Drip drip.
I walked into the convenience store. The store had gotten much bigger than before. It used to be small, but since I complained there wasn’t much to eat, they expanded it, and now it’s about three times larger than before. It went from being a hole-in-the-wall shop to a level that even a supermarket wouldn’t scoff at.
The best part was that there was now a separate snack corner. All kinds of snacks were displayed, stimulating my appetite to the max. And the variety of beverages had also increased, giving me way more options. However, the alcohol section wasn’t blocked off to keep me out. But since the store employees knew me, even if I grabbed beer or soju, they’d never let me pay for it.
If I tried to use some fancy talk to trick the employee into letting me buy beer or soju, it wouldn’t work. The employee would directly call the office staff and ask, “Do you know Hana is buying beer or soju?” And then, without fail, someone from the office would come down and drag me away.
Of course, they’d never let me have the soju or beer! And I’d probably get a spanking for trying to buy adult drinks without permission. So, I didn’t even glance at the alcohol section. I just grabbed a basket and wandered around.
Lately, snacks were tasty, but chocolate was what I craved the most. I picked out some fancy chocolate made by a master chocolatier and, with a smile, grabbed some other snacks too. I didn’t want to buy too much because carrying it all would be a hassle, so I only bought what I could fit in my bag.
Once my basket was reasonably full, I placed it on the counter. *Thud!* The weight of the basket made me realize I’d picked out a lot again today.
“Please ring me up!”
As I said that, the employee picked up the basket and gently placed it on the counter. Then, with a smile, they said to me:
“Hana, you didn’t put any beer or soju in there today, right?”
Ugh, just because I bought beer once, now I’m treated like a repeat offender! I only had one can of beer… But since the fact that I bought beer couldn’t be erased, I said:
“I’m not going to drink alcohol anymore!”
“Really?”
*Beep beep—*
While we chatted, the employee started scanning the barcodes of the snacks and drinks I’d picked. The sound of the barcode scanner was like a lullaby, so soothing. With each beep, my mood got better and better. Snacks and drinks are truly the best.
Then, something caught my eye. A black machine with a big advertisement in front that said, “Delicious Soft Serve!” I really wanted some soft serve, so I told the employee:
“One soft serve, please!”
“Sure! I’ll give you a big one!”
With one hand holding the basket and the other holding the soft serve, it was the perfect balance. As I left the store, I was grinning from ear to ear. I felt like I was on cloud nine after achieving my goal. But as I ran through the lobby, I slipped on the slippery floor.
“Ouch!”
I couldn’t help but scream. If the soft serve had just fallen on the floor, I could’ve bought another one, but now my soft serve had landed on some man’s pants. With a fearful heart, I looked up.
It was a middle-aged man with a slightly receding hairline. But judging by his outfit, it looked like he had something important to do. He was dressed impeccably from head to toe, and now my soft serve was smeared on his pants. I was too panicked to say anything because it was 100% my fault.
I was sprawled on the floor, unable to get up, when the man reached out and helped me to my feet. Then, he looked me in the eye and asked:
“Kid, are you hurt?”
He checked me over to make sure I wasn’t injured. Luckily, thanks to my fluffy dinosaur pajamas, aside from a scraped knee, I seemed fine. A small silver lining.
“I… I’m so sorry…”
I felt like crying. How could I make such a childish mistake? And not just any mistake—this was something even a kid wouldn’t do. Who trips and falls because they couldn’t contain their excitement over soft serve? I was a disgrace to adulthood.
“No, it’s my fault for being in your way. Are your parents around?”
Even though his pants were now covered in chocolate soft serve, the middle-aged man seemed more concerned about me. If it were me, I might’ve been mad at the kid who ruined my pants, but he seemed like a really caring adult.
“This… this is my home…”
“Huh?”
Just then, Maru came running from somewhere. She must’ve run from far away because her face was slightly red. If this building had been hotter, she probably would’ve been drenched in sweat.
“Hana, are you okay?”
I hugged Maru tightly. Maybe if I stayed in the room…
It seemed like they came running here because I wasn’t in the room. If I wasn’t in the room, there was nowhere else to go except the convenience store or the backyard.
“Ah, are you the guardian?”
The middle-aged man spoke while looking at Maru. He seemed convinced that Maru was indeed my guardian. Maru looked at the man with an apologetic expression and said,
“Oh my, I’m so sorry. Hana must’ve made a mistake. I’ll cover the laundry costs…”
However, the middle-aged man laughed heartily and said,
“No, no! Kids make mistakes all the time! What’s more important is that the child isn’t hurt. Pants can always be washed, right?”
“Then at least let me give you something to wipe it off.”
Maru quickly disappeared somewhere. I subtly checked the man’s expression. It was clear that I was the one who messed up. I bowed my head again and asked for forgiveness. It was a polite apology, the kind you wouldn’t expect from a child.
“Oh my, you’re such a well-mannered and kind child, aren’t you?”
The man waved his hand dismissively, telling me there was no need to feel sorry anymore. But looking at the state of his pants, it didn’t seem like they were in great condition…
As Maru handed him a towel, the man casually wiped off the ice cream stains on his pants and then coolly disappeared. There are many buyers who come and go from our research institute, and I wondered if that man was one of them. I decided to tell Boss Sehee about what happened today when she arrives.
Boss Sehee is coming for some contract, but honestly, Starlight Food could handle it. She said she wanted to see me, so she’s doing the contract here.
And that man was such a rare, kind soul in today’s world!
————————————–
Kim Youngcheol, the boss of Youngcheol Distribution, prepared himself for a business trip today. His destination was the Starlight Research Institute. He left home to connect the food products made by Starlight Food to the companies that needed them.
Considering the value of the billions-worth of goods, today’s contract had to be finalized no matter what. While there are many alternative companies to Youngcheol Distribution, the food products sold by Starlight Food could only be made by Starlight Food.
However, upon arriving at the research institute, a child wearing dinosaur pajamas tripped and got soft-serve ice cream on Kim Youngcheol’s pants. Kim Youngcheol thought of it as a stroke of bad luck before an important contract. He also thought of his granddaughter, who was about the same age as this child. So, he calmly reassured the child and handed them over to their guardian.
But he couldn’t understand why the child said the research institute was their home. Why would this be their home? It was hard to imagine living and eating in this building.
With his mind focused, he took the elevator to the 10th floor for today’s negotiation. As the elevator doors opened, an unexpected scene greeted him. The girl who had earlier spilled the ice cream was there. And so was Kim Sehee, playing with her.
At that moment, Kim Youngcheol felt a chill run down his spine. He couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened if he had gotten angry at the child. After all, she was like a daughter to Kim Sehee, who was now laughing and playing with her.
———————————–
“Hana’s a bit of a troublemaker, isn’t she?”
“Ah… no, Boss.”
Kim Youngcheol was sweating profusely as he spoke. The contract had already been reviewed, and Kim Sehee was only talking about Hana. It was as if she couldn’t live without Hana.
“I’m so grateful you handled Hana’s mistake so well.”
“!”
That day, Kim Youngcheol managed to secure the contract under really favorable terms. It’s true that good deeds bring good rewards.
He couldn’t understand just how precious Hana was to warrant so much attention. But from Kim Youngcheol’s perspective, that child was an angel. After all, she helped him secure such a great contract.
If he had chased her away or gotten angry? The contract would’ve likely gone down the drain.
Thinking about that sent a shiver down his spine.
