God-Given Business Genius

Two warnings.

No signs of improvement.

Problematic franchise owner.

All these descriptors seemed utterly incompatible with the name that left me dumbfounded. Kim Jong-chun? Kim Jong-chun-ahjussi?

He was one of the few people I addressed as “ahjussi” rather than “boss.”

Even though I always called Lee In-cheol “boss,” I felt more at ease with Kim Jong-chun due to his uniquely friendly demeanor.

That’s why it was even harder to believe.

“…Are you sure there hasn’t been some mistake?”

How else could this be possible?

I recalled Kim Jong-chun’s kind, beaming smile.

Despite being betrayed by franchise owners over a hundred times, I found myself thinking the same thing for the hundred and first time.

There’s no way he could do that.

The Kim Jong-chun I knew wasn’t that kind of person. Wasn’t he the one who always smiled brightly, dripping with sweat, no matter how tough things got or how many people he had to deal with?

But then.

But then how?

“We’ve tried to persuade him multiple times. We know he’s close to you, and he’s been with us since the beginning.”

Jo I-ruk began speaking calmly. Aware of the shock I must be feeling, he seemed to choose his words with utmost care.

“He’s essentially a founding member of The Song, and I heard he’s a close friend of Boss Lee In-cheol. That’s why we were extra cautious and made several attempts to reason with him kindly.”

“……”

“However, our latest undercover inspection showed no signs of improvement, which is why we’re bringing this to your attention directly.”

Jo I-ruk’s words felt distant and unreal. It was hard to believe this was actually happening.

“According to our policy, if he receives another warning from an undercover inspection… we’d have to terminate his franchise agreement. But given how close his location is to our main branch, I believe you might want to reconsider.”

“…I see.”

“What would you like to do?”

“I’ll go and see for myself.”

Perhaps because I still couldn’t believe it, my voice came out much calmer than I expected.

Despite the turmoil of thoughts swirling inside me, the poker face I had perfected over the years remained unshaken.

“I’ll go alone.”

“Yes, understood.”

After instructing Jo I-ruk to return to the office first, I walked alone.

The newly opened Song Cafe was located across from Hapjae Soup. We had renovated the cafe that used to serve as a waiting area for Hapjae Soup customers.

This became possible because the number of customers willing to travel all the way here just for a bowl of soup had decreased significantly since Hapjae Soup branches had started popping up everywhere.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the customer base had shrunk. It just meant people were no longer willing to wait for hours like they used to.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve been in and out of this area frequently while preparing for Song Cafe. But I hardly ever stopped by Hapjae Soup.’

I was busy, and Hapjae Soup had pretty much stabilized, so I didn’t feel the need to pay much attention to it.

To be honest, the head office CEO frequenting a franchise location might make the franchise owner uncomfortable.

I had been refraining from visiting too often, worried it might make them feel pressured. As a result, autumn had fully set in, the weather had turned chilly, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen his face.

I hesitated for a moment in front of the bustling Hapjae Soup before abruptly pushing the door open and entering.

“Welcome to Hapjae Soup~ How many gue-… Oh?”

A familiar employee paused upon seeing me. After a moment of surprised eye contact, they involuntarily glanced towards the kitchen.

It seemed like an unconscious attempt to check the kitchen’s condition.

‘Ho-oh.’

Following the employee’s gaze, I turned my eyes towards the kitchen.

“…Huh.”

A bitter laugh escaped me. Wow. How could this happen?

I could sense the employee carefully watching my reaction, aware that something was amiss. Normally, I would have maintained a neutral expression out of consideration for the employee caught in an awkward situation.

But this time, I couldn’t help but let my face contort.

“I’m here to see Boss Kim Jong-chun….”

I trailed off before clicking my tongue.

“I guess he hasn’t come in yet.”

In the kitchen, a chef I’d never seen before was busily preparing soup rice.

Kim Jong-chun was nowhere to be seen, neither in the dining area nor in the kitchen.

Gone was the Kim Jong-chun who used to welcome customers with a bright smile. Instead, there was only a chef mechanically churning out bowls of soup rice and employees hurriedly greeting customers.

This defeated the whole purpose of having an open kitchen.

The kitchen was busy in its own world, and the dining area was busy in its.

The synergy between the kitchen and the dining area was completely severed. This setup was bound to lead to order mistakes.

“Well, it’s not that he hasn’t come in yet, he’s just stepped out for a moment. If I contact him right away, he’ll be here soon….”

“Ah. Did ahjussi tell you to say that? To tell me this if I came?”

At my words, the employee clammed up, looking startled.

Did they think I hadn’t seen this kind of thing before? A boss who doesn’t show up for work and instructs employees to contact him when I arrive? I’ve seen it so many times I could recite the script by heart.

“If ahjussi hasn’t come in yet, who opened the restaurant?”

“I….”

“I already know everything, so there’s no need to lie. It’s a waste of time for both of us. Since you seem to know who I am, I won’t ask you to speak comfortably.”

I continued with a gentle smile.

“I can easily find out from ahjussi directly anyway. So just tell me, please.”

After a moment’s hesitation, the employee finally spoke.

“The, the morning shift team usually handles the opening preparations.”

“I see. And what about closing? Does ahjussi handle that himself?”

“……”

The employee’s silence and shifting eyes told me everything I needed to know without a word.

Whew.

I struggled to suppress a sigh. The owner should never leave opening and closing entirely to the employees without checking personally.

I had emphasized this point so many times. That it’s the fastest way to lose one’s original passion.

It might be fine once or twice, but eventually, people tend to cut corners and do things the easy way. The owner needs to set an example by taking the initiative.

‘I told him this so many times….’

A bitter taste filled my mouth.

I’ve been through this countless times. It wasn’t the first time a trusted franchise owner had changed, yet each time felt like the first, with a wave of betrayal washing over me.

If I had to pinpoint the most challenging aspect of this job, it would be the growing disillusionment with human nature.

Falling sales or derailed plans can be dizzying, but at least they don’t leave such deep emotional scars.

“Could you please contact ahjussi for me?”

I spoke as calmly as I could to the employee who was still warily watching me.

“Tell him I’m here.”

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

Jo I-ruk stared at the Hapjae Soup building with mixed emotions before reaching into his pocket for a pack of cigarettes.

He had quit for quite a while, but started smoking again after the incident with the franchise that was caught selling sundae soup rice. He couldn’t resist the urge anymore.

Tak tak.

Just his luck. The lighter seemed to be out of fuel.

Jo I-ruk ended up spitting out the cigarette he had just rolled between his fingers.

‘She must feel deeply betrayed.’

Even he felt that way.

If he felt this disillusioned after meeting Kim Jong-chun only a few times during franchise owner training, how much worse must Song Woo-yeon feel?

He had heard that Kim Jong-chun was there from the beginning, witnessing the franchising of Hapjae Soup, which Lee In-cheol had originally created.

When Jo I-ruk first joined the company, he had personally seen Song Woo-yeon and Kim Jong-chun’s friendly relationship. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how Song Woo-yeon must be feeling right now.

‘The world is bitter, so bitter.’

Clicking his tongue, he flung open the car door.

Anticipating a long conversation, he was about to head back to the office.

Screeech!

“?!”

A car suddenly screeched to a halt in front of Jo I-ruk’s, jutting out well beyond the parking lines. What’s with this person?

Thanks to them, it would be extremely difficult to get his car out now.

Damn it. Jo I-ruk muttered under his breath as he approached the driver’s side.

“Hey, sir. How can you park like th-…!”

Just then, the car’s owner hurriedly climbed out of the driver’s seat.

Huh?

Jo I-ruk’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I have an urgent matter to attend to. I’ll move it in just a moment… Oh?”

The other person also recognized Jo I-ruk and stopped mid-sentence.

“…Boss Kim Jong-chun.”

It was him. Why was he here? The restaurant should be in full operation at this hour.

Did he drive out to buy some missing ingredients? As these questions raced through his mind,

Jo I-ruk noticed Kim Jong-chun’s disheveled hair.

Kim Jong-chun, too, subtly averted his gaze.

“……”

It was clear he had rushed out from home. The reason? Obvious. Song Woo-yeon had just walked into the restaurant.

Still unable to meet Jo I-ruk’s eyes directly, Kim Jong-chun tried to speak casually.

“Haha. What a surprise to see you here, Team Leader Jo. How embarrassing. I’m sorry. I have an urgent matter to attend to. Will it be very difficult for you to get your car out?”

“…It’s fine. You’d better hurry inside.”

Jo I-ruk couldn’t hide his complicated emotions.

“CEO Song will be waiting for you.”

At those words, Kim Jong-chun hesitated for a moment before forcing a bitter smile.

“…Yes. Thank you.”

After a quick bow, he hurried his steps. Jo I-ruk stared at the single cigarette in his hand before putting it back in the pack.

“Ah, shit….”

The frustration in his heart couldn’t be eased even by cursing.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

Kim Jong-chun rushed into the restaurant, out of breath.

Despite the many people inside, including customers, only one person caught his eye.

Kim Jong-chun’s lips quivered before he finally managed to call out her name.

“…Woo-yeon.”

Song Woo-yeon turned around slowly.

The gaze that met his was sharp enough to cut.