Chapter 17:Money and Talent Pour In

 Chapter 17: Contract (1)

The worries about what he should do.

The anxiety about having to convince his family—everything had been resolved.

“I’ll be back!”

“Make sure the contract goes well!”

“Don’t worry.”

With a light heart, he left the house.

The place he arrived at was Yeongdeungpo.

A large corporation’s headquarters, not far from the subway station.

“Wow…”

The building’s height, as if it could pierce the clouds, caught his eye first, followed by the sleek, sophisticated architecture that drew his gaze second.

It really is impressive.

As he stepped inside the massive headquarters, he saw the reception desk.

“Welcome. How may I assist you?”

“I’m here for the Emoticon Business Division.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

“Yes.”

“May I have your name, please?”

“Ryu Seong.”

The staff member searched his name, and the reservation details appeared.

“Confirmed.”

Following the receptionist, he boarded the elevator.

“Take the elevator to the 5th floor, then go left down the hallway. You’ll see the management department. I’ll let them know, so you can head straight there.”

“Okay, thank you.”

When he got off on the 5th floor and walked a short distance down the corridor, the Emoticon Management Department came into view. Just then, a career woman dressed in a sharp, stylish suit appeared.

She gave a professional smile.

But for a moment, Ryu Seong’s mind went completely blank at her beauty.

“Hello. I’m Choi Yeon-su, in charge of contracts. You’re Artist Ryu Seong, correct?”

“Huh? Oh—uh, yes.”

“This way, please. I’ll show you in.”

Choi Yeon-su—the same person he had spoken with on the phone. He never imagined she would be this attractive.

Ahem, get it together.

He was just here for a simple contract matter, nothing more.

“This area handles emoticon promotion and…”

Following her guidance, he received a brief introduction to the Emoticon Business Division before entering a small meeting room. She brought him tea and began the main discussion. The emoticons he had drawn appeared on the tablet screen.

“They still look great even now.”

“Haha…”

“As I mentioned earlier, the feedback from the meeting was very positive. Most people said these were the most unique emoticons they’d seen recently. The art style catches the eye, and the ideas were overwhelmingly praised.”

“Is that so.”

“I’m not just saying that. I really mean it.”

“Thank you.”

Ryu Seong felt only awkwardness at the praise.

It wasn’t entirely his own skill, after all.

He gave a small nod and focused on her next words.

“The business division itself seems quite willing to push these. Since there are so many emoticons out there, only a limited number actually sell well.”

“Right.”

“That’s why we often include events to give them steady exposure. See here?”

She showed him her smartphone screen.

“They need to be exposed to people like this to sell properly.”

“Hm.”

“If the response is good, they can get even better events later.”

“I see.”

Suddenly, a question occurred to him.

“Then most emoticons that don’t get this kind of exposure barely sell at all, right?”

“Not necessarily. Since last year, with the launch and growing popularity of the monthly subscription service called Emoticon Premium, a surprisingly wide variety of emoticons have been generating decent revenue.”

“Ah…”

After getting answers to a few more questions and exchanging some light formal conversation, she slid some documents toward him.

“Then, shall we go ahead and prepare the contract?”

“Sure.”

Since he had already reviewed most of the terms, signing the contract went quickly. After tying up a few minor details regarding the emoticon drafts, everything was finally finished.

“You’ve worked hard, Artist.”

“It was nothing.”

“It’s lunchtime now—would you like to grab lunch together?”

“Lunch?”

The contract was done, so why bother?

Unless…?

A slightly pleased delusion began to form—until she gave him a pleading look.

“The thing is… I can only really use the company card freely on occasions like this.”

“Oh…?”

“I’m serious! I’ll treat you to something really delicious and expensive! Please?”

In short, she just wanted to eat something tasty and fancy herself.

The misunderstanding cleared up instantly.

Of course.

He gave a small chuckle and nodded.

“Sure, why not. I’m fine with it.”

There was no real reason to refuse.

Maybe she’ll treat me to some beef.

Even Ryu Seong couldn’t help but be tempted by the mention of something “delicious and expensive.”

*

As he left the building together with Choi Yeon-su, the person in charge, he could feel eyes on them. He didn’t need anyone to tell him why.

It had to be because of Choi Yeon-su’s stunning appearance.

“It’s pretty close, so we can just walk.”

“Ah, okay.”

It really was close.

They arrived at the destination while exchanging trivial small talk.

“You can look forward to this. The food here is seriously amazing.”

“Wow…”

The restaurant looked so luxurious that the thought of it being insanely expensive came naturally. Just as she said, anticipation started to build up inside him.

They went inside, took their seats, and he checked the menu. It was a traditional Korean course restaurant (hanjeongsik), and even the basic single-person set started at 120,000 won.

“If you like beef, I recommend the Hanwoo Sura-sang course. If you prefer lamb…”

“This is… really expensive…?”

“It’s fine. I can only eat like this on days like today.”

“Hm… Then… I’ll go with the Hanwoo Sura-sang.”

A single-person course priced at a whopping 190,000 won.

The price was downright insane.

Choi Yeon-su nodded as if it were the best possible choice and handed the menu back to the server.

“Hanwoo Sura-sang for two, please.”

“Understood.”

While waiting for the food, Choi Yeon-su gave him a rough overview of the industry.

“You shouldn’t underestimate the emoticon business. Really popular emoticons get turned into merchandise in all kinds of ways.”

This was an area he didn’t know much about, so his interest was immediately piqued.

“All kinds of ways? Like what?”

“Well, plush dolls are the basics, obviously.”

“Ah, right.”

“They can also be printed on clothing, cushions, that sort of thing. Tableware like cups and plates can feature the characters too. For emoticons popular with teenagers, collaborations with bag or stationery brands usually sell really well.”

There seemed to be far more directions for merchandising than he had imagined.

“Pretty fascinating, right?”

“Yeah. Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about that side of things.”

“Don’t be too shocked yet.”

“Shocked about what?”

“The global character market is worth over 300 billion.”

300 billion? That’s huge.

But for the entire world, it somehow still felt a little small.

“You’re not thinking 300 billion won, right?”

“Huh?”

“300 billion dollars.”

“Wha…?”

It felt like someone had just smacked him on the back of the head.

300 billion dollars…?

“So… that’s about 360 trillion won?”

“Exactly. And even just in Korea, the character industry market is already over 10 trillion won.”

“Whoa…”

“Bigger than you thought, huh?”

“Yeah… this is completely insane.”

Seeing Ryu Seong’s vivid reaction, Choi Yeon-su smiled with satisfaction.

“Of course, if we narrow it down to just the emoticon market, it’s still relatively small compared to that—but it’s definitely not something to ignore. It’s also one of the most aggressively growing sectors in the entire character industry. Keep it in mind; it’ll help you a lot later if your emoticon becomes a massive hit.”

A massive hit, huh.

He wasn’t sure if such luck would ever come his way, but still—he was grateful for the information.

“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

By then, the food started arriving one dish at a time.

Plates were laid out with a pleasant clatter.

What began filling the table were dishes so elaborate they could hardly be dismissed as mere side dishes. Holding back an involuntary gasp of admiration, he reached for the braised short ribs placed right in front of him and took a piece.

“Hup…!”

“Hehe, it just melts in your mouth, right?”

“Yeah… this is…”

There was no way to deny it.

“This is seriously insane.”

Even though he wasn’t usually one to be easily impressed, he couldn’t hide his admiration. The braised short ribs were so tender and richly flavorful that exclamations of awe kept bursting out of him with every bite.

“Mmm… mmph…!”

After savoring that deep flavor, greed took over. He hurriedly reached for another piece, but there was so little that the plate was already empty. He washed down the lingering regret with water and moved on to the next dish.

Whoa, this one too.

It was a simple zucchini pancake, but the zucchini itself was sweet. The texture was perfect, and it was grilled just right—there was no way it could taste bad.

Next came the shrimp.

The chewy texture paired perfectly with the rich, buttery aroma.

So good…!

He inhaled it almost mindlessly.

Even the ordinary seasoned greens and the various kinds of kimchi were exceptional. While he was still appreciating the flavors, yet another dish arrived.

Empty plates were cleared away, and new ones were set down.

“Wow, this too…!”

Another new dish appeared—this time, the long-awaited main course.

“We’ll grill the meat for you.”

“Ah, yes.”

A small brazier appeared, along with beautifully marbled beef that was almost breathtaking. Once the grill was nicely heated, the server placed the beef on the griddle.

Sizzle——.

The sound of it cooking was pure ecstasy.

“You can eat now.”

The moment he put a piece in his mouth, he froze.

This was a first.

A taste like this—truly.

Choi Yeon-su watched him with a gentle smile.

“Insanely good, right?”

“Huh? Oh—yes. It’s… seriously the best.”

He made a mental note that he absolutely had to bring his parents here someday.

They would love it.

By then, his once-empty stomach had become so full it felt like it might burst.

“Ugh, I can’t eat another bite.”

“Me neither.”

“Ahh, I ate so well.”

The two of them stood up with happy, satisfied expressions.

Choi Yeon-su headed to the counter to pay, while Ryu Seong waited outside.

“How are you getting home?”

“Subway.”

“Ah, we’re going in opposite directions.”

“Yeah.”

It was time to part ways.

“Thanks for all your help today. And thank you for eating with me.”

“No, I should be the one thanking you.”

“Then… let’s meet again sometime if the chance comes up, Artist.”

“Yes. Take care.”

They exchanged light farewells and went their separate ways.

Choi Yeon-su headed back toward the company.

Ryu Seong walked in the opposite direction toward the subway.

*

He was strolling along at a leisurely pace.

“Um, excuse me…”

Near the subway entrance, a soldier was anxiously pacing back and forth. With an awkward, embarrassed expression, he was approaching random passersby.

“E-excuse me… I lost my phone…”

“Ah, sorry…”

A single stripe on his cap.

He was a private second class.

With a look of utter despair, he was asking people around him for help, but no one was stopping to lend a hand.

“W-wait a second…”

“…”

As he got closer, the situation became clearer.

He should help.

The moment that thought crossed his mind—

[Ding!]

A hologram popped up as if to assist him.

[Quest Activated!]

[The Private Second Class Needs Fare!]

[A soldier on leave has lost his smartphone—the most important thing he owns. He doesn’t even have cash and is now stuck, unable to get home. Help the flustered soldier find his phone, or sponsor his fare so he can return home!]

[Time Remaining: 10 minutes.]

[Success Reward: Random Card, Good Deed Points.]

[Quest Failure: You will trip over a rock and fall.]

It was an incredibly easy quest.

Ryu Seong broke into a grin and walked toward the private second class.

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