A New Investment (3)
After the family finished dinner, I headed to a bar near our house with my father.
"You must have been swamped with work, and you still went out of your way to help with Sena’s birthday party today. When you were little, the two of you did nothing but fight, so seeing you take care of your little sister’s birthday like a proper big brother really shows how much you’ve grown."
“……”
Honestly, I hadn’t even known it was her birthday.
But since he’d already misunderstood things this far, I decided to shamelessly go along with it.
"I paid attention to it."
Seeing how happy my sister and parents were made me think I ought to arrange more moments like this in the future.
Wasn’t this what filial piety was supposed to look like?
"You’ve been really busy lately, haven’t you?"
"Yeah, more or less."
"And Vice President Park Yongjin is doing well?"
"Of course. Vice President Park is incredibly capable. He gets things done before anyone even tells him to. He’s so good I almost feel bad about it."
He had come from a top-management role at a major conglomerate, so there was no doubt about his ability.
There was a smile on my father’s face.
Byungjin Industries was, to my father, like another child. There was nothing happier than watching the company he had devoted his life to grow larger year after year.
After downing a few shots of soju, my father casually brought up the subject.
"So what exactly do you do? I asked Minwoong, and I asked Vice President Park too, but both of them told me to ask you directly."
"Hmm……"
Just from the way Heo Minwoong and Park Yongjin treated me, he had probably already realized I wasn’t doing ordinary work.
And I couldn’t hide it forever anyway.
It was probably about time my father knew.
"Actually, I run an investment firm."
"You don’t work there? You run it?"
"Yes."
"Hmm. Really?"
He didn’t look especially shocked; apparently he had expected something along those lines.
The real surprise started now.
"The company’s called Continue Capital."
"Continue Capital……? Wait, you’re not talking about the firm that dismantled Hanjeong Group and then ripped apart GL Group, are you?"
"That’s the one."
"……Huh?"
My father stared at me, stunned, his mouth falling open.
"Huh! My son runs Continue Capital?"
"Yes. Not alone, though. I run it with CEO Lockhart."
"That’s the American speculative capital firm they keep talking about on the news lately."
"Well, the company is based in the U.S."
"How on earth?"
"Things just worked out that way."
"No, what kind of 'worked out that way' turns into that?"
"That would take a while to explain."
There had been plenty of things along the way to grow the company this far that no one could hear without shedding tears.
My father, still thoroughly confused, took a few more shots of soju for now.
"Heh. I can’t believe something like this happened."
"It’s all thanks to how well you raised me, Father."
"I don’t think I raised you like that."
"Then I must’ve grown up on my own."
If I told him this company was entirely mine, wouldn’t he clutch the back of his neck and collapse?
"T-Then what about Minwoong……?"
"We met through work and got close."
To be precise, he had unilaterally decided to act like we were close.
"R-Really? Then do you meet conglomerate chairmen too?"
"I’ve met Chairman Heo Seonghun, and I see Chairman Yoo Jaeho from time to time."
"W-What? You met Chairman Yoo Jaeho of Yuseong Group?"
"Yes."
He looked like he couldn’t possibly believe it.
In Korea, after all, chaebols came with a very specific kind of impact.
"Well, now. Just the other day I was worrying after you quit your job, and now look at you. To think you’d become this successful so fast."
"This is just the beginning. I still have a long way to go before I can really call it a success."
"I-Is that so?"
"Please keep it a secret from Mother and Sena for now. They’ll worry if they hear."
My father nodded.
"All right. Making a lot of money is good and all, but don’t forget that your health always comes first."
"Understood."
I clinked my soju glass against his.
Over the weekend, I met with Sung Yoon-ah.
"You really only needed to introduce me to a dealer."
"It’s better if I come with you. I happen to be free, anyway."
"Didn’t you say you were meeting friends today?"
"I-It got canceled."
She looked bright and fresh in a mint-green skirt and an oversized T-shirt. She suited a suit well, but she suited clothes like this just as well.
"By the way, why are you suddenly buying a car?"
"I completely forgot, but it turns out my little sister’s birthday was a few days ago."
“……”
At my words, Sung Yoon-ah narrowed her eyes and stared at me.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"How do you expect my eyes to look?"
"Like you’re looking at a pile of food waste."
She snapped back at me.
"How can you be a big brother and forget your little sister’s birthday? Miru, you’re a really bad brother."
I protested, feeling wronged.
"H-Hey, she’s never even remembered my birthday."
That was partly because in our family, nobody really made a big deal out of their own birthday.
Sung Yoon-ah said firmly, "It’s fine for a little sister to do that. But shouldn’t an older brother take care of his little sister?"
"Why? Why should I?"
"Because you were born first."
“……”
What kind of crime was being born first?
If all the big brothers in the world heard that, they’d rise up in protest.
"I really wanted a younger sibling."
"You wouldn’t be saying that if you actually had one."
"What do you mean? I would’ve been amazing to my sibling."
“……”
That was exactly the kind of thing people without siblings always said.
What would an only child like her know?
I raised both hands as if surrendering.
"That’s why I came to buy her a gift."
I’d decided to get Sena what she wanted: a red Ferrari…… no, a red Mini Cooper.
A Ferrari? Please.
A Mini was already extravagant for a college student. Still, if I was going to buy her one, I might as well make it a convertible.
"Ah! So that’s why you asked me to introduce you to a dealer."
"Yes. For the record, I didn’t get anything for my birthday."
Sung Yoon-ah thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Hmm. Then you really are a good brother."
"Right?"
Like it or not, she was my little sister.
I hadn’t really done enough brotherly things in my first life, so this time I intended to make up for it in full.
Sung Yoon-ah looked at me and said, "I’m jealous. I wish I had an older brother like you, Miru."
"Huh?"
She seemed a little flustered.
"A-Ah, no, I didn’t mean it like that……"
I nodded as if I understood.
"Honestly, I think the same thing. I didn’t have an older sister or brother to buy me a car, so I had to ride public transit as a college student and even after I started working."
“……”
For some reason, she let out a sigh and said, "Then you didn’t give her anything on her birthday?"
"First I treated her to an expensive meal. And I also gave her the gift card I got from Aram."
At that, she looked a little startled.
"Oh! That card should be registered as top-tier VIP."
"Really?"
Department stores usually assigned VIP tiers based on how much you spent, and at New Century Department Store, the highest-tier Century status was limited to exactly 999 people.
"With that card, you can use not only the VIP lounge but also the personal shopping room. You can even get pickup service and shop with a professional coordinator."
“……”
What on earth had I given my sister?
Food Court, New Century Department Store in Gangnam.
The restaurant district connected not only to the department store basement but also to the underground shopping mall, and it was famous for being packed with popular spots.
Especially in Gangnam, it was one of the first places to bring in foreign-popular bakeries and dessert cafés.
Han Sena met three friends at an English-style tea café there.
"I’ve always wanted to come here at least once."
"This teapot is pretty."
"Is it bone china?"
They planned to have a light lunch here, then go shopping.
Her closest friend, Jung Sojin, asked, "How was LBT Steak?"
"It was insanely good. The steak was amazing."
"I heard it’s really hard to get a reservation there."
"My brother apparently knew someone at the hotel, so he must’ve booked it pretty easily. Some foreign guy even came over and gave us champagne."
"Wow! That sounds great."
"What did he give you for a present?"
Han Sena pulled out the gift card with a proud little flourish.
"Ta-da! Oppa gave me a gift card so I could buy whatever I wanted at the department store."
"How much is it for?"
"One million won!"
"Whoa, that’s huge."
Jung Sojin sighed and said, "I’m jealous. My brother bought me a single Unixclo sweatshirt for my birthday."
Her other friend, who also had an older brother, nodded in agreement.
"When I said I wanted an Enphone for my birthday, he bought me a case and a screen protector. He told me to get the phone myself with my part-time job money."
Han Sena nodded sympathetically.
That sounds exactly like Han Miru.
But that brother of hers had changed now.
He’d taken her out to an expensive restaurant for her birthday and even given her a gift card. You could almost call it a complete reformation.
Han Sena waved the card proudly. "I’m going to buy my birthday present with this today."
"So that’s why you asked us to meet here."
"Yep."
"What are you going to get?"
"A bag, obviously."
"Ooh!"
Lately, luxury goods had become popular among college students, men and women alike.
She had already been thinking about buying a luxury bag for a while.
When would she ever get a chance like this again?
"Let’s go, girls!"
Han Sena led her friends confidently toward the luxury floor.
The first thing that caught her eye was Hermès, the luxury of luxuries.
Normally she wouldn’t have been able to go anywhere near it, but with the gift card in her pocket, courage surged through her.
Han Sena strode into the store with confidence.
The employee asked politely, "Is this your first time visiting our store?"
"Yes. I’d like to look at bags."
"For first-time customers, purchasing bags is difficult. You can start with these items here."
There were scarves and accessories on display.
According to the employee’s explanation, you had to keep buying smaller items and gradually raise your tier before you were granted the right to buy a bag.
But one little scrap of cloth cost hundreds of thousands of won.
With one million won, she couldn’t even buy a small wallet.
Looking at the other customers, they were all somewhat older and dressed with polished elegance.
Jung Sojin leaned in and whispered softly, "Sena, I think this isn’t really a place for us."
"R-Right?"
Hermès was definitely still too early for a college student.
She decided to retreat for now.
After quietly backing out, she headed for the Gucci store next door.
Fortunately it wasn’t quite as intimidating as Hermès, but it was still expensive all the same.
Han Sena looked over a few bags the clerk recommended, then sighed inwardly.
Ugh. Yeah, a luxury bag is impossible with one million won. Should I just buy a wallet instead?
As she was pondering, a cute little keyring caught her eye.
Instead of spending the gift card only on myself, what if I buy one for Oppa first? If I’m this thoughtful, won’t he be touched enough to buy me a Mini?
He seemed to be doing well at work these days and making a ton of money, so it was certainly possible.
This was an investment in the future!
"I’ll take this keyring."
"Understood."
The clerk took out a new one and showed it to her again.
The price was 200,000 won.
Wait, this little keyring costs as much as a cheap bag.
Just thinking about paying for it made her hands tremble. But since it was an investment in the future, she decided to spend boldly.
"How would you like to pay?"
"I’ll use the gift card."
"Of course."
Han Sena handed over the gift card her brother had given her.
The employee inserted it into the card terminal. Then, with a look of surprise, she let out a small gasp.
"Ah."
Jung Sojin asked, "What is it? Is there not enough balance?"
"N-No, that can’t be."
Han Sena thought to herself, Wait, was this only a 100,000-won card? That bastard lied to me?
Come to think of it, when he mentioned the amount, he might have used words like “maybe” and “I think.”
Han Sena asked cautiously, "Is there not enough?"
"No, that’s not it. Please wait just a moment."
The employee reported something to the manager, and the manager, looking startled, picked up the intercom and reported it somewhere else again.
Suddenly, the atmosphere among the staff changed. It looked as if something huge had happened.
Her friends, who had come with her, were equally confused.
"What’s going on?"
"Why are they acting like that?"
Han Sena was no less confused herself.
If the card balance was short, she could just pay the difference. But if they were reporting it all over the place, then could it be……?
What if this is a stolen card?
She thought she’d seen a scene like this in a movie or drama before. Someone used a stolen card by mistake, got reported, and ended up dragged off to the police station……
Han Sena recalled her brother and screamed inwardly.
Aaagh! That insane man!
She should have suspected something from the moment he gave it to her.
She took a careful step backward.
"I-I’m not buying it after all. I should get going."
Then the employee said politely, "It seems they’re on their way down now, so if it’s all right with you, would you mind waiting just a moment?"
"Huh?"
What? They already called the police? No, wait—is this a security guard?
She was about to become a criminal because she’d been unlucky enough to have a bad brother!
Han Sena quickly bowed her head.
"T-This card isn’t mine!"
"Huh?"
"My brother gave it to me as a birthday present. I really didn’t know anything!"
"I’m not sure I follow……"
At that moment, someone spoke to her.
"Your brother? Are you perhaps Miru’s younger sister?"
---