“The school meals are getting healthier?”
“Finally, the meals at our Starlight Elementary School are getting back to normal…”
I ignored the chatter of the kids around me and continued talking with Jiyu and Yumi.
“The cafeteria has completely changed, huh?”
“Yeah, I’m so excited!”
I was really looking forward to it too. I wondered what kind of meals they’d prepare. I heard they hired a famous hotel chef and even increased the staff, as the boss mentioned…
When I tried to ask more, the boss just smiled and said it’s better to experience it firsthand. So I didn’t push further. If I had insisted, the boss might’ve spilled the beans, but that felt a bit much. After all, I’d find out in just one day anyway.
“Alright, everyone, line up and let’s go~”
The teacher clapped to get the kids’ attention. The children waddled after the teacher like ducklings. I followed too, just in case I got lost or something.
“Whoa!”
We all gasped as we reached the cafeteria entrance. The view through the glass doors was completely different from before. It already smelled delicious. The teacher led the kids inside.
“Whoa!”
I noticed a huge display board at the entrance, showing today’s menu. They usually hand out monthly meal plans, but seeing the actual photos wasn’t bad at all.
The kids were amazed. I also really liked the cafeteria’s new interior. The old cafeteria used to feel dull and gloomy, but now it was bright and cheerful.
The walls had a fancy pinkish wallpaper, and there were giant glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs plastered everywhere. My eyes lit up when I saw them. Jiyu and Yumi noticed and teased me.
“Hana, there are so many glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs you love!”
“Right? Look at her eyes already sparkling!”
I coughed awkwardly and shifted my gaze from the dinosaurs to Jiyu and Yumi. I might’ve shown too much excitement in front of the kids. I regretted it a bit. I should’ve maintained some adult dignity. What would Jiyu and Yumi think of me now?
They’d probably think I was acting like a third grader. I shouldn’t show such childish behavior to the kids.
Anyway, as I was thinking that, the teacher was kindly explaining the changes in the cafeteria. The kids wandered around, listening to the teacher. I walked around with Jiyu and Yumi, listening to the explanations too.
In short, the cafeteria now offered two meal options: Course A and Course B. You could choose between two different meals, though you had to pick one. Still, having more choices was great.
If you didn’t like Course A, you could go for Course B, and vice versa. If neither appealed, you’d have to hit the snack bar, but judging by the menu, that didn’t seem likely.
And after the meal, they even offered drinks like tea or sikhye (sweet rice drink). We all clapped and cheered. We’d be eating these meals for at least three more years, so this upgrade was awesome.
“Alright, everyone, let’s head back to the entrance and choose your meals!”
Following the teacher’s instructions, we returned to the entrance. I was torn between the two options. One side had delicious Korean dishes, and the other had Western or noodle dishes. I chose Course B: Jajangmyeon. I glanced at Jiyu and Yumi.
“Jiyu, Yumi, what are you guys having…?”
I casually asked them. They smiled and looked at me.
“Today, we’ll eat what Hana wants!”
“Me too!”
“Really?”
I laughed at their response. Today was my chance to enjoy some delicious Jajangmyeon. Without hesitation, I headed to the Course B line. Jiyu and Yumi followed right behind me.
—
Kim Sehee was steadily expanding her business. Business is fascinating—it’s tough to start, but once one item takes off, it grows explosively. Her venture, which started with green tea, had now even expanded into beef.
Thanks to Hana, though.
Anyway, the business funds were more than enough. In the U.S., Tangle was so popular that it was almost impossible to keep it in stock. So much so that fake Tangles, which only had side effects, were flooding the market. Even if growing Tangle elsewhere was a complete waste, the sheer number of people trying to grow it caused a backlash. Just like people who don’t read the manual before using a machine, those who bought Tangle planted it in their yards, hoping it would grow quickly and become self-sufficient. But they soon realized the harsh truth.
The Tangle grown in their yards not only tasted terrible but also did absolutely nothing for baldness. Meanwhile, at Walmart, Tangle had already become a bestseller. And it had only been on the market for a month.
Due to its insane sales speed, Walmart was even considering raising the price. Of course, that would only be possible with Starlight Food’s approval. Thanks to Tangle’s massive success, other distributors were drooling over Walmart. If there hadn’t been an exclusive sales clause, other distributors would’ve been clawing at each other to get their hands on it.
So, Walmart was careful not to upset Starlight Food. Sure, in terms of company size or revenue, Starlight Food was the “supplier,” but it wasn’t just any ordinary supplier. It was a super supplier, like TSMC, where even the “client” had to tread carefully.
Anyway, Kim Sehee was thinking about investing the overflowing funds elsewhere. Just hoarding money wasn’t good for the company. Plus, she had made a promise to Hana, so she needed to make even more money.
“So, are you thinking of entering the domestic market with Hanwoo (Korean beef)?”
It was better to conquer the domestic market first. Starlight Food was already steadily increasing its market share. Starlight Grape had already captured over half of the domestic grape market. And this was achieved in a relatively short time. Starlight Food was devouring the domestic grape market like a predator.
For grape farms, it was an unavoidable disaster, like a tsunami. The prices were similar, but they couldn’t compete with the taste and juiciness of Starlight Grapes. Domestic grape farms were inevitably going out of business. Kim Sehee was being somewhat merciful by controlling the supply. Of course, she was also planning to export the remaining grapes to overseas markets.
If the domestic reaction was this strong, it was obvious how much of a frenzy it would cause overseas.
As for the rice market, unfortunately, due to domestic laws, they couldn’t sell it in Korea. They were indirectly exporting rice sold in Japan back to Korea, but it was less than 1% of the domestic supply. However, there was a market that benefited from this.
In Japan, the proportion of households eating Starlight Rice was rapidly increasing. Even Koshihikari, a famous and delicious rice variety in Japan, was nothing compared to Starlight Rice. Starlight Rice was slowly taking over the Japanese market, riding on the back of Karasushi. Although the Japanese government might step in later, by then, it would already be too late. Japanese citizens were already addicted to Starlight Rice.
“I’m thinking of entering the U.S. market rather than the domestic market.”
“The U.S.?”
“Yes.”
Kim Sehee’s reasoning was simple. She wasn’t even looking at the domestic market. Even if 50 million Koreans ate Hanwoo, how much could they really consume? It was more efficient to target the massive U.S. market. Plus, Americans’ salaries were 3-4 times higher than Koreans’, meaning their purchasing power was more than enough.
It wasn’t that she was completely abandoning the domestic market. It was more like using it as a testing ground before entering the U.S. market.
After all, the rice straw from Starlight Rice was an incomparably amazing feed. There was already one farm that had seen the effects of feeding their livestock Starlight Rice Straw.
The beef from those cows was incredibly delicious. It was so good that even Hanwoo would kneel before it.
Kim Sehee imagined Americans eating Hanwoo made by Starlight Food. Just the thought of it gave her chills.
