Chapter 65:It’s worth it.

“You must have been quite surprised.”  

“Yes, well… I was very surprised.”  

“That’s just the greed of adults. Don’t worry about being called the face of Korea or anything like that. Just do what you like, Go Hana.”  

“I don’t pay much attention to it. It’s just a passing trend.”  

“That’s a very good perspective.”  

I answered Kang Jihwan honestly, his words blending a peculiar mix of kindness and composure. His graying hair was so visible from my side that it made me uncomfortable, and I ended up averting my eyes.  

“…”  

Inside the car, which was cutting through the roads of Seoul.  

Kang Jihwan and I sat side by side on the spacious leather back seat. The new driver in the front seat drove silently, showing no interest in what was happening in the back except when given orders.  

‘Come to think of it, this is the first time I’m seeing Director Kang without driving himself. Honestly, it’s way more shocking to see him show up as the boss of a company than it was for me to become some kind of national pride icon. And on top of that, as the CEO of HU Securities.’  

I wasn’t sure of Kang Jihwan’s exact position within HU Group, but the fact that he was leading a securities company in the current situation seemed highly significant.  

“…”  

…Wow.  

Didn’t I hand this man some serious intel a few months ago? And back then, instead of brushing it off as a joke, he looked at me with an extremely serious expression.  

—“It’s a frightening thought, but the overheated U.S. financial market, fueled by mortgage loans, could collapse all at once. And every market influenced by the U.S. would fall into a recession.”  

In my previous life in 2007 individual investors who prepared for this scenario managed to multiply their investments several times over. The legendary tale even got turned into a movie.  

If this were prepared for on the scale of a major securities firm…  

Just how much money would be inflated…?  

“…”  

I couldn’t even imagine.  

‘…Should I ask him to let me in on it…?’  

I glanced to my side again, feeling conflicted. The scenery of Gwanghwamun passed by outside the window.  

As our car exited Gwanghwamun, Kang Jihwan instructed the driver, “Head to Hanul Comprehensive Art School.” The driver replied, “Understood,” and turned the wheel without a moment’s hesitation.  

“…”  

‘He really does seem like a boss. I was always used to seeing him drive himself whenever he was with Mari.’  

Kang Jihwan briefly glanced at his phone before smiling faintly.  

“Oh dear, it seems reporters are waiting in front of Hanul’s main gate. Fortunately, no one has trespassed, but we’ll probably draw some attention when we enter.”  

“…Ah.”  

Hearing Kang Jihwan’s update, I let out a soft sigh.  

‘Isn’t this way too much…?’  

Looking back, there were times when even the trivial dating rumors of idols led reporters to camp out in front of dorms or homes. For them, every little move of a kid who had suddenly become a symbol of national pride must seem like the most entertaining spectacle.  

I could already picture the countless tripods and microphones looming in front of me.  

‘If the area around the school gets chaotic, I’d feel bad for the other kids. Maybe I should just stay at my uncle’s place tonight? But I haven’t called him yet since I got back today. …Ugh, if I go there, will people flock to his house too?’  

I hesitated, fiddling with my phone as I debated whether to call my uncle. Just then, Kang Jihwan glanced at his own phone and spoke.  

“I’ve already informed Mr. Tae-oh. I mentioned that there might be a big event as soon as Go Hana arrives in Korea because the situation here has been rather unusual. I also told him I’d be there to help, so you don’t have to worry about contacting him. He won’t be too concerned.”  

“!”  

“And as for the repair shop in Mapo-gu, the reporters haven’t figured out its location yet, so there hasn’t been any movement. Besides, unless it’s a crime or a major celebrity scandal, there’s little chance anyone would go that far.”  

His words carried a tone that was closer to certainty than mere prediction.  

“Th-thank you. In that case, I’ll stay at my uncle’s house tonight instead of the dorm.”  

Just then, I got a message from Mija:  

‘We’re planning to skip the dorm and head home too. Mr. Palgon said he’s going straight home. See you tomorrow!’  

「Palgon: Loyal servant reporting! Great job today!」  

「Geonwoo: You worked hard. I’ll send the luggage to the address you mentioned tomorrow.」  

「Hana: Thank you both for your help. I’ll stop by to see Mija tomorrow anyway, so I’ll come pick it up myself.」  

I relayed the update to Kang Jihwan.  

“Got it. I’ll make sure to ask them to take good care of the other vehicle too.”  

Kang Jihwan made a call on his phone, then gave the driver my uncle’s repair shop address. Once again, the driver answered promptly and adjusted the car’s direction.  

“Thank you, Director Kang… No, CEO Kang.”  

“Oh, it’s nothing. This is just a small favor.”  

“It’s still a big help. By the way, how is Mari doing?”  

“She’s doing well. She says school isn’t fun without Go Hana, though, so she’s been skipping quite often… but she seems very content with her current life.”  

“That’s…”  

“I’m sure she’ll go back once you start attending school again.”  

‘Is Mari entering her “I don’t want to go to school” phase? Honestly, it’s not like she needs to go, but it’s still a little worrying. I should have a proper talk with her one of these days.’  

I bowed slightly to Kang Jihwan in gratitude.  

“Thank you for letting me know.”  

He gave me a gentle smile and nodded. Beneath the relaxed creases of his eyes, his usual kindness shone, accompanied by an overflowing sense of confidence.  

I knew the source of that confidence.  

Power.  

Oh, power.  

This is what the power of authority looks like.  

The problems that had been bothering me just moments ago were resolved with a few phone calls from him. He didn’t even need to hail a taxi; his subordinates acted as his hands and feet.  

It’s not like I dream of having power myself, but as someone who was a man in my previous life, seeing that kind of control made my heart race a little.  

With those thoughts in mind, I texted my uncle:  

「Hana: I’m not staying at the dorm because of the reporters. I’m heading to your house to sleep. On my way now. Don’t wait up for me, just go to bed first.」  

「Uncle: You worked hard. I’ll wait for you.」  

“…”  

Smiling, I put my phone away.  

“…”  

“…”  

All the immediate problems had been resolved. Thanks to that, we sat silently in the car heading toward Mapo-gu, following the driver’s lead.  

Suddenly, Kang Jihwan broke the silence.  

“…About what you mentioned last time. I’ve done some digging on my own.”  

“!”  

I unconsciously swallowed hard.  

Gulp…!  

Seeing my reaction, Kang Jihwan smiled faintly.  

“Well, Go Hana, I think you’ll understand this. But please take this as something said by ‘the friendly Mr. Kang’ while in a slightly drunken mood, not as the CEO of HU Securities.”  

“Yes.”  

Of course, there wasn’t the slightest hint of alcohol on his breath.  

In short, he was subtly warning me not to reveal the source of this information to anyone.  

“After investigating with some acquaintances and younger colleagues, we’ve concluded that the overheated real estate market and subpar financial products in the U.S. make a major economic collapse highly probable.

Of course, the U.S. economy won’t completely crumble, but the ripple effects will be massive.”  

“I… I see.”  

“Some major investment banks in the securities sector, particularly those reacting optimistically to the current situation, will likely trigger a domino effect. And the scale of this will surpass even the bursting of Japan’s bubble economy.”  

He continued to explain, casually handing me what was essentially a goldmine of insider-level information with the potential for 10x returns—though I had given him the initial hints using my future knowledge.  

“The chairman, after hearing this analysis, has formed a response team, including me, to develop strategies.

From what we’ve found, almost no institutions in Korea are preparing for this yet. If you’re planning any investments involving U.S. financial products, I’d strongly recommend reconsidering.”  

“Uh… Well, I’m still technically an elementary school student, so I can’t directly trade financial derivatives. All I have is a bit of stock and some cash.”  

“…”  

At my response, Kang Jihwan gave a wry smile.  

“Sometimes, I forget that Go Hana is originally just an elementary school student. My apologies.”  

“…Uh, no problem.”  

‘Is… is this it? Is this really my chance to finally break free from all money troubles and stop doing commercials?!’  

I shyly pulled out a piece of paper I had been holding close—a certificate that read “Special Scholarship Award: 100 Million KRW”—and handed it to Kang Jihwan. My voice trembled as I made my request.  

“So… um… is it possible to entrust this to HU Securities? I want to invest too. Not directly, but through the company…”  

“…This money?”  

“Yes.”  

“With our securities firm?”  

“Yes.”  

“Do you happen to know what our company might be planning to do with it?”  

“…”  

In that moment, no financial jargon came to mind.  

Instead, I tilted my head slightly and mumbled:  

“…A big hit?”  

“…”  

Kang Jihwan suddenly let out a chuckle. It seemed funny to him that a kid would come with a measly one billion won and call it a “big deal.”  

“…Pfft, oh, I’m sorry.”  

“…”  

My face turned red. But I clenched my fist and handed the paper to Kang Jihwan.  

Since my past life, I hadn’t known much about financial products other than stocks and cryptocurrency. That’s why this was the only way I could think of to catch the wave of the upcoming big deal.  

‘I-I have to do it now if I want to get into crypto and real estate…!’  

Kang Jihwan accepted the paper and let out a dry laugh.  

“…Alright, I got it. I’ll make good use of this ‘big deal.’ And of course, I’ll make sure there are no legal issues. I’ll send one of our younger team members to discuss the details of the contract soon.”  

“…I’ll be counting on you.”  

And just like that, we arrived in Mapo-gu.  

It was almost 11 p.m. The shabby repair shop was lit up brightly, as if it were daytime. My uncle was already outside, smiling from ear to ear in the front yard.  

“Kang Manager dropped you off?”  

“Yeah.”  

“Thank you so much, Manager.”  

“Haha, it’s nothing.”  

I leaned in to whisper to my uncle.  

“Uncle, he’s not a manager anymore—he’s the boss now.”  

“!”  

My uncle scratched his head awkwardly and quickly apologized to Kang Jihwan.  

“Oh dear, my bad, Boss.”  

“Haha, honestly, even I still find it strange when I look at my business card. You can keep calling me Manager—it’s more comfortable that way. The young lady here still calls me ‘Manager Uncle,’ after all.”  

“…Mari isn’t great at changing what she calls people.”  

Kang Jihwan laughed heartily and got back into his car.  

We bowed our heads in unison as we watched him leave.  

—Vroom!  

With a low engine growl, the large black foreign car disappeared down the road.  

“…”  

“…”  

My uncle placed a hand on my head and asked,  

“Did you have fun?”  

“…”

Amazing.  

Incredible.  

Outstanding.  

Things like that…  

I didn’t say a word of them.  

Unlike other adults, he didn’t bring up patriotism, or Korea, or call me a genius.  

He just asked one thing:  

If I had fun.  

And I answered him.  

“…Of course, it was fun.”  

“Really? Then that’s all that matters. Let’s go inside, wash up, and get some sleep.”  

“I’m hungry, though.”  

“Then should we order some chicken?”  

“Sounds good.”  

My uncle grinned.  

“From the shop, or upstairs?”  

“Let’s eat at the shop and watch TV.”  

“There’ll probably be nothing but news about you.”  

“Movie channel.”  

“Perfect.”  

With that, we headed into the shabby repair shop.  

Only then did it really hit me: this long trip to Japan had finally come to an end. And also, that the way people looked at me had completely changed.  

*

The stern-looking woman with her hair tied up spoke. She claimed to be a Chinese-American, but her Korean was fluent.  

“Nice to meet you. I’m Rebecca from Laohu Agency in New York. We run a program that supports promising new writers. And, of course, I’m here to invite you, Ms. Go Hana, to join us.”  

“M-Me?”  

“Yes, you. The writer from Korea… A genius who has inspired countless other writers. Even our director is very interested in you.”