PETF 15

Chapter 15

<Some time later, near XX Station, at a street food stall>

Woo-hyun took a taxi straight to XX Station and saw his father, Jung-hyuk, with his head on the table, passed out at the street food stall.

“Are you this gentleman’s son?”

“Yes. I’m sorry for coming so late. He’s not usually like this—something must have happened.”

Woo-hyun said this as he handed the stall owner, an elderly lady, a 50,000-won note to cover Jung-hyuk’s drinks and food. The lady gave him change and replied:

“From what I heard, it looks like he got fired from his company. Seeing him muttering apologies while calling for his wife and child, and cursing the boss, that’s what it seems like.”

Hearing this, Woo-hyun helped support Jung-hyuk and said:

“Seems like it. Thank you for taking care of him today.”

With that, Woo-hyun led Jung-hyuk out of the street stall.

<Some time later, a nearby park near their home>

“Blood Sober Up.”

Woo-hyun used blood magic to sober up the still-dazed Jung-hyuk.

Black blood, heavy with alcohol, gathered at the tip of Jung-hyuk’s index finger, then dripped onto the ground.

“Hmm…? Woo-hyun?”

Jung-hyuk regained consciousness only after Woo-hyun forcibly drew out the alcohol with blood magic. Woo-hyun handed him a canned cocoa he bought from a convenience store.

Taking the cocoa, Jung-hyuk watched as Woo-hyun opened his own can and took a sip before speaking.

“Do you remember? When I got beaten up by the neighborhood gang leader as a kid, you secretly took me out and gave me cocoa like this.”

Jung-hyuk realized from Woo-hyun’s demeanor that his son understood something had happened, and he bowed his head, unable to meet his eyes properly.

“I remember.”

“Back then, you said if I had a hard time, I could lean on you. You said as the head of the family, you could do anything. The next day, the gang leader’s parents came to school to make an apology. That’s how it was.”

Jung-hyuk muttered quietly, reflecting on how much his circumstances had changed since then.

“That’s right…”

To this, Woo-hyun smiled faintly and said:

“Father. Now it’s time to lean on me. Just like I leaned on you back then. I’m not invincible, but I’m stronger than any head of a family.”

Jung-hyuk let out a deep sigh from his chest and began to honestly tell his son what had happened at work.

<Some time later>

“So, what should I do now? Honestly, if I set my mind to it, making three billion won out of nothing would be easy. Just manipulate the accounts and it’s done. But I don’t want to do that. I promised your mother when we married that even if I couldn’t make her completely happy, she wouldn’t regret marrying me. I can’t break that promise. But reality isn’t easy. Tomorrow I might even have to beg the boss not to fire me…”

Hearing this, Woo-hyun calmly said:

“Then quit.”

Jung-hyuk sighed deeply again and shook his head.

“I’m not some old man who can rely on you for support. I’ve been kicked out of the industry trying to keep my conscience, made your mother suffer in every way, and now I can’t let you suffer too.”

“I’m not saying you should quit the work itself. I mean leave that miserable company and do what you really want to do.”

In the first round of events, Woo-hyun’s affliction with blood magic had pushed Jung-hyuk to start investing again. It was a personal investment using his retirement funds. Though he had some big losses, his skill still allowed him to earn a decent profit.

Woo-hyun, seeing his father take such risks because of him, had begun to actively avoid involving his family. But it was clear that the work Jung-hyuk truly loved and excelled at was investing. Several times, Woo-hyun had seen investment reports neatly laid out on the dining table when he got up in the middle of the night.

Honestly, Woo-hyun knew his father enjoyed personal investing far more than his official accounting job at DS Materials. But that didn’t mean he could just tell him to quit his stable job and invest full-time.

If it weren’t for Woo-hyun’s blood magic, Jung-hyuk wouldn’t have been up late every night analyzing stock charts. But now it was different. Woo-hyun could cover his own affliction and, as a player, could support his family with his own strength.

In the first round, his family sacrificed for him; now in the second round, it was his turn to sacrifice for them.

“Other work…? You mean investing?”

Jung-hyuk asked, and Woo-hyun nodded.

“Yes. It’s what you love and do best. Do that.”

“I’m a whistleblower. No investment company would hire a whistleblower.”

Looking at the beautiful moon, Woo-hyun replied calmly:

“Then you should start your own investment company.”

“I thought of that, but I don’t have enough capacity right now.”

“I’ll fill in for that lack.”

Jung-hyuk looked at Woo-hyun seriously and said:

“Woo-hyun, investing isn’t done with one or two hundred million won. In the investment world, that’s just a tiny ant, easily swept away by a whale’s yawn. And with our family’s situation, even that one or two hundred million is hard to come by.”

Taking his eyes off the moon, Woo-hyun looked at his father.

“Is one hundred billion enough?”

Not one billion, not ten, not a hundred—but one hundred billion. Jung-hyuk let out a faint sigh.

“One hundred billion isn’t easy money. Even if I broke the law, that amount would be hard to get.”

Jung-hyuk didn’t believe Woo-hyun could just earn that as a player, but he guessed his son must have some clever plan. Still, he didn’t want his son’s life to suffer over it.

“If I get the money, promise me you’ll quit and do what you want.”

Woo-hyun looked seriously at his father’s slumped shoulders. Once so strong and imposing, now they sagged under the weight of life.

‘In the first round, I was the heaviest burden. Now it’s my turn to lighten it.’

Seeing his son’s determination, Jung-hyuk spoke sincerely:

“Then promise me one thing too. Don’t make others cry when you get that money.”

Prioritizing the quality of money over quantity, Jung-hyuk made sure to pass on his wisdom. Woo-hyun smiled faintly.

“Don’t worry, Father. I’ll earn it fairly.”

Standing up from the bench, Woo-hyun said:

“You go in first. Your mother has been worried.”

“And you?”

Looking at the moon, Woo-hyun said softly:

“I’m going for a walk. The moonlight is beautiful.”

Jung-hyuk understood that Woo-hyun was going to earn that one hundred billion and that the ‘walk’ was his way of not telling his father how.

“Remember, don’t make anyone cry with that money.”

“Of course.”

<Some time later, Namsan>

Woo-hyun headed to Namsan, waiting at a place where the moon shone the brightest.

He quickly turned toward Serin, who appeared behind him.

Serin faced Woo-hyun and spoke:

“I’m a bit surprised. I didn’t think you’d contact me first. I thought you were avoiding me.”

“I’m not avoiding you. There was just no reason to be close. But things have changed now.”

Serin asked:

“You planning to repay the debt you owe me?”

Woo-hyun shook his head.

“No. I don’t consider you a debt. Otherwise, I’d have just sent what I needed by text.”

Serin seemed to understand and nodded.

Woo-hyun continued:

“What I’m about to say is a proposal, a deal. Let’s trade one thing for another. The only daughter of Chairman Yoo Shin-hyuk of Daehyun Group.”

Startled—

Hearing personal information about herself, Serin couldn’t help flinching but quickly regained composure and looked at him steadily.

“Impressive. That’s information your level of intelligence couldn’t normally uncover.”

Woo-hyun shrugged lightly.

“You already guessed, didn’t you? I’m not an ordinary rookie.”