Chapter 45: The Start of New Semester and the Movie Premieres
“Whoa! Amazing 1(대박 (daebak): A Korean expression meaning ‘amazing’ or ‘great success’. It captures the character’s excitement over the unexpected amount of money)!”
Suddenly, I felt the stares from all around me.
Did I shout too loudly, even if it was just the lobby? It was a library, after all.
“Ahem… Sorry about that.”
I quickly bowed my head in apology and looked at my phone screen once more.
[Youngrok Plaza February Rent Payment: ₩80,325,100 deposited]
“80 million won…”
I was speechless.
I had expected a decent amount, but I never expected to be this much.
Wasn’t 80 million won roughly the yearly salary of a mid-level manager at a major corporation?
And this was pure profit, after deducting all other expenses.
I scrolled through the detailed statement sent by the building management company.
“Wow… StellarBucks is crazy…”
The rent from just the StellarBucks branch alone was over 30 million won.
That meant their monthly revenue was nearing 200 million won.
Since I had a fluctuating rent contract where 15% of their sales went towards rent, the numbers made sense.
“No wonder people are obsessed with ‘Stellarbucks, Stellarbucks’ 2(스벅 스벅 하는구나 (Seubuk Seubuk haneunguna): A casual way of saying people are always talking about Starbucks (StellarBucks in this case), showing how the speaker is now understanding the craze).”
I couldn’t help but be amazed.
With these numbers, even if I just sat back and relaxed, I’d be earning 800 million won a year.
Being a building owner was…
“Yep, I’ve officially become a ‘God-landlord’ 3(갓물주 (God-mulju): A play on words where “God” is combined with *물주* (mulju), meaning “landlord,” suggesting the speaker feels like an almost divine figure due to the amount of money they’re earning). Hahaha. The world looks different now.”
The 13 million won monthly rent I used to collect was already a lot of money, but 80 million? That was a whole different feeling altogether.
The world, which had always been beautiful, now seemed to be shining even brighter, as if a ray of light had broken through.
In any case, I was glad I didn’t sell the property after the development restrictions were lifted and instead decided to build something new. That was one of the best decisions I’d made.
“What’s with that sneaky grin on your face?”
“Ah! You scared me!”
Startled by the familiar voice that came out of nowhere, I turned around.
There stood Im Yoo-jin, Lee Ga-haeng, and Kim Joo-hee, the trio, looking at me with half-closed eyes.
“Geez, can you guys make some noise when you come over? You almost gave me a heart attack!”
“Why would we make noise walking through a crowded lobby? And did you even have a heart attack?”
Im Yoo-jin’s logical rebuttal left me with nothing to say, so I could only gape in silence as my response.
In any case, seeing these three after such a long time made me happy.
“Ahem, anyway, it’s nice to see you after so long. Has it been two months?”
“Yeah. Time flies so fast during breaks, doesn’t it?”
Kim Joo-hee sat beside me, while Lee Ga-haeng and Im Yoo-jin took the seats across from us.
“So, how was your break?”
“The same as everyone else’s. We’ve all got to start preparing for job applications soon, right?”
“Is it already that time…?”
Time had surely flown by, and our daily routines had slowly shifted along with it.
During our first semester, it was hard to remember a day we didn’t party, as we lived without a care in the world.
But by the second semester of our third year, drinking sessions became less frequent, and activities like managing our grades and getting involved in extracurriculars that helped with job prospects became more important.
“Muahaha! I spent the entire break focusing on TOEIC and finally scored a 950!”
Lee Ga-haeng’s announcement drew envious looks from Im Yoo-jin and Kim Joo-hee.
“Ah, I’m jealous… I need to take the TOEIC soon too, but I haven’t had the time because I’ve been preparing for the Financial Three Certifications.”
Im Yoo-jin was preparing to get a job at a bank, so she had been focusing on building relevant qualifications.
“I feel the same. I didn’t get to do anything because of the marketing competition.”
Kim Joo-hee said as she had been focusing on marketing contests and other extracurricular activities, given her interest in the field.
“But Hyung, what did you do during the break?”
“Me? Uh… well…”
What should I say?
Of course, I did a lot.
I had been swamped preparing for the opening of the building in Hapjeong-dong and I was also busy discussing my investment portfolio with Kim Seon-gi, who managed my assets.
On top of that, the movie [Nemesis], directed by Jeong Dae-yoon, which I had heavily invested in, had just finished filming and was about to be released soon.
But more than anything, what took up most of my time was helping the Beslo team stay mentally grounded and discussing the direction of their business.
Beslo’s growth was so rapid that even their CEO, Lee Jang-won, was getting anxious.
When things grow too quickly, they can hit a snag, and sometimes it’s better to slow down and reevaluate.
I suggested they focus more on strengthening their internal foundation rather than rushing into marketing, and fortunately, our investor, Buksan Ventures, agreed.
Now, the focus was on enhancing the key features of ‘Thumbs Up’ and fixing bugs, which improved both app ratings and reviews.
“I was busy too. I had a lot going on.”
“Ugh, makes sense. We’re already in our senior year. It’s crazy. I can’t believe I’m a senior!!”
Im Yoo-jin grabbed her head in disbelief, refusing to accept the reality, while Lee Ga-haeng chimed in.
“Accept it. We’re fossils now.”
“No, that can’t be! I’m not a fossil yet!”
“Don’t deny it, trilobite. The freshmen who enrolled this year were born in 2004.”
“What? 2004? Oh my God. What was I doing back then?”
“What do you think? Probably sipping yogurt at preschool.”
“Ah… Time is so cruel…”
It’s amazing even after all this time, those two were still perfectly in sync, a chaotic duo through and through.
“Did everyone manage to get their class schedules sorted?”
“Of course! I had my phone clock ready, and the moment it hit 9 AM, I clicked like crazy. How could I not succeed?”
As the others celebrated their victories, my expression darkened.
“I’m doomed… this time, I’ve got two classes with Professor Min the Lion this semester.”
“At this point, Hyung, aren’t you like a die-hard fan of Professor Min? How do you never manage to avoid his classes?”
“Still, Oppa, you got an A+ in all of his classes, didn’t you?”
“Oh? That’s true, right, Hyung?”
“Haah… You guys have no idea how much I sacrificed to get those grades…”
Kim Joo-hee chimed in cheerfully from the side.
“I succeeded too! And I even snagged Professor Lee Myung-hee’s ‘Understanding Contemporary Korean Cinema’, which is rumored to be a total gem.”
“No way. You actually got into that class? The one everyone says is a guaranteed A as long as you submit even one assignment and has no exams? I’m so jealous.”
Suddenly, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
“What’s the class called again?”
“Understanding Contemporary Korean Cinema.”
“Wait, I think I’m in that class too.”
“Huh? How? I heard getting into that class is harder than picking stars from the sky. People say it’s even more difficult than getting VTS concert tickets.”
“Wow… they say the lucky ones always make it in the end. Even with those slow fingers, you managed to pull it off. Congrats, Hyung.”
I scratched my head, still in disbelief. It seemed like one of the courses I randomly added in a half-defeated state had ended up working out.
“But that’s a perfect balance, isn’t it? Two classes with Professor Min versus ‘Understanding Contemporary Korean Cinema’.”
“Wow, that means you and I are in the same class, Oppa!”
Kim Joo-hee clapped her hands like a seal, celebrating excitedly.
“Are you that happy?”
Even though my schedule was a nightmare, it felt like a ray of light had broken through, and a subtle smile crept across my face.
“Since it’s the first day of the semester, we should definitely go out for drinks after class, right?”
“Of course! You know what they say, old habits die hard. Seems like our legendary drinking squad leader is still alive and kicking. Let’s go!”
“Old habits? You little… Come here!”
“Ahhhh!”
Watching Lee Ga-haeng getting smacked and chased around by Im Yoo-jin after making an offhand comment, I clicked my tongue.
And just like that, we kicked off the first day of the semester with a long night of heavy drinking.
“Ugh, I’m dying.”
After staying late at a café to finish my assignment, my whole body felt like it weighed a ton.
Beep beep beep beep beep
Click.
As I opened the front door, I saw shadowy figures darting through the frosted glass of the inner door.
“Hey, you three! Have you been behaving and listening to your mom?”
Meooow
Meooow
Hissss
Three pitch-black cats, sitting side by side in perfect formation, each greeted me with their distinct meows.
They had grown so much that they were almost as big as their mother now.
As they grew, their personalities became more pronounced.
The eldest, Seok-tan, was the biggest and generally calm.
The second, Gong-tan, was the mischievous troublemaker who caused the most chaos around the house.
Compared to his siblings, Heok-tan, the smallest of the bunch, was the very definition of moody and aloof.
You’d have to bribe him with a Churu treat 4(popular brand of tub tuna) just to be allowed to pet him for a brief moment.
Still, the distinct personalities of these three made living with them endlessly entertaining.
Meooow
Was it my imagination, or did that sound like, ‘You’re back. Try to come home earlier next time?’
As usual, their mother, Yeon-tan, was the last to appear, letting out a clear, elegant meow before casually returning to her spot.
She seemed worn out, probably from taking care of her little ones while I was away.
Plop.
“Ah, if you ask me what I’m most satisfied with buying, it has to be this sofa.”
Without even bothering to change clothes, I headed straight to the living room couch and threw myself onto it.
The comfort felt like floating on a cloud, and a soft smile spread across my face as my eyes gently closed.
“This must be heaven… Haah…”
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
With my eyes shut and my mouth closed, the house fell into silence, save for the ticking of the clock.
This was my time. A moment when I could focus solely on myself—my favorite time of the day.
Then, I felt something moist and prickly on my cheek, causing my eyelids to slowly open.
“Hehehe. I knew you’d come, little rascal. That’s why I didn’t bother taking a shower yet.”
Meooow
Yeon-tan had grabbed her glowing collar in her mouth, nudging me to take her out for a nighttime walk.
“What, Gong-tan, you too?”
Meow
Gong-tan, clearly having learned from his mother, had a pink collar clutched in his mouth as he looked up at me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Alright, let’s go. It’s our regular meet up night anyway.”
I forced myself off the sofa, reluctantly lifting my body, and grabbed Yeon-tan and Gong-tan along with their leashes, heading up to the rooftop.
Whoosh
Even though spring had arrived, the night air was still quite chilly, probably due to the seasonal transition.
But it wasn’t cold enough to keep us from walking, so I set Yeon-tan and Gong-tan down on the ground and fastened their leashes.
As soon as the leashes clicked into place, the two cats, who had been sitting quietly, began to move forward.
“Hey, hey! Slow down a bit.”
At this point, it was hard to tell who was walking whom. Was I taking them for a walk, or were they dragging me along?
Meow
Yeon-tan, who had been eagerly leading the way, suddenly stopped and let out a soft, sweet meow.
There was a faint hint of recognition and happiness in her voice.
“Yeon-tan~! Oh my! And Gong-tan’s here too! Come here, you two!”
Did they understand her?
Both Yeon-tan and Gong-tan dashed toward their target with full force, flipping onto their backs and pressing their heads against her, showing off all their affectionate tricks.
“Wow, really? You two abandon the person who feeds you to run to a stranger? They say raising kids never pays off, and I guess they were right.”
With a smirk, I approached them as the woman in a red hoodie and jeans pulled back her hood, revealing a cascade of silky hair and a sweet peach-like scent that tickled my nose.
“Long time no see!”
It was Hong Seul-gi, my neighbor and someone I hadn’t seen in a while, especially now that her movie was about to be released.
Incidentally, she was also the lead actress in the film I’d invested in, and the fate of the project rested largely on her shoulders.
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