"Office Pantry"

By Lee Mi-ye

Hanki

Following the runaway bestselling healing fantasy, "DallerGut Dream Department Store," which sold over 1.5 million copies in Korea, author Lee Mi-ye returns with a new venture into hyperrealism with "Office Pantry."

"Who do you dislike the most?" -- Is it the person who freezes coffee/cola in the communal ice tray, the one who takes all the instant coffee mix, the colleague who unplugs the microwave to charge his phone, the self-proclaimed environmentalist who leaves unwashed tumblers in the sink, the person who piles up used paper cups next to the water cooler, the incessant mutterer, the cake hoarder filling the fridge with boxes, or the noisy morning gargler? Imagine sharing the office pantry with all these characters.

"Office Pantry" brings together notorious pantry villains from different workplaces in a seven-day reality show, where participants are cast because their coworkers have voted them "the least desirable colleagues to share the pantry with.” Yet these participants are puzzled as to why they were selected.

Among the participants is one imposter, included to stir the pot for the show's narrative. Throughout the week, the participants scrutinize each other to identify the hidden imposter, with a prize awaiting the successful detective.

As the days pass, hints are gathered in the quest to unmask the impostor, also revealing an unsettling truth -- that despite one's intentions, one's action can cause discomfort.

Lee’s "DallerGut Dream Department Store” is available in English, translated by Sandy Joosun Lee.