“Come quickly!”
The teacher was holding the phone. It seemed like she was trying to contact the kids who hadn’t gathered yet. Kids who don’t listen no matter where they are—they always exist.
Back in the day, there would’ve been no way to find them, but now, with cell phones, it was just a matter of time. I was dozing off, nodding my head. I guess I moved around too much today because sleep was creeping in. Seeing me like this, Jiyu and Yumi laughed and started talking.
“Hana, are you already sleepy?”
“Hana’s a sleepyhead!”
I didn’t care what Jiyu and Yumi were saying. Because, well, kids will be kids! Just as I was fighting off sleep, the kids finally gathered. The teacher smiled and spoke.
“Did everyone have fun?”
“Yeees!”
The kids were loud, so it seemed like they had a blast. Even after running around all day, they still seemed full of energy. Kids at this age are like little energizer bunnies with endless energy. Meanwhile, I, with my adult mindset, was exhausted. It felt like my body was getting sluggish as the sun went down.
Of course, when I’m at home, turning on the lights keeps me awake, but outside was a different story. You can’t just turn on lights outside. I yawned loudly and waited for the teacher to finish talking. The teacher carefully checked each kid to see if anyone was hurt.
These days, parents tend to freak out and call the teacher if their kid gets even a little hurt, so there’s no helping it. Times have changed. Saying this might make me sound like an old-timer, but back in my day, even if you got bruises from being hit with a ruler, you couldn’t say a word.
In fact, if your parents found out about the bruises, they’d scold you, asking what you did to get hit by the teacher. It was like the person who got hit was always in the wrong. Sure, there was some justified discipline, but thinking about the times back then, there were also plenty of bad teachers.
Anyway, once the teacher finished checking, we got ready to go home.
“Get on the bus!”
Only after sitting down on the bus heading home could I finally relax. Sitting on the bus seat, I felt sleep creeping in again. Jiyu and Yumi were stuck to my side like glue. They said I smelled nice, but honestly, I couldn’t smell anything special. If I were wearing some fancy perfume, I’d understand, but…
I wasn’t wearing any perfume. I just used shampoo and body wash when I showered, and that was it. For lotion, I only used the Starlight Cosmetics lotion they gave me. Sure, it’s often sold out, but they always made sure to give me my share.
Maybe it’s because I’m the one who can make the lotion. Without me, Starlight Lotion would have to shut down. I heard there’s no substitute for it. As the bus rattled along, I closed my eyes. I just wanted to get home already.
I must’ve dozed off for a while because I felt the bus come to a stop. When I came to, Jiyu and Yumi were also knocked out, sleeping like logs. After walking around all day, even the kids couldn’t hold out. Looking around, it was a total wipeout. Everyone was leaning their heads on the seats, fast asleep. The teacher glanced over the kids.
Then, she clapped her hands loudly and said, “Wake up! We’ve arrived at school, so get up!”
As the teacher’s clapping and voice overlapped, the kids started waking up one by one. I also woke up Jiyu and Yumi, who were sleeping next to me. Jiyu was drooling, while Yumi was sleeping like a princess with her lips pursed. Quite the contrast.
“Huh…?”
Jiyu and Yumi opened their eyes. They looked outside and realized we had arrived at school.
“We’re here!”
Jiyu shot her hand up and got up from her seat. The kids were getting off. I also got up and prepared to head out. I planned to get off slowly after everyone else. It was too chaotic with all the kids rushing out.
Once all the kids were off, I got off the bus. Jiyu and Yumi trailed behind me.
The teacher was making sure all the kids had arrived safely. Other class buses had also arrived at the school. It was past 6 PM, so the playground was quiet. Normally, the older elementary school kids would be running around, but not today.
“Alright, everyone, head home! Don’t go anywhere else! Promise?”
“Wahhh!”
There was no way the kids would keep that promise. As soon as they heard the teacher’s dismissal, they scattered like crazy.
I also got ready to go. I had contacted Maru earlier when we were getting on the bus at the amusement park, so she should be arriving soon.
“Hana~”
Jiyu and Yumi were still stuck to my side. I could tell what they wanted, so I said to them, “Car…”
“Wanna ride?”
“Yeah, yeah!”
Right now, taking the bus would probably be a nightmare. Hundreds of kids are heading home from school at the same time. You’d probably have to wait for 2 or 3 buses before you could get on. That’s how many kids use public transport.
So, Jiyu and Yumi were eyeing Maru’s car, clearly wanting to ride in it. I didn’t really care, so I decided to go with the kids. Since it was on the way home anyway, I could just get dropped off midway. As we chatted while waiting, Maru’s car appeared in the distance.
“Hana, awesome!”
Jiyu and Yumi got in the car with big smiles. Having your own ride is definitely more convenient. Relying only on public transport can be a bit of a hassle sometimes.
And so, the long, long day came to an end. I planned to go home, wash up quickly, and hit the sack. The fatigue from running around the amusement park was still lingering. But it was the kind of tiredness that would disappear after a good night’s sleep.
—
Kim Jae-chang started making makgeolli with Starlight Rice. From the yeast to fermentation, it wasn’t much different from using regular rice. He was now in the final stage, diluting it with water.
His father, Kim Chun-il, stood by with an impressed expression and said, “The smell alone is killer, son!”
It definitely smelled better than when made with regular rice. Kim Jae-chang nodded and replied, “It’s really good. Honestly, for makgeolli that’s 10 times more expensive, it better be!”
He filled a large tub-like container with the makgeolli. Since he didn’t use much rice, the quantity was small. It was enough to make about 200 bottles, which would disappear quickly.
To the average person or a small retailer, 200 bottles might seem like a lot, but for a makgeolli-producing company, it’s laughable. That amount wouldn’t even fill a prayer. Selling tens of thousands of bottles a day is the norm. 200 bottles wouldn’t last an hour, let alone a day. But Kim Jae-chang didn’t care. Selling at a small retail shop wouldn’t make much of a difference anyway.
He bottled the finished makgeolli. “This is makgeolli that costs 40,000 won per bottle!”
It was more expensive than he thought. He expected it to cost around 30,000 won, but the yield was lower than anticipated. Of course, if he didn’t take any profit, he could keep it around 30,000 won, but no businessman sells at a loss.
If you make it, you gotta make a profit, right?
“But where are you gonna use it, Dad?”
Kim Jae-chang wasn’t worried because his father had a wide network. He knew his dad would distribute the hundreds of bottles to people in the neighborhood, and they’d be gone in a week. Of course, that’s only if he didn’t charge for it.
“I gotta treat the people I owe favors to, right?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Kim Jae-chang knew his dad would treat the neighbors regardless of what he said. A little loss didn’t matter. The loss from not producing today’s batch could be covered with saved money. And running a brewery isn’t a money-losing business anyway. Kim Jae-chang could handle it.
“Let’s have a drink first, son.”
“Alright, I’ll get it ready.”
Makgeolli alone isn’t enough, so Kim Jae-chang quickly prepared some side dishes. His cooking skills were top-notch, and soon, hot and crispy Korean green onion pancakes were ready. Steaming pancakes and makgeolli—this was heaven.
“Here, have a drink.”
Kim Chun-il poured a glass for his son. Kim Jae-chang received it respectfully with both hands, turned his head, and took a sip.
After tasting the makgeolli, Kim Jae-chang’s eyes widened in surprise. “This is really good, Dad!”
“I told you, using Starlight Rice makes all the difference.”
“I didn’t expect it to be this good though…”
That day, Kim Chun-il and Kim Jae-chang drank until they were completely smashed.
