Vroom-vroom—
As expected of an expensive car, it was making a very luxurious engine sound. Of course, I didn’t know much about car engines, but I could tell that making an engine this quiet and noise-free required more than just a decent amount of money. It must’ve taken some seriously impressive technology. Otherwise, we’d all be driving cars that sound like tractors.
“Whoa!”
“We’re here!”
We said as we got out of the car. A huge building came into view. It was rumored to be the largest ice rink in Seoul. I knew it as Starlight World, a place designed like a theme park.
It was famous for offering a variety of seasonal events. Rumor had it that it was even better than most overseas theme parks. The power of the Starlight Group was truly something. We were all just staring in awe. Seeing us like this, Maru spoke up.
“Hey, let’s go!”
“Okay!”
We trailed behind Maru like ducklings. Since we didn’t know anything about this place, we had no choice but to follow her silently. If we didn’t stick close to Maru, we could easily get lost in this massive place. Even the parking lot alone was as big as a soccer field.
Of course, Maru was also worried we might wander off, so she stayed close to us. And for some reason, she seemed to pay extra attention to me. Sure, I’m more curious than Jiyu and Yumi, but I’m not the type to get lost wandering around… I looked at Maru and said,
“Maru, you don’t have to hold my hand…”
“I’m holding it because I’m worried you’ll go somewhere else! Last time, you wandered off on your own, remember?”
“Uh… that…”
When Maru hit me with that truth, I had nothing to say. Like she said, last time at the department store, I got distracted by some shiny accessories and lost Maru. Of course, I had my mobile phone, so I found her again quickly.
But if mobile phones didn’t exist, I would’ve been a goner for sure. I’d have been picked up by some staff and taken to the lost and found. I’m glad that didn’t happen, but it still annoyed me how she treated me like a little kid.
I puffed up my cheeks and glared at Maru. But Maru didn’t seem fazed by my threatening stance. In fact, she even smiled at me. Here I was, putting my whole body into looking intimidating, and this was her reaction?!
“Ugh!”
I let out a frustrated sound, but Jiyu and Yumi weren’t having it. I had no choice but to let Maru hold my hand and walk like a little kid.
As we walked toward the building, I noticed Maru heading in a strange direction. The entrance was clearly over there, but Maru was walking somewhere else. Did she not see the crowd at the entrance? I spoke up.
“Maru, isn’t the entrance over there?”
Jiyu and Yumi seemed to notice something was off too and chimed in.
“Yeah, unnie!”
Maru, seeing our reactions, slowly explained. Very casually.
“That entrance is too crowded. There’s a separate entrance for VIPs. We’re going there.”
“Ah, I see…”
It was like at an amusement park, where VIP pass holders could skip the lines and hop on any ride they wanted. There were two lines: one for regular pass holders and another for those with premium passes that cost hundreds of thousands of won.
Those with premium passes could ride anything without waiting. I knew because I’d used one before. Of course, I couldn’t ride the big roller coaster because I was too short, but I understood the convenience.
“Shall we go then?”
Maru led us to a small entrance. It was in a spot you’d never notice unless you were looking for it. A burly security guard stood blocking the entrance, making it seem like an impenetrable fortress.
I grabbed Maru’s sleeve, swallowing nervously as I watched her actions. What if we couldn’t get through?
—
Meanwhile, Kim Sehee was busy doing something in the CEO office. Since she was the only one there…
I could tell she was working hard on something. Kim Sehee was busy sorting out a photo she had taken last time and putting it into an album.
“Hmm…”
Something about the photo didn’t sit right with her. Kim Sehee took the photo out of the album. She liked the photo itself, but her own stiff posture in it was just… not it. Why did she have to stand so awkwardly?
She started picking out another photo. In a way, this felt more important than company work. The executives handled most of the company stuff anyway, so there wasn’t much for Kim Sehee to do. Sure, in dramas, bosses are always shown working their butts off, but let’s be real—that’s all lies.
Of course, there might be bosses out there who work hard. Sadly, Kim Sehee wasn’t one of them. She was more of a “just enough” kind of boss. If she suddenly started working hard, it’d probably unleash hell on her employees.
When the higher-ups go all out, it’s the lower-level folks who have to clean up the mess. Luckily, Starlight Food hired a lot of employees, so the workload on each person wasn’t too bad.
Companies these days are always trying to figure out how to make two people do the work of three, or even one person do it all. It’s like their daily mantra.
When running a business, there’s not much to cut costs on besides labor. Cutting material costs? Quality drops, and customers bail. That leads to a sales slump. Cutting other expenses? Doesn’t make sense either.
They’ve already cut costs to the extreme. Cutting more might just break everything. So, the easiest target is labor costs. Paying minimum wage isn’t enough—now they want one person to do the work of three. That’s just how companies roll these days.
Kim Sehee didn’t really think that way. The company was making good money, and more importantly, Hana didn’t want that. So, at Starlight Food, three people did the work of three. Heck, they were even planning to hire a fourth.
The more people working at Starlight Food, the better it was for the Starlight Group. Good conditions create loyal employees. Treat people like dogs, and they won’t stick around. That’s just the truth.
That’s why Starlight Food had one of the lowest turnover rates compared to other companies. Word got around that it was a good place to work, so they got plenty of applicants and very few people leaving. It was practically an ideal company—worthy of a government award.
They paid well, gave out generous bonuses, and the work wasn’t overly complicated. Farming isn’t easy, but compared to fast-changing modern industries, it’s pretty static.
Farming doesn’t require some crazy technology or massive effort. You just plant something in the ground, and it grows strong on its own. No extra labor needed.
Plus, the crops Starlight Food grew had some unique abilities, so they never fell behind in competition. If anything, Starlight Food had a bright future ahead. It wasn’t some failing company—it had the potential to dominate globally.
Anyway, the employees probably thought highly of Starlight Food.
“I miss Hana…”
Of course, Kim Sehee had no idea what the employees were thinking. Her mind was occupied with just one thing.
Hana had gone to the ice rink, and Kim Sehee couldn’t help but want to follow.
