The Spoon (5)
"Oh...? Huh? Ah......" Won-hee was momentarily taken aback.
"I think I mentioned this indirectly before, but I can solve this matter for you whenever you want. However, I'm asking if you actually want me to solve it for you."
"Haa..., I guess so." Honestly, regarding this situation, Won-hee had been relying on Yoon-gi. No, to be precise, he had thought about trying to solve it himself before Yoon-gi gave his lecture. But when he happened to cross paths with Kim Son-hwan during Yoon-gi's lecture, and seeing everything that unfolded afterward, he had ended up leaning on Yoon-gi again. He had assumed that, given Yoon-gi's personality, he would see things through to the end. But thinking about it now, Yoon-gi had been dealing with the guy who picked a fight with him, and had simply added a 'friend's' share as a bonus. That friend, of course, was Won-hee himself. It went without saying that Seo Gyu-young was never a consideration. Yoon-gi was the type to look after his own people, not someone desperate to perform acts of charity.
"Won-hee, let me rephrase what I said before. I saw this in a comic book: the protagonist went behind the school during lunch break."
"Yeah."
"And there, he found a kid who was usually bullied being harassed by the school thugs."
Won-hee nodded.
"So the protagonist shouted at the thugs, 'Hey! Stop picking on the weak!' Now, what happens next?"
"Since he's the protagonist, didn't he beat the thugs?"
Yoon-gi shrugged. "Well, in cases where authors don't understand the readers' needs, the protagonist gets beaten to a pulp and becomes the new target of bullying, but let's just assume he beat the thugs, as you said."
Won-hee groaned at the thought of the 'protagonist getting beaten to a pulp' that Yoon-gi mentioned. If he had been the protagonist, he definitely would have been the one getting beaten up. 'If I had gone through Yoon-gi's situation, honestly, I would have just pretended not to see it and walked away. There's no way I could beat those thugs in a fight.' Won-hee began to see the situation from a broader perspective.
"Now, the protagonist beat the thugs, chased them off, and saved the kid. So, what happens next?"
"What happens next...?" Won-hee was flustered again by the unexpected question.
"Yeah. How does the bullied kid's life change?"
"Uh..., well..., maybe he becomes friends with the protagonist...?"
No sooner had the answer left his lips than Yoon-gi pressed him further. "What if that situation wasn't in a comic book, but in reality? In reality, can the person who saved someone and the person who was being bullied become friends?"
"Ah..., ugh......" It was a cruel reality.
"In comic books, the protagonist becomes best friends with that kid, right? But in reality, that's not the case. Because the protagonist already has many friends. To the bullied kid, the protagonist might be their only friend, but to the protagonist, they're just 'Face A' they happen to know."
Yoon-gi's words were piercing through the very nature of social dynamics.
"So, I'll ask you again. Did you keep worrying about Seo Gyu-young because you wanted to be friends with him? Or was it because you didn't want to see an uncomfortable situation happening around you?"
Under normal circumstances, Yoon-gi would never have said such things. Expressing things so bluntly wouldn't help with social interactions at all. But Yoon-gi judged that in this situation, it was fine, and at the same time, Won-hee wasn't the type of friend to get angry or hold a grudge for hearing such things.
"Haa..., so I was just the type who didn't want to see things that made me uncomfortable......"
Won-hee realized it deeply. He hadn't wanted to help Seo Gyu-young; he had just wanted to remove an unreasonable situation that had entered his field of vision.
"Now, shall we move on to the second point?" Yoon-gi suddenly smiled, and Won-hee tilted his head.
"The second point?"
"Yeah. If you want, I can help you."
Won-hee realized that this had a subtly different meaning. Having 'Yoon-gi step in' to solve it versus 'asking for Yoon-gi's help' to solve it. The former was relying on Yoon-gi as an object, while the latter was using his own connections. A subtle nuance, perhaps?
"Hmm......" Won-hee thought seriously.
"What will you do?" Yoon-gi deliberately hurried Won-hee's answer, knowing that thinking for too long could lead to a bad choice. Even so, Won-hee took a little more time to think. And then.
"Phew, no. I'll try to solve it on my own."
Yoon-gi smiled upon hearing the answer.
Vroom- The sound of a car engine echoed across the campus. It wasn't a limousine, but the Daewoo vehicle currently enjoying immense popularity. The Super Salon, the top-tier line of the Royale series, stopped in front of the Business Administration building, and the driver stepped out from the driver's seat. A man in his early 50s, dressed in a sharp black suit. The man was none other than Seo Gyu-young's father.
Under normal circumstances, he should have been working at Gyeongwan Construction, but Gyeongwan Construction had gone bankrupt. While YK Construction had absorbed the workers from the bankrupt Gyeongwan Construction who were worth their salt, unexpectedly, Seo Gyu-young's father hadn't gone to YK Construction. Because when Seo Gyu-young's father opened the back door, the person who stepped out was Won-hee.
"Young Master, I will be waiting in the parking lot."
"I'll just page you, so please don't leave the Gwanak-gu area."
The pager was a product used frequently in the early to mid-90s, but it had actually been in use since 1983. Of course, in the 80s, it was only used by special professions like soldiers or high-income earners like doctors, but surprisingly, Seo Gyu-young's father was using one. Of course, he hadn't bought it himself; Won-hee had provided it.
"Still......"
"The inside of the car will be stuffy, so why wait there? You can go to a sauna, or go to a club to play Go or Janggi, so just do what you need to do without leaving Gwanak-gu. You could even go to the gym and work out. Of course, you'll have to keep to my schedule."
"Understood. Thank you, Young Master."
As Seo Gyu-young's father bowed to express his gratitude to Won-hee, the door on the opposite side where Won-hee had stepped out opened as well. The person who stepped out was none other than Seo Gyu-young. As soon as Seo Gyu-young got out of the car, he looked at his father and gave a faint smile. Won-hee watched the scene for a moment before speaking to Seo Gyu-young.
"Let's go."
"Yes!"
Unlike before, Seo Gyu-young's face looked reasonably bright. Seo Gyu-young's father called out to him in a low voice, "Have a good day."
Seo Gyu-young bowed to his father and followed behind Won-hee. The attire of Won-hee and Seo Gyu-young had changed in a subtle way. They weren't wearing suits, but they were coordinated in a way that felt close to formal, somehow giving off the vibe of a boss and his secretary.
'Somehow, this is a bit embarrassing.'
When he was younger, getting out of a car in front of the school gate felt great. Because it felt good to see the surrounding kids looking on with envy. But now, it felt strangely embarrassing.
'Still, since I sowed these seeds, I have to be the one to harvest them.'
Won-hee had requested his parents to hire Seo Gyu-young's father as his secretary. And he had explained the whole story. Won-hee's parents had only agreed after confirming Won-hee's attitude of wanting to take responsibility for his choices and what kind of realization he had gained. Thanks to that, Seo Gyu-young's father was registered as a secretary for the company run by Won-hee's parents. His salary was more than double what he had earned at Gyeongwan Construction. Of course, this wasn't a salary raised solely for Seo Gyu-young's father.
"Should I buy you lunch?"
At Won-hee's question in the student cafeteria, Seo Gyu-young shook his head with a bashful smile.
"Ah, no. Thanks to you, my family can afford to eat well now."
Surprisingly, Seo Gyu-young purchased his meal ticket with his own money. It was the breathing room created by his father's increased salary. Due to his grandparents' hospital bills, Seo Gyu-young's family had to live a life that wasn't even human on the salary from the Gyeongwan Construction days. But after changing jobs, they were finally able to live like human beings. The foundation for that was none other than Seo Gyu-young himself. Won-hee's parents had placed weight on Seo Gyu-young's value. A talent who graduated from Seoul National University's Department of Business Administration despite the hardships. In other words, Won-hee's parents had painted a picture where Seo Gyu-young would become Won-hee's secretary as soon as he graduated. Furthermore, one of Won-hee's many plans was precisely to make Seo Gyu-young his secretary.
'Well, if Gyu-young says he wants to get a job at another major conglomerate, I wouldn't be able to stop him, but...'
But as they spent time together, Won-hee found that Seo Gyu-young had many surprisingly good qualities, so Won-hee also became greedy for the talent.
"Huh?"
Seo Gyu-young looked at Won-hee after noticing the two fried eggs placed on top of his kimchi fried rice. Won-hee's kimchi fried rice had no fried eggs.
"I told you I hate fried eggs, didn't I?"
Seeing Won-hee shrug, Seo Gyu-young felt a strange sense of warmth. And he placed the fried eggs he had received onto Won-hee's plate.
"I know you're lying."
Won-hee and Seo Gyu-young both giggled and lifted their spoons toward the kimchi fried rice. It was a truly peaceful atmosphere. However, the student cafeteria itself was not peaceful. Because Kim Son-hwan was there.
"Hey, I bought you so many things. So please lend me some money. Yeah...?"
Kim Son-hwan's figure, reaching out his hand obsequiously toward his former follower, caught the eyes of Won-hee and Seo Gyu-young.
"Ah, seriously, I don't have any money......"
The guy who used to be a follower frowned as if annoyed. There were no longer days where all the followers gathered to eat together like before. Since Kim Son-hwan's downfall, the followers had all scattered. In the first place, once the focal point of Kim Son-hwan's money disappeared, there was no reason for the followers to gather again. That was why Kim Son-hwan was wandering around campus, begging the guys who used to be his followers.
"Hey! Are you really going to be like this? Do you know how much money I spent on you! You son of a bitch!"
There was none of the elegance that Kim Son-hwan used to have. All his luxury goods had been seized, so he couldn't wear them. The clothes Kim Son-hwan was wearing now were T-shirts and pants that cost 2,000 or 3,000 won per piece as of '88. On top of that, sneakers of a similar price range, faded by rainwater. Adding to this his greasy hair from not being able to wash properly and his rough skin, he looked exactly like a man without any ability.
"Who asked you to buy them for me? You bought them because you wanted to, so why are you acting crazy at me? Why?"
The follower threw the tray he was holding directly at Kim Son-hwan. Thanks to that, Kim Son-hwan's white T-shirt was instantly dirtied with food, including kimchi broth.
"Hey! If you weren't going to lend it, you should have just said you didn't want to, so why are you acting crazy? Are you going to pay for these clothes?"
The follower sighed. "Ugh, this beggar bastard, seriously..."
The follower took 5,000 won out of his pocket, threw it on the floor, and walked out of the student cafeteria with long strides. As soon as he left, Kim Son-hwan bent his waist to pick up the 5,000 won. And then he made eye contact with Seo Gyu-young.
"Shall we leave?"
It was Won-hee's words, but Seo Gyu-young couldn't move.
"Hey, Gyu-young. I heard you're living well these days?"
Kim Son-hwan said to Seo Gyu-young in a condescending tone.
"......"
Seo Gyu-young couldn't answer.
"Hey, lend me some money. Yeah? I treated you well, didn't I? You can lend me some, right?"
Because Kim Son-hwan still thought of Seo Gyu-young as his meal ticket, his attitude was extremely insolent. However.
"No......."
"Huh? U-uh...? Hey, are you crazy? Do you know who I am?"
Seo Gyu-young looked straight into Kim Son-hwan's eyes.
"I know, you're Kim Son-hwan."
"......?"
"I just realized now that I wasn't afraid of you, I was afraid of your money."
"What......?"
"But it's not that I like the money Won-hee hyung has. I like Won-hee hyung himself."
Hearing this, Won-hee smiled broadly. "That's good to hear. Let's go, I'll treat you."
"I'll treat you."
The one who answered wasn't Seo Gyu-young, but Yoon-gi. Without anyone noticing when he appeared, Yoon-gi had his arms draped over the shoulders of Won-hee and Seo Gyu-young.
"A friend's close younger brother is also a close younger brother to me. Is that okay? Or are you going to say you'll drop the formalities because you're the same class year? Surely that wouldn't be the case, right?"
"N-no, absolutely not! Yoon-gi hyung!"
Satisfied with the answer, Yoon-gi tilted his head slightly to look at Kim Son-hwan. "Wow, why do you keep appearing in front of me? I guess you're still doing okay? Do you want to be locked up again?"
At the sight of Yoon-gi smiling brightly, Kim Son-hwan stepped back with a look that was half fear and half anger. Then, with a look of indescribable fury, he disappeared from the student cafeteria with quick steps.
"Yoon-gi, why did you let him out of custody?"
Yoon-gi replied, "If he's inside the detention center, I can't watch him struggle and squirm."
Yoon-gi had it all planned out.
For the first time in a while, Yoon-gi, Jin-soo, and Won-hee gathered in one place.
"That kind of thing happened?" At Jin-soo's words, Won-hee nodded.
"That's right. They said the Physical Education department was busy because of the Olympics-related work, so I'm only telling you now."
Jin-soo had adapted very well to the Physical Education department and was currently very active in departmental activities. Thanks to that, he had only learned about the story related to Kim Son-hwan late. Of course, he had seen him once during the lecture, but he was only now learning about the events that had occurred since then.
"Still, I came as soon as I could catch my breath. By the way, what's going to happen to his life now?"
"What do you mean, what's going to happen? Since he said he would find his place if he worked hard in front of Yoon-gi, he'll have to keep his word."
The sneer appearing on Won-hee's face showed that Kim Son-hwan would never be able to regain his former status. Right away, his family, including Gyeongwan Construction, had completely collapsed. Of course, some relatives remained, but no one would reach out a hand to the arrogant Kim Son-hwan. Furthermore, he had been expelled from Seoul National University, so his university academic background had vanished. If he tried to prepare for university entrance exams again, Kim Son-hwan had absolutely no money to do so. Moreover, Kim Son-hwan was a guy who had received an immense amount of private tutoring from his father. As soon as the essay exam ended, Kim Son-hwan had played around excitedly, and a significant amount of information related to the scholastic aptitude test had flown out of his head. Even if he took the scholastic aptitude test again, Seoul National University was a dream, and he would likely be on the edge for mid-to-upper-tier universities in Seoul. Even if he were to pass, he had no money to pay tuition, and no money to continue university life.
"People who have a 'spoon' don't understand the fact that others lack the stability that the spoon provides. Since he spoke so confidently, shouldn't he try succeeding without a spoon?"
Kim Son-hwan himself would now have to live the life of Seo Gyu-young, whom he had mocked and ignored so much—no, a life even harder than that.
"What a waste. If that bastard had been in the Physical Education department, it would have been really fun."
Jin-soo, who was nodding and agreeing, suddenly clapped his hands as if he remembered something and opened his mouth.
"Ah, right. Yoon-gi, didn't your physical examination notice come yet?"
The forbidden word for a 20-year-old man had popped out of Jin-soo's mouth.