Kim Ye-rin, the Stock Enthusiast
“Ye-rin?”
I called out to Ye-rin as she stood up to organize her books.
“Yeah?”
“You taking the next general elective?”
I pretended not to know, even though I was sure it was the same class as hers.
Ye-rin seemed to think I was hitting on her when I asked about her next class, but she didn't look displeased at all.
“Yeah. I signed up for three on Mondays.”
“Wow. Signing up for three on Monday can't have been easy. Impressive.”
“There was a lecture I really wanted to take... I had no choice.”
“Really? Actually, I signed up for a general elective today too. One I'm interested in.”
I knew it was the same as Ye-rin's, but I hadn't known it was the one she wanted. Still, it felt like a stroke of luck.
“Which one?”
“Understanding Stocks.”
“Huh? Really? That's the same as mine.”
Ye-rin smiled in surprise, looking genuinely pleased. Whoa, that smile could really captivate a guy. She didn't smile often, but when she did naturally, it was stunning. Caught off guard, it was lethal.
“You into stocks too, Ye-rin?”
“Yeah. I've been doing mock investing since high school, and now that I'm twenty, I'm using the money I've saved up to trade a little.”
Ye-rin started chattering away happily, thrilled to meet a kindred spirit.
“Oh... impressive. These days, adults say stocks just lead to ruin.”
“There's a lot of that talk, but in my opinion, Korean stocks are so undervalued they have a high chance of rising.”
She had a solid analysis of the domestic market.
“I think the same. That's why I'm investing too.”
“I see. Want to grab lunch before class, then?”
Ye-rin suggested it so casually and warmly that I was the one surprised. It seemed people really bonded faster over shared interests.
“Uh... um...”
I hesitated suddenly, and Ye-rin looked embarrassed, wondering if she'd come on too strong.
“Oh... we just met today, did I overdo it?”
“No, not at all! Truth is, I'm broke today...” I grinned sheepishly.
“Huh?”
Ye-rin stared at me blankly, her reaction utterly adorable.
“I'll treat you. To celebrate our friendship.”
She was unusually proactive today, not like her usual self.
“Really?? Wow... thanks so much. I was just gonna grab bread from the convenience store. I'll pay you back for this kindness someday.”
“Pfft... sure.”
We headed to Cabollo, a pasta place near campus. It was popular with students for its reasonable prices and clean interior.
Whoa, I used to come here a lot back in the day... Old memories flooded back as I entered after so long.
“It's been ages since I was here...”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
“Huh? You know this place?”
Ye-rin's question threw me into a panic.
“Ah, I lived around here as a kid...”
I covered with a lie and we went inside. We ordered pasta and risotto each, then kept chatting.
“Ye-rin, how much capital are you working with right now?”
“I saved up from part-time jobs in high school... Started with ten million won, but it's down a bit to eight now. What about you, Hyun-su?”
“Whoa, you're loaded, huh? Haha. I've got one million... hehe.”
“Ah... starting small. That's the way at first... Going big right away is risky.”
Ye-rin tried to console me.
“What stocks do you hold, Hyun-su? I've got Hansung Electronics and Korean Air.”
“Safe picks, huh? I'm going aggressive. All my money's in Hanyang Trading right now.”
“Eeeeek? Hanyang Trading?? They're on the brink of bankruptcy! What if they get delisted? Why buy something like that?”
“No way it'll delist. I bought at -27%, and it'll probably turn positive after 1 PM.”
“No way. Bankruptcy rumors are everywhere—how could it rise?”
“Since you bought lunch, how about I repay the favor? Got any spare cash?”
“Hmm... about 500,000 won in the bank.”
“Perfect. Trust me once and invest with me?”
“No way... that's seriously risky. Isn't it a dead cat bounce?”
Dead cat bounce—when stocks on the verge of delisting spike briefly for quick profits.
“Not that. Lend me 500,000 won, and I'll return 600,000. But if it goes higher, any profit beyond that 600,000 is mine.”
“20% in a day?”
“Could be more. What do you say? If we lose, I'll cover your 500,000 straight up.”
No risk for her.
“Okay. I'll transfer to your account.”
Food arrived soon after, and Ye-rin wired me 500,000 won via telebanking.
We moved to a nearby PC bang. I booted up, plugged in my USB, and logged into the stock trading site.
Ye-rin saw I'd invested a million in Hanyang Trading. Current price: 9,000 won. Up 300 won from my buy, but fees made it break-even.
I bought 55 shares without hesitation. Ye-rin gasped beside me, stunned by my reckless style.
“You do day trading, huh?”
“Yeah, day trades, but I study a lot and gather info from everywhere.”
Studying to explain profits after the fact.
The chart stayed flat for about 30 minutes—no rise, no fall. It teetered like it could hit the daily limit down any second.
Around 1:20 PM, it started reacting. From -25% to -17%—back to opening price.
“Whoa, it's rising! Jackpot. That's 8% already.”
“Not yet. I promised you 20%. Haha.”
Volume surged as it fluctuated, hitting top traded spot and drawing more traders.
By 1:40, it hit 0%, reaching yesterday's close of 12,000 won.
“No... way... 25%? How?”
Ye-rin gaped. I clicked to show Hanyang Trading's financials: recent losses, big year-over-year deficits. Clearly junk on paper.
Then I pulled up a news article via search.
“They have losses, but profits are actually better year-over-year. Investments just made it look bad. Too early for bankruptcy.”
“Whoa... I see... You're amazing. But why not sell?”
Ye-rin hung on my words but grew urgent as I held at 25% profit.
“Not yet. It'll go higher.”
“Huh? Higher from here????”
As predicted, it went green and climbed relentlessly. +10%—
“Woooah! Insane! How?! Sell now, right? Now!”
Ye-rin was ecstatic, yelling to sell.
“Wait a bit more.”
To her, I seemed like a beast with unshakeable conviction—rare even with her knowledge.
He's... so cool? Ye-rin's expression softened.
1:55 PM. It hit +20% at 14,400 won. I sold all 169 shares.
After fees, about 2.35 million entered my account. Not withdrawable yet, but from our 1.5 million, we'd made 850,000 profit. Even giving her 100,000 left me with 750,000 in a day.
“......”
I nudged the dazed Ye-rin.
“Class is gonna be late. Let's go.”
Our elective started at 2 PM, so we rushed—but five minutes was too short. We arrived late.
The class, Understanding Stocks, was taught by Professor Lee Eun-joo, a sharp early-thirties beauty with massive breasts that made her the envy of every guy.
Five minutes in, as we slipped in:
“Already cutting class? Starting strong, I see.”
Laughter rippled at her tease. Ye-rin blushed crimson and sat. Watching us: none other than Joo Hee-rin and Yoo Young-hoon. I deliberately sat away from them.
“Huh? Student Cha Hyun-su missed two weeks?”
“Yes. I was sick and couldn't come to school.”
My prepared excuse flowed naturally.
“Whoa... so you hit it off right after coming back?”
“Puhahaha!”
The room erupted at her playful jab. The glamorous rose of a professor had killer wit and charm, already super popular. I scratched my head awkwardly; Ye-rin couldn't lift her face.
We weren't dating, but she didn't deny it outright—maybe from the PC bang thrill.
“My motto for this class: money is everything.”
Eun-joo addressed the room.
“As I said early on, we reveal just one stock we bought and sold each week. Nail profits? You get good grades regardless of attendance or exams.”
“So, latecomer Cha Hyun-su—what'd you buy this week?”
I pondered: reveal Hanyang Trading's win, or preview tomorrow's?
“I don't hold any now, so can I share tomorrow's planned buy?”
“Oh, thinking ahead?”
“Yes. Daewon Motors.”
“Daewon Motors? Aren't they struggling?”
Her point was sharp. What could I say—I'd profit from it tomorrow.
“Reasons exist, but they're my secret sauce. Trust me and buy if you want.”
“Such confidence. I'll watch.”
Students snickered at my bravado. But Ye-rin's eyes sparkled; she itched to dump her stocks for Daewon.
It was 2:10 PM—too late to buy after going home.
“Hyun-su, what time tomorrow?”
Her eyes shone as she asked.
“I'll buy in the morning.”
“Pfft... okay. Meet at that PC bang at 8:50 tomorrow. Don't forget your USB.”
I missed the days of easy phone trading—Korea only enabled it around 2010.
After class, I headed home. With 2.4 million now, minus her 600,000 left 1.8 million profit.
Her help aside, 800,000 in a day from 1 million. Scale to 10 million? 8 million. Money makes money. Time to build seed capital for bigger gains.