Chapter 2
Chapter 2
“Intern? I don’t really know much about finance.”
“You’ll learn once you start working. If you submit the application, I’ll put in a good word for you.”
“The company head? Come on, I don’t believe it. I don’t think you’re at that level yet.”
“Huh, you really don’t know what I mean to this company.”
“Well, of course. I’m not part of your company. And honestly, I don’t think you really stand out…”
At my words, the company head narrowed her eyes.
“Ha, Kim Deok-su has grown up a lot. Anyway, finance is all about results. The guy who makes the most money rules. This year, I’m number one in performance in our company. My power right now is insane.”
“Really? No way.”
“Really.”
I pretended not to believe her, but knowing her personality, it was probably true.
“Deok-su.”
Her voice turned serious.
“Apply. I’ll help you.”
“….”
I didn’t respond.
“Why, are you worried about me helping?”
“That’s… a bit uncomfortable.”
I didn’t like unfair competition.
It felt like taking someone else’s position through dishonest means.
“You’re still the same. I don’t know whether to call you pure or just foolish. Others would grab an opportunity like this without hesitation… But I guess this is part of your charm, Deok-su. Fine. Just submit the application. I… feel guilty toward you… so, apply.”
Even though it had happened long ago, she still felt guilty about it.
“Company head, I’m really fine. You don’t have to feel sorry anymore. Thanks to you, I even got proper treatment.”
“Those bastards… How’s your leg?”
“It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt at all anymore.”
It used to throb a bit when it rained, but it really was fine now.
“I’m sorry. I should have tried harder back then.”
“No, it’s fine. Thanks to you, I was able to get surgery outside the base.”
“Still. If I had sent you to the hospital sooner, you’d be in much better shape now.”
“No. You already did what you could. It’s fine.”
It had been an accident during training.
We had gone up a mountain to lay communication lines and I rolled down.
At first, I thought I was fine.
But my knees gradually swelled.
It was serious enough that I needed an outside hospital, but the regiment commander didn’t allow it.
He said to wait until training ended, just a few more days.
If the hospital recorded the accident, it could affect him during promotion reviews. He was very sensitive about appearances.
The pain worsened, and a few days before training ended, the company head saw my condition and took me out of the training area. She hailed a taxi and admitted me directly to a university hospital.
The doctor immediately diagnosed it as serious and performed emergency surgery.
If it had been delayed, I might have lost the use of my knee forever.
The company head even paid the surgery fee.
She said it was natural since her subordinate got hurt.
The regiment commander was furious. Taking a soldier out of training and admitting him to a hospital without permission offended him.
But the company head didn’t budge. She warned that if they questioned her actions, she would reveal the soldier’s situation as well. Because of that, I was able to stay in the hospital until treatment and rehabilitation were complete.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, really. It’s fine.”
The atmosphere suddenly became heavy.
I made two glasses of soju and beer mix and handed her one.
“Let’s drink.”
“Yeah!”
We clinked glasses hard and downed them in one shot.
“Company head, I appreciate the intern offer, but I barely know anything about stocks. I’m not familiar with finance either, and I don’t think a securities firm suits me.”
I didn’t feel fit for a securities firm without knowing much about stocks.
“Hey, you’ll learn along the way. Securities employees don’t have work-life balance, but the salary is high. Especially people like me, prop traders—if your results are good, the salary is crazy. Do you know the starting salary for a new securities employee?”
“??”
“At least 100 million won. One hundred million! You said you needed money last time.”
My eyes widened.
I knew finance paid well, but I thought it was just a few million more than normal, not 100 million.
“A new hire… one hundred million?”
“Yeah. Including bonuses, but the real highlight is the performance bonus. Do you know how much I got last year?”
“??”
“Just one big bonus.”
It couldn’t be ten million won…
No way!
“Y-you mean one hundred million?”
“Hah, no, add another zero.”
My eyes went wide.
“T-ten billion?”
“Exactly, ten billion! Naive Deok-su, interested now?”
“Company head! I’ll apply!”
I instantly changed my mind.
Call me fickle if you want.
Pride didn’t matter.
Ten billion could solve all family problems instantly.
“Good choice. I can’t guarantee acceptance, but if you get in, I’ll help a lot. As Korea’s top prop trader, I’ll personally take you as my apprentice.”
“Korea’s top?”
“Yeah.”
“Eh, I don’t believe it.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ll teach you properly until you’re exhausted. Heh. Prepare yourself.”
“Got it!”
“Now, one shot!”
We downed our soju-beer mix with smiles.
“I hope you get in. No, you will get in.”
The company head’s face was bright red.
“I want to pass too, company head…!”
“Can you stop calling me company head? Try calling me ‘Yuri nuna’ instead.”
“Uh, that’s embarrassing. I don’t want to.”
“Oh, come on.”
“Anyway, I want to pass fairly. No help from you.”
“Of course. In that case, one more drink.”
We clinked glasses and downed it in one shot.
“Kyaaa!!”
The company head mixed soju-beer again, handed it over, and forced another one-shot. Another one-shot… and another. The bottles on the table kept piling up.
In the deep darkness.
“Ugh…”
I woke up parched.
I had been drinking straight soju-beer after eating jokbal and sundae soup.
I remembered laughing and chatting, but at some point, the memory went blank.
‘Ah, I drank too much.’
I had been swept up by the company head’s speed.
But who paid the bill?
Probably her.
I felt bad for being treated every time.
Once I get a job, I’ll treat her properly.
…By the way, did she get home safely?
‘But where am I?’
Then.
Something climbed onto my body.
Goosebumps ran over me.
‘W-what?’
Hands and feet.
Someone’s.
Who was it?
I couldn’t speak.
I slowly turned my head.
‘Huh!’
The company head was sleeping beside me.
What had happened?
I quickly tried to recall.
I had been drinking soju-beer one after another… and calling her Yuri nuna repeatedly.
Damn.
If it were the company head I knew, she’d remember everything clearly.
‘I tried to restrain myself for this.’
Her face completely swept me off my feet.
She would probably tease me about this forever.
Sigh.
I turned to look at her.
Only the soft sound of her breathing filled the quiet room.
Thanks to the bedside lamp, I could see her face clearly.
‘She looks… different than usual.’
Her hair, normally tied up tightly, was loose and soft, glowing faintly under the dim light.
Fair skin, calm breaths under long, dark lashes.
A straight nose, full, red lips that drew attention.
‘Was she always this pretty?’
I stared, and she naturally opened her eyes.
I froze, unsure of what to do.
After staring at me for a while, she said:
“…What are you looking at?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“…You were quite cute yesterday.”
“Huh?”
“Calling me Yuri nuna repeatedly was pretty cute.”
“Ugh.”
I squeezed my eyes shut in embarrassment.
“It’s still early. Sleep some more. …You drank too much.”
She closed her eyes.
Her calm breathing followed.
Watching her sleep, I closed my eyes too. But I couldn’t fall asleep easily.
Her face, shining in the dark earlier, wouldn’t leave my mind.
Back home, I turned on my computer.
My head ached from the hangover, but I sat down anyway.
I logged onto Mirae Securities’ website and checked the intern recruitment post.
Clicked apply, filled in the blanks quickly, and submitted.
“Done.”
I lay on the bed.
Honestly, I didn’t think I’d succeed.
But I wanted to pass.
Ten billion.
The incentive the company head mentioned lingered in my mind. Thinking about it made me determined.
It wouldn’t be easy though.
I had too many weaknesses.
Age, lack of finance knowledge, no qualifications, no experience.
‘It’ll be fine.’
I forced the negative thoughts away.
All the worries now were unnecessary.
I had already failed countless times.
One more failure wouldn’t matter.
“Let’s just sleep more.”
Her face from last night in the dark came back to me.
It had never happened before. Strange.
If I miraculously passed, how should I address her?
I couldn’t keep calling her company head.
Senior?
Manager Kim?
Yuri nuna?
I snickered.
The last title didn’t suit a workplace.
“Let’s just sleep.”
Exhausted from weekday night jobs and drinking with her, I fell asleep immediately.
…I got in.
I had expected rejection due to my age and lack of outstanding career, but I got lucky.
‘The interview went terribly, I think.’
Until I went to work, it still felt unreal.
It felt like a wrong message, like a joke.
But entering the lobby, wearing the badge under the big logo, it finally sank in.
Orientation was simpler than expected.
Company introduction, organization structure, security training, and our tasks.
For the first month, we’d have basic training and simple work simultaneously.
Tasks included collecting data, organizing documents, and copying.
Typical intern work.
The most important part, however, was to support traders from 9 AM to 3 PM during market hours.
Once the market starts, no one can leave easily.
We had to be their hands and feet: bringing coffee, tea, water, snacks, notepads, even eye drops, and arranging meetings or hospital visits if needed.
In short, ‘support.’
Badly put, ‘servant.’
But it wasn’t bad.
Watching actual investments firsthand was valuable experience.
Oh, we also had to run simulated investments. Important for full-time selection.
“Kim Deok-su, you’re in Asset Management Team 9.”
Team 9 was inside the trading center. Mirae Securities’ entire floor was a trading center.
I swiped my card and entered the trading room.
A vast open space.
Partitions separated each team.
I went to Team 9.
“Kim Deok-su!”
“Company head!”
She greeted me first.
“Hey! I told you not to call me that. Call me Team Leader now.”
“Uh, didn’t you say Manager?”
“I got promoted. Heh.”
She made a V with her fingers.
Trying to be cute!
“Congratulations.”
“Your soul seems lifeless.”
Not the right moment to congratulate her.
It was a strange space to me.
Each desk had at least six, up to nine monitors.
Plus phones ringing, keyboard sounds.
I was overwhelmed.
“Hey, are you okay?”
She looked concerned at my nervousness.
“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”
“I put some effort into bringing you here.”
“How much do you plan to make me work?”
“I said I’d teach you until your mouth tastes sweet. You’ll probably beg me soon.”
Chills ran through me.
She looked sincere.
“What should I do first? Data collection? Copying? Cleaning? Coffee?”
“Here. Take this.”
Team Leader Kim handed me an iced Americano.
“Americano, no syrup, right?”
“Yes. Oh! Starbucks coffee.”
“First day, bought something expensive.”
“Thank you.”
After a brief tea break, I sat down.
Other traders had nine monitors; interns had two.
No problem.
Even with nine, I wouldn’t use them all.
“You know the simulated trading matters, right?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the most important. In a securities firm, the respected ones are the ones making money.”
“Yes.”
“Sit. Let’s start.”
I sat and turned on the computer.
Logged into the simulated investment account from orientation. Investment fund: 100 million won.
“Have you studied stocks?”
“Yes. Not much, but I studied stocks, futures, and derivatives. Still, just the surface.”
“Good. First, get familiar with the program. Explore it.”
“Yes.”
I followed her instructions, inspecting the trading program thoroughly.
Checked individual stocks, news, public announcements.
Then looked at the futures screen and clicked derivatives.
ELW caught my eye.
High risk, high reward.
I considered buying one.
Then.
‘Huh…?’
A faint scent.
One I’d smelled before.
Familiar yet nostalgic.
Recalling it, my mind lit up.
‘This… could it be??’
The luck that had vanished long ago.
The scent that made me a small-time trading god. My heart raced.