The Sleep War, Part 2
News that WindRover was launching a new outdoor line put the entire industry on edge.
That was inevitable. Right from the start, the line had drawn attention by being built on a new fabric supplied by Haesol Textile, the same company that had won a contract to provide materials for U.S. military combat uniforms.
Riding that momentum, Hanil Global’s marketing team went so far as to hype up Haesol Textile itself while pushing the product.
“Our clothes don’t tear easily, yet they move smoothly with the body.”
The WindRover brand manager wore a confident smile as he spoke in the interview.
“You’re curious about Urbantex? Haha. To explain the material itself, the Cordura-blend outer shell holds up against rough natural environments, while the inner layer balances warmth and breathability, keeping you comfortable even during long hours of wear. You could call it a material that will shake up the outdoor market.”
With even that swaggering interview airing publicly, hikers and campers were already counting the days until the new WindRover products launched.
Then, on release day, lines formed outside the large stores in Hongdae and Gangnam before opening time, and several popular sizes and colors sold out that very same day.
Hanil Global’s salespeople, who were out visiting clients, could feel the change firsthand.
Store owners who had usually been indifferent were calling first, asking to secure stock of the new WindRover line, and the business pages of the newspapers were already using phrases like “a fresh gust sweeping through the domestic outdoor market.”
“This one really worked, didn’t it? Hahaha!”
Han Se-gyeol, the executive director, laughed so hard that he showed his gums for the first time in a while.
“Good work. Really good work.”
Jeong Man-sik, the president, was smiling too as he checked the stock HTS app on his phone.
After years of going nowhere but sideways or down, Hanil Global’s stock was finally climbing on the back of the new-product news.
He could hardly remember the last time things had looked this good.
“Here, analyst Hwang Chan-ju put it like this: the collaboration with the technically capable Haesol Textile has breathed new life into the WindRover brand.”
Kim I-su, the managing director, filed his report with a broad grin as well.
“That man has a decent eye.”
“He does. And real user reviews are already spreading fast on social media. People are even asking about the follow-up line scheduled for release this fall.”
“From here on out, this is the real beginning. We have to expand WindRover across all of Asia on the back of Urbantex. Before the technology gets out, we need to squeeze out as much as we can, as fast as we can!”
President Jeong Man-sik wanted to make the most of the opportunity he had barely managed to seize and leave with the greatest possible profit.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
In the middle of Tokyo, in the Yurakucho district, stood The Peninsula Tokyo.
Its president, Nakajima Kenji, sat in the conference room with a deeply furrowed brow.
Spread out on the table were the hotel’s recent reservation rates and revenue reports, and there was no question those papers were the reason his face had twisted like that.
“What is this supposed to mean? The Okura Hotel’s suite reservation rate has overtaken ours?”
Sales director Sato Hiroshi lowered his head and answered.
“Yes, sir. Since last month, the Okura Hotel’s Solinen Sweet Dream package has been drawing major attention. Especially on social media, where word of mouth has exploded and reservations are surging.”
Nakajima Kenji frowned harder and asked back.
“Solinen Sweet Dream? What is that?”
“It’s a special package the Okura Hotel recently put together and is promoting as a guarantee of deep sleep. They’ve introduced new bedding and are marketing it as providing ‘ultimate comfort.’”
Nakajima snorted at the absurdity of it.
“What idiots. Ultimate comfort? We’re not losing to anyone when it comes to sleep.”
“That’s right. Our Downlite bedding uses top-quality down and feathers, so we can confidently say that in comfort, we’re second to no hotel in the world. Downlite bedding is high-end stuff used by famous chains like Hilton, too...”
“Hmph! To think people would fall for that kind of exaggerated advertising...”
Nakajima Kenji sneered, convinced the ridiculous craze would die down soon enough.
Sure, a few foolish customers might get hooked by such hype, but he believed most sensible guests would think things through and come back to quality.
And yet...
Nearly a month later, when the reservation gap had only widened little by little in the wrong direction, Nakajima Kenji was horrified.
“So that line about ‘ultimate comfort’ was actually true?”
Sales director Sato Hiroshi, equally confused, answered.
“The wording itself is exaggerated, yes, but it’s also true that some guests have rated it extremely highly. In fact, even famous comedian Sakayama posted on social media that he finally got a proper night’s sleep at a hotel after a long time, and that reaction made it even more explosive...”
Unable to hold back any longer, Nakajima Kenji sprang to his feet and shouted, “That’s ridiculous!”
Startled, Sato Hiroshi shrank back and lowered his head.
“How is that supposed to make sense? I need to check this myself!”
“Huh? How are you going to—?”
“What do you mean, how? I’m going there in person.”
In Tokyo’s five-star hotel world, nobody did not know Nakajima Kenji’s face.
Sato Hiroshi blinked and said, “If people recognize you, wouldn’t that end up giving the Okura Hotel massive publicity?”
The rumor that the president of The Peninsula Tokyo, a rival and in fact an even higher-tier luxury hotel, had come personally to try it would sweep through the industry like a storm.
“Are you an idiot? Of course I’m not going to be seen!”
“Ah... my apologies.”
Still visibly intimidated, Sato Hiroshi received Nakajima’s instructions.
“Right now, book the Okura Hotel’s Solinen Sweet Dream package! Then send me the reservation details. Don’t use the company card, use a personal card and file it as an expense. Ah, and hand over the card too.”
“Understood.”
He briefly considered making the reservation under a family member’s name, but then decided that might still be too risky and booked it under a subordinate’s name instead.
“Let’s see just how well that stupid ad slogan holds up.”
Nakajima Kenji steeled himself for battle.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Two days later, Nakajima Kenji checked into the Okura Hotel wearing thick-rimmed glasses, a beanie pulled low, and oversized sunglasses.
“Mr. Sato Hiroshi, you’ve booked the Solinen Sweet Dream package. Your room is 1507. I’ll guide you there.”
As he followed the staff member, Nakajima glanced around.
The hotel lobby seemed busier than usual.
Could this really all be because of that package?
He didn’t want to believe it, but with the reservation rate showing signs of edging downward, his nerves were in fact fraying.
Once inside the room, his first impression was ordinary.
It wasn’t much different from a typical suite at the Okura Hotel, and in some details he even felt it lagged behind The Peninsula Tokyo, which made the corner of his mouth lift in contempt.
But when his eyes landed on the bed, he tilted his head.
“There’s embroidery on the bedding?”
He thought it was madness to put embroidery on hotel bedding that had to be steam-washed at high temperatures every day, and he scoffed as he looked at it.
Still, it did look luxurious compared with the usual plain white hotel bedding that had no pattern at all.
And because it matched the Okura Hotel interior, which was relatively modern in style, it passed at least aesthetically.
“Hmph, and there’s even a mist spray?”
On a small table beside the head of the bed sat a mist spray and a note.
This bedding is a special product called Solinen Prestige, designed for the best possible sleep. We hope the pillow mist helps you enjoy a comfortable and restful night...
He could see how faithfully the hotel staff had embraced and executed the sleep concept in the package description.
Nakajima Kenji’s eye twitched a little at that attention to detail.
He knew better than most how much such small touches could move a customer.
Nakajima examined the bedding more closely.
He had worked in the hotel industry for over twenty years and had seen countless luxury linens, but this was clearly different.
When he touched it with his hand, it felt soft yet resilient in a way that was unusually distinctive.
At this level, I suppose...
Still half doubtful, he finished dinner and went to bed early.
Like the hotel recommended, he sprayed the pillow mist and pulled the bedding over himself.
At first, it was just another good hotel bed.
But as time passed, he began to feel an odd sort of comfort.
Especially when he slept with the hotel air conditioner on, the sensation was different from usual.
Normally the parts under the blanket should grow hot while the uncovered parts turned cold, but the portion beneath the covers didn’t feel nearly that hot.
Without thinking, he turned the air conditioner down, and the smooth, pleasantly cool bedding seemed to lower his body temperature again.
Well... it’s not bad, I guess...
Thinking the fresh, faint mist scent felt pleasantly natural, he drifted off to sleep before he realized it.
Only his steady breathing moved through the hotel room.
And then,
!
When he opened his eyes, the clock was already pointing to eight.
“Hah...”
Honestly, it was shocking.
He had never been someone who slept poorly when away from home in the first place, so he wasn’t exactly overwhelmed with emotion, but something still felt different.
Just the right temperature, a soft and comforting feeling...
So soft and comforting, in fact, that even now he wanted to crawl back under the blanket.
When he got up and drew back the blackout curtains, sunlight flooded the hotel room outside and made him feel as though life itself had just returned to his body.
In truth, any hotel could do that much.
But after sleeping well and waking up refreshed, it was impossible not to feel that even ordinary things had become new.
“This... is the real thing!”
Nakajima Kenji admitted that he had been completely defeated by the Okura Hotel’s Sweet Dream Package.
He looked over the bedding once more and checked the embroidery stitched into one corner.
It was the Hangul logo GyeolBit, embroidered in a small, elegant script.
He had no idea what it meant, of course, so he considered writing it down on the memo pad in the room, then quickly took out his smartphone and snapped a photo of the logo instead.
He had to find out where this bedding had come from.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After returning to The Peninsula Tokyo, Nakajima called an emergency meeting at once.
He showed the staff the photo on his phone and barked out orders.
“Find this logo immediately! And find out what brand this is, where it’s sold, everything. At the very least, you can tell it’s Korean writing, so you know where to start looking, don’t you?”
The staff realized at once that this was the Okura Hotel’s secret weapon, the force behind the Sweet Dream Package.
They moved quickly. Two hours later, a marketing team member returned with a report.
“This bedding brand is called GyeolBit. It’s a premium bedding brand made by the Korean company Haesol Textile. It’s currently sold exclusively at Mirae Department Store in Korea, and it seems they recently signed an exclusive contract with the Okura Hotel.”
Thinking he had found what he wanted, Nakajima nodded and muttered, “Haesol Textile... never heard of them...”
“Yes. They were originally a small or medium-sized company, but they recently drew attention after signing a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. Their newly developed Dualtex fabric is scheduled to be used for U.S. military combat uniforms. Here’s an article about the company.”
“U.S. military uniforms? And they make bedding?”
Nakajima’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Yes. And the bedding delivered to the Okura Hotel was made with their Solinen Prestige fabric. I had one of our Korean-speaking staff call Haesol Textile directly to confirm it.”
After a moment of thought, Nakajima Kenji nodded and said, “Book me a flight to Korea right now. And tell that Korean-speaking staff member they’re going on a business trip.”
Being one step behind was unavoidable.
But there was no way he could allow himself to fall behind the flow.