After driving for a while in Maru’s car, the familiar sight of Starlight Elementary School came into view. The path to school, which had been empty during vacation, was now filled with children. Of course, there were fewer kids than before.
“Hana, call me if anything happens, okay? I’ll be waiting nearby. Since it’s the first day of school today, it should end quickly, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll call you right after it’s over, Maru. Don’t worry.”
“Alright, take care~”
“Bye-bye!”
I got out of the car, waved at Maru, and said goodbye. As Maru said, since it was the first day of school, I figured I’d just listen to the principal’s speech, go into the classroom, and then leave again. Normally, third-grade elementary school classes would go until 2 or 3 PM, but today it might end earlier.
“Hmm~”
Coming back to school felt oddly different. Unlike the other kids, I didn’t have much of a post-vacation slump. That’s because I had already graduated from elementary school! I could easily brush off this kind of slump.
I was sure of it, but…
“Ugh…”
As I approached the school gate, my steps grew heavier. It felt like I had shackles on my feet, and I could barely move. I tried to hypnotize my legs to stay strong. I couldn’t collapse here. Just then, I heard a familiar voice from behind.
“Hana!”
It was Jiyu and Yumi. Jiyu came running at me like she was about to fly into my arms. I ended up giving her a piggyback ride. Jiyu was grinning ear to ear as she spoke.
“Hana, you smell so good! You have no idea how much I missed this scent!”
She then buried her face in the nape of my neck. I tried to shake her off, but she clung to me like a cicada, and I eventually gave up. Yumi stood quietly beside me, holding my hand and smiling brightly.
“I missed you too, Hana!”
“Really?”
I guess I’m just too popular. I never thought the kids would miss me this much. I felt a lump in my throat. It dawned on me that there were kids who actually waited for me.
“Let’s hurry to the classroom!”
Yumi grabbed my hand and urged me to hurry. But I couldn’t move because I was carrying an incredibly heavy load.
“Jiyu, you’re so heavy I can’t move!”
Jiyu had clearly grown a lot over the break. She felt noticeably heavier, like she’d gained at least 3 kg. They say girls grow up fast, and that seemed to be true. She also looked a bit taller.
“Huh? I didn’t gain that much weight!”
Jiyu sounded offended, but my body scale was accurate.
“Really? But you’re so heavy!”
“Fine!”
Jiyu finally got off me. Only then could I move properly. My legs, which had been stuck while carrying Jiyu, started working again. Jiyu stuck close to my side, and I ended up sandwiched between her and Yumi. In that state, I had no choice but to head to the classroom.
—————————————–
“Did you all have a good vacation?”
“Yes!”
After that, it was just a typical school day. We went into the classroom, played with Jiyu and Yumi, and then the teacher came in and casually asked what we did over the break. After that, we headed to the auditorium for the opening ceremony.
“Yawn!”
I couldn’t hold back a yawn. Seeing me like this, Yumi laughed and said,
“Hana, why do you look so tired?”
Yumi was massaging my shoulders. Every time her hands kneaded my shoulders, a refreshing sensation spread through me. So this is why people get massages. Even though I had a masseuse back at the building, Yumi’s massage skills weren’t far behind.
“Mmm… but I’m tired.”
“Really? Just hang in there until we go home! Don’t doze off in the auditorium!”
“Okay…”
I nodded at Yumi’s words. I always remembered dozing off in the auditorium, and I probably wouldn’t be able to keep Yumi’s request. As proof, I had no memory of the opening ceremony in the auditorium because I kept nodding off.
But as soon as it was time to go home, I suddenly felt wide awake. It was a strange phenomenon. I was dead tired on the way to school, but somehow, when it was time to go home, I was bursting with energy. If anyone could explain this, they’d deserve a Nobel Prize.
——————————————-
Kim Sehee looked at the uninvited guests sitting in front of her. Well, calling them uninvited guests might be a bit too…
Luni, it seemed like she could just pass as a foreigner.
A stunning young Caucasian woman with a model-worthy appearance and figure was sitting there. Even Kim Sehee, being a woman herself, couldn’t help but be mesmerized by her beauty. Kim Sehee felt a bit envious. It wasn’t racism, but objectively, Westerners tend to have better proportions than Asians under the same conditions. The natural width of their hips and overall body ratios are just different. Asians tend to have larger heads, while Westerners have smaller ones in comparison.
When she turned her gaze to the side, she saw a middle-aged Caucasian man with short sporty hair. He had a dignified appearance, the kind that probably made women cry in his younger days. But his hairstyle was a bit off. It seemed like he could have just grown it out, but instead, he had this short, sporty cut that didn’t quite suit him. Did he just shave it off because he was too lazy to manage it? As she was thinking this, the Caucasian woman began introducing herself in fluent Korean.
“James… Layla, right?”
Kim Sehee muttered as she checked the business card. The cleanly designed card had “Walmart” prominently displayed. It seemed like they had come all the way after hearing some news from Walmart.
Layla, seeing Kim Sehee examining the business card, spoke up.
“We’ve come all the way from the U.S. with full authority to negotiate on behalf of Walmart. We hope to establish a mutually beneficial relationship.”
It took over 10 hours by plane to reach Korea. If luck was bad, it could take almost a full day. The distance between the U.S. and Korea was enormous. Of course, these people were Walmart executives, so they probably didn’t fly economy or anything like that.
‘I thought someone from overseas might come someday…’
The reaction from overseas was slower than Kim Sehee had expected. Well, in this small country of Korea, not many people pay attention to food items. Korea has always been a latecomer on the global stage, never really a pioneer. She had expected someone from nearby countries like China or Japan to come first, but she didn’t expect someone from the U.S. to seek her out. It was unexpected.
James was mumbling something. Naturally, Layla was about to translate for him, but Kim Sehee spoke up in fluent English.
“I’m a bit busy right now. Let’s talk again in an hour.”
When Kim Sehee spoke in English so smoothly that even locals would be surprised, Layla and James’s eyes widened slightly. Of course, James quickly smiled and said,
“Your English is very proficient.”
“I went to school overseas when I was younger.”
“I was worried about how to communicate with Layla today, but it’s a relief that I don’t have to worry about that. After all, my true intentions might not come through with a translator.”
Kim Sehee felt a bit burdened by James’s sparkling gaze. She hadn’t done anything special, but James’s eyes were filled with admiration. Given that she hadn’t done anything to earn his favor, this guy must be quite eccentric.
“See you in an hour.”
Kim Sehee said as she got up from her seat. Naturally, James and Layla also stepped outside. When the host says to meet in an hour, there’s not much else to do. Being in the subordinate position was a fresh experience for James, and he found it somewhat refreshing.
“Shall we take a look around the company?”
“That sounds good.”
Since they had time, they decided to tour the Starlight Food Building. They didn’t know why Kim Sehee had asked to meet in an hour, but it must be something important.
——————————————-
“Hana, yah!”
As soon as Kim Sehee entered the CEO’s office, she hugged Hana, who was sitting on the sofa. She had been playing with Hana for a while, and now she was being interrupted. Kim Sehee planned to play with Hana as much as possible before she had to go home in an hour.
