Chapter 256

Kim Yeon-woo was an elementary school teacher. She was currently in charge of Class 1, Grade 3 at Starlight Elementary School.

“Oh my, you must have worked hard teaching the kids how to make bread.”

She had stepped out of the classroom for a moment to chat with the baker. These little small talks were the lubricant for smooth social interactions.

The baker, hearing Yeon-woo’s words, responded as if it was nothing.

“No, it’s fine. I actually enjoy teaching the kids. Feel free to call me often.”

From Yeon-woo’s perspective, the baker, who was skilled enough to teach bread-making for free as a talent donation, was a truly remarkable person. She thought to herself that if she were asked to teach kids without pay like him, she probably couldn’t do it. Of course, that would never happen.

So, Yeon-woo and the baker were sharing a beverage and chatting in the lounge, far from the classroom. The baker, curious, asked Yeon-woo,

“By the way, do you have an air freshener in the classroom?”

“Huh?”

Yeon-woo opened her eyes wide, reacting as if she didn’t understand what he was saying.

“The scent in that classroom is so nice… I wanted to ask what kind of air freshener you use.”

“Oh, that?”

Yeon-woo realized what scent the baker was referring to. She repeated a phrase she often used, like a recorder.

“There’s a kid named Hana, and it’s said to be her ability. It’s something Hana has had since birth, like hunters.”

“Ah, you mean the kid with the green hair, right?”

Hana’s hair color was so unique that the baker had a strong impression of her. She was also cute and very pretty, so he had high hopes for her future. After all, people with outstanding looks usually show potential from a young age.

“Yes. And you wouldn’t believe how good she is at studying. She seems really smart. She must study hard at home.”

Of course, he had no idea that Hana spent her time at home watching movies and variety shows like a jobless person. Her high grades were entirely due to her being an adult.

“Shall we head back to the classroom? You can say a few words to the kids and then leave.”

“Okay, got it.”

And so, the two women made their way to the classroom where the kids were waiting. The kids were probably eating pizza bread, so they just needed to wrap things up for the day.

However, as they approached the classroom, an inexplicable sense of unease crept in. The voices of the kids chattering noisily could be heard from inside. She could understand the noise to some extent since she used to chatter too when her teachers left the room during her student days.

But when she opened the door, she was greeted by the sight of white powder flying around the classroom. Yeon-woo was momentarily stunned but quickly regained her composure.

“Stop it!”

As Yeon-woo shouted and entered the classroom, the kids playing with flour quickly returned to their seats. Seeing the flour scattered on the floor and in the air, Yeon-woo couldn’t help but sigh. Kids really were little troublemakers who caused accidents the moment you took your eyes off them.

——————————–

The baker left without saying much, given the chaotic situation. Yeon-woo scolded the kids loudly. The main culprits of this ruckus were bowing their heads, aware of their mistakes.

Jiyu had some flour on her, but not too much. However, Hana had flour all over her face, as if she had smashed a cake into it. It looked like she had celebrated a birthday. Yeon-woo almost laughed at the bizarre sight but held it back with superhuman patience.

Then, with a stern expression, she said,

“Did you throw flour on your friend’s face?”

“Sorry… sorry, Teacher.”

Jiyu bowed her head, looking ashamed like a criminal. Hana beside her also bowed her head.

“These troublemakers.”

Yeon-woo pinched the cheeks of the two main troublemakers as she spoke.

“Owwweee…”

“Eek!”

The two returned to their seats after being pinched by Yeon-woo.

“Let’s clean up!”

Since the damage was already done, Yeon-woo did her best to clean up the mess. She led the kids in cleaning up the classroom, which had turned into a disaster zone.

——————————————

“Hey, this is really good!”

A man holding a bottle of Starlight Wine said. He had bought it after hearing his junior’s recommendation and found it quite good.

“Right? I tried it last time after buying it from the convenience store, and it was really tasty. I like wine, so I’ve tried various kinds, but for this price range, it’s exceptional…”

“Starlight Wine is the bomb.”

“Yeah?”

The man looked around at the wine bottle. The price was pretty steep. A bottle of alcohol cost 15,000 won. Of course, the prices of soju and beer had also gone up, so he didn’t pay much attention. The prices of alcohol at restaurants were always beyond imagination.

The price of soju or beer you could buy at a restaurant was probably about four times what you’d pay at a supermarket. Of course, it was understandable that they charged more to cover rent and other expenses, but lately, it seemed like those prices were crossing the line.

Right now, the price of beer at this restaurant was 8,000 won. For a college student’s wallet, that was quite a burden.

“Should we order another bottle?”

The man looked at the woman and spoke. She nodded in agreement at her senior’s words. The taste of Starlight Wine was so outstanding that it made other drinks seem like mere sidekicks.

And so, the two of them drank and partied all night. Of course, the final destination was a motel.

—

Karasushi’s entrepreneur, Tanaka, had been staying in Korea a lot lately. He had no choice. The Starlight Rice he discovered was selling like hotcakes. So, these days, he often found himself checking the news about Korea.

While reading a newspaper translated into Japanese, Tanaka received some good news on his phone.

The sales of stores that had introduced Starlight Rice had nearly doubled compared to those that hadn’t. This statistic would serve as strong evidence at the board meeting that they should use Starlight Rice.

The adoption of Starlight Rice had been slower than Tanaka expected. The relationship between Korea and Japan wasn’t great, after all. While the younger generation might not care much, the key players in the company were still people in their 40s and 50s. In Korean terms, they were old-fashioned, stuck in their ways.

“Even if we introduced it to all stores right now, it wouldn’t be enough…”

Tanaka remembered one person who had vehemently opposed it. Of course, if it benefited the company, they would quickly shut up and disappear.

Tanaka had a pretty open mindset. If it benefited the company, he didn’t let emotions get in the way. As he fiddled with his phone, an email arrived from Starlight Food.

They said a new product had come out and wanted to meet at the Starlight Research Institute. Tanaka, being in a position of power, immediately sent a message saying he’d come. Of course, he had his interpreter carefully and politely send it.

—

“Is this the Starlight Research Institute?”

Tanaka said as he got out of the car. He usually handled business at the Starlight Food Building, but today they wanted to meet at the research institute. He wondered what they were going to say. As Tanaka tried to enter the building, he noticed the security was extremely tight. It was like the security in a top-secret area.

“Where are you from?”

It wasn’t an old security guard, but a young, muscular one who looked like he could compete in a fitness competition. Tanaka didn’t speak Korean, so his interpreter explained to the guard.

“Ah, we’re here from Karasushi for business with Starlight Food, and here…”

The interpreter explained this and that. Fortunately, Kim Sehee had already given the heads-up, so there was no problem getting in. Tanaka’s group passed through a metal detector that looked just like the ones at the airport.

“This is way more secure than our headquarters.”

Tanaka said, recalling Karasushi’s headquarters. After straightening his clothes, he entered the building. He wondered why the building was surrounded by walls like a military base. It was just a building standing there. Tanaka was curious if there was really something worth guarding this tightly. He wondered if the research institute had been hit hard by industrial spies.

And calling it a research institute felt a bit off. Tanaka didn’t know, but the original research institute had been moved a long time ago due to issues with the previous gate.