I asked Yuri, “Why are you acting like this?”
Yuri shook her head in annoyance and replied, “I don’t know. It’s driving me crazy.”
They first met at the freshman welcome party. It seemed like Chae Myeong-ho fell for Yuri at first sight and asked her out, but she promptly rejected him. However, that wasn’t the end of it.
Even though she didn’t share her contact information, somehow he kept reaching out. When she blocked him, he found another way to contact her.
Yuri showed me the messages Myeong-ho sent her, which were utterly ridiculous. Declarations of love, shopping for luxury bags at the department store, offering to buy her anything she wanted, and more.
Such gestures might work on others, but Yuri found them utterly unnecessary. If she needed a luxury bag, she could sell her stocks and buy one. She saw Myeong-ho’s messages as over the top.
“It seems he really likes you,” I remarked. Yuri rolled her eyes.
“Are you saying that now?”
“Sorry.”
It’s practically violence to force these expressions on someone who clearly dislikes them. Isn’t that considered stalking? We headed to the central library cafeteria. While eating, I heard more about Myeong-ho from Minyoung.
Looking at the case of Go Junhyung, even children from chaebol families occasionally enter the Korean business school. So, the eldest son of Master Chicken’s chairman entering as a freshman wasn’t particularly surprising. Seniors were subtly hoping for free chicken at gatherings.
However, this new freshman was totally tactless. He disregarded the set schedules and rules during orientation, spoke informally to seniors, and forced drinks on girls at drinking sessions.
The appearance was something that Senior Sergeant Gyuwon couldn’t just watch quietly.
Senior Sergeant Gyuwon scolded everyone who witnessed the scene, but Chae Myeong-ho, instead of reflecting on his actions, came out with an attitude of wanting to fight.
Fortunately, the seniors around intervened, saying it was just a mistake made while drunk, and the atmosphere was to just let it go.
The issue arose after the OT was over.
Senior Sergeant Gyuwon’s father retired last year and took the typical fast-track promotion route that retirees often take.
He went from being a manager in a large company to owning a chicken restaurant, and it happened to be a Master Chicken franchise.
Without a break, he fried chicken while taking care of his children, but suddenly, there was a hygiene inspection from the headquarters. They found various violations and imposed a 10-day suspension of operations.
Immediate suspension of operations was critical, but in terms of food hygiene, three warnings result in automatic termination of the franchise agreement.
It was a chicken restaurant poured all the retirement money into. The livelihood of the whole family depended on the small store.
Without even hearing the rest, it was easy to guess what happened next.
“What about the other seniors?”
Min Young tilted his head and said, “After seeing what happened to Senior Sergeant Gyuwon, who would want to say anything?”
“What about Go Jun-hyung?” “Wouldn’t he be speechless if that senior said something?”
“He rarely comes to school. At first, it seemed like he was trying to flirt with Seon-ah, but as soon as he found out about his relationship with Junhyung senior, he started treating her harshly.”
In a capitalist society, money is power. No one wants to get involved with those in power in a negative way.
Chae Myeong-ho wasn’t someone without any thoughts; he spent money generously on close juniors and seniors. The fact that Senior Sergeant Gyuwon’s store reopened two days later and was suddenly designated as an excellent franchise is a prime example.
It clearly showed what consequences you face when you wrong someone and what benefits you receive when you treat them well.
Listening to the story, I was speechless. “I mean…”
The tyranny of franchises, that’s what it is.
Big corporations oppress subcontractors, and franchise headquarters oppress their franchisees. After having foreign experiences for a while, coming back to South Korea really hits home.
Even the children of chaebol families are scared of rumors and can’t act out. Haven’t you heard the stories of the sons and daughters of Seosung Group or Eunsung Car Group getting into accidents in the news? Accidents are mostly caused by dubious characters. (There might be influence from the conglomerates’ control over the media.)
Minyoung said with a worried expression, “Is it going to be okay? I saw that child earlier, and it doesn’t seem like they will stay put.”
I chuckled. “What can they do?”
I, too, do not intend to let things slide.
At least, it’s not something that should be done to self-employed business owners who depend on their livelihoods.
***
The location for the welcome party was a small pub near the back gate of the school. Today, the entire Business Administration department had rented it out.
A male student acting as the host shouted, “Seniors, please sit with the freshmen.”
As we followed the instructions and took our seats, both sides were freshmen.
“All right, has everyone filled their glasses? Then, let’s raise a toast to celebrate the new semester!”
I clinked glasses with the freshmen, getting to know each face one by one. They were four years younger than me. Come to think of it, when I was in high school, they were in elementary school.
After a few drinks, I moved to where Minyoung and Kyeongil were sitting. Seon-ah was already there.
Has it been a year since I last saw her?
She still had a captivating presence that caught your eye at first glance.
Looking at me, Seon-ah said, “Have you been well? I’ve returned to school this year.”
“Yeah.”
“Go Junhyeong was not seen.”
“What about that senior?”
“He said he’ll come in a bit.”
I sat down, and we all clinked glasses together.
Seon-ah asked, “Why didn’t you return to school right away?”
“I was busy with this and that.”
Seon-ah seemed like she wanted to ask something more, but she didn’t say anything.
As time passed, closer groups began to gather. Yuri and a few female colleagues, including Hwang Ji-hye, laughed and chatted.
Minyoung looked around the bar and said, “Come to think of it, that brat hasn’t come.”
“True.”
But before the conversation could finish, a black Mercedes-Benz S-Class stopped in front of the bar. Chae Myeong-ho got out of the driver’s seat, Gyu-won senior from the passenger seat, and three female students got out from the back seat. I recognized one of the faces among them.
Hey-mi exclaimed, “The car is so nice. Mercedes-Benz S-Class is truly the best. Some of my classmates even drive small cars like a nerd. This is a real class difference.”
“······.”
She hasn’t graduated yet either.
Chae Myeong-ho casually entered the bar after turning the key with his finger. Then, as if it were natural, he sat next to Yuri.
“Let’s have a drink together, senior.”
Yuri frowned.
“I don’t want to drink with you.”
Chae Myeong-ho chuckled and said, smiling.
“Ugh, that flaky girl is not very attractive.”
I could tell from his appearance that he sees relationships as power dynamics, ignoring the other person’s feelings and merely imposing his own.
“Come on, let’s drink.”
Chae Myeong-ho leaned in close, placing his hand on Yuri’s shoulder, but Yuri pushed his hand away.
Before things could escalate further, I approached them.
“Yuri, can you give me some space?”
Yuri stood up at my words, and I took her seat.
“Let’s have a drink together.”
Chae Myeong-ho frowned.
“Another senior?”
“Yeah, it’s me again.”
He shrugged.
“Don’t butt in for no reason, just go somewhere else.”
“Ugh, that pushy guy isn’t very appealing either.”
Suddenly, the atmosphere became quiet.
As the tension grew, Gyu-won senior approached.
“Hey, Kang Jin-hoo…”
Chae Myeong-ho raised his hand to stop him, and Gyu-won senior immediately shut his mouth.
He grumbled,
“I heard from Hye-mi senior on the way here, saying you messed up big time at senior’s house? Managed to return to school somehow.”
Ah, Hye-mi as usual.
I can never figure her out.
“You really don’t like me, do you?”
I picked up the glass in front of me and drank my beer.
“I heard from the others that you’re good at drinking games? Let’s play a game.”
His eyebrows twitched.
“A game?”
“I just came up with a game. The rules are simple. We set a time limit and stack cash on the table. The one with the most stacked cash wins. The loser has to drop out. How about it?”
Chae Myeong-ho looked puzzled. “You don’t know who I am?”
“I know. You’re rich, right? But no one here has actually seen that money.”
I said loudly so that everyone could hear.
“If we’re going by that logic, who here doesn’t have a golden calf at home? I’ve been hiding my wealth all this time, but the truth is, I have tens of billions of dollars at home.”
It would naturally sound like nonsense.
“Senior, you’re making a mistake right now.”
I said provocatively. “Are you unsure of yourself?”
“Why should I play such a useless game?” Not an easy one to persuade.
As I pondered over what condition to propose, Yuri, who had been listening nearby, spoke up.
“If you win, I’ll do whatever you want, senior.”
In an instant, Chae Myeong-ho’s eyes lit up.
“Really?”
Yuri nodded.
“Yes. I like wealthy men. So, win.”
Chae Myeong-ho promptly agreed.
“Alright. Let’s do it.”
Min-young and Kyeongil, who had quietly approached by my side, interrupted me.
“Are you drunk? Why are you doing this?”
“Quick, cancel it, man.”
“Don’t worry. Just win, right?”
Chae Myeong-ho chuckled at that sight.
How long can he keep laughing, though?
***
Coming out of the bathroom after washing my face, Seon-ah was standing in front of me.
“What are you thinking? Are you really going to drop out?”
“If I lose, that’s what I’ll do.”
Seon-ah asked with a sigh.
“Is there a way to win?”
“Can you lend me some money?”
“What?”
“Just kidding.”
“You really…”
Seon-ah seemed like she wanted to say something but bit her lip slightly.
I walked past her. The center table was neatly arranged, and in front of it sat Chae Myeong-ho.
The guys stood around like spectators.
Before sitting down, I whispered to Yuri.
“If I lose, are you really going to date him?”
Yuri grinned mischievously.
“Well, Senior is going to win anyway.”
“…”
What on earth is she believing to act like this?
I sat down across from him and explained the rules once again.
“The time limit is two hours. Let’s say the one who stacks up the most cash on the table within that time wins. It doesn’t matter if it’s your money, your parents’ money, someone else’s money, or borrowed money. Foreign currency is allowed, but checks, securities, and physical goods are not. The loser shouldn’t hesitate to drop out neatly first thing tomorrow without regretting the tuition. Got it? No changing your mind later.”
“Senior, please don’t change your mind.”
“Yuri, set the timer for me, please.”
“Yes.”
Yuri set the timer on her phone for two hours and placed it on the table.
Senior Gyu-won clapped and said, “Everyone put your phones away. If you get caught taking pictures, deal with it yourself.”
I appreciate it when they do this for me. I told Min-young and Kyung-il, “Keep an eye on them with Gyu-won senior to prevent them from taking photos.”
While rumors spreading verbally is unavoidable, having no photographic evidence significantly weakens credibility.
“I’ll go first.”
I took out all the cash I withdrew from the ATM just now and the cash in my wallet and stacked them on the table.
I just found out today that the daily ATM withdrawal limit is 6.0 million won.
“It’s 6.45 million won. If you’re nervous, you can go home now.”
Chae Myeong-ho chuckled as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Seriously, what are these kids playing at?”
Then he picked up his phone.
“Secretary Jung, listen carefully to what I’m about to say from now on.”
***
In front of the beer house, a black sedan came to a stop. Two middle-aged men dressed in suits arrived carrying two attache cases, which are commonly known as 007 bags.
Click!
After entering the correct password and opening the bags, bundles of 50,000 won bills spilled out. 200 bundles stacked neatly on the table, each bundle containing 50 million won, totaling 1 billion won.
Despite the bustling beer house, a silence swept through. How often does one get to see 1 billion in cash in their lifetime?
As someone muttered, “Even if I work my whole life, could I ever amass that much?” An office worker could earn around 1 billion in their lifetime by working diligently, receiving a salary of 40 million per year and working for 25 years.
But amassing 1 billion is a whole different story. Alternating my gaze between the 1 billion won on Chae Myeong-ho’s side and the 645 million won in front of me, my 645 million suddenly seemed insignificant.
I hadn’t expected to stack 1 billion from the beginning. An ordinary college student wouldn’t accumulate more than tens of millions, even if they tried.
Accumulating 1 million would have been enough. But the reason I did this was probably to showcase it to the people present here.
Whether the intention was evident or not, everyone in the beer house looked astonished at the sight of 1 billion won.
“Would you like to continue?”
It had only been 30 minutes since it started. I smiled.
“Of course. I’ll show you something interesting from now on.”
