The Little Giant
I shook my head.
Jeong Haewon from the Hyundai Group was a girl brimming with competitive spirit. The type who absolutely hated to lose.
"This time, you can go first. I went first last time."
"You sure that's okay?"
"Hmph! Knowing you'd pull something like this, I begged Grandpa for books—ten of them, no less! I'm not going down easy this time!"
Huh, looks like last time's defeat really got under her skin. Haewon was trying to play it cool, eyebrows arched defiantly, but her trembling fingertips betrayed her nerves. I bit back a smile tugging at my lips.
Today's question was going to be different from last time. Hehehe!
"Alright then, here I gooo."
"Y-yeah. Bring it on!"
"Here it coooomes!"
I took a deep, exaggerated breath. Then enunciated each syllable deliberately.
"Name the kings of early Joseon in order."
"…………Huh?"
This time, it was a history question. As the saying goes, a nation without knowledge of its history has no future.
"Tae, Taejeong Taeseo Mun Danse…!"
Oh ho. Not bad for a six-year-old. She had the makings of the future queen of Korea's hotel industry.
But that wasn't the end of it.
"And after that?"
"A-after that…"
Haewon's eyes spun like a top.
"Ye, Yeongyeong Jungseong?"
"Wroooong!"
"WAAAAAH!"
The moment I declared her wrong, she burst into tears and bolted off into the distance. What an entrance—and an exit.
Did I go too far? I'd only planned to stop at Taejeong Taeseo Mun Danse, but her comical expression made me tease her without thinking. I'd have to apologize later.
So, call today's match a draw?
＊
The class I was assigned to at Saetbyeol Kindergarten was the Sun Class. There were two classes: Sun Class and Moon Class. I was in Sun Class. Jeong Haewon, the Hyundai heiress, was in Moon Class.
"Okay, nice to meet you all~ Wave your hands just like me to say hi~"
Following the young woman, the Sun Class kids waved enthusiastically at the teacher.
"Hello!"
Teacher Choi Seoyun. My homeroom teacher in Sun Class. She had a neat bob that brushed her shoulders, with soft bangs gently framing her forehead. When she smiled, her eyes narrowed into delicate crescents. At first glance, she gave off the same warm vibe as Mom back at the mansion. She wore a pale pink blouse, a beige knee-length skirt, and a small name tag reading Sun Class - Choi Seoyun on her chest.
"Today, we're having free playtime. There are all sorts of toys over there, so have fun exploring them~"
"Yesss~"
The kids scattered in an instant. I watched them blankly, then startled—somehow, I was the only one left by Teacher Choi's side.
"Won't Seoyeon play with the other kids?"
"……"
Though my body was that of a five-year-old, my mind was worlds beyond my peers. I'd seen and known too much to just dive into block-building or pretend play.
"I'll just… watch them from nearby."
"Oh? Ho ho ho~ Do whatever feels right, dear."
Of course, I'd come prepared for this—I'd packed a few books in my bag. Pretending to play with the others, I slipped away to a quiet corner of the playground. Perfect spot: the slide and swings screened it just right for reading.
The book was from Grandpa's study. Come to think of it, a certain book that would soon captivate business leaders worldwide was about to hit shelves. Coming out in October, it would fly off the racks and claim its place as a global bestseller overnight.
I've gotta beg Grandpa for a copy.
In Search of Excellence
First published in 1982, it was a book I'd devoured in my past life. Analyzing companies worldwide to distill the secrets of success—the content was heavy for a child's eyes, but familiar to someone who'd lived twice. The heavily underlined passages and margins full of notes floated vividly in my mind.
"Respect people. Find answers at the front lines."
Knowing history, I felt those principles viscerally—they decided the rise and fall of empires. Even hitting ten million YouTube subscribers owed to that book.
"Sigh…"
I glanced around. Kids my age were playing tag.
"Kyaa~"
"Catch me if you can~"
"Come ooon~"
Basking in the sun, my eyelids grew heavy. The warm rays tickled my cheeks, and the distant laughter lulled like a lullaby. My hand, turning pages, went limp unnoticed. The text blurred, spaces between words whitening out.
"Mm…"
The world's gentlest touch settled on my forehead. Unseen, a dark shadow approached—and I slipped into sleep.
＊
Jeong Haewon was the precious late-life granddaughter of the Hyundai household. Chairman Jeong Munju's golden child, born in his twilight years. The day she was born, the mansion buzzed like a new era dawning.
"Argh…"
Now, that golden child was secretly gnawing her nails in the bathroom.
Lost twice in two matches. Hadn't Chairman Jeong once said?
"People of Hyundai never lose twice."
For a girl raised on those words, defeat was incomprehensible.
What does that girl study? Famous tutoring like the Eight Gates Math? Top college students as private tutors? She'd tried it all. Yet against Han Seoyeon of the Hansung family, it fell short. For someone her age, that girl felt… different. Off-kilter.
Just coincidence…
Knowing it was free playtime, Haewon headed to her usual secluded playground spot. But someone lay there—back to the sun, on warm sand, a book draped over her face. A familiar profile.
"…Han Seoyeon?"
Haewon's brows twitched. That spot, perfectly shielded by slide and swings—her secret hideout, unknown to most kids.
She hadn't expected Han Seoyeon from Hansung. And the book over her face? No picture book for toddlers, but a thick tome crammed with dense text.
What language is that? Not Korean. Haewon recognized it instantly from her mansion's shelves—a foreign tongue from across the Pacific, that vast island nation.
Her eyes trembled fiercely. She was learning English early, but barely greetings and small talk. Stumbling through alphabet and short sentences.
The realization hit like a thud: that kid, Han Seoyeon, read it fluently.
"Sniff!"
Tears welled anew. So unfair. She'd strived in secret to win, yet Seoyeon loomed like she was from another world. Same kindergarten, same age—yet untouchably distant. Alone on a peak.
"WAAAAAH!"
Haewon wept sadly, turning from reality. Han Seoyeon felt like a little giant.
＊
"Mm…"
Must've dozed off. Blinking awake, the sunlight's angle had shifted. What was that? A loud wail, like a hallucination.
I looked down. There lay the thick book, half-read, abandoned in sleep.
The Effective Executive
by Peter F. Drucker
Peter Drucker's management primer. The Korean translation wouldn't come until 2002, but this was the original English.
I brushed off sand from my clothes and stood. The playground was empty now, tag abandoned. I eyed the two crumpled King Sejong 1,000-won bills in my pocket. Time for a snack on the way home. Perfect timing—the kindergarten day was wrapping up.
"Daaaad!"
"Aigoo, my girl!"
Mom handled drop-off, Dad pickup—our little family rule. We cruised slowly home to the Bukchangdong mansion in the latest Pony car. As I sank into the comfy back seat for my weary tiny body, something odd flashed by.
"Dad, drop me here for a sec!"
"Sure? Shopping?"
"Yeah, grabbing something from that supermarket."
"Go ahead."
The car slowed to a stop. I hopped out, dashed into the familiar store.
"Huh?"
Ramen aisle right inside. Hansung Food's products were sold out. But Nongwon's Tado Ramen? Not a single pack gone.
Tado had topped Hansung Jjapaghetti in sales during peak ads. What? Sinking this fast?
I asked the shopkeeper auntie.
"Auntie, why hasn't this Tado Ramen sold?"
She recoiled at the sight.
"Oh honey, don't eat that!"
"…Why?"
"Haven't you heard? Someone got rushed to the hospital eating Tado Ramen."
"Hospital?"
"Duh, of course—it's unsold junk. Hand it over, I'll toss it."
I stared blankly as she irritably stuffed the packs into a big plastic bag.
Good lord… What the hell was going on in this country?