Chapter 1550 Spectating (5)

“Everyone, the rate of Caffe Luogo acquiring Plus Friend subscriptions is going through the roof!”

Lee Hyeon-Ju addressed the others in the office with a satisfied smile.

This promotional event might not dramatically increase the franchise’s revenue, but it’d definitely boost its public awareness.

The news bulletins mentioned Caffe Luogo a few times already, but that only helped with people remembering the franchise’s name. What mattered the most was ensuring that the name of Caffe Luogo stayed etched in the public’s memories forever.

“We should seriously consider increasing the pool of giveaways as well.”

Hwang Min-Su rubbed his chin. “Because we’ve already got our money’s worth from this promotion?”

“That’s correct.”

He grinned in satisfaction. Now that he knew his idea had gone down well, a wave of relief washed over him.

Indeed, this promotional event was his idea. The genesis of the idea was when he saw another company doing a similar promotion by paying a moderately famous celebrity to use his likeness as an emoji and also to lead their ad campaign. Back then, he thought, “That guy is not as handsome as our chairman, though. But they are still paying him to become the face of their ad campaign?”

But we’re not like that!

While other companies had to pay big bucks to hire good-looking models, MK could do the same for free. Not only that, but the model in question was undeniably world class, wasn’t he!

As a businessman, Hwang Min-Su couldn’t miss out on this golden opportunity. And sure enough, the public reception had been favorable so far.

However, it’s still not enough!

Due to the lack of public awareness, many potential customers were still uninterested in the emojis. Of course, this wasn’t the end of Hwang Min-Su’s plans.

By this time tomorrow, news articles about the emojis of Choi Yeon-Ha’s camera-shy boyfriend being available should have been released. Once that happened, curious fence-sitters wouldn’t have a choice but to register with Caffe Luogo’s Plus Friend program to download these emojis.

“Fufufufu~! The emoji of our chairman enjoying coffee came out really nicely, didn’t it!”

Lee Hyeon-Ju nodded. “We paid close attention to getting that emoji right, after all.”

Hwang Min-Su grinned proudly. “Kuh-euh~! It’s our boss’s treat? I even like its name!”

“But shouldn’t we have gone with ‘chairman’ instead of ‘boss’?”

“Nah, that sounds too stiff and unapproachable. ‘Boss’ is just about right.”

Hwang Min-Su cackled away. Who cared about Kang Jin-Ho’s actual title, anyway? As long as it sounded good to the listener, all was good, no?

Lee Hyeon-Ju looked at her phone before speaking up again. “Sir? I just checked the franchisees’ chatroom, and...”

“Oh! What are they saying?”

“They all say their customer count has gone up noticeably.”

“Already?”

“It seems this promotion has unexpectedly improved our revenue as well! Not only the improved public perception, but I think we might even get to recoup the advertising cost through the increased revenue if this keeps up, sir!”

“Good! Excellent!”

A warm smile spread on Hwang Min-Su’s face.

Yes! Damn, how I wish every day was like today!

The best news a businessman could hope for would always be how wonderful their business was doing. And now that he knew the franchise’s revenue would keep soaring higher and higher from all these tailwinds, Hwang Min-Su’s heart felt at peace.

“Hahaha! I feel like I can forgive pretty much anything now!” Hwang Min-Su laughed genially.

“Really, sir?”[1]

“Yeah, really! I feel genuinely pleased right now, you see?”

“Great! Then, I have a confession to make. I was the one who scratched your car. It was an honest mistake, sir!”

“What the hell, man?!” Hwang Min-Su roared loudly. “So, it was you?! I don’t even have enough money to repair that damage, you know?!”

“Huh? But aren’t you getting paid well, sir?”

“Yeah, but it’s been only a few months, okay?! Do you have any idea how bad my debt situation is?! Once I finish paying the monthly installments, cup noodles are the only thing I can afford, you know!”

“Is that right?”

The reply to Hwang Min-Su’s irate yell came from somewhere else. More specifically, beyond the conference room’s doorway!

The door slowly creaked open, and then... It revealed Kang Jin-Ho standing there with the scowling face of a serial killer!

The trio of Hwang Min-Su’s helpers hurriedly got up to leave while greeting their boss.

“Gulp!C-chairman! Welcome back, sir!”

“A-aigoo~! I just remembered I had some paperwork left in my office, so...”

“Oops! I still have to organize the sales data, so please excuse me...”

Kang Jin-Ho addressed them through his clenched teeth. “Have a seat. Now.”

“...”

“Have. A. Seat.”

That prompted everyone to obediently park their butts in their respective spots on the couches.

Kang Jin-Ho glared sharply at them while striding into the office. Hwang Min-Su smartly got up from the head of the table and moved to the seat right next to it.

Kang Jin-Ho settled into the now-vacant head of the table, then wordlessly extended his hand to his side. That was when Lee Hyeon-Su accompanying his boss quickly took out a cigarette and politely placed it between Kang Jin-Ho’s fingers.

Click!

After igniting the cigarette’s tip with a lighter, Kang Jin-Ho leisurely puffed away. “So... Your salary isn’t good enough?”

Hwang Min-Su hurriedly replied, “N-no, sir! I’m very satisfied with my annual salary!”

“Is that right?” Kang Jin-Ho glared sharply again. “Then, what made you do this crap?”

“...”

“Did our sales improve?”

“Y-yes, well... Uh, we heard from the franchisees that their stores are teeming with eager customers, sir. This promotion has been a smash hit so far!”

“Really now? That means I should reward you with a performance bonus or something, now doesn’t it?”

“N-no, I’m good, sir.”

I don’t need a bonus, but I’d like to keep my life, sir. I have a wife and kids at home, you see?

No one in the room dared to meet Kang Jin-Ho’s sharp glare. Even Lee Hyeon-Ju was looking away while pretending to be none the wiser. It was as if she wanted to say she had nothing to do with this matter!

Kang Jin-Ho continued to speak through his clenched teeth. “These emojis came out pretty nicely, no?”

Hwang Min-Su hopefully replied, “Y-you think so, sir?”

“Yes. They were so nice that I was even tempted to grind my phone to dust.”[2]

“...!”

Hwang Min-Su’s expression froze. Am I... Am I really going to die? H-hang on, will everybody in this room get crushed to bits now?

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled ominously. “Yes, making money is great. I agree. Having more money is always nice.”

“Ha-hahaha... Yes, that’s correct, sir. This is all for the greater good of the...”

“Here’s the thing, though...”

“...?”

“I already have enough money, okay?!”

“...!”

Kang Jin-Ho’s hand gripping his phone began quivering dangerously.

“Now I’m very curious about what you were all thinking of when you started this nonsense. Whose idea was this?!”

“...”

“Well?!”

These people needed to know. They needed to know what it felt like to have everyone in Kang Jin-Ho’s extremely limited circle of acquaintances busy posting emojis of his face! The shame of it all! They must learn!

Kang Jin-Ho swore to teach them, no matter what!

Hwang Min-Su’s forehead was caked in cold sweat when he noticed Kang Jin-Ho gritting his teeth loudly. “H-haha... ha... Chairman, sir? This was like, eh... A prank, something like...”

Before he could finish his sentence, however!

Vrrrrrrrr!

Kang Jin-Ho’s phone vibrated noisily. He wordlessly unlocked the device and accessed the chat app in full view of everyone in the conference room. And the latest DM said...

—Well, well, Jin-Ho. You are now even involved in some weird things.

“...”

—I have to say, though, this is quite amusing in its own way. You made me chuckle, so you have my thanks.

Hwang Min-Su’s eyes drifted away from the messages and to the name of the sender. It said, “Chairman Hwang Jeong-Hu.”

...Father? If you still hold resentment toward me, we could have talked about it, you know?

You didn’t have to send a DM at this exact time as if your intention was to have me killed!

The message didn’t end there as emojis of Kang Jin-Ho’s face began popping up in the chat window next. And when Hwang Min-Su looked at them, his impression was... They looked rather sorrowful? Hurt? Aggrieved, maybe?

“So? You must be proud, since your father is having so much fun with these emojis.”

“...”

Hwang Min-Su knew he was backed into a corner here.

“Now, tell me!” Kang Jin-Ho growled, his glare getting even sharper. “How will you fix this catastrophe? And who’s going to take responsibility for this mess?!”

Lee Hyeon-Ju sighed softly. “Chairman, if I may?”

“Go on.”

“Saying someone must take responsibility isn’t fair in this case, sir. We were merely trying our best to improve our company’s revenue, after all.”

“Mm?”

“However, if you insist on blaming someone... My honest opinion is that President Hwang should shoulder the burden.”

Hwang Min-Su’s eyes opened wide. W-what are you even saying, young lady!? I thought you were on my side!

That was when Hwang Min-Su’s crack team of managers started voicing their opinions, as well.

“Yes, Miss Lee’s right, chairman. It’s unfair to blame someone. But if you absolutely must, well...”

“Mm, someone here always lectures us about how the buck should stop with the president, so...”

“That’s right! He says that pretty often, doesn’t he?”

Hwang Min-Su’s face grew flushed immediately. What the hell, you goddamn traitors! How could you drive your comrade into an execution like this?!

Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes and glared at Hwang Min-Su. “Ohhh, so, President Hwang will take responsibility for this catastrophe, then?”

Hwang Min-Su squeezed his eyes shut. If you can help it, please kill me painlessly. Please.

He had no escape left. All he could do was obediently wait for his execution!

However, the wise old “they” said that even if the heavens collapsed, there would always be a path of survival. A lifeline suddenly extended toward Hwang Min-Su from an unexpected source just then.

Slam!

The doorway was suddenly shoved open, and a familiar figure strode inside. She then let out a refreshingly cool laugh. “Kyyaaaaaah-hahahaha! Look who it is! It’s our KaTalk superstar!”

“...!”

After making an unexpected entrance, Choi Yeon-Ha began guffawing while clutching her tummy.

“Ahahahahck! That was so funny! Goodness! Who came up with this idea? Who was it?”

Hwang Min-Su raised his hand. He had already given up on living, anyway. “It was my idea, Miss Choi...”

“Really? Great! Excellent! It was the best! Wow! I didn’t think you had it in you, President Hwang! But your business sense is top-notch! Even I haven’t thought of this idea before, you know?”

“T-thank you, I guess...?”

Choi Yeon-Ha trotted over to Kang Jin-Ho before pressing her phone to his face. “Look at this, Mister Jin-Ho. Look! Isn’t it so cute? Seeing how it’s the chibi version of you, they really knew what they were doing, wouldn’t you agree?”

Kang Jin-Ho’s jaw fell slightly. Not a chibi version, but it feels more like an idiot version, though?

Choi Yeon-Ha continued to speak gleefully. “All my friends are going crazy about how cute these emojis are!”

Kang Jin-Ho blinked his eyes. “You... had friends?”

“...What was that?”

The atmosphere in the conference room rapidly fell off a cliff.

Kang Jin-Ho instantly caught the slip of his tongue and tried to make an excuse. “N-no, it’s because you haven’t introduced me to any of your friends... so far...”

“I totally hate introducing my friends one at a time, okay? That’s why!”

“O-oh, of course. That sounds reasonable.”

Kang Jin-Ho urgently nodded away. In moments like this, he should agree with everything she said.

“In any case!” Choi Yeon-Ha tutted before resuming her gleeful tone. “Even our stylists and coordinators are going mad at how cute the emojis are! I think we have another huge hit on our hands, Mister Jin-Ho!”

“Hahaha... That sounds nice. Yes,” Hwang Min-Su replied sheepishly while being mindful of Kang Jin-Ho’s response.

However, Kang Jin-Ho’s rage-filled expression had been replaced with something resembling a man freed from worldly desires and emotions by then.

Huh. So, all living things having their natural enemy was true all along!

With Choi Yeon-Ha finding the emojis “cute”, there was no way Kang Jin-Ho could complain about how unhappy he was now!

Which meant Hwang Min-Su was now saved!

She looked expectantly at Hwang Min-Su. “Are you going to do another one?”

“I’m sorry? Why?”

“Because! I also want to do this!”

“Aha! In that case, should we go ahead and create another emoji with your face?”

Choi Yeon-Ha shook her head. “No, no. Hold on. I’m thinking that rather than me by myself, I should do it together with Mister Jin-Ho. Yes, an emoji of both of us, together!”

Kang Jin-Ho’s eyes powerfully quaked just then. Again? He must go through this again?!

What was this? Was she actually a man-eating demon in disguise or something?

Kang Jin-Ho’s expression crumpled in dejection and horror, but Choi Yeon-Ha’s high-energy state didn’t want to calm down at all.

“Since we were in the ad together, wouldn’t it be great to do emojis with similar concepts, too? Mm? Maybe the public will crucify us for being all lovey-dovey in ads instead?”

“No, I don’t think that will be the case,” Lee Hyeon-Ju quickly chimed in. “With you also getting involved, we might get a lot more variety of emojis, and that should lead to a greater influx of users, too.”

“You think so?”

“Yes. Your romantic life is already public knowledge, anyway. No need to get shy about it now, I think.”

“Yes, that’s right! I agree with you!” Choi Yeon-Ha nodded animatedly before snapping her head toward Kang Jin-Ho. “What do you think, Mister Jin-Ho?”

“...”

“You don’t like it? Are you unsure about doing it with me?”

“N-no, I’ll be glad to... do it... with you.”

“Really? I knew you’d say yes!”

Choi Yeon-Ha grinned cheerily. But that was when Kang Jin-Ho sneakily got up.

She tilted her head. “Where are you going?”

“T-to the... Yes, to the bathroom.”

While resembling a man whose soul had fled his body, Kang Jin-Ho trudged out of the conference room’s exit. Once he had exited, and the door closed behind him, though, Choi Yeon-Ha instantly quietened down, reclined into the couch, and crossed her legs.

Lee Hyeon-Su sidled up to her and whispered, “Thank you.”

“It’s okay. We should help each other out sometimes, after all.” Choi Yeon-Ha smirked while making an unreadable expression. “Still, isn’t Mister Jin-Ho so adorable? Look at how bashful he is!”

Lee Hyeon-Su blinked his eyes. That’s adorable? Seriously? Director, are you feeling okay?

Choi Yeon-Ha glanced at the others in the room. “Now you all owe me one.”

Hwang Min-Su curiously asked, “Mm? Was this your plan all along, Miss Choi?”

“Chief Lee sent me a DM earlier, saying I need to come here ASAP.”

Everyone turned their attention to Lee Hyeon-Su next.

Holy cow! He’s a lifesaver! To think he’d think of a solution like this on the spot!

Lee Hyeon-Su smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry. The chairman was like that because I was teasing him a lot earlier. I wanted to fix the situation somehow.”

“Ohh, I see.” Hwang Min-Su nodded repeatedly, then shifted his gaze back to Choi Yeon-Ha. “Then, was your emoji idea just a way to diffuse the situation?”

Choi Yeon-Ha shook her head. “No, I was serious about the idea. Please go ahead with it.”

“...?”

“And not as a limited-time offer either. Let’s make it a permanent thing.”

Ah. So she wasn’t joking. Hwang Min-Su shuddered. “I didn’t know you were into this kind of marketing initiative, Miss Choi.”

“No, not at all. I rarely use emojis, if at all. But I like Mister Jin-Ho’s emojis. Since they are so cute.”

“Then... Why do you want to go ahead with this idea?”

Choi Yeon-Ha’s eyes coldly flickered just then. “Since we’re going to do this, let’s ensure it looks as affectionate as possible. So when... hypothetically speaking! If that man ends up going out with another woman! I’m going to bombard her DM with this emoji. With hundreds of them every day!”

“...”

“Do you understand now?”

O-of course, ma’am.

We’ll do as you say.

Your wish is our command.

1. Unfortunately, the author-nim has forgotten to clarify which one of the three managers working for Hwang Min-Su is replying to him here, although it’s not Lee Hyeon-Ju. Didn’t want to take a wild guess, so I left it as-is. ☜

2. In the raw, a pun was used here. “Grind to dust” is spelt the same as “replacing an object for something new” in Korean. My bad, I couldn’t save the pun in the end. ☜