Episode 25: The Scent Leaves Memories
Kang Lim looked at the phone screen that Yoon Jangmi showed him.
[New Product from Korial Fresh, Floral Moisturizing Set]
- Why are fragrances always bad for the skin? Is there a cosmetic with a nice scent that is also good for the skin?
Korial Fresh has found the answer to this question.
Certified by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, it has passed the sensitive skin irritation test, making it the healthiest natural moisturizer.
With a subtle Bulgarian rose scent that penetrates deep into the dermis, it creates glossy and resilient skin.
Meet it together with Korial Fresh Floral Perfume, which is provided on the new product launch day!
- Check out all the healthy natural ingredients.
As expected from the industry leader.
Kang Lim couldn’t help but acknowledge Korial Fresh.
This brand accurately captures the trends that change with the times.
‘They predicted that the ingredients of the products would become more important than the brand in the beauty industry.’
A few years later, with the development of smartphones and the advent of the video media era, people started to share information they knew freely.
Because an era where information becomes money through YouTube is coming.
The amount of information about cosmetic ingredients also increased, and it had a direct impact on the industry.
As more ordinary people learned to read ingredients through experts’ explanations, it became known that many luxury cosmetics, boasting high prices, actually contained many ingredients that caused allergies or trouble.
After that, the sales of those expensive cosmetics plummeted, and transparent cosmetics that disclosed all ingredients and their ratios became popular.
That popularity soon led to sales, so the story of this moisturizing product being launched was special.
“We need to display this well. Focusing on the ‘healthy scent’ with good ingredients.”
“Right. Since the key word of this product is the scent. That’s a good idea. What’s the size of the display stand?”
“It says not to exceed a space of 2 meters vertically and 1 meter horizontally. I think we just need to make the background board, the floor board, and the pedestal to place the product.”
Listening to the conversation between the two, Lee Hyunseong spoke up.
“But why are they bundling perfume with it? How can you advertise both a basic product and a perfume together? Perfume isn’t even applied. It seems too difficult to advertise both…”
Kang Lim answered with a grin.
“That’s why it’s unique. Because it’s difficult, there will be fewer participants compared to other products. Let’s do it.”
“Yeah. It’s better to stand out. Rather than doing what everyone else does.”
Lee Hyunseong shook his head at the thoughts of the two, which were typical of sculptural art students.
“Oh. If we make this well, we can adopt the advertising concept for the CF as well.”
Kang Lim showed the contest guidelines to Yoon Jangmi.
Yoon Jangmi’s pupils wavered slightly as she slowly scrolled down and read.
“Indeed, but…”
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
“Do you know how much the prize money is?”
“Prize money?”
Only then did Kang Lim check the last line of the contest.
Grand Prize 15,000,000 won, Excellence Award 8,000,000 won, Encouragement Award 3,000,000 won.
“Wow. This is quite a big contest?”
“Let’s split it 50-50 between you and me.”
“Sounds good.”
Lee Hyunseong, who hadn’t been able to join the conversation from earlier, squeezed in between them, looking back and forth between their faces.
“Um… Excuse me? Lim-ah? What about me?”
The next day, Saturday morning.
Kang Lim and his group decided to meet in front of the Korial Fresh drugstore.
They needed to check the product and smell it to create a suitable display.
“Ugh. Why aren’t they here yet?”
Kang Lim turned on his phone to check the group chat.
Two people still hadn’t read the messages…
They really are like each other.
[Kang Lim: Where are you? Why aren’t you here? I’ve been waiting for 30 minutes.]
[Kang Lim: Where, where.]
[Kang Lim: .]
[Kang Lim: .]
[Kang Lim: .]
.
.
.
After several repeated messages, whether it was due to the spamming effect or just waking up, a reply finally came.
[Yoon Jangmi: ….]
[Kang Lim: …?]
[Yoon Jangmi: Sorry, I just woke up.]
“Gosh, this noona’s hopeless. Just like they said, she really is a sleepyhead.”
Kang Lim clicked his tongue and typed a message.
[Kang Lim: Looks like I’ll have to take the prize money all by myself.]
[Yoon Jangmi: I’m sorry. My bad.]
[Kang Lim: Then hurry up and come.]
[Lee Hyunseong: I’m sorry too.]
[Kang Lim: Where are you?]
[Lee Hyunseong: On my way. Almost there.]
“Almost there, my foot. He’s just leaving now. He didn’t even answer the call. Ugh…”
In the middle of Myeongdong, with Chinese and Japanese being heard from all around, the sun was scorching hot enough to burn the skin.
No matter how much he fanned himself, it only got hotter.
Standing there any longer might give him heatstroke.
Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Kang Lim finally decided to go in first.
Into that flashy pink drugstore…
‘I came here to work, and it will be cool inside.’
He decided to think only of that.
Jingle jingle.
With the sound of the door opening, the store clerks greeted brightly.
“Hello~. Your Highne…”
No, they stopped halfway through their bright greeting.
The clerks whispered to each other, looking slightly flustered.
“…How should we address him, unnie?”
“Should we call him prince…”
I can hear you…
Though embarrassed, Kang Lim understood the clerks.
It was understandable, as this newly opened Korial Fresh Color Factory drugstore was a place to experience cosmetics.
Addressing customers like that was for the concept.
Typically, male customers wouldn’t come to experience women’s cosmetics here.
Testing products at a regular store would be enough to buy gifts.
In other words, if one wanted to purchase, they should go to a regular store, not here.
As expected, a clerk with a capitalist smile approached.
“Um, sir. Did you come to buy a gift for your girlfriend? Our store is right next door. You can choose the products there. This place is a beauty product experience drugstore.”
This place introduces the concept related to new products before their launch.
For example, they diagnose customers’ personal colors for the new women’s color cosmetics being launched.
It also offers perfume testing for the cosmetics, which Kang Lim and his team had to investigate.
Having no choice, Kang Lim looked around briefly and then spoke with a resigned heart.
“Yes. I know. I’m just here to exp…”
As he was about to say he came to experience it himself, he saw a familiar back of the head from afar.
A small, round back of the head.
Oh. This will work.
Kang Lim pointed to Seo Yeon, who had her long hair tied up high.
“I came with my girlfriend. She wanted to see it.”
“Oh! I see. Did you decide to meet here?”
“Yes.”
Passing by the women, Kang Lim called out to Seo Yeon, who was sitting in front of the mirror.
“What are you doing here?”
“Huh?”
Seo Yeon turned her head quickly, surprised, and the clerk behind her got hit in the face by her ponytail.
“Oh. Sorry.”
“Haha- It’s okay.”
Watching Seo Yeon apologize to the clerk as she stood up, Kang Lim chuckled.
Seeing her startled movements, she seemed happy to see him outside of school.
“Wow! What are you doing here? Why are you here?”
“Why else? You came to prepare for the contest too, right?”
“Oh right. But why did you come alone? Where are your team members?”
“…They’ll be here soon?”
“Ah.”
“Why did you come alone?”
“Well. I felt bad because Unnie Son Chaewon said she’d handle everything. So I wanted to check if there’s anything useful for the concept.”
Damn, I’m jealous. I want to change team members.
Kang Lim placed a hand on his forehead, thinking of his lazy team members.
It was surprising to see someone here who didn’t need to be told what to do.
“That unnie will handle it well. She’ll do the makeup.”
“Wow. How did you know? She has a ton of makeup tools. She’s a complete expert.”
“Of course. What’s Shin Taemin doing?”
“Um… Unnie said that we just need to lend our faces.”
“Wow. You’re confident too…”
“Unnie said so.”
“Yeah.”
“But Shin Taemin doesn’t seem to feel bad. He just thinks he has more time to work.”
“Hmm, maybe it’s just that you’re too nice? I think I would’ve thought it was a good deal too…”
“Huh? Really? You?”
Seo Yeon made a face of disbelief as she moved closer to Kang Lim.
Chattering with a playful expression.
‘The real unbelievable thing is your beauty. Maybe it’s because your face is slim? You look prettier with your hair tied up…’
But, is it just because she tied her hair up that she looks prettier?
Strange.
Kang Lim sniffed as if he smelled something good.
“Did you put on perfume?”
“Oh, yeah! When I came here, the clerk let me try some. They said it makes a special scent when used with the new moisturizing product.”
“Can I smell it?”
“Sure. What did they say? The scent is associated with memories, so the brand message is to remain an everlasting memory for the customers.”
“Oh, that’s important. Okay.”
Seo Yeon showed him the inside of her white wrist.
As he bent down to smell it, he felt like flowers were blooming with every little pulse.
To compare the scent from her wrist with the scent from her neck, Kang Lim brought his face closer to behind Seo Yeon’s ear.
“What are you doing?”
Seo Yeon inhaled and tensed up as if she was nervous.
“Hold still for a moment.”
A subtle scent of lisianthus came from the downy nape of her neck.
Lisianthus is used as a supporting flower to decorate other more glamorous main flowers in bouquets.
It has a subtle, natural, and elegant fragrance.
“How long has it been since you applied it?”
“About… 20 minutes?”
“Then it’s the top note.”
The top note is the initial scent of perfume right after it’s sprayed, lasting only a short time.
It typically lasts less than 20 minutes, as it’s made of light molecules that evaporate quickly.
“Usually, top notes use fresh citrus scents, but this starts with floral. They must be aiming for a lovely feel.”
“…You know a lot about perfume?”
“Well, just from reading here and there.”
Kang Lim brought his face closer again.
The scent was already changing.
This time, it was a pure yet sensual woman’s scent.
A slightly deeper and more mature one than before.
The scent now was the middle note.
The middle note is the main scent of the perfume after the top note fades.
It lasts about an hour and conveys the brand’s desired image.
“Wow…”
Taking a deep breath, he could smell the Bulgarian rose scent mentioned in the moisturizer description.
It was an elegant and rich scent.
Moreover, it blended harmoniously with a cozy and powdery scent.
It felt like a leading flower appearing among supporting flowers.
Naturally,
With the increasingly deepening scent, a new idea came to mind.
What if…
What if this scent could be expressed in colors?
“Excuse me, sir? You can’t do this here.”
The clerk tapped Kang Lim, snapping him back to reality.
“Oh, sorry.”
Having snapped out of his immersion, Kang Lim politely clasped his hands together.
Turning around, he saw that Seo Yeon’s ears had turned red.
“I’m sorry to you too.”
“It’s fine. We’re doing this for the project anyway…”
Seo Yeon scratched her head, looking away.
“Right. While smelling the scent just now, I got a good idea.”
“…What is it?”
Smiling mischievously, Kang Lim replied.
“Can’t tell you. You’re on the competing team.”
“What! That’s so unfair.”
As he watched the pouting Seo Yeon, Kang Lim recalled the keywords associated with the scent he had just smelled.
Naturalness, purity, maturity, eternal memory.
And the most crucial core of the product, a healthy and safe scent.
Got it. This will do.
