Landing in Your Inbox

22 - pepero day

November 11, 2020
Overheard at Seri's Choice Headquarters, Seoul

"It's crazy in the grocery, every year the mayhem's getting worse!"

"Tell me about it, I forgot it's already the 11th and I didn't get to buy some. I better try this lunch break or my girlfriend will throw a fit."

"Did you see the Pepero pens Sun-hwa gave? They are so cute!"

"No, I wish I had one, but we don't really work together."

"There were Pepero eclairs in the convenience store! Let's go get some later."

"How many boxes did you receive?"

"Four in all, it's a bit disappointing. Last year I got 10 by the morning."

"I had to spend all my salary to give everyone in the team a box."

"Didn't CEO Yoon give an order not to require part-timers in giving Peperos?"

"Yes...But still, it's expected of us."

"You shouldn't give in to pressure."

"I'm not a part-timer but my money still went down the drain because Yun-hui wanted to give all her classmates a box each."

"This day is really a curse."

"My husband gave me this lovely bouquet of roses. Look!"

"It's so beautiful, you're so lucky!"

"It's our 8th Pepero Day together, so it's 8 roses in all!"

"I don't know how to satisfy Ms Yoon, I thought the  1+1 Sharing Day promotion was successful. Our SNS received positive attention and the engagement is above expectation. But all she did was nod and move the topic along."

"As if you're not used to Ms Yoon. She usually does not give praise that way."

"You're lucky she didn't linger on you. It means you did fine."

"A little emotion from her would be nice."

"Besides, the Kakao Pay crash really bummed her out. It went on for 5 hours."

"Maybe Ms Yoon needs to be given Pepero boxes."

"Ms Yoon? She might just throw them away."

"Did anyone give Ms Yoon Pepero boxes?"

"Not me."

"Not me, either."

"I think people are too scared to give her."

"Does she even eat chocolate? She sounds like she'll only eat Godiva."

"Ask Manager Hong if they give her if you're so curious."

November 11, 2020, 9:38 P.M.
Ko Family Estate, Seongbuk, Seoul

Seo Dan left the office late following a hectic day. Pepero Day had only gotten bigger since the last time she was  in Seoul. A boon for businesses, a bane for customers, as someone called it. The day was not particularly special to her, sure she had her share of Pepero boxes especially when she was younger and had a line of suitors that she all rejected, but other than that...

Jeong-hyeok did not observe the day, not that she expected him to. He sent flowers on Valentine's Day with the standard three-worded greeting. Looking back on it, Seo Dan couldn't help but feel a bit sad (and a wee bit spiteful) that the signs of decay had been there from the start.

But she was still going home with a basket of assorted Peperos, which currently sat beside her in the car.

"That's a lot of Peperos." Alberto remarked as she took out the basket from the car upon arriving at the front door of her family estate.

"It's from Seri." Seo Dan couldn't help but smirk, "We are fond of sweets."

"Ah...! Is that right?" Alberto exclaimed with a lilt of surprise in his voice. "If you don't mind then." He went back in the car to take out something from the glove compartment.

It was a simple box carefully wrapped in brown paper with a pink ribbon tied around it. Obviously a Pepero, the surprise was finding out the flavor.

"I would like you to have this."

Seo Dan stared at Alberto who extended the box to her with a humble bow of his head. "For me?" 

"Yes." 

Seo Dan accepted the box, casting a suspicious glance, "Why?"

"It's Pepero Day." Alberto said with a shrug and a grin. "It's an offering I can gladly afford." To avoid any follow-up inquiries, he clapped his hands together. "I should park the car in the garage, good night Ms Seo Dan."

The box was no way as grand as Seri's package, but there was something about having it wrapped like it was some expensive European chocolates. Did he wrap it? Questions that Seo Dan asked as she eyed the gift box on her vanity table. 

She would decide to open that one last after finishing Seri's basket. It was something to look forward to.