“Yahoooooo!”
Even after eating ramen, our skiing didn’t stop. I felt freedom while skiing. It was my first time skiing, but I swung my ski poles hard as I crossed the snowfield. I was going much faster than when I first started. Well, duh.
With each run—second, third—my skills skyrocketed. So, unlike the first time, I was now skiing at a pretty high speed. Jiyu and Yumi were skiing right beside me, sticking close. But, of course, we couldn’t ski forever.
“Hey, kids! Time to go home!”
Outside, the sun had already set. Sure, the ski resort had lights, so we could ski at night too. But we were already lying on the snowfield. We had been skiing for almost 8 hours, and our energy was completely drained. Even the overflowing energy of third-graders couldn’t handle that kind of skiing.
“Ughhh…”
“So tired…”
Jiyu, Yumi, and I were completely wiped out. But Maru still looked pretty lively. Turns out, Maru had way more energy than she seemed. Way more than us kids, even. So, we left the ski resort. After neatly packing up our ski gear and returning it, we got into the car.
The warm heater blew softly, and I naturally started to doze off. I sneakily glanced back. Jiyu and Yumi were leaning on each other, fast asleep in the back seat. It looked so heartwarming and nice. So, I quietly closed my eyes too. I planned to just nap a little until Maru finished up.
And so, with the warm heater breeze as my lullaby, I let my heavy eyelids close for a moment.
——————————————————
“Hey, kids! I got some food…”
Maru opened the car door and couldn’t say more. She saw the kids fast asleep. Jiyu and Yumi were leaning on each other, sleeping soundly in the back seat.
And Hana was in the passenger seat, twisted in a weird position, asleep. She had bent her waist over the box between the driver’s and passenger seats. Maru let out a dry laugh and gently nudged Hana to fix her posture.
“Ugh…”
Hana was mumbling in her sleep. Still, for the sake of her back health, Maru had to adjust her properly. Luckily, Hana didn’t wake up. After skiing all day, it would’ve been weirder if she wasn’t tired.
Even though kids are full of energy, their total energy reserves aren’t infinite. They had scraped the bottom of their energy barrels, so falling asleep in the car was pretty much expected. Maru, using her adult skills, had saved some energy, but kids don’t have that kind of stamina management yet.
Of course, kids recover quickly, so by the time they woke up, they’d be back to normal. That’s just how it is. Kids burn energy fast and recharge just as fast.
Maru carefully started the car, making sure not to wake the kids. The motor-mouthed kids from earlier were now dead silent, too busy traveling through dreamland to chat.
And so, Maru drove in peace. The atmosphere was completely different from when they arrived at the ski resort. But it wasn’t a bad vibe. Driving on the highway with the darkness as a companion had its own charm.
Maru drove gently and quietly, making sure the kids didn’t wake up. Of course, the car she was driving was a corporate car from Starlight Food, worth hundreds of millions. Sure, it was cheaper than Hana’s “value,” but still.
As a fresh-out-of-college salary worker, Maru could never afford a car like this. If she hadn’t joined Starlight Food, she probably wouldn’t have even dreamed of riding in one.
And so, before heading to Starlight Food, Maru stopped the car in front of Jiyu and Yumi’s apartment.
“Hey, kids! Wake up~ We’re home!”
“Ugh…”
Jiyu and Yumi opened their eyes at Maru’s voice. Then, looking at the apartment outside the window, they said to Maru,
“We’re already here?”
“Yep. You guys were snoozing away.”
“Huh…”
Jiyu and Yumi thanked Maru. She had worked hard all day, taking care of Jiyu, Yumi, and Hana.
“Hana…!”
Jiyu and Yumi called out to Hana, but she was still mouth-open, traveling through dreamland. Seeing Hana like that, Jiyu and Yumi could only let out a deep sigh.
Alright, let’s dive into this translation adventure! Here’s the English version of the text, served with a side of casual flair:
—
Yeah. I was gonna say goodbye before leaving, but seeing Hana’s condition, it wasn’t the right time. Maru, who knows this vibe well, quietly looked at Jiyu and Yumi and said:
“Jiyu. Yumi. Go ahead! Hana doesn’t wake up easily once she’s asleep!”
“Really? Well… see you later, unnie!”
“Alright! Be careful on your way home!”
Jiyu and Yumi got out of the car. They rented all their ski gear anyway and bought whatever else they needed at the ski resort. So, naturally, they had no luggage. They literally just brought themselves. Normally, people come fully prepared to ski resorts, but not these two.
After sending Jiyu and Yumi off, Maru headed to her final destination: the Starlight Food Building.
Even though it was evening, the building lights were still on. Starlight Food wasn’t the type of company to force overtime, but they had a lot going on lately. Rumors were swirling that they were selling various food items and even entering the ramen market. And it wasn’t just a rumor—it was confirmed. They’d already hired a bunch of experts for their R&D department to tackle the ramen market.
Maru parked in Hana’s designated parking spot and gently shook Hana awake. Even though Hana was deep in sleep, leaving her in the car wasn’t ideal.
No matter how much Maru shook her, Hana showed no signs of waking up. Reluctantly, Maru carried Hana into the building. Seeing Hana mumbling in her sleep made Maru smile. It’s no wonder people say raising kids brings happiness. Hana was just so cute and lovable.
Carrying Hana, Maru entered the building. She nodded slightly to the security guard still on duty, even though it was past working hours. Hana’s hair color was her access pass—no one else had that leaf-green hair except her.
Once in the office, Maru left a quick greeting and headed to Hana’s room.
Maru tried to wake Hana up, but Hana only sank deeper into sleep. Giving up, Maru decided to skip washing Hana for the night. She gently removed Hana’s outer clothes and laid her on the bed.
“Goodnight, Hana.”
“Ung…”
Whether Hana was responding to Maru or just sleep-talking, she at least made a sound.
Maru turned off the lights and left the room. After a full day of skiing, Hana must’ve been exhausted. She deserved a good night’s sleep.
Of course, Maru couldn’t head home just yet. She had to stay in the office and finish up some work. She needed to write a report on the day’s events.
And since she’d used company money, she had to handle the accounting too.
While Hana slept soundly, Maru worked hard to wrap things up.
—
Starlight Ramen was gearing up for its launch. Waiting around for the perfect recipe felt like a waste of time. Just adding Starlight wheat and beef made the ramen delicious enough.
And so, Starlight Ramen began its market debut with a bang, backed by heavy advertising. Competing ramen brands were on edge. Starlight Ramen was a heavyweight, after all.
Starlight Food had already dominated other food markets, so this was no surprise. Heck, even the picky U.S. military used Starlight Cherry Tomatoes in their combat rations. If the strongest military on Earth vouched for it, that’s like getting a giant stamp of approval.
Starlight Cherry Tomatoes were just that good—worthy of being combat rations for the U.S. military.
—
And there you have it! A comedic, casual translation of the text. Hope it brought a smile to your face! 😄
