God-Given Business Genius

We’ll have to tear this all down and redo it.

As Song Woo-yeon muttered quietly, Roh Se-hee’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Pardon? Right now?”

“Hmm…”

Song Woo-yeon, lost in thought, surveyed the interior once more and folded her arms.

She seemed dissatisfied with something.

‘What on earth could it be?’

Roh Se-hee couldn’t fathom it at all. The interior design looked neat and fine. She had been secretly impressed by each point Song Woo-yeon had pointed out, finding them all reasonable.

At least from her perspective, there was nothing in that she could pinpoint as problematic.

‘Ah… Is this what happens when you become the boss?’

Somehow, it felt like nightmares from her previous job were resurfacing.

Just as you’d bring a project to near completion, someone like Song Woo-yeon—a higher-up—would suddenly barge in at the last minute, give everything a cursory glance, and drop a bombshell. Then, at their whim, all the work would regress back to square one.

‘Ah~ This isn’t how it should be done. Can’t we make it more trendy and sophisticated? …They’d say something vague like that.’

And then the “real_final_final_of_finals” draft would end up in the trash.

‘Are all companies the same?’

While it’s inevitable that a company’s operations are swayed by the final decision-maker, Roh Se-hee was sick of it all.

And if the results don’t pan out or the project fails, it’s always the subordinates who take the blame.

‘I thought this person would be different…’

Regardless of age or gender, it seems the position of CEO is inescapable. Roh Se-hee resigned herself to this thought.

Just as she was casting a cold gaze, filled with a strange sense of disillusionment,

“Just a moment.”

Song Woo-yeon, after carefully examining the ceiling, headed towards the kitchen.

Where is she going?

Roh Se-hee hurriedly followed behind.

“CEO?”

“Ah, stay there.”

Curious about what she was up to, Roh Se-hee peeked in to see Song Woo-yeon turning on the snow flower bingsu machine that had been moved in earlier.

Why suddenly?

Before she could voice her question, Song Woo-yeon took a piece of ice from the freezer and began shaving it without explanation.

Faced with this sudden eccentricity, Roh Se-hee could only stare with wide eyes, unsure how to respond.

“Oh?”

“Don’t worry, we’re not going to eat this.”

Song Woo-yeon reassured Roh Se-hee, explaining that they’d thoroughly clean all the utensils and kitchen equipment before opening, and this was just a trial run.

‘No, that’s not what I was worried about…’

Hadn’t she just said they needed to tear everything down and redo it?

So why suddenly make bingsu? Surely she hadn’t just gotten a craving. Roh Se-hee couldn’t make heads or tails of Song Woo-yeon’s actions.

Swish, swish.

As the snow flower bingsu piled up, I added the ingredients in order. When I heaped on the soybean powder like a mountain, Roh Se-hee gasped.

“Isn’t, isn’t that too much?”

“This is just right.”

Song Woo-yeon casually replied that it’s more costly to lose customers by skimping on ingredients.

‘That’s true. If a bingsu shop reduces portions to save on ice, they’ll lose customers in droves.’

Of course, while waste should be avoided, one shouldn’t be so fixated on profits that they skimp on ingredients right in front of them.

This amount seemed appropriate to Song Woo-yeon.

‘Well, the quantity is good for the price. Even though it’s a premium bingsu, it’s not too expensive to try at least once.’

Plus, the biggest hurdles—awareness and psychological resistance—had already been overcome.

‘And that was this person’s instruction too.’

Jo I-ruk said he wasn’t even aware of the ongoing review event or whatever it was.

That means Song Woo-yeon planned everything herself.

That alone showed her excellent marketing sense.

“There, it’s done.”

Song Woo-yeon set up the freshly made bingsu as if serving it to a customer.

She placed a spoon, fork, condensed milk, and napkin on the tray.

“Is this all for the setup?”

“Yes. I considered adding more, but that would overshadow the main dish.”

That’s right.

A protagonist should stand out as the protagonist. For the main dish to shine on the table, the supporting elements need to dim their own light.

It would be counterproductive to create a visually stunning bingsu only to surround it with mediocre accompaniments.

‘Not only does it allow focus on the star—the snow flower bingsu—but it also reduces costs. The bingsu price becomes less burdensome too.’

Roh Se-hee judged it to be a truly rational choice.

“Shall we go out?”

Song Woo-yeon carried the tray out and placed it on a table where customers would sit. Then she began circling the table, observing from various angles.

“As I thought.”

“What’s the matter?”

Roh Se-hee still couldn’t figure out what this was all about.

“Roh Se-hee-ssi. Would you mind taking a picture of this?”

“A picture?”

Though puzzled, Roh Se-hee took out her phone and snapped a photo of the bingsu.

Click.

Song Woo-yeon and Roh Se-hee huddled together to look at the phone screen.

“Look at this.”

“It’s pretty, isn’t it? Maybe because the visual is unique. Even a simple shot turns out interesting. Young people will definitely post this on Facebook.”

“Are you serious?”

Song Woo-yeon asked, aghast. What’s the problem?

As Roh Se-hee tilted her head in confusion, Song Woo-yeon said, “Look at this,” and began moving busily.

She asked the workers various questions, retrieved something from the moving truck, and hurriedly connected wires.

‘So this is why.’

Roh Se-hee recalled Jo I-ruk’s face, calmly nodding without much surprise when Song Woo-yeon suddenly brought her here.

With someone like this, no action would seem out of place.

Song Woo-yeon moved without hesitation, as if she had experience in interior design work. In no time, she had somewhat clumsily installed new lighting.

‘But it’s quite unique.’

Typically, lights are installed to shine downwards. But Song Woo-yeon adjusted them to illuminate the corners where the ceiling met the walls.

Moreover, she mounted other fixtures to light up the walls beside the tables.

Though puzzled, Roh Se-hee decided to wait silently. Finally, as the installation neared completion.

“Alright~ Turning off the lights!”

At Song Woo-yeon’s call, the construction halted and the lights went out. Still, sunlight streaming through the windows kept the interior bright.

“Turn on the power!”

Song Woo-yeon shouted once more.

Whoosh!

The lights came on.

Not the ceiling lights, but the ones Song Woo-yeon had installed around the interior.

“Ah…!”

At that moment, Roh Se-hee realized what Song Woo-yeon had changed.

‘The light! The color of the lighting is different!’

Previously, it had been harsh white fluorescent light shining directly from the ceiling, but now with the soft, warm-colored indirect lighting, the atmosphere became much more stylish.

“What do you think? Quite different, right? The existing cafe aimed for a modern feel, so it used a lot of white and cold-feeling materials.”

Song Woo-yeon tapped the bar table near the kitchen as she spoke. It was a shiny material that looked like marble.

“Add fluorescent lighting to that, and well… Just changing the lighting has suddenly made it so much cozier, hasn’t it?”

“It really has.”

The interior design, which had felt almost chilly before, was transformed in an instant.

“The interior is pretty, so I don’t want to change it much. We’re in a hurry to open too. So changing the lighting is the best option.”

Roh Se-hee nodded in agreement with Song Woo-yeon’s words. After all, a dessert place benefits from a cozy atmosphere.

“Now, take another picture.”

“Ah, yes.”

Roh Se-hee took out her phone and snapped another photo.

“Oh?”

She couldn’t hide her astonishment.

Comparing the picture taken under the fluorescent lights earlier with the one just taken under the new indirect lighting, the difference was stark.

“This looks much more appetizing.”

“Right?”

Song Woo-yeon grinned.

“Food generally looks more delicious with warmer tones.”

Certainly.

“And this snow flower bingsu, as you mentioned, needs to have a visual appeal that young people would want to post on Facebook. It’s crucial that it photographs well.”

Song Woo-yeon recited this as if it were obvious. It meant she had planned everything from the start.

‘Who is this person?’

Roh Se-hee couldn’t figure it out. Judging by her actions, she seemed like a veteran with years of experience in interior construction, and she was also well-versed in marketing.

‘Not only that, but she’s also involved in all aspects of the franchise business. All the franchise brands were born from her hands, and she even managed to revive failing restaurants.’

When she heard this from Jo I-ruk, Roh Se-hee thought he was exaggerating.

She wasn’t sure of Song Woo-yeon’s exact age, but she couldn’t be more than in her early to mid-twenties. Was such expertise possible at that age?

“We should change the lighting. I’d prefer indirect lighting if possible, but that would mean construction…”

Roh Se-hee stared blankly at Song Woo-yeon as she skillfully coordinated the schedule with the contractors.

‘What was I doing in my early twenties?’

What was I doing? Just drinking endlessly after entering university. Thinking about it made her feel even more awed.

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“Yes. That should work. I’ll come by occasionally to check on the progress. Yes, yes~ Thank you~”

I bowed slightly and turned around. Phew. I know exactly how things work on-site, so why do they insist on impossible schedules?

I had to coax and cajole them, knowing they were just posturing for more money. I might have had to drop Choi Yeo-hae’s name if things had gotten dicey.

“That was resolved well. Oh my, look how late it’s gotten. What should we do?”

Looking outside, I realized the sun had long since set.

“It’s fine. I said I’d stay beside you. Thanks to that, I learned a lot.”

Roh Se-hee added that while she didn’t know much about on-site work, she had learned a great deal from this opportunity.

Stepping out of , we were surrounded by a lively atmosphere. Drunk people were loudly chattering everywhere.

‘ must be doing good business.’

As we happened to pass by Happy Snack, I paused for a moment.

“Ah, would you like to go ahead? I want to see the owner here for a bit.”

“Yes, alright. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Just as Roh Se-hee bowed and turned to leave,

Crash!

Along with the sound of something breaking, a harsh voice rang out.

“Are you out of your mind?!”

The sound was coming from inside . Turning my head, I saw a customer standing there, fuming. Opposite him stood Han Mi-ae.

She was frantically saying something with a troubled expression, but the customer’s face only grew more menacing.

“This is ridiculous!”

The customer even raised his hand high, as if about to strike her.

‘No!’

Before I knew it, my body moved on its own.

Bang! Clatter!