“See, I told you it would work out.”
“Really, just as the boss said. I had no idea people would actually buy at this price.”
“No matter how Westernized our country’s taste buds have become, rice is still the heart of it. You can’t ignore that.”
The employee couldn’t help but marvel at the boss’s choice. When this strategy was first proposed, they thought the boss had lost their mind. Of course, they didn’t say it out loud. In the workplace, knowing what to say and what not to say is just common sense.
“Truly, the boss’s foresight is admirable.”
It really was impressive. Despite the shabby office, the aggressive investment was something even the employees were amazed by. Starlight Rice was selling like hotcakes. Even at prices that would make others think they were crazy, it was selling out.
The employee had no idea there were so many wealthy people in our country. Spending almost 600,000 won on a bag of rice?
“Starlight Food products are already proven in quality and taste. It’s obvious.”
“Then…?”
“I hope the government keeps dragging its feet. Then we’ll be sitting on a goldmine in no time.”
Not many people had thought of buying Starlight Rice from Japan and selling it in Korea. The boss here was taking advantage of that short gap. Of course, after customs and taxes, there wasn’t much profit left, but with the volume, it was still quite lucrative.
In fact, they could even raise the prices a bit more because it was selling so well. While households might not buy much, restaurants, where taste matters, were reluctantly buying it. The difference in taste between regular rice and Starlight Rice was just that stark.
This business could disappear depending on the government’s decisions, but judging by their response, it was clear this would be a profitable venture for at least a year.
“At most, a year. Anything beyond that is too uncertain, so let’s make the most of it now.”
Being just a middleman, there wasn’t much investment in the office. Just a few computers and phones. It wasn’t a sustainable business, after all. It was a hit-and-run operation, so there was no need for investment. And once the government enacted laws, it would be game over.
“Yes, boss. I’ll work my butt off for this year.”
“I’ll do the same.”
And so, Starlight Rice began to spread quietly in Korea. Officially, selling it domestically was prohibited, but there was no legal ground to stop it since they were paying customs. If they banned it, it could backfire on Korea’s exports.
—
Starlight Rice was riding high in Japan. No, “riding high” is an understatement—it was selling like crazy. Put it in a store, and it would sell out immediately.
No matter how great the advertising or design, food is all about taste. Because it tasted so good, it spread by word of mouth without much advertising. Even Karasushi was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of purchase requests.
Karasushi had set a sales target, but they blew right past it. Still, less than 5% of Japan’s population of over 100 million had tried Starlight Rice, but maintaining that market share in such a short time was nothing short of a miracle.
The Japanese government was keeping a close eye on Karasushi. If there had been more supply, regulations might have been imposed. Karasushi’s only regret was not having enough stock to meet demand.
If they had sold at the original price instead of raising it, who knows how much more they could have made?
Tanaka smiled contentedly as he picked up a piece of sushi with his chopsticks. Of course, this sushi was made with Starlight Rice. The moment it touched his tongue, it melted away, leaving him with a satisfied smile.
“Isn’t it amazing? That we were the first to discover such delicious rice.”
It was truly a series of coincidences. If the typhoon hadn’t hit Korea, if he hadn’t gone to Korea as Karasushi’s representative, if that local sushi place hadn’t used Starlight Rice—so many coincidences led to the discovery of Starlight Rice.
Now, Karasushi could maintain its position as the top conveyor belt sushi brand. This achievement would surely be one of the highlights of his career. He wasn’t sure if he could ever achieve something like this again.
“Wow!”
I exclaimed, holding the tablet Maru bought for me. Now I could watch the Little Magician Lumi on a much bigger screen. Maru came over and started teaching me how to use the tablet.
Of course, I already knew everything, but I pretended to learn hard so Maru wouldn’t feel awkward. After a few dozen minutes of tutorial, I touched the tablet with my finger. I had to choose which animation to watch today.
“Yap!”
Every time my little finger moved, the screen changed. After choosing the animation I would secretly watch tonight, I put the tablet down. Maru had gone back to the office, so I was alone on the bed. Feeling bored, I thought about going to the office to play. Being alone in such a room made me feel like ghosts might appear.
Wearing my Dinosaur Pajamas, I went outside. Since it wasn’t off-work time yet, people were still moving around. People who recognized me patted my head. Anyone in this office who doesn’t know me must be a spy.
No, there probably isn’t anyone in this research institute who doesn’t know me. If there is, they must be a spy from another company. Today, I brought a lot of Glow-in-the-Dark Dinosaurs to stick in the office.
Since my room already has dozens of Glow-in-the-Dark Dinosaurs, I decided to share the good stuff and stick some in the office too. I had stuck some before, but when I checked again, they were gone. Why don’t the office people like dinosaurs?
There’s no creature that warms a man’s heart like a dinosaur. Dinosaurs have that special ability to stir something deep within a man.
“Hmm~”
I entered the office. No one stopped me. The office employees knew I was coming in but didn’t stop me. Because I was the king. I approached the empty office wall and brought over a chair to stand on.
“Hana, what are you doing?”
An employee who didn’t know what I was doing came over and asked. I showed them the Glow-in-the-Dark Dinosaur sticker in my hand. Then I confidently said:
“I came to stick Glow-in-the-Dark Dinosaurs!”
“Oh… really?”
“Where did the Glow-in-the-Dark Dinosaurs I stuck last time go? You didn’t peel them off and throw them away, did you?”
The employee just laughed at my question. Did they really throw away the Glow-in-the-Dark Dinosaurs I painstakingly stuck? I looked at the employee with a shocked expression. Seeing my face, the employee waved their hand and said:
“No, no, we didn’t throw them away. Maybe the dinosaurs went somewhere else? They get bored if they stay in one place for too long.”
I see. It makes sense that they would get bored staying in one place for too long. I can’t stay in one place for long either, so how bored must the dinosaurs be? I nodded at the employee’s words and said I understood.
The employee quickly ran off after hearing my words. Watching their retreating figure, I went back to my task.
“Yap!”
I stuck the Glow-in-the-Dark Dinosaurs where the employees couldn’t reach. Seeing the dinosaurs stuck all over, I couldn’t help but laugh. How generous of me to let them see such cool dinosaurs! I must be too kind. The employees will surely feel energized seeing the dinosaurs. Because dinosaurs are the best!
While I was sticking the dinosaurs, Bora suddenly came over and hugged me.
“Hey, you’re being dangerous! What if you fall off the chair?”
“Ah! I haven’t finished sticking them yet!”
Holding the remaining dinosaur stickers, I said. Before I could finish, Bora dragged me back to my room. I thought I’d stick more later when I had time. It wouldn’t do if only my room had dinosaur stickers!
