Chapter 41

Smiling, he searched for Yun Joon-ho in the phonebook.

*

Evening.

A sushi restaurant near Seolleung Station.

Yun Joon-ho turned on the front camera of his phone and quickly scanned his hair and face.

‘I don’t look messy... right?’

He couldn’t remember the last time he had been home.

He had been taking short naps at the office and only brushing his teeth and washing his face in the bathroom before working.

‘What if I look a bit messy? It’s just an old friend.’

Yun Joon-ho put his phone down on the table.

‘It’s been so long since I saw Yoo-won.’

This morning, when Shin Yoo-won called.

He had thought about just ignoring it because he was too busy.

He had been in crunch mode since last week and had no peace of mind.

Moreover, he had been meeting investors more frequently recently. The development schedule had been delayed, and the funding had started to dry up.

Most of all, he felt embarrassed. Ashamed.

<Snake Skin> had become a hit, and he had been avoiding his friends, using his busy schedule as an excuse.

‘But I didn’t expect it to turn out like this...’

He didn’t want to show his friend how he had to start from scratch after a big failure.

However, there was one ironclad rule he had learned while running a startup.

‘Cherish connections.’

Startups face numerous challenges and critical moments.

He couldn’t solve all the big and small difficulties that suddenly arose on his own.

Many times, problems had been resolved with someone’s help.

Moreover, this morning, when he answered the call.

[ Snake Skin is awesome! ]

Shin Yoo-won immediately started talking about the game without any greeting...

‘...He’s still the same.’

He almost burst into tears when he saw the densely packed Excel sheet.

He didn’t know why.

Was it because he was stressed, or because he was happy to see an old friend?

‘When are you coming, you bastard.’

While waiting for his old friend, Yun Joon-ho turned his gaze to the window.

Then, it happened.

Vroom──

A Porsche Panamera slid into the parking lot.

‘Panamera? Rich guy. Not interested in games, I guess.’

These days, he thought about money as soon as he saw a rich person.

He would wake up in the middle of the night just thinking about how he would be unable to pay his employees’ salaries next month.

However.

‘Huh?’

The person who got out of the Panamera was none other than Shin Yoo-won.

His tired eyes suddenly widened.

In his memory, Shin Yoo-won was a friend who lived a far cry from abundance.

He often ran off to do part-time jobs even when they were together at school, and he had heard that he worked two shifts during the holidays.

‘But... a Panamera?’

A switch flipped in Yun Joon-ho’s mind.

He quickly tidied up his untucked shirt and messy hair and extended his hand to Shin Yoo-won.

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“Great, really great!”

He really seemed to be doing well.

His expression and tone were relaxed, and his attire exuded elegance.

‘How did he make his money?’

The topic of investment was on the tip of his tongue, but he held back.

There was no need to bring it up first and make the other person feel pressured.

While they were catching up, the sushi arrived.

“By the way, I almost stayed up all night playing Snake Skin last night. It’s been years since I played, but it’s so much fun.”

“Really?”

“Kept thinking, just one more minute, just one more minute, but kept dying, hahaha. Maybe I’m getting old.”

“It is a bit challenging.”

But it was a good sign that the game was mentioned.

Yun Joon-ho calmly waited for the right moment.

“So, what have you been up to lately? Still developing games?”

The moment had arrived.

“Yeah, I’m working on a mobile game.”

“Wow, did you join a game company? Or are you doing it again on your own?”

“I’m running a small company.”

“Wow, Yun Joon-ho! As expected!”

Shin Yoo-won picked up a piece of sushi with a wide smile, while Yun Joon-ho’s lips felt dry.

The talk of investment he had been waiting for finally came.

‘It’s been so long since I saw Yoo-won...’

He hated how eager he had been.

He straightened his posture and spoke calmly.

“We have an IR in three weeks. It’s like an investment presentation. If you’re interested, come and listen. We’ll explain our business plan, BM, project, and everything in detail.”

“Sure, send me the time and place later.”

A faint smile appeared on Yun Joon-ho’s face.

‘Okay, this is enough. This is enough.’

They chatted about various things and eventually left the restaurant. Despite Yun Joon-ho’s insistence, Shin Yoo-won paid the bill.

“It’s great to see you after so long!”

“Yeah, thanks for reaching out first. See you again.”

“Sure, Snake Skin, fighting! Yun Joon-ho, fighting! You’re a genius! Be confident! Fighting!”

On the way back to the office.

Yun Joon-ho moved his tired feet.

‘There’s so much to do when I get back. Will I have to stay up all night? I have a meeting with an investor tomorrow morning.’

But he felt content.

Even if he didn’t get the investment.

It was a pleasant dinner, somehow.

*

Creak──

He opened the door and sat in the driver’s seat.

He turned on the air conditioning and some city pop.

‘Turn off the sound.’

Having a car was good for this.

It gave him a quiet space to gather his thoughts, no matter where he was in Seoul.

He heard more stories from Yun Joon-ho than he expected.

He calmly organized them one by one.

First, the <Parkrain Soft> investment presentation was in three weeks.

‘I’ll open the cafe and have some free time then.’

If he really wanted to invest, he should first get the ‘qualified angel investor’ certification.

[ When you get money from family, you should also get the qualified angel certification and invest. If you have that certification, the government will provide additional support equal to the investment amount. For us, it means the investment amount doubles. ]

There was also something called a professional angel after that.

‘Why are there so many types of angels?’

But it wasn’t difficult; you could get the certification after just one day of training.

“Okay!”

It felt good.

Yun Joon-ho’s ability had already been proven by Snake Skin.

4500 (4.5 million won) was a reasonable amount to invest, considering it as a reserve.

He had just asked Yun Joon-ho to look into it because of the investment scale.

4500 or a larger amount, 100 million won.

He would decide after the IR.

‘I’ll follow Seo-ja’s lead and become an angel investor too!’

Feeling good, he was about to step on the gas.

[ Min Chae-yeon: Is everyone going to So-jeong’s wedding? ]

[ Min Chae-yeon: If anyone is going, let’s meet up nearby and go together :) ]

Min Chae-yeon felt familiar, even though it had been a long time since they last talked, probably because he often saw her on SNS.

[ Kim Jae-ho: I don’t think I can make it ㅜㅜ ]

[ Park Min-seok: I can’t be away from my job for long. Sorry, So-jeong! It’s a bit far to go to Seoul. ]

Park Min-seok was still taking care of his parents in the countryside.

He should have visited when he went down to his hometown last time, but he was busy opening the cafe, which was a bit disappointing.

[ Park So-jeong: Sure, sure! ]

[ Park So-jeong: Just come if you can. Don’t feel pressured. ]

[ Park So-jeong: I’ll be the only one feeling pressured! The wedding preparations are a mess, really ㅋㅋㅋㅋ ]

...Park So-jeong was the same as always.

[ Kang Tae-jun: (photo) ]

Kang Tae-jun was showing off his cafe again.

He had opened it a few days ago after the renovation.

[ Kang Tae-jun: Business is booming these days. It might be a bit tricky with the timing. ]

No, Mangridan-gil is always a hot spot!

Especially since Min-seok’s brother had laid the foundation and handed it over! The business should be doing well!

[ Kang Tae-jun: Still, we should go to So-jeong’s wedding, right? ]

[ Kang Tae-jun: After the ceremony, everyone should come here. Come and have a cup of coffee. ]

What? Come here after the ceremony?

Is he just trying to show off?

I can’t let things go as Kang Tae-jun plans.

And it would be great if Chae-yeon could post a photo on SNS from the opening day!

[ Shin Yoo-won: ㅊㅊㅊㅊㅊ ]

[ Shin Yoo-won: We have to go to So-jeong’s wedding! ]

[ Shin Yoo-won: Oh, and I’m opening my cafe that day! ]

Actually, if everything goes according to plan, the opening will be two days after the wedding.

But he thought he could pull it forward by two days.

He had intentionally set a generous schedule from the beginning.

[ Park So-jeong: Oh? Congratulations! ]

[ Park So-jeong: But since it’s the opening day, shouldn’t we go to Yoo-won’s place? ]

[ Park Min-seok: Congratulations, Yoo-won! ]

[ Min Chae-yeon: I’m curious about Yoo-won’s cafe too! ]

[ Jeong Do-young: Yoo-won, go for it! ]

Right, right.

“Haha.”

The plan had worked.

But he needed to pull the schedule forward?

He would call the construction company tomorrow morning.

First, he left a message in the essential group chat.

[ Shin Yoo-won: Can both of you be free from tomorrow morning to afternoon? ]

He got an immediate response.

[ Choi Pil-soo: Sure. ]

[ Im Su-jeong: Yes! I can! ]

The quick and positive replies were great.

He had chosen them well.

[ Shin Yoo-won: Then let’s go somewhere together tomorrow. ]

[ Shin Yoo-won: To flex. ]

Let’s go and get all the pretty things—props, furniture, dishes, cups, forks, anything that looks nice.

[ Shin Yoo-won: We should also have dinner together. ]

The cafe opening is really approaching!

Go, Shin Yoo-won!

Vroom──

On the straight Teheran-ro.

There were fewer cars than usual today.

‘Preparing for the opening... going to the wedding... and then going to the IR when I have some free time... perfect.’

The sweet city pop and the gentle raindrops.

Today, he had a good feeling.

Rumble

Morning, Shinchon branch.

“Ah, Mr. Owner! You’re already here?”

Im Su-jeong arrived first.

“Haha, I come here every day. Early.”

“Makes sense! Wow, the exterior is so beautiful!”

The exterior construction was complete.

It was now obvious to anyone passing by that a beautiful shop would soon open here.

“The color is so pretty! Orange? Yellow? They’re both slightly mixed, but the saturation is low, which I like.”

“Our cafe concept was a playground. We chose a color that’s common in old playgrounds but not too overwhelming. It doesn’t look like a fruit juice stand.”

“I like it!”

At that moment, Choi Pil-soo approached, glancing at his wristwatch.

He was dressed very stylishly today.

“Ha, you both came early.”

“No, we just got here. Let’s go in.”

The cafe interior was in the final stages.

There was a kiosk at the entrance, an HVAC system on the ceiling, and the floor roller work was ongoing inside.

The reason he called them to the store today was to check the kitchen layout.

He had already shown them the modeling images.

While discussing the menu, they had talked about what equipment would be needed, but seeing is believing.

“Would you like to go into the cafe bar and check the layout?”

I have a guide, but their perspectives might differ. Especially with baking included.

They immediately went in and checked everything, and Im Su-jeong was surprised when she saw the coffee machine.

“A Thermomatal?”

“Yeah.”

“This is something only huge cafes use. Amazing.”

“It’s for our two experts. We need the best.”