Money Copy Magic (3)

"What?"

Seola blinked, as if asking if there was still more to come.

At her cute reaction, I pointed to the execution window on the monitor.

"Look at this. Doesn't it look different from before?"

Seola's gaze followed my finger to the monitor. She squinted at it for a moment before tilting her head.

"...Huh? Why did the volume suddenly drop?"

"Because there are still a ton of people holding on."

"It dropped a shitload, though. Shouldn't we sell fast?"

"Yeah. If you think rationally, sure."

I leaned back in my chair and muttered,

"But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠humans aren't that rational."

Even if their accounts were already halved, even if the company itself admitted there was a problem. Despite all those terrible news piling up, people were still running their hope circuits. The miraculous logic that not selling doesn't mean a loss made me chuckle involuntarily.

If I sell now, it's a real loss.

Maybe it'll bounce back if I wait a bit?

If I sell now, people will laugh at me.

Humans are foolish and repeat the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠same mistakes.

"Well, that's why stocks are fun."

It wasn't long after that.

Suddenly, weird price levels started hitting the execution window.

"Unnie."

"Yeah?"

"What's this? You said they were holding, so why is it so cheap now?"

I shrugged calmly at Seola.

The answer was simple.

"Margin call."

"Margin call? What's that?"

"Hmm, simply put... it's when the accounts of people who bought stocks on borrowed money get wrecked."

And no sooner had I said that than some of the stubborn holders vanished without a trace. The execution window flashed like crazy, signaling deals going through.

Margin call. It sounds intimidating, but it's not that complicated. Just margin (collateral) plus call (demand).

It's a call demanding more collateral when the value of your collateral crashes after borrowing money. And if you can't pay it?

This shit happens.

The lender decides ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you can't maintain the position anymore. To cut losses, they force-liquidate everything (reverse trade). Han Siul Biotech was already plummeting like mad. Add margin calls on top, and it started crashing just as fast as it had skyrocketed.

Seola's voice trembled as she watched the insane plunge.

"...Unnie. Is this really gonna stop?"

"Hmm. Eventually?"

But not right now, at least. Han Siul Biotech had truly crumbled past its final psychological support. Falling has wings—but that's only before human tech and malice enter the picture. Humans can fly artificially without wings now. And Han Siul Biotech had no wings in its fall.

The graph was dropping straight down again.

"Huff, huff..."

Watching my profit rate climb in sync made my breath quicken. Dopamine was flooding out like crazy.

I barely controlled my shaking hand, moved the mouse, and closed the position right away. The 1 billion won position from earlier had ballooned to 1.4 billion already.

I could've pushed harder, but greedily taking more might cause issues. The position cleared cleanly, and the account refreshed. What was just unrealized gains became real money now.

Seola gaped at the number.

"...Unnie."

"What's up?"

"Are we rich now?"

I stared at the account for a sec, then pondered. Compared to my past life, 1.4 billion won was pocket change. Hell, it wouldn't even buy a decent Seoul apartment. My past self would've turned down free money like this. I had plenty, and making it was my dopamine hit anyway.

But I nodded obediently.

"Yeah, looks like it."

Money's value is relative, after all. To someone struggling to eat, "rich" might not be that grand. And in that brief thoughtful moment, a new article popped up in the news window.

"Phew, almost fucked up."

"Unnie."

"Yeah?"

"Honestly, I still can't believe we made this much money."

Not weird at all. If you're not into stocks or investing, making money just by sitting at a computer feels off.

"I think it's pretty amazing too, result-wise. They say if it looks easy, you're doing it right, even if you don't get it?"

...Something felt off. It was praise, and Seola was smiling, but her eyes were icy cold. The glare stung so bad I shrank back. Animal survival instincts, you know.

"But unnie."

"Uh, yeah? What's wrong?"

"That's just hindsight, right?"

"Ahem, it might look that way, but it's not—it's the result of thorough calculations and conviction that we'd win for sure..."

"Unnie."

Her frosty tone shut me up instantly.

...I wanted to argue, but had nothing. I could imagine how anxious this made Seola feel. But I was once a manly man, so...

"Sorry."

I quietly admitted defeat and knelt.

Our family had been poor since I was little. Just me, unnie, and Grandfather.

So I never had selfish desires growing up.

"Unnie, you're back?"

"Yeah, sorry. A bit late."

While her friends hit academies, noraebang, and PC bangs, unnie was working part-time. Grandfather said she was a great student. But she didn't even finish high school.

"Why cry? If you're grateful, study hard."

Unnie was way prettier and smarter than me. She gave up everything for me and started working. How could I not hustle? Thanks to her, I got into a top university. Then shocking news from Grandfather.

"Seola. Your unnie's struggling bad."

"Huh? But..."

"You know she started living alone?"

"Yeah, she told me."

Economy was shit. Even when I stubbornly refused, she'd send pocket money. It stopped for the same reason.

"No jobs, barely eating one meal a day."

"...Yeah."

Hearing she sobbed apologies for not sending me money made my chest tight. What was she sorry for? She seemed so silly. I felt sorrier. I rushed to see her right after, but she wouldn't meet me.

"...Hic."

I first thought to bust in, but hearing her muffled sobs...

I couldn't. Instead, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I just asked Grandfather to tell her I worry and am always grateful.

Then, long-awaited news.

"So... unnie borrowed the house deed from Grandfather?"

"Figured she needed it somewhere, so I lent it."

"That's fine, but... is unnie really okay?"

"She's been quiet lately, hard to say. But she used to just apologize on calls—seems better now."

College was on break, so I went to see her again. At first, seeing how wrecked she looked hurt my heart...

"Fuuuuck! It popped!"

But somehow, unnie had changed.