Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Bingsu Debut and Franchise Interviews
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A bustling crowd, a long waiting line snaking along. And the constant click-click of camera shutters from all directions.
The effort put into the interior design was paying off.
Exclamations of "Wow~" echoed from every side. The newly trained part-timers seemed to be handling things well, too.
No Se-hee, who had come out to check on the site with me, sidled up and murmured,
"Thanks to the big SNS push, the first day is as packed as expected. No, even more than that."
"Yeah, tell me about it."
I'd figured it would catch on, but the response was way better than anticipated.
People's desire to "fit into the mainstream culture" never failed to deliver results.
"But it's a shame the crowd seems limited to young people because of that."
"It won't last. We'll rebrand it later as a family-friendly spot everyone can enjoy together."
It was a necessary choice for now to boost accessibility. Once the novelty of snowflake bingsu wore off, middle-aged folks would flock in droves.
Just like I'd seen in the future.
"Huh?"
That was when I spotted a familiar face.
"Shim Chae-yoon's here, too."
"Pardon? Who?"
"Just someone I recognize."
Looks like she came to hang out with that friend from last time. A fun idea popped into my head.
"Want to take that table's order?"
"Me?"
"Yeah. I already know them."
"But wouldn't you need to handle it since you know them?"
Eh, not really. Right then, I saw them finish scanning the menu at Shim Chae-yoon's table and hit the call button.
Ding-dong~.
"Order here~."
"Go on."
I gave No Se-hee a shove without further explanation. She looked a bit puzzled but headed over anyway, figuring it was an order from me.
"Yes, ready to order?"
Shim Chae-yoon flipped open the menu and pointed to the top left line.
"Starting from here."
She then drew a diagonal line all the way to the bottom right.
"Up to here, please."
"...Pardon?"
No Se-hee stared at her with a dumbfounded expression. Yeah, that reaction.
Anyone would make that same idiotic face the first time they saw Shim Chae-yoon's appetite. They'd even doubt if they'd heard right.
"You... can eat all this?"
"Haha. Yeah, I eat a lot."
Shim Chae-yoon grinned broadly.
No Se-hee managed to compose herself and said she'd get it. Then she wandered back to me in a daze.
"Is this enough for two people?"
Tell me about it.
"Pay close attention."
I whispered to No Se-hee.
"She'll turn into a total cash cow later."
Leaving the baffled No Se-hee behind, I casually approached Shim Chae-yoon's table.
"Hi there."
"Oh! Hi. You're the guy from last time..."
"Yeah, that's me."
Good, she remembered me. That made things easier.
I lowered my voice and leaned in conspiratorially.
"Aw, ordering so much already. You're a VIP at our shop~. I'll throw in a few extras on the house, so come back often, okay?"
"Wow, really?! Thank you!"
Shim Chae-yoon's eyes sparkled. With an appetite like that and still in college, her food budget must be insane.
"No problem at all."
I flashed a warm smile in return.
Step one: turn her into a regular. Step two: get her started on mukbangs and take it from there.
She looked like a golden goose laying eggs right before my eyes. Heh heh heh.
Enjoy your meal. It'd be even better if you ate it on stream.
"Wow! It's great to meet you."
The man greeted me boisterously, bowing deeply.
No tie, but a dress shirt with slacks and a cardigan over top. Appropriate for the "come casual" request.
A metal watch on his left wrist, dress shoes on his feet. Even his hair was styled to perfection.
"I was so impressed by the success of [Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap 0212]! And that's not all—then [Happiness Snacks], and now ! That whole area's basically The Song Alley now."
"You've done your homework on us. Jang Min-gyu."
At my question, Jang Min-gyu nodded vigorously.
"Of course! It's the company I want to franchise with. This much research is basic."
"I like the enthusiasm. Nice to meet you. I'm Song Woo-yeon, CEO of The Song."
Jang Min-gyu twitched his eyebrow for a split second but quickly smoothed his expression. He probably pegged me as a franchise manager or something.
"Surprised? That I'm so young?"
"Oh, no! Age has nothing to do with business savvy. Haha."
Impressive composure. I chuckled dryly and flipped through the documents.
"By the way, Jo Yi-ruk. You called the other one here too, right?"
"Yes. That's right."
Jo Yi-ruk was seated next to me. He'd be handling this from now on, so time to learn.
"The other person's coming too?"
"Yeah. We've had a ton of franchise inquiries, but I want to take it slow and steady for stability. After reviewing several candidates, we narrowed it down to you two for interviews."
"...! I see."
"Oh, looks like the other one's here."
A dark silhouette appeared beyond the door.
Slide.
In walked a man of slightly short stature, sturdy build, with thick eyebrows and firmly pressed lips that stood out.
He glanced around the office, then looked back and forth between me and Jo Yi-ruk. Probably wondering who the boss was.
He seemed about to approach the older-looking Jo Yi-ruk, so to spare us the awkwardness, I stepped forward first.
"Nice to meet you. Seo Beom-jun."
Seo Beom-jun startled and looked at me. I extended my hand with a friendly smile.
"I'm Song Woo-yeon."
His ears, faintly folded and almost shapeless, caught my eye first. Even in a plain shirt and pants, he had that ex-athlete vibe.
Seo Beom-jun hesitated a moment before shaking my hand.
"...Thanks for having me. I'm Seo Beom-jun."
"Haha, no problem. Have a seat over here."
I naturally guided him to the central table.
"This is Jang Min-gyu. He's your fellow interview candidate. If you both pass and run franchises, you'll probably be in touch a lot, so we figured we'd have you meet early."
At my explanation, Jang Min-gyu strode over first and offered his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Seo Beom-jun."
"......"
Seo Beom-jun shook it and bowed his head.
"Alright, now that you're both here, shall we get started? No need to be too nervous—just answer honestly and casually."
I looked back and forth between Jang Min-gyu and Seo Beom-jun as I spoke.
Their styles couldn't be more different. Jang Min-gyu snapped a quick "Yes!" while Seo Beom-jun just nodded silently.
"First off, I was surprised by how many inquiries we've gotten. We're a brand-new franchise, so how did you hear about us first? What's your motivation? Jang Min-gyu, you first."
"Yes!"
Jang Min-gyu lit up and launched right in like he'd been waiting.
"I believe the first step to opening a franchise is market research and a solid business plan. That requires segmenting the market, competitive analysis, and financial projections. In that sense, [Hapjae Neighborhood Gukbap 0212] has an ideal franchise model and contract terms, and..."
Hmm, long-winded.
It took about three minutes before he wrapped up.
"...That's it."
"Yes, thank you. Seo Beom-jun?"
I turned to him, and he replied in a resolute voice.
"...The gukbap was really delicious."
"......"
"......"
"...Ah, I see."
After a brief, awkward silence settled in, I finally managed a response.
The fact that my smile didn't crack in that moment qualified me as a pro.
Man, I'd forgotten since our last meeting was so long ago, but now I remembered.
[This guy's got zero eloquence...]
I'd struggled plenty to fix that back then.
Jang Min-gyu couldn't hide the smirk creeping up after hearing Seo Beom-jun's short answer.
[It's a landslide win!... or something like that.]
Not wrong. If I had to pick one, Jang Min-gyu seemed more cut out for business.
"Next question. Something you'll run into at the shop sometimes. A customer complains there's hair in their food. You check, and it doesn't seem like yours, or any kitchen or server mistake. How do you handle it?"
"Ah, yeah, black consumers like that. They usually just want compensation money, and if you don't play along, they terrorize reviews or post bad stuff online. I'd ask what they want and give it if possible!"
"I see. And you, Seo Beom-jun?"
He looked me straight in the eye.
"I'd apologize with all sincerity."
Jang Min-gyu shot him a look of disbelief, like he'd missed what he'd just said. Pitiful vibes all around. Got it.
I asked a couple more questions after that, and their answers clashed every time.
"Yes, got it. Thanks for your time, both of you."
I wrapped up the interview with identical greetings.
"We'll be in touch soon."
"Yes!"
Jang Min-gyu beamed and nodded, while Seo Beom-jun gave a silent bow. How could two people be so different?
Click.
As soon as they left and the door shut, Jo Yi-ruk shook his head.
"Wow~. They're night and day."
"Right?"
"Very distinct pros and cons, too."
"Oh? What do you think?"
I asked with keen interest, and Jo Yi-ruk counted off on his fingers.
"Jang Min-gyu comes off as... shrewd, I guess? Great talker. He'd handle customers well. Downside: doesn't seem like a great personality."
"Yeah."
"Seo Beom-jun's like a bear. In a good way, steadfast; in a bad way, inflexible. And way too quiet."
Spot on.
"Put simply... the guy who's competent but rude, versus the diligent one who's not great at the job. Pick your poison."
A classic dilemma every boss faces.
I smiled and asked,
"If it were you, Jo Yi-ruk, who would you pick?"