NOVEL WEB 13
“So then.”
I continued, handing Kim Jong-chun a spoon I’d retrieved from the freezer.
“What did you tell your wife?”
“Sniff…”
Kim Jong-chun arrived at work with swollen eyes, pressing the cold spoon against them as he choked back tears.
No, he was actually crying again with the spoon still on his eyes. His eyelids must be stinging from the moisture…
“I told her the truth… that I’d been laid off a while ago. So, it’s not like I suddenly quit my stable job, but the company… Waaah!”
He broke down crying again mid-sentence.
Lee In-cheol pulled out some tissues and handed them over. Kim Jong-chun took them, wiping his eyes and blowing his nose as he spoke.
“S-sorry. I tried to hold back the tears, but since yesterday, they just won’t stop…”
It seemed as if a dam of sorrow had burst. The emotions he’d been suppressing were finally pouring out.
Kim Jong-chun appeared to struggle to continue speaking through his choked voice, but he persevered.
“I thought I’d used up all my tears after being fired from my job… but I guess not.”
“Of course, you fool. Bottling it up alone is completely different from opening up to someone else.”
Lee In-cheol clicked his tongue but, clearly concerned for Kim Jong-chun, kept pulling out tissues to hand him.
“So, what did your wife say?”
“Hic. My wife… Waaah! She hugged me tight and started crying too! And you know what she said?!”
Kim Jong-chun wailed as he shouted.
“She asked why I didn’t tell her sooner! She worried about how much I must have wandered around in this cold weather…! She said she was sorry for not realizing.”
Hmm. That does sound like her.
Kim Jong-chun’s wife, Park So-in, was someone I was quite familiar with. Of course, that was before my regression.
There were often gatherings of franchise owners that included Lee In-cheol’s couple and Kim Jong-chun’s couple.
‘We were closest when there were about five stores.’
After that, as the number of franchises grew exponentially, it became difficult to maintain close relationships with everyone.
“You lucky bastard, meeting a wife like that.”
“I think so tooooo…! She’s such a good person, and I’m just a fool who makes her suffer! Boo hoo!”
He was crying his eyes out again. His swollen eyes were already beyond help.
“So what did your wife say? Did she agree to you starting a business?”
I’m sorry, but this was the most important issue for me right now. When I asked bluntly, Kim Jong-chun wiped away his tears and lifted his head.
“Well… she still has a lot to think about. It’s something she never considered before. And we’d have to invest all of my severance pay…”
The fact that Kim Jong-chun had never so much as picked up a kitchen knife in his life would make it even more daunting.
In situations like this, the direct approach is best.
“Bring her here.”
“What?”
“Seeing is believing. No amount of talking will do. Bring her after we close, and serve her a bowl of soup yourself.”
“……!”
Kim Jong-chun’s eyes widened.
“Once she tastes it herself, she’ll be convinced whether it’s feasible or not.”
Kim Jong-chun pressed his lips together before nodding emphatically.
“Okay!”
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
“Hapjae Soup, Hapjae Soup… Is this it?”
Park So-in kept looking around, comparing the map on her phone with the building in front of her.
Then, a sidewalk sign caught her eye. It displayed a large photo of Hapjae Soup’s menu with prices listed beside it.
“This must be it.”
As she looked up, the
On the second floor of a four-story building with no elevator, in a somewhat out-of-the-way location. She wondered if people would actually come to such a place.
Thud, thud. As she climbed the stairs, someone coming out of the second floor brushed past her.
They were holding a takeout bag.
‘…That smells delicious.’
Along with her amazement that there were customers even at this hour, her mouth began to water.
Since Kim Jong-chun had insisted she come without eating dinner, she hadn’t had a proper meal even at this late hour.
Hurrying her steps, she opened the door to the shop, and the delicious aroma grew even stronger.
“Welcome. We’ve just finished our takeout orders for the day… Oh!”
The part-timer who had been reciting the welcome message out of habit let out a short exclamation upon seeing Park So-in’s face.
“Ma’am, you’re here.”
Ma’am?
Unused to such a formal address, Park So-in felt somewhat embarrassed.
‘How did they recognize me? Did he show them a photo?’
As she awkwardly greeted them with such thoughts, the part-timer with a name tag reading ‘Song Woo-yeon’ skillfully guided Park So-in to a central table in the dining area.
“Table 3, one soup~!”
“One soup!”
Park So-in was startled. The voice shouting “One soup” was all too familiar.
She lifted her head abruptly to look towards the kitchen.
There she saw her husband, dressed in a white chef’s uniform and wearing a transparent mask, smiling brightly at her.
“Honey! I’ll make you a delicious bowl of soup!”
She had heard he was learning to cook, but truthfully, she had been anxious. A man who had spent his entire life in an office job was suddenly talking about running a business…
She had even felt resentful towards that colleague of his, thinking he must have filled her husband’s head with nonsense.
But now…
Chop chop chop chop.
Was this man skillfully chopping green onions and slicing meat to the perfect thickness really her husband? Park So-in couldn’t help but doubt her eyes, even as she watched.
Unless they had brought in someone who looked exactly like her husband to put on a show. How else could this be possible?
With the open kitchen, Park So-in could observe Kim Jong-chun’s every move as he cooked.
“Here you go, it’s served!”
Kim Jong-chun brought the soup out himself and set it down in front of Park So-in.
Her mouth watered at the sight of the steaming bowl.
Park So-in picked up her spoon as if in a trance. The moment she put a large spoonful in her mouth, an exclamation of delight flashed through her mind.
It’s delicious!
When she came to her senses, the bowl was completely empty, and Kim Jong-chun was watching her with a satisfied expression from across the table.
“Well?”
He asked with a triumphant voice.
“It’s good, isn’t it?”
“…Yes. It’s delicious.”
Park So-in answered truthfully.
“You think other people will like it too?”
“Yes. I’m sure they will. …When did you practice your knife skills? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you do that at home.”
“I learned diligently at the shop. Oh, this is In-cheol who taught me how to cook! And this is…”
The next person Kim Jong-chun pointed to was the part-timer who had first guided Park So-in.
She had thought the young worker must be having a tough time, but… Kim Jong-chun said something completely different.
“This is the CEO of our franchise headquarters.”
“……Huh?”
CEO?
This person?
Her confusion was short-lived. Song Woo-yeon extended her hand first, smiling gently.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am. My name is Song Woo-yeon. I’m in charge of planning and overall management of the
Despite her youthful appearance, her words were those of a seasoned professional. Park So-in hesitated momentarily at this disparity.
As she awkwardly shook hands, Song Woo-yeon began her presentation in earnest.
She cleared away the soup bowl and handed over a thick stack of documents.
“What’s this…?”
“First of all, thank you for coming to our
And so began the first franchise presentation for
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
“…That concludes my presentation.”
Without PowerPoint or a projector, this presentation could still be considered a success.
‘Of course. I’ve got plenty of experience.’
I’d done hundreds, if not thousands, of presentations for investment pitches. Park So-in seemed to follow the flood of information without difficulty.
“If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.”
“…You’ve explained everything I might have wondered about, so I don’t have any particular questions.”
Park So-in said with a faint smile. Of course. This presentation was tailored specifically for her.
Know your audience and know yourself, and you’ll win every battle. That saying fits perfectly here.
“At first, I was skeptical about such a young person being the CEO, but after hearing your explanation, those doubts have completely vanished.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Moreover, the meal was very satisfying. …With this taste, I think other customers would definitely come back.”
The conversation was flowing in an increasingly hopeful direction. Park So-in looked at Kim Jong-chun, who was already on the verge of tears, and said,
“Give it a try, honey. I’ll support you.”
“……So-in!”
Kim Jong-chun embraced Park So-in with a trembling voice. Park So-in patted the sobbing Kim Jong-chun, comforting him.
“You can do well. Yes. I married you for your diligence, didn’t I?”
“Sniff sniff…”
“Stop crying now. Come on.”
At Park So-in’s words, Kim Jong-chun sniffled like a child.
Watching this scene made my shoulders feel even heavier. Opening a shop is similar to taking on the responsibility for an entire family’s livelihood.
That’s why I hoped that Kim Jong-chun, my franchise owner, would endure for a long time.
Sincerely, please.
Thud. Lee In-cheol poked my side and whispered.
“Well, at least we got permission, so that’s one worry off our minds. Right?”
“I’m not so sure. This is just the beginning.”
“Huh?”
I chuckled at Lee In-cheol’s puzzled voice. They had just made the decision to start a business, that’s all.
“Boss. What do you think is the most important thing when starting a business?”
“Well, let’s see. The taste of the food?”
“That’s a given. But the taste of the food only accounts for about 30% of whether a business succeeds or fails.”
This is just my personal opinion, but if good taste alone guaranteed success, In-cheol’s shop would have been thriving as a popular restaurant long ago. Even without my help.
“Then? Are you saying there’s something more important than taste in the food business?”
“Yes.”
I looked at Lee In-cheol and answered with a voice full of conviction.
“Location. That’s what we need to secure first.”