Anyway, Kim Sehee stopped the flashback of her right arm attacking and said to Tanaka,
“You want to buy Starlight Rice?”
It was rice that no one wanted to buy, so if someone wanted to buy it, she would welcome it with open arms.
“I happened to try Starlight Rice, and it was so delicious that I felt bad comparing it to other rice!”
Kim Sehee couldn’t help but feel embarrassed by Tanaka’s blatant praise. In fact, Hana had prepared the entire meal, and she had only lifted a spoon. No, Hana might have even placed the spoon for her. She was just the kind of person who sat at the dining table.
Anyway, Kim Sehee maintained her composure and said,
“Thank you for the compliment. You really like Starlight Rice.”
Then, Kim Sehee took a step back. If she openly showed her eagerness to sell, it might not go well during negotiations. The other party was relaxed, and it wouldn’t do her any good to show that she was in a hurry.
“Well… we are expanding the farmland, but the rice production isn’t that high yet. I know Karasushi, but I’m not exactly sure. Considering the amount of rice Karasushi consumes in a month, it would be difficult to distribute it widely.”
Realistically, expanding the farmland would solve the problem, but Kim Sehee wasn’t the one in a hurry. Tanaka, who had tasted Starlight Rice and was excited, was in more of a rush. If Tanaka walked away without any gains, wouldn’t competing sushi companies eventually find out about Starlight Rice?
If those companies signed exclusive contracts, Karasushi would end up like the dog chasing the chicken. It was only a matter of time. This rice had only been on the market for less than a month.
Tanaka was confident that within half a year, other sushi shops would also become aware of Starlight Rice.
Tanaka was mentally weighing the scales. He needed to prepare a weight that matched what Kim Sehee wanted.
“As you know, Kim Sehee, our Karasushi is the largest sushi franchise brand in Japan.”
“Yes, I know. I’ve tried it once, and it was very delicious.”
“Yes. You can easily see our Karasushi sign in both cities and rural areas.”
“I was surprised too. No matter which city or quiet countryside I went to, I could see Karasushi’s sign. It’s like a famous hamburger brand in Korea.”
Kim Sehee doesn’t eat hamburgers often, but she has seen that famous hamburger brand everywhere in Korea. Of course, that hamburger place was famous for its delicious french fries.
Tanaka looked at Kim Sehee with a determined face and said,
“You know that Karasushi consumes a lot of rice, right?”
“I don’t know the exact numbers, but I’ve heard it’s impressive.”
“Please give us the exclusive distribution rights in Japan.”
“Exclusive distribution rights?”
“Yes.”
Then, Tanaka smoothly laid out his plan. He knew the potential he saw in Starlight Rice was limitless, so he could say this.
“I will do my best to persuade the headquarters to switch all the rice used by Karasushi to Starlight Rice within a year.”
Karasushi couldn’t just discard their existing suppliers like old shoes. There was also Japan’s unique culture to consider. Despite this, Tanaka boldly declared that they would cut ties with suppliers they had used for decades within a year. If anyone else heard this, they would be shocked. Could Japanese companies, known for their lack of innovation, really do that?
“You would go that far?”
Kim Sehee was also surprised. She thought Karasushi would take at least ten years to slowly start using Starlight Rice, but Tanaka was saying they would use it across all franchises within a year.
“Yes. Initially, I plan to supply Starlight Rice mainly to cities. Once word spreads, I will personally persuade the management to use Starlight Rice as quickly as possible.”
Tanaka paused for a moment, having spoken at length, and then continued,
“What you need to do is increase the farmland to harvest as much rice as possible within a year. If there are other products you want to sell in Japan, use our company to navigate Japan’s complex distribution lines. We won’t charge any distribution fees. Just give us the exclusive rights.”
“Other products too?”
There were a few products from Starlight Food that would be popular in Japan. Cherry tomatoes, green tea, coffee, etc… Come to think of it, they were all products Hana had made.
“Please consider that Karasushi is very eager to continue our business relationship with Starlight Food.”
Meanwhile, Tanaka signaled his secretary to bring a tablet. It contained one of the trade secrets: Karasushi’s rice consumption. Through an interpreter, Kim Sehee could see the annual rice consumption of Karasushi. Of course, there were other secrets, but for Kim Sehee, who didn’t understand Japanese, it was all just black text on a white background.
Kim Sehee’s eyes widened as she saw the annual rice consumption. She knew Karasushi was a top sushi franchise in Japan, but the amount consumed was far beyond what she had imagined.
The numbers were much higher than what had been reported in the media or what Kim Sehee had expected. Seeing the exact figures, she couldn’t believe how much they consumed. Truly, it was Japan’s largest sushi franchise.
Without hesitation, Kim Sehee decided to proceed with the contract. Tanaka’s side successfully negotiated the best possible terms with Starlight Food. They managed to secure a higher price for Starlight Rice than what it was sold for in Korea.
“Thank you for your generous offer. We look forward to working with you in the future.”
“I should be the one thanking you. I hope we can continue this good relationship.”
And so, Starlight Food and Karasushi signed a contract to sell Starlight Rice in Japan. They also secured the exclusive rights Tanaka had hoped for.
For Kim Sehee, it felt like a weight had been lifted. The Japanese market was more than twice the size of the Korean market in terms of population. While rice consumption didn’t directly correlate with population, it was true that more people meant more consumption.
The fact that they secured a higher price than what they sold for in Korea also made Kim Sehee happy. She planned to use Karasushi to sell Starlight Rice to the Japanese public.
Of course, the Japanese government would actively protect their domestic rice, but Kim Sehee was confident in the taste of Starlight Rice. She believed that even the most anti-Korean Japanese would become fans of Starlight Rice once they tasted it.
No matter how much Japanese rice was praised, it was like a candle in front of the sun compared to Starlight Rice. Kim Sehee decided to relax and focus on hiring more staff for the Japanese division.
They were already hiring a lot, but with the expected increase in workload, they needed more people to handle the grind.
Kim Sehee told the HR department to focus on graduate students. After all, graduate students were easier to hire. They were living as spare parts for professors, so if offered a full-time position at Starlight Food, they would come running without looking back.
———————————————
While watching anime, I saw the boss coming in and rushed over.
Boss Kim Sehee didn’t come often at first, but lately, she had been visiting more frequently. Every time she came, she brought a bunch of delicious food, which I loved.
I dove into her arms and rested my head on her warm chest. I could smell a faint scent of alcohol. I asked her:
“Boss, did you drink?”
“Uh… yeah, I had a drink today because I was in a good mood.”
Her slightly red cheeks suggested she wasn’t drunk. If she were, she wouldn’t have been able to come.
But smelling the alcohol awakened a dormant desire in me. Last time I drank beer, I got scolded badly, so my reason was telling me not to drink, but my instincts were urging me to.
“Boss, can I have a drink too?”
If I went out with the boss now, I might sneak a drink. She didn’t know about my drinking habits. But Bora, who had been eavesdropping, suddenly appeared and shouted:
“No way!”
“Waaah…”
I wanted to grow up quickly and become a tall, 180cm woman. At my current height of 135cm, I was always treated like a child. I wanted to grow up fast. Surely, I wouldn’t stay this small forever, right? I felt a faint sense of unease.
