Chapter 184
Chapter 184
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: A Place with No Dreams
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“Thank you for the food!”
A small party began, with Honey Conch crackers and various other snacks spread out before dozens of children.
It was heartwarming to see the kids excitedly grabbing the snacks. It's not like kids in orphanages these days go hungry, but any child would enjoy a snack party like this.
“Daepyo-nim and PD-nim, why don't you have a quick interview with the director.”
At reporter Shin Dong-min's request, we sat down separately with the orphanage director for a conversation.
“Most people from the outside feel sorry for them, thinking they're pitiful for not having their parents' love, especially when they're young. But the truth is, while the children are living inside the orphanage, there are rarely any major issues. Since they're all in similar situations, they rely on one another. The real problem comes later.”
“Are you talking about when they have to leave because they've come of age?”
The words slipped out before I could stop them. I was once in their shoes—a high school trainee who suddenly became an orphan after my parents passed away.
I remembered that time, how even with some inheritance, I didn't know how to do anything and had no one to lean on. The helplessness of it all, when even the bright daylight felt like pitch-black darkness, where I couldn't see or even think straight.
“That's right. When the children turn eighteen, they receive a 5-million-won settlement grant and have to leave.”
In my life before returning, I think I vaguely heard that the grant amount had increased.
“Goodness. So they have to go out and live on their own right after graduating? With nothing?”
The CEO said, his face filled with genuine sympathy.
“There are dormitories, but only kids who go to college or get a job can stay there for a short time. And since these kids know nothing about the real world, they easily trust anyone who's friendly to them. Many end up getting scammed, losing all their money, and turning to desperate measures. A lot of them do. Over 2,500 children are pushed out into the world like that every year.”
I had expected some of this, but hearing the director's words still made me sigh.
“But I mean, putting college aside, aren't there plenty of factories that provide room and board?”
“Of course, many of them go to places like that. They're difficult jobs that most people avoid, but many of our kids settle down and work diligently. The problem is, they're thrown into society before they've had a chance to learn about it, so things often end badly. They don't even know if they're being paid properly. In one case, a child was only receiving 700,000 won a month after deductions for room and board.”
The director vented for a long time, as if she had a lot she'd wanted to say.
“So in the end, it's always the untrustworthy people who are the problem.”
“Indeed. Once these kids get burned by society, they retreat into darker corners. It's not uncommon for them to become homeless at a young age, relying on soup kitchens.”
As someone who understood their future better than anyone, it was a truly heartbreaking and frustrating story to hear. It was no different from what I had suffered at the hands of Gyeon Sang-jin.
If I were the CEO of a successful manufacturing company, I wouldn't have hesitated to create a safe and fair workplace for them.
Wait… Manufacturing?
Something flashed through my mind, but I focused back on the director's words for the time being.
“Surprisingly, there aren't many true orphans. More than half of our children here have parents.”
“What? They have parents?”
The CEO, the reporter Shin Dong-min, and I were all taken aback.
“There are many different stories, but a common one is parents who divorce and abandon their children because neither wants to raise them. There are also parents who love their children but truly can't afford to raise them, so they visit occasionally.”
“Oh, dear.”
The CEO's expression was one of pity.
“What about Sooyoung, the girl who was dancing earlier? What's her case?”
“Hmm... Ah... Sooyoung's case is a bit difficult to explain. She does have a mother, but…”
The director answered my question hesitantly. It seemed there was a complicated story behind it.
“I noticed a bruise on Sooyoung's face earlier. The boy who looks like her little brother seemed to have one too.”
The director seemed a bit flustered by my words.
“You have a sharp eye. He is her younger brother… And the bruises…”
The director hesitated for a long moment before speaking.
“The childcare teachers and I are keeping an eye on it, but the problem is we can't follow them around 24/7. There are always troublemakers in any group setting.”
“Are you saying one of the older students is being violent with the younger kids?”
The CEO asked, flaring up.
“…That could be the case.”
“Well then, you need to conduct individual interviews or something to find out who it is.”
The director's lukewarm response made the CEO raise his voice, a vein popping on his neck. The director's troubled expression became even more complicated.
“…And then what? Once we find them, what do we do? What do we do with that problem child? This is the last sanctuary these children have. It's a dead end. We can't just kick a child out to some other place because they're a troublemaker! …Who would take them in?”
“Ah…”
Overcome with emotion, the director took off her glasses, rubbing her face and wiping away tears. Seeing the director so upset, the CEO became awkward and couldn't say anything more.
Problem kids who ignore even the police wouldn't listen to a word the director said. From the director's perspective, all she could do was pray for the troublemaker to age out quickly and for no new ones to arrive...
I could feel that there were many other things happening here that we didn't know about.
“Excuse me, shall we take a short break?”
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, reporter Shin Dong-min stepped in.
I quickly went out to buy coffee for everyone, and by the time I returned, the director had finally calmed down.
“I'm sorry. I just got so upset.”
“Not at all. I'm the one who should be ashamed and sorry for getting worked up without knowing the full situation.”
The interview resumed, and we heard more about the reality of orphanages in the country—problems that couldn't be solved with money, or rather, problems that couldn't be solved *because* of money.
“What pains me the most is that the children here don't have an environment where they can develop their talents. As you saw earlier, Sooyoung has exceptional talent.”
Sooyoung was a coveted talent. It wouldn't be impossible for the company to feed her, clothe her, and help her debut.
But I had to consider what would happen if her debut failed.
Even trainees with families struggle to adapt to society and sometimes entertain dark thoughts. What would happen if Sooyoung, with no one to lean on, was thrown out into the world?
No. I just have to make sure she doesn't fail, right?
Her weight is something we can manage.
A thought suddenly occurred to me. Are talented kids like Sooyoung only in this orphanage? If I looked nationwide, wouldn't there be many more?
Just then, CEO Park Jae-yong spoke, his expression as solemn as if he were making a life-or-death decision.
“I will take responsibility for her. For Sooyoung.”
“Pardon? But Sooyoung has a mother.”
The CEO's determined face instantly changed to one of, *oops*.
The CEO had a habit of making me laugh and flustering me even in serious situations, and this was one of those times.
“Ah! That's right. Still, if she's willing, I think we should consider supporting her at the company level.”
The CEO said, his expression serious once more.
“She has a younger brother, too…”
“Ah! We can't separate her from her brother. W-well then, together…”
Please stop making me laugh, Daepyo-nim.
* * *
“Great work, everyone.”
“You too.”
The interview was over.
“Min-jun, go play with the kids outside for a bit. I need to talk to the director for a moment.”
“Okay. I was planning to talk to Sooyoung anyway.”
“Oh, good. Get the full story.”
I left the director's office and went to find Sooyoung. My sensitive ears picked up the CEO's voice.
“I had to withdraw this in a hurry, so it's not much. You could use it to replace the computers.”
“Oh my, Daepyo-nim. Just having you visit and donate these items is more than enough to be thankful for.”
So that's why he ducked out of the meeting with the Earl Grey members this morning, saying he had something to do. He must have gone to the bank. I'm surprisingly touched.
“Not at all, Director. It hasn't been long since my own company came back from the brink of failure, so I'm not exactly well-off yet. In the future, I'll think of a way to provide more long-term help.”
“Thank you for just saying so. But why are you giving this to me in secret, instead of when the reporter was here?”
“Well… you can only really brag about it if the amount is significant. If an article came out about a paltry sum like this, we'd just get malicious comments calling us cheap. It would end up harming our agency's artists, too.”
“Oh, my… Does that really happen? Why on earth are people like that… Oh? This isn't a small amount at all!”
Was the CEO always this thoughtful? I always thought he was a decent person, but I never knew he was like this.
For some reason, I'm the one feeling proud.
“But… Director.”
“Yes, Daepyo-nim. Go ahead.”
“About the donation receipt…”
Yep. That's the CEO Park Jae-yong I know.
And just like that, the touching moment shattered. Realistically, it's something he absolutely had to get, but… it still ruined the mood.
“Haha! Of course. That's no trouble at all.”
“Thank you, Director!”
A deep sigh escaped my lips without me realizing.
Just then, I spotted Sooyoung and her brother.
“Sooyoung. Can we talk for a minute?”
“Yes.”
I wanted to talk to Sooyoung quietly, but that became impossible when a crowd of kids swarmed around us.
“Oppa, are you the one who was almost in Fire Emblem?”
“Yeah. I almost was.”
“Wow. No wonder you're so handsome.”
I gave a wry smile and decided to just ask.
“Sooyoung, what's that bruise on your face?”
Sooyoung's lips were sealed, but the information came pouring out from the kids around her.
“Oh, that's from when Jung-soo-hyung hit her!”
“Jung-soo-hyung was hitting Min-woong, and Sooyoung-noona blocked it!”
“Yeah! That hyung hits everyone. Sooyoung-noona started eating a lot so Jung-soo-hyung wouldn't hit her, and she became a pig. But she got stronger after becoming a pig.”
“Hahaha. That's right, that's right.”
Even though the kids' words must have been hurtful, Sooyoung's expression didn't change. It seemed her difficult life in the orphanage had made her detached and indifferent to the world.
It's heartbreaking. To think she purposely gained weight just to avoid being beaten.
Although she had gained weight, her features were delicate and well-proportioned. I thought that with some management, she could have a very pretty face that the public would love.
“Sooyoung, what's your dream?”
“…To see Answer-unnis.”
“No, not something like that. I mean a dream, a real dream. Something you want to do when you grow up.”
Sooyoung glanced at her brother and the other children, and strangely, all the kids her age wore the same expression.
“We don't have things like that.”
“…”
A chill ran down my spine at her calm words, delivered as if it were nothing.
They seemed to know their futures all too well, even at such a young age. It made me want to deny the reality of their situation.
“Byeee! We'll come again!”
“I hope Answer comes next time.”
“Hahahah!”
The kids made the CEO sweat right up to the very end.
* * *
“Phew, it's cold. Why is it so chilly today?”
The CEO grumbled as he got into the passenger seat.
“I know. It feels less like spring and more like late autumn all of a sudden.”
“Yeah… Speaking of which, Min-jun, have you ever seen it snow in May?”
What tall tale is he spinning now… Snow in May? No way. Or is there? I feel like I might have heard about it somewhere.
“Can it really snow in May?”
“Hey, don't even get me started. I was out in Gangwon Province for an event, I'll never forget the date. It was May 10th. Man, the blizzard…”
At the mention of a blizzard, I decided I'd heard enough.
But while the CEO exaggerates, he's not one to tell outright lies... Can it really snow? In May?
The CEO went on about the May snowstorm for another ten minutes before finally stopping.
“Anyway, about the orphanage…”
He must have finally run out of things to say. The CEO and I talked about the children on our way back to the company.
“We should start increasing our social contributions from now on. Whether it's for genuine reasons or for a good public image.”
“We should. Let's start by taking in Sooyoung as a trainee.”
“While we're at it, how about we hold auditions to find talented kids from orphanages all over the country? It could be a really meaningful project. Held privately, of course.”
“Min-jun.”
“Yes?”
“I just thought of what I'm going to say in the interview.”
How random.
“When the reporter asks, 'How did you come up with the idea for an audition like this?' I'll answer like this.”
“…”
“'I discovered a child dancing at an orphanage I visited to donate goods. The choices for children in orphanages are limited, and they can't even dream of developing their talents while worrying about how to survive. It broke my heart. So, I decided to do what I could in my own field, and that's how I planned this audition.'”
“…”
But that was my idea...
“Hahaha! Min-jun! What's with that face? I'll make it up to you. Don't worry.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“Huh? Why are you suddenly being so scary?”
Is there really any kind of reward the CEO can give me anymore?
Or is there? Maybe there is?