In the vast fields, the harvested rice plants are neatly stacked in the warehouse. The department mainly focused on maintenance and repairs, ensuring that farmers could dedicate themselves solely to farming and promptly addressing any difficulties that arose during cultivation.
It wasn’t the typical white-collar job. Although there were hours spent working in the office, more time was spent working outdoors. But that didn’t really matter. In fact, it was even better. Walking around and breathing in the fresh air was like getting a workout, wasn’t it?
Kim Min-soo, who was working hard as the youngest in the team, got to check out the new welfare system introduced by Starlight Food. A notice had been sent out about the new benefits for each department.
It was only natural that he, being the youngest, would see the notice first. After all, he had to deliver it to his seniors.
After returning home, Min-soo started reading the details about the new welfare system. Starting this month, welfare points could be used to purchase various crops and products from an online mall operated by Starlight Food. Seeing this, Min-soo broke into a joyful smile. Having moved out of his parents’ house and started living alone, he began to think more about food, something he hadn’t paid much attention to before.
Min-soo, who had only eaten meals prepared by his parents, had no idea about the cost of food on the table. Isn’t that the case for all young people living with their parents?
He realized that eating costs a lot of money. Dining out is expensive, but the price of groceries delivered to your home isn’t cheap either.
“How much is 400,000 points worth?”
Min-soo turned on his computer and entered the address written on the paper. A shopping mall with a design that clearly looked like a lot of money had been invested greeted him.
“Wow, they must have spent quite a bit on this.”
Usually, company online malls have rough and unorganized designs, but the one made by Starlight Food was different. The web designer who worked on this must have put in a lot of effort.
“Starlight tomatoes, Starlight coffee, and all sorts of vegetables… they have everything.”
The prices were slightly cheaper than those at the supermarket. For example, if green onions cost 2,000 won at the mart, here they were 1,800 won.
Then, something caught Min-soo’s eye. It was Starlight Rice, currently a craze in Japan. However, the price was unimaginably high. A 20kg bag cost 800,000 welfare points. It would take two months’ worth of points to buy it. But there was a small note saying the price might drop.
Just being able to buy rice not yet available domestically at this price was a good deal. A family of four could finish 20kg of rice in a month, but living alone, it could last half a year. As proof, the rice Min-soo was currently eating was Starlight Rice he bought a month ago.
He had bought the expensive rice imported from Japan. After trying Starlight Rice once, he couldn’t think of eating any other rice and decided to splurge on it. If he could buy it at this price here, it would be amazing. However, clicking on the product details, he noticed a red note prohibiting resale to others.
It was legally prohibited, and if Starlight Food allowed resale, it was obvious all employees would only buy Starlight Rice. Plus, getting caught selling it could lead to disciplinary action, so it was better not to.
Since Min-soo didn’t need Starlight Rice right now, he mainly looked at other crops. He first bought ingredients useful for living alone, like onions and potatoes, which go well in fried rice or other dishes. Saving almost 400,000 won a month on food expenses was a great benefit for Min-soo.
However, it was a bit disappointing that the welfare points had a one-year validity period. It would have been great if they could be accumulated indefinitely.
As Min-soo lazily browsed the shopping mall, his eyes caught Starlight Strawberries. The limited edition label made them stand out even more. Min-soo decided to order some Starlight Strawberries too.
—
“Yap! Yap!”
I was lying on the floor studying. I could have studied at the desk, but rolling around on the floor while studying had its own unique charm. After studying for a while, I started feeling bored.
At times like this, the answer was to go hang out at the office. I put the book on the desk and…
I got ready to go outside. I checked my usual dinosaur pajamas and stretched out. Someone once said that if you stretch like this often, you’ll grow taller. It sounded like superstition, but it didn’t hurt to try.
I put on my shoes and slowly walked to the office. The hallway was empty. Everyone seemed to be working hard. I peeked into the office. Many employees were sitting at their desks, busy working.
I wondered if I’d just be a bother if I went in. With that thought, I canceled my plan to go to the office. Instead, I came up with a new plan. I had the card Bora gave me last time, so I decided to go to the convenience store and buy something tasty.
I walked over and pressed the elevator button. I pressed all three elevator buttons at once for good measure. Even so, the elevators were constantly going up and down, making it hard to catch one. I should really ask them to add more elevators. It doesn’t make sense to have only three elevators for hundreds of employees.
Sure, department stores have the same number of elevators, but they have escalators and other ways to go up, so it’s fine. In our building, even though many people use the stairs, those working on higher floors always take the elevator.
I thought about using the stairs, but I gave up. Maybe I’ll try it once in a while, but climbing 10 floors is tough. Going up and down takes so long that I almost cried just thinking about it.
If it were my original body, it wouldn’t have taken long, but this child’s body is too weak. Climbing just a few stairs made me out of breath. I thought I should really start exercising.
I heard the elevator ding and quickly stood in front of it. There weren’t many people inside.
“Hi, Hana!”
Luckily, they were people I knew. They were the women who caught me during hide-and-seek last time and brought me back to the office. I hopped in and pressed the button for the 1st floor. I didn’t like that the convenience store was on the 1st floor. Maybe it’d be fun to have one on every floor?
The research institute grants almost anything I want, which is nice. It feels like I’m a king. But I decided not to get too cocky. Everyone here is so kind, and it’d be wrong to think of them as subordinates. The old me might have, but I’ve grown since then!
“Where are you going, Hana?”
They seemed curious about where I was headed. If I didn’t answer properly, they’d probably drag me back to the office, so I answered confidently.
“I’m going to the convenience store!”
“Really? Should we buy you something tasty?”
I shook my head to decline. If they found out how much was on my card, they’d probably scream in horror and run away. I’m pretty sure no one in this research institute is richer than me.
“Bye~”
I waved goodbye. Wearing my dinosaur pajamas gave me a boost of energy. I walked to the convenience store, making sure to check out the new stuff in the 1st-floor lounge on the way. Greeting the employees guarding the lounge was a must.
Whenever I went outside to farm, it felt like someone was always calling somewhere. Then, Bora, Haru, or Maru would mysteriously follow me. Were they that worried I’d leave this nice building?
I have no intention of leaving here until I die! They provide everything—food, sleep, and more. There’s no reason to leave. Plus, it’s all free, so nothing could be better. I walked a bit more and finally arrived at the convenience store.
I walked in, smiling brightly.
