13
Chapter 13: The Hedgehogs Begin to Change
Happy Orphanage had always had quiet children—but never one who excelled academically.
Then came Do Min-Oh, an eight-year-old orphan whose results were so extraordinary that even calling him a genius felt
insufficient.
‘This is unbelievable.’
When Min-Oh first drew pictures that were hard to believe came from a child, the other kids had brushed it off as
something unusual but possible. But bringing back a grand prize certificate from the academic competition was something
they couldn’t easily accept.
It was only natural for them to doubt him at first.
As far as they knew, students who entered such competitions stayed after school to study and even attended academies.
But Min-Oh had done neither. He had stayed at the orphanage like them—and spent most of his time drawing.
Of course, he hadn’t done absolutely no studying.
He had borrowed textbooks and workbooks from older students under the excuse of preparing for the competition.
But in their eyes, it looked like he had only pretended to study.
‘Is he really a genius?’
Eventually, they chose to believe it.
That he was simply so talented that casually skimming through books was enough to dominate a school competition.
Hearing teachers and students constantly talk about his brilliance at school only reinforced that belief.
‘We really got someone incredible here.’
Their attitudes changed quickly.
Not just because of his overwhelming results, but because his success improved how others viewed them.
The orphanage children, once seen as troublemakers regardless of what they did, were now treated a little better.
“Why clay all of a sudden?”
Older kids who had once been cold toward him now spoke first, their tone noticeably softer.
“I’m making a sculpture.”
“Oh… really?”
“Yes.”
“Did you send the application to that show yet?”
They had initially dismissed the idea of rebuilding the orphanage, but now they watched with cautious hope.
“Not yet.”
“Why not?”
Now they were even impatient.
“With your writing, shouldn’t it be enough to just send a story?”
“A drawing alone isn’t enough.”
“…Then this sculpture is…?”
“Yes.”
“No matter how nicely you package a drawing, if they don’t open it, it’s meaningless.”
“That’s true.”
“If I decorate the envelope, it looks messy. If I decorate a box, I have to put something inside. And I can’t send
something cheap to people who might build us a house worth millions.”
“…You really are a genius.”
The older kids were in awe.
“You’re right. If thousands of people apply every week, we need to stand out.”
“Exactly.”
“But is that much clay enough?”
“It’s kind of expensive…”
“Hey! This is for our orphanage. Of course we’ll pay!”
Lee Hyungwoo, the oldest among them, brought out his piggy bank.
“We can handle that!”
“Then… can you also cover the delivery fee?”
“…Delivery?”
“It’s based on weight. This will be about five kilograms.”
“…How much?”
“About 5,000 won.”
“…That’s fine!”
“Everyone, bring your money!”
The children eagerly contributed.
“By the way… who is this?”
One of them pointed at the drawing on Min-Oh’s desk.
“Isn’t it supposed to be Seong Joongi?”
“No, that’s Joo Minyoung from Quiz 5000.”
“Yes.”
“Why her?”
“…It’s a secret. But I’ll tell you.”
The room grew quiet.
“Our orphanage doesn’t own this land.”
“…What?”
“Even if they build us a new house, the landlord could kick us out.”
“That’s insane!”
“That’s the law.”
He explained calmly.
“When people renovate houses on that show, the owners allow it because they benefit later.”
“…I see.”
“So it’s better if our director owns the land.”
“But he doesn’t have money…”
“I’ll give it to him.”
“…What?”
“I’ll go on Quiz 5000 and win.”
The prize money was massive.
Even after tax, it was enough to buy property—though not quite enough for everything.
Still—
‘There are loans. And with media exposure, we can make it work.’
“Are you really giving it all to him?”
“Yes.”
In his first life, he had been too busy surviving to care.
This time, he would do things differently.
‘Now I understand how much he sacrificed for us.’
The director had worked multiple jobs—not for himself, but to protect the children’s dignity.
“How can you do that?”
“We’ll be living together for ten years. Isn’t this much obvious?”
“…You’re something else.”
“I know.”
They laughed.
“But do you even understand how important money is?”
“You’re giving me money too. It’s the same.”
“…That’s different!”
“But I’m touched.”
“…What?”
“You believe I’ll win.”
They didn’t hesitate.
“You’re a genius.”
It wasn’t blind faith.
It was conviction.
“Then trust me.”
‘Maybe I’m not a genius… but I’ll make it happen.’
“Also, don’t tell anyone. If the landlord finds out, he might refuse to sell.”
“Got it.”
“And it’s better if we stay here anyway.”
The orphanage had faced discrimination.
Moving would only restart that cycle.
“Where would we stay during construction?”
“…Good question.”
“Don’t worry. Even TV can turn devils into angels.”
“…What?”
“If needed, we’ll stay in containers.”
“…That works.”
Despite everything—
They were changing.
Not completely, but slowly.
They no longer pushed Min-Oh away.
They no longer compared themselves to him.
Instead—
They felt proud.
‘He’s amazing.’
For the first time, they weren’t just surviving.
They were starting to believe in something better.