Walk
Walk
"Where on earth did this spread from...?"
"Did someone see me at the bank and tip them off?"
The day after receiving the prize money at Nonghyup's main branch.
My phone started ringing early in the morning, so I checked it. It was news alerts related to me.
It wasn't just me.
Articles about A-ra, who was with me, were coming out too.
Still, they weren't strange articles — just that someone who is the husband of singer Song A-ra won the lottery.
The content was along those lines, so it wasn't anything particularly problematic.
"And there are texts from the company too...."
"Whoa.... these don't really look like texts..."
No, they weren't texts.
They were SMS messages notifying me of dozens of missed calls.
They say when you win something like the lotto, you get calls or messages from all over the place...
Why did mine feel like it was completely divorced from common sense?
"Since you have an agency, all those calls went to them."
"Ah-ha.... so that's why the P.D. and writer-nims were texting..."
Did they need some kind of explanation?
Asking why I scratched something like a Speeto ticket?
Nah, no matter what, the content couldn't have been that.
Speeto tickets were legal, after all.
"So what do they want?"
"Something like an official statement?"
"What kind of official statement do you need for winning one Speeto ticket..."
"The entertainment industry lives off that kind of information, you know."
"I could say I'm donating... no, it's to build a new orphanage building under Mom's name.... what should I say?"
"Well.... first, try giving them a call."
"Okay."
I nodded at A-ra's words and picked up my phone.
But there were so many numbers not saved in my contacts that I didn't even know where to call.
I should make a habit of saving them from now on.
***
"Hey, is that for real? That your mother is putting up a new building for the orphanage."
"Where did you hear that— oh right. You're an insider at our agency."
He must have picked it up while gossiping with the P.D.-nims again.
It wasn't something I specifically asked to keep secret, so I guess word had spread to a few people.
"Dude, if you're putting up a building, you should've told this hyung here."
"Huh? What does that have to do with you?"
When I tilted my head, asking what he meant, Jeong Hwan-yi and Lee Min-ho tilted their heads too.
Was he looking to pick up some day labor work?
I could legally mess with Lee Min-ho, then.
"Come to think of it, when you were with Seong-hwan, did it never come up what Lee Min-ho's family does?"
"Didn't it?"
Lee Min-ho scratched his head, saying he assumed I already knew.
He seemed a little embarrassed for some reason.
"This guy here, I don't know if it's overflowing pride or he just loves to brag, but he talks about it wherever he goes."
"Is that so~"
"Ahem...."
Having listened to our conversation while just clearing his throat repeatedly, he knocked loudly on the desk.
He seemed to have reached his limit of embarrassment.
"Anyway! Just leave that kind of thing to your hyung here!"
"Alright, so what is it that you do?"
Did his parents run some kind of building materials business?
If so, that could actually be a huge help.
Not necessarily to get things cheaply, but
having an acquaintance in materials usually makes things easier to source and transport.
But what came out of Jeong Hwan-yi's mouth was a bombshell I never imagined.
"This guy's father is the chairman of Minseong Construction."
"Huh? Minseong Construction?!"
Minseong Construction was a deep-rooted construction company with a history shining toward its 100th anniversary.
It was very famous for its success myth — how the founder started the business with money saved from selling U.S. military surplus at Busan's Tin Can Market.
"Wow.... could it be that being smart is genetic?"
"Probably?"
Lee Min-ho shrugged his shoulders and snorted.
He had a staggering family background like that and never once let it show, but the moment construction came up, he showed that side of himself.
Try as I might, I couldn't dislike him for it.
"But isn't Minseong Construction mostly on the apartment side?"
As far as I knew, Minseong Construction was the only major construction company that did direct construction without subcontracting.
And because of that, their construction categories inevitably leaned to one side —
it was said that constructing apartments was the norm for them.
"Because that's the only thing the news shows. It's really just a tiny fraction."
"Really...? But then, why is the son of a chaebol family like that in the Department of Social Welfare..."
"My noonas will take over the management. I'm going to live doing what I want."
So that was why he ran such a weird Qtube channel...
You had it all planned out, didn't you?
***
- If you'd be willing, a small donation to our civic group would be.....
- We still don't even have a mere 500 won....
- With just a small bit of attention from our generous donor, the children....
I pressed the end call button not even 5 seconds after picking up.
Somehow they had gotten my number, and calls kept coming asking if I had any intention to donate or sponsor.
Even though I was doing personal donations, and had stated that I had no intention of sponsoring or donating further regardless of whether it was the agency or someone reaching out personally — the calls still came without end.
"Haah.... this is annoyingly awful."
"Woof!"
Was he trying to cheer me up and tell me to hang in there?
Lil' One, sitting on my lap, let out a bark.
"Lil' One, I should've just not won, huh?"
If I had known it would get this bothersome, I wouldn't have even bought the Speeto ticket.
With calls coming at all hours, I couldn't even bring my phone to school.
"Just how are these people finding my number and calling?"
The people who know my phone number were extremely few.
Mom, A-ra, Jeong Hwan-yi, Lee Min-ho, the Director, and the P.D.-nims...
None of them were the type to leak my phone number.
"So this is why people who win the lotto change their numbers..."
On my part, family consisted only of A-ra and Mom, just the two of them,
so I had thought I wouldn't get any strange calls...
"I'm feeling lousy anyway.... shall I go for a walk?"
Lil' One was now about 4 months old, so he should be fine walking on his own.
Our apartment complex was spacious enough to have its own walking trail inside,
and since all cars except delivery trucks went underground, it was safe too.
"Lil' One! Let's go for a walk!"
"Woof!"
The clever Lil' One understood when I said we were going for a walk.
I went into the bedroom and brought out a short leash that hadn't been opened yet.
Usually, he went on walks cradled in my arms, so Lil' One tilted his head, wondering what I was trying to do.
I attached the leash to the obediently waiting Lil' One's neck.
"Lil' One, starting today, you're going to walk by yourself."
"Woof."
"Don't run, let's walk slowly. Got it?"
I wasn't sure if he understood, but I liked this time spent talking with Lil' One.
Since I didn't have to look at my phone.
*
"He-eck....... He-eck...."
"Woof!"
"Li... Lil' One..! Let's rest for a bit before going on!"
It was probably his first time walking around on his own, yet a puppy barely 4 months old
was far exceeding my stamina.
No, was my stamina just lacking?
No matter what, to be worse than a baby puppy.
"Hoo.... hoo....... hoo..."
Maybe because I ran too much, my side was aching and I felt like I was going to throw up, but I managed to hold it in somehow.
If I threw up here, wouldn't I be a complete public nuisance.
"Lil' One.... let's sit over there for a moment and then go."
"Kking..."
Perhaps because he could see I wasn't in good shape,
Lil' One's expression, which had been full of joy from running around, changed in an instant.
"There's a vending machine."
Vending machines these days didn't need coins or thousand-won bills.
I took out my phone, turned on the easy payment system, and held the phone to the vending machine.
"One bottle of water and.... one can of cola..."
Clunk.
The moment I pressed the button, a cold cola and water dropped down.
I saw the payment complete alert on my phone and turned it off again.
Even though I was blocking them, calls kept coming through.
I put the phone in my pocket and took out the paper cup I had brought from home.
It was a little crumpled, but well, it'd be fine.
"Lil' One, let's drink some water."
"Woof."
I tore the paper cup slightly to make it a height where he could drink.
Then, I twisted open the cap of the water bottle I had taken out and poured it in a thin stream.
Maybe because he was really thirsty, Lil' One started gulping down the water frantically.
He drank it all so quickly that the cup was empty, so I poured him some more.
"Nice and cool, right?"
I watched Lil' One quenching his thirst frantically and opened the cola.
Then, as if it were holy water, I put it into my mouth without spilling a single drop.
"Ahh.... that's refreshing."
"Woof!"
"What's wrong? You want to be held?"
Even during the walk, he seemed to want to be held by Dad. He climbed up onto the bench and was wagging his tail gently.
Still, because he had been running around on the ground, my clothes would get dirty if I picked him up, so I couldn't hold him.
"I'll hold you when we get home later."
"Kking...."
Does this little guy actually understand what people say?
There were times when it was genuinely amazing.
I smiled bitterly at the sight of Lil' One sulking.
It couldn't be helped.
"Alright, let's go home."
Inside the apartment building, you had to carry dogs in your arms.
Whether they were big or small.
The owner raising a Samoyed would carry their dog out on their back every time they went for a walk —
that was said to be one of the attractions of our apartment complex.
He had been sulking because I said I would hold him later, so perhaps his mood improved now that I held him right away.
I smiled, watching Lil' One start acting spoiled again in my arms.
"I'll mix some Cesar into your dinner tonight."
"Woof!"
I had the illusion that his voice got louder than usual when he heard the word 'Cesar'.
This guy, he might not be a dog after all.