The interior renovation and construction of the cafeteria are pretty much done. Compared to the old cafeteria, it’s on a whole different level now.
There were patterns that catered to children’s tastes, and of course, Hana’s favorite dinosaurs weren’t left out. I even thought about adding the character of the little magician Lumi, but that seemed like going too far, so I stopped.
The people who worked in the cafeteria got a salary raise and then got rehired. Since they were contract workers, Kim Sehee boldly switched them to full-time employees to boost their work motivation. These are the people who make Hana’s meals—if they’re not treated well, it wouldn’t look good.
And she wanted to be a caring boss to Hana. She didn’t want to become the kind of boss who squeezes people dry just to increase sales. Hana didn’t like that kind of thing either.
However, they did rehire a nutritionist and a chef to assist them.
—
“Are you here for the interview?”
A middle-aged man in his early 40s cautiously entered the room. His sturdy build and the scars on his hands showed that he had been in the culinary industry for a long time.
“Yes, my name is Kang Taek-gu.”
The interviewer smiled warmly and said, “Please have a seat here.”
Kang Taek-gu, following the interviewer’s words, sat down stiffly, clearly a bit nervous. Honestly, at his age, he should have been the one conducting interviews, not the one being interviewed. But society is cold.
The interviewer, looking at his resume, soon smiled and said, “Is everything on here true?”
“Yes, every word is true.”
The interviewer nodded and said, “You’ve worked at a 5-star hotel for over 15 years, and you have certifications in Korean, Chinese, and Western cuisine.”
“Yes, that’s my humble experience.”
“If this is humble, then there’s no one in the culinary industry with a good resume.”
The interview atmosphere was warm. It wasn’t a high-pressure interview, and since they were hiring someone with extensive experience, they already knew what to expect.
“By the way, is there a reason you left your previous hotel?”
Kang Taek-gu answered honestly, “I have a child now, and the salary at the previous hotel just wasn’t enough, so I applied for the nutritionist position here.”
Originally, nutritionists didn’t earn much. But this time, Kim Sehee’s input led to an unprecedented salary offer—70 million won for a private school nutritionist.
However, the conditions were just as strict. Not only did you need over 10 years of cooking experience, but there were other requirements too. But even with these conditions, the salary was undeniably high. That’s why there were so many applicants.
Even Kang Taek-gu had to rub his eyes and look again when he saw the job posting. After 15 years at a 5-star hotel, his salary hadn’t even reached 40 million. The culinary industry’s pay was notoriously low. Unless you made it big, it was tough to make a living.
“Do you like children?”
“There are many children who love this food…”
The interview was going well. Kang Taek-gu felt good talking to the interviewer.
And just like that, Kang Taek-gu finished the interview and received the acceptance notice.
—
After receiving the acceptance notice, Kang Taek-gu started working at Starlight Elementary School. During his break, he studied hard to prepare for his role as a school nutritionist.
As he entered the school gate, burly security guards stopped him. These weren’t your typical elderly guards from some quiet facility. These were muscular guards who could easily pass as professional fighters. They were probably around his son’s age, which made him a bit nervous.
“Do you have your ID or employee card?”
Kang Taek-gu showed the employee card he had prepared. The guard compared the photo to Kang Taek-gu, scanned it, and handed it back.
“From now on, just scan your card here when you come to work.”
“Yes… yes!”
While the children around him passed through the gate with bright smiles, the adults all went through strict identity checks. Kang Taek-gu felt a bit overwhelmed right from the start of his workday.
—
“Ugh…!”
Today, I woke up again in a dark room. I usually wake up before 7, but now it’s different. Since the school is close, waking up at 8 is enough. School starts at 9.
Back in high school, we had zero period, so we had to be at school by 8, but elementary school doesn’t have that, so it’s much more relaxed. And…
Even if I went to school by 8, there was nothing to do, so I just ended up face-planting on my desk and sleeping.
“It’s 7 o’clock…”
After checking the time on my mobile phone, I smiled and dove back under the covers. I could sleep for another hour. Such sweet moments had to be filled with sleep.
As I dozed off, time flew by again.
“Hana…!”
When I opened my eyes in a daze, Maru was shaking me awake. I swear I only closed my eyes for a second, but an hour had already passed. This made no sense. So, I kept my eyes shut and hid deeper under the blanket.
But Maru had gotten stronger. She yanked the blanket up. I held on tight, determined not to let go, but I ended up being dragged along with it.
“Wake up, Hana!”
In the end, I had no choice but to wake up thanks to Maru’s strength. Wrestling first thing in the morning had me fully awake. I scratched my messy hair and headed to the bathroom. Maru, seeing me like this, went off to do other preparations. Once I confirmed she was gone, I dove back into bed.
“Ha-na-ya!”
But my diving attempt was caught by Maru.
“Ugh!”
Just going to school turned out to be such an eventful day. I had no choice but to be dragged and washed by Maru. I tried to say I could wash myself, but Maru didn’t seem to hear me. Sure, it was my fault for diving back into bed when she disappeared, but this was too much!
Still, under Maru’s piercing gaze, I had no choice but to surrender. It was inevitable…
—————————
“Hana, are you going to school?”
“Yep!”
The boss was always standing in the building lobby when I left for school. Sometimes they weren’t there, but most of the time they were. If I skipped school, they’d even come to my room. It was common for the boss to wake me up, so I rarely slept past 9 on weekends.
But the boss did so much for me that I couldn’t complain. I couldn’t imagine how I’d survive without them. I’d probably be barely scraping by in a tiny studio apartment with nothing.
“Starting today, the school lunch you wanted is coming!”
“Really?”
“Yep. The construction finished yesterday.”
“Whoa!”
I was shocked. Elementary school lunches just hit different. Eating lunch boxes for a week was starting to get old. Even Jiyu, who once boldly claimed she’d never get tired of them, was on the verge of breaking.
“If the boss says so, I can’t help but get super excited!”
I waved goodbye to the boss and left the building. The school wasn’t far from here. Sometimes I took the car, but I mostly walked. Ever since I was little, I’ve heard that if you don’t exercise or walk, you won’t grow tall.
Walking like this would stimulate my growth plates and help me grow taller. I’m already shorter than most kids, so if I don’t walk or exercise, there’s no way I’ll grow. They say height is mostly genetics, but I’ve heard that exercise and other methods can help too.
If I get enough nutrients, exercise, and sleep on time to release growth hormones, maybe I’ll grow taller. As a girl, I probably won’t reach 180cm or anything, but I’d like to be above average height.
Of course, my body proportions are pretty good—long legs and a shorter torso. It’s kind of like a Westerner’s body. I even wondered if my chest would grow big like a Westerner’s.
The thought of having a big chest was terrifying. I imagined it would hurt my shoulders, like the boss or Maru. I heard people with big chests often suffer from chronic shoulder pain.
I prayed my chest wouldn’t grow big. Just thinking about living with a big chest made me feel suffocated.
