“Ah… right.”
I spoke as I sliced the pork belly.
“We deal directly with farms. That’s why we have high-quality meat—”
“Farm-to-table? Then it’s even better?” the man replied dryly.
“Yes, there is a definite difference in quality. If you look at this flyer, the description of our farm—”
“Oh, right…”
I hurriedly handed him a flyer, but the man just took it, folded it carelessly, and shoved it into his pocket.
“But to be honest, for someone like me who just eats alone, price is more important than meat quality. I like the brand, too, but I go to Mega Meat because it’s cheap.”
He took the packaged pork belly.
“Still, thanks for giving it to me for free. I’ll give it a try.”
“Yes, you’ll feel the difference once you compare them.”
“I don’t know, my palate isn’t that sensitive…”
The man looked back as he opened the door.
“Still, this event is fun. I think you’re brave. Hang in there.”
He gave a light nod and hurried out as if making an escape.
As I let out a sigh, my father spoke with a smile.
“Jun-ho.”
“Yes?”
“There are people like that. Everyone has different things they value.”
“I know. But it’s still a bit disappointing.”
“He said he’d try it, didn’t he? Once he tastes the difference, his mind might change.”
“I hope so.”
I thought to myself while listening to my father.
‘If it were just that Mega Meat had good cost-effectiveness, I wouldn’t be this frustrated.’
If Park Jeong-nam had lowered prices through bulk purchases and efficient distribution, that would be the result of his hard work. I would have to acknowledge that.
But…
‘Since I saw with my own eyes that they mixed in sow meat, I can’t accept that Mega Meat has the best value. Selling sow meat at the price of regular pork belly isn’t “value.” It’s a scam.’
They were just a brand selling even cheaper meat at a moderately low price. True value should be an honest price that matches the quality. What would that man’s reaction be if he knew the truth? That man who said he was a fan of Park Jeong-nam. What if he knew the meat he was eating might be sow?
“Jun-ho, what’s wrong? What are you thinking about?”
I snapped back to reality at my father’s voice.
“Nothing. Just…”
“Even if it takes time, people will eventually recognize the real deal.”
***
A few days later.
Just as my father said, people began to recognize us. But it happened in a completely different way than I had expected…
“Brother! Brother! Did you see this?”
Min-jae came running in, out of breath. He seemed to have rushed over while working alone at Hidden Gem Butchery.
“See what?”
“Our shop is all over social media!”
Min-jae held out his phone.
“Look at this.”
The moment I saw the screen, I was flustered.
[LOL, is this butcher shop for real?]
[Found a butcher shop that gives you meat if you bring a Mega Meat receipt]
Photos of our banner were posted all over various social media platforms.
“What is this…”
There were even short-form videos. It looked like someone had filmed it while passing by our shop.
[Look here, they say they’ll give you pork belly if you bring a Mega Meat receipt. Is this real? LOL]
The views had surpassed 30,000. There were plenty of comments as well.
—LOL, what is this? This is hilarious.
—I’ll give the butcher shop owner credit for his guts.
—LOL, where does this confidence come from?
—The audacity to do reverse marketing using a giant corporation’s receipt. Damn.
—He must be confident. Haha.
—But isn’t this just using Mega Meat’s name?
—Typical clout-chasing, trying to ride on Park Jeong-nam’s fame.
—Doing anything to get attention.
—Add another attention seeker to the list.
“Brother, people are showing interest in our event.”
Min-jae looked fascinated and amused. However, as someone who didn’t know much about modern social media, I was uneasy. Another post appeared.
[Butcher shop with unique marketing.jpg]
The photo of the banner was zoomed in significantly.
—Trying to create a clumsy rivalry: Mega Meat vs. Neighborhood Butcher Shop.
—Using a big company like this is kind of…
—No, it’s just funny. LOL. Why are you guys so serious?
—Park Jeong-nam’s fans are probably going to swarm him soon.
—It’s clout-chasing, but he’s got style.
Min-jae finally seemed to grasp the atmosphere properly as he scratched his head.
“This… the reaction is a bit mixed.”
“Half are just amused, and the other half are insulting us.”
“I guess so…”
My father sighed as he peered at the screen beside me.
“People might misunderstand and think we’re using a big company’s name for our own gain.”
Just then, another comment popped up.
—But what I’m really curious about is if there’s a taste difference. Has anyone been there?
ã„´ Probably just an attention-seeking shop.
“Brother, will this be okay?”
“I don’t know…”
This was something even I hadn’t expected. I hadn’t considered twenty-first-century social media in my plans at all. The memory of being surprised by the influence of the neighborhood’s “Mom Cafe” started to creep back in. At least back then, the reactions were positive…
“Let’s just watch for now. We’ve already started. We can’t stop now.”
The unexpected events were only just beginning. Still, I wasn’t particularly surprised.
‘When has life ever gone according to plan?’
***
*Ding-dong*—
The door opened, and someone walked in.
“Hello!”
It was a man in his early thirties with a bright voice. He held an FX3 camera in one hand and a gimbal in the other. A bag containing a wireless microphone was slung over his shoulder.
“Oh… Welcome.”
“Are you the owner, by any chance?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
The man smiled broadly and handed me a business card.
“I’m Choi Jin-woo, and I run a channel called ‘Tasteful Review’ on YouTube. I’m a food columnist.”
“Ah… excuse me?”
I was bewildered. Min-jae just stood there blankly.
“I saw the photo of your banner on social media and came over. It was so interesting. Is it true that you give pork belly if I bring a Mega Meat receipt?”
“Yes, that’s correct, but…”
“Wow, awesome! It was real. This is perfect content.”
Choi Jin-woo marveled as he looked around the shop.
“The lighting is decent, too… Ah, would it be okay if I filmed a video for my content here? I came to ask for permission.”
“Content?” Min-jae asked instead.
“Yes. I’ll buy pork belly from Mega Meat, buy some here as well, and then grill them to compare. My subscribers are curious,” Choi Jin-woo said as he set up his camera on a tripod. “Usually, I arrange these things in advance, but I really came because I was curious. No script, one hundred percent real!”
“But… do we need to prepare anything?” I asked cautiously.
“No, you don’t have to do a thing! Just act like you always do.”
Choi Jin-woo pulled an LED light from his bag. Min-jae asked, looking fascinated.
“Do you have a lot of subscribers?”
“180,000. For a food review channel, I’m about average. Oh, don’t worry. I’m not getting paid for this advertisement. I’m purely doing a comparison review.”
Choi Jin-woo laughed as he clipped a wireless microphone to his collar.
“Owner, could you do a short interview? Like why you planned this event, or the basis of your confidence?”
“Me? A camera is a bit…”
“It’s fine! Just act naturally. These days, authenticity works better than over-the-top reactions.”
My father chuckled from the side.
“Jun-ho, give it a try. It’s a good opportunity.”
“Should I?”
“Do it, Brother. Some people even pay under the table to get on these things…”
As Min-jae urged me on, Choi Jin-woo stood next to the camera and pressed the record button.
“Alright, let’s start. Owner, please introduce yourself first.”
In an instant, memories of the year 2157 came flooding back. Hundreds of interviews, presentations for various competitions, numerous television appearances… Seeing the camera in front of me, I subconsciously reverted to that time.
“Hello, viewers.”
I naturally looked straight into the camera and smiled at the perfect angle.
“I am Jung Jun-ho, the representative of Jun-ho’s Butchery. We are a thirty-year tradition butcher shop that—”
‘I need to lower my voice slightly. At this distance, the microphone will capture the mid-range well.’
My voice was half a tone lower than usual. Neither too loud nor too soft. Given the characteristics of the microphone, I reduced sibilance and enhanced the resonance.
‘My hands? Not yet. If I move now, it’ll look distracting.’
I let both hands fall naturally by my sides. My shoulders were relaxed but not slouching.
I raised my right hand slightly. I gathered my index and middle fingers and drew a soft circle. Not excessively—for exactly two seconds.
Everything I had learned at the Media Training Center in 2157 was etched into my body. I remembered the coach’s words: ‘Every single one of your gestures is a message.’ Because I had traveled back 132 years, my form had faded quite a bit, but where would my class go?