Chapter 23: My First Housewarming Party
“Is this… your car, oppa?”
Joo-hee, who was sitting in the passenger seat, asked with wide eyes.
I nodded, holding the steering wheel in my hands.
“Come on, where else could it have come from?”
Ga-haeng, who was looking around the car’s interior, exclaimed excitedly.
“Hyung really knows what’s cool. A Volkswagen, the car of a real man.”
Ga-haeng, who usually had a keen interest in cars, was particularly hyped up.
Yoo-jin, who was looking out the car window, voiced her curiosity.
“I thought you commuted by subway, oppa. You actually drive this car?”
“When did I ever say I took the subway?”
“Of course, I assumed you took the subway. Honestly, how many college students do you think have their own cars?”
She wasn’t wrong.
Although quite a few students used their own cars, most of them came from well-off families.
In terms of proportions, it was true that the majority of students used public transportation.
“But this car looks really expensive.”
In response to Yoo-jin’s question about the car, since she was clueless about cars, Ga-haeng explained instead.
“It’s really expensive. It must be over 200 million won.”
“What? 200 million? Wow… Dae-woon oppa, are you a gold spoon? This is shocking.”
Why are you looking at me like that?
I replied sullenly, looking at Yoo-jin who had a face like a tragic heroine discovering a secret of her birth.
“I bought this with my own money, okay? And keep this a secret. The reason I’ve been keeping a low profile is because I didn’t want to stand out. I’m only showing you guys because I trust you.”
I was always aiming for as ‘ordinary’ a college life as possible, so unnecessary attention was the last thing I wanted.
But I had faith that these three wouldn’t go blabbing about me. That’s why I felt comfortable revealing it to them.
The black Volkswagen sped away from the school and entered the underground parking lot of an obviously luxurious apartment building.
The extravagant exterior of the building made the three of them widen their eyes in astonishment.
“Is this really your studio apartment, oppa?”
“Calling this a ‘studio apartment’ feels a bit off, doesn’t it? It’s too… luxurious.”
“But I’m living alone, so it’s technically a studio apartment. Let’s go up.”
When the elevator doors opened, a dazzling golden interior was revealed.
Watching the kids, who looked like country bumpkins visiting Seoul for the first time, gawking at the elevator made me chuckle.
Ding.
The elevator stopped at the 25th floor. Leading the kids, I stood in front of the apartment door and pressed the passcode.
Beep beep beep beep.
“Come in.”
Hesitantly stepping inside, they looked around the house with their mouths wide open.
“Wow… This place is amazing.”
“Is this really a ‘studio apartment’?”
The silver, gleaming marble floors and high ceilings, the clean black-and-white color scheme, and the chandelier hanging from the ceiling all exudes luxury, leaving them in awe.
“Wow! Han River view?”
The serene Han River view beyond the gracefully curved, round windows—a highlight of my home—was captivating.
The enchanting golden lights of Seongsu Bridge and the mysterious blue lights of Dongho Bridge could be seen in one sweeping glance, mesmerizing the three of them.
“Sit here and relax for a bit.”
I turned on some jazz music and headed to the kitchen.
After pulling various items from the fridge, the dining table quickly overflowed with an assortment of goodies.
Having always enjoyed cooking at home, I effortlessly displayed my culinary skills.
From a simple Italian chicken dish to a cheese platter with various types of cheese, an array of mouthwatering dishes was swiftly plated.
“Since it’s a special occasion, we should indulge in some good drinks too.”
I scanned the wooden display cabinet, my eyes settled on a particular bottle.
“Well, well, well. Finally, it’s time to open this one.”
I took out a cherished bottle of whiskey I had been saving for a special occasion.
I filled pretty glass cups with ice and tonic water, and then added a splash of whiskey. Finishing off with a slice of lemon, a perfect highball was ready.
Carrying the tray with highballs, I headed to the table where they were eagerly waiting, their eyes sparkling with anticipation. I flashed a big smile at the one who had been waiting so patiently.
“Here it is, the special Song Dae-woon highball!”
“Wowwww!”
The three of them erupted in enthusiastic applause.
I even turned on the chandelier, which I rarely used, creating a cozy atmosphere.
“Cheers! Everyone worked hard on the project.”
“You worked hard too, hyung.”
“We’re grateful to you!”
“Cheers!”
Gulp, gulp, gulp
“Ah! This is amazing. Absolutely delicious.”
“Seriously. This is even better than what you get at an izakaya. I’m not exaggerating.”
Seeing them shovel food into their mouths while giving me thumbs up, I thought to myself, so this is the joy of cooking for others.
The drinking party was incredibly lively.
The laughter never stopped, and at one point, we had to take a break because our stomachs hurt from laughing so much.
“Oh man… That was so funny. Hey, Ga-haeng, do it again.”
“Ugh, why was I the only one who saw it? Watch closely. This is how that jerk Park Sung-min ran away.”
We all burst out laughing as Ga-haeng mimicked Park Sung-min’s actions and expressions as he bolted out right after the presentation class ended.
“Hahaha, his face looks like he’s about to cry!”
“He was so full of himself, serve him right, hahaha.”
“Do you think he’ll even be able to show his face in front of us again?”
“No way. That guy is shameless. He’ll just act like nothing happened and hit on Joo-hee again.”
Joo-hee scrunched up her nose in disgust at the thought, clearly displeased.
“Ugh… I hate that…”
As the drinking party progressed, the atmosphere, which had been so lively, gradually subsided.
Feeling a bit sentimental, we all listened to the soft music and gazed out the window.
“Oppa, you seem… like a really mysterious person.”
Joo-hee’s out-of-the-blue remark made a question mark appear over my head.
“Me? Why?”
“Well, for one thing, just the fact that you transferred here after being on an ocean fishing ship is amazing itself.”
Yoo-jin and Ga-haeng nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, yeah. And suddenly getting an interview with Chairman Lee Seung-hwan. No one would believe it if we told them.”
“Right. Did you see Professor Min’s face earlier? He looked like he was about to drool.”
“And what about this studio apartment? What college student lives in a place like this? Plus, commuting in an expensive foreign car. Have you ever seen that?”
“Nope, not at all.”
Yoo-jin and Ga-haeng were in perfect sync when it came to this kind of thing.
“Oppa, are you maybe… rich?”
“Are you living the life of the golden spoon, Song Dae-woon?”
Meeting their curious, sparkling eyes, I fell into a moment of contemplation.
Should I keep it a secret? Should I just tell them? If I do, how much should I reveal?
These were the friends who helped me adjust to the awkward and unfamiliar college life.
They were trustworthy and they were the friends I wanted to keep for life.
“Hmm… where should I start? So, you’re wondering if I’m a ‘gold spoon’?”
Nod, nod
Seeing the three of them nodding at the same time, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“First of all, let’s get to the main point, I’m not a gold spoon. By today’s terms, I’m a ‘dirt spoon’…? No, wait. I guess I didn’t have a spoon at all. I’m a ‘no-spoon’ person.”
“No-spoon?”
The term “no-spoon” made them tilt their heads in confusion.
“I didn’t have parents to pass down a spoon to me. I grew up in a nursery.”
“Oh…”
A sudden awkward silence fell over the room, and the atmosphere grew heavy.
Used to this situation, I put on a nonchalant smile.
“There’s no need to react like that. I was too young to even have a concept of parents.”
Somehow, the atmosphere seemed to have gotten even heavier, but I continued speaking without concern.
“When I was a kid, I couldn’t accept that fact and caused all kinds of trouble. I was in the thick of a serious case of middle school syndrome.”
My gaze drifted toward the large window.
I could see their faces listening intently to my words reflected in the glass.
Beyond the window, the colorful lights of the bridge were reflected upside down on the dark river water, and my memories flowed back in reverse as well.
“As soon as I turned eighteen, I left the nursery, but I do not know how scary the world was and ended up with a huge debt. I’m telling you this now, but back then, I even considered ending my life. But the thought of dying without having accomplished anything felt terribly unfair.”
Had I spoken too much?
Feeling my throat dry, I took a deep swig of my highball.
I continued speaking in a calm tone, as if I were giving a confession.
“So I board a ship. To take responsibility for my actions. And just like that, four years passed, and I returned to Korea. I was lucky enough to get a good opportunity and make some money. Of course, nothing illegal. I’m not some kind of thug, okay?”
These guys, who had been listening with serious faces, broke into smiles at my joke.
“So, you started with nothing and built yourself up to this point?”
I thought about Ga-hyeong’s words for a moment.
Self-made man (自手成家).
Didn’t it mean someone who built up a household and accumulated wealth through their own efforts without inheriting anything?
Although I didn’t have a household to build up, it wasn’t exactly wrong.
At the point when I paid off all my debts working on an ocean fishing ship, my wealth was back to zero, and then I made 10 billion won in an instant by selling my lucky Nox coin.
“Well, I guess you could say that.”
“Holy cow……”
“What?”
The three stared at me with expressions of awe and disbelief, like they’d just heard a legend come to life.
“Wow, amazing! Man. I’ve decided to look up to you from now on, hyung. No, I’ll make you the compass of my life.”
Yoo-jin and Joo-hee looked at me with eyes so moist they seemed ready to burst into tears.
“Oppa… I won’t say that you’re a bit too cocky anymore.”
“You’re so cool, oppa.”
The intense gazes of the three were so overwhelming that I shuddered.
“Oh, come on. You guys are making me cringe. Just act like you normally do.”
“Should we? Honestly, I felt like I was overdoing it a bit too.”
Their sudden change of attitude left me momentarily speechless.
“Actually, me too. And hyung, now that we’re on the topic, this place is nice but it’s too empty. You should put some stuff in it. It’s not like you have to make it obvious that a guy lives here alone.”
“Oh my, that’s true? This won’t do. Girls are better at decorating anyway. Right, Joo-hee?”
“Of course, unnie. You’d be amazed if you saw my room.”
“We have to. Next time we gather, let’s bring lots of interior decor as gifts. We didn’t prepare much since we came so suddenly today.”
“Let’s do that. Hmm… A big teddy bear would look great over there, and over here…”
“A pink ruffle would be perfect there.”
“Right. As expected, unnie has a good taste.”
“Hehe, of course. Joo-hee.”
Seeing them playing their own game, I was at a loss for words.
But then, a smile slipped out.
I could tell they were overdoing it to make sure I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.
A strange mix of gratitude and relief washed over me.
I had never invited anyone to my house before.
In fact, it was the first time I had openly told anyone that I was from a nursery.
I was always worried that talking about my not-so-pleasant life might make people view me with prejudice.
But I was wrong.
They saw me for who I was, not my background or anything else.
I felt that this moment felt more valuable and joyful than successfully completing today’s presentation.
“But even so, pink in a single guy’s house is over the line, you idiots!”
“What are you talking about? Don’t you know that real men wear pink?”
Maybe because I had opened up first?
As the alcohol got to them, they began to share their own struggles and difficulties one by one, and we spent a precious time empathizing and understanding each other.
And so, I ended my first housewarming party, filled with happiness and meaning.
***
Knock, knock, knock.
“Hakgwajang-nim, this is Min Dong-won.”
Professor Min Dong-won knocked urgently on the head of the department’s office door.
TL Note: 학과장님 (Hakgwajang-nim): Department Head
