The Return of Big Man - 2
Time rewound for a moment, back into the past.
Ever since they heard the news of the winning ticket on Saturday night, A-yeong, Do-dam, and Doctor Jang had been unable to sit still. The three of them kept pacing with their lottery tickets clutched to their chests, so I fetched paper envelopes for them separately.
"Please put them in these envelopes and keep them there. If you keep gripping them that hard, they might tear."
"Hiiik?! Ah, no way—!"
Especially A-yeong. She was in a full-blown panic. She held on to the envelope until her fingertips had gone white, trembling so hard her teeth clicked together.
Estimated winnings: 2.5 billion won
After tax: 1.95 billion won
She seemed to feel the weight of that money.
"O-o-oppa, I, I, I... t-this... this...."
"Yes. Please take your time and speak slowly."
"H-help me."
"Yes, understood. Come by the convenience store Monday morning, and we'll go together to collect the prize."
"W-we, we... d-do we have to split this...?", she stammered. "We're just part-timer and manager at the convenience store."
...
There was no legal basis for that whatsoever.
An employee and a manager were not spouses, nor in a common-law marriage.
She’s probably just talking nonsense because she’s flustered.
I shook my head.
"No. This was something you bought with your own money. You only did it by following my vague mumbling from the side, so there’s no need for that. You’ll even be assigned separate windows when you claim it."
"Saying it was vague is a stretch when all the numbers you picked were right, though...."
...
Was it a little much to get everything on the first try?
After going through so many lottery wins, I’d started to lose track of how other people would see it.
I hesitated for a moment. Then I answered.
"What I told you has no legal proof behind it. It was nonsense, nothing more. Don’t worry. I have no brazen intention of making you share your winnings with me."
As soon as I finished speaking, all three of them, their faces still pale, muttered in unison.
"But if it hadn’t been for you, oppa, we wouldn’t even have thought to buy it."
"I-I feel really bad about Mister Hong. If I’d scratched it alone, wouldn’t I have just gotten the winnings all to myself? It feels like we stole Mister Hong’s spiritual power, scuuurb."
"Huh... well, if we let this slide like that, I’d feel bad toward you too, Taek."
...
I shook my head firmly.
"No. Absolutely not. That lottery ticket was something you bought of your own will, and I just stood beside you and encouraged you with nonsense."
"But...."
"If anything, I’m happy. You trusted me, followed my advice, and were able to share in a good opportunity. Even if I’d won on my own, I’d probably have just put the money into stocks."
"..."
"So...."
"So?"
I said,
"Be happy."
"..."
"And imagine how you’ll use it from here on out, while congratulating one another."
"..."
At that, all three of them looked a little more at ease. They stopped pacing and took their seats in the break room. Then they let a little silence settle.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Suddenly, A-yeong laughed. It was the kind of laugh that let a bit of air out of a balloon. Under her baseball cap, she shook her shoulders and flashed a mischievous grin.
"Pfft! Heeheehee...."
"..."
"..."
And with that burst of laughter, Do-dam and Doctor Jang started laughing too.
"Heh, hehe... heheh...."
"Kuh-kuh, hehehe, hahaha!"
The three of them laughed at once.
They bounced around like children, grinning foolishly with delight.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Hihihihi!"
"Ohhohoho!"
A-yeong and Do-dam threw their arms around each other and hopped up and down. Their yellow hair and bobbed hair swayed with every little jump as they shared their joy with the people closest to them, as fellow members and friends.
"Wow! We won the lottery!"
"Kyaa! Financial freedom achieved, graduation!"
"W-what?! Is that really true?!"
"It’s a lie."
"Do-dam...."
"But Aki."
"Yeah?"
"What are you going to do with it now?"
"Hmm... I’ve never really thought about it."
Listening to them, Doctor Jang sat back down in his chair with an awkward expression. He looked utterly tired. Then he took off his bucket hat and muttered,
"Well now... after all these years, I’ve ended up with money that doesn’t suit a man my age. I’ve got no regrets left in life, and now I’m only inconvenienced by it."
But the corners of his mouth were lifting.
He said,
"Say, Taek."
"Yes."
"Have you ever handled overseas investments, or money transfers, and the like?"
"Yes."
"It may be like counting chickens before they hatch since I haven’t even collected it yet... but if I receive this money, could I leave it to my daughter and granddaughter as an inheritance? My life doesn’t have much time left, so I’d like to give them at least one last gift. They’ve had a hard time in Europe without their father or grandfather."
...
What Doctor Jang wanted was inheritance, or rather, a transfer upon death. But if I simply designated overseas residents as heirs, inheritance tax could end up higher than gift tax.
And he’d lose whatever room he had left to reflect on his own life, too....
I didn’t want my friend preparing himself for death too quickly. So I offered a compromise.
"For matters like this, it’s better to resolve them while you’re alive than to settle everything on paper. I’ll introduce you to a wealth manager who’s skilled in this sort of thing, so how about taking your time, staying in contact with your family, and thinking it through gradually?"
"..."
Doctor Jang nodded.
"Yes, then... I suppose it’d be best if I went to Europe first. I’ll get to see my family’s faces again."
"I’ll help you with it."
"I’m always grateful."
"No need."
"It is needed."
"..."
When Doctor Jang and I finished our conversation, A-yeong carefully asked from the side,
"Taek oppa."
"Yes."
"May I ask you something about investing?"
"Investing?"
"Yes."
And then she smiled shyly.
"I was thinking of reinvesting a little into the company...."
...
The moment I heard that, I lost my words.
...
It was the same choice as in the previous loop.
A-yeong was going to reinvest in the company again.
...
Even in other loops, even in different circumstances... whenever she has money, she still ends up making the same choice. In this loop, winning the contest should have erased that inner guilt too.
How could she be so consistent?
As a regressor, I felt an emotion I couldn’t quite name. So I clenched and unclenched my hand once, took a breath, and calmed myself down for a moment before answering her.
"Yes, ask me anything. I’ll help with all of it."
"!"
A-yeong broke into a bright smile.
"Yes!"
And behind her, Do-dam turned her eyes away with an embarrassed look.
...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
On Monday afternoon, when I returned, Baek Su-cheol, the representative of Aurora Prism Entertainment, was in the CEO’s office. He greeted an honored guest with a smile, rubbing his hands together in a sycophantic little gesture for good measure.
He said,
"My goodness! Who could this be but our company's savior, Miss Lee A-yeong! This lowly Baek Su-cheol bows his head in welcome. Please accept my deepest bow...."
And he actually mimed a prostration.
Aki giggled.
"Boss, that’s not funny."
"Come on, now. It’s not even exaggerated."
As he rose from his seat, Baek Su-cheol wore a wistful expression.
"Who do you think A-yeong is? When we broke away from the parent company and it looked like we were all going to end up adrift and done for, she went and entered a contest like a miracle, brought back 100 million won, and even lined up a company to help with the album work! She’s a benefactor, that’s who!"
...
Aki laughed awkwardly.
But that was all thanks to Taek oppa helping out.
When she’d been worrying about the Live Future competition, Aki had told Taek her concerns. Then he connected her with an album company he knew, one that he had on hand himself. The moment she heard that, she’d nearly fainted.
With the help of a subculture-focused record company, the cover song and music video they mixed and produced easily carried her to victory in the contest.
That wasn’t all.
They also handled the finishing work on ABCD’s long-stalled original song. Under normal circumstances, it would have been difficult on their tight budget, but the work was done at a steep discount.
...
He said Taek oppa talked to them behind the scenes about that too.
The contest, the album work, ABCD’s major debut... they were all things made possible through the connections Taek had passed along.
I support you.
...
It was deeply embarrassing and deeply grateful at the same time.
So.
This time, she wanted to try doing something on her own, at least to some degree.
Aki said,
"Boss."
"Hmm?"
"I was thinking of making an investment this time."
"An, an investment? You, A-yeong?"
"Yes."
"..."
Baek Su-cheol blinked.
Then an awkward silence fell.
"..."
"..."
At that moment, Aki recalled Taek’s advice.
First, it’s much better to state your intention to invest than to focus on where the money came from. After all, the word "investment" already implies company equity and responsibility, so from the representative’s point of view, he’ll hesitate. Once the direction is set, any needless prejudice should fade too.
She said,
"I want to contact my mama and papa... and have them take on more of the new costume work. The swimsuit one that had already gotten to the preliminary stage, I mean."
"!"
Mama and papa in the VTuber world.
Not actual parents, but slang for the outsourced people who handled the original 2D or 3D graphic design and rigging.
"Ah, ah! You mean a new costume."
Baek Su-cheol nodded, then made a bitter face.
"Back in the parent-company days, we’d already planned out costumes for each season, so I’m sure there are swimsuit drafts and alpha versions for the summer live... but...."
He lowered his head.
"The thing is, even if the early work still exists, the production cost is going to be higher than what you’re imagining, A-yeong."
"How much are we talking?"
"W-well... several tens of millions of won... to be blunt, if you want all four members done, you’d need 120 million. So it’s not going to be easy the way it sounds."
...
"?"
Aki thought of another piece of advice.
...
Even if you want the principal repaid without interest, it’s better to take the lead in directing where that capital goes. When the direction of the capital is clear, it can be used more safely.
Baek Su-cheol looked faintly puzzled.
I thought she’d be shocked at hearing 120 million.
Aki’s expression was entirely composed. In fact, she seemed to be thinking something over in her head. An additional plan, perhaps.
Then she clenched her fist and said,
"300 million."
"Huh?"
"I’ll invest 300 million. As an interest-free loan. In return, the condition is that I get first say in the opinions needed for the 'Summer Live Project.' Please let me lead that project."
...
Baek Su-cheol’s jaw dropped.
"Three... three hundred million...?"
An interest-free loan.
Principal repayment without interest.
Even if it was 300 million.
To be honest, there was no reason to refuse capital like this. Since the content was something the talent herself wanted to create, it didn’t feel out of place, and because it was essentially the realization of a project they had already planned, it was realistic too.
...
Once the live streams start, the monetizable directions will open up quickly too.
Still.
If there was a problem, it was....
Where did she get that money...?
Baek Su-cheol said,
"Ah, A-yeong... then, where on earth did you get 300 million? You didn’t take out a loan or something, did you?"
...
Aki smiled.
"Lottery winnings."
...
While that negotiation was underway, the two of them had no idea that a figure called Bigman was beginning to appear in the online world.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Time returned to Wednesday.
I was on my way back to the convenience store after stopping the indiscriminate donations. The unicycle sped ahead in obedience to my will.
"Hoit, hoit...."
I had been thinking about setting up an investment corporation and refining my later strategy, but....
An unexpected person came to the convenience store, and I paused. She was shaking her bobbed hair as she shouted toward me from far away.
"Boss!"
...
It was Do-dam.
Ever since I told her the lottery numbers, she’s evolved from 'Mister Hong' into 'Boss.'
I rattled my way over to her and asked,
"What is it?"
...
Do-dam stood there with her fingers interlaced, not opening her mouth. The contrast with her usual boisterous, playful self made the scene feel strangely off.
...
After hesitating for quite a while, she finally spoke.
"Boss, do you know anything about real estate too? I don’t have anyone around to ask, so...."
"I know a fair bit."
"T-then...."
"?"
Do-dam clenched her fist tightly and said,
"I-I need you to help me with buying a building!"
...
Well, so that was the dream of a property owner.
But it wasn’t an incomprehensible dream.
After all, real estate was one of the easiest ways to turn cash into a revenue structure.
Still, why is her face so red?