Chapter 148

The traditional role of a clock is to tell time.

From water clocks and hourglasses to mechanical clock towers and quartz movements, humanity has developed technology to measure time accurately.

However, as we entered the 21st century, clocks were given a different role.

A business-loving efficiency enthusiast once said, “I don’t understand why people wear wristwatches when they can check the time on their phones.”

And they were absolutely right.

Now, clocks were no longer used to tell time.

They became luxury items or fashion statements.

People wore them to show off, not to use.

“Do you have a specific design in mind?”

“Of course.”

I had been thinking about clock designs for a long time.

This is related to game development, but aren’t clocks just fashion accessories?

There’s no better item to give a character a unique touch than a watch.

So, I’ve actually designed a lot of watches. You could say I’m a seasoned professional.

Here’s how I design watches:

Let’s say there’s a fictional character named Bunny Run. She’s fictional, not based on any real person.

Bunny Run has sharp eyes, a strong aura, and looks like someone who’d love tattoos, cigarettes, and piercings.

I used these elements to design a watch for her.

Of course, Bunny Run also hates being alone, gets lonely easily, and secretly craves human touch, but here’s my first design philosophy:

Don’t include non-intuitive elements that are hard to grasp at first glance.

I only use elements that are immediately obvious. It’s all about first impressions.

With that in mind, the watch Bunny Run would wear would be…

First, the base would be a non-shiny matte black. The strap would be black leather. The numbers would be represented by silver lines, and the hands would also be silver.

This would give off a sharp, blade-like vibe that perfectly matches Bunny Run’s personality.

I don’t know if this actually suits Bunny Run. I know fashion, but I’m not really interested in it. That’s why I just wear popular items from fashion e-commerce platforms.

But one thing’s for sure: this watch would scream Bunny Run. And there’s no better way to sell it as merchandise to viewers.

Following this design philosophy, the watch I’m going to make this time is already decided.

A watch that screams “me” at first glance.

Since I have blonde hair and blue eyes, a design that matches that would be best.

“First, let’s make the case out of 18K yellow gold. The dial will be coated with deep blue enamel, and the hour markers will be cleanly done in gold. The hands will be made of yellow topaz, and we’ll set a blue sapphire at the end of the crown.”

“That’s a design that screams Han Yoorim. I completely understand.”

This would make the watch very expensive, but that’s fine. This is just a side project anyway; the real merchandise I’m planning is something else.

What I just described is a design for people who are seeing Han Yoorim for the first time.

But the people who’ll buy my merchandise are long-time viewers.

We can go a bit deeper.

Here’s my second design philosophy:

For fan service, it’s better to pack in non-intuitive elements.

What makes up Han Yoorim?

Opinions vary.

Bunny Run: “Her face? Without it, she’s just a corpse.”

Mos: “A screw loose in her head.”

Chaenarin: “…Her sense of humor.”

Choco Full Bread: “Yoorim unnie has such a kind heart!”

Rumen: “Games?”

Pape: “Definitely games.”

Yeah, games.

That’s the core of who I am, my origin.

So, for my viewers, the merchandise should be packed with gaming elements.

I’ve made quite a few games. I can now call myself a mid-tier game developer.

[Fantasy Life], [Excel Busters], [Resurrected Students Also Need Love], [Eternal World: Tower of Transcendence], [Cosmic Osuary], [Cosmic Origin], [RE: Snowball Garden], [Haunted Building], [Evoke Order].

That’s nine games. If you include [Infinity Zero], it’s ten.

I’ve made a lot.

No wonder I’m in a slump.

Anyway.

If I make a watch that reflects my career, wouldn’t my viewers love it?

That’s what I thought.

“I’ve made quite a few games. Do you know them?”

“I know all of them.”

“Then this will be quick.”

I slowly laid out my requirements.

“I want people to think of my games as soon as they see the watch. It should feel like, ‘Ah, this is Han Yoorim’s history museum.’ Like a theme park packed with various concepts.”

“Interesting.”

“Exciting, right?”

“Absolutely. If we’re making a special edition for Han Yoorim, that design would be perfect.”

“You really are Paris’s top designer. Your vision is exceptional.”

“You flatter me.”

Hahaha. We laughed happily. The chairman and executives behind us joined in. The atmosphere in the company became warm and cheerful.

The designer said,

“That’s a brilliant idea. A watch that reflects a person’s life. Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?”

“Exactly.”

“I might be about to create the best watch of my life.”

“Exactly.”

“So, how do we implement it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Huh?”

The designer looked stunned.

I was stunned too.

Why that reaction?

The designer asked urgently,

“Did you not think about how to implement it?”

“Of course not.”

Why would I do that?

Am I supposed to save the best designer just to make soup? No way.

The designer muttered blankly,

“Han Yoorim’s history museum and theme park feel…”

“Can you figure out how to make a clock that senses things?”

“Fighting!”

I threw out the idea. The rest is up to the team to figure out.

“By the way, it can’t be too expensive. Otherwise, people won’t be able to afford it.”

“Ah.”

The designer let out a sigh, but there was no choice. This was already decided.

Still, I did lay out the high-end watch design in detail.

I think I’ve done a lot already.

*

After successfully wrapping up the meeting with the luxury brand company, it was time for dinner.

I headed to a restaurant near the hotel with Bbangbbang, Pape, and Bunny Run.

Bunny Run said it was one of the oldest bistros in Paris, but I didn’t quite get it.

How can there be multiple “oldest” bistros? “Oldest” implies the top, and the top should be singular.

Well, I guess there are hundreds of “original” pork trotter restaurants too. So, having multiple oldest bistros isn’t that strange.

As long as the food is good.

The restaurant on the corner looked like it had been preserved from the past. A weathered wooden door under a red awning, lace curtains draped over the glass windows, and a soft glow seeping through. It smelled distinctly human.

I’ve only seen this typical Parisian restaurant in movies.

“Unnie, we’re in France.”

“You should’ve said that 6 hours ago at the airport.”

“Unnie, bonjour.”

“In the evening, it’s bonsoir, not bonjour.”

As we stepped inside, the warm lighting, old wooden beams, and red brick walls created a cozy atmosphere.

Sitting at the table, the waiter smiled and handed us the menu.

“Today’s special is Coq au Vin. A very charming dish, just like you.”

Pape frowned at the waiter’s words.

“What did he say?”

“He recommended chicken braised in wine. And he said you’re charming.”

“He was talking to you, though?”

“His heart was directed at you, Pape.”

I skimmed the menu and quickly made a decision.

“I believe the pinnacle of European cuisine is Beef Bourguignon. We’ll have four servings of that and potato salad. And some baguette too.”

“Understood.”

The waiter winked and disappeared.

Then, Bbangbbang asked.

“What did you two say?”

“I ordered four servings of a sad, inferior version of galbijjim made by people who haven’t discovered soy sauce, along with potato salad. And he asked for your contact info.”

“He winked at you, though?”

“He was looking at Bbangbbang reflected in my eyes.”

The food came out quickly.

As the rich aroma of meat filled the air, I took a spoonful of potato salad.

The savory flavor spread in my mouth.

Potato salad is always delicious. There’s a reason I order it whenever I see it on the menu.

Bbangbbang took a bite of the Beef Bourguignon and muttered softly.

“…It’s good.”

“Be honest. You just thought of galbijjim, didn’t you?”

“……”

“Specifically, you craved galbijjim, right?”

“I want galbijjim.”

Personally, I think stir-fried kimchi, galbijjim, and perilla seed sujebi are among humanity’s greatest dishes.

Especially perilla seed sujebi. It’s just torn flour, but the texture and flavor are incredible. That’s Columbus’s egg. Nothing else is Columbus’s egg.

I should eat perilla seed sujebi when I go to Korea.

We ate enthusiastically.

Then, Pape put down his spoon and spoke up.

“Hey.”

“Yeah.”

“So, why did you bring me to France?”

“You’re asking that now?”

Maybe Pape is the turtle, not Chaenarin.

Asking that 6 hours after arriving in France.

“I asked earlier, but you didn’t answer properly. What did you say? Rumen wanted to see us or something?”

“That’s true. Bbangbbang actually said that.”

“No, he didn’t.”

“He asked me if I came to see him. So, one of the three of us is lying. Someone’s the culprit.”

Pape stared at Bbangbbang.

Bbangbbang calmly brushed off Pape’s gaze and replied.

“You said yourself you didn’t come to see me. You said it was for business.”

“That’s true.”

“Then you’re the one lying, aren’t you?”

“That’s not it.”

“Your words are contradictory.”

“They’re not.”

I stabbed my fork into the Beef Bourguignon and slowly spoke up.

“Personally, I came for business, but the three of us came together because Bbangbbang wanted to see us.”

“Are you, like, a superposition of Business Han Yoorim and Friend Han Yoorim?”

“I’m Schrödinger’s Han Yoorim.”

Not to mention, I’m also a superposition of Game Developer Han Yoorim, Gamer Han Yoorim, Broadcaster Han Yoorim, ‘Han Yoorim’, [Han Yoorim], [Han Yoorim].

I am the legion.

Bbangbbang spoke in a touched voice.

“So, you did come to see me.”

“More precisely, we came to cheer you on. Hang in there.”

“Okay.”

“I’ve set up too many runner-up flags because of me, so I came to do some after-sales service.”

“You didn’t have to say that last part.”

It was autumn.