Episode 54. A Step Towards a Dream (1)
Starting with Japan, then China, Southeast Asia, and beyond, Amare, which began its global open worldwide, had now truly become a coffee brand representing South Korea.
Amare, as a single brand, was even among the top 3 in the restaurant industry rankings.
If the same conditions were applied to the companies ahead, Amare could be considered the undisputed number one.
Although he could certainly be ambitious about other businesses,
Nevertheless, Kang Dae-oh was focusing only on the senior cafe and youth brands he was currently working on, as well as the additional launch of a dessert specialty brand.
Amare was, by all means, the main focus. Kang Dae-oh never forgot this fact.
Beyond Asia,
Now was the time to slowly look for opportunities to expand into the Western market.
Kang Dae-oh had already visited the United States several times with Vice Chairman Yoo In-seok, keeping in mind the opening of their first store there.
Every time Kang Dae-oh set foot on foreign soil and returned to Korea, he would always be deep in thought.
He had many concerns about how he could survive as a Korean cafe brand there.
The United States already had numerous famous cafe brands, even well-known in Korea.
There was also the representative company, S*bucks.
Furthermore, various countries worldwide were constantly looking for opportunities to plant their flags on American soil.
He had to compete with them and survive somehow.
So, there was something Kang Dae-oh decided.
“For this year, let’s set our goal for entering the U.S. market as launching and surviving.”
He felt that only after successfully establishing themselves and building a foundation could they then engage in aggressive marketing and expand their influence.
The risk of simply pouring money in without any foundation was too great.
If he had a sure card, for example, if his daughters, who were regressors from the future, had provided relevant information, Kang Dae-oh would have immediately acted aggressively without needing to say this.
However, unfortunately, the story of Amare expanding into the U.S. did not apply to where his daughters came from.
They said he had ruined his stores early on and lived almost like a recluse.
In his previous life, he probably couldn’t even get listed domestically.
In a word, this would be a path even his daughters from the future had not experienced.
Therefore, they couldn’t give their dad any helpful advice.
Nevertheless, Kang Dae-oh didn’t particularly mind.
This was because the help his daughters had given him so far had been a great strength.
But from now on, he had to do it entirely with his own strength.
Kang Dae-oh, who had decided not to rely on his daughters anymore, ended the long meeting today and let out a deep sigh.
Vice Chairman Yoo In-seok approached him first.
“You’ve worked hard, CEO. Now that I think about it, you seem to be more cautious than before.”
“Because I had cheat codes before.”
“Cheat codes?”
“Yes. But from now on, I have to do it without cheat codes. I can’t help but feel nervous.”
“……?”
Vice Chairman Yoo In-seok still reacted as if he didn’t quite understand what Kang Dae-oh was saying.
Before he could ask more deeply, Kang Dae-oh changed the subject.
“What do you think, Vice Chairman? Do you think we can achieve the desired results by expanding our business to the United States?”
Vice Chairman Yoo In-seok stated curtly.
“I don’t know. But I think one thing is certain.”
He wore a determined expression.
“There is no success without challenge, after all.”
To succeed, one must challenge themselves. An apple doesn’t just fall on its own, like when the law of universal gravitation was discovered.
One must at least make the basic effort of waiting for the apple to fall.
Only then can you get the desired result.
Kang Dae-oh nodded vigorously after hearing Vice Chairman Yoo In-seok’s words.
“That’s a good point. I’ll engrave it in my mind.”
“It’s not that much.”
He chuckled and joked not to take it too seriously, but it was indeed the advice Kang Dae-oh desperately needed at that moment.
After finishing work and returning home, Kang Dae-oh looked at Kang Yebin, who was sitting in the living room watching TV.
Kang Yebin belatedly realized her dad had arrived and hurriedly got up from her seat.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I was so engrossed in the movie that I didn’t even realize you were home.”
“It’s okay. What movie are you so engrossed in?”
“It’s a movie called ‘Romance Time.’ Do you know it?”
“Oh, that? I know it. But…”
Kang Dae-oh’s gaze turned towards the TV.
The picture quality was so bad that it was hard to believe it was a movie released in modern times.
It wasn’t because Kang Yebin intentionally lowered the quality.
It was because ‘Romance Time’ itself was a very old movie.
“I remember this coming out when I was in elementary school.”
Of course, it was a movie released long before Kang Yebin was born.
Kang Dae-oh had also found it impressive at the time, so he still vaguely remembered some highlight scenes.
It felt strange to see his daughter watching a movie that remained only as a memory for people of his generation.
At the same time, he felt curious.
Not only was it too old a movie to grasp current trends,
but ‘Romance Time’ wasn’t a huge hit in South Korea either.
It was a work known only to those who knew, a so-called ‘hidden masterpiece.’
However, Kang Dae-oh soon realized that Kang Yebin would easily know what kind of movie this was.
Because she was a professional actress.
Since it was often mentioned among filmmakers as a well-regarded international masterpiece, there was no way Kang Yebin wouldn’t know ‘Romance Time.’
“It recently became available on VOD, so I quickly paid for it and was watching it.”
“This is a memory, too.”
Kang Dae-oh forgot to change his clothes and took a seat next to Kang Yebin.
Perhaps because he was getting older, he kept clinging to things that brought back old memories.
The same was true for the movie Kang Dae-oh once enjoyed.
“It was the story of a scientist who developed a time machine to bring his lover back to life… right? Probably?”
Kang Yebin nodded vigorously at Kang Dae-oh’s question.
“Yes, that’s accurate. You remember it well.”
“But I don’t remember the ending. Did they end up together? Or did the male lead decide to return to his original timeline and they parted ways?”
He had watched it so long ago, which was why his memory was very hazy.
Just then, Kang Yebin said it was good timing and encouraged him to focus on the screen.
“The ending will be out soon.”
“Oh, really?”
His timing in returning home wasn’t bad.
As Kang Yebin had predicted, the two men and women faced each other and embraced tightly.
The male lead realized the law of causality, that past time could continue to twist due to his presence from another timeline, and knew he had to return to his original world.
However, it was agonizing for the man to leave his beloved and board the time machine again.
To choose the world.
Or to choose the woman he loved.
In fact, the answer was predetermined.
Even if the man chose his love, what awaited them was the destruction of the world.
Then both he and she would face the same destruction.
So, the man decided.
To use the time machine to find a timeline that would not lead to destruction.
The man left his love with a final farewell kiss and said this:
That he would surely find a ‘Romance Time’ where they could be together.
“So that’s how it ends. Was it an open ending, which is why I couldn’t remember it?”
“But recently, when it was released on VOD, they said there was an unreleased version post-credit scene that couldn’t be revealed back then.”
“So, it comes right after this?”
“Yes.”
After the staff roll ended.
The woman smiled brightly, looking at someone’s silhouette.
A short post-credit scene, less than 30 seconds.
But it left a long-lasting impression on Kang Dae-oh.
“He found it.”
Ultimately, the male lead found it after hundreds, even thousands, of repeated time travels.
The ‘Romance Time.’
“The ending is great. It feels like a ten-year-old blockage has been completely cleared. But why did they leave this unreleased?”
“The director said in an interview that he wanted to leave as much room for imagination for the audience as possible. That’s why he intentionally didn’t reveal the ending.”
“So, they decided to release it later.”
“That’s right.”
Although a lot of time had passed,
Kang Dae-oh felt good, as if he had taken a long-forgotten trip down memory lane after a long time.
“Indeed. A masterpiece remains a masterpiece, even with time.”
“I know, right? Watching this made me determined again.”
“What determination?”
Kang Dae-oh showed interest in Kang Yebin’s enigmatic words.
In response, Kang Yebin talked about her recent actions.
“Dad. You know I’ve been on a break from filming for half a year, right?”
“I know.”
At first, he decided not to worry too much about it.
This was because Kang Yebin had been working in the entertainment industry as a child actress since a very young age.
No matter how much one wanted to do something, the moment it became a job, it was bound to become stressful.
Since she had been doing this continuously without rest since childhood, Kang Dae-oh instinctively knew it was time for her to take a break and recharge.
He had also hoped for it.
Therefore, even when Kang Yebin refused all scripts for half a year, he didn’t particularly worry.
He believed that after getting enough rest, she would naturally seek out work she enjoyed again.
And finally,
That time had come.
“The director of ‘Romance Time’ is preparing a new project this time, after five years.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The rumor has probably already spread in Hollywood, right? And in Korea, there will be overwhelmingly more people who know than who don’t.”
“But how did you… No.”
Kang Dae-oh was about to ask how she found out, but then he refuted his own words.
Because she was a daughter from the future. She would know when and what movies would be released.
Unlike how Kang Dae-oh had grown his business, the entertainment industry mostly flowed as his daughters had predicted.
Hollywood was no different.
“I’m going to audition for this director’s movie.”
“It’s not being filmed in Korea, is it?”
“No. I have to go to the United States to audition.”
“Can you do it?”
“I have to. Because…”
A burning ambition began to ignite in Kang Yebin’s eyes.
“Because it’s the moment I’ve longed for.”
Kang Yebin’s goal was to become an actress active on the world stage, beyond South Korea.
Just as Kang Yera had achieved her dream with a solo concert,
The time had finally come for Kang Yebin to pursue the goal she had long dreamed of.
