After visiting the office, I noticed some unfamiliar faces in my room. I tried to leave quickly, but Bora pulled me back and ushered me inside. Honestly, playing with the bald guy in the office was way more fun than dealing with strangers.
But why would they come into my room…? I was puzzled, but after seeing what they were doing, it made sense. They were setting up a computer on the desk. It seemed that through daily lessons with Bora and Haru, I had finally gotten on track.
To be honest, the social norms Bora and Haru were teaching me were things I already knew, but I didn’t let on, appreciating their effort. Seeing their proud faces as I quickly absorbed the knowledge was satisfying.
So, nestled in Bora’s arms, I watched as the computer was installed. No more coloring books—I was ready to dive into the vast ocean of the internet.
“Wow!”
I cheered with joy when the computer was fully set up. The memory of last time made me flinch as I tapped the keyboard, but that was it. Seeing the computer work perfectly, I told Bora, “This computer is mine now.”
“Why is the kid talking like that…”
“Hehe.”
But soon, Haru came over and started talking with Bora. I perked up my ears to eavesdrop on their secret conversation.
“Is it okay for Hana to use the computer? She’s still young.”
“We had to set it up anyway. It’d be weird if Hana didn’t know anything when she starts elementary school and plays with friends.”
“But still…”
“Don’t worry, inappropriate sites are blocked.”
“Ah, that’s a relief.”
Hehe… They didn’t know I could hear them from afar. Giving me such valuable info! And I had no intention of visiting weird sites anyway.
I pressed the power button, and the computer booted up instantly, thanks to the SSD. The desktop showed a default wallpaper of an empty meadow.
‘But what do I do now…?’
Even with the computer on, I had nothing to do. Should I play games? But without an ID, I couldn’t register for anything. To fully enjoy the internet, you need an identity, and a social security number is a must for verification.
As I sat there zoning out, Bora came over to help.
“I asked them to install this…”
Bora took the mouse and started opening folders, looking for something. Soon, she found what she wanted.
“Here it is.”
It was an educational video. A 16-part series, each an hour long, meant to prepare me for society. Just looking at it made me frown. Watching something this boring? I’d rather die.
While Bora was distracted, I dragged all the videos to the trash bin. Just as I was about to delete them, Bora grabbed my hand.
“Hana! When did you move these to the trash?”
She took the mouse from me, and I could only look at her with pleading eyes.
“Hana, you don’t want to leave this room until you’ve watched all of these, do you?”
Bora threatened me with a stern look. I had no choice but to comply. At least I didn’t have to watch all 16 hours in one go.
Watching 16 hours straight would take some serious focus. I had to give in to Bora’s threat. But once I finished the videos, I’d be free, right…?
With that thought, I started watching the boring videos Bora had queued up. The idea of spending 16 hours on this was depressing.
—
– My face exploded with acne, but after using Starlight Lotion, it cleared up in a day. I kept touching my clean face in the mirror, wondering if it was real. I’m so grateful to the people who made this lotion—it saved me a lot of heartache.
– While operating an armored vehicle in the military, I got a big scar on my arm. After using Starlight Lotion, it improved a lot. I don’t need to wear arm sleeves to hide it anymore. I can’t imagine living without Starlight Lotion now.
– Everyone talks about scars, but the areas where I applied Starlight Lotion became as smooth as a baby’s skin. The only downside is you have to keep using it. If I skip a few days, it goes back to normal.
Returning to my old skin feels so disappointing.
– At first, I wondered what kind of crazy person set the price this high, but after experiencing its efficacy, I think it might actually be cheap. I saw it being resold for double the price in second-hand markets.
└ If you report that, it’s a fine. I’m also annoyed and reporting all those resellers.
– Isn’t it enough to just use it once before important events like weddings? For everyday use, just stick to your regular lotion and save money by only using it when you really need to.
– I regret not buying Starlight Lotion on the day it was released… Back then, it wasn’t selling at all and was piled up in the display, but now when I went back to the store, it was all sold out. I want to slap my past self.
A few weeks after Starlight Lotion appeared, communities related to beauty and cosmetics went wild. They used to talk a lot about other cosmetics, but Starlight Lotion’s efficacy was so insane that all other cosmetics were pushed aside.
Especially women, who are more interested in beauty than men, were even more enthusiastic because they were the ones using it. And the interest in cosmetics didn’t discriminate by age. From teenagers to those in their 60s, everyone was talking about Starlight Lotion.
Due to its relatively high price, there’s still some stock left, but even that’s reaching its limit. A hoarding frenzy has begun, and cosmetic stores selling Starlight Lotion are even bundling it with other products. But from the consumer’s perspective, there’s no other choice. You either watch it sell out or bite the bullet and buy it bundled.
—
Tomorrow, Pacific CEO Shin Sung-chul.
He was staring at a lotion bottle on his desk. His gaze was so intense that even the person who brought it could feel it.
“Is this the Starlight Lotion?”
It was an ambitious cosmetic product from the Starlight Guild. The Starlight Guild completely dominated all industries related to raids, from raid byproducts to selling hunter equipment, and recently, they’ve been focusing on finance. And now they’re releasing cosmetics?
Of course, he knew about the existence of Starlight Cosmetics. It would be strange not to know, working in the same industry. But for decades, they hadn’t focused on any industry outside of raids, so he never thought this giant would enter such a trivial market.
“Yes. We managed to buy three bottles after raiding all the cosmetic stores around our building. The other two are being analyzed by the research institute.”
“Hmm… It just looks like an ordinary lotion.”
Shin Sung-chul examined the lotion bottle on his desk. The design wasn’t special, nor was it made with luxurious materials. It clearly looked like it was made to cut costs.
If someone in our company made a product with this design, Shin Sung-chul would fire them on the spot.
“But its efficacy is real. It can solve almost all skin problems, and unless your face is completely ruined, it can turn you into a flawless beauty. However, if you stop using it consistently, your skin will revert to its original state.”
“Is that so…?”
If Starlight Lotion completely cured skin issues, dermatologists and related industries nationwide would be up in arms. Fortunately, stopping its use reverts the skin to its previous state.
“Thankfully, they’re not flooding the market with it.”
“Just like Starlight Green Tea, despite its outstanding efficacy, the production volume is relatively modest.”
Shin Sung-chul urged for a countermeasure. For now, the limited supply isn’t causing a huge market shock, but if they start mass-producing it later, other cosmetic industries might have to shut down.
However, the researcher who received the task looked increasingly grim. In the current situation, there was no way to win.
But since he had to follow orders, he left the CEO’s office without voicing his concerns.
