Whoosh!
I zoomed forward, making rocket sounds with my mouth. Whether it was the Skating Shoes or my sturdy thighs, I was moving at an insane speed. I weaved through the crowd, feeling this sense of freedom.
“Hana, let’s go together!”
“Hey!”
Jiyu and Yumi were chasing after me. In my head, I started making up rules like a game of tag, where the “it” had to catch someone. Of course, it wasn’t real tag.
After all that playing, I was sweating so much that even my breath felt hot. Wearing a padded jacket and moving my legs vigorously made it even hotter.
I had no idea how many hours we spent playing. Time flew by, and before I knew it, I was starving. Jiyu and Yumi, also hungry, looked at me and said,
“Hana, let’s go eat!”
“I’m so hungry!”
I was waiting for them to say that. I nodded enthusiastically, joining in their plea. Maru, watching us gather and chat, seemed to have realized something.
“Hey, let’s go eat! Aren’t you guys hungry?”
We hadn’t eaten lunch and had been skating hard until the afternoon, so of course, we were starving. We left the rink, and Maru greeted us. She had brought our shoes. Obviously, we couldn’t go eat while wearing Skating Shoes.
After putting on the shoes Maru handed us, we looked at her and asked,
“What are we eating…?”
“Big sis prepared something special! It’s the most delicious food to eat right now!”
The most delicious food to eat right now? There wasn’t anything specific. But the hunger from all the exercise meant anything would taste amazing. A little hunger was like the best seasoning to enhance the flavor of any food.
So, we followed Maru around like ducklings. But the direction she was heading felt suspicious. It seemed like we were going back the way we came, but Maru was leading us somewhere unexpected. We were going up—climbing stairs. I thought to myself, if we had come here wearing Skating Shoes, our bones would’ve been crushed.
Sneakers are the best invention ever.
Anyway, Maru led us to a room high up somewhere. As soon as we entered, we were in awe. On the table were various side dishes and a gas burner. And next to it, a pack of ramen.
Now we knew what we were eating. The temperature in this room wasn’t much different from the rink outside. There was no heater, so it was freezing. Eating warm ramen in a cold place—it was perfect.
Someone once said that ramen tastes different depending on where you eat it—on a mountain summit, outside in winter, or after a long march. Maru looked at us and said,
“Big sis will cook the ramen for you. Be good, okay?”
As she said that, Maru started preparing the ramen. She opened a water bottle and poured water into a pot, then turned on the gas burner. I couldn’t even imagine how delicious ramen would taste in this cold place. Jiyu and Yumi, looking at the ramen packaging, exclaimed in surprise.
“Wow, isn’t this Starlight Ramen? It’s always sold out whenever I try to buy it!”
“Maru, you’re the best!”
They seemed to think that because Maru worked at Starlight Food, she could get this hard-to-find ramen. In our office, there were boxes of this Starlight Ramen piled up in the warehouse. It was hard to believe it was hard to find elsewhere because we had so much of it. Of course, I ate it occasionally, but the office employees were the main consumers.
Those on night duty had nothing else to eat. The restaurant would be closed, and the only option nearby was the convenience store. So, they’d rather eat Starlight Ramen. When they ran out, they’d bring lunch boxes or buy something from the convenience store near the building.
As for me, it didn’t matter. Maybe it was because I was a kid, but once I fell asleep, I wouldn’t wake up until morning. I’d close my eyes at night and open them to the sun rising. I slept so deeply it was almost a problem. I could sleep through someone carrying me away.
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“Wow! This is really delicious!”
The reporter expressed amazement while eating bread made by Starlight Food. Bread this delicious, made on the spot… Truly, bread made from Starlight Wheat…
If they can produce this level of taste, it’s clear that Starlight Food will dominate South Korea’s wheat market.
The reporter then witnessed the harvest scene at Starlight Farm. Machines were bustling across the vast fields, and there were plenty of people too. Not to mention the wheat storage warehouse, which was way bigger than your average warehouse. It was safe to say there probably wasn’t a farm larger than this one in all of South Korea.
Since they were already at Starlight Farm, the staff decided to show off some other things. Boss Kim Sehee had given permission to reveal everything except for one secret.
“Try the watermelons grown exclusively by Starlight Food. These aren’t sold commercially.”
As they spoke, other employees brought out watermelons. These were watermelons produced by Hana. Every week, she’d visit the farm and spray water infused with her melted hair to grow them. If Hana couldn’t make it, another employee would handle the watering since they kept her hair stored separately.
The reporter suddenly felt like they’d accidentally stumbled into a mukbang shoot. But hey, they came prepared. Starlight Food had warned there’d be a lot of food, so they’d specifically requested someone who could eat a lot. That’s why they sent the guy who could down five packs of ramen in one go.
The watermelon, chilled in the fridge, was sliced on the spot. Its bright red flesh greeted them with a cheerful glow. The reporter stared at it with curiosity. Earlier, the bread made from Starlight wheat was delicious, but imagining how good this watermelon would taste was beyond comprehension.
The reporter picked up a slice and took a bite.
“This is amazing!”
“It’s so much sweeter and cooler than other watermelons. What kind of fertilizer do you use to grow something this good?”
“Thanks to the world’s best fertilizer, of course.”
The fruit made with water infused with Hana’s melted hair was the strongest in the world. The only downside was that it could only be produced in small quantities. If they wanted to farm on a scale like Starlight Farm, even shaving Hana’s head bald wouldn’t be enough. Her hair was just that rare.
And imagining Hana with a buzz cut made them chuckle a little. No matter how cute and pretty Hana was, being completely bald might make her look a bit… off. Even the most handsome male idol would look a bit rough with a shaved head.
The staff also let the reporter try other fruits. They brought out top-tier grapes and strawberries. The reporter was completely blown away by the taste.
“This is a big deal. I feel like the taste of these fruits is going to linger in my mouth even after I leave work today.”
“Hahaha. I feel the same. Reporter, feel free to visit Starlight Food anytime. We’ll have the fruits ready for you.”
The addictive taste just wouldn’t go away, so the reporter licked their lips.
The reporter got to taste a variety of Starlight Food products. Of course, they didn’t forget their professionalism. Even while enjoying the fruits and products, they kept up with the interview. The staff was impressed by their dedication. Most people would’ve been too addicted to the taste to focus on filming.
The filming at Starlight Farm and Ranch went smoothly. They captured scenes of the reporter marveling at the massive cows and giving a thumbs-up after tasting the processed milk. It was clear that every product from Starlight Food was made under strict supervision.
State-of-the-art machinery, multiple rounds of inspections, and even machines to check for foreign substances—everything was meticulously monitored. Most of these checks were done by people, too. As the reporter toured the farm and ranch, they became convinced that these products were safe to eat.
At the very least, Starlight Food had proven they weren’t messing around when it came to food. The filming wrapped up successfully, with more than enough footage to work with.
