Housewarming
Click!
With a single click, every share he held was sold off at market price.
The average sale price had dipped a little as the market absorbed such a large volume, but the loss was negligible.
Stock: Jinju Energy
Trading Profit: +11,212,000,000 KRW
He checked his total assets.
Everything, Bitcoin included, came to 26.29 billion KRW.
His investing life had begun with 6.6 billion. Somewhere along the way, he had made nearly 20 billion more.
Even staring at the breakdown on his monitor, he found it hard to believe.
"Isn't this moving a little too fast?"
He was only twenty-seven.
He'd always been confident he would succeed through investing — he just never expected the moment to arrive this soon. The plan had been to join Hansan Securities, save up his salary, and grow it piece by piece. Instead, thanks to his grandfather's inheritance, he was already a man with twenty billion to his name.
Of course, this wasn't the end.
It was only the beginning.
Ziing—!
The phone on his desk vibrated.
It was the legal attorney he'd hired to handle the real estate transaction.
"Hello?"
"Hello, this is attorney Park Hyun-woo. I'm calling because I heard the closing date on the mixed-use property has been set."
"Yes. I was actually about to reach out to you — it's scheduled for Wednesday next week."
"Understood. I'll see you then."
He had put down ten percent as the deposit, and for a safe transaction, they'd agreed to route the balance payment and registration through the attorney.
Closing day.
Si-yoon took a day of annual leave and stopped by the real estate office in the morning. By the time he arrived, the sellers and the attorney were already there.
"Welcome, sir!"
The agent came over with a beaming smile.
Since this was his second transaction with them, they treated him like a VIP.
"Can I get you a coffee, or something else to drink?"
"I'm fine, thank you. Just a glass of water."
"Of course. Please have a seat and I'll bring it right over."
As Si-yoon sat down, the elderly couple who owned the mixed-use unit stared at him in surprise.
"Oh... my. You're this young?"
They hadn't seen his face when the deposit was signed, and now that they finally had a good look at him, their reaction was one of mild disbelief.
"I'm Kang Si-yoon."
"From what I heard, you're paying entirely in cash — no mortgage at all. I never imagined you'd be so young."
His wife nodded along eagerly.
"That's right. We even took out a loan when we bought this place five years ago. You must be remarkably capable for someone your age. Running a business, are you? Or maybe..."
The wife stopped mid-sentence at the sight of Si-yoon's expressionless face. Her warm demeanor shifted subtly into guardedness. It happened often enough that Si-yoon paid it no mind.
"I just did some investing."
"Ah... ah, investing... hoho..."
By then the agent had stepped in and spread out the prepared documents. Pointing to the registry extract they'd printed just moments before, he confirmed there were no liens or outstanding mortgages on the property, and the attorney began combing through everything with a careful eye.
This was his first time handling a real estate deal of this size, so bringing in an attorney had seemed wise — and it clearly was. No matter how many times he looked at a property registry, it never stopped being confusing.
Soon the attorney spoke up.
"Everything checks out. You're clear to pay the balance."
At his words, Si-yoon picked up his phone.
He had visited the bank the day before and set up an RTGS transfer in advance. It was a system that let him move a large sum in real time without ever setting foot in a branch. Within moments, he was connected to his personal banker.
"This is Kang Si-yoon. I've just confirmed all the documents. Please execute the payment now."
"Yes, Mr. Kang Si-yoon. Executing the RTGS transfer request now."
With that brief call, 3.78 billion KRW landed in the elderly couple's account — the remaining balance after the ten percent deposit.
Only when they confirmed the money had arrived did the couple finally let their guard down. The husband offered Si-yoon a parting word of blessing.
"Ever since we moved into that unit, everything in our lives went right. The business thrived, and thanks to that, emigrating was a breeze. I sincerely hope only good things come to you there too, sir."
The old couple were holding hands like newlyweds.
"...Thank you."
A few days later, Sunday.
Having finished the move, Si-yoon stood on the twentieth-floor terrace of Libert Hangang, gazing down at the Han River.
The park below was packed with people out enjoying the day, and the roads were lined bumper to bumper with cars.
"Busy as a beehive down there."
As Si-yoon murmured, Jeombak-i padded up beside him and looked down as well.
Woof!
"You don't want to go out either, do you?"
Woof!
Jeombak-i had no interest in a walk, either.
Instead, they wandered the terrace together, taking it easy — just like now.
Soon, the phone in his pocket buzzed.
It was the Yeouido real estate agent.
"Hello, sir! Did the move go smoothly?"
"Yes. I've got the boxes roughly sorted — just the cleaning left, really."
"Hoho. It's quite a spacious home for one person, if you ask me. Wouldn't it be worth hiring a housekeeper?"
He'd already been seriously considering it.
Cleaning a 73-pyeong space would easily eat up a whole day, wouldn't it? Fortunately, the newest robot vacuums handled both sweeping and mopping, so a few units should do the trick.
Besides — a housekeeper meant a stranger in his home.
Visits from unfamiliar people were not something he wanted.
"As for the officetel, the rental listing goes up today. Once we find a tenant, you can transfer the lease over to them."
"How long do you think that will take?"
"The view is fantastic, so I'd say within a month."
"That's a relief."
When he'd moved to the mixed-use building, they'd agreed to keep the officetel lease active until a new tenant was found. He'd only need to cover one more month of rent.
"Oh, and by the way — I'd love to give you a little gift. Is there any appliance you might need?"
"A gift?"
"You signed with us for the officetel, and now the mixed-unit purchase as well. I wanted to show my gratitude, even in a small way."
"Ah..."
A gift was the last thing he'd expected.
After only a moment's thought, Si-yoon answered.
"Then... how about a robot vacuum?"
"Of course! I'll send you two of the latest model. A home that size will be too much for just one."
"Thank you."
"No, thank you. I'll be in touch again soon."
That afternoon.
He was sitting on the living room sofa when the video intercom rang.
Today was the day his housewarming was scheduled.
The intercom screen showed the faces of Bang Yo-han and Koo Hye-young — both wearing baffled expressions.
"Is this the right place? I think we've got the wrong address."
"It says Libert Hangang, doesn't it? The address is right."
Si-yoon spoke into the intercom.
"This is the place, so come in. Take the elevator to the twentieth floor — it's the first door on your left."
Beep—!
He pressed the button, and the lobby doors unlocked.
But the two of them didn't seem to be moving.
"Was that Si-yoon's voice just now?"
"Hmm. Could be. Could not be."
"It's me, so come on in."
Only then did the two push through the doors.
A short while later, the doorbell rang. When Si-yoon opened the front door, Bang Yo-han froze mid-step, his mouth hanging wide open.
"What the — this is... your place?"
Bang Yo-han had gone rigid, as if his senses refused to process it. Koo Hye-young's reaction was much the same.
"Good lord... houses this big actually exist in Korea?"
Their shock was understandable. Si-yoon had moved in only yesterday, and he hadn't adjusted yet, either. The soaring ceilings and vast open space were one thing, but the built-in premium refrigerator, the steam oven and induction range, even the dishwasher — he'd never used any of it. For now, they were nothing more than interior decorations.
Si-yoon approached the two of them.
"You're the ones who wanted a housewarming. How long are you planning to stand there?"
"R-right. We should... come in for the housewarming."
Even so, the two remained frozen solid.
It took physically pulling them by the arms before they would move.
The pair drifted, on autopilot, to the floor-to-ceiling window. And just as it had for Si-yoon, the sight left them awestruck.
"Right there in front of us..."
"...is the Han River!"
Clearly, they'd need time to adjust. Si-yoon settled onto the sofa and spent the time with Jeombak-i instead.
Thirty minutes passed like that.
Bang Yo-han, having toured every corner of the apartment, finally asked.
"What the hell happened to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"This apartment!"
"I told you I was moving."
"You did. But you never said you were moving to a luxury mixed-use high-rise like this."
"It's just a house. You've both had enough shock — let's eat."
With that, they headed to the dining table.
Even with the food spread out and the meal underway, the two of them kept staring at Si-yoon, slack-jawed.
"Are you going to keep staring like that all day?"
"You... what on earth happened at your company? They say you got kicked off the trading team. Are you doing something shady? Something illegal?"
"Cough...!"
A grain of rice went down the wrong pipe.
Apparently there was no getting past them without an explanation. But he couldn't exactly mention the inheritance.
"It's true I got pushed out of the trading team. But nobody dies from that. I'm working hard and earning hard. That's the whole explanation, and I'd like to leave it there. Any objection?"
"......"
Bang Yo-han narrowed his eyes into a suspicious squint.
"I'm investing."
"Investing?"
"You remember, don't you? My returns were pretty solid back in school."
"Sure I do. That stock simulation thing? You won the whole competition, didn't you?"
"Right. But even with the same rate of return, how much money you make depends on how much capital you're working with. Back then it was like investing a hundred thousand won. Now it's like investing a hundred million."
"A hundred million? You're investing a hundred million?"
"It's an analogy. Either way, the method I use hasn't changed — not then, not now."
"Hmm..."
Bang Yo-han wore the expression of a man who half-understood and half-didn't. Koo Hye-young, seated beside him, looked at Si-yoon and spoke up.
"Wow... so this is who you really were?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Back in school you never talked to anyone, always kept to yourself. Turns out there was a reason. I guess geniuses really are just built differently, huh?"
"......"
Si-yoon's mouth closed.
It was the first time in his life anyone had called him a genius.
He'd stayed quiet at school to avoid pointless misunderstandings. Every time he opened his mouth, the mood soured, and people tended to write him off as a sociopath.
Koo Hye-young went on.
"I had no idea about any of that — I just believed what the other kids said. Kang Si-yoon, I always thought you were some kind of weirdo."
"It's Kang Si-yoon."
"Oh. Right. Kang Si-yoon."
Si-yoon set down his spoon.
"I'm not a genius, or anything else. I haven't changed since then — I'm exactly the same person. It's not me that changed. It's the way you two see me."
The atmosphere turned cold, and Bang Yo-han let out an awkward burst of laughter.
"H-haha... He's right! It was all a misunderstanding on our part. Isn't that so, Hye-young? Haha..."
But even Bang Yo-han's laughter couldn't thaw the chill in the room.
Monday morning.
He was sitting in the warehouse office when a call came in from Bang Yo-han.
"Hey! Don't you think you went too far? You couldn't even help me things go well with Hye-young, but you had to blow up the whole mood like that? Did that make you feel better or something?"
"Yeah. It did feel pretty good, actually."
"You little —!"
"Sorry for ruining the mood, but that was the honest truth. And Hye-young said she was curious what kind of person I really am. So was I supposed to keep up a fake act forever?"
"Ugh... you're so frustrating! SO frustrating! How can a human being have zero tact whatsoever?"
"Sorry. Never grew any."
"Unbelievable. I should've kept my mouth shut. Anyway — just you wait!"
Click.
The call ended.
Si-yoon tilted his head.
"What's gotten into him?"
Just then, the office door opened in the distance and Kim the associate appeared, looking flustered.
"Director, sir. Someone's here to see you."
"Who is it?"
"They wouldn't say... but they're very tall..."
In that instant, Si-yoon rose from his seat.
Behind Kim the associate, the Head of Division stepped into view.
"A fine morning, isn't it, Director Kang?"
Jeong Chan-soo was smiling — baring his teeth in a wide, deliberate grin.