NOVEL NEXT 32
Despite her smooth-talking manner and relaxed demeanor, an undeniable youthfulness shone through her face.
The dissonance was enough to make first-time observers think, “Huh?”
Jo I-ruk summed up Song Woo-yeon’s incongruity like this:
‘Isn’t she a con artist?’
As far as Jo I-ruk knew, there wasn’t a single smooth talker who didn’t have something fishy going on.
And to suddenly claim to be a location expert? Jo I-ruk felt a twinge of anxiety, wondering if he was being roped into some kind of scam as an accomplice.
He was just thinking that he should look into this
Then Song Woo-yeon’s one-woman show began.
“That’s exactly it.”
“Hmm?”
“This is why lowering the store’s threshold is so important.”
Is this even possible?
Jo I-ruk could only listen in a daze to Song Woo-yeon’s words. No counterarguments came to mind.
The smooth flow of logic, the questions strategically posed to the listener to maintain focus, and the rational reasoning behind it all.
He was completely overwhelmed.
And convinced.
‘This isn’t just empty talk.’
Franchise business and whatnot. He had thought such talk was just the usual bluster of wannabe entrepreneurs.
Jo I-ruk felt something stir in his chest.
‘Maybe, just maybe, this person could really pull it off.’
That’s the intuition he had.
And Jo I-ruk’s intuition was rarely wrong.
‘All companies started as startups once. Even Facebook was originally created as a college student’s hobby project.’
Jo I-ruk suddenly had such a thought.
‘Could I be standing at the starting point of that long journey?’
It seemed preposterous, but he couldn’t help feeling it might be true.
Glimmer.
He had the illusion of seeing a distant lighthouse. For the first time, someone had given direction to a lone boatman wandering in pitch darkness.
After all, he had been drifting aimlessly on the sea, not knowing where to go.
There was no reason not to follow that light.
‘Right. Let’s look into this a bit more.’
There was no need to make a hasty decision. Jo I-ruk decided to observe Song Woo-yeon’s actions from her side.
To see if she was someone worth dedicating his life to.
“…ruk-ssi, Jo I-ruk-ssi!”
“Huh?!”
Jo I-ruk snapped back to attention.
Song Woo-yeon and Han Mi-ae were both looking at him.
“What were you thinking about so deeply? You didn’t even hear us calling.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
Jo I-ruk hurriedly bowed his head. Was he in for a scolding? As he fidgeted nervously, Song Woo-yeon unexpectedly moved on to the next topic without further comment.
“Anyway, this was the intention behind the interior design I initially proposed. After hearing CEO Han’s thoughts, there are some areas we’ll need to adjust… but the overall framework will likely proceed like this.”
“Oh my, now that you’ve explained it, I understand. I was worried at first, but Woo-yeon knows better than me. I’ll leave it in your capable hands.”
“Of course. Once we select an interior design company, we’ll discuss the specifics and share the schedule with you.”
She spoke with the familiarity of someone who had done this dozens, if not hundreds of times. Jo I-ruk marveled once more as he tapped away at the keyboard.
“Mm-hmm. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Take care~.”
As the meeting with Han Mi-ae wrapped up, Jo I-ruk slumped in his chair. All day of meetings, taking minutes, pretending to be a location expert.
Having pulled an all-nighter on top of that, his head was throbbing.
‘Isn’t this a total sweatshop…!’
As if reading Jo I-ruk’s thoughts, Song Woo-yeon approached and spoke to him.
“It was tough today, wasn’t it?”
“Ah, no, not at all.”
Jo I-ruk barely managed to suppress the urge to shout, “Of course it was!”
“We have quite a few projects in progress, you see. Originally, you were only supposed to attend this meeting, but you did better than expected. We pushed you a bit hard this morning.”
Acknowledging her subordinate’s hard work while adding a dash of praise. Jo I-ruk couldn’t help but smile slightly, feeling proud despite his fatigue.
“It’s more interesting than studying for the bar exam, so I don’t mind.”
“Dealing with people is better, isn’t it?”
“I suppose so. I didn’t realize it, but I must have been starved for human interaction.”
Jo I-ruk said, scratching the back of his head.
“Since you’ve worked hard from yesterday through today, take tomorrow off.”
“What?!”
“You deserve compensation for your hard work. Oh, would you prefer a bonus instead? Then I’ll give you a bonus.”
What an unexpected windfall!
Jo I-ruk’s eyes sparkled.
“I’d like the bonus, please!”
“Alright, I’ll include it with your weekly pay. You must be tired today, so go ahead and clock out. But come in for your regular shift tomorrow. Is that okay?”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Hehe. Nothing beats financial therapy. Jo I-ruk felt his fatigue dissipate instantly.
“Oh, right. So, how do you find the work after these couple of days?”
“Well, if you’re asking…”
“You’ve probably gotten a general idea of how the company operates. We don’t have a proper structure or system in place yet. We’ll be hiring more people for that soon, but until then, you’ll have to work alone.”
“……”
“You originally agreed to a one-week part-time job. Is that still your intention?”
What impeccable timing.
The question came just when his heart was at its softest, after experiencing both the stick and the carrot.
Song Woo-yeon had proven her abilities to some extent, and the work didn’t seem unreasonable.
Jo I-ruk knew nothing about how franchise businesses operated, but Song Woo-yeon’s business consulting sounded quite plausible.
Moreover, from what he’d overheard during the meeting with Han Mi-ae, they’d even secured investment from some construction company.
It was hard to believe all this was accomplished by a one-person company.
Jo I-ruk hesitated for a moment before blurting out:
“…I’d like to work here longer.”
“Really?”
“Yes. At least for now.”
He was curious to see how far this Song Woo-yeon could go.
How massive this storm that had suddenly appeared in his life, turning everything upside down, could become when it reached open waters.
The mere thought made his heart race.
“That’s great.”
Song Woo-yeon grinned and pulled out a document from the file she was holding.
“Let’s rewrite the employment contract. As a full-time employee.”
“……!”
“Here you go.”
Swoosh.
The proffered document was an employment contract that seemed to have been prepared in advance. When on earth? Jo I-ruk stared at Song Woo-yeon, who wore a picture-perfect smile, with an astonished expression.
“…You anticipated even this?”
“About half. I was going to ask again later if your reaction today wasn’t positive.”
Then Song Woo-yeon muttered something incomprehensible.
“I thought Team Leader Jo would respond like this….”
Team Leader Jo? Jo I-ruk couldn’t be sure if that referred to him. After all, ‘Team Leader’? Don’t you need team members to be a team leader?
“Anyway. I’ve included favorable terms. Feel free to take it and consult with a law office if you need to.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Oh, right. I shouldn’t have said that to someone who prepared for the bar exam.”
Jo I-ruk picked up the employment contract and scanned it thoroughly. Each sentence was clear, leaving no room for tricks.
It was a well-crafted employment contract. Even here, an inexplicable proficiency shone through.
“…I’ll do it.”
Jo I-ruk picked up the pen.
After signing on the signature line and pressing his thumbprint in place of a seal, the contract was finally complete.
“I look forward to working with you.”
“Likewise.”
They firmly clasped hands and shook.
Their gazes met over their tightly gripped hands.
“Welcome to
Song Woo-yeon grinned.
That smile somehow felt ominous, sending a chill down Jo I-ruk’s spine. What’s this? This bad feeling, as if he’d just signed a slave contract?
Thud!
“This.”
Thud!
“Oh, this too.”
Thud!
“And finally~.”
Thump!
“This as well.”
A mountain of documents suddenly covered Jo I-ruk’s desk.
“…Um, CEO. What’s all this?”
“Handover materials for you, Jo I-ruk-ssi.”
“Pardon?”
Handover? Of what exactly?
“It contains the manuals you’ll need for your work, so just read through them carefully. I’ll be busy for a while. I’ll check on progress from time to time and handle most approvals, but you’ll need to take care of the basic tasks.”
“…Me?”
“There’s not that much to do. Essentially, you’ll… handle whatever the owners need, and if you can’t manage something, report it to me.”
The feeling that something was off flashed through his mind, but he’d already pressed his thumbprint.
“And we’ll start getting some franchise inquiries, so there’s an application form in there too. Fill it out according to the template and give it to me.”
It seemed he was basically responsible for overseeing all operations.
‘They say bad premonitions never fail!’
Jo I-ruk wondered if he should tear up the employment contract and pretend none of this had happened.
Tap tap.
“Overthinking will just give you a headache. Clock out for today. I have somewhere I need to go, so I’ll be off.”
“Y-you’re dumping all this on me and going where exactly…?”
Song Woo-yeon grinned at Jo I-ruk’s question.
“I’m going to look for a shaved ice machine.”
“What?!”
“See you later~.”
Before Jo I-ruk could say anything more, Song Woo-yeon was already walking away.
From behind, Jo I-ruk shouted,
“What shaved ice?! Aren’t we a franchise of soup rice shops and snack shops?!”
To this, Song Woo-yeon raised her voice without looking back.
“We’re about to have one more!”
“Whaaaat?!”
Come on, brands aren’t child’s play. How can you just whip up another one like this?
“Shouldn’t we focus on the existing franchises for now?!”
To that desperate cry, Song Woo-yeon replied simply.
“It’s going to be a huge hit!”
She stood at the precipice of a snowflake shaved ice craze that would sweep the nation and endure for years to come.