Whoosh—
The sharp winter wind blew. It was so cold that even a slight brush against it made your legs tingle. But I didn’t care. Boss got me a puffy padded jacket, after all. They said it was made with some super fancy materials, but to me, it felt pretty much the same as any other jacket.
“Is it a little warmer?” That was the only difference I could notice. Honestly, it made sense. There’s not much difference between a crazy expensive jacket and a reasonably priced one. It’s not like it had a portable heater inside, Cyberpunk-style or something.
“It’s so cold! Hana!”
“Right?! It’s so hard to go home!”
Jiyu and Yumi were also shivering from the cold as they walked home from school. Seeing them like that, I held their hands. Since I was in the middle, it was the perfect move.
In my pocket was a warm hand warmer. Bora had given it to me this morning on the way to school. Luckily, since I kept it in my jacket pocket, it was still warm. If I’d left it outside, the freezing winter air would’ve cooled it down by now.
“Ooh, Hana’s pocket is so warm!”
“It’s super toasty!”
Jiyu and Yumi looked satisfied. I felt a little guilty enjoying this warmth alone, so it was a good move. They kept their hands in my pocket, and if anyone saw us, they’d probably wonder what we were doing.
Then, my sharp nose caught a delicious scent. I was drawn to it like a magnet.
“Ah, Hana, where are you going?!”
“Give us back the pocket!”
Jiyu and Yumi chased after me. I arrived at the source of the smell in a daze. It was a street vendor selling bungeoppang (fish-shaped pastries) and hotteok (sweet pancakes). My eyes sparkled as I stared at them. The desire to eat that moist, floury goodness was overwhelming. Luckily, I had cash in my wallet, so it was the perfect time to order.
“Jiyu, Yumi, do you want bungeoppang and hotteok?”
Of course, as the adult, it was my duty to treat the kids. When I said that, Jiyu and Yumi nodded enthusiastically. They must’ve wanted bungeoppang and hotteok too. Honestly, who doesn’t like bungeoppang and hotteok?
Sure, there might be a rare few who don’t, but most people love them. Sweet, delicious bungeoppang and hotteok—how could anyone dislike them? I grinned and pulled out my wallet, taking out a 10,000-won bill.
“Can I get 5,000 won worth of bungeoppang and 5,000 won worth of hotteok?”
“Sure, sure.”
When in doubt, half-and-half is the best. Even though prices are high these days, 10,000 won should be enough for the three of us to eat until we’re full. Or at least enough to fill our stomachs decently.
“I want cream-filled bungeoppang!”
“What…?!”
Jiyu said the one thing she shouldn’t have. Cream-filled bungeoppang? Unforgivable. The filling should always be red bean. If you bite into a bungeoppang and it’s not red bean, it’s just wrong.
“Me too, me too!”
“Ah…!”
No way. Yumi was a cream fan too?! I couldn’t help but feel betrayed. But what could I do? I couldn’t force them to eat red bean. Everyone’s tastes are different, after all. I wanted to convince them to try the red bean ones, but this time, I decided to let it slide.
“Here you go.”
The vendor handed me a white bag, and I carefully took it. Inside were steaming hot bungeoppang and hotteok. We found a bench nearby and sat down. The cold winter wind couldn’t stop us.
“Hana, thanks for the food!”
“Thanks for the food!”
Jiyu and Yumi said that as they grabbed their cream-filled bungeoppang. I, of course, took out the original red bean-filled one.
“Nom!”
I took a big bite. The heat of the bungeoppang spread through my mouth.
“Hot, hot!”
It was so hot I almost spat it out. But with unyielding willpower, I chewed it slowly. Red bean bungeoppang is the truth. I glanced to the side and saw Jiyu and Yumi happily eating their cream-filled ones.
Keeping up with the tastes of the MZ generation is tough. I finished my bungeoppang and moved on to the hotteok. The melted sugar inside was calling my name. I licked my lips in anticipation.
I took a bite of the hotteok, just like I did with the bungeoppang. The sweet sugar flavor filled my mouth. I smiled happily. Who knew something as simple as food could bring so much joy? Hotteok is the truth. Seeing me enjoy it, Jiyu and Yumi asked:
“Hana, is the hotteok good?”
“Yeah!”
I nodded enthusiastically. Then, I handed out hotteok to Jiyu and Yumi. Delicious things taste better when shared. Jiyu and Yumi also took a bite of the hotteok I gave them. Just as I expected, they were eating with happy smiles on their faces.
I thought this must be why they sell bungeoppang and hotteok in winter. There’s nothing better than eating warm bungeoppang and hotteok while facing the cold winter wind.
“It’s delicious!”
And just like that, we managed to finish all that bungeoppang and hotteok. Winter snacks are truly the best.
—
Moët Chandon and Starlight Food signed a contract. Moët Chandon agreed to share their wine-making technology with Starlight Food, and in return, Starlight Food would exclusively supply high-quality, delicious grapes to Moët Chandon.
Of course, this was only for the wine industry. They could still distribute grapes elsewhere. Currently, the production volume was less than half, so they could manage with just wine, but if production increased, they’d have to find other ways to use the surplus grapes.
Anyway, it was a good deal for both sides. Kim Sehee smiled contentedly. Ever since Hana arrived, it felt like only good things were happening. No, it wasn’t just a feeling—it was a fact. Since Hana came, they’d been creating helpful things in various ways. While Kim Sehee was killing time looking at Hana’s photo, she was startled by the sudden entrance of her secretary.
“Knock… knock before coming in!”
There were a lot of documents to sign, but Kim Sehee, caught slacking off, blushed and spoke while covering her cheeks. Looking at Hana’s photo made time fly. The secretary bowed his head and said,
“Sorry. It’s about Hana…”
“Hana?”
If it was about Hana, it was different. Did she get hurt or was there an accident? But with the artifact Hana had, getting hurt shouldn’t be possible…
“Hana just lost a tooth…”
“What?”
Kim Sehee jumped up and rushed to the floor where Hana lived. It didn’t take long. She just had to take the elevator from her office.
“Uhh…”
Hana was holding her cheek. Before figuring out what kind of plant was growing from her tooth, Kim Sehee had to get to Hana.
“Boss!”
“Hana!”
Hana jumped into Kim Sehee’s arms. Kim Sehee gently caught her. Hana always jumped into her arms when she saw her, so Kim Sehee had become a pro at catching her. Kim Sehee looked at Hana and asked,
“Did it hurt when your tooth fell out, Hana?”
“Nope… It just popped out!”
Hana opened her mouth wide to show the gap where her tooth had been. It looked like a molar. It might be uncomfortable eating rice from now on, but given Hana’s bizarre recovery speed, it might grow back in a week.
“Really? That’s a relief!”
Kim Sehee said while cradling Hana. Hana seemed to be getting lighter. Normally, as you grow, you should get heavier, right? It had been a year since she started carrying Hana, but there was no sign of her getting heavier. Could it be that Hana had stopped growing?
As much as she loved tiny Hana, it’s normal for people to grow naturally. A small Hana was cute, but living forever as a child probably wouldn’t be good for Hana.
And so, Kim Sehee played with Hana for a long time.
—
The sprout from Hana’s tooth grew at an incredible speed. Like bamboo shoots, it grew several centimeters a day, visibly noticeable. The identity of the fully grown plant was revealed.
“This is wheat, isn’t it?”
After rice, wheat made its appearance. Following the staple of East Asians, now the staple of Westerners had emerged.
