Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Self-Employment, It's Easy
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“Boss, can I get five detox drinks to go?”
I had predicted that selling detox drinks would eventually spread the word through word-of-mouth from people who experienced the hypnosis effects firsthand, promoting the cafe and securing regulars.
“This stuff is really that good for dieting, huh?”
But I figured it would take at least a month.
I never dreamed that just over a week after starting sales, so many customers would flock in like this.
“No kidding? You know Papa Cafe and A-young Daddy? The one who’s always posting about dieting. They say they’ve tried every diet but never lost weight, but apparently they dropped 3kg in just a week after drinking this.”
“Huh? Really? It’s not like they lost it from diarrhea or something weird in the drink, right?”
Thanks to the lively chatter from the influx of customers, I quickly figured out the reason.
“Nah, apparently not. They even checked it themselves because they were suspicious, and it’s certified organic fruit and veggie juice.”
“Hmm, suspicious. You think the cafe owner paid them to advertise?”
“We’ll see. I’ve been struggling to lose weight lately anyway, so I’ll give it a try and check.”
Before even pondering the reason, I made sure to hypnotize these chatting customers thoroughly.
With this, they’d succeed at dieting too.
‘It’s only been a week, but they’ll come back.’
The reason customers were pouring in now.
It was all thanks to Papa Cafe, the gender-reversed version of Mom Cafe.
‘I only had negative impressions of Mom Cafes.’
Mom Cafes were online communities where local moms joined to share information.
They started with childcare tips but eventually shared every little detail about neighborhood shops too, from what I’d heard.
‘And they often stirred up massive internet scandals.’
Especially cases where they’d demand freebies at restaurants, and if refused, they’d post lies to incite witch hunts and ruin the business. That had happened multiple times.
Who would’ve thought such a Papa Cafe—no, not just any, but one promoting my shop positively?
“You never know with the world.”
Of course, I wouldn’t let my guard down. They were customers now, but who knew if they’d pull some power trip later?
If that happened, I’d step in personally—not as staff—and use hypnosis to nip it in the bud before it blew up.
“Business is booming anyway.”
Fruits and veggies were flying off the shelves so fast, it felt more like running a produce stand than a cafe. Days of massive orders and consumption repeated.
Thanks to that, the back area was piled mountain-high with cardboard boxes from the produce.
“I need to tackle that cleanup soon.”
And today, like always, after the staff clocked out, I sat alone in the monitoring room, pondering the cafe’s future.
‘Detox drinks... the hypnosis beverage effects are phenomenal.’
Roughly a thousand cups sold daily meant an extra five million in revenue.
That came to 150 million a month, netting about 100 million pure profit after costs—surpassing all other sales long ago.
‘Over 100 million in monthly net profit.’
Now that I knew the power of hypnosis beverages, I should develop new menu items soon.
But not right now.
‘Some people are still suspicious.’
Like those customers from before, doubting if something was mixed in.
I’d develop new items only after their doubts cleared up.
‘I’ve got plenty of ideas lined up, no problem!’
Alright, time to head home?
Before leaving, I checked the back door for the piled-up recyclables to call a pickup service.
But when I got there, all that paper waste had vanished.
“What? Paper thieves?”
Should I check the CCTV?
Then it hit me—it wasn’t a thief.
“Oh, the scrap collectors took it.”
I’d heard elderly folks or those with health issues collect cardboard to sell to scrap dealers.
Three thousand won per kg? Something like that, from what I recalled.
“They must’ve taken it.”
It was early autumn already feeling chilly, and they had it rough.
The next day, I set a table next to the scrap pile and placed a basket of leftover cookies from the cafe on it.
I stuck a note on the basket.
[Thank you for your hard work. Help yourselves—they’re free.]
It was just snacks, but I hoped they enjoyed them.
“Busy day again.”
As the cafe hit its stride, things got hectic, making it hard to meet up with Yu-ra noona or Seo-yeon.
They must’ve missed me too, dropping by occasionally, but thankfully, they never came at the same time like last time.
‘If they had, I’d be stuck breaking up another fight.’
Catfights were fun in novels.
In reality? Blood drained from me, silently praying they’d just get along.
‘Thank you, God, for answering my prayers.’
And today, Seo-yeon dropped by.
“Business is going great. Glad to see it.”
Since we were still open, I couldn’t sit and chat like on a date.
But I managed snippets of talk passing by her.
“Jun-hyuk, any problem customers lately?”
“Nope. None so far, luckily. Even if one shows, I can handle it myself, so don’t worry.”
She knew about my hypnosis skill, so I thought she wouldn’t fret much, but surprisingly, she was overprotective.
Even now, she didn’t seem to fully buy it, her expression a bit dark.
“Don’t worry, Jun-hyuk. I’ll protect you.”
“Huh?”
“No, nothing. Hehe.”
I heard that loud and clear.
What, am I some Japanese light novel protag who can’t hear right next to me?
‘Did something happen?’
Hmm, no clue.
Seo-yeon left those cryptic words and departed.
Passing her spot later, I caught an odd smell.
‘What’s that? This smell?’
A faint sour, musty whiff?
Did it stick from tossing food waste earlier?
To be sure, I asked a staff member.
“Yeon-ah? Mind sniffing if I smell or not?”
“Y-Yes? Y-Yes!? S-Sure!?”
Whoa, why the shock?
I just asked for a sniff check...
‘Oh, right. Gender reversal.’
A young, hot female boss suddenly asking, ‘Does my body smell? Wanna sniff?’ No wonder.
“B-Boss? R-Right now!?”
“Sorry. It’s nothing.”
Over twenty years in this world, I thought I’d adapted fine, but slips like this happen.
“Sigh... what a waste...”
And I need to watch her.
Last time Yu-ra noona and Seo-yeon visited, she muttered loud enough for all to hear, right?
Muttering to herself, smartphone wallpaper an anime character...
‘Might be kin to Seo-yeon.’
Otaku isn’t bad, but like her, she could impulsive-explode into trouble, so stay vigilant like a concerned soldier.
“Anyway, self-employment’s surprisingly easy.”
＊＊＊
“Hmm, good. Scenario’s all planned—now just post the article.”
In the office of an internet comment manipulation firm.
A small outfit with barely ten staff pulled up a Papa Cafe on screen.
“Alright, everyone—don’t forget to comment the second it’s up. Not right away, space them a minute apart, got it?”
“Yes, boss.”
Just as Papa Cafe boosted Yoo Jun-hyuk’s cafe unexpectedly, many firms used Papa Cafes for marketing.
Posing as members, hyping products or restaurants—plenty hired them. But some requests were shady.
‘Cafe Hypnos, huh? Tsk, opening there without proper market research?’
The boss pitied Yoo Jun-hyuk while eyeing the Papa Cafe screen.
She recalled a recent commission from nearby cafe owners around Cafe Hypnos.
[Spread slander about Cafe Hypnos, focused on Papa Cafe.]
Franchise bosses, sensing regulars defecting due to hype over Jun-hyuk’s hypnosis drinks, pooled cash for this.
In a novel, they’d barge in for a brawl. But reality?
With money, you could harass slyly. Who’d be dumb enough for direct confrontation?
“Everyone’s just scraping by.”
Even I’m barely surviving on gigs like this.
The boss’s eyes gleamed at the prepped post.
[YuraMomSuper]
“Bought a detox drink from Cafe Hypnos. My kid broke out in hives all over after drinking it—itching to death now. Even has a fever. So worried ㅜㅜ”
Attached photo: A random internet scrape of a kid with atopic dermatitis.
“This’ll do.”
Easy to debunk with a reverse image search if anyone bothered.
But people don’t dig that deep into gossip. Once scandal hits, the stigma sticks forever, even after clarifications or truth outs.
The boss figured Yoo Jun-hyuk’s cafe was done.
“Alright, upload. Everyone, stand by.”
They’d even bought high-level Papa Cafe accounts for this—members wouldn’t suspect, buying the fake post.
She posted unsuspectingly...
“Huh? What?”
It vanished in under a minute.
Admin delete? Reposted—deleted again. And again.
“B-Boss! Computers are glitching!”
Worse, office PCs started crashing one by one.
Black screens on monitors.
Then, an unknown warning popped up.
[Touch Cafe Hypnos, and you’ll never work again.]
Seeing it, sweat poured from every pore, boss included.
‘No way—a normal cafe?’
Hacking this easy?
Internet pros like them were hyper-sensitive to hacks—this threatened their livelihood.
After agonizing, the boss spoke.
“...Fuck, what do we say.”
Seemed this job was bust—now, excuses for clients.
＊＊＊
“Easy.”
Lee Seo-yeon sipped wine, eyeing the comment firm’s CCTV feed.
From the moment Yoo Jun-hyuk opened shop, she’d scoped rival cafes, sensing trouble, staying vigilant.
Unraveling this? Piece of cake.
“They might hire elsewhere, so keep watching.”
Protect Yoo Jun-hyuk.
Even without Choi Yu-ra’s request, it was a given—she didn’t find this taxing.
“But...”
More intriguing elsewhere.
Seo-yeon sniffed her sleeve.
“Pheromones sinking in yet?”
Recently, an online post: Men and women drawn to opposite-sex pheromones; best way to intensify? Wear the same clothes nonstop.
Not skipping showers—just same outfit. It cited DNA science, seeming legit.
“Pheromones beat perfume? The ultimate scent to make the opposite sex fall in love.”
Virgin/incel bait info, but she bought it hook, line, sinker.
No—straw-grasping to one-up Choi Yu-ra.
“Hope for a reaction soon.”
One more week?
Already a week in these clothes, she hit the hay.
[Seo-yeon, what perfume is that? Smells amazing.]
[Sniff closer. Come here...]
Drifting to fantasies of blissful time with Yoo Jun-hyuk till sleep claimed her.