Songi Media
I stepped out of the house. A first-grader wandering around alone could be a bit risky.
Especially since I was a little girl.
But Korea's public safety wasn't perfect, though it ranked among the top in the world. As long as I didn't follow some stranger promising candy, I wouldn't get kidnapped in broad daylight on a main street. Sure, there were those creepy van rumors back in the '80s and '90s, but these days, technology had pretty much killed off stories like that.
Cell phones were just starting to catch on. Even the ones from that fruit company were already out.
Still, it felt like a transitional phase from feature phones to smartphones. If I had the money, I'd snap up shares in that fruit company, but right now, I didn't have a dime to spare. And even if I did buy shares, I'd have to wait years for a payoff. What I needed was to pay off our debts now. Debt collectors showed up at our door every now and then, causing a ruckus. Mom would always scoop me up and take me outside whenever that happened...
The silver lining was that loan sharks in Korea were relatively lenient, at least the ones who came to our place. Not all of them, but ours never smashed our stuff or hurt anyone—they just made noise.
"Hmm..."
I wandered the streets. Who knew not having a cell phone would be this inconvenient?
If I'd had one, finding the publisher would've been a breeze. Modern smartphones had all sorts of features, including map apps, of course.
When something you take for granted vanishes, the inconvenience hits hard. To save money, I gave up on buses or subways. Maybe I should just take a taxi like Min-ah suggested... But that felt like such a waste. Ten thousand won could've bought Mom, Dad, and me some delicious fish-shaped buns... A taxi ride would leave me with nothing.
In the end, I changed my mind. I knew the address, so subway it was.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇I finally made it. I'd asked so many people for directions along the way, I lost count. It wasn't too far from home—just a bit over an hour. Though most of that time was spent wandering lost.
The publisher's building was a decent size.
Not some one-person operation, but not a massive corporate tower either. A solid mid-sized building, I'd say. Even that was impressive. Most Korean publishers were about this scale. No photos online, so seeing it in person made it feel pretty big.
No big publisher would waste resources scouting someone like me anyway. I walked inside.
But as I tried to enter, a burly security guard blocked my path. A building with its own security...? Looked like I didn't have to worry about them skimping on royalties.
To gauge a company's legitimacy, check if it has guards at the door.
No guards? Just your average small business. No trade secrets worth protecting, so why bother? Makes sense—the boss who's too cheap for employee raises won't hire a "money pit" like a security guard.
"Kiddo, you can't go in there."
Maybe because of my tiny frame, but he spoke in a soft, coaxing tone.
At 120cm tall and 20kg, there was no reason for him to be wary. I didn't exactly look threatening.
"I have an appointment with an employee here at Songi Media."
"Don't lie, sweetie. Lie and the bad uncle'll take you away?"
"It's true."
I protested, feeling wronged. I did have an appointment... But the guard clearly didn't buy it. Who would? A first-grader—no, I looked like a kindergartener—showing up in the middle of the day claiming business?
"Maybe... your mom's an employee here?"
I shook my head.
The guard gave me an awkward look. I kept insisting, so he was stuck. Time for my secret weapon.
"Can't you just call her on your cell phone?"
I pulled out the business card Min-ah had given me and showed it to him. His eyes widened in surprise. A random kid knowing a Songi Media employee?
"Whoa... That's definitely one of our staff, but..."
He looked skeptical but pulled out his phone to check.
Of course, Min-ah picked up and told him to let me in. Only then did he step aside. I bowed politely as I passed. It wasn't his fault.
If I were a security guard here, I wouldn't let a kid like me inside either.
Inside, a spacious lobby welcomed me. I headed to the center to check the directory for Min-ah's floor. It listed all the departments—and there was the genre novel team.
The building had five floors, and of course, it was on the top one. I sighed deeply. Couldn't it be closer...?
But I was in the weak position here. I started walking.
"Oh my, how'd you get into our building?"
"So cute...! You must be an employee's kid, right...?"
"Can I just pinch your cheek? You're adorable... Like a child actor!"
Publishing attracted a lot of women, it seemed. As I walked, every employee I passed fawned over me. I ducked my head in embarrassment, and even that charmed them.
Enduring the fuss, I finally reached the genre novel team. The directory had made it obvious what they handled.
But the moment the elevator doors opened, a familiar face appeared.
"Oh! Sora, you made it? Just stay right there! I was coming to get you!"
She must've planned to escort me since it was my first time. But I was a cold city man—no need for coddling.
If I'd had a first-grader's brain, I'd have waited. Kids that age know nothing. Some can't even read Hangul. But I was different. An ultra-genius adult-minded super girl.
"I'm fine."
"Really...? The trip must've been tough. Sorry. Unnie doesn't have a car yet...!"
"No car?"
"Yeah... Our company pay is peanuts. Don't tell anyone, okay? Top secret!"
"Got it."
I nodded. Makes sense—publishing salaries, especially for books, weren't great. Few made big bucks. Not a high-paying field to begin with.
Min-ah took my hand and led me into the department.
But it wasn't what I'd imagined.
The office was tiny. I'd pictured partitioned cubicles, but no. Just your typical small company setup—desks with no dividers.
And besides Min-ah, no other employees in sight.
"This is where you work?"
Min-ah's voice was shy—actually, more like trembling.
"Yeah... Kinda small, huh? The team's brand new."
"Hmm... Isn't this basically a demotion?"
"Ugh..."
She had no comeback to my blunt fact-check. At this size, it screamed "get out of the company." But Min-ah saw it differently.
"This is our chance! Nail some huge sales here, and the team skyrockets!"
"Really...? Got a way to make that happen?"
Her eyes gleamed with manic fervor as she stared at me.
"It's you, Sora!"
She grabbed my shoulders. Not super strong for an adult woman, but it hurt my kid body plenty. I gently pried her hands off.
That's when the office door opened, and someone walked in.
I turned my head.
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