The signs began in an unexpected place.
“I’m taking this!”
“No, it’s mine!!”
“Hey… guys, we’re on air right now. I’ll give it to you later, so for now, play with mom, this—…”
“Waaaah―!!”
“Eeeek―!!”
Nana Mamma’s childcare channel, which shows the chaotic growth of twin siblings and their mother without any filter, has been terrifyingly popular.
Ms. Hee-ae of Nana Mamma is now facing the biggest crisis since she started broadcasting.
My angelic daughter, my dutiful son.
They’re not listening. I’m losing it.
“Let go!!”
“You’re the fool, you let go first.”
“Na-jeong, Na-jun, ha… ha… why are you two like this.”
Hee-ae wanted to cry.
‘It’s all because of that.’
The character stickers clutched in the hands of her growling children were the culprits.
Because that character was from “Monster Guild,” their favorite, and the stickers were what they loved the most.
For reference, the reason the two kids were fuming smoke from their tiny heads over a single sticker was that this character was their absolute favorite protagonist monster.
The advertising proposal had arrived just the day before yesterday.
A brief introduction of the animation Monster Guild, showcasing the main monster character stickers, and promoting a special sticker that could be attached and removed—named the “Ddeeboo Ddeeboo Seal.” Finally, the broadcast would advertise live that you could get it by drinking at the café Lair.
There was no time limit; it only needed to air once anytime within a week.
At most 30 minutes, at least 15 minutes, and the rate was enough to make Hee-ae, who had handled a lot of ads before, ask, “Did you make a mistake?”
She had to do it. Absolutely had to. Without a second thought, she accepted…without predicting this mess.
“Bex, I can’t give up!!”
“I can’t give up either!!”
“Ha… ha….”
Honestly, she felt a chill.
When the items for the ad were delivered and she saw the cute, lively Monster stickers neatly stored like a collection in a high-end leather folder she gasped.
They were adorable. The Ddeeboo Ddeeboo Seal was revolutionary. Collecting them in a booklet made it feel quite luxurious.
To a woman who had been a stamp collector since childhood, these stickers had clear collectible value just for being cute, regardless of whether she liked the cartoon.
There were 99 types of these stickers! Perhaps it was an obvious marketing trick, yet it stirred the hidden collector in her.
So she felt a chill.
Even a 36-year-old woman who didn’t particularly like the cartoon could be tempted—so how much more the children.
By the rules of a legitimate preschool duel, the two kids grabbed each other’s hair.
If anyone cried or bled from the nose, they lost.
“This is mine!! Let go!!”
“Then this is mine!! You let go first!”
“Don’t take two!”
“Moolang can’t be taken away!”
The moment her angelic kids turned into warriors, the mother’s brain short-circuited. Error.
‘Right… it’s not the kids’ fault. Who could make it so good?’
Our good kids wouldn’t do this. ▶ Yes, it’s all the sticker’s fault. ▶ It made them want it too much. ▶ Therefore, whoever made it is evil.
It’s a more petty logic than a medieval witch hunt, but facing her children’s primal combat instincts for the first time, this protective mechanism made her believe it.
“Na-jeong, Na-juuuun―!!”
“Mom!! You dummy!!”
“Mom!! You fool!!”
The children were innocent. That Ddeeboo Ddeeboo thing was a devilish item, and whoever made it was a money-obsessed demon.
So, tears finally spilled from Hee-ae’s eyes.
One thing she didn’t know was that she wasn’t the only one suffering.
Mom♡Miju: Where do you get the Mongil stickers? My daughter is crying ㅠ
Cheol-i Mom: My kid’s fighting too. Why are they fighting me ㅠ pffㅠㅠ
Universe Strongest Mom: Everyone, since it’s a café Lair ad, shouldn’t you just ask there?
BadaLove: Yes yes, calling now.
All the kids watching the broadcast became Spartan warriors, shouting “Sticker! Absolutely Sticker!!” and hitting their moms.
It was indeed a devilish item. Otherwise, the kids wouldn’t behave this way.
Signs appeared.
Signs of a big hit.
Meanwhile, the opening day of the Youngdo main store finally arrived.
________________________________________
They said it would fail.
Business professors, economic experts, all said unanimously it would be a disaster.
The day before yesterday, an economic panelist foamed at the mouth, saying, “For the sake of proper economic awareness among South Korean youth, this absurd business without preparation or foundation must not succeed!” with high intensity.
So this couple came leisurely, unconcerned with opening runs.
“Oh, the line… the line…”
“It has… no end?”
A crowd filled the closed port.
From far away, a banner reading Franchise Café “Lair” Youngdo Main Store Opening could be seen, and the line stretched from there all the way under the overpass.
One notable thing was the number of family visitors holding children’s hands.
Another notable thing was the annoyed look on the girlfriend’s face.
“Oppa… what’s going on? You said we could eat lunch first.”
“Uh, yeah.”
“You said you saw it on TV, that the reaction wasn’t good.”
“Y-yeah.”
The man’s face turned crimson.
Just a moment ago, he had tried to sound smart explaining “Eleven Reasons This Will Fail” from YouTube.
Hahaha… seems like the one who failed was him. I’ll go first.
And it wasn’t only the man who failed.
Maybe because the media and YouTube bombarded it so heavily, most of those who came lightly expecting a bad reaction also failed.
“Ddeeboo Ddeeboo Seal! Bex Ddeeboo!! Daddy!!”
“Haha… I told you it would fail. I told you it would be tough.”
“What was the name of that professor who bet his life? Let’s start with him.”
“Hehe, they just took the article down?”
A child who thinks lying down solves everything.
A father staring at the vast sea with a liberated expression.
Yongbung-i 1 and Yongbung-i 2, genuinely curious about where the experts live.
Pandemonium.
Inferno.
If there’s a hell, it must be here.
And in contrast to the hell outside, formed by the long waiting line, the interior atmosphere of café Lair was heaven.
“Wow… th-this is crazy!”
“So big! So tall!!”
“Photos, let’s take photos!”
Yongbung-i’s and the others, who had queued since yesterday lunch with years of experience in stone floors, had their fatigue instantly vanish at the sight of the incredibly high ceiling, pipes, and perfectly matched lighting.
“This is Lee Shin, the god. I trusted you.”
“You crazy… don’t roll your eyes, it’s scary.”
________________________________________
Mr. Park (former gamer, 32 years old), who had come down for the expedition wearing the Mir Guild varsity jacket, had been setting up tents and night fishing since yesterday evening, nearly lost his hometown friend in ecstasy.
Of course, in the meantime, the fathers, who had to stay up all night almost forcibly to get the collectible stickers for their kids who were genuinely devoted to Mongil, were not experiencing happiness but were on the verge of exhaustion.
“Did you order five drinks too?”
“Yes, they said they only serve five drinks per person.”
“Bex should come out here soon, though.”
“My daughter’s drink is a ‘Moulin Rose.’ I wish I could just pay and sell it.”
“Well, at least the decoration is nice…”
Especially impressive was the wall by the entrance, made entirely of glass, giving a full view of the refreshing sea and horizon beyond the glass. And the warm natural lighting that was healing. Even just a single photo taken at this spot could easily make this cafe a must-visit location.
“How’s it? Did it turn out well? Huh? Like this sideways? Wow! It’s really good!”
“Hey, check your account. ‘Cool,’ ‘Where is this?’ SNS is blowing up. Hehe.”
“Too bad. There’s a second floor too. If we came a bit earlier, we would’ve gone there.”
“Guys, look over there. The seat by the front glass window. That seems the hottest spot. Let’s move there as soon as those people leave, got it?”
Of course, the cafe’s core offerings—coffee and desserts—were not neglected.
“Huh? Honey, honey. Try this. So~ delicious!”
“I don’t know much about coffee, but this latte is really good.”
“This place is fun.”
The high ceilings and spacious interior, remodeled from an abandoned warehouse.
The trendy, sentimental interior and props.
Coffee ground from high-quality beans and luxurious desserts.
Lair Cafe had so many delights that it would not be an exaggeration to say it had everything a cafe could offer, and it was amazing.
Yet it was not over.
The main character always appears last.
I shall personally guide you to heaven.
A figure descended the central stairs of the second floor.
According to plastic surgery sources, the number one most perfect face. A man who could make even S-class actors look like squids.
Lee Shin descended the stairs gracefully like an angel coming from heaven.
“Nice to meet you. I am Lee Shin, representative of Mir Guild. Is everyone enjoying themselves?”
Waaaah—!!
Everyone shouted as if the cafe itself was exploding at Lee Shin’s unexpected appearance.
“Hahaha. I’m glad you seem to be enjoying it. I just came up because I have a few things to say. Don’t worry. I won’t take up too much of your precious time.”
Lee Shin squinted, and a female student in front shouted that it was okay to take as long as he wanted, and with laughter, the atmosphere became heated.
Lee Shin smiled a breathtaking smile and took the microphone again.
“Let’s get straight to the point.
First, I want to thank everyone for coming and announce both a somewhat boring notice and a very fun event. Fair, right?”
Yes!!
Amid the enthusiastic responses erupting from everywhere, Lee Shin smiled broadly and began to speak.
The notice was a repetition of the ‘value of mutual growth’ from the business briefing—local employment, donations for vulnerable groups, basically letting everyone know, “Look how good we are.”
It might seem like bragging, but Lee Shin thought: What’s wrong with a little bragging?
In Korea, humility is valued so much that there’s a saying to let your left hand not know what your right hand does.
But what era is this? It’s the age of self-promotion.
Showing yourself is courage and talent. Especially when it’s a good deed, why not brag? Shouting, “Look what I did!” across the land is never too much.
“So, enjoy yourselves without burden. Every cup of coffee you drink here will come back to Busan.
That’s it for the notice!”
Next, the event.
“To celebrate the opening of the Yeongdo main branch, we will select people who post SNS proofs and give small gifts.”
Clap clap.
When Lee Shin clapped, Chae Dong-ha, who had been standing by, spread an outer jacket over Lee Shin’s shoulders.
“Whoa—!!”
The limited edition jacket, available only at the Yeongdo main branch, combined blue representing Busan, white resembling the sea foam, and a dragon, symbol of Mir.
“First, 1,000 custom limited edition guild jackets! Exactly 1,000 will be distributed. And one more thing.”
This alone was already an exciting event, but for someone named Lee Shin, this was not enough.
“For those who collect all 99 types of stickers that come with the coffee, the first 10 people will receive a gift.”
From the jacket pocket appeared a car key.
“This is the new SUV from LeeDo Motors. We will give 10 units.”
What??
……?
……??
……???
“We look forward to many applications.”
Lee Shin turned away without hesitation.
Immediately, the cafe erupted behind him with cheering as if it would collapse.
Everyone present sensed it.
Experts or not, Cafe ‘Lair’ would succeed and it would succeed immensely.
________________________________________
[Expected sales at the Yeongdo main branch are as shocking as the long line]
[Cafe ‘Lair’ franchises sold out within 5 minutes]
[“Let’s go!” Nationwide, 200 franchises opening—Lee Shin’s insane drive]
[Lee Shin elegantly takes revenge on experts who predicted failure]
•
•
[Obsessed with Mongil? Celebrities post sticker proofs on SNS]
[“Reservations won’t help” Sticker craze causes a sensation]
[Happy screams of Cafe Lair franchise owners]
•
•
Everyone in Mir Guild anxiously looked at Lee Shin.
“Yes, of course. Don’t worry.”
Lee Shin picked up the receiver.
His always-smiling face was replaced with a very serious one as he continued the call.
And then.
“Yes, understood. Thank you.”
When he put down the receiver, everyone held their breath.
All eyes pierced Lee Shin. Hurry and tell us the answer!
Lee Shin glanced at the employees, changed expression in an instant, and shouted:
“Pass—!!”
Waaahhhhhhhhh—!!
________________________________________
[Mir Guild officially promoted to League 3 by the League Office]
[Countdown to opening. Things to watch this season……]
•
•
The hectic offseason was finally over.
With the opening ceremony, Mir Guild’s season began.
New things always excite people.
New starting line, new stage, new faces. The training ground with the strategy team had a pleasant tension in the air.
Until one person opened the door and revealed themselves.
“Who… who?”
“Could it be Su-bin?”
“Is it really Su-bin? No way……”
Park Su-bin had grown a full 20 cm
