A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 172

172. [Bonus] Working Dad (4)

With a joyful Christmas behind them, the team returned to weekend work, pushing hard as the year drew to a close. Everyone was focused on preparing for the crucial upcoming presentation.

Jiheon, juggling the presentation prep with the closing report, felt stretched to his limit. Compounding the pressure, the presentation date was suddenly moved forward.

“Director, I just spoke with the I-Poom representative. They need to move the presentation date to the 31st,” the planning team leader reported.

Jiheon’s brow furrowed slightly. “December 31st?”

“Yes.”

That was this Friday.

“What’s the reason for the change?”

“They said it’s due to the CEO’s schedule.”

Jiheon sighed, a touch of resignation in it. While unwelcome, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. He’d seen similar situations before, a couple of years back, and had considered this a possibility.

He immediately called a meeting with the presentation team.

“I-Poom has moved our presentation for Yoo-Ah-You-Us up a week. It’s this Friday afternoon.”

The news landed like a bombshell. Jeong-oh looked particularly stunned.

Jiheon worried at Jeong-oh’s sudden pallor. But with everyone watching, he couldn’t rush to her side. He needed to address the situation.

“Our research shows I-Poom moved up a presentation date about two years ago as well. It seems they want to see how well an agency handles pressure and unexpected changes.”

Adding that explanation helped Jiheon refocus.

*The date’s moved up, so we suffer for a week less. Plus, this crunch affects everyone, not just us. If the competition is struggling, that’s an opportunity for us.*

*Stay calm and proceed rationally.*

*Since I’m presenting, that should ease the burden on the rest of the team.*

“I’m not thrilled about this, but we can’t back down. How’s the creative production going?”

Sung Mi-ran, the production team leader, responded promptly, “It’s tight, but the initial creative concept is complete. We were planning to present it tomorrow.”

“Let’s review it tonight. Prepare production drafts as sketches. Team Leader Kim, please create and distribute a revised schedule.”

After the meeting, Jiheon immediately approached Jeong-oh.

“Deputy Manager Lee Jeong-oh, are you alright?”

“Yes, I’ll manage.”

Her face was still pale, but he saw determination in her eyes. Relieved, Jiheon turned to Eun-ju, who was sitting nearby.

“Deputy Manager Go Eun-ju, how about you?”

Eun-ju’s eyes widened, surprised by the question.

*Oh, you sly fox, Director.*

*You could have just asked Jeong-oh if she was okay. Why ask me? What did I do wrong by sitting next to her?*

Eun-ju, flustered, hesitated before answering.

“Yes, well… I’m fine. When has an advertiser ever considered the agency’s schedule when setting a date?”

Jiheon nodded, noting her composed demeanor.

It was a stark contrast to Jeong-oh’s reaction.

Eun-ju found Jiheon pathetic and felt a pang of bitterness, but she masked it with a smile.

*Right. He’s wearing the mask of a working director, but at his core, he’s just Lee Jeong-oh’s clingy boyfriend. That will never change.*

“That’s right. We don’t have much time to overthink this. It’s a good chance to come up with some sharp, intuitive ideas. Let’s tailor the presentation tightly to the production. Everyone, let’s give it our best.”

Oblivious to Eun-ju’s inner thoughts, Jiheon wrapped up the meeting with a professional air and left the conference room.

* * * * * * *

Those involved in the presentation found themselves working harder than ever.

Surprisingly, the schedule change seemed to energize the team. A delay might have led to despair, but the accelerated timeline meant the period of intense work was shorter.

*Success would be great, but failure is always a possibility. The shorter the period of intense work, the better for everyone.*

With the deadline looming, the team members quickly coalesced their ideas, minimizing disagreements, and progress steadily accumulated.

Finally, December 31st, D-Day, arrived.

Max Planning’s presentation team rehearsed one last time and headed to I-Poom headquarters. The team consisted of Jiheon, the planning team leader, Deputy Manager Park Young-gwang, Jeong-oh, and Deputy Manager Go Eun-ju.

As expected, the client showed particular interest in Jiheon. The CEO of I-Poom recognized him immediately.

“Aren’t you Chairman Jung Jae-gwang’s son?”

“Yes, I’m Jung Jiheon, head of Division 1 at Max Planning.”

“Max Planning is clearly very invested in I-Poom. It’s an honor to have you here.”

Jiheon responded politely to the CEO’s warm welcome.

“The honor is mine to be in charge of today’s presentation.”

The attendees exchanged surprised glances.

“You’re doing the presentation yourself?”

“Yes, I’m handling the planning portion.”

They had assumed the chairman’s son was just there in name only.

But Jiheon’s presentation alone wouldn’t win them over. The client’s reactions were mixed – some friendly, some skeptical – all eyes were on Jiheon.

“Then, let’s begin.”

The presentation began amidst an atmosphere of cautious anticipation. Jiheon stood and presented the advertising campaign plan.

As in the rehearsals, Jiheon’s delivery was flawless. The logic behind the campaign theme flowed smoothly, and the core message was clear.

It wasn’t groundbreaking, but it was a solid, well-organized presentation. The prejudice against the chairman’s son began to dissipate.

Then it was Jeong-oh’s turn.

“Hello, I’m Lee Jeong-oh, copywriter at Max Planning.”

Jeong-oh carefully rose to her feet, one hand resting on her stomach.

A client executive spoke up, observing her closely.

“Excuse me, but are you by any chance…?”

“Yes, I’m five months pregnant.”

Jeong-oh answered as if anticipating the question, gently emphasizing her baby bump.

She was aiming to create a sense of connection, highlighting her perspective as an expectant mother.

Jiheon, recognizing her strategy, couldn’t help but smile. His heart fluttered.

*Cute. So cute, it’s overwhelming.*

His fingers twitched with the urge to reach out and caress her cheek.

Jeong-oh smoothly transitioned into her presentation.

“As a mother, eagerly awaiting the arrival of my child, preparing this Yoo-Ah-You-Us campaign has been incredibly meaningful. I was able to deeply research the products and brand from the perspective of the core target audience.”

The presentation, starting with a personal touch, gradually broadened in scope, delivered in Jeong-oh’s calm voice, ultimately promoting the product and appealing to the client’s sense of pride.

*Good job.*

Jiheon sent the message with his eyes to Jeong-oh as she sat down. Despite their playful bickering during preparation, they were united in this moment.

After the media strategy presentation, the client’s questions began.

“The concept of a strong and safe brand is good. But if we create the perception that the product lasts for ten years, won’t new product sales decline? People will pass them down, not buy new ones. We need to continue developing and selling new products every year.”

The pointed question hung in the air, all eyes turning to Jiheon. The conference room fell silent.

Jiheon responded without hesitation.

“If Yoo-Ah-You-Us develops an upgraded version each year and implements an effective advertising strategy, the customer base will continue to grow. That’s why companies continue to advertise their brands. And parents’ desire to buy the newest and best for their children won’t change. By tapping into that psychology, Yoo-Ah-You-Us’s advertising, promising another ten years of quality even after ten years, will resonate deeply with consumers.”

The I-Poom employees reacted with surprise, Jiheon’s answer building upon the existing strategy and solidifying Max Planning’s campaign. They were impressed by his unexpected performance.

*I thought he was just putting on a show, but he really came prepared.*

The CEO, confirming this, was clearly pleased.

“Another ten years after ten years… that’s good. If our brand lasts more than ten years, we can advertise looking forward to the next ten.”

“That’s exactly what will happen. Stick with Max Planning until then.”

The CEO laughed at Jiheon’s playful wish.

“Thank you, Director Jung Jiheon.”

The presentation concluded on a positive note.

And two hours later, their hard work paid off.

“We succeeded!”

The planning team leader burst into the production team’s office, shouting the news.

“Wow!” Everyone jumped up and cheered. An intern’s eyes filled with tears.

December 31st. It was the perfect way to end the year. The team members congratulated each other.

Eun-ju said to Jeong-oh, “Deputy Manager Lee, you worked hard.”

“You too, Deputy Manager Go.”

“What did I do? This presentation was all the husband and wife show.”

Boram, wiping away her tears, interjected, asking about Jiheon. “How was it? Did the director do a good job presenting?”

“We won because he did well, right?”

Eun-ju smiled, readily acknowledging it.

“Honestly, I didn’t know the director was such a good presenter. I didn’t even realize he had all that knowledge in his head.”

Jeong-oh held her breath, listening intently to Eun-ju’s words.

“I thought you might be transferred to headquarters after getting married, but if you had gone, we never would have known how capable you are. Our director. Why did you hide it?”

*Our director. Hehehe.*

Hearing her husband praised in Eun-ju’s voice felt like an undeniable truth.

*Honey, you’re recognized! Recognized!*

Jeong-oh’s shoulders twitched slightly.

*That’s right. My husband does well when he puts his mind to it. He’s a really decent person, more than you might think.*

Jeong-oh, basking in the praise of her husband, sent Jiheon a text message on her way to the reading room.

– I heard you were praised by Deputy Manager Go Eun-ju. I feel good♥

Jiheon quickly replied.

– Do I do a good job?

– Yes!

– Then can I stay here?

The smile on her face faded at the reply.

*Is that why you worked so hard?*

Jung Jiheon was a man with such a clear goal.