Chapter 49

I’m translating this chapter into HTML with the in-universe notices and comments styled as required, and I’m keeping the narration natural rather than line-by-line. I’m also checking the chapter structure so the paragraphs flow cleanly without flattening the dialogue.CHAPTER_TITLE: A Fortunate New Talent

The proposal itself sounded reasonable.

The perfume had been getting a good response, and launching it as the group’s own brand at a time when FineStar was riding high made perfect sense.

The blueprint was solid, and the brand design was fairly impressive as well.

There was only one thing that gave me pause.

“But SYK is an entertainment agency, isn’t it? Can you really handle perfume manufacturing and distribution?”

“Our CEO has connections in that line of work. Besides, this is how small and midsize companies survive, right? If it makes money, they do it.”

Well, that was true enough.

“And since it’ll be sold under the FineStar name, the branding is guaranteed at least at a basic level.”

The company wasn’t large, but FineStar was a fairly hot girl group, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so there was bound to be some brand power there in its own way.

When you considered how well merchandise with celebrity backing sold, it didn’t sound bad at all.

“Honestly, the royalty won’t be all that huge. We’re thinking about 2 percent of sales.”

“What kind of sales volume are you expecting?”

“For now, we’ll produce 10,000 bottles a month. Since we’re going premium under the FineStar name, there’ll be a certain price point anyway. Instead of sales volume, we’ll pay royalties based on production for the first year. After that, we’ll decide whether to increase production based on sales and the public response.”

As expected of a branch head, he’d already worked out the details in his head.

“Manager. What’s the production cost for this perfume?”

“If we go with bulk production, we should be able to get it down to about 10,000 won for 50 ml.”

“Then the retail price is 80,000 won. The supply price to the company would be 40,000 won.”

My share was 40,000 won x 0.02 x 10,000 bottles.

In other words, 8 million won a month.

If that were guaranteed for a year, it came to about 96 million won.

So, in effect, signing the contract guaranteed me 100 million won right away.

There’s no reason to refuse.

It was the kind of offer that would tempt anyone, but from long experience in society, if it was something only I could do, it didn’t hurt to make them jump once.

“It’s a unique perfume. And it’s already been proven. Let’s make it 3 percent.”

“But it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠won’t be easy for an individual to even secure the equipment. How about we compromise at 2.5 percent?”

That would guarantee 10 million won a month.

“Sounds good. Let’s do that.”

The branch head smiled with obvious satisfaction and held out his hand.

“I’ll draw up the draft contract and send it over before the end of the month.”

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Duri Bank

- Deposit: 9,670,000 won (SYK Entertainment)

Out of nowhere, I’d ended up with extra income.

Who would’ve thought I’d make side money from a secondary talent too?

I’d managed to recover far more than the money I’d invested.

Not bad.

It felt like a lottery ticket I’d bought on a whim had landed me third place.

No, if I thought about the yearly profit, it was even better than second place.

At this rate, my balance is...

Side-Hustling Teddy Bear Account

- Balance: 85,362,400 won.

“Hah...”

I felt satisfied. Really satisfied.

At this rate, it looked like I’d cross 100 million again soon.

If the perfume sells well, money will stack up in no time.

Still, even if SYK Entertainment was pursuing a proper brand, celebrity brands rarely lasted long, so it was probably healthier to treat the guaranteed year as the whole deal.

Right. No point getting my hopes up for no reason. Being guaranteed a year’s worth is satisfying enough already.

If I got carried away and things went to hell later, the disappointment would only be worse.

Then for today...

I decided to finally get around to the bed frame I’d been putting off.

If I’m buying a mattress, bigger is better.

Of all things, the one thing I was absolutely not compromising on was bed size.

I had it rough when I was younger.

There had been a time, while I was job-hunting and running out of money, when I’d lived in a goshiwon.

It was a place that crammed a single bed, a shower stall, and a desk into barely a pyeong of space, and still charged 480,000 won a month. It was so cramped that even lying down, I couldn’t stretch out both arms, so I basically had to sleep at attention.

That had left a grudge in my heart, and now, no matter what happened, I insisted on at least a queen-size bed.

This time, let’s go even bigger than the house.

The workshop had plenty of room, so even a king-size bed would fit just fine.

Since I’m making it out of solid wood, I should design it to match the wood tone...

After making Choi Kang-san’s dining table and chairs a few times, the work flowed without any blockage.

The real problem is the lumber.

Part of me wanted to use the discarded wood, but whatever that craftsman’s spirit was, once material had been thrown away, it couldn’t be reused as raw stock. Offcuts from processing were fair game, but not the scraps that had already been discarded.

Damn, this is going to cost a bit too.

But what could I do?

This was an S+ talent. I had no choice but to accept that much.

Let’s order the mattress first.

If possible, I wanted to buy a good one.

The bed in my current two-room place was basically just an option that came with the unit, wasn’t it?

So the springs and cushioning were both terrible.

Maybe I’ve been overdoing it lately, but even when I wake up, my body feels stiff and tired.

I’d heard the mattress was what determined sleep quality.

Should I splurge for once?

The first thing that came to mind was a Simmons bed.

I’d seen their commercials so many times since I was a kid, and maybe because the brand had settled in my head as high-end, I wanted one.

But once I searched for it, all my enthusiasm evaporated.

...Why is it so expensive?

For a king-size, the model people recommended as being reasonable was a whopping...

In the 4 million won range?

And apparently that was the value line.

Even just the mattress only came with a difference of 300,000 won.

...That’s hard to wrap my head around.

Still, the reviews were full of praise.

Most of the people saying they finally understood why anyone would use an expensive mattress were people who had never slept on a good one before. After a few nights, they said it felt no different from sleeping on the street.

3.6 million won... Still, should I just shut my eyes and go for it?

My hand was trembling.

Still, I thought buying it was the right thing to do.

It would be a lie to say it wasn’t a burden.

Then there’s no helping it.

I used the last line of defense available to a common citizen.

“Good. That makes me feel a little better.”

30,000 won a month? I could handle that much.

All right, shall we get started again today?

I put on the teddy bear mask and picked up my tools.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“Phew...”

I flopped down on the bed.

“This is good. Really good.”

A soft mattress.

And a wide enough bed that even if I stretched both arms out, they wouldn’t hang off the sides.

“This is what a bed should be...”

Expensive things really did earn their price.

When I first lay down, I’d thought it was just pleasantly soft and wondered what the big deal was.

But after sleeping on it for a night...

It’s different. Definitely different...

I could feel it clearly in my body.

Even though I’d slept an hour less than usual, my body felt light, my condition was good, and even my mood felt fresh.

I don’t want to go home...

Today’s work was done, but this bed was so comfortable that just resting here felt easier.

When my lease on the rental apartment ends, I should really get a place nearby where I can just sleep.

The thought crossed my mind suddenly.

Or maybe I should just get a bigger workshop?

This place was already spacious, but separating out a living area would be a stretch.

But if I add in the money I’d spend on a house?

Then maybe I could find a workshop that was much larger and more comfortable than this one.

The comprehensive income tax season is coming up too... I should think it over with some breathing room.

Still, it wasn’t urgent today, so I put it off for now.

Come to think of it, a new talent still hasn’t appeared.

Maybe I should learn one more auxiliary talent.

I’ve got the contract payment, and my balance is comfortable, so it’ll be fine.

But maybe the system knew how much I’d struggled until now.

Beep.

A new notification appeared.

It was almost as if the system were telling me to put my money away.

...A lottery?

“Oh...”

Since it was a lottery, that meant there were winners and losers.

It feels a little like a rigged game...

Honestly, if this were a lottery where I had to pay money just to play the odds, I would’ve turned it down immediately.

But it’s free...?

If it doesn’t cost money, there’s no reason to avoid it.

Strictly speaking, to me it was less a lottery and more like a prize drawing.

That made it easy to choose with a clear head.

I was already thinking of adding another auxiliary talent, so this is perfect.

I’d save 25 million won, too.

And I could unlock another auxiliary talent.

Which one should I pick?

Camping, dolls, fishing.

This time, there was only one that really drew me in.

I’ve always wanted to go camping at least once.

I’d been interested since I was young, but once real life started piling up, I never found the time or energy to go.

Besides, camping gear was ridiculously expensive by default, and for someone like me, a common office worker, buying all that stuff for a trip I’d take once every few months felt like too much of a burden.

Glamping ended up being cheaper, so I tried that instead.

But that felt more like an outdoor pension than actual camping.

People who had done both said camping and glamping were worlds apart.

Right. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠This is the perfect time to live out a little romance for once.

I decided without any more hesitation.

“Second prize, huh.”

I was a little disappointed, but as long as it wasn’t last place, that was fine.

Shall I take a look at the other talents?

“...This isn’t good.”

The rank was A, sure, but in practical terms it was awkward.

Even if you tried to make a living attaching eyes to dolls, it would be the kind of work where you’d struggle to earn minimum wage, so even at A rank it was basically useless.

The active effect is nice enough, I guess...

But how many times a year did an office worker like me travel overseas?

For me, it was too awkward a talent, so maybe it was lucky I hadn’t chosen it.

“This might’ve been pretty tasty...”

Especially for middle-aged men who loved fishing, it probably would’ve driven them wild.

I don’t know the first thing about fishing, though.

The only time I’d ever gone was before I even started elementary school, when I went to a stream with my father and caught a few minnows.

“This is pretty good.”

The rank was only B.

“But for me, this is first place.”

It was actually better than I’d hoped.

Camping, huh...

It was too soon to head out anywhere right away.

But whenever I had time, I could look at gear here and there and prepare slowly.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Click-clack, click-clack.

Tap-tap-tap, tap-tap.

I was in the middle of editing a video I’d filmed as usual when...

Beep.

A welcome notification rang out.

“Oh...”

It was a welcome notification, after all this time.

“So sticking with it actually paid off.”

Unlike my other talents, YouTube had been frustrating because even if I kept at it, there hadn’t been any obvious results. This felt like finally getting a little breathing room.

If it only applies when I shoot and edit the footage myself... then YouTube really is the perfect fit for this talent.

At the very least, it seemed I hadn’t taken the wrong direction.

It’s been a while, so maybe I should check the channel.

Side-Hustling Teddy Bear's Workshop

- Subscribers: 45.

“That’s grown a lot.”

I hadn’t checked for about two weeks, and in that time the subscribers had tripled.

“...Huh?”

There were more comments than I’d expected.

It’s not like the subscribers shot up or the video was picked up by the algorithm, so why?

I hesitated, wondering if the comments were full of hate, but in the end I clicked anyway because I was worried something might be wrong with the video.

That was the first comment I knew about, along with the reply I’d posted myself.

But after that, the thread kept going.

“...No, why are they so aggressive?”

Even if it was anonymous, I was pretty taken aback.

For the most part I don’t want to get involved in fights...

The problem was that the subscriber who’d written the first comment on my channel was getting attacked just for supporting me.

I felt grateful, but also guilty, and it made me want to prove that it wasn’t a lie.

There should be video footage from when I smashed it...

Once the craftsman’s spirit kicked in, I’d smash the finished piece while it was still in that uncontrollable state, so I usually destroyed it before I even ended the filming.

Found it...

After searching through the footage for a while, I finally found it.

It’s a little rough, but... still, it clearly shows me smashing it, doesn’t it?

Click, click, click!

I started editing fast.

I minimized the violence and shaped the edit so that the focus stayed on the craftsman’s spirit, on me swallowing my disappointment and breaking the table anyway.

Maybe it was because the rank had gone up, or maybe it was because I felt grateful to that subscriber, but for whatever reason...

I was able to work much faster and make something far more polished than usual.

This time, I didn’t even schedule it. I uploaded it immediately.

At this point, that should prove I wasn’t lying, right?

Even then, I had no way of knowing.

I hadn’t imagined even slightly what kind of ripple effect the video I’d posted simply to protect a subscriber would end up causing.