#75 That's it for today!
“Oppa!”
Song Hyeon-ji called out to me from a distance, running. She didn't care that we were in the middle of Myeon District.
“Am I late? No, I came right on time, didn't I?”
“You’re not late. I just came out early.”
Between Song Hyeon-ji preparing for the college entrance exam and my own busy schedule, we hadn't been able to meet properly more than a few times.
But now that the exam was over, she had made a threat that wasn't quite a threat, insisting that we absolutely had to meet on Christmas Eve, so I hadn't made any other plans for today.
“You got your exam scores, right?”
“Oppa, do you really have to ask that on a day like this? Are you a real ahjussi, or what?”
“Haha.”
I tried to get away with an awkward laugh, but Song Hyeon-ji, as if seizing the opportunity, kept firing away.
“I’ve said it before, but you think too much, oppa. Try not to act so old.”
What could I do? I really was old. Myeon District, just after sunset, was teeming with couples and families.
“I know a delicious place here! Do you like Thai food, oppa?”
“Anything… you pick what you want to eat.”
“Let’s go!”
Song Hyeon-ji naturally linked her arm with mine and started pulling me along.
“This place is really delicious. Have you been to Thailand, oppa?”
“Hmm… once or twice?”
“Is it nice? I’ve never been abroad yet. You go to America often, don’t you?”
“Once you get into university next year, we can go together. Is there anywhere you want to go?”
“Really? You think Grandfather will allow it?”
The conversation didn't stop even while we ordered and waited for the food.
“Which university are you planning to go to?”
“I don’t think Korea University is going to be possible… Grandfather says if I don’t go to Korea University, I should study abroad.”
“Chairman Song said that?”
Chairman Song was someone who didn't send his children to study abroad. He would have them graduate from any university in Seoul and put them to work in the field. I don't know if it was because of his belief that one learns more in the field than at a university.
As if adapting to the changing times, he was sending all the third-generation kids to study abroad, but only after they graduated from a university in Korea.
“I want to experience university life in Korea.”
“You’ll get into Korea University. Don’t worry.”
“Yes, yes, studying was the easiest thing for me!”
“…”
Why did I have to say that? A moment later, the dishes Song Hyeon-ji had ordered on her own arrived.
“Oppa, try it. It’s delicious.”
Song Hyeon-ji said, her eyes fixed on the food, and picked up her chopsticks to start eating.
“Aren’t you eating?”
As I just watched her eat, she finally looked at me.
“I will. You eat a lot.”
“Okay.”
After finishing our meal, we went into a nearby coffee shop. It was almost impossible to find an empty seat in Myeon District on Christmas Eve, but thankfully, there was one table opening up.
“Let’s get a parfait!”
I nodded at Song Hyeon-ji’s words.
“I’m turning twenty now too.”
“Are you happy?”
“Yeah. I can do whatever I want.”
A small laugh escaped me.
“Why are you laughing?”
“No… it’s just that you seem to be expecting the kind of university life you see in dramas.”
“Huh?”
“Sorry to say, but that kind of life doesn't exist. It's study, and more study! It’s an extension of high school.”
“Please tell me that’s not true.”
“Well, the university life I’ve experienced was like that.”
“That’s because you’re such a boring person, oppa. Group blind dates, retreats, rock cafes, nightclubs, there’s so much to enjoy… How can you only study?”
“Most students live like that. As for you, well. You won’t be lacking anything, so it might not be that extreme for you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t talk like an old man.”
Song Hyeon-ji pouted.
“But, are you going on group blind dates?”
It bothered me for some reason. At that, Song Hyeon-ji smiled with a mischievous expression.
“Why? What? You’re not giving me any reassurance. You don’t like it?”
“…”
“See. You can’t even answer.”
Maybe I was consciously keeping a distance because of the wounds I received in my past life.
“It does bother me.”
“What kind of answer is that? Have you really ever dated before?”
She said it as if scolding me, but she seemed strangely happy.
“Anyway, I’m against group blind dates.”
“You’re a really funny person. Just say it clearly! So boring.”
As if she had already adapted to my way of speaking, her face was full of smiles even as she said those words.
“We should get home now. Let’s go. You said you’re sleeping over at Chairman Song’s house today, right?”
“Yeah. Until the end of the year?”
“I’ll take you.”
The coffee shop, which had been noisy when we first came in, had already emptied out quite a bit. When I stood up from my seat, Song Hyeon-ji also tidied her bag and got up. When we went outside, the streets of Myeon District still seemed vibrant, despite the late hour.
As we reached the main road, Section Chief Ma, who had been guarding us from a short distance, had a car waiting.
“Still, it was fun. I like it when I meet with you, oppa, because I don’t have to walk on eggshells for no reason.”
No matter how much she was raised by her maternal family, the life of a conglomerate's daughter was not free. With those words, Song Hyeon-ji closed her eyes and fell asleep for a moment, leaning on my shoulder. I stayed still, just looking out the window, afraid I might wake her.
No, I was looking at Song Hyeon-ji’s face reflected in the window. A smile appeared on my face without me realizing it. By the time we arrived in front of Chairman Song’s house, it had started to snow.
It was a white Christmas.
“Hyeon-ji, you have to wake up. We’re home.”
“Mmm…”
Song Hyeon-ji woke up, rubbing her eyes. A small laugh escaped me.
“Sorry, I fell asleep.”
“You must have been very tired?”
“We had so much fun talking and playing for the first time in a while.”
Song Hyeon-ji, as if fully awake, stretched and opened the car door at once.
“It’s snowing!”
Song Hyeon-ji got out of the car and looked up at the sky, letting the snow fall on her. I followed her out of the car.
“It’s cold. Go inside now.”
Song Hyeon-ji, who had been looking at the sky, glared at me with sharp eyes.
“Are your emotions all dried up, oppa? Is snow just snow to you? It’s a white Christmas!”
“Snow is just snow, what else would it be.”
“You have no sentiment, no sentiment at all. Hooo…”
Song Hyeon-ji stared at me intently.
“Why? Is there something on my face?”
“No, you’re handsome, but… your face is definitely in its twenties… but the way you talk is a total ahjussi. I was just wondering how a person like this could exist.”
“Hahaha.”
Her serious face made me laugh. It was at that moment. Song Hyeon-ji suddenly approached me, stood on her tiptoes, and gave me a light peck on the lips.
“That's it for today! Bye, oppa!”
Then, she hurried into the house with quick steps. I watched her retreating back and touched my lips. I was flustered, but at the same time, I was happy.
It was the first time I had felt this emotion since my regression. But it wasn’t a bad feeling.
A lot of time passed even after 1996 began. Right from the start of the new year, people were shocked by the disbandment of Seo Taiji and Boys. The general election in April was a crushing defeat for the ruling party.
The president set out to secure his base. The president’s loss of power meant that the Blue Wind Association now had an opportunity to exert its influence in politics again. Meanwhile, in Japan, the LDP regained power, and a right-wing shift began.
The funds flowing into the Blue Wind Association would increase. The task of uniting all the organizations in Seoul under Park Dong-soo was fraught with trouble, but in the end, after repeated cycles of persuasion with my funds and ruthless punishment of opposing forces, they were unified into a single power.
It was the unification of Seoul’s underworld, something no one had ever achieved before. Park Dong-soo took the chairman's seat, and by placing the elders in director positions, it began to take the shape of a proper corporation.
“Chairman Park.”
“Haha. Cut it out.”
“Are you in a good mood?”
“Why wouldn't I be? It's something no one else could do.”
It was true. The underworld of the Republic of Korea had always been a series of struggles. Even the political gangsters who had the backing of politicians couldn't unite all of Seoul.
But times had changed.
Loyalty? Romance?
It was all bullshit. In the end, it was about money. One could tell just by looking at the amount I invested in this endeavor.
“What about the organizations in the provinces?”
“We’ll have to start cleanin' them up slowly, won't we? Either they join us or they get cleaned up.”
“It would be best to bring them into the fold if possible.”
“I want to do that too. But will it be as easy as it sounds?”
“Make good use of the directors.”
Park Dong-soo nodded slightly.
“What’s the reaction from the Chinese and Southeast Asian organizations?”
“Probably because we don't clash with them much, there's been no big move. They control the drug trade, you see. In fact, at the last general meeting, a lot of people were complaining about it.”
Drugs could never be eradicated.
“For now, just handle them carefully.”
“Got it.”
There was no need for me to step into the forefront. Using Park Dong-soo to control the underworld was the best method.
“Have a drink. I truly congratulate you.”
“Thanks. This is all thanks to your help. No, you made this happen.”
“You’re being too modest. Grow the company with a focus on construction and security services. And refrain from violence as much as possible. There will be plenty to share just from construction alone.”
Security services were an absolute necessity in redevelopment projects. It was to the point where even major corporations had to hire security firms to get things done.
“Now, tell me. What should I do?”
Park Dong-soo, after drinking the liquor I poured, held out his glass to me and asked.
“The yakuza will be coming to Korea. I expect them to come through Busan, but we’ll have to wait and see for the details.”
“Hmm… There are quite a few guys living in Busan who are connected to the yakuza.”
“There will probably be people who join hands with them. Keep a close watch on Busan at all times.”
“Got it.”
No matter how much you try to block it, dissatisfied people will always emerge. Whether they fall for money, yield to violence, or harbor resentment against Park Dong-soo.
“For now, get as many of the organizations across the country on your side as possible. Mobilize everything you have, whether it’s money or power. That comes first.”
“Right.”
He tilted his glass, lost in thought.
‘The Blue Wind Association is too quiet.’
The Gangnam organizations, their hunting dogs, had all been arrested, yet they took no action while Park Dong-soo was unifying the underworld. It was hard to understand.
‘Well, it’s not a bad thing.’
I decided to think of it positively. The drinking session with Park Dong-soo continued for a long time. I felt good seeing one of the pillars of power I had envisioned being properly completed.
“Grandfather, it’s Mu-hyeok.”
“Come in.”
As I entered the study, my grandfather, who had been looking out the window, turned around. The view outside the window was a riot of red and yellow from the autumn leaves, deepened by the season. In the past year, my grandfather’s face had aged considerably.
“You should call for Manager Ha as well.”
My grandfather showed a puzzled expression but called for Manager Ha without a word.
“I would like to convert all of Grandfather’s cash assets into dollars.”
Until now, I had collected all the corporate bonds. According to my assessment, my grandfather had about 3 trillion won in cash, in addition to the bonds, stocks, and real estate in my hands.
“Hmm…”
My grandfather, as well as anyone who knew about the economy, was already aware of the risks of short-term foreign debt. My grandfather, in particular, had caught on faster than others due to my persistent requests.
“By next year, the dollar exchange rate will rise, and it will become difficult to get dollars. I would like to stop lending money now and begin the process of converting all funds to dollars.”
“Myeong-hun. What do you think?”
“There is some truth in the Young Master's words. However, converting the Chairman's cash assets into dollars is not an easy task.”
“I know. But we can start converting it slowly from now on.”
Next year, it would become even more difficult because of the government’s efforts to defend the exchange rate. We had to start now to make the switch without much trouble.
“The day will come when the dollar itself becomes power. Grandfather, please trust me one more time.”
A day will come when the chairmen of major corporations will visit this house in Pyeongchang District, begging for loans, just like in the 1970s, my grandfather’s heyday. That is, if it was in dollars, not won.
< That's it for today! > The End