I couldn’t help but make a face when I saw the Pepero under my desk drawer. Even though I’m only in the third grade of elementary school, someone gave me a gift like this…
At my age in my 20s, it felt like a distant memory. I didn’t even have plans to date a guy anyway. But still, maybe because they’re kids, this kind of gesture seemed cute. They were probably around the age of my cousins. I didn’t feel bad or disgusted at all.
Well, they’re just kids after all. Of course, the fact that I’m also a kid is a problem.
Still, since they went out of their way to give me a gift, I didn’t have the heart to throw it in the trash. I carefully put each Pepero from the pile on my desk into my bag. The Pepero I ate with Jiyu and Yumi earlier was now replenished.
Jiyu, seeing this, exclaimed in admiration, “Hana, you’re so popular!”
Jiyu didn’t receive any Pepero. Maybe it’s because she’s more boyish. She usually doesn’t talk much with boys. On the other hand, Yumi, being very feminine, had a boy who put Pepero in her desk. I don’t know who it was, but Yumi probably has an idea.
At least among the boys she talked to, one of them must have put Pepero in Yumi’s drawer. It’s not like people confess to someone they’ve never met before.
And just like that, I received a month’s worth of Pepero in a single day. On top of that, there was even a boy who handed it to me directly. It was kind of embarrassing. Getting confessed to by kids… I just wanted to go home quickly.
—
Before heading home, I stopped by the mart. Today was Pepero Day, so I had to share snacks with my office colleagues. They’ve been working hard because of me, so I had to do at least this much. Otherwise, I’d feel guilty. Although, the employees have never made me feel that way.
With a plastic bag in hand, I headed home. As soon as the elevator door opened, Nabi jumped towards me. I gently caught her and placed her on my shoulder. I needed my hands free to distribute Pepero to the employees. Nabi, not satisfied with just my shoulder, climbed onto my head. Her movements were incredibly swift.
Cats love high places, and Nabi was no exception. She sat quietly on top of my head. I realized just how much she had grown—she was now quite heavy. When I first brought her home, she wasn’t this big.
Carrying the plastic bag, I entered the office. The employees were hard at work. I took out the Pepero from the bag and handed it out.
“Here’s a Pepero Day gift!”
“Thanks! But do you know what Pepero Day is?”
“Of course!”
What do you take me for? I successfully handed out the Pepero. Since there were fewer than ten employees, it didn’t take long. Finally, I handed some to Maru with a big smile.
“Maru, have some too!”
“Thanks, Hana! I’ll enjoy it!”
Maru seemed happy to receive the Pepero. With my hands now free, I picked up Nabi from my head. My neck was sore from her weight—she had grown so much. Maybe it was the good cat food, or maybe cats like Nabi just grow fast.
“Nabi, aren’t you becoming a bit of a pig? Why are you so heavy?”
“Meow!”
Nabi angrily swatted at me with her paws. I’d never seen her this mad before. Well, Nabi is a girl too, so mentioning her weight gain would naturally upset her. It’s like a universal rule—never comment on a woman’s weight. If I told my girlfriend she looked chubby, a fight would definitely break out. Weight is a sensitive topic for women.
“Sorry, Nabi! My bad.”
“Meow.”
Nabi seemed to forgive me and stopped her paw attacks. I hugged her tightly and headed to the room. I thought I’d let her use the cat wheel since she probably needed more exercise.
Once in the room, I set Nabi down on the floor. She quickly made her way to the cat tower. Nabi loved sitting at the top and looking down. Cats just love high places.
“Alright.”
I set my bag down on the floor.
Then I took out the Pepero snacks I received this morning. I thought about giving them to the employees, but since they were a gift for me, I figured I should eat them myself. Still, it was a thoughtful gesture.
When I took the Pepero out of my bag, a huge tower of them piled up. It felt like every third-grade kid at Starlight Elementary School had stuffed Pepero into my drawer.
I’m not really the type to be this popular. I thought Yumi or Jiyu would be more popular. My 20-something mindset felt out of place with the kids. Maybe they were drawn to my mature and calm charm.
Perhaps the kids’ pure eyes saw through to my true self. I felt a little smug. My adult dignity had earned me this mountain of Pepero. I thought I should treat the kids to hamburger sets later. It’s only fair to give back what I received.
—
Maru quietly entered Hana’s room. Hana was sitting on the floor, fiddling with something. Seeing her adorable appearance, Maru felt an overwhelming urge to hug her tightly.
Hana didn’t realize it, but Maru, who had been with her for a long time, knew. The pleasant scent Hana gave off amplified people’s fondness for her.
At first, Maru was unsure, but after spending over half a year together, it became clear. Everyone who met Hana developed a good impression of her. Even if someone initially disliked her, after meeting her two or three times and smelling her scent, they’d start to feel positively.
Even animals adored Hana. Last time at the zoo, and now Nabi, the cat, seemed to understand Hana perfectly. Hana seemed to have an extraordinary affinity with animals. Sometimes it even looked like she was having conversations with them. Of course, no one can actually talk to animals.
But seeing Hana, it seemed believable. Nabi often moved around in response to Hana’s words. Without Hana, Nabi was just a regular stray, but with Hana around, Nabi became an affectionate cat.
Maru might have been addicted to Hana’s scent too. But it didn’t matter. Falling for someone as cute and lovable as Hana was a good thing. And it wasn’t like Hana was brainwashing people into being her minions. In fact, she took care of the employees more often.
Anyway, Maru approached Hana.
“Hana, what are you doing?”
“Oh, Maru! I was organizing the Pepero I got this morning.”
“This much?”
Maru couldn’t help but gasp at the tower of Pepero. Maru had received Pepero before when she was in school. She had attended a co-ed school, and though it was a bit embarrassing to admit, she was quite pretty herself.
But she had never received as much Pepero as Hana. How could someone get enough Pepero to build a tower? Maru had no choice but to confirm Hana’s unique ability. It wasn’t a strong, brainwashing-like suggestion, but Hana’s scent made people feel at ease and develop a fondness for her.
Otherwise, there was no reason for Hana to receive so much Pepero from so many boys in just half a year.
“Yeah. I thought about sharing them with the employees, but considering the thought behind it, I think I’ll eat them all myself!”
“It’ll take months to finish all of this.”
Hana was organizing the Pepero. Maru helped by stacking them neatly in a corner. If Hana ate one a day, it would take over a month to finish.
Of course, Hana might get tired of Pepero and end up sharing them with the employees before then.
