Chapter 98

In a state of weightlessness, the cushion that enveloped my buttocks and the soft touch on my arms were simply exquisite.

Is this really the leather sofa I know?

It felt as if my body was melting into it.

"Really... it's so good?"

The satisfaction was at its peak.

It was a perfect 10 out of 10.

"This is what a sofa is!"

I leaned back, tilting my head to the side, and lay half-reclined.

The living room ceiling was so high that even sitting like this, the sense of openness was incredible.

Me, who used to live in a room where there wasn't even space for a single-person sofa, sitting here?

Is this my house?

Can I really live like this for the rest of my life?

'Now it feels real...'

Then, I suddenly wondered.

'How much does this cost?'

I casually searched for 'Franco Gray sofa' on the internet. Among the various images, I found an identical sofa and clicked on it.

"Wow."

It was shocking.

First, the price was 35 million won.

The sofa I bought from the department store was in the 900,000 won range.

'What's the return on investment here? It's a steal!'

At least 700%.

"The 'Hot Hand' is truly a treasure."

But if the sofa costs 35 million won...

Am I sitting on a Sonata and lying on a Mercedes?

Second, I was surprised that it was a three-person sofa.

"Are you kidding me?"

If we all huddled together, honestly, about ten people could sit here. Assuming two children sit on the laps of adults.

But a three-person sofa?

It was absurd.

No, wait a minute.

If the sofa costs 30 million won, how much does the bed cost?

I got up and lay down on the mattress laid next to me.

And just like with any good item...

One try was enough to feel the difference.

"Ugh..."

First, it was king-sized, so incredibly spacious.

Compared to the bed I tried earlier, it was much cozier and plush. Yet, at the same time, it provided a firm support for my body.

Though I don't know much about beds...

The balance of cushioning and stability was amazing.

'This is the queen's bed class...'

After sleeping for a while, I would wake up with a sore back.

The springs in the spots I often lay on were deeply sunken.

And I had to face the wall if I turned over a little.

Compared to my old bed, this was heaven.

"Ugh..."

I didn't want to get up from this bed.

I just wanted to keep lying here, a little longer, a little longer.

"No!"

I still had a lot to do.

I snapped back to my senses and tried to sit up.

"No, I can't..."

I lay down again.

I didn't want to leave this place.

'I can do it while lying down.'

I picked up my phone and searched for the bed.

It didn't even have a price tag.

[ Call for Inquiry ]

I looked up some articles, and while the exact price wasn't mentioned, it was reportedly priced up to 100 million won.

'100 million won? A bed for 100 million won? Oh my...'

So, am I sitting on a Sonata and lying on a Mercedes?

A bed for 100 million won.

Can I really enjoy such luxury?

No, this is living!

This is why I worked so hard to earn money!

I stretched out on the bed.

"Ah... it's so good."

Then I picked up my phone again.

'Since I've moved into a new house, I should have a housewarming party.'

Of course, I hated the idea of a pig's head.

These days, isn't it enough to just tear into some chicken?

'How about trying room service?'

Saint Han River Forest is an apartment complex that offers room service. However, I didn't want that.

According to the previous owner, the staff would come in and serve like in a hotel, which I found burdensome.

Instead, I opened a food delivery app.

Finding new local favorites in a new neighborhood is also fun.

'Which chicken place in this area is good?'

I started humming a tune.

Just by turning the sofa towards the window, I could see the Han River clearly. Sitting here, enjoying the air conditioning while tearing into a chicken leg, it would feel like I was in the Han River Park.

But then.

A call from an unknown number appeared, blocking the delivery app.

"Who is it?"

I answered.

"Hello, is this Mr. Shin Yuwon?"

It was a dry, chic voice that made me feel uneasy.

"Yes, that's me."

"Ah, hello. I'm Lee Su-young, a buyer at HN Department Store."

Eh, why is HN Department Store calling me?

Did something go wrong?

I've already used up everything I bought there.

I tried to hide my worry and asked.

"Yes, what's the matter?"

"Actually, would you be available for a brief meeting tomorrow?"

Meeting?

Oh, it's about the cafe?

I'm really curious.

Sometimes, that happens.

No matter where I go or what I do, a keyword keeps lingering around.

HN Department Store's product department.

Lee Su-young, who works as a food and beverage buyer.

To her, Amuse was that keyword.

'Amuse... right?'

Lee Su-young pressed the backspace key repeatedly to rewind the YouTube video.

A dry, dusty plain.

A robust man introduced as No. 5 King's Team drank an iced coffee in one shot.

"Ugh..."

"How... are you satisfied with the supplies?"

"Satisfied? Who would give coffee to someone who has been saving every drop of water and just arrived?"

"Is it not good? Then I'll take it back."

"Hey! That's not what I meant!"

He drank the remaining coffee and rubbed the ice on his red face and neck.

"My hair is standing on end. I'm going crazy. Damn, I didn't know coffee could be this sweet when I was in Korea. I'm going crazy."

"I'm glad you found it satisfying. Now, you can proceed to the next course."

"But can't you give me just one more cup, just one more cup?"

"No."

"Damn it! This is ridiculous!"

"Excuse me?"

"No, the weather here, the weather. It's really making me feel like... (beep)"

No. 5 participant walked to the next checkpoint with the two bottles of water he received.

All his words were censored with (beep).

Lee Su-young couldn't help but chuckle.

"Manager, what are you watching that's so interesting?"

"It's not interesting, it's research."

"Come on, if you're laughing like that, it must be really funny."

A new employee approached and peeked at the monitor.

"Oh, King's Team vs. Wild! I've seen this. It's really funny, right?"

"Yes, it is."

Lee Su-young answered coolly and paused the video. Then she checked the information at the bottom.

[ PT instructor eating larvae: "It's natural protein" | King's Team vs. Wild EP2 ]

[ Korean Serengeti TV ]

[ Views: 2,278,906 · 15 hours ago ]

Now the second episode.

Uploaded 15 hours ago.

Yet, the views were exploding.

Thanks to the overwhelmingly positive response to the first episode.

As a result, the number of subscribers, which was around 200,000, was now approaching 300,000.

'It's a hit.'

People who used to commute to work and enjoy the conveniences of modern life are dropped into the African wilderness.

The familiar yet intriguing concept captured the hearts of the audience.

There was plenty to see.

The natural scenery, the handsome participants, the unexpected dangers, and the desperation of ordinary citizens longing for the 100 million won prize.

However, the point that caught Lee Su-young's attention was a bit different.

'That's Amuse, right?'

The scene that viewers watched the most in this video.

The coffee cup held by the PT instructor and No. 5 participant clearly had the 'AMUSE' logo.

Amuse was a familiar brand to Lee Su-young.

After all, the iced coffee she brought to work today in her insulated tumbler was Amuse cold brew.

'It's a cold brew brand.'

The first time she learned about Amuse was...

Due to the MarketKiller sellout frenzy.

What kind of coffee could cause such a stir among MarketKiller's numerous products?

Lee Su-young wanted to know.

No, she had to find out.

The Yoido branch of HN Department Store, where she was working.

She was in charge of the food and beverage popup store there.

And when she finally managed to get a product and tried it, she understood the reason immediately.

Sip─

Lee Su-young tilted her tumbler, and her eyes sparkled.

'It's delicious.'

When she tried it herself.

It was a taste that made her nod involuntarily.

How it was discovered by consumers.

How it secured a promotion at MarketKiller.

'That's actually the hardest part.'

While she didn't know the details,

One thing was certain.

It was a coffee that consumers would love.

A coffee that no one would try just once.

'If I'm not mistaken, the repurchase rate must be incredibly high.'

She even set an alarm for 2:59 PM every day to reorder right when the 3 PM delivery arrived.

'I have to succeed today.'

She was completely hooked on Amuse coffee.

Naturally, her thoughts turned to her work.

The HN Department Store Yoido branch popup store proposal.

However,

The cafe's scale was far too small to be considered for her project.

Checking Instagram, there were only two stores.

And they were really small.

'Only about 20,000 followers.'

Of course, brand recognition was a secondary issue.

It wasn't because the brand was famous that it was entering HN Yoido. It was because HN Yoido was famous that the brand would become known.

The real issue was elsewhere.

Would this small cafe, this small business, have the capability to handle an HN popup store?

It's not like someone who excels in a neighborhood early morning soccer league can be immediately put into a professional match.

'After all, the Yoido branch is no ordinary department store.'

In terms of interior design, store operation, customer service, and product quality maintenance, the Yoido branch required a much higher standard than a neighborhood cafe.

Therefore, there were often cases where brands suffered setbacks after entering the popup store.

They ended up bearing the brunt of dissatisfied customers' negative reviews.

Still,

'...I should at least meet and talk to them. I don't even know what kind of person they are. Even if I say OK, it's not guaranteed they'll be selected.'

Lee Su-young jotted down 'Contact Amuse' and moved her gaze to the comments.

There were quite a few mentions of the coffee.

'Clearly, there's a high level of interest.'

In both the first and second episodes.

The scene that viewers watched the most was when a participant's eyes rolled back after drinking the coffee.

-Really craving caffeine

-This coffee drinking scene is perfect lol. The sponsor is amazing

-All day, I complained about not wanting to work. Now I feel like I need to repent... Korea was like a fairyland

└Really lol

-Night march chocolate bar vs. coffee after one night in Africa

└Perfect

└22222

-PPL is so obvious;;;

└It's really obvious;;

└Instead of commenting, why don't you live your life? Without ads, how would the production team even get to Africa?

Lee Su-young chuckled and scrolled down.

A legitimate salary theft under the guise of 'consumer trend research'.

But then,

"What are you so engrossed in?"

Startled by the unfamiliar voice, she turned around.

"Oh..."

The person standing in front of her was...

The major shareholder and CEO of HN Department Store, Jung Woo-hee.

Even the chic Lee Su-young was flustered.

It was rare to even encounter this person.

Moreover, all the other employees had already stood up from their seats.

'Oh no.'

Lee Su-young jumped up and bowed.

"Hello, CEO."

"Yes, nice to see you."

At first glance, a soft voice, but as cold as ice.

Lee Su-young quickly calmed herself and replied.

"I was researching potential popup store brands on YouTube."

"Is that so? Lee Su-young, you're in charge of food and beverage brands, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

How did she know my name and position?

Lee Su-young was inwardly flustered but managed to maintain a poker face.

"So, which brand were you researching?"

"A cafe called Amuse."

"Amuse?"

Jung Woo-hee's eyebrows twitched for a moment.

Lee Su-young instinctively sensed the change.

"Do you know the brand?"

"No."

Jung Woo-hee shook her head firmly.

It was a name she often saw on Min Chae-yeon's Instagram, but she was worried that mentioning it might put pressure on Lee Su-young.

However, curiosity couldn't be suppressed.

'Is it really a candidate for the popup store?'

Jung Woo-hee pretended not to know.

"I've never heard of it?"

"Yes, it's still a small brand. They do online distribution, but they only have two offline stores."

"Still, if Manager Su-young is interested, there must be something about it."

"Yes, a little bit."

Lee Su-young.

From Jung Woo-hee's perspective, recalling her name wasn't difficult.

She was the person who had successfully brought in the most impressive popup stores at the Yoido branch.

But,

For such an ace to be interested in Amuse...

'There must be no lobbying involved.'

Both the young man she had met several times and the employee in front of her...

They seemed like people who were a billion light-years away from such petty actions.

'Interesting?'

Despite her inner thoughts, Jung Woo-hee calmly said,

"The smaller the company, the newer the brand, the more thorough the review should be. I've seen many cases where companies, obsessed with growth, can't even control their basic functions."

"Yes, I understand."

"Good work."

Jung Woo-hee turned and smiled.

She was curious about how her daughter would react to this story.

And Lee Su-young immediately made a call.

With a matter that had reached the CEO's ears, she couldn't afford to delay for even a second.