“Welcome to the land of dreams and fantasy!”
The staff warmly greeted our arrival. I got so excited that I started jumping around. We showed each other our all-access wristbands and chatted.
“This is so pretty!”
“Right? I’m not taking this bracelet off even when I get home!”
Jiyu and Yumi seemed to love their bracelets, looking at them from every angle. I was also admiring the bracelet on my right arm. It felt like it had been years since I last visited an amusement park. For regular adults without kids, going to an amusement park isn’t exactly easy. Sure, couples might go together, but it’s a bit lacking when it comes to going with friends.
Waiting 1-2 hours for a single ride was a given, and without the stamina of kids, we got tired quickly. The amusement park was ridiculously huge—bigger than a grand park.
“Everyone, focus!”
The teacher clapped her hands to grab our attention. Seeing the kids quiet down instantly, she smiled warmly and then gave us some instructions. When visiting places like amusement parks, the whole class doesn’t stick together; instead, we split into smaller groups with friends, which was more comfortable.
“Play in the amusement park until 6 PM, then meet back here! Don’t go outside the park, and keep your phones on with the ringer turned up!”
“Okay!”
“Then, have fun and enjoy yourselves!”
“Wooohooo!”
As soon as the teacher finished speaking, the kids scattered in all directions. Since there weren’t many of us, we blended into the crowd and disappeared. Compared to the massive number of people in the park, our class was like a handful of dust.
“Hana, let’s go ride some rides!”
“Okay!”
Jiyu, Yumi, and I decided to form a trio and enjoy the park to the fullest. I was determined to make the most of the day. If we’re at an amusement park, we might as well get our money’s worth.
“What should we ride first?”
I pulled out the park’s brochure and started scanning the map. It kindly displayed all the rides in the park. Jiyu and Yumi stuck close to me, looking at the map together. It felt like we were treasure hunters, except instead of treasure, we were hunting for rides.
“This one looks fun!”
I pointed at a roller coaster. If you’re at an amusement park, you *have* to ride a roller coaster, right? But contrary to my expectations, Jiyu and Yumi squinted at me.
“Why… why are you looking at me like that?”
I was baffled by their strange expressions. Jiyu and Yumi pointed at a warning I had missed.
“Look here, Hana.”
“Ahh!”
I noticed the red text: “Riders must be at least 140cm tall.” The words were emphasized in bold red.
“Why didn’t I see that?”
I was puzzled, but Yumi gave me an awkward smile.
“Jiyu and I barely make the cut, but Hana, you might not…”
“Ugh!”
I was 135cm, while Jiyu and Yumi were over 140cm. I didn’t expect to feel the height difference so acutely here. Thankfully, only the main roller coaster had the 140cm restriction; the others were fine.
“Ugh…”
But the main roller coaster is the real deal, right? Still, there’s no fighting reality. Wishing for a sudden growth spurt was unrealistic. Growing taller isn’t something that happens overnight—it takes months, if not years.
“How about we ride the bumper cars first?”
Jiyu suggested, noticing my gloomy mood. My ears perked up at her words. Bumper cars were fun too. I nodded in agreement.
“Let’s ride the bumper cars, guys!”
“Okay!”
Yumi also smiled brightly and nodded. Once the three of us agreed, nothing could stop us. We headed toward the bumper cars, following the map.
—
After completing a joint U.S.-South Korea military exercise, the battalion commander, who had tried Starlight Cherry Tomatoes, carefully wrote a report and submitted it to his superiors.
He wrote about the taste, calorie content, and how popular the food was in Korea. At the end, he emphasized the key points one more time.
[While rear units might not know, the frontlines…]
It is an absolute must to supply combat rations.
The advantages of Starlight Cherry Tomatoes had somewhat faded in modern society. In fact, sales were just so-so. Priced at 5,000 won, the main buyers were those who really didn’t have time to eat and patients.
Students tended to order other foods with cup noodles. Even then, it didn’t exceed 5,000 won. It was more efficient than eating cherry tomatoes. Of course, cherry tomatoes weren’t bad, but they lacked the fun of gourmet dining.
Office workers also made sure to have lunch. They preferred a hearty meal over eating cherry tomatoes. And many opted to eat the meals provided by their companies. Still, cherry tomatoes were quite popular in Korea.
However, if cherry tomatoes were in the military rather than modern society, their advantages would be maximized. Small size, incredibly light weight, and a huge amount of calories relative to their volume, easy storage, and decent taste.
The battalion commander’s report went all the way up to the minister. In the Korean military, it would have been impossible for a battalion commander’s report to reach the minister, but the U.S. was different. Unlike the rigid hierarchy of the Korean military, they had flexible thinking.
“Is this the cherry tomato being sold in Korea?”
“Yes. It’s quite popular in Korea, but not well-known overseas.”
“Why hasn’t such a good product been known until now?”
“I’m not sure of the exact reason, but they probably didn’t feel the need to promote it.”
“Why?”
“Perhaps they were focused on selling in Korea, and above all, this company handles many magical products. Originally a small company with annual sales of less than a few billion, they suddenly started handling many products, so cherry tomato promotion might have been slightly delayed.”
The aide added, “And I heard they’re struggling with production just to meet the supply for the Korean military.”
“Is that so? But Starlight Food sounds familiar…”
The minister felt a faint sense of déjà vu, though he shouldn’t have known about a small Korean company.
“It’s the company that makes Tangle, which you consume, sir.”
“Ah! That company? Why hasn’t such a company been known until now?”
The minister had a shiny bald head. Of course, now he lived with a full head of hair thanks to Tangle. The most thrilling day of his life was when his hair grew back after eating Tangle. It was even more exhilarating than becoming the Secretary of Defense.
“This year, they suddenly launched various products. Until last year, they were just a small company with a big name.”
“Is that so?”
The Secretary of Defense cautiously ate one Starlight Cherry Tomato. Seeing is believing, and experiencing the effect firsthand was the best way.
Within minutes, he felt as full as if he had eaten a hearty meal. He had been worrying about what to have for lunch, but that worry vanished. Now he was too full to eat anything else.
After tasting it and feeling its effects, the minister told his aide, “It’s far superior to our U.S. military rations.”
He felt like throwing all existing U.S. military rations on the ground, but given the many interests involved in military supply, even the minister couldn’t make such a decision lightly. However, he could decide to supply Starlight Cherry Tomatoes only to the front-line units.
Of course, it was less than 10% of the U.S. military’s combat rations, but the fact that it was being supplied to the U.S. military was merit enough.
Once introduced to the U.S. military, other countries’ armies would likely show interest. The U.S. military was the strongest in the world. It wasn’t called the “Land of the Free” for nothing. With a large population, the U.S. poured taxes into defense spending.
