The Temptation of 130 Billion
I went to find Han Jihyun.
Of everyone alive, she knew best what had happened with the people who called themselves my parents.
"Eunho, why are you here again...? Please leave! Go back to Seoul!! Before those people get here, hurry—"
"They're not coming anymore."
"What..?"
I held out the promissory note left behind by Han Jiseon — her older sister, and the woman who had been my mother.
"H-how did you get this....."
"Those bastards won't be coming back. And you don't have to pay the debt either."
"Eunho.... sob..! hic..!!"
"Mom...."
The moment the note was in her hands, Han Jihyun sank to the floor with her casted leg stretched out and broke down crying. Yoo Serin wrapped her arms around her mother and held her.
"That leg — those bastards did that?"
"Sob.. hic..."
"Yes... they pushed Mom down the stairs... sob..."
"......"
I waited until she had calmed down a little.
After a long stretch of crying, she composed herself enough to struggle upright on her injured body.
"S-something to drink, at least...."
"I'm fine. More than that, I came because there's something I want to hear. What happened between Yoo Younghoon, Han Jiseon, and you."
"......"
What I'd gotten out of the loan sharks had been nothing more than fragments.
My father had an affair, then spent years paying off the debts of the mother he'd divorced.
That was about the size of it.
How diligently he'd paid as a debtor. Or rather — how viciously those bastards had hounded him for every last coin.
The way they'd bragged about it even after realizing I was his son told me the truth had been uglier than anything I'd been told.
But that wasn't what I wanted to know.
I didn't care how hard he'd had it. I wanted to know why he'd stayed at those two women's sides even after throwing away me and my grandmother.
"Serin, go get Mom's diaries for me, would you?"
"Okay.."
"Eunho, please sit and wait—"
"I'm fine."
The wait lasted only a few seconds. The house was so cramped that Yoo Serin was back almost at once, diaries in hand.
Han Jihyun was the one who explained them.
"It's all written in there... everything that happened to my sister... everything that happened to my brother-in-law...."
"I'll read them and bring them back."
I left the house. Yoo Serin followed me out.
"Something you want to say to me?"
"Come with me."
"Huh?"
"There's a quiet place."
"......"
I could have read them in the car, but I followed her up a short slope instead. A walking path wound into the mountain.
"If you go a little farther, there's a bench. Nobody comes up here."
"......"
I gave a slight nod and climbed the path. A bench scattered with fallen leaves appeared soon enough. I sat down and opened the diaries.
"Ha... this guy really is hopeless.."
Han Jihyun's diary began when she was eleven — the year her sister, fourteen years older, gave birth to me.
A nephew was born. I'm eleven and somehow I'm an aunt. My nephew is small, gross, and loud. Still cute, though.
Unnie got divorced. Now I can't see my cute nephew or my kind brother-in-law anymore. We're not family now. I lost my family at fourteen.
I hate it when unnie comes home. Money.. money.. money.. Fighting with Mom and Dad over the same thing every single time is disgusting. It's not even unnie and that guy's money. Please stop tormenting Mom and Dad. Please...
Why did that kind unnie turn into this? Mom and Dad died because of unnie and her husband... so why is she smiling at the money people hand her..? She's a monster. That man, and unnie too.
Abandoned.. by unnie... Busan... so strange and scary... I want to go home... but I can't... because unnie sold the house....
Every day is happy now. Being with him is so wonderful. I want to grow up fast and become a good adult who can comfort him. Thank you for saving me. For staying by my side. I love you.
Pregnant. I have a child now. I'm only eighteen... a baby the same age as my nephew is growing in my belly... but with him, I'm not scared. He'll be happy, right? I'm excited. Me, becoming a mother...
Unnie showed up.. What about the apartment she bought by selling our parents' house — why come to me..? I'm scared. So I didn't ask.
I found out why. Her new husband abandoned her. The same way she abandoned her brother-in-law and her nephew. Was this what she wanted... did she throw away that kind man and that little boy just so she could be thrown away herself..?
Today unnie is drunk and crying again. Looking for the brother-in-law and nephew she abandoned, drinking and sobbing every day. She's not the one who should be crying... I'm the one who really wants to cry.... Is he really never coming back..? Please just pick up the phone... please...
I feel like I've been left alone in the world... Did unnie feel like this when her new husband left her..? What do I do about this child..? I'm scared.. I want to run away...
The baby was born... Her name is Han Serin... my lovely daughter... but I'm only nineteen now... Can I raise her well..?
I went to the hospital with unnie. A year at most — that's all the time she has left. Unnie... is going to die...
Unnie contacted her ex-husband. She's trying to dump the debt she took on onto the man she abandoned. Because of me.. because of Serin.. Why use us as an excuse... She just doesn't want to take responsibility herself...
Brother-in-law came down to Busan.. He paid off part of unnie's debt.. He says he'll pay the rest soon...
He says as her husband, it's only right that he pays her debts. What a foolish man. Why did unnie abandon someone this good?
I'm a really terrible mother... but it's too much... living like this is too hard.. every day is hell... it's hard.. and scary... Serin... Serin....
In the end I accepted brother-in-law's proposal. Unnie and he re-registered their marriage, and he took on every last one of her debts. And Serin too.... he adopted her.. I've been given a chance at a new life.... a life reclaimed by abandoning my daughter.... I'm a truly terrible person...
Two months since coming up to Seoul. I miss her... I miss Serin so much... Let's go. Back to Serin. I'm sorry, Serin... Mom will be there soon.. I'm so sorry...
What, exactly, had been precious to this man?
He'd adopted his nephew to protect him. He'd given his young sister-in-law a chance at a fresh start.
So why hadn't he protected me?
Why hadn't he looked after my grandmother?
"I'll never understand you as long as I live. Whatever burden you chose to carry, that was your choice. Abandoning me and Grandmother was your choice too."
I closed the diary and stood.
A single letter was held out in front of me.
"What's this?"
"Dad wrote it... I haven't read it either.. so I don't know what it says..."
"Just throw it away."
"P-please read it! I'm begging you... it's the last letter Dad ever wrote..."
"......"
I took it and read.
Don't forgive me. I was a foolish, stubborn, incompetent man, and my best efforts left you with wounds that can never be washed clean. I won't ask for your forgiveness. But I was always sorry. It was good to see you grow up well.
"......"
The letter crumpled in my fist.
My hands wouldn't stop shaking.
What was this feeling?
Anger? Frustration? Sheer absurdity?
At the very least, it wasn't grief.
I refused to feel that for this man.
"Satisfied?"
"....I'm sorry... for everything..... I'm so sorry....."
"Give these back to your mother. And this letter — throw it out or keep it. Do whatever you want."
"W-wait..!"
"......"
"Please get home safe... and thank you.. for helping us... truly..."
"......"
I walked back down the path without stopping, all the way to where I'd parked.
Then I pulled a bag from the car.
I left it in front of Han Jihyun and Yoo Serin's door.
Five hundred million won — the money I'd set aside for the loan sharks.
It was a debt I'd only ever carried because of the woman who called herself my mother.
Call it compensation for the years they'd spent paying it off.
"From here on out, you two live your lives and I'll live mine. Let's all just be done with it."
I turned and walked away.
I probably wouldn't set foot here again. Not twice.
Today, it was really over.
The moment I got back to Seoul and walked into the office, I went looking for President Hong Mincheol.
I wanted a proper briefing on the investment deal he'd mentioned briefly over the phone.
"It's really a project produced by Seni and funded by Metflix?"
"Yes. That's correct."
Seni was a multinational conglomerate headquartered in Japan — electronics, semiconductors, film, broadcasting, animation, music, games. A giant that touched nearly every industry worth touching.
The idea that I could invest in a project produced by a company like that, with backing from Metflix — the world's largest OTT platform — simply didn't make sense.
"Then why are they looking for investors? If Metflix is funding it, production costs shouldn't be short."
"Metflix wants to pull out of this investment."
"Pull out? That just means the project has no shot at succeeding. And you're telling me to put money into something like that?"
I was equal parts baffled and insulted.
I'd asked him to find me a good investment opportunity — not a place to donate money.
"From what I heard, it has nothing to do with the project's chances of success."
"Then why pull the funding?"
"Metflix's executive board announced a massive cut to their Asia market investment budget. That seems to be the reason."
"Hmm... even so, the fact that they're clawing money back from a project they've already funded still sounds to me like the success odds are low."
"That may well be the case."
"Excuse me??"
"You asked me to look into investment opportunities, Representative. I'm simply passing along the information I received. Whether you invest is your decision. And it's not as if you alone would be investing, either."
I narrowed my eyes and stared at the unflappable President Hong, then tilted my head.
That last part hadn't made sense.
"What do you mean, not just me?"
"The amount is rather large."
"How large?"
"Quite large. If other trustworthy investors come in, you might want to give it serious consideration yourself."
"I'm asking you how much."
"The sum Metflix paid to Seni is reportedly around 130 billion won. And Metflix intends to recover every last bit of it."
"......"
One hundred thirty billion?
The money I'd made off Solari Coin came to 154.7 billion, so I wasn't short.
But if this investment failed, that miraculous fortune would vanish like a mirage.
Granted, the original stake in Solari Coin had only been 20 billion — so even in a total wipeout I'd still be up 4.7 billion.
No. This was wrong.
Metflix was pulling money out. Me stuffing money in behind them would be pure stupidity.
"I don't think this is an investment for me."
"The sum is a bit much, isn't it?"
"It's not that I don't have the money."
"Hahaha~ Of course, of course. Remarkable, truly."
"I'm serious?? I have about 150 billion."
"....Are you serious..?"
"Yes."
"Representative. I have always thought of you as a son. Call me Father just once. Come on — Father~"
"W-what are you doing?!"
"My son!"
"Oh my god..! Cut it out already!!"
I was in the middle of fleeing President Hong when my phone rang.
"Hold on! Phone! I've got a call!"
"Answer it, my son."
"What is wrong with you..! Hello? Ah, yes. This is Yoo Eunho, representative of U-INVESTMENT. What can I do for you?"
"I'm calling about the project currently in production at Metflix. Ah — this is Kim Seon-ho, representative of Alpha Partners."
"Ah, yes. Nice to meet you. But why are you calling me?"
"Would you be interested in forming a consortium with us?"
What?
Other investment firms were after the same project.
The grass really was greener on the other side — because suddenly, out of nowhere, I wanted in.