NOVEL NEXT 64
Bowls lined up in perfect formation.
Not a speck of dust to be found, even when running a finger along the corners of the restaurant.
The quality of the broth goes without saying,
And the ingredients, as if by agreement, are exactly 1.5 times the daily requirement.
“It’s perfect.”
Jo I-ruk muttered beside me, his face blank with amazement.
“Not a single… deviation from regulations. Even though we came unannounced.”
“Isn’t it?”
I said with a grin.
“I told you it would be worth seeing.”
If Park Seung-jae was the franchise despair edition, this is the complete opposite. The very embodiment of franchise hope!
Impeccable hygiene, recipes that perfectly match company standards, and strict adherence to business hours.
If there were a model student in the franchise world, this would be it.
“Congratulations, Boss Seo Beom-jun.”
I said, looking at Seo Beom-jun, who stood awkwardly beside me.
“You’ve passed all standards. No, you’ve far exceeded them. I think this kitchen is cleaner than my room.”
You could probably lay out a blanket and sleep here. That’s how clean and well-organized it is.
“…You’re too kind. Everyone does this much.”
Seo Beom-jun bowed his head humbly. Oh? He’s better at speaking than the last time I saw him.
“You’d be surprised how many people can’t even manage the basics.”
We just saw living proof of that yesterday.
“In that sense, you’re remarkable. You should be proud.”
“…Is that so.”
Though his face remained stiff and expressionless, Seo Beom-jun’s ears had turned red. He seemed unaccustomed to such direct praise.
“This is all I have.”
His slightly crumpled ear tips hinted at his life story. If I remember correctly from what I vaguely heard before, he had made it to the national judo team selection trials.
He must have been quite a promising athlete.
Apparently, he suffered a severe injury due to a foul play by his opponent at the trials. While he could manage daily life and light exercise, he could no longer practice judo.
The despair Seo Beom-jun must have felt then is hard to imagine.
“Sports is a battle with oneself.”
He said calmly, his voice filled with self-assurance.
“If I diligently record each day, those accumulate to become my skill.”
That experience might have shaped the Seo Beom-jun of today.
Even while training, he must have felt the temptation to compromise with himself. Just this once, just for today.
Resisting the urge to take it easy and steadily building up day by day.
Perhaps that’s the common ground between business and sports.
“That’s all I thought. If I can do it, anyone can. It’s not that remarkable.”
I felt like applauding.
Jo I-ruk seemed slightly moved as well. No doubt the contrast with the person we saw yesterday made it all the more impressive.
“This is exactly what we need. Thank you for welcoming us despite our sudden visit. I wish you great success~”
I bowed and left the store. As we were about to move on, Jo I-ruk chattered beside me.
“As expected of someone you personally recommended, CEO. He’s truly different.”
“Hm? Ah~”
Come to think of it, that’s right. I must have spotted Seo Beom-jun’s name on the list and picked him out.
“How did you know? I was actually a bit worried since he had no experience in the food service industry.”
“Haha. Were you?”
“Yes. He followed instructions well during training, but… that was about it.”
His skills weren’t noticeably exceptional.
“Keep an eye on him.”
I said, patting Jo I-ruk’s shoulder.
“He’ll be with us for a long time.”
“Yes, understood.”
That’s how it was before my regression. He started as one of the initial members and stayed almost until the very end.
He’s not much of a talker, so we rarely had deep conversations. But sometimes, when we’d silently share a drink, I felt like we understood each other without words.
Though he might not be warmly affectionate with customers, there’s a strange sense of reliability in his quiet, diligent work.
“He’ll do well.”
I muttered softly as I turned away.
“Can you handle the rest of the franchise inspections on your own, Team Leader Jo?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes. I’ve learned the method, so there shouldn’t be any problems… Do you have other business to attend to?”
Indeed.
The rest of the franchise openings seem to be progressing smoothly, and I’ve heard that franchise inquiries are pouring in.
We were in the process of rapidly expanding the business, but I had delegated most of the work to others.
‘Of course, I still make the final approvals.’
For most people, that alone would be time-consuming. But with all the know-how I’ve accumulated over the years, I can process things in an instant.
“We currently have three brands in our company, right?
“Yes.
I hear it’s causing quite a stir on social media. As more franchises open, accessibility will improve significantly.
I crossed my arms and tapped my forearm with my fingertips.
“We still have a long way to go.”
“Pardon? …It’s hard to find a company growing this rapidly anywhere.”
Well, that may be true.
But compared to the scale before my regression, we’re still at the level of a corner store.
“Let me tell you something in advance, Team Leader Jo. I’m more interested in developing new menu items than in management.”
I’d rather do an extra round of wok frying in the kitchen than play with numbers, and I enjoy imagining what new menu items might taste delicious more than figuring out how to increase profit margins.
That’s why, among all the possible businesses, I decided to go into the food industry.
With this know-how, I might have made much more money if I had gone into distribution or trading.
Money comes and goes. Any deficiencies from my impoverished childhood were long ago resolved by accumulating more than enough numbers in my bank account before my regression.
“Of course, I’m not saying I’ll be reckless. I’ll keep checking regularly, but it’s not my main focus.”
“You’re already doing more than enough.”
“So, this kind of thing will happen often in the future.”
“…When you say ‘this kind of thing’…”
Jo I-ruk looked at me with a strangely anxious expression.
His face seemed to ask, ‘Surely not. Right?’
I grinned, shattering his expectations.
“We need to prepare the next brand.”
“What?! Already?”
“I’m not saying we’ll launch it right away. It’s a menu that needs some time. I’m just planning to start with menu research for now.”
Jo I-ruk exhaled with a “Huh.” I couldn’t tell if it was a sigh or an exclamation of wonder. Maybe both.
“…I don’t even know anymore.”
Jo I-ruk shook his head.
“Do as you please, CEO. It’s not like you’d listen if I tried to stop you anyway.”
“You catch on quick.”
When I looked surprised, Jo I-ruk shot me an exasperated glance. Haha. No need to glare like that.
“I said I’m not doing it right away.”
“Yes. That’s somewhat reassuring.”
Jo I-ruk massaged his temples as if he had a headache.
“I’ll look after the rest of the franchises. If anything like yesterday happens, I’ll report to you immediately.”
“Mm-hmm. Alright.”
“Then let’s head back to the office.”
We had conducted Seo Beom-jun’s store inspection before opening hours, so it wasn’t even lunchtime yet.
“If we drive back, we should arrive right around lunchtime.”
“Yes, that sounds about right.”
“With all the business trips yesterday and today, you haven’t had a chance to properly talk with Assistant Manager Park, have you? Let’s have lunch together when we get back and do some team bonding.”
“Ah, that sounds good.”
Park Sang-won is probably in the middle of receiving handover information from Roh Se-hee, but still. The office must have felt too empty for someone who just started.
We should hurry back and at least get him some food…, I was thinking, when suddenly—
Swish.
“We’re back~ We came to have lunch toge… ther.”
Ring-ring!
“Yes, this is Manager Roh Se-hee from
“Ah~, I’m sorry, but we’re currently verifying the facts, and this is unrelated to the company’s official position…”
What on earth is going on?
Roh Se-hee and Park Sang-won seemed overwhelmed, responding to ringing phones. Roh Se-hee noticed me and gave a quick bow.
“What’s happening?”
“Yes, I understand. I can’t give you details right now, but I’ll contact you again. If you could give me your name and contact information…”
Roh Se-hee waved her hand dismissively while on the phone. She probably meant she couldn’t spare the energy to explain.
“Wh-what in the world is going on…?!”
Jo I-ruk’s face had turned pale. This must be his first time experiencing something like this, so he’s quite flustered.
Worried that Jo I-ruk’s voice might be heard on the other end of the calls, I gestured to him. When I signaled for him to lower his voice, Jo I-ruk clamped his hand over his mouth with a “Hup!”
Buzz-buzz-!
Just then, my phone vibrated too.
[Reporter Kang Yu-ha]
The timing couldn’t be worse.
I pressed the answer button and brought the phone to my ear.
“Hello?”
-Ah, CEO Song. Do you have a moment to talk?
“Yes. Just for a bit.”
-I’m sorry to contact you when you must be so busy.
“It’s fine. I was actually hoping to ask someone what’s going on.”
-Oh my. It seems you haven’t heard the news yet.
Kang Yu-ha muttered, sounding troubled, then continued.
-You’ll know right away if you check the internet. It’s on the front page of the portal sites right now.
“The portal sites?”
I hurriedly went to my desk and pressed the power button on my computer. The loading seemed slower than usual today.
-Yes. It’s about
Meanwhile, Kang Yu-ha continued in a hesitant tone.
Finally, the computer fully booted up. Putting everything else aside, I opened the internet browser first.
When I accessed the portal site, a huge headline on the front page immediately caught my eye.
[The Hidden Side of the ‘Snow Flower Bingsu’ Craze… “Plagiarism of an Individual Café’s Dessert?”]
-Someone posted on an internet community claiming their idea was stolen, saying it’s unfair. It seems that’s sparked a plagiarism controversy.
Kang Yu-ha’s voice flitted through my mind.
“…Huh.”
How does something like this even happen?