Chapter 26

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“……!”

A wave of shock struck the classroom for a moment.

“The cafe…you designed it?”

“Are you really talking about the new cafe near the back gate?”

The students looked at each other and shared their surprised feelings. Some students looked at me with suspicion as if they couldn’t believe it, while others smiled as if they knew it from the beginning.

‘As expected, word of mouth is good.’

The news spreads slowly.

I spoke with confidence in my voice, “Please look at the screen in front. This is what the cafe used to look like.”

The old cafe appeared on the classroom screen, with an interior reminiscent of an old coffee shop. The entire store felt gloomy because of the dim lighting, and the tables and chairs that seem to force you to sit and just talk are just a bonus.

“That’s how it used to be?”

“Is it a liquor store?”

While the students were surprised, I clicked the mouse and moved on to the next screen.

“And this is what we made.”

“……!”

The students’ eyes widened.

The cafe, which had been boring at first glance, has now been completely transformed.

The cafe was cleaned. There was bright lighting and comfortable tables. The sculptures laid like licorice in a drugstore and the owner’s sophisticated appearance was impressive.

“……Huh.”

“It’s ridiculous.”

The students seemed to be tired of exclaiming now.

Professor Bae Tae-hwan looked pleased at the scene and asked us, “It’s amazing. Can I ask you to explain what the students did here?”

Of course.

It was the question I’ve been waiting for.

“First of all, I designed the tables and chairs myself.”

“It wasn’t a ready-made product.”

“Yes, but I asked the Architecture Department to make the actual product.”

“Hmm.”

Professor Bae Tae-hwan nodded and said, “Right now, I’m conducting a similar class in the Architecture Department, and I’ll have to see if there are any students who bring the same photos as you.”

“……”

No wonder the seniors in the architecture department liked it so much…

But it’s not my business.

“Next is the owner’s uniform. It was made by Park Kyu-tae’s team.”

At my words, Kyu-take suddenly jumped out and said in a triumphant voice, “That’s me. I made it myself. First, let me explain the fabric….”

“I was still talking. Go home.”

“Sorry….”

Laughter burst out among the students.

After that, he explained the step by step process of changing the interior of the cafe. From sculptures by Hanseol to pamphlets and signboards produced by Kim Dae-won. Finally, I introduced a wooden retro television that I made myself.

“The cafe has been refurbished in a sophisticated way, but I made it with the mindset that it would be nice to have at least one item that retains the old sensibility.”

It is smaller than an actual television.

But its presence was never small.

That alone gave the cafe an old-fashioned atmosphere.

It was not old-fashioned in a good way, but an old-fashioned way with a natural style.

“Did you make it yourself?”

“Yes.”

“The production process must not have been easy, but you made it very well.”

“I got some help from a senior in the Sculpture Department.”

“You have a wide range of feet,” Professor Bae Tae-hwan said as if he was proud.

[TL/N: Saying that he’s got a large web of connections]

“That’s right. You don’t have to do everything alone. I think this kind of active cooperation is the quality that companies these days demand from designers. Personally, I think that this was a very impressive presentation.”

“Thank you.”

I bowed my head.

It was a safe atmosphere to slowly end our presentation.

However….

‘There is still something left.’

This was real.

“Lastly, we summarized the changes in sales before and after the renovation.”

A graph popped up on the screen.

The results the graph displayed were enough to silence all of the students.

“….”

“How does that make sense?”

Daily sales surged eight times higher than before.

“It’s crazy.”

Where are the people who can revive a store that is failing by just doing one homework assignment?

Here we are.

‘This is the design that looks like numbers!’

Do designers use their own designs only if they are good? My theory was that true commercial designers talk in numbers.

If there is no change in sale and you insist that it’s a good design, then you aren’t a designer.

“….”

The expressions of the members in charge of the next presentation became serious.

*

Several weeks have passed since the presentations.

Rattle.

The newly refurbished [Heaven’s Door].

A middle-aged man opened the door and entered.

“Hello, what would you like to order?”

The owner, dressed in a suit and apron, greeted the new customer in a bright voice.

A middle-aged customer smiled faintly and said, “Can I have a cup of Americano please?”

“If you take a seat, I’ll bring it to you.”

The customer soon sat down and looked around the store with a curious expression for a while.

Click.

“I hope you have a comfortable time.”

The owner was about to return after delivering the cup of coffee, but the middle-aged customer asked:

“Sir, can I ask you a question?”

“Yes?”

“Where did you design this store?”

“Are you talking about the interior?”

The owner asked back in a slightly surprised voice, and the middle-aged customer nodded and said:

“Yes. I heard it’s a famous store these days, so I came from afar, but I was surprised that the interior of the store was so beautiful. If it’s not too rude, can you tell me the name of the contractor who designed this place?”

“There’s nothing I can’t tell you…”

The owner turned his head, looking at me doing my homework in the corner, and shouted.

“Jaeha!”

“Yes?”

“I think the customer here wants to say something to you.”

“Ugh. I’m busy right now….Hold on a second.”

I put down the assignment I had been wrestling with for a while and got up from my seat. Then I went to the middle-aged customer and said, “Hello, I’m the designer of this store.”

“……!”

The customer’s eyes widened.

He looked quite surprised.

He looked at the entire store and me alternately, and in a still surprised voice, asked:

“Sir, are you saying that this young student designed this store?”

“Yes. He’s quite competent.”

The owner patted me on the shoulder with a pleased look and said, “This store almost fell into ruin, but thanks to him, it was revived.”

“Um….”

For a while, the middle-aged man looked at me with a sense of contemplation. He then pulled out a business card from his wallet and handed it over to me.

“I’ll say hello first. This is who I am.”

On that business card…..

There was a title written on it that I didn’t even think of.

[Korea Coffee Business Association]

[President Oh Kyung-jin]

It was a familiar name.

*

Two days ago.

About ten people gathered at a coffee shop located in Jongno. All the people gathered here were either cafe owners or other coffee-related business owners.

They began to argue.

“It is only natural that the quality of the coffee beans has a significant impact on sales.”

“That said, there was no big difference in replacing coffee beans with high-end blending.”

Their recent debate went like this:

Does the taste come first?

Or is the interior the first priority?

“No. If you look at the data I prepared here, you can see that the sales have been increasing recently after replacing the coffee beans….”

“That could be because the weather is getting hotter. Wouldn’t it be better to invest in interior design in the long term?”

“Interiors are too expensive to invest in. Why do we sell coffee? We have to consider the essence of it.”

“We sell coffee because we like it, but consumers’ demand may be different.”

The reason why they fought like this was simple. It was to find a way to survive in the invasion of overseas franchises, including Starbucks.

“At times like this, we need to regain our roots.”

“Why do we decide what the root is? Does Starbucks have no basis?”

Either way, there were points being made and the debate never stopped.

“Wait a minute,” A pro-interior man shouted curiously. “Just improving the interior can significantly increase sales.”

“Hey, you keep saying the same thing. Is there any basis for that?”

“That….”

The interiorist took a step back at the rebuttal of the coffee bean faction.

‘You’re asking for justification…’

He asked far and wide.

There was a moment when he was helplessly pushed back.

“Yes, there’s evidence.”

A man stood up from his seat like a savior and said, “We have a store that supplies coffee beans, but until just a few weeks ago, the purchase volume was significantly lower. But recently, there has been a change in recent remodeling.”

“Does that mean that the store has changed their interior and experienced an increase in sales?”

“Yes,” The man spoke in a firm voice. “Coffee bean purchases have increased 10 times more than the original.”

“…!”

Due to the violence of numbers, the coffee bean faction flinched.

The interiorist did not miss the moment and continued to push his opinion.

“I dropped by the store to see where so many coffee beans were being used, and the appearance of the store had changed completely from before. It’s transformed into a much more lively and bright space.”

“Are you sure only the interior has changed?”

“Yes. The coffee beans are the same varieties that we used to supply. I checked the taste too.”

If that was true, it was indeed a great shock.

Just because the interior was changed, coffee sales jumped 10 times.

Of course, the inventory itself may have been increased in preparation for the peak summer season, but even considering that, it was a staggering number.

“It’s hard to believe. There might be other reasons, right?”

“If you visit the store for yourself, you will feel the power of the interior.”

It was the moment a debate was about to arise again.

A man who had been listening from the side the entire time opened his mouth, “If that’s true, why don’t I take a look at it for myself?”

“……!”

At the same time, people who were busy with their arguments stopped talking at once.

It was Oh Kyung-jin, president of the association. He is a businessman who invests in numerous coffee industries based on his huge capital. His remarks were of extraordinary weight as there were many business owners who were indebted to him.

“I’ll go and see for myself. And, if you have anything to refer to, it would be better to refer to it. Do you agree?”

“….Yes.”

The long debate between the two factions was summarized in a few words by President Oh Kyung-jin.

The vice president of the association coughed and opened his mouth.

“Then, next time, we will hold a tasting of newly imported coffee beans.

*

‘You’re Oh Kyungjin?’

Upon receiving his business card, I glanced at him with a surprised look.

I’ve heard of the name a lot, but it was the first time I actually met that face.

‘Korea’s Howard Schultz. I didn’t know I’d meet Oh Kyung-jin here.’

Oh Kyung-jin.

He was a celebrity, who in the future, ran a coffee franchise business, owning nearly 1,000 stores nationwide. It was a name that could not be unknown if I was in the coffee business, and I also referenced his business model a lot.

‘In fact, he’s the one who spread design management to the Korean dessert industry.’

The position on the business card was impressive.

‘I am the president of the Korean Coffee Business Association.’

It seems that he was active even in this relatively early period.

He visited this cafe, Heaven’s Door.

“I’ve heard rumors.”

Oh Kyung-jin opened his mouth.

“I heard that sales have risen significantly recently after replacing the interior. Can I ask if that’s true?”

“…..It’s difficult to give detailed sales figures…” The owner stepped forward and said. “But it is true that it’s more than what it used to be.”

“…..!”

“I was just thinking about when to close up the store, but thanks to this student here, this place was saved.” He looked at me with a proud look.

It was already a familiar gaze. To be honest, I was used to it so much that I was a little sick of it.

‘I think I’ve seen that gaze 20 times today alone.’

I saved the store that was about to go bankrupt, so I looked like a hero to him. There’s nothing I can’t understand, however, it should’ve only lasted a day or two, and I was slowly becoming burdened, so I thought about leaving on my own two feet.

However, it always ended in trouble.

‘Since you keep giving me snacks and drinks, I can’t help but come…’

You keep bringing them from somewhere.

[There is a tea production brand called Highland in Malaysia, and it’s a brand that only selects tea leaves in the top 0.2%. Do you want to taste it?]

Of course, drinks that I’ve never tasted before.

[It’s a dessert called Malenka. You know the Czech Republic in Europe, right? I heard it’s a cake that only the royal family used to eat. My sweetheart gave it to me so that I can give it to you.]

Even high-quality snacks.

He was providing unlimited services to all those who helped renovate the store, including me. Thanks to this, Ju Ji-hoon, Hanseol, and their friends from the department spent time here every day.

This corner has become our exclusive retreat.

I asked if there would be any losses if other customers didn’t receive it, and they said it was much better than before.

Even if I tried to pay, he refused.

‘I think it’s less sensible to just pay for it and drink it.’

But I couldn’t go to another cafe. This is because this store is tailored to my taste from head to toe. When I went to another cafe, it was somewhat tacky and only uncomfortable.

‘I don’t know. Let’s just take it easy.’

With that in mind, I was doing my homework assignment here, but President Oh Kyung-jin came.

He looked at me and opened his mouth, “What’s your name?”

“I’m Lee Jaeha.”

“Well, there’s one thing I want to ask Jaeha.” President Oh Kyung-jin asked me for a favor.

I had a hunch that something would happen.

In a little bit, my prediction has become a reality.

“I would like to ask if you can visit our store and give us advice on interior design.”

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