“This is…”
Haru stumbled upon an unexpected hit product. She imagined the entire nation making kimchi with this chili powder. The flavor and richness would be far superior, and it would become a beloved dish even abroad. But those thoughts vanished the moment she saw Hana tending to her plants.
“Like this! Pluck one out!”
Hana plucked a strand of her hair and dipped it into a watering can. Seeing this, Haru had no choice but to scrap all her plans. If that was the method, a single bottle of this chili powder would have to cost hundreds of thousands just to break even. Sure, the raw material—Hana’s hair—was practically free, but her hair already had an owner.
Though Hana was the owner, using her hair for food and cosmetics meant there was no need to grow enough chili to supply the entire nation. Selling it as a different product would make way more money anyway.
So, Haru decided to just enjoy the taste. Watching Hana grow plants was somewhat satisfying, and Hana seemed to enjoy it too.
She thought it would be nice if they could mass-produce it someday. It was a shame to be the only one who got to taste that chili powder. Of course, Hana grew it as a hobby, but the quantity was enough for the office staff to enjoy, so they occasionally got to eat fruits that made their tongues tingle.
——————————————
Maru was a fresh graduate, a bright-eyed job seeker. She had graduated from a good university, but landing a job in today’s competitive world was like plucking stars from the sky.
Sure, she could lower her standards, but Maru planned to aim for big corporations for at least a year. She had paid hefty tuition and studied hard, so she wasn’t keen on settling for a small or medium-sized company.
Fortunately, being a woman, Maru didn’t have to worry about military service or taking a break, so she could dive straight into job hunting. She wanted to make use of her major, but in today’s world, liberal arts graduates often struggled to make ends meet, so she sent out applications left and right.
After failing one interview after another, she felt her confidence cracking. But she didn’t give up and kept applying. Finally, she received news that she had a final interview at the Starlight Research Institute today.
“Hmm… hmm!!!”
She looked at herself in the mirror and steeled her nerves. The Starlight Research Institute was said to be one of the fastest-growing companies under the Starlight Guild recently.
Both Starlight Cosmetics and the Starlight Research Institute were among the top recruiters of new employees among Korea’s major corporations. It was rare for big companies to hire so many people at once, which made her wonder just how well the company was doing.
Of course, even with their growth, they still lagged behind other major companies in the Starlight Guild. The existing gap was hard to close. But to Maru, the Starlight Research Institute and Cosmetics were untouchable giants.
The large-scale hiring was proof that the company was thriving, so Maru practiced her brightest smile and prepared to give her all in the interview. If she got in, she was ready to dedicate her life to the company.
Dressed neatly for the interview, Maru left her house to head to the research institute. The institute was located a bit far from the city center.
It took almost an hour by bus. Of course, driving would cut that time in half, but as a fresh graduate, Maru didn’t own a car. She wasn’t exactly born with a silver spoon, either.
She had her driver’s license, but owning a car was a distant dream. Anyway, as she studied potential interview questions on the bus, she soon arrived at her destination and hurriedly got off. As she approached the institute, a refreshing scent filled the air, making it feel like she had stepped into a forest.
The growth rate of the plants was suspiciously high. It didn’t make sense for them to grow so much in this chilly weather…
Putting her doubts aside, Maru entered the building and headed to the front desk to ask for the interview location. That’s when something caught her eye.
‘Dinosaur pajamas?’
Something that shouldn’t be seen in this building was right there. Among the well-dressed employees, a child who looked like an elementary school student was walking around, casually greeting the staff.
‘An employee’s child?’
The kid was striding through the building with too much confidence to be lost. And upon closer look, the child had unusually unique hair and eye colors. Seeing that the employees didn’t react, Maru decided not to make a fuss about the dinosaur pajamas either.
I tried to skip this child and head to the front.
When I tried to pass by the child, Maru felt like her clothes were being pulled. The child had grabbed the hem of her top.
Maru, without panicking, said, “What’s up, kiddo?”
But the child was just staring straight into Maru’s eyes. Seeing those deep, almost hypnotic eyes, Maru quickly averted her gaze, feeling a bit flustered.
Maru, who usually loves kids and nieces, couldn’t help but want to pick the child up and rock them back and forth. The child looked extra cute, probably because they were wearing dinosaur pajamas.
The child spread their arms wide and said to Maru, “Hug me!”
Hearing that, Maru completely forgot she was there for an interview and immediately picked the child up. She had wanted to do this earlier but held back because it was a stranger’s child. But now that the child had asked, she couldn’t resist.
As she held the child, the child closed their eyes, patted Maru’s chest, and then said, “You passed!”
Passed what?
Anyway, Maru asked the front desk for the floor where the interview was being held. Standing in front of the elevator, she regained her senses and asked, “Which floor are you going to?”
“I’m going to the 10th floor!”
Coincidentally, it was the same floor Maru needed to go to. If it had been different, she would’ve handed the child over to the front desk staff, but since it was the same, she could keep holding them.
As they entered the elevator, the refreshing scent that had been tickling her nose grew stronger. Just breathing it in made her chest feel light and her mood lifted. It was like she had taken a stimulant—her mind was clear, but she felt intoxicated by the scent. It was like being tipsy without drinking. The child smelled amazing.
When they got off the elevator, Maru put the child down and said, “Can you find your family from here?”
“Yep!”
The child then dashed off somewhere. The building was so big that it was easy to get lost, but thankfully, the interview room was marked with a large arrow on the wall, making it easy to find.
Then, a woman approached Maru. She had an employee ID around her neck, so she must have worked there. Her name was Kim Bora. If Maru got the job, Bora might be her superior.
“You seem to like kids,” Bora said.
Maru, who had never been in the military, stood at attention as if she were in uniform and replied, “Y…yes! I enjoy taking care of kids!”
Bora smiled and said, “If you keep that attitude during the interview, you’ll do well.”
With that, Bora, the researcher, disappeared in the direction the child had run off.
—
“Hana, who do you like?”
The new hire was supposed to take care of Hana. Other tasks were planned, but that was the main one. So, they wanted to pick someone Hana liked.
Without hesitation, I mentioned the person who had held me earlier. There were three candidates, but one didn’t hug me when I asked, and the last one was a man.
Men are a no-go—I never even considered them. I had no intention of being held by a dark-skinned man. Sorry, but I’d only let a woman hold me, never a man.
Bora said she understood and left the room. She probably went to relay what I had said.
