Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: A Complete Makeover
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"This needs a complete overhaul."
Song Woo-yeon muttered quietly, and Noh Se-hee widened her eyes.
"Yes? Right now?"
"Hmm..."
Song Woo-yeon scanned the store interior once more—what was he thinking?—then crossed his arms.
He seemed dissatisfied with something.
'What on earth?'
Noh Se-hee couldn't figure it out at all. The interior was neat and perfectly fine. She had been inwardly impressed by every single point Song Woo-yeon had pointed out, each one making perfect sense.
At least to her eyes, there was nothing in this that stood out as a glaring problem.
'Ah... So this is what happens when you reach the boss's seat?'
It somehow brought back nightmares from her old job.
They'd push right up to completion, only for someone like Song Woo-yeon to barge in at the eleventh hour, give it a quick once-over, and toss out a single remark. Then everything would revert back to square one on a whim.
'Ah~ This won't cut it. Can't we make it trendier and more sophisticated?' ...Vague comments like that.
The 'REAL_REAL_FINAL_FINAL' draft would end up straight in the trash.
'Companies are all the same, no matter where you go.'
She knew operations hinged on the final decision-maker, unavoidable as that was. But Noh Se-hee was fed up with it.
If results fell short or the project tanked, only the grunts below took the fall.
'I thought this guy might be different...'
Bosses gonna boss, regardless of age or gender, it seemed. Noh Se-hee resigned herself to it.
That was when she shot him a skeptical look, her eyes cooling with strange disillusionment.
"Hold on a sec."
Song Woo-yeon stared at the ceiling for a moment before heading straight to the kitchen.
Where was he going?
Noh Se-hee hurriedly trailed after him.
"Boss?"
"Ah, stay put."
Wondering what he was up to, she peeked in to find Song Woo-yeon powering up the snowflake bingsu machine he'd had moved in advance.
Why all of a sudden?
Before she could even ask, he yanked a block of ice from the freezer and ground it up haphazardly.
Stunned by the sudden odd behavior, Noh Se-hee had no idea how to respond and just bulged her eyes.
"Uh, uh?"
"It's food, don't worry."
He assured her the bowls and utensils would get a full scrub before opening day, and this was just a test run.
'No, that's not what I'm worried about eating?'
Hadn't he just declared the whole place needed tearing apart?
So why bingsu out of nowhere? It wasn't like a sudden craving. Noh Se-hee couldn't make heads or tails of Song Woo-yeon's actions.
Rustle, rustle.
As the snowflake bingsu piled up fluffy, he layered on the toppings in order. When he heaped powdered beans into a mountain, Noh Se-hee gasped.
"You, isn't that too much?"
"Has to be this much."
Skimp on ingredients and lose customers—that's the real loss, he replied casually.
'He's right. At a bingsu shop, cut back on ice to pinch pennies and customers will bolt.'
No sense wasting, sure, but chasing short-term savings on ingredients when profits are the goal? No way.
Song Woo-yeon clearly thought this amount hit the sweet spot.
'Then the portion-to-price ratio is solid. Premium bingsu, but not intimidating—worth a try.'
And the biggest barriers, like awareness and mental hurdles, were already cleared.
'That was his call too.'
JoyLook hadn't even known about the review event or whatever.
Meaning Song Woo-yeon had orchestrated every bit of planning.
That alone screamed top-tier marketing instincts.
"There, all set."
Song Woo-yeon plated the finished bingsu like he was serving a customer.
Spoon, fork, condensed milk, and napkin—all on the tray.
"Is this the full setup?"
"Yeah. Thought about extras, but they'd bury the main event."
Spot on.
A protagonist has to shine. Even on the table, supporting cast need to play second fiddle.
Craft a stunning bingsu visual, then clutter it with lame add-ons? Total loss.
'Spotlights the hero snowflake bingsu, trims costs too. Keeps the price approachable.'
Noh Se-hee deemed it a razor-sharp choice.
"Shall we?"
Song Woo-yeon carried the tray to a customer table, set it down, then circled it, eyeing from every angle.
"Yep."
"What's wrong?"
Noh Se-hee still hadn't pieced together what this was all about.
"Noh Se-hee, snap a photo of this?"
"A photo?"
Bemused, she pulled out her phone and shot the bingsu.
Click.
Song Woo-yeon and Noh Se-hee leaned in to peer at the screen.
"Check this out."
"It's pretty? That unique look makes even quick snaps pop. Young crowd would spam this on Facebook."
"For real?"
Song Woo-yeon recoiled in horror. What was the issue?
As Noh Se-hee cocked her head, he waved her over—"Look at this"—and sprang into action.
Barking orders at the workers, hauling stuff from the truck, frantically wiring extension cords.
'So that's why.'
Noh Se-hee pictured JoyLook's unflappable face when Song Woo-yeon had whisked her here on a whim.
A guy like this? Nothing he did would surprise.
Song Woo-yeon hustled like an old hand at interiors, no hesitation. Quick as that, new lights hung—rough around the edges, but up.
'But kinda unique.'
Normal lights shine down. Song Woo-yeon angled his to graze ceiling corners and walls.
The rest pointed at walls beside tables too.
What for? Noh Se-hee held her tongue and waited. Finally, installation wrapped.
"Alright~ Lights out!"
Song Woo-yeon's call halted work; lights snapped off. Daylight through the windows kept the place bright.
"Power up!"
Another shout.
Whoosh!
The new lights flared to life.
Not the ceiling fixtures—the ones Song Woo-yeon had rigged around the interior.
"Ah...!"
Noh Se-hee got it in a flash.
'The light! The color temperature's different.'
Gone was the harsh white fluorescent blast from above; now soft, warm indirect glow turned the vibe sleek and inviting.
"What do you think? Night and day, right? Old cafe chased modern with whites and cold textures."
Song Woo-yeon rapped the glossy bar table by the kitchen—marble-smooth.
"Layer on those fluorescents? Forget it. Swap the lights and boom—cozy central."
"Yeah."
The once borderline frigid design flipped to welcoming in seconds.
"Love the interior—no major overhauls. Opening's rushed anyway. Best bet: swap every light to indirect."
Noh Se-hee nodded along. Dessert spots thrived on cozy.
"And snap another pic."
"Oh, right."
Click.
"Huh?"
She couldn't mask her shock.
Fluorescent shot versus this? Worlds apart.
"This looks way tastier."
"Told you."
Song Woo-yeon grinned.
"Food pops in warm tones—always."
No doubt.
"And this snowflake bingsu? Needs that Facebook bait for the young crowd. Photogenic's key."
He laid it out plain, like it'd all been mapped out ages ago.
'What the hell is this guy?'
Unfathomable. Moved like an interior vet with years on site, marketing whiz to boot.
'And not just that—hands in every franchise angle. Spawned all those brands, revived flops left and right.'
JoyLook's intel had sounded hyped.
Mid-twenties tops, by looks. That gravitas at his age?
"Better swap to indirect. If we can... construction-wise..."
Noh Se-hee gawked blankly as Song Woo-yeon synced schedules with the contractor like a pro.
'What was I up to in my early twenties?'
Partying through college, booze nonstop. Awe hit harder.
"Yes. That should work. I'll swing by to check progress. Yep, yep~. Thanks~."
I bowed and spun around. Whew. I knew damn well how sites dragged—why pretend the schedule's busted?
Classic money shakedown. Had to sweet-talk and placate. Might've had to drop Choi Yeo-hae's name if it came to it.
"All good? Time ran long—what now?"
Glanced outside: night had fallen ages ago.
"No biggie. I offered to stick around. Learned a ton, thanks to you."
Noh Se-hee added she'd picked up plenty about sites this time.
Stepping out of , the streets buzzed wild. Drunks hollering everywhere.
'[Happiness Snacks] is gonna kill it.'
Passed right by, so I paused.
"Ah, head on? Gotta chat with the owner here."
"Got it. See you tomorrow."
The instant Noh Se-hee bowed and turned.
Crash!
Glass shattering, followed by a bellow.
"This is straight-up crazy?!"
From inside [Happiness Snacks]. I whipped around: a customer fuming. Across from him—Han Mi-ae.
Face pinched in distress, mumbling excuses, but the guy's scowl deepened.
"That's it!"
He reared back, hand cocked to swing.
'No!'
My body bolted before my brain caught up.
Thud crash bang!