"A computer will go inside a mobile phone."
Steve's eyes widened at my words. He was speechless for a moment, wondering what I was thinking, and then he laughed loudly a moment later.
"Hahaha, Charlie!"
"Why, you don't believe it?"
"No, I was just imagining it. What kind of world would unfold if a computer went inside that tiny mobile phone."
I also put a smile on my face and agreed.
"It might be in the distant future, but I believe such a world will definitely come. If it does, you would know better than me what kind of world will unfold, Steve."
"Of course! Ha... That was a pleasant conversation."
Joy could be felt from his face, as if he was soaking in the lingering feeling. With that, we left the restaurant.
"Today was very fun. Let's meet up and talk sometimes."
"I am investing in Steve Jobs. Do not forget me."
"I told you that you just need to give up this one time, right? Why are you being so stubborn?"
Getting angry at the sight of Park Hyun-seong standing still without answering his words, the coach's voice grew louder and louder until he eventually slapped Park Hyun-seong's cheek.
"This punk really, you need to know how to yield to your seniors. What makes you think you are so great all by yourself to stand so stiffly? Is it so hard to lose on purpose?"
"I am sorry."
Park Hyun-seong apologized, but he absolutely never said he would lose on purpose.
"Alright. Then I will make sure you cannot participate in the competition. Hey! Lock the gym doors."
When the coach glared at the students who were training and spoke, one of them ran over and locked the door.
"Get down."
Seeing the coach pick up a wooden stick nearby, all the athletes who were training cautiously watched the situation. Park Hyun-seong wordlessly got down on the floor at the coach's words.
"Park Hyun-seong, just how great are you that you ignore your seniors and ignore your coach? You little punk, do I look like a joke to you? Do you want me to make it so you can never step foot in the judo world again?"
Smack!
The judo team coach slammed the wooden stick down on his thigh and spat out a curse.
Crack!
When one wooden stick broke, he threw it away, picked up another wooden stick, and continued the beating.
"Coach, please stop. Hyun-seong is going to die at this rate."
Song Min-guk, the captain of the judo team, ran over and tried to stop him, but the coach shook off the grabbed arm and glared at him.
"Do you think I am a joke too?"
"N-no." The coach yelled as he looked around at the athletes nearby.
"Wow! You brats these days really have lost your minds. Back in our day. If the coach spoke, the only thing we could say was 'Yes!' But now, what? I am sorry? Damn it, he won't say he will do it even if he is beaten to death!"
The athletes avoided the coach's gaze. At that sight, the coach snorted and yelled at Song Min-guk.
"Hey! Captain. You tell me. What did I do wrong? I am just asking him to yield this one time! That punk can become a national team member anytime, right? So why is he being so stubborn and acting up!"
"Still... Isn't the skill difference between Chan-seong and Hyun-seong too big? Honestly, even if Chan-seong makes the national team, will he win a medal? And you know it too, Coach. What becoming a national team member means to us..."
"Ha. Hey, Song Min-guk. Are you ignoring me too?"
"No. How could I ignore you, Coach. I am just saying that because I am worried it will cause problems and become harmful."
Song Min-guk glanced at Park Hyun-seong, who stayed in the push-up position without letting out a single groan, and cautiously watched the coach.
"If he really gets hurt like that and ends up hospitalized... he won't be able to compete in the matches or anything. Let us just persuade him."
The coach threw away the wooden stick he was holding at the captain's continuous dissuasion.
"Phew... Park Hyun-seong. Has your mind not changed?"
"..."
"You foolish punk. At this rate, you could really end up dead without anyone knowing. Do you not know who Chan-seong's father is? Why are you being so stubborn when you know? It would be a good thing for both you and our school if you just give up this once. Stand up."
Park Hyun-seong stood up immediately at the coach's words and stood at attention.
"Hyun-seong, I am not doing this because I hate you. Keep that in mind."
"Coach, I am sorry."
Shaking his head at Hyun-seong's unchanging answer, the coach left the gym. Only then did everyone let out a sigh of relief. Song Min-guk approached Park Hyun-seong, patted his shoulder, and spoke.
"You should live with a bit of flexibility too. Why is a guy who is only twenty so foolish?"
"Captain, I am sorry."
"Phew... What do you have to be sorry to me for? Anyway, I do not think it will end like this. Are the places you got hit okay?"
Song Min-guk glanced at Park Hyun-seong's thigh and looked at him with worried eyes.
"I am fine."
"Just in case, go to the hospital."
"It is fine."
"This is an order as the captain. Do you plan to disobey my words too?"
"No. I will go right now."
Song Min-guk relaxed his expression at those words.
"After you go to the hospital, do not come to the dorms, go home, rest, and come back tomorrow. I will talk to the coach nicely."
"Thank you, Captain."
Park Hyun-seong bowed at the waist to greet him and left the gym. When he disappeared from sight, Song Min-guk sighed and muttered to himself.
"Damn it, that punk Chan-seong doesn't even train properly, so why does he have his eyes on the national team? It's not like judo is a game."
That day, Park Hyun-seong, who was on his way to Myeong-soo's house after receiving treatment at the hospital, was hit in a hit-and-run accident and taken to the emergency room in a coma.
The next day. I visited Pixar again for the investment contract. The employee who initially looked at me like I was a crazy person now guided our group to the chairman's office with a polite attitude.
"Steve!"
"Oh! Charlie!"
Steve, who was talking with his lawyer, saw me, got up from his seat, approached me, and gave me a big hug.
"Welcome. This is my lawyer, Harriet."
I exchanged light greetings with Steve's lawyer, introduced our lawyer, and then sat down.
"For 50 million dollars, I hand over half of my shares in NeXT and Pixar, and I will have all the voting rights and authority that Charlie holds. Right?"
"Okay."
The details we talked about yesterday were drafted into a contract and placed in front of each other. After signing the contract that was created after an hour-long discussion between the lawyers, we shook hands.
"Now that we are in the same boat, let's see each other often."
"If I ever have a reason to come to America, I will come running to Steve first. You are my most precious partner, right?"
"Hahaha. Look at the way you talk. You have good sense for a young person."
Steve, who had been laughing for a while, suddenly stopped laughing and spoke with a serious face.
"Most of the money you invested will probably have to be put back into the company."
"Do as you see fit. I am not interested."
"I like that."
It was already late at night when I parted ways with Steve and returned to New York. When I took a shower and sat in a chair to drink a glass of beer, I heard a knock.
"Who is it?"
"It is Ma Seok-dae, Young Master."
When I opened the door, Ma Seok-dae bowed to me and came inside. As I let him in, I tilted the beer I was holding in one hand.
"What is the matter?"
"We received a call from Seoul."
However, my leisure was completely shattered not long after.
"They said that a friend of yours, Young Master, named Park Hyun-seong was in a hit-and-run accident and is currently in a coma."
I dropped the beer can I was holding.
"What?"
"He is currently hospitalized at Korea University Hospital, but I do not know the details. A person named Lee Myeong-soo reportedly contacted Manager Ha."
"...Please look into flights returning to Korea right away tomorrow. Make it the fastest one possible."
Ma Seok-dae immediately went outside at my instructions. I felt my hands trembling slightly. 'Damn it, what is going on now?'
My head was not working. After staying in a daze for a long time, I called Han Gyeong-yeong. Han Gyeong-yeong, who quickly arrived at my room, spoke as if he was surprised by my appearance.
"Is something wrong? You look like you are dying."
"No, I have to return to Korea urgently, so you handle the rest for me, brother. Um, once you get in touch with the people I asked you to look into or confirm their locations, go to them personally and scout them. And just like I said back then, leave the rest in the account and you just take 50 million dollars and roll it on your own."
"You are returning to Korea? What happened?"
"They say a friend of mine is in a coma. So I have to hurry back to Korea."
"Got it. If you have anything you need me to do, call me right away."
I sent Han Gyeong-yeong back and lay down on the bed, but I could not easily fall asleep due to worrying about Hyun-seong. 'He will be fine, right? He is a sturdy guy, so he will wake up in no time.
He definitely will...' Fortunately, Section Chief Ma managed to get a flight ticket. I boarded a flight to Seoul early the next morning.
Perhaps because I hadn't slept properly, I fell fast asleep on the plane. By the time I arrived at Gimpo Airport via Hong Kong, it was already night. Without even a moment to rest, I set off for Korea University Hospital where Hyun-seong was hospitalized.
Hyun-seong's father and mother, who had already come up from Busan, were sitting in front of the intensive care unit at the hospital. Hyun-seong's mother suddenly burst into tears when she saw me.
"Mu-hyeok. What do we do about our Hyun-seong? What in the world is this? What should we do."
"Mother, please calm down."
"Hey... What are you doing with the kid who suffered coming all the way from America?"
Hyun-seong's father's face, who was scolding her, was also full of worry. I lightly hugged and comforted his mother while looking at the intensive care unit. I saw Hyun-seong surrounded by unknown machines.
I helped his mother sit on a chair and stepped outside with Hyun-seong's father.
"Did you look into it?"
Hyun-seong's father sighed once and put a cigarette in his mouth. In the darkness, only the light of the cigarette shone faintly.
"Hah... They say the witness could not see the license plate number. They do not know the car model either... The only thing they remember is that it was a white sedan, but are there only one or two white cars out there? How are we supposed to find that in this vast Seoul?"
Frustration could be felt from his father as he bit down hard on the innocent cigarette filter.
"What does the hospital say?"
"Well, they say the broken arms and legs are thankfully healing well, but they do not know why he is unconscious. They told us to wait and see for a few days."
When his father finished his cigarette and went back into the hospital, I was sitting alone thinking when Myeong-soo approached me.
"Hey, Mu-hyeok! What in the world happened."
"You said it happened while he was on his way home?"
Myeong-soo nodded his head and let out a big sigh.
"It was not even the weekend, but he called saying he was coming home, so I went grocery shopping so we could drink together. I do not know what this sudden situation is. I only found out after getting a call from his father. I kept paging him like crazy, wondering, 'Why isn't this punk coming?'"
"He didn't say anything else?"
At that, Myeong-soo looked around and carefully brought up the topic.
"Do not tell his father. Um... He said he was beaten by his coach at school. So he went to the hospital to get treated and was on his way home, he said."
"Well, getting beaten with a bat in the sports club back in high school wasn't just a once-or-twice thing either. Why is that anything special?"
"If that punk Hyun-seong said he went to the hospital, he must have been beaten pretty severely. Other than that, I do not know either."
It was an era where corporal punishment was taken for granted while doing sports. Considering it was common even decades later, it was obvious without looking how severe it must have been back now. I let out a deep sigh.
"Got it. For now, I will go home, change clothes, and come back tomorrow morning."
"Yeah. I will stay here with his father and mother. Hurry back."
I left things to Myeong-soo and returned to the house in Pyeongchang District.
"Now, you have to give me an answer, right?"
I was out of my mind because of Hyun-seong's matter, but it was now time to hear his choice. Ma Seok-dae, who was about to leave the room, looked at me at my words.
"I will follow you."
I cheered inwardly, but I didn't show it and asked with a serious face.
"What part of me did you like, Section Chief Ma? The way I work?"
"I liked seeing you work in America, but..."
Ma Seok-dae hesitated for a moment before giving a rarely long answer.
"Seeing you leave everything behind and return to Korea upon hearing that your friend got hurt, I thought, this person will absolutely never abandon me first. That is what I thought."
"Yes, I absolutely never abandon my people first. I will promise you that."
"Thank you, Boss."
The title changed from Young Master to Boss. I looked at him with a faint smile.
"What happened to the thing I asked you to look into?"
"I will report it to you tomorrow."
"I understand. You have worked hard coming all the way here from America. Rest up."
Section Chief Ma bowed his head in greeting and went outside. Perhaps because fatigue had been building up since yesterday, I fell asleep without realizing it. The next day, Section Chief Ma reported what had happened at the Korea National University of Physical Education judo team.
"Jo Chan-seong, huh..."
< What is going on now? > The End