6. Let’s live happily ever after, huh?
“What is this?”
The next day, Monday morning.
After a quick glance, I went to the office to hand in my resignation letter.
I planned to leave in three weeks, but I deliberately gave two weeks because I knew I would be asked for an extension.
Then, as soon as Mr. Park arrived at work, he asked for a meeting in the conference room.
Mr. Park’s face stiffened as if he knew I was asking for a meeting, and his face contorted as I placed the white envelope on the table.
It was obvious.
“It’s what you think it is.”
“Hey, I don’t know, I’m not looking!”
What the hell is this reaction?
What the hell?
“Director!”
“Hey, Chul-sik, you know what’s going on in the company, what’s wrong? Is it because you were insulted by the boss on Friday? Hey, it’s not the first time, what’s wrong?”
This is even scarier.
Are you saying that because they’ve always gotten screwed over, they can keep getting screwed over?
“Ha! I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but it’s not like that.”
“What’s not? Dude, please! I have enough headaches, why do you have to do this too, huh?”
“I don’t want to do this either, but the offer is too good to pass up.”
“What? An offer? Where? Certainly not in the East?”
“…”
Damn, the rumor of being dumped by Yeon-Joo must have reached Mr. Park’s ears.
Either way, there are no secrets on this floor, no secrets.
“Where? Jellyfish? Baby room? These bastards have no morals, no morals!”
“Not this floor.”
“Huh? Not this floor? What do you mean?”
Mr. Park looked at me with a look that said, “What kind of bullsh*t is this?
“hahahaha, I’ll be honest with you, isn’t it already six years that I’ve been running the Daesung Sales Department with you?”
“I said!”
“I’m leaving this floor.”
“What, you’re leaving this floor? What else do you have besides this floor experience?”
“Why not? You know, the army?”
“Gu, the army? The army? What’s the army doing here?”
“I was contacted by a senior in the army, a senior who is a chief instructor in Saudi Arabia, and he contacted me to tell me that there was an opening, and to come.”
I had no idea that my military career, which I had chosen out of necessity, would be used in this way.
Aung, I don’t know.
Whatever happens, happens.
“Saudi? An instructor?”
“Instructor. With the Saudis getting involved in the Yemeni civil war that just erupted, they’re apparently short on instructors.”
“And that’s why you’re going?”
“Have you forgotten where that army comes from?”
“Oh, you!”
Mr. Park is from a defense background, so he consciously avoids talking about the military, so he must have forgotten where I came from.
“Hey, isn’t that a dangerous place? How much did they pay you to go there?”
“Oh, it’s just training troops recruited by the Saudis from underdeveloped countries. It’s not dangerous at all, and the pay is $20,000 a month plus bonuses?”
“…”
At this point, there’s nothing to say, right?
Instead, he slips his resignation letter into his pocket with a sullen expression and asks for a cigarette or a pizza.
This is why Young Man can’t quit smoking.
“Whoa! How long?”
“I wrote two weeks in my resignation letter, but I can take up to three weeks. I have to leave the country this month, no matter what.”
“Mr. Ai, what’s so urgent?”
“The war situation is dire—.”
“…”
Being the meticulous person that I am, I’ll go down and look it up later, but I’m sure I’m right.
It’s all just a bunch of rambling.
“aaah! This is crazy! What am I supposed to do alone if you leave?”
“Why alone? There’s Mr. Kim, there’s Mr. Kang, there’s—.”
“Dude! How can you say that? How can they be team leaders? And I guarantee you, if you leave, at least two of the four of them will write in their resignations.”
“Well, if you hire me as a team leader, I’ll have to—.”
“Asshole, are you kidding me about leaving? There’s not a person on this floor who doesn’t know how to yell at the boss, and it’s obvious you’re not coming?”
“…”
What am I supposed to do?
I’ve done enough in this company.
Even if I don’t, there’s a trillion people waiting for me?
“Whoa! I get it. Well, they say it’s not dangerous, but it’s a war zone, so take care of yourself.”
“Thanks.”
“Also, no more than two weeks, no more than three weeks, three weeks, and make sure you teach them the ropes?”
“Yeah.”
“Ugh! What the hell is it reporting?”
“…”
The boss came into the office and there was an uproar.
It was obvious that he knew my position in the sales department.
I was dragged back to the boss’s office and told a bunch of crap, but the bottom line was the same.
On Tuesday, the money came in.
To my surprise, it wasn’t the $200,000 I’d asked for, but $300,000.
“What did you send that much for, isn’t there a mistake?”
– hahahahaha! No, because of the amount of money I won, the payout process, which usually takes 5 to 7 weeks, might be a little longer this time, so I added another $100,000 just in case. It sounds like you have a lot to organize in Korea.
Wow!
Now we’re on a different scale!
You’re sending me $100,000 like I’m sending you pocket money?
Well, it’s me, anyway.
“Thanks, Mr. President. I’ll put it to good use.”
– You’re welcome. Oh, I don’t know about your situation, but you might be able to find the money tomorrow, so just relax and spend it tomorrow.
“Yep!”
I got a little less than 330 million won from the currency exchange, but what is this feeling like getting pocket money?
Anyway, when the money actually appeared in my bank account, I realized that I was rich.
That’s a lot of pocket money!
After the frantic handover, I prepared to go to the US.
If you want to go to the US without a visa, you can apply for ESTA online and stay for 90 days.
I got my e-passport from Geumcheon-gu Office in 5 days and applied for ESTA when I got my passport.
I’ve never committed a crime in my life, so I got a pass.
US Lotto sent me a plane ticket for early April departure from Incheon.
This was, of course, first class.
I’m going to fly first class on every airplane in my life.
I’ve only flown out of the country once on a civilian airplane, not a military one.
It was when I got out of the military and went on a three-month language study abroad program in Baguio, Philippines, and it was on a budget airline, where I could barely squeeze my 6-foot-3 frame into the seat.
Of course, the four-and-a-half-hour flight was torture.
I thought I was going to die.
Anyway, long! Steel!
First class, first class!
And it’s to LA for over $10,000!
It’s Friday, March 27, 2015.
It’s my last day at Daesung Apparel, where I’ve worked for six years.
Technically, it’s my second job, as I was a career soldier, but since I went there instead of going to regular active duty due to financial reasons, I consider Daesung my first job.
I worked under Mr. Hong, who had a terrible temper, and I suffered a lot, but I also took pride in growing the company from 20 stores when I joined to over 90 stores, and I learned a lot.
I went around the company, said goodbye to the employees, and went to Mr. Hong.
“Are you sure you’re leaving?”
“Yes, Mr. Hong, thank you for everything.”
“Aah! Son of a b*tch, stay put! What are you going to that rough place for?”
“To apologize.”
“Well, I can’t help it, but I know you’ve been through a lot, and I’m sure you’ve been slowed down by my temper.”
“What?
Why are you apologizing now?
“Take care of yourself, and if you feel a little weird, just throw up! You’re too weak on balance, that’s a weakness, you know that?”
“Yes, sir.”
“If you’re having a hard time, don’t hesitate to call me. You’re always welcome here.”
“Thank you, sir. Take care.”
“Yeah.”
I left the boss’s office and looked around the office.
There must be a lot of hate in here.
I felt sorry for myself.
As I went to the entrance, I saw the placenta of the office staff.
“What is this? What is this atmosphere?”
“Goodbye.”
There aren’t many employees who have been here for a long time, so I guess I’m the stagnant water in this company.
I wasn’t expecting such a farewell.
I walked down the hallway to the elevator, crowded with employees.
My eyes began to moisten.
Goodbye, Daesung Apparel!
The next day, I visited my parents in Eunpyeong-gu.
A two-room semi-detached villa alongside Bulgwangcheon Stream.
They don’t own it, they rent it.
It’s more than half of the money I’ve saved from the army.
I was sent out to die in Cheonghae or wherever, and I got a deployment allowance.
“Mom, I’m home!”
“Son, you bastard, you’re in Seoul, why aren’t you home?”
“Oh, it’s because I’m busy!”
“Busy? You don’t even pay him enough?”
“Hmph, at least it’s not a company that pays me less, right?”
“Is it a company that pays you less?”
Well, you’re right.
“Hey, it’s been a while, what’s with the nagging? Let’s go hug a lady.”
“You’re disgusting!”
My mom grumbles but hugs me anyway.
She’s not short, but I’m tall, so I could see the crown of her head.
She must have missed the time to dye her hair, because she has a lot of gray hair.
hahahaha, my mom was so beautiful, when did she get so old?
She was only 56 years old, our age now—.
If it weren’t for what happened a dozen years ago, she’d still be so well-decorated and noble, but she’s so broken.
“What about Dad?”
“He said he only works in the mornings. He’ll be home in about an hour.”
“Mom doesn’t work anymore, does she?”
“I’m not feeling well, so I took this month off, but next month I’ll be back. I have to pay for Somi’s school fees.”
Damn it!
“Mom, don’t go out to work anymore.”
“Oh, look at her, if I don’t work, how am I going to pay for Somi’s schooling, when I’m a parent and she’s only doing cheap math?”
“I’ll take care of Somi from now on, don’t you understand?”
“Because you have the money?”
“Because I’m going to make a lot of money, mom.”
“You’re going to make a lot of money, how can you say that?”
“Oh, listen to me!”
Little by little, I felt sick to my stomach.
This was why I didn’t come home much.
“Okay, we’ll talk about it when Dad gets home, and what’s this, a bag of furoshiki?”
“You ask too soon. It’s beef, and I bought it for all of us to eat later.”
“No, what is this? Isn’t this a beef set? Oh my God, why would you buy this? This expensive thing? Are you crazy?”
“I bought it because I’m sane and it’s affordable, so don’t say weird things.”
“What do I do with this? Can’t I get a refund?”
A fire rose inside me.
I was a sophomore in high school, and until that day, it was beef that was rotting in my fridge.
Then, somehow, this happened.
I went from cringing at the word “beef” to thinking about returning it.
My mom earns a minimum wage of 5,580 won at a local hypermarket.
I hugged her from behind as she carefully rewrapped the unwrapped beef set.
“Mom, let’s just eat, okay? I make a lot of money now!”
I had never shed a tear in front of my parents, even when I was surrounded by debtors and red scabs.
However, the tears of the past ten years came flooding back at once.
“Chul, Chul-sik—.”
Toorur! Chulkuk!
“Honey, I’m home.”
Dad, who had come home earlier than expected, froze in the doorway at the unexpected sight.
He went outside to light a cigarette to compose himself and came back in.
“Mom, Dad, I need to talk to you for a minute.”
“Uh, sure.”
My dad looked at me and sat down at the table with my mom.
He’s been looking at me since I was in high school, when my dad, who had a business, gave a bad guarantee to a friend, and the family fell apart.
He hadn’t been in business for a long time and didn’t have any money.
We scattered and I lived from relative to relative until I finished high school.
So, I studied and flunked out?
It’s a good thing I didn’t get pinched, right?
In the end, there was only one solution: join the military right out of high school, where I could eat, sleep, and make money.
Somewhere where I could make as much money as possible, even if it was hard work.
I heard that deployment pays well, so I ran around like a dog and topped every course, whether it was Special Warfare Basic or Beginner, in order to get good grades.
Expatriate?
I had no such thing.
Even when I was asked to leave after the mandatory period of residence, I laid down on my stomach.
Why would I leave when they feed and house me?
How expensive is it to live outside?
In the end, the battalion commander, who heard my plight, took pity on me and kept me in the compound until the day I left.
Come to think of it, did the government do anything for you?
And when I had the opportunity to be deployed, I was selected by sucking the ass of the company commander.
I was paid a pittance.
I spent every penny I earned trying to provide the bare minimum for my family.
My dad was guilty of this, but I couldn’t bear to see my mom, who grew up beautifully and never had a hard time in her life, and my lovely sister, Somi, who was 13 years older than me because she was the last child.
Somehow, it all worked out, and now that Dad and Mom are making money, I don’t mind putting glue in my mouth, but it’s still a reason for Dad to look at me.
Because I’m sorry.
He’s so sorry for me.
“Dad, Mom, listen to me.”
“Yes.”
“Mom, I need you to check your bank account on your phone right now.”
“My bank account?”
“Yes.”
Mom manipulates her phone and checks the account.
“Oh my God, what kind of money is this? 50 million won?”
“Where is it?”
The depositor is me, of course.
I thought about sending 100 million, but I didn’t know what to say, so I sent 50 million.
“Mom, don’t think about saving it, just spend it on living expenses. Don’t think about going back to work, okay, Mom?”
“What the hell—.”
“And, Dad!”
“Huh?”
I held out a white envelope to a stunned Dad.
“Dad doesn’t have a bank account yet, so I put this in cash. It’s 10 million won, so don’t try to fake it and say you’re paying me back, just use your pocket money. I’ll pay off all your debts in a few months.”
“…”
“…”
After a moment of silence, Dad’s face contorted, and he glared at me.
“Chul-shik.”
“Yes.”
“I know this dad really doesn’t have a hundred words to say to you, but he’s still a dad.”
“Who said that?”
“You, where did you get this money?”
I was 100% sure that my high-minded dad would ask these questions.
So, I had a response ready.
“Dad!”
“Why?”
“Whose child am I?”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m your kid, and you think I don’t have your law-abiding personality? You resent your honesty to death, but you can’t even poison yourself, so you think I’m like you?”
“…”
“I swear to my dead grandmother, this is 100% honest money, so don’t worry about it.”
Can there really be such honest money?
Lotto, lotto.
“Humph, I’m sorry. So where did you get all this money from, I thought you were Park Bong?”
“You know my best friend from high school, Young-sik, who immigrated to the U.S. after just one year?”
“Young-sik? The super smart one? I heard he got an MBA from Harvard and is now working at Goldman or something?”
“Yeah. He’s been investing in stocks since he was in college in the U.S. He’s a genius.”
“And?”
“When I was in the army, he told me that if you live like that, you’ll be broke for the rest of your life, and he’ll invest for you, so I sent him every penny I could get, so I sent him every training allowance I could get, and by the time I got out, I had about 20 million dollars.”
“You sent all that money home and saved it? Does the military give you that much money?”
There’s no way they’d give me that.
They took away my allowance and all my seniors went to PMCs (private military companies) overseas.
“It’s not like when Dad was in the army, it’s a different world.”
“I see.”
“Anyway, so, by the time I got out, we were living off the grid, so they kept putting us on rations, and I didn’t even ask, and then they said, “Hey, you know, there’s been a big boom in IT in the last couple years, and you can take some off,” and they called.”
“Oh, my God! Oh, my God!”
“So, how much did you make?”
“Uh, dad.”
“Huh?”
“Even if you’re a dad, don’t you think it’s a little inappropriate to ask your grown son about his bank balance?”
“Huh? Well, yeah. I’m sorry.”
Dad’s shoulders sag.
I’m sorry, but I can’t say anything, so I can’t help it.
However, my mom’s double heart rose.
“You son of a b*tch! What kind of behavior is that?”
“No, honey, it’s okay—.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not sure how to answer your question. Anyway, we’ll be able to buy a nice apartment, pay off all the debts we owe to Dad’s friends, and have enough to feed our family, except for some, because we’re going to have a caterer to keep us fed.”
“Oh my God, really?”
Mom’s doublets went up, then down again.
Ha! Tough, tough, tough.
“Anyway, it’s 100% honest money. That’s why I’m going to America, so we can live happily ever after, huh?”
“…”
“…”
How happy did we really used to be?
At the mention of going back to those days, my mom started crying.
Dad’s eyes widened and he couldn’t speak.
That evening.
We had a beef party.
When Somi returned to school, I gave her an Apple phone.
“Ho ho ho!”
“hahahahaha!”
“Orabang! Best!”
I’m happy.
I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve been happy.
When I stepped outside for a quick smoke, my dad followed me.
“Give me one, too.”
“Huh? Dad, haven’t you quit smoking for a long time?”
“Give it to me, man, I’m only going to smoke one today.”
“Here.”
He was silent as he sucked on the cigarette.
“Cheol-sik.”
“Yeah, Dad.”
“I’m sorry.”
“…”
“And, thank you.”
“…”
Oops.
“Dad.”
“Huh?”
“Thank you, too.”
“For what?”
“You tried, didn’t you, through all that hell? You tried to keep our family together somehow? Now that I’ve had a social life, I can imagine how you lived back then, but you didn’t give up.”
“Because I’m your dad—.”
“Thanks, Dad, for not giving up.”
Dad put his arm around my shoulders, and I put my arm around his.
And just like that, our rich man was sucking on his cigarette and smiling.
Other people might say that the rich man smokes, that he’s a bunch of bastards.
But so what?
As long as we’re happy, so be it.
The following week.
I was sitting in first class on a Korean Air A380.
Ah! It’s so f*cking good!
Is this what all the fuss is about, getting rich?
