“Hana!!!”
I stopped doing my homework and ran outside when I heard a familiar voice. Homework could wait.
“Boss!!!”
Kim Sehee had arrived, and her hands were full of delicious snacks. That was one of the reasons I liked the boss. Every time she came, she brought gifts! And only the snacks I liked!
Of course, Bora didn’t stop me from buying snacks or food, but still, I felt a little self-conscious. However, the snacks the boss brought were so thoughtful that I had to finish every last bit. I giggled as I held the snacks the boss brought.
“Hana! It’s been a while, let me give you a hug!”
“Okay!”
I snuggled into the boss’s arms. She lifted me up and planted her face on the top of my head. My school friends and the office employees always said I smelled nice, but I couldn’t smell anything on myself.
Maybe it’s because I’m the one emitting the smell. Like how skunks can’t smell their own stink. Maybe I’m similar. People who emit smells usually can’t smell themselves.
“Hana, did you miss me?”
The boss pinched my cheek as she spoke. Lately, she kept asking me to call her “unnie,” which was pretty shameless considering our age difference. She should be grateful I didn’t call her “auntie.” But since she said it out of affection, I sometimes called her “unnie” when I was in a good mood.
And when I did, she’d happily pat my head. Good words lead to good results, after all.
“I missed you!”
“Right!?”
With that, Kim Sehee put me down and went inside the office to greet the employees. It wasn’t common to see the boss of a major company greeting her research institute employees like this, but here, it was a regular sight.
“Take good care of Hana… and…”
“If you ever visit our company… I’ll promise you a good position…”
I overheard what sounded like a conversation I shouldn’t have, but it didn’t matter. Because I was the boss! No one could stop me! Well, except when Bora got angry…
After a while, the boss finished greeting the employees and came back. I handed her my prized strawberries. I knew she hadn’t tried them since it had been a while, so I wanted her to give them a try.
The office employees had already eaten their fill, so their reactions weren’t as enthusiastic as the first time, which made it less fun to watch. Though they still said it was delicious and ate a lot.
“Straw…berries?”
“Yes! I grew them myself!”
“Really? Then I have to try them!”
With that, the boss popped a strawberry into her mouth. She chewed a few times, then her eyes widened.
“Hana, you’ve been hiding such delicious strawberries?”
“I can give you enough to make your stomach burst!”
“But where are you growing these…?”
Ah, the boss didn’t know about the garden yet. I grabbed her hand and led her to the garden. The boss, now obsessed with the strawberries, kept marveling as she ate.
I showed her my private garden behind the building. The boss clapped and praised me.
“Hana, you’re amazing~ You’re tending to the garden all by yourself?”
“Not really! The employees help sometimes.”
Whenever the employees helped, I gave them a bunch of strawberries. I didn’t grow enough to sell, but it wasn’t too little to share with them.
“Boss, do you want more? The strawberries are really delicious!”
“Really? Can I share them with my friends?”
“Sure!”
As I rolled up my sleeves to start harvesting, the boss picked me up and said, “Leave this to me~ I’ll call the employees.”
“But… it’s fun to pick them myself!”
“Hana, you should play with me!”
With that, the boss dragged me back to my room. I waved my arms, bidding farewell to the garden.
—
Due to the recent typhoon, many livestock farms suffered significant damage. Cows were swept away by the flood, and barns collapsed under the continuous rain. Fortunately, the Choi family’s farm suffered relatively less damage.
The Choi family had built their barn sturdy to withstand typhoons, and since it was newly constructed…
There were some that hadn’t been around for long. Still, a few cows got swept away by the river.
When they heard the news that the neighboring farm’s barn had completely collapsed, wiping out all the cows, Mr. Choi and his son patted their chests in relief, praising their decision to renovate their own barn. If they hadn’t, they would’ve ended up just like their neighbors.
Father and son worked day and night without rest. By the time they had somewhat recovered from the typhoon damage, the father spoke to his son.
“Son, have you heard of Starlight Food?”
“Starlight Food? I know Starlight Guild, but Starlight Food doesn’t ring a bell.”
“Anyway, I heard they grow rice there, and it’s supposedly very special. The grains are huge and sturdy, and they didn’t suffer any damage from the typhoon.”
“Really?”
“And I heard all the crops sold by Starlight Food have incredible effects.”
The son could guess where his father was going with this. Mentioning rice obviously meant there was a byproduct, right?
“I’m planning to buy their rice straw silage. The government’s even giving subsidies, so how great is that?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to just stick with regular feed, Dad?”
“Let’s try the silage first and then decide, son. If the rice can withstand a typhoon, imagine how good the silage must be.”
“Well, I don’t have a reason to oppose it then. Let’s just buy a month’s worth for now. No point in bulk buying and regretting it later.”
The Choi farm bought a month’s supply of rice straw silage from Starlight Food. The son was surprised to learn that Starlight Food even sold silage. He thought they only made snacks or instant foods, but they were even involved in farming.
Turns out, they sold cherry tomatoes, coffee, and other everyday food items. They even had the Starlight Green Tea that the son often enjoyed.
“So this is also made by Starlight Food.”
After organizing the silage delivered by the truck, the son sipped Starlight Green Tea with his father. The tea’s deep aroma and subtle flavor were so good that he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Now *this* is green tea!”
Of course, it was expensive, so they only drank 1-2 cups a day. Even though the Choi farm was doing well, the tea’s price was still on the higher side. But the taste and aroma made it worth it. They weren’t struggling to the point of worrying about tea prices, after all.
Out in the field, the father opened a bale of silage and marveled.
“Son, look at the color of this rice straw. It’s shining like it’s been coated in gold! The cows are gonna love this.”
“You’re right. It’s completely different from the silage we bought before.”
The son could tell this silage was something special. It looked dense and rich, perfect for the cows. The quality of Starlight Food’s silage was truly impressive.
Father and son carried the straw to the cows’ feeding trough and poured it in. The cows sniffed it once, then immediately stuck out their tongues and started eating eagerly.
The cows devoured the straw like they hadn’t eaten all day. With the previous silage, they’d hesitate and chew slowly, but this time was different.
With hundreds of cows to feed, filling the troughs took all day. But seeing the cows eat so well made all the exhaustion melt away.
“They’re eating so well, Dad.”
“I know, I didn’t expect them to go at it like this.”
The cows, now full, began to chew their cud. Watching them, the Choi family smiled contentedly and headed back home. The cows would be chewing for the next 6-9 hours, so it was time for the tired farmers to fill their own hungry stomachs.
