“I thought you looked familiar. I think I’ve seen you passing by. So, you’re the son of President Jeong?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“But you’re already running a butcher shop, so why…?”
Shin Young-su had a puzzled expression on his face. It was a natural reaction, considering a crazy person had appeared wanting to open another shop when every other butcher shop in the area was failing.
“The business has grown quite a bit, so I need to expand. Honestly, I really need this spot if I want to compete properly with Mega Meat.”
“You’re expanding in this situation? And you’re going to compete with Mega Meat?”
As soon as the name Mega Meat left my mouth, Shin Young-su’s expression shifted to one of curiosity.
“You’re a brave young man. Actually, Mega Meat has been weighing on my mind as well,” he said, looking around the interior of the shop.
It seemed this man also had a lot of thoughts regarding the franchise.
“I own five shops in this market, and since Mega Meat moved in, the atmosphere of the market has changed completely.”
“How are things going?”
“It’s not that the sales of other businesses have dropped significantly. But as the butcher shops close down one by one, the merchants are becoming discouraged and restless. Markets are very sensitive to the overall atmosphere.”
His voice was filled with worry — worry for the rent he had to collect, of course, but also worry for the market itself.
“A market might look like everyone is just fending for themselves, but it’s actually an ecosystem. When one of the core industries of the market collapses, the overall vitality drops. Even at the merchant association meetings, everyone looks so grim…”
“Yes, that’s understandable.”
“But if President Jeong’s son comes into the market and runs the business well, the atmosphere might come back to life. It would give the merchants some hope.”
Shin Young-su nodded and finally brought up the lease terms.
“For this shop, I’m thinking of a 50 million won deposit and 3.2 million won in monthly rent. The shop size is large, and the location is prime.”
“What about the premium?”
“The previous place went bankrupt, so what kind of premium would there be? However, since I agreed to pay President Choi for the facilities and equipment, you’ll have to give another 5 million won.”
In total, I needed 55 million won plus the first month’s rent. It was a large sum for my current situation.
“To be honest, I’m a little short on the deposit… Could we reduce the deposit if I pay more in monthly rent?”
Shin Young-su fell into thought for a moment. I decided to try a more realistic persuasion.
“You already know that the other shops are being affected to some extent.”
He nodded slowly.
“You know that two butcher shops in the market have already closed, and the rest are on the verge of shutting down. Just because the businesses are different doesn’t mean they won’t be affected by the overall atmosphere of the market.”
“That’s true…”
“Rather than leaving the shop empty… if you have some financial flexibility, could you give me some time? I can match the full deposit in one year. Until then, I’ll pay a higher rent.”
Shin Young-su asked with an interested look. It was a proposal where he didn’t have much to lose.
“So, how much of a deposit are you proposing?”
“25 million won for the deposit, 5 million won for the equipment, and could we do 3.4 million won for the rent?”
“Hmm… That’s a big gap. And I really should be getting at least 3.45 million won… but there is such a thing as a conversion rate. You know about conversion rates, right?”
“Ah… yes.”
I didn’t know. But even as I said that, President Shin stroked his chin, lost in thought. In reality, it wasn’t a bad choice for him to have me move into that spot.
The shop had been vacant for two months without any rental income. Having a young, motivated entrepreneur move in and pay rent regularly was something to be grateful for.
Furthermore, if I could really compete with Mega Meat and win, the entire market would be revitalized. That would ensure the rental income from his other four shops wouldn’t be threatened for the foreseeable future.
Looking at it long-term, this deposit discount was an investment that could return as profit later. Above all, as a lifelong resident of Gayeong-dong, he likely wanted to see the market regain its vitality.
“But if the deposit is too low… we might end up having an awkward confrontation over rent if business doesn’t go well.”
“Just one year. I am confident I can match the deposit within one year and definitely bring this location back to life.”
“A local who’s already running a butcher shop… fine, let’s do it. It’s better than leaving it empty.”
‘Wait, really?’
I received permission much easier than expected. I had been bracing myself, preparing my next set of arguments, but now all the tension left me.
“Really? Thank you.”
“However, we have to include a special clause in the contract stating the remaining deposit must be paid after one year. A promise is a promise.”
“Yes, of course. That’s how it should be.”
“And make sure you take down Mega Meat. I’ll come by and buy plenty of meat myself.”
***
10:00 PM.
Four people gathered at Junho’s Butcher Shop. We lowered the shop’s shutters and sat around the inner table to begin our formal strategy meeting.
“First, we need to organize the division of labor.”
I pulled out a notepad.
“For the time being, Father will have to run Junho’s Butcher Shop alone.”
My father nodded.
“I’ve been doing it alone ever since your mother passed anyway, so it’s no problem. I’ll adapt to the crowds soon enough.”
“And for online orders, Min-jae and Ji-eun will work together. Since Ji-eun is fast with her hands, she’ll be in charge of Hidden Gem.”
Ji-eun’s eyes sparkled with intelligence.
“Yes! Leave it to me. I’ll do it perfectly.”
“Min-jae, once you and Ji-eun are done with the shipping prep, you’ll rotate between helping Father and me at the shops.”
Min-jae looked worried.
“But Brother, I think you’re going to be too exhausted. You have to look after the shop at the prime location and head out to check the meat in the early morning…”
“It’s fine. We’ll hire more staff soon, so let’s just work hard until then. Ji-eun, I’ll make sure to give you overtime pay if we finish late, so don’t run away because it’s hard. Got it?”
“Of course not! I’ll never run away. In fact, more work is better for me. My part-time hours will increase, and I’ll earn more money.”
I thought for a moment and then brought up an important topic. It was something I felt a bit sorry toward my father about.
“And Father, you might not like this, but… I’m thinking of unifying the brand under the name Hidden Gem.”
“Unifying the brand?”
Father asked back, but I couldn’t answer immediately. I felt too guilty about suddenly changing the name of the shop that was filled with memories of my mother. The sign said Junho’s, but to my father, it was a trace of my mother.
It was a name that had lasted thirty years. But now was the time to make a decision.
“Junho’s Butcher Shop… sounds a bit too much like a local neighborhood shop. How about changing it to Hidden Gem Butcher Shop? If you really dislike it, we can leave just this one as Junho’s…”
Father looked a bit regretful for a moment, but he soon nodded.
“I suppose that’s right… If the business grows, the brand should be unified. I’m fine with it.”
Both Father and I knew what the other was thinking. It was time to let go. Memories of my mother weren’t just tied to the shop’s name. Father and I deliberately avoided each other’s gaze. If our eyes met…
That was when Ji-eun spoke up cautiously.
“But Boss, looking at current trends, names like Junho’s are actually more popular than names like Hidden Gem. Even on Naver, for direct agricultural sales, using the owner’s name or their children’s names makes the place look much more trustworthy.”
Min-jae also nodded in agreement.
“Exactly! I think so too. To be honest, Hidden Gem… doesn’t it sound a bit like a jewelry store or a fruit shop? Junho’s is much friendlier and feels more reliable.”
“Really?”
Since I didn’t know much about the sensibilities of people in 2025, my ears perked up. Was I always this gullible?