Kim Sehee thought again. If it was rice, there were endless ways to utilize it. Why had she only focused on eating it as rice? There were so many things you could make with rice.
Starting with alcohol, various rice cakes, and even tteok, these delicious foods could be made. Of course, she couldn’t produce enough for the entire nation, but even if only 10% of the population ate it, that would still be 5 million people.
The monthly sales of green tea alone were around 70 billion won, and coffee had already surpassed 100 billion won this month. As for cherry tomatoes, after securing a military supply contract, the demand was so high that they were making about 50 billion won a month. Just selling these three items, they were already boasting monthly sales of 2.2 trillion won.
If they kept selling at this rate, they would become a food company with annual sales of about 2.6 trillion won. Considering the top domestic food company had sales exceeding 3 trillion won, Starlight Food’s sales were nothing to scoff at.
Unlike green tea, which had limited quantities, coffee and cherry tomatoes were only going to see increased sales. It wasn’t far-fetched to think they could snatch the title of the top domestic food company. And maybe because of the name “Starlight Guild,” no other companies were causing trouble in the middle.
Or maybe her older brothers were protecting her company behind the scenes. Kim Sehee wasn’t on bad terms with her brothers, and their businesses didn’t overlap.
“Thanks to Hana, we’re making money so easily it’s like swimming with the ground beneath our feet. It doesn’t make sense not to make more!”
Kim Sehee’s passion was ignited. She felt as energetic as when she first took over the company. She decided to create a plan to make and sell various rice-based foods in the market.
—
“A typhoon is coming?”
Bora, Haru, and Maru responded as if they had heard something unexpected. Manager Kim Jaeman chuckled as he spoke.
“Well, if gates can open in the sky, it’s not impossible for a typhoon to come in April, right?”
“That’s true.”
Still, typhoons usually concentrated between July and September. But looking at the weather lately, it was warm enough for a typhoon. Maybe it was due to global warming.
“According to the information our Starlight Guild has, a pretty strong typhoon is coming. Don’t forget to prepare thoroughly.”
If the typhoon was strong, they could switch to remote work and not come to the office, but this office was an exception. Because of Hana. Leaving Hana alone could lead to who knows what.
And leaving a girl alone in this big building during a strong typhoon was also a concern. Of course, the building wasn’t completely empty, but Hana, who was already easily scared, might cry or make a fuss if left alone.
“There might be a power outage, so check the generator, and stock up on food for Hana. Don’t forget the gas burner and butane gas.”
“Do we really need to prepare that much, Manager?”
Bora asked. Typhoons usually passed quickly, lasting only half a day. Of course, Bora didn’t mind staying on duty because of Hana, but Manager Kim Jaeman’s over-preparation seemed excessive.
“The weather agency said the spring typhoon is unusual, so it’s not bad to prepare thoroughly.”
Kim Jaeman looked at the glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs stuck all over the office. Hana had come to the office, stuck glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs on the walls, and ran away, so one side of the office wall was filled with colorful glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs.
When the office lights were turned off, the dinosaurs glowed, creating a spectacular sight. Of course, they could have removed them, but they didn’t want to upset Hana.
“And preparing thoroughly doesn’t hurt, right?”
“Yes! We’ll do as you say, Manager.”
After all, being as careful as possible wouldn’t hurt. Everyone scattered to prepare for the upcoming typhoon.
—
Whoooosh
The sound of wind echoed outside. The wind was so strong that it felt like the building was shaking.
I was inside my safe home, looking out the window. Outside, people were hurriedly rushing into buildings. The weather agency must have been issuing typhoon warnings, but people were still walking around.
Seeing that, it seemed like they weren’t scared at all.
Anyway, on days like this when a typhoon is blowing, it’s better to stay holed up at home and watch TV. I turned on the TV and was eagerly watching an animation. It wasn’t *Little Magician Lumi* but a different one.
While I was engrossed in watching, Bora came into my room.
“Hana, if anything comes up, come to the office, okay?”
At Bora’s words, I nodded and said I understood. It’s not like I’m an elementary school kid who’s too scared to go outside because of a typhoon.
Bora seemed overly worried about me. Every time she looked at me, it felt like she was staring at a child left by the water’s edge.
*Whoooosh*
Heavy rain started pouring outside the building. I stopped watching the animation and just blankly stared at the outside scenery. Somehow, it didn’t seem like this typhoon would end easily. Unlike what the weather forecast reported, it felt like it would cause massive damage to our country.
First of all, it was already unusual for a typhoon to come in spring. I prayed that this typhoon would pass without much trouble. I hoped that as few people as possible would be harmed by it. Of course, it’s nearly impossible for no one to be affected, but I wished for minimal damage at least.
—
*Whoooosh!*
Outside, the sharp sound of wind echoed loudly. Maru was securing the windows to prepare for the typhoon. These days, it’s said that fixing the windows to the frames is more effective against typhoons than using tape or newspapers.
Since it’s a small studio apartment, there weren’t many windows. Until last month, Maru, who was unemployed, had no reason to live in a big house. Now, she’s saving money to get a place closer to the company.
The sound of sand grains hitting the windows kept echoing. Maru, feeling uneasy, prepared thoroughly for the typhoon. She prepared so thoroughly that it was almost on par with Hana’s level. The seniors watching her even said, “Do you really need to go that far…?”
But Maru was the newest of the newbies! And there’s no harm in being prepared, so she went all out.
While she was preparing, an alarm sounded from Maru’s phone.
[Due to the typhoon warning issued in Seoul, today’s work will be replaced with remote work.]
“Wow!”
Among all the bad news, this was incredibly good news. Maru felt a bit guilty because, compared to her salary, she didn’t have much to do at the company. So, she always gave her best in everything. She even wondered if she should wear formal attire for this remote work.
Her first remote work ever! It felt kind of exciting. Considering the salary and bonuses from the Starlight Research Institute, she thought she should brave the storm and go to work, but when the company sends a message like this, what can you do?
Maru giggled and prepared for remote work. She connected to the company network, got ready to work, and secretly prepared some snacks to munch on. Of course, she adjusted the angle so it wouldn’t show on the laptop camera.
It’s not like eating snacks during remote work is any different from eating them at the research institute.
“Oh right!”
Maru took out her phone and made a call. The call was to Hana.
“Hana!”
[Yeah, Maru! What’s up?]
“Just checking if you’re okay… If you’re scared, tell Senior Bora! Don’t run off anywhere!”
[Maru, I’m in 3rd grade. I’m old enough to know these things.]
“Oh… really?”
Hana’s actions do match a 3rd grader, but is it okay to say that? Anyway, Maru felt relieved knowing Hana wasn’t trembling in fear and could prepare for work with ease.
