Chapter 10: Setting Goals for the First Time
“Oh my God…” I gasped in amazement.
The first thing that caught my eye was the sparkling marble floor and the high ceiling.
Because the ceiling was so high, just looking at it gave me a sense of openness as if my chest were expanding.
The black and white color theme, combined with the chandelier, gave it a luxurious hotel-like atmosphere.
As I entered the room, a serene panoramic view of the Han River, along with a cozy terrace, greeted me through the gracefully curved round-shaped windows.
“It’s fully equipped with everything you need. Once you step inside, you’re all set. And the view… As you can see, the view is truly spectacular. You can overlook not only the Han River but also Seoul Forest. And at night, the views of the Seongsu Bridge and the Dongho Bridge are breathtaking.”
“It’s… absolutely stunning.”
I gazed out at the view of the Han River, mesmerized by its beauty. Wasn’t this the scene I had fantasized about while dreaming of a bright future.
As I stood there, I realize why people say life is either the water of the Han River or the view of the Han River.
There was no need to think twice about it.
“I’ll take this one.”
“Excuse me?”
Kim Jung-nam seemed taken aback when I made the decision as if I were I were making a casual purchase.
But I was resolute in my decision.
Since this was the only place that met my requirement, there was no need for further consideration.
“I’ll take it. I love the view. You mentioned 1.9 billion, right?”
“Y-Yes, that’s correct. However, …”
If the selling price is 1.9 billion, the commission Kim Jung-nam would receive wouldn’t be insignificant either.
But Kim Jung-nam’s face betrayed a hint of hesitation.
“What’s wrong?”
Kim Jung-nam’s lips tightened as he looked at me with a stern face.
“I have something important to tell you about this house.”
“What going on?”
“The average selling price of this apartment is typically around 2.5 billion.”
“So, is the 1.9 billion figure a lie… is that what you’re saying?”
I felt surge of annoyance but I asked calmly.
“No, that’s not true! I just want to inform you that there’s a reason why this place is being sold at cheap price.”
“What’s that reason?”
“The truth is, this property is being sold quickly because the previous owner died by suicide here.”
“You’re saying he committed suicide?”
Kim Jung-nam’s voice was heavy with emotion as he continued.
“Yes, he committed suicide. He was a successful businessman who suffered a major fraud, which led him losing all his property except for this house. It was devastating blow, as he was already in difficult situation… He was the father of two children and even his family in the United States had to turn their backs on him. In the end… he made an extreme choice. He even left a will that was almost like a curse. I should have told you about this earlier… I’m really sorry.”
Kim Jung-nam bowed his head in embarrassment, his face heavy with regret.
“Oh… I see…”
A sense of unease lingered in my mind.
Isn’t it true that fraud can be a devastating blow to one’s soul? In such extreme pain and betrayal, he must have felt like there was no reason to go on.
“Usually, when a property is sold quickly due to difficult circumstances, it often sells for less than its market value. The heirs of the previous owner are eager to sell this apartment as soon as possible.”
“Despite the low price, was there no interest from potential buyers?”
“It must have been uncomfortable for them. If they were here to look around, they wouldn’t be someone without money, so they must have considered other options.”
Like Bok Doo-jang (幞 匠), who shouted ‘The king’s ears are as long as a donkey’s’ (a Korean saying meaning ‘speaking bluntly without considering the consequences’), Kim Jung-nam’s face looked relieved.
“Would you rather look at another property without any complicated history?”
“I’ll take this one.”
“I can show you around… What?”
“I said I’ll sign the contract for this one.”
“Are you being serious?”
If there had been no other buyers, would such a good deal have been available to a novice like him?
As if performing a confession at the end of a gong, he revealed the secret about the house, but this unusual customer demanded the contract without any hesitation.
“What’s the difference? There are countless people dying every day. It’s just one person who died at most. I don’t believe in ghosts, nor am I afraid of them. If anything, people are more frightening.”
This was indeed the case.
If you asked a new recruit on a deep-sea fishing ship whether they were afraid of ghosts or the experienced crew, they would undoubtedly choose the experienced crew over ghosts.
Swearing and cursing were common, and beatings were a regular occurrence.
Additionally, on nearby Chinese ships, it wasn’t uncommon for people to be killed and thrown into the sea.
And the towering waves that sometimes appeared during typhoons were even more terrifying than those experienced crew members.
When faced with a wave that seemed to engulf the entire ship, even the toughest of men would freeze in place.
After enduring this terror for four years, the fact that just one person had died didn’t evoke any emotion in me.
In fact, it was a relief. Thanks to that, I was able to get the house I wanted at a lower price than market value.
“Anyway, I really like this house, so I’ll sign with the contract.”
“Well… Shall we go back to the office to finalize the details?”
Kim Jung-nam’s voice trembled slightly as if he were trying to contain his excitement.
***
We returned to the Namyeo Chilse Real Estate office.
“Is everything complete?”
I stamped and signed the contract placed in front of me.
Kim Jung-nam’s eyes trembled as he reviewed the contract.
“Yes, everything is complete. Thank you.”
“You showed me to a great property, so I’m grateful. I’ll transfer the deposit today.”
“Thank you.”
“I can move in by the end of this week, correct?”
“Yes, of course. I’ll call a cleaning service tomorrow to thoroughly clean the place.”
I got up from my seat.
“Since everything is complete, I’ll take my leave.”
“Would you like a ride?”
Kim Jung-nam’s demeanor, as if were escorting a high-profile chairman, felt somewhat burdensome.
“It’s fine. It’s just a short walk. See you around.”
Although I couldn’t quite understand the source of the light emanating from Kim Jung-nam, I had a hunch that I would see him often despite his amateurish appearance as a real estate agent.
“Feel free to drop by anytime, I’ll serve you with sincerity.”
Kim Jung-nam bid me farewell, folding his waist, with a hint of a cheesy farewell line.
The moment I grabbed the doorknob, ready to make a quick escape, Kim Jung-nam’s voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Oh right! Earlier, the boss asked me what TV show I was watching. I was watching an interview with Hong Seul-gi.”
“Is that so?”
“Congratulations! You’ve become neighbors with the top star, Hong Seul-gi. Hahaha. Rumor has it that she lives in that apartment complex. Suddenly remembered that.”
“Really?”
What a peculiar coincidence.
It just so happened that Kim Jung-nam was watching an interview with that actress when the light shone through.
And now, I’ve signed a contract for an apartment in the same building where Hong Seul-gi supposedly resides.
Could this really be just a coincidence?
“Now that you’re neighbors with Hong Seul-gi, you might run into each other. My friend said she saw her from afar at a department store event, and she was glowing.”
He seemed to get excited, probably because he was a young man talking about a pretty woman, but then he quickly realized I was a customer and apologized with a sheepish look.
Although I had the urge to tease him, I suppressed it and left the real estate office.
And that’s how I came to own my own home.
Not just any home, but a luxury apartment worth more than 2 billion won.
Despite stamping and signing the contract, the excitement wasn’t as great as I had expected.
Even though I had spent a large sum, about 3 billion won, purchasing a nursery and an office building on a plot of land worth 10 billion, I still had over 7 billion won left in my account.
Just breathing alone could fill my stomach, considering the interest I earned annually was higher than my salary on the ocean fishing ship, which was a significant source of income.
“So this is what they mean by ‘money makes money.'”
On the flip side, debt begets more debt.
It took nearly four years to pay off a debt of 300 million won.
The reason it took longer than expected was that interest accrued on the debt.
Suddenly, I felt that money was like a magnet.
Once you had a large sum, the smaller amounts naturally started sticking to it like iron filings to a magnet.
The clarity of my insight gave me a newfound sense of purpose, and I set out on my way with light footsteps.
Thought about my friends and family, like Sang-cheol hyung, and how we would celebrate our successes with pork belly and soju came to my mind.
“I should call Sang-cheol hyung and have some pork belly and soju.”
At that moment, I didn’t realize that my capacity for handling wealth was also growing.
***
One week later.
Tak.
I silently set down the soju glass on the terrace, which offered a splendid view.
As the damp night breeze gently brushed against my face, my hair swayed lightly. The early summer night breeze had a refreshing yet crisp taste.
“I guess we don’t need any snacks.”
The dazzling Seoul skyline was ablaze, and the lights of the city reflected in the dark river, creating a reverse flow of the city’s splendor.
The glittering skyline, like a spilled jewel box, resembled a painting.
The jazz music flowing from the expensive Bluetooth speaker I had purchased with ambition added to the charm of the scenery.
Lost in deep contemplation, I couldn’t tell if the alcohol was going down my throat or up my nose. The haze of intoxication enveloped me, making it difficult to distinguish the sensations.
“So, how am I going to live from now on!?”
They say you never know what life will bring, and just when my life was almost ruined by money, unexpected luck came knocking when I let go of it. And not just any amount of money, but a fortune substantial enough to last a lifetime, provided I didn’t gamble it all away.
If it were in my naive days, I would have indulged in luxury and pleasure. However, the four years of sailing across distant seas had led me to ponder seriously about life.
Suddenly, I recalled the words of the nursery director, my adoptive mother.
[Don’t try to be grandiose. Just live as yourself. Do what you want without caring about others’ opinions. Just like the Dae-woon I know.]
“To live as myself… What does it mean to be me? What do I want to do?”
I no longer wanted to chase after money. There was no need for it.
“Perhaps cryptocurrencies or stocks…”
But I heard about the current status of Nox Coin, which I had sold while walking down the street, and decided to look up the news.
[Loss of trust in virtual assets due to the Nox incident]
[Victims shed tears due to the Nox incident]
[Direct hit on Nox Coin collapse. Cloudy outlook for virtual assets]
For some reason, the price had plummeted, even crashing back to its original value due to some incident related to Nox Coin.
“If only I had known about the Nox Coin situation a little later… Ugh, I don’t even want to think about it.”
I vowed not to look at cryptocurrencies and stocks anymore and deleted all related apps. I felt a refreshing relief as if I had cast off heavy shackles and poured myself another drink.
“Ah, this liquor tastes sweet… Anyway, did I ever have something I wanted to do?”
During those struggling days, it felt like there was something I wanted to achieve, but the memory was blurry. I decided to carefully revisit my relatively short life history, from my childhood, where memories were fragmented, to the end of my time as a protected child at 19.
“Ah!”
I pondered if this was how Archimedes felt when he exclaimed “Eureka” in the baths.
A faint memory that I had buried away suddenly rang out in my head, like a distant bell tolling in the night.
It was a small hope that I clung to when I had no other options, a glimmer of light in the darkness.
“I want to become a college student.”
A gentle warmth spread through my chest, like a soft breeze on a summer day, and the buzz of alcohol dissipated in an instant.
“But can I still become a college student at my age?”
