Legacy 5
There was nothing strange about a student walking through the well-maintained city streets. He glanced at the "Apartments for Sale" poster plastered on the complex wall as he entered, then headed inside. With so many unsold units, there were hardly any people around, and no one paid any mind to the student boarding the elevator.
Of course, I know no one would look at me strangely...
I placed a hand on my chest to steady my heart, which was pounding with excitement, and took a deep breath. This was my third time coming here, but I still couldn't stop my hands from shaking with tension.
Beep.
The door lock clicked open. After scanning for onlookers, I slipped inside quickly and shut the door behind me before anyone could see.
I passed through the living room, its typical 30-pyeong apartment interior chilled and empty, screaming that no one lived here, and opened the master bedroom door. A sharp, acrid smell assaulted my nose, and there, piled like a mountain, were stacks of cash bundles.
They must've shoved it all into the safe without even counting, in such a rush.
With the thought that this was the final spot, my legs buckled, and I sank to the floor. I began dividing the 10,000-won bundles into groups of ten and counting them.
As the total surpassed hundreds of millions, the counting grew exhausting. I started gesturing lazily in the air with my left hand, folding my index and middle fingers to draw the open sigil in midair.
A shimmering haze rippled into existence like heat waves. Without hesitation, I hurled the stacks of cash on the floor into it.
It took about an hour of grueling labor, but excitement kept my breath ragged—I didn't pause or rest once until it was done. I tucked a few 10,000-won bundles into the bag I'd brought, scanned the room to ensure nothing was left behind, then folded my fingers again to draw the close sigil. I checked for the fading shimmer before stepping out.
Of all the abilities I've gained so far, this one feels like the best.
Dae-baek-gong might be disappointed if he knew, but I was just thrilled to have something like the inventory from games. He'd warned me repeatedly that the spell wasn't omnipotent—you could only store items that belonged to you—but to me, it felt exactly like a real-life version of that convenient game feature, nothing more, nothing less.
My grandfather's legacy far exceeded my expectations after he passed. He owned most of the mountains, fields, and paddies around Dun-dang, including the hospital site and vast swaths of the Dun-dang new town land. I'd written off liquid assets since my aunt had already sold or taken most of them, but whether he'd dispersed his land compensation from the new town development into cash hidden in these unsold apartments he bought himself remained a mystery. Either way, it let me solidify my plans even further.
This money—was it really meant for Mom to find?
The apartments Grandfather had bought featured rare electronic door locks for the time, all set to the same password: Mom's birthday.
The excitement and joy I'd felt staring at the cash moments ago felt like a lie as a pang of bittersweet emotion washed over me. I pulled out my phone and called Mom.
"Hello?"
"Mom, it's me."
"Joo-in? How's the house looking?"
"Out of the three, I like the one next to the new Sin-seol Elementary School the best."
"Yeah? I thought it'd be nice to be close to Joo-shin's school too. But it'll be farther from your high school..."
"It's fine. There's a bus stop right in front."
"Everything's great since it's a new town, but the high school hasn't even opened yet—that's the downside."
"Probably because not many places are fully sold off. Still, I think moving would be good for Joo-shin. Better to relocate during elementary so he doesn't have to transfer mid-middle or high school. Frequent moves make it hard to make friends."
"Well..."
"I've already gotten close with Jong-hyuk and Kyung-soo. It's Joo-shin I'm worried about—he's probably got friends already. How do we even break it to them?"
"I'll handle that. So we'll go with that place, and maybe rent out the other two as jeonse."
"What about wolse instead?"
"Huh?"
"And why don't you quit the mart and open a shop in one of the apartment commercial spaces?"
"Me?"
"There's a Mini Stop in the next complex over—super easy inventory management since it's a chain. The one by the new elementary doesn't have one."
"Mini Stop?"
"Yeah."
"I've heard of it..."
"You've got all that mart experience—you'd crush it."
"Could I really run a business alone?"
"It's a chain, so HQ handles everything. Just manage the stock they specify. Plus, it's in your own commercial space—no rent. And you mentioned tough customers at the mart."
"That's..."
"We'll talk details at home. I'll pick up Joo-shin today."
"Okay. See you at home later."
Thinking of Baek-sin Elementary where Joo-shin would be waiting, I quickened my steps.
· · · · ·
I spotted Joo-shin perched high on the jungle gym in a quiet corner of the school playground and hurried over.
"Joo-shin, it's dangerous—come down carefully."
"Hyung."
He climbed down to about midway and spread his arms toward me. I strode up, hugged him tight, and lifted him down gently.
He felt heavier than I remembered after just a few days, and I chuckled without thinking.
"Sorry I was late. Wait long?"
"Nah, not long."
As he clung to me, his warm body heat soaking in, I patted the bag on my back.
"If the bag's heavy, hyung'll carry it..."
But he turned his head away defiantly, like he was protesting. A flicker of unease hit me. I set him down on the playground, knelt to meet his eyes.
His trembling gaze was filled with fear and some deeper dread.
I've seen that look before...
"Joo-shin..."
"Mom and you are always together, but I'm always left somewhere else..."
Right—the look from when I left him at daycare.
I pulled the anxious boy into a tight hug.
"Joo-shin... hyung's sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone like that... I was worried you'd see other people struggling and feel bad too. If I'd known it'd hurt you this much, I never would've... but I was scared something might happen to you. Hyung messed up. Forgive me anyway?"
"I... I..."
"It's okay. You're right to be mad—be angry, hate me till it fades."
"What... can't even get mad properly."
I hugged the deflated boy tighter.
"Get it all out—you deserve to. But it was out of worry, that's true. I should've explained better... things just moved too fast."
"I heard. Great-grandpa passed."
"Who...?"
"Everyone's whispering, but I've got ears."
"Ahem..."
I cleared my throat awkwardly, and he gave me a look like I was ridiculous.
"I'm a kid, but I hear and see and feel everything, y'know?"
Even after regressing, I forget—a kid's still a full person with their own mind.
I spoke in a reflective tone.
"Once you've vented enough and calmed a bit, wanna talk?"
"Whatever. You even sucked the anger out of me. But... you okay, hyung?"
"Huh?"
"You were there when great-grandpa passed."
I fell silent for a moment, then spoke carefully.
"Did you wanna see Grandpa?"
"Of course..."
"Sorry I kept even that from you."
"Why's it your fault he passed suddenly? I'm mad, sure, but not gonna lash out weirdly."
"..."
"Just... when I'm not around, I worry if you and Mom are okay..."
"Why?"
"Today when Mom dropped me off, she seemed half somewhere else..."
"Ah..."
"I hate not knowing when you're hurting."
I stroked his head.
"Wanna grab something Mom likes on the way?"
"Something she likes?"
"Yeah. She looked beat today."
"What's that?"
"Something spicy and sweet...?"
Mom's eyes widened at the prepared dinner when she got home. It had cooled and lost some flavor, but her spring-breeze smile let Joo-shin and me enjoy the modest yet hearty meal of tteokbokki and hotteok.
As we finished, Mom looked at us and said,
"Should we move?"
"Move?"
"Yeah..."
"Do I gotta transfer schools too?"
Mom's face clouded at Joo-shin's worried question.
"Hmm... maybe we think on it more?"
Leaving Mom deep in thought, I gazed down at the sleeping Joo-shin.
Transferring would be tough, huh?
Unable to settle my thoughts as dusk fell, I geared up to head out.
Mom called from behind, puzzled.
"It's late—where you off to?"
"Just gonna get some air and exercise. Won't be too late, don't worry."
"Don't stay out too long."
She looked concerned but stepped aside without blocking me. I opened the front door and stepped out.