IWSF – Ch 259

I left work early, stopped by home to pack, and headed straight to the Grand Dayton Hotel.

I parked in front of the hotel and waited for a moment before Ellie walked out, pulling a suitcase. She was wearing a sky-blue dress and a trench coat. Her long, slender legs were visible below the knee-length skirt. She was wearing Converse All-Stars instead of heels, which went very well with her outfit.

Ellie put her suitcase in the trunk and got into the car.

“Did you wait long?”

“No, I just got here.”

Her hair ends were slightly damp, as if she had just washed it. She had light makeup on and wore silver earrings and a necklace.

I gave her my honest compliment.

“Your beauty is working overtime today.”

Ellie then lightly kissed me on the cheek.

“Thank you. Jin-hoo, you look handsome too.”

I started the car.

“Traffic to the airport shouldn’t be too bad, right?”

“If we’re late, they’ll wait for us.”

“What about your mother?”

“I called her earlier, and she said she’s already left.”

M Pizza’s Jeju branch at the Sillon Hotel is scheduled to open tomorrow. The Jeju branch, built in a resort format, is even larger than the main branch in Namsan.

CEO Lim Su-mi is going to Jeju Island to attend the opening ceremony, and she suggested that I take my mother and go with her.

I was already thinking of taking a trip after work anyway, so I thought it was perfect timing. Recently, there haven’t been any major issues in the financial world, and the branch manager leaves work on time, so Golden Gate is quiet. That’s why Ellie decided to come along as well.

Ellie looked excited.

“Are you that happy?”

“Of course. I’ve always wanted to go to Jeju Island. You said you’ve been there, right, Jin-hoo?”

“I’ve been twice. Once on a school trip and once on a family trip. It was when I was young, so I don’t remember it very well.”

“There are several diving spots in Jeju Island that are famous among divers.”

We even rented a yacht to explore those places. Surprisingly, Ellie has a yacht license and a PADI instructor certification.

She really loves anything that involves using her body.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been scuba diving too. I’m already looking forward to it.”

“I’ve never done it.”

Ellie said confidently.

“Jin-hoo just needs to trust me and follow me without any worries. I’ll teach you everything.”

“……Yes.”

Looking at her enthusiastic appearance, it somehow feels like it will be tough. Can my stamina keep up?

“Why isn’t Taek-gyu going with you?”

“He said he’s going to rest at home. And his parents are coming up to Noona’s house.”

“I see. Do you know Jessica really likes the new house?”

I nodded.

“Taek-gyu put a lot of effort into finding the house and decorating it.”

Buying a house for his sister who is pregnant, and handing over shares worth trillions (though it was around 20 billion when he gave them). You don’t see siblings like that often.

Ellie nodded and said.

“Jessica is also worried about her brother a lot. She wishes he would date. Ah! But is Taek-gyu not interested in women at all?”

“No way.”

Like most guys, Taek-gyu likes women.

“Among the Golden Gate employees, there are many women who are interested in Taek-gyu.”

I was surprised by those words.

“Really?”

Working at Golden Gate is practically being in the top 1% of the financial world. And those women are interested in Taek-gyu?

“He always wears tracksuits and slippers.”

“They say he looks laid-back and has a distinct personality, which is good.”

“Ah……”

With tens of trillions in assets, that also becomes a personality trait, huh. Is it some kind of optical illusion that makes someone look handsome if they’re rich?

“Come to think of it, what kind of style of woman does Taek-gyu like?”

“Well…”

He mainly likes virtual characters from manga and anime, but…

I suddenly remembered something from the past.

“Ah! There was a girl Taek-gyu liked in high school.”

At my words, Ellie’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“Really? Who is it?”

“I don’t know her well. Taek-gyu and I went to different high schools.”

“What did she look like?”

“I saw a picture, but I don’t remember well. I think she wore glasses and had a round face. Kind of plain-looking?”

“So what happened?”

“It just ended there.”

Looking back now, it was just a slight crush, not like he was passionately in love.

“Then what is that girl doing now?”

“I don’t know.”

Both Taek-gyu and I went to regular high schools. The academic levels were so varied that after graduation, everyone scattered. Some went to prestigious universities in Seoul, but some went to local universities or vocational colleges, or chose other paths.

Even if they were close friends in high school, it’s not easy to keep in touch when you are busy with life.

“I guess we probably won’t meet again.”

***

It was almost noon when Taek-gyu woke up in bed.

He opened the door and came out to a spacious living room. His roommate had gone on a trip with his girlfriend, so he was alone in the large house.

Guards and housekeepers were on standby in the annex, but they wouldn’t come unless called.

Taek-gyu heated up a sandwich from the refrigerator and brought it to his room with juice.

One side of the room had a computer desk. Three monitors were placed on it, and the computer was a top-of-the-line model costing over 10 million won per unit.

Taek-gyu ate the sandwich and turned on the computer.

On the internet, there are always pointless debates going on. If a lion and a tiger fought, who would win? Who is the better soccer player, Pele or Maradona?

One of them is whether Kang Jin-hoo is progressive or conservative.

It’s hard to call him conservative because his relationship with former President Park Si-hyeong and the Liberty National Party is so bad, and it’s hard to call him progressive because he made Ronald, a Republican candidate, president and showed pro-American behavior. He is cooperating with domestic conglomerates. He helped the Woosong Corporation union, while he was at odds with the Eunseong Motors union and turned the two major labor federations into enemies.

“There’s a flood of insults today too.”

That’s why it’s hard to live as a fence-sitter. You get criticized whether you invest or not.

Well, there are bound to be people who leave malicious comments for no reason in the world. If you pay attention to each one, it will never end.

Taek-gyu then went to another site.

Ruliweb is the largest domestic game site, with various articles and materials related to games and subculture.

Lost Fantasy M is still a popular game that firmly holds the number one spot in mobile games. Thanks to this, expectations for Lost Fantasy Online were overflowing.

Among the materials reported by OTK Games, Taek-gyu uploaded publicly available information and a few screenshots. Comments poured in instantly.

– Oh oh! Thank you, TK_Sayoh-nim.

– Are those screenshots real?

– This person is at least a company insider.

– Isn’t he just a successful otaku?

– I heard there are some Koreans among the developers, is he one of them?

– Have you perhaps met Mr. Shigeru himself?

-I heard there’s a possibility of online being linked to mobile, is that true?

He was answering each question that came up when suddenly a mail notification rang.

Taek-gyu changed his phone number several times, but he was still using the same email address. It’s not like he was getting bomb emails like Kang Jin-hoo, and all his game accounts used the same email, so he didn’t see the need to change it.

He opened his inbox and checked, and unexpectedly, an email had arrived.

The sender was none other than Min Ha-young, who was in the same class as him in the second grade of high school. They had similar hobbies, so they talked occasionally, and at one point, he had feelings for her.

The email said she contacted him because she just thought of him after a long time, and to reply if he was okay with it. So, he wrote down his contact number and replied.

Then, surprisingly, he received a call right away.

[It’s been a while, Taek-gyu. It’s Min Ha-young, do you remember me?]

Listening to her voice, he seemed to recognize her.

“Of course. It’s been a while.”

[Yeah, right? I was going to contact you sometime, but I kept forgetting. It’s the weekend, are you doing anything?]

“I’m just resting.”

[Where are you?]

“Here in Gangnam.”

At those words, she was delighted.

[Oh, really? That’s great. I’m in Gyodae. If you have time, would you like to meet up for a bit?]

“Now?”

[Yeah. Is it okay?]

“……”

What on earth is the reason why a high school classmate suddenly contacts you and asks to meet?

According to articles I’ve seen on the internet, it’s one of two things.

‘Insurance or multi-level marketing scheme.’

Or, with a very low probability, she might genuinely want to meet up.

Anyway, it was good timing since I was bored at home.

“Where should I go?”

***

Taek-gyu headed to Gyodae in a car driven by a bodyguard.

He usually goes to work in tracksuits and slippers, but since it was a meeting with a classmate after a long time, he put on jeans and a t-shirt.

When they arrived at Gyodae Station, the bodyguard said.

“I will wait nearby. Please contact me if you are finished with your business or if anything happens.”

“Yes. Please relax and rest.”

Taek-gyu went into a cafe, ordered a drink first, and sat down.

Not long after waiting, a woman walked in. She was wearing a short dress and high heels.

She wore earrings and a necklace with flashy jewels, and carried a Louis Vuitton Speedy bag in her hand. It’s the so-called “3-second bag” that you can see one every 3 seconds on the street.

She looked around the cafe and immediately approached the table where Taek-gyu was.

“Min Ha-young?”

“Yeah. It’s been so long.”

Thick makeup and bushy eyebrows. She must have had some plastic surgery, because the innocent impression she used to have was gone.

Her face had changed so much that I almost didn’t recognize her.

“You don’t wear glasses anymore?”

“Of course. I tried wearing them, and lenses are much more comfortable.”

She was wearing blue circle lenses in her eyes.

She sat down opposite him.

“Would you like some coffee?”

“No, I’m okay. I just had one. But you’ve lost a lot of weight. Did you go on a diet or something?”

“Well, I went through some hardships.”

She lost weight naturally because she had been through so much emotional distress while hanging out with Kang Jin-hoo.

“What are you doing these days? Are you going to university?”

“No. I didn’t go to university, and I’m just doing this and that with a friend right now.”

“So you haven’t gotten a job at a company.”

“Yeah.”

To be precise, he founded a company, and now he has grown it into a leading conglomerate that rivals the Seoseong Group.

Everyone knows the names Kang Jin-hoo and Oh Hyun-joo, but Oh Taek-gyu’s name is hardly known. And since he went to a different high school from Jin-hoo, there was no way Min Ha-young would know that the two were close.

Taek-gyu asked her.

“What do you do?”

Then Min Ha-young said as if she had been waiting for it.

“I work at an investment marketing company.”

“Investment marketing?”

It’s either investment or marketing, but what is investment marketing?

‘The marketing you’re talking about isn’t network marketing, is it?’

Just as he was thinking that, Min Ha-young asked.

“Do you perhaps know about Bant Coin?”

Of course he knew. OTK Company started with Bant Coin he received in middle school.

Taek-gyu nodded.

“Of course, I know.”

“I guess so. It was such a hot topic last year. Did you buy coins and make some money?”

Taek-gyu thought for a moment with his arms crossed.

‘How much did I make? I sold them off diligently before the crash, so roughly 10 trillion won?’

Min Ha-young smiled.

“I guess you didn’t make a profit if you can’t talk about it. Don’t worry. Coins will go up again soon. The important thing is which coin you buy.”

While she was talking, her phone placed on the table rang, and Min Ha-young got up briefly to answer it.

“I’m sorry, but I think I need to go to the company for a bit because of work.”

We’ve only met for 10 minutes? Anyway, if she has work, what can I do?

“Okay. Then let’s see each other next time.”

As Taek-gyu was about to get up from his seat, she quickly said.

“Or, would you like to come to the company with me? It’ll only take a moment, and after it’s done, let’s go eat.”

“Go with you?”

“Yeah. I’ll show you around the company too.”

What kind of situation is it to take a classmate you met after a long time to your workplace?

Taek-gyu saw her eyes flicker slightly. He immediately grasped the situation.

According to the internet sages, in this case, you should immediately kick away from the seat and run out. But curiosity took precedence.

It feels like I know I’m going to get tricked, but I still want to go.

Taek-gyu nodded.

“Shall we?”

After leaving the cafe and walking for about 5 minutes, a building appeared.

“Here it is.”

They took the elevator to the 2nd floor, and an interior space that looked like a brokerage firm appeared. Even on the weekend, employees came to work and filled the seats, and they were giving consultations here and there with partitions in between.

For some reason, his heart was pounding with anticipation.

‘Is this the Dungeon of the Multi-level Marketing, aka D&D, that I’ve only heard about?’