesn't reach my ears.
"But at least, you should steer clear of whoever pushed you to bring this to me."
"What do you mean?"
"You really don't see it?"
This was blatantly a trap.
Kim Jong-chun had fallen for it perfectly. But he looked utterly baffled.
I explained step by step.
"First off, if it's truly the collective opinion of the franchise owners, they should submit a formal proposal to headquarters."
"That..."
"Worried it'll sour relations between headquarters and franchisees? Sure, possible. But that's still better."
Kim Jong-chun's eyes went wide.
"What basis does that person have claiming it's the 'opinion of all franchise owners'?"
"Huh?"
"[Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap] is a nationwide franchise now, with three-digit numbers of owners. How could one person possibly know 'everyone's' opinion?"
Even headquarters struggles with that.
At my words, Kim Jong-chun clamped his mouth shut. Clearly, he hadn't thought that deeply.
"Probably just heard from a handful—four or five nearby owners at most."
Then fell into the generalization fallacy of 'everyone must think like us, right?'
"Did that person even bring a petition? What percentage of nationwide franchise owners signed on with their names? Ever seen that?"
"...No."
"Right?"
See? Claiming it's everyone's opinion is complete nonsense without evidence.
"Yeah."
Kim Jong-chun looked like it hadn't occurred to him.
Easy to get confused if a couple cheerleaders are around. Especially if they're drinking buddies.
"...Sorry, Woo-yeon."
Kim Jong-chun apologized quickly. But I wasn't done.
"And even if they did bring signatures from hundreds, and it really was the general consensus—there's still a problem."
"Huh?"
"They're trying to push it through you."
Every franchise owner has direct channels to headquarters. So they could've spoken up themselves if they wanted.
"They're hiding behind you."
"I-Is that how it is?"
"Yes. Completely."
I kindly added the details.
"What if I got offended by this and picked a fight with you over it?"
"..."
"What if we raised prices, lost price competitiveness, and sales tanked instead?"
Could Kim Jong-chun take responsibility for all that? Did he really bring this up prepared for the fallout?
My answer: *No.*
"Uncle. Be honest."
My gentle tone gradually hardened. The temperature around me seemed to drop two degrees.
A piercing glare turned toward Kim Jong-chun.
"You thought it was no big deal? Since we're buddies."
"..."
Yeah, probably.
Maybe even a bit cocky about it. I could see it without looking.
*Lots in common with the franchise owners, so they bonded quick. Then over drinks, someone griped about prices being too low. Others chimed in.*
Inflation rising, food prices stagnant—enough to make anyone antsy.
*Then one egged you on: 'Hey, Uncle, why don't you mention it?'*
Kim Jong-chun had probably agreed lightly.
No second thoughts, no worries. Just rationalizing it as 'what's the harm in floating the idea?'
But this clearly crossed the line.
"Uncle. No, Franchise Owner Kim Jong-chun."
Calling him by his formal title again, Kim Jong-chun startled.
Every time I used it, something bad had gone down. Regret or not, spilled words can't be unsaid.
"Do you realize suggesting a major issue like a price hike through unofficial channels ignores proper procedure?"
Even to my own ears, my voice was icy cold.
Stripped of personal emotions like anger or displeasure—purely businesslike.
"That it undermines the system's transparency and fairness?"
My sharp gaze shot toward Kim Jong-chun.