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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The First Offer
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Choi Hyunjin, the planning team leader for the Elephant series, lowered her head.
"Hah, what do I do…?"
The world grew darker the further she scrolled down the comments. Just a week ago, she'd been thrilled at the thought of a bonus. Now, forget a bonus; it looked like she'd have to write a formal apology.
"Surely, I won't get… fired, right?"
She'd had a string of good luck these past few days.
On Friday, after leaving work in high spirits, she'd bought two scratch-off tickets and won 50,000 won from each. Work had been going smoothly, and the clothes she'd ordered online fit perfectly. The food she'd ordered late had arrived, piping hot, in just 15 minutes, and it was so delicious she considered becoming a regular.
She'd slept soundly without dreaming, woken up early, cleaned the house spotless, and was about to watch a movie that was getting rave reviews…
*B-tok, B-tok.*
A breeze stirred. It was the beginning of a storm.
When the urgent BananaTalk from Kang Sora, the marketing team leader, had arrived, she'd scowled at the thought of having to work on a weekend. But now… she wasn't sure if finding out was a blessing or a curse.
>Hyunjin! We have a huge problem ㅠㅠ
>You know LALA, the one we were going to cast for that commercial! She just uploaded a new N-tube video!
LALA had been the biggest contributor to the Elephant series' sales over the past week. The baby formula she fed her daughter was one of the Elephant series products.
Because she had recommended the Elephant series in her video, Hyunjin's small formula company had been selling out all week long.
It seemed that any parent watching LALA's videos—not just in Korea, but in the US, the UK, Australia, and elsewhere—was buying at least one can.
From online malls that shipped overseas to domestic supermarkets, orders flooded in, all saying they were sold out and wanted to increase their stock.
"So we ramped up production…"
As soon as she learned the reason for the formula selling out, she had suggested they'd have at least three good months of sales. That was why the factory was running 24/7. And that had been a mistake.
>They're saying it wasn't the formula, it was the baby's mukbang!!
Since then, Choi Hyunjin hadn't taken her eyes off her laptop. First, she watched LALA's video, then she watched JUN's.
Honestly, the baby—'Seojun,' according to the man's faintly audible voice—was cute. Was there really a baby that looked so pretty? It was astonishing. But this video was the cause?
The situation was changing rapidly.
Choi Hyunjin read through the N-tube comments, logged into a moms' cafe using her cousin's ID, and browsed through various other sites she was a member of.
In that time, the baby mukbang video ended up with at least one post on most major sites. It even made it onto the real-time search rankings, albeit at a low position.
Finally, after looking through the proof-of-purchase photos posted by mothers, Choi Hyunjin let out a sigh.
"Is this for real?"
It felt like she'd been hypnotized. To think it wasn't because of the formula, but because of this tiny baby's mukbang. It was amazing that two short, ten-minute videos could have such an effect.
>What are we going to do with all this inventory?
Even though it was the weekend, the factory was probably still running at full steam. She felt dizzy just thinking about the mountains of formula stock that would be piling up.
The company she worked for, Elephant, was small but good—founded with the mission to make healthy, quality formula for babies.
She couldn't let the company falter like this.
These days, it was common to cast N-tube stars who fit the product's target audience for commercials, rather than famous celebrities.
That was why Elephant had planned to follow the trend and send an offer to LALA and her daughter.
But here was someone even more incredible than them. Choi Hyunjin made a decision.
>Do what?
"Seojun. Please help your aunties."
Choi Hyunjin clasped her hands together and prayed. The fate of her company rested on a tiny baby.
* * *
"So, it's finally happened!"
Mina's mom said excitedly. Seo Eunhye was bewildered by the whole thing.
"But it's only been three days since I uploaded Seojun's video."
"With things like this, you have to ride the wave while it's popular."
Offers poured into the N-tube channel, [JUN]. The most numerous were proposals for Seojun to be a promotional model or a commercial model for formula companies. Following those were offers from baby clothing and shoe companies, as well as other baby-related product businesses.
Unable to make a decision on her own, Seo Eunhye had called the other moms over.
Meanwhile, unlike their usual separate play during doll time, Seojun was playing with the other babies and a doll.
In the middle of the babies was a soft, fluffy gray teddy bear, twice Seojun's size.
* * *
Last weekend evening. Kim Heesang, that damn friend of Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun, had rushed over to their newlywed home after seeing Seojun's video and gifted the teddy bear to him.
"Well, well. Our little mukbang star, Seojun!"
"What are you doing here so late?"
His father, who had opened the door with a reluctant expression, held the still-energetic Seojun. He must have had a good nap, because his eyes were bright and clear. His mother, worn out from a full day of messages and calls, had gone to bed early.
"Abububu!"
'Oh. The present uncle.'
"Don't you think Seojun recognizes me now?"
Kim Heesang beamed as he watched Seojun wave his arms at him. Lee Minjun slapped him on the back.
"I asked what you're doing here."
"Ah, this."
From behind the front door, Kim Heesang brought in a box about twice Seojun's size.
"Uwooo!!"
'Oh! Is it a werewolf doll in human form!?'
"You son of a… again…"
Just as Lee Minjun, fuming about what kind of bizarre thing he'd brought this time, was about to say something, Kim Heesang shook his head frantically.
"No! Not this time! Definitely not!"
Kim Heesang opened the box. Gray fur was visible. There was only one doll, and it was a bear.
Seojun was disappointed. It was an ordinary teddy bear, gentle and cute-looking, just like the ones babies on TV held.
Its teeth weren't pointy, and its eyes weren't sharp. There were no sharp claws at its fingertips. It was a real, actual teddy bear.
'Ah, Uncle, I'm disappointed.'
"Ubu."
"...A teddy bear?"
Unlike Seojun, who had gone limp in his father's arms with a face full of disappointment, Lee Minjun's face brightened as he asked, "What is this?" and lifted the teddy bear out of the box with his free hand.
"Really? Is it really just a normal teddy bear?"
"Yep. Just a normal teddy bear," Kim Heesang said with a triumphant look.
"I was watching Seojun's video, and I saw the Twin-Head Troll peeking out from behind the chair."
"...?!"
Lee Minjun's face went pale. Seojun, disappointed by his uncle's gift, slumped like a rebellious toddler and wondered, *Huh? Did I leave it there while playing with it?*
"No… really? It was there?"
Tossing the teddy bear he was holding aside, Lee Minjun picked up his phone. He opened the gallery to watch Seojun's saved video.
"It was in the baby food version."
"Baby food. Baby food."
While Lee Minjun was frantically checking his phone, Kim Heesang took Seojun from him.
Seojun's lips were in a pout. Kim Heesang noticed.
"Don't tell me you're disappointed because your uncle brought a normal doll?"
"Abu-abu-abu!"
Seojun slapped Kim Heesang's arm with his hands. Hmm. Kim Heesang understood what that meant.
His friend's son… already seemed to have very firm preferences.
"My, my. Seojun, I'm disappointed. It seems you've underestimated your uncle."
Under… estimated…? He couldn't understand all of it, but he caught the word "disappointed." It was exactly how Seojun was feeling.
While Lee Minjun searched for the green doll in the video, Kim Heesang gently picked up the teddy bear from the floor and looked at Seojun.
"If you unzip this here…"
Kim Heesang unzipped a zipper on the bear's belly, hidden beneath its fur. Inside was a small, black doll. It looked like a shadow.
Seojun's eyes widened.
'No way, is that!'
"Abu?! Abububu?"
"That's right! This is its doppelganger!"
It was a doppelganger!
The good teddy bear was being controlled by an evil doppelganger. Astonished by the twist, Seojun let out a stream of "abububu"s and flailed his arms.
Kim Heesang, holding Seojun, got a slap on the cheek but just grinned and placed the pitch-black doll back inside the teddy bear's stomach.
"This is a secret just between you and me, Seojun. Promise!"
"Abu!"
Once on the floor, Seojun hugged the teddy bear.
'Wow, a bear with a twist! Uncle is amazing!'
Unlike his son, who was thrilled with the doll's hidden charm, Lee Minjun was serious. If he wasn't careful, the whole world might find out that they—whether it was the parents' taste or the baby's—had a peculiar taste in dolls.
"Where on earth is it?"
But he couldn't find it. He'd replayed the video several times at double speed, but the Twin-Head Troll was nowhere to be seen.
"It's right here, at the bottom. The green thing."
"...This?"
He looked where Kim Heesang was pointing. On one of the legs of the high chair Seojun was sitting in, there it was—a tiny pixel… a green speck, like a piece of bell pepper. Just… a square… of green…
Lee Minjun said in a low voice.
"This… is what?"
"The foot of the Twin-Head Troll. I was so surprised when I saw it!"
Lee Minjun made a decision.
"You're dead meat today!"
"What?! I told you, didn't I?! I knew you hated these kinds of dolls, so I came right over to tell you as soon as I saw it in Seojun's video!"
"Shut up! It's late, be quiet! And you could just not give him these dolls in the first place!"
"But Seojun loves them."
While his father and uncle had a quiet showdown, Seojun fell asleep, buried in the soft, fluffy teddy bear.
* * *
And so, for the first time, a seemingly ordinary teddy bear appeared in the living room of Seojun's house.
The teddy bear, controlled by a doppelganger, seemed to pass the babies' aesthetic standards, as it became quite popular.
For the first time, Seojun and the other babies played with a doll together. They all grabbed one of the giant bear's limbs and fiddled with it.
"Well, my Mina loves Elephant formula the most. It's all organic and uses healthy ingredients."
"My Jiyun only drinks Imama formula. Other brands don't seem to agree with her."
"The twins are on Elephant, too. I tried it because you get a lot for the price, and their digestion has been great."
The mothers voiced their various opinions as they looked over the proposals that had come in. Seo Eunhye shook her head.
"I mean, it's not like we're planning to do commercials…"
"This kind of thing is just a fad. Make good money and give it to Seojun."
Mina's mom, who had been cast in a few internet ads before, scanned the proposals with fire in her eyes.
"First, let's cross out any formula brands that have a bad reputation among moms."
"Right. We have to think about Seojun's image, too."
The twins' mom added.
"Filter out any companies with a bad corporate image, too."
"Okay, then this one and this one are out."
"Instead of money, we should choose a formula that Seojun will actually eat well. If the baby's face scrunches up while eating, it won't look good on camera, and they'll make him eat it over and over. He needs to eat it deliciously in one take so he doesn't have a hard time."
Mina's mom shook her head, remembering a commercial shoot where a five-year-old had to drink milk repeatedly.
Seo Eunhye smiled at her helpful friends, who had already sorted through several proposals, and added a comment of her own.
"Seojun loves Elephant formula. He'll drink other kinds if there's nothing else, but if you give him a choice between Elephant and another brand, he makes such a fuss for Elephant."
Seo Eunhye chuckled softly, picturing Seojun with his lips firmly shut, pointing his finger at the formula can with the yellow elephant on it.
"Really?"
Jiyun's mom looked surprised.
"Wow, is Elephant really that good?"
She was the only one using a different brand of formula. Since all her close friends were using Elephant, she wondered if she should switch too.
Come to think of it, Elephant was a smaller company than the others, so she hadn't trusted it enough to give it to Jiyun.
Mina's mom nodded.
"It's great. The CEO was a mom who had a hard time finding a formula that suited her baby. They say she's been striving to make healthy, good formula ever since."
"I don't know much about the company, but the ingredients seem similar to other brands, and you get a lot for the price. Considering how much the twins eat…"
The twins' mom touched her forehead. Seo Eunhye chimed in.
"I bought all the recommended formulas from the moms' cafe and had Seojun try them one by one. His favorite was Elephant."
"I see. Maybe I should try it too?"
The effects of word-of-mouth were already showing. Seeing this, Mina's mom laughed.
"Look at that, the ad is already working!"
"I know, right? At this rate, Seojun's going to make it a sell-out hit!"
"So, should we go with Elephant?"
Seo Eunhye asked. Despite her initial hesitation, the decision was made quickly. Just as Mina's mom said, this kind of popularity was fleeting. Even if he appeared in a commercial, models were often forgotten quickly, unlike the product itself.
Besides, it was Elephant, a formula Seojun genuinely liked. She thought this could be a good memory.
'And if we make some money that can help Seojun, even better.'
"What about Seojun's dad? What does he say?"
"He knows we got the commercial offer… but we're still deciding whether to do it or not."
"Well, make sure you ask him later. Things like this should be a joint decision between husband and wife. It's about your baby, so if only one parent decides, it can cause a huge fight later."
Mina's mom, who ran her N-tube channel with her husband's enthusiastic support, advised.
"Okay."
Seo Eunhye agreed with her.
And that evening, with his father's enthusiastic approval, the future superstar Seojun's first commercial shoot was decided.
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