The Stolen Spoon
[For the reasons stated above, the defendant, "Gangnam Obstetrics and Gynecology," is ordered to pay 300 million won in damages to the plaintiff, Kim Chanyeol.]
Bang! Bang! Bang!
It was a victory for the plaintiff, yet Kim Chanyeol stood there, tearing at his own hair and weeping. A 43-year-old day laborer. He wasn't awarded this massive sum of 300 million won because of a debilitating injury sustained on the job, nor because his wife had died in childbirth. He was a Dirt Spoon who couldn't even dream of marriage, the son of a local butcher and a notorious rake.
The reason he received the 300 million won? It was because of a theft.
Had he been robbed of his life savings? No. Kim Chanyeol had been robbed of his entire life.
If his parents hadn't been swapped at the obstetrics clinic owned by the former chairman of the Samwoo Group, Kim Chanyeol would have been the chairman of the Samwoo Group by now, living a life of luxury. But because of a bizarre accident at that clinic 42 years ago, Kim Chanyeol had been forced to endure an unimaginably grueling existence.
“Well… I have another case to prepare for, so I’ll be heading out first. The other side said they wouldn't appeal, and the compensation will be deposited by the end of the day, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
The lawyer patted Chanyeol on the shoulder and left the courtroom first. It was only after a long while that Kim Chanyeol was forced to leave the courthouse building by the court security guards.
‘What’s the point of getting 300 million won… It doesn’t change the fact that I’ve spent over 40 years living in agony…’
In truth, Chanyeol hadn't wanted to file the lawsuit. The day he found out the truth, his heart had swelled with the joy of finding his real family and the prospect of living with them. But the reality was far different. His father had already passed away, the guy who had stolen his life was now the chairman, and the firmly established power structure refused to accept a new family member named Kim Chanyeol.
He had been beaten to death. Well, not literally killed by the goons the thief sent, but he was beaten so badly he couldn't even straighten his back, forcing him to groan in his shabby semi-basement room for a month. He couldn't even go to work.
In fact, other relatives who hadn't been "stolen" had sued the thief, but they lost every single case, which only served as a catalyst for Samwoo Group’s stock price to skyrocket.
The thief’s underlings only vanished after Chanyeol prostrated himself on the floor, begging them to spare his life and promising to do whatever they asked. They tossed a bankbook and several 100,000-won checks onto the floor. Chanyeol had no choice but to pick up the money to survive, but when the money ran out, he went to the labor market, only to find that rumors had spread, making it impossible for him to even find day labor.
“Look at that guy. I heard he was born as a chaebol’s son. Look at him living like that with such good genes.”
“Exactly. How lazy must he have been to live like that with that brain? I read in the paper that intelligence is 100 percent genetic, right?”
In the end, Chanyeol lived off the 1,818,000 won that was deposited into his account every month, and he managed to scrape together 300 million won by suing the obstetrics clinic, which was easier to target than the thief.
Chanyeol turned his head, his eyes darting around at the voice he heard beside him. The identity of this ghost, who was fanning the flames of his misery without a shred of empathy, was none other than Chanyeol’s great-great-great-grandfather. Half a year ago, Chanyeol had stumbled upon this ghost, and this chatterbox had told him the secret of his birth and had been sticking to his side ever since.
“What’s the use of money? My life won’t come back! I only filed the lawsuit because I was so frustrated, I’m honestly not even happy about it.”
“Then why did you give me the truth and fill me with despair? You just told me that once you’re dead, it’s all over!”
At Chanyeol’s words, Choi Deok-bae turned his head and avoided his gaze.
“Huh?”
With Chanyeol staring in disbelief, Choi Deok-bae spoke shamelessly, even spitting as he talked.
“Ha!”
Chanyeol was so utterly dumbfounded that he ignored Choi Deok-bae and started walking forward.
“You should have just never created me in the first place!”
When Chanyeol shouted at the street, everyone nearby looked at him in surprise. His worn-out coat, his dry, dark skin soaked in alcohol, and his hollow eyes—his behavior was enough to strike fear into the hearts of "normal people." But Choi Deok-bae’s mind was entirely occupied with thoughts of sacrificial offerings.
“Damn it!”
Chanyeol, deeply annoyed, ignored Choi Deok-bae and checked his phone. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he emptied out every cent he had and bought a travel suitcase. Then, he went to the bank and shouted as soon as he reached the counter.
“Withdraw 300 million won for me.”
The compensation had arrived faster than expected. It was a decision he’d made the moment he saw the deposit notification on his phone.
“Excuse me?”
However, the teller just asked back with a very puzzled expression. It was the kind of look that said, ‘Where would a guy like you get 300 million won?’
“I said withdraw 300 million won.”
But the teller just opened the bankbook Chanyeol had tossed over and couldn't hide a snicker.
“You son of a…!”
Just as Chanyeol was about to grab the teller by the collar, the branch manager, sensing the unusual atmosphere, came running over and stopped him.
“I am so sorry! This employee is being fired tomorrow, so I think they’ve lost their mind! I will check it myself!”
The teller looked extremely flustered at the manager’s words, but the manager glared at the teller and checked Chanyeol’s balance on the computer.
““Gasp.””
The number 300,000,000 was clearly displayed. Both the branch manager and the teller bowed 120 degrees toward Kim Chanyeol.
‘What is this feeling… Is this the feeling that thief bastard has felt his whole life?’
A sincere apology, something he had never received in his life. Kim Chanyeol, who had lived his whole life being ignored as the son of a rake, a Dirt Spoon, and a day laborer, felt the sensation of being acknowledged for the first time in his life.
“Ugh…”
Just as Chanyeol was about to shed tears,
“Ah, seriously!”
“Oh my goodness!”
Chanyeol roared and looked to the side, where a woman in her 50s who had been watching the situation had fallen on her backside.
“H-hurry up and withdraw it for him!”
Since it was a bank with decent cash reserves, the withdrawal was processed quickly, and Chanyeol left with 300 million won in cash packed into his suitcase. He traveled further and further away from the city. To the suburbs, to a quiet town, and finally, into the mountains. Eventually, Chanyeol arrived at a fairly large temple.
“What brings you here? We are not accepting outside guests at this time, so…”
A monk in his early 30s, responsible for greeting guests, bowed slightly toward Chanyeol with a polite attitude. It seemed polite, but it was essentially a command to get lost. However, before the monk could even finish his sentence, Chanyeol unzipped the suitcase.
Zzzzzip—!
“I’ll give you all this money, so please hold a memorial service for this ghost next to me.”
A bizarre request: 300 million won in cash and a memorial service for a ghost. But the temple didn't refuse. It was, after all, a windfall that had rolled right into their laps.
“Since you requested that the service be held as quickly as possible, the offering table might be a bit lacking, but…”
The head monk himself took charge of the service. Contrary to the head monk’s words, despite it being a Buddhist memorial service, an jaw-droppingly lavish table was prepared in just a few hours.
Chanyeol sighed as he watched Choi Deok-bae flying around the offering table like a madman.
“It seems you are heavily possessed by a ghost. But do not worry. After today, the ghost will never appear again.”
“I really beg of you.”
But Choi Deok-bae ruined the mood from the side. Chanyeol grabbed his forehead, his head throbbing as if a sudden migraine had struck.
“Do not worry. That headache will also disappear soon.”
A moment later, the service began, accompanied by the head monk’s chanting. After the extravagant service ended, Chanyeol, who had stayed the night at the temple, hanged himself and committed suicide.
In the flash of his life before death, Kim Chanyeol had a dream. A dream of his mother struggling in the delivery room to give birth to him. In the dream, when he was picked up from under a bridge and held in his mother’s arms, he felt his mother’s warm embrace even as he cried out loudly.
“Congratulations. Of all the babies I’ve delivered so far, this is the most beautiful one.”
Suddenly, Chanyeol felt something strange. ‘Is this really a dream?’
At the same time, a very familiar voice was heard from beside him. In that moment, Chanyeol poured the strength of his soul into shouting, “DAMN IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!”
But there was only one sound that Chanyeol, now a baby, could make.
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”