The Coin Game
Everyone's gazes turned to the phone lying on the table.
I checked the results first by looking at Lee Chaewon's expression. She was the only one in the room who had been touching the phone. She probably already knew the game's outcome.
"How was it?"
"...Just check it yourself."
Lee Chaewon's expression was relatively calm, suggesting that no one had been left in a bad spot.
I immediately opened the coin app to check the Flo coin. Flo coin had experienced a big initial drop but then dramatically rebounded and was now rising sharply.
The return rate was 8.2%. Because it was small in size, the fluctuation range was relatively large in a short time.
I sold without hesitation. It was a satisfying result. Unless something happened, the first place was basically secured.
Meanwhile, Yu Gangmo and Kim Minjae, who had confirmed all the results, let out sighs.
"Amazing."
With 3.2% and 3.7%, their returns were beyond decent and clearly outstanding. No one had complaints about their returns.
But the situation was different in front of the return I had put on Flo. The fact that Flo had been sluggish but rose 8% at the end was definitely an event.
"Flo rose like this at the end."
Yu Gangmo's expression, having scanned other people's charts, seemed a bit dazed.
"Was one hour too long? If it had been 30 minutes, I would have won. Tsk tsk."
"I was lucky."
I replied appropriately. Since it was trading close to gambling, no matter how you wrapped it, it was hard to call it skill.
Meanwhile, Yu Gangmo's thoughts were different. He seemed to find this trade quite impressive.
"No, if luck repeats, it's skill, right? Kim Minjae, you know too, right? It's the hardest thing to prove at the right moment."
"Yeah."
"But our Kim Dojun does that difficult thing every time. It's like he's got a god attached to him."
"A god?"
He even used a pretty interesting expression.
I nodded, thinking it was plausible.
In fact, I often felt like I had become a god on days when the chart drew as I wanted. Maybe Yu Gangmo was right, and I had ancestral protection.
"Our ancestors seem to be interested in coins."
"Our god doesn't care about coins. Dojun, what religion are you?"
"No religion."
"...The world is really harsh."
While Yu Gangmo was troubled by his faith, I was preparing to head home. I had planned to leave around 11, but the sudden game had delayed me by about an hour.
If I was too late, I wouldn't be able to call Seong Jieun before bed.
"Today was fun. I'm leaving early because I'm late."
"Already leaving? Wait a sec, I'll choose a crazy guy to gift you. You have to take the product."
Fortunately, Yu Gangmo and Kim Minjae didn't try to stop me. If they had, I might not have seen them again.
We ended our short meeting and left the wine bar.
"Let's do this again next time."
"Yeah. The wine was delicious."
Lee Chaewon, who would become Seong Jieun's senior in college, and Yu Gangmo who gave me a different experience with wine. Both people introduced by Kim Minjae today seemed like beneficial connections for me.
I headed home holding the wine Yu Gangmo had gifted me in both hands. Broadcasting, gifts, pretty noona, and wine. It was a more fulfilling day than I thought.
**
Lee Chaewon found the club room in the early morning. And there, she met a familiar man.
"Did you sleep here?"
The one writhing on the sofa like a caterpillar was Shin Jeong-woo. The man who had gone to a drinking party with Seong Jieun two days ago thanks to Lee Hui-gyeong's introduction.
"I don't think I can make it."
He seemed unable to get up from his seat, groaning because his hangover hadn't worn off yet.
Lee Chaewon clicked her tongue at Shin Jeong-woo's pathetic appearance, which was different from his outward image.
"Hey, is this a motel for the east? Set up a proper life."
"Stop worrying."
"I'm worried about what the juniors will learn from seeing this."
She poured out advice to her junior from the morning, and while doing so, she picked up the major textbooks from the bookshelf.
Meanwhile, Shin Jeong-woo tidied his messy hair and slowly got up from the sofa. And he glanced at Lee Chaewon.
Today too, the perfect her naturally made the man's heart flutter. If she hadn't been badly rejected once, she might be trembling like an idiot now.
'What's the point of thinking about it.'
But that was already a year ago. Since there was nothing good to recall anymore, she hurriedly erased it from her mind. Instead, she asked the question she had been curious about all night.
"How was yesterday?"
"What do you mean?"
"You met Kim Dojun, right?"
The joint stream of BJ Kim Minjae and Kim Dojun. It was a big interest for Shin Jeong-woo too.
Lee Chaewon turned around.
"Watch the stream? You watched it?"
"Of course. Is there anyone in our club who didn't watch that? It's enviable. I'm more envious of you meeting a female celebrity than that."
Suddenly, Shin Jeong-woo sitting opposite Lee Chaewon looked at her as if to say, "Loosen up the story a bit."
It was a reaction Lee Chaewon had fully expected. Probably, she would receive similar questions from all the people in the club she met today, not just Shin Jeong-woo.
Why? Because Lee Chaewon's club was an investment club dealing in stocks and coins, etc.
"It was fun. It lived up to its name?"
Lee Chaewon recalled Kim Dojun she had met last night.
Kim Dojun in the studio looked like an ordinary man. Short for a man, muscular, ordinary face. The kind of man you'd see walking on the street.
It was so ordinary that maybe I just couldn't remember, or perhaps I had met him somewhere, that was the first impression of Kim Dojun.
But not everything about Kim Dojun was ordinary. At least, in her opinion, the only ordinary thing about Kim Dojun was his appearance.
'He didn't budge. It stings my pride.'
Lee Chaewon, who had been different in beauty since birth, had ruled over people since she was young. There was no bad intention. It was just her fate to be born that way.
Like gravity acting differently? Wherever she went, she stole people's gazes, and one small action created a big ripple.
In fact, someone had their life ruined by being shaken to the root by her gravity, and someone else had distanced themselves out of fear.
Naturally, human relationships, especially male-female relationships, were often one-sided with her. She always maintained balance, while the other party, like a reed shaken, couldn't get their spirit together.
To such Lee Chaewon, Kim Dojun was a very interesting opponent.
First, he didn't budge easily. His interest, even indifference, didn't exceed a certain level. A balance without excess in any one. Persistent eye contact was useless by now.
Honestly, it stung my pride. Because the opponent was two years younger, just turned 20, and not even a born handsome man.
"Clearly, you're very different from me."
"What do you mean? Did you get the number?"
"Yeah."
"Hey, can't we do something with us too?"
"Get lost."
A strange, somewhat unlucky kid in some ways. That was the first impression of Kim Dojun.
And Lee Chaewon's thoughts changed again at the drinking party.
Exactly when they were playing coin games with the oppa.
Three people each betting 100 million won and talking for about an hour. Lee Chaewon received countless information in real time.
The charts fluctuating like waves and the men casually passing time.
I don't know what the people directly participating in the conversation thought, but to Lee Chaewon watching from behind, many things were visible.
'Did the oppa know?'
Kim Minjae oppa and Yu Gangmo kept glancing at the phone and watch lying on the table while talking. Whether it was anxiety or curiosity, it was a natural behavior that humans couldn't help but show instinctively.
But Kim Dojun was different. He was surprisingly indifferent. As if he had erased the fact that he had bet 100 million won earlier from his mind.
No matter how small the money was to him, could he be this indifferent?
In fact, he only looked at the watch and phone that the oppa and Yu Gangmo had seen dozens of times, and even that once, it seemed not for curiosity about coins.
For example, like ear timing or something.
Beyond the game's results, there was a moment when she felt that the many praises directed at him were not just empty bubbles.
At that time, Shin Jeong-woo grumbled impatiently.
"Talk in detail. Is he handsome? That's not it, right?"
"He doesn't have a flower boy style. But maybe if I polish him, he'll be okay."
"What are you saying? You said he's ugly?"
"Annoying. I'll do it once at the meeting later."
Thinking she would be bothered by many people today, Lee Chaewon was irritated, but on the other hand, it was not bad. After all, she had learned one secret that others didn't know.
'Make him exercise a bit, the hair would suit a leaf cut, clothes are...'
After that, she unconsciously dressed up Kim Dojun here and there. In fact, he was like an empty canvas, and she had a taste for dressing him up. If done well, he would become a decent man.