Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Yoo Seon-jun (2)
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"You knew... huh."
Well, color me surprised.
I had no idea if he'd known this even in his previous life or if he'd stumbled upon it while studying after I gave him a nudge.
Probably the former... but I wasn't in the mood to ask. It was just too shocking a statement.
"Why the hell? What's the point of just taking it lying down like an idiot?"
I couldn't wrap my head around that kind of sentiment. You get stabbed in the back—would you really be grateful to the person who did it? Somehow, I doubted it.
"Point, point... Then does what we're doing have any point?"
Yoo Seon-jun muttered despondently.
"I don't get it. Is this really that meaningful? Like my dad says, am I just too young and clueless? We're not exactly hurting for money or status, so why do we have to tear into each other like family...?"
I shook my head.
"We don't have enough money. And power's worth way more than cash anyway."
"Yeah. Ha-yeon, I just can't understand you at all. Honestly, I even hated you sometimes."
"...Why?"
"The others seemed to agree with me to some extent. Sure, there might be some fighting, but let's not go all out like that other family. Then you pop up out of nowhere, and I start wondering if maybe I'm the one who's wrong."
"So the others think that way, but I'm different?"
Yoo Seon-jun shot back incredulously.
"You think we're the same? Some kid in elementary school already scheming to run companies? And... that's not what I mean. You're different from us, Ha-yeon. You take after Uncle Jin-ha or Grandpa."
That fierce greed.
It was the biggest difference separating me and Yoo Seon-jun from Yoo Jin-ha and Yoo Jin-seok.
"...You've got a sharper eye than I thought, Oppa."
I'd pegged him as some dumbass wasting his days gambling, but turns out he was just a naive idiot.
I pouted.
This makes it hard to play hardball with him. What kind of family education is this?
Act like a proper chaebol heir. Drunk driving, drugs, sex scandals... Ah, he did do drugs, though.
But his eyes look clear now, so probably quit that too.
"So what're you gonna do? Just keep living like this until Lee Seon-pyo stabs you in the back and you slink away quietly?"
Got any alternatives?
"... ."
As he pressed a 500-won coin into my little hand, Yoo Seon-jun said,
"Toss the coin."
"...?"
A fierce flame ignited in his eyes. In a soft whisper by my ear, Oppa said,
"If it's heads, I'll be on your side forever. No matter if you go after Little Uncle or whatever."
"What? Th-that's... ."
I panicked. This madman...!
Yoo Seon-jun laughed.
"Nice. That's the expression I wanted to see. You always walk around with that stiff face... acting like you control the whole world. It pissed me off."
"...And if it's tails?"
"Guess I'd give up. If I can't even get heads here, do I really have the luck for business? I'm betting my life on this—I need that much luck."
"That's... the gambler's fallacy. Just because you get lucky here doesn't guarantee business luck... ."
"Good point. That's why I'm a gambler. A superstitious fool who believes in luck."
Step.
Yoo Seon-jun approached me. A mad glint seemed to flicker across his haggard face.
"So... toss the coin! Test your luck! Yoo Ha-yeon!"
He said that while gripping my hand tight around the coin.
'... .'
I furrowed my brow slightly.
"What if both sides are heads or... ."
I pried open my half-forced fist and checked the coin. It was just a normal 500-won piece.
He laughed like it was amusing.
"Right on, my clever little sis. I figured you'd suspect a trick like that. Too bad, this oppas got one of those."
Yoo Seon-jun pulled another coin from his pocket. Both sides were heads.
"...Why'd you bring that?"
"To mess with you."
"... ."
This guy...!
Impressive.
'Gotta use that on Si-hyeon later.'
I stared blankly at the coin while lost in random thoughts.
"...Just toss it?"
"Well... if you beg this big bro real nice, maybe I'll let you use this one? Try calling me Oppa, Ha-yeon."
Yoo Seon-jun grinned playfully.
"No way... ."
My pride wouldn't allow it. I bit my lip and flicked the coin.
-Ting!
The result came quick.
Heads.
Success.
"Lucky."
Yoo Seon-jun muttered.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Thanks to winning the bet, I scored the trick coin as a bonus.
'Sent a ton of cash, huh... .'
While I polished the shiny coin and gazed absently at the sky, Yoo Seon-jun lit a cigarette in front of his cute cousin sis—yep, me.
"If those two really go at it... my dad can't win."
-Fwooh.
I smelled cigarette smoke.
"I don't know what'd happen if I sided with Dad... but at least our family ties would go to hell."
"So you're siding with me?"
"Yeah. I don't know Little Uncle's personality that well... but I get yours roughly. You're too greedy to cut off people close to you. Your ambition's intense, but your abilities are solid too."
"Hmph, making assumptions."
"Am I wrong? You call me foolish, but you're the same, Ha-yeon."
"...I think things through."
I shook my head.
I didn't feel like dwelling on this right now.
"Oppa. But why now, of all times? I won't ask why me—I'm special. But... I haven't done anything yet. Talent aside, I got no power or faction right now."
No matter how smart Yoo Seon-jun was, he couldn't know what I'd done. Even Yoo Jin-ha, with more experience and similar smarts, barely noticed... .
"Huh? Isn't it obvious? My value only kicks in when you can't do it yourself yet... . If I offered this when you were twenty, would you take it?"
Like I'd accept such an arrogant offer.
"... ."
"See? Exactly. And gamblers don't calculate odds. They just... charge at the pot."
Yoo Seon-jun flicked his coin.
-Pingrr.
It spun. Heads.
"Heads."
I muttered. Yoo Seon-jun shrugged and smiled.
"Yeah, heads. But even tails wouldn't matter. Right? It's just a coin—what's it mean?"
"Sigh... ."
I let out a sigh. Now I got it.
"The coin toss never mattered. I had the final say."
It was just... a show to numb my rationality for a bit.
Social status aside, Yoo Seon-jun had no choice but to ally with me. He was the desperate one.
"Sharp as ever, my clever sis. Won't be long before you outgrow teasing me."
Yoo Seon-jun said sadly, patting my head.
"...Smells like smoke. Hands off. Quit already."
I shook my head.
"Nothing you won't say to this Oppa, huh."
Yoo Seon-jun grumbled as he pulled his hand away, staring blankly at Yoo Ji-won and Yoo Ho-jun approaching from the pension. Uncle Jin-ha's two kids were bickering with a bag full of ice cream bars.
"Ice cream—hope they got something good."
"Not BBIBBIK, please... No Vera here?"
"Vera's barely in Seoul—ain't happening in the sticks."
Tch.
At least food options were getting better these days.
Yoo Ji-won waved from afar.
The other kids, fresh into their energetic middle and high school years, trickled out one by one to grab ice cream.
By our turn, barely anything left. Yoo Ji-won looked sheepish at Seon-jun Oppa.
"Sorry, not much so I grabbed it all... This is what's left."
...Two BBIBBIKs and a Ssangssangbar.
"Ahaha, Ha-yeon's least favorite showed up. I'll take the BBIBBIKs—you get the chocolate one, Ha-yeon."
I pouted unenthusiastically and picked up the last Ssangssangbar.
-Tok.
Fair split: half and half.
"Here, Oppa. One BBIBBIK and half Ssangssangbar. Fair?"
"...Yeah."
'Tch, not much left anyway. Can't just chomp it like usual.'
This is why I don't like good people much.
I slowly licked the half ice cream until the sweet chocolate melted stickily onto my lips.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A few days later.
I met Yoo Seon-jun and slowly laid out the documents, explaining.
"So... what you gotta do is go to these merchant banks and patch things up tight. Was kinda worried Big Uncle might find out, but perfect timing. Even if the companies tank, leave an escape hatch for the top brass... or whatever."
"...Wait, hold up. What's all this?"
Yoo Seon-jun's panicked eyes darted between the papers and me.
"Uh... merchant banks' debts from failed Japan investments?"
"Why do you have these papers?"
"'Cause I arranged those investments...? Don't worry. Daeha Securities won't take any hit."
"This scale—if I'm reading right... this ain't wrapping up easy!"
"Yup, adds up to thousands of billions. Nice bomb to detonate at the right time."
Originally, hydrogen bombs use atomic bombs as triggers. This'll trigger the IMF crisis later.
"... ."
-Plop.
The cigarette fell from Yoo Seon-jun's mouth. I grinned mischievously and patted his shoulder.
"Ooh, finally quit for the day?"
Yoo Seon-jun didn't reply.
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