TRGD 04

Chapter 4 …

Inheritance

“The inheritance is 1 billion won. The inheritance tax has already been fully paid.”

“…O-One billion won?”

“By law, it should have been transferred to you on January 1st, the year you turned nineteen. However, as you can see, I was involved in a serious accident. I only came as soon as I had recovered enough to travel.”

At a glance, the lawyer looked badly injured.

He limped on his right leg, and every so often he grimaced in pain.

Still, there wasn’t much point inviting him inside.

The rooftop room was so tiny that there wasn’t even a proper place to sit.

I hurriedly brought over a red folding stool that had been lying around on the rooftop.

Then I fetched a glass of cold water from inside and handed it to him.

“Excuse me… was Han Ok-ja my grandmother?”

“Yes. You didn’t know?”

“No. I’ve never met her in person. I’ve only heard her name.”

“She was Mr. Ha Tae-woong’s paternal grandmother.”

“…”

Of course, I knew I had a grandmother.

The problem was that I’d never once met her.

Even her name was something I’d learned through the news.

The lawyer quietly reached into his briefcase.

He pulled out…

A bankbook.

My eyes were instantly drawn to it.

And then—

“Huh?!”

Why is that bankbook…?!

“This bankbook… You don’t know what this money is yet, do you?”

“No.”

“…I’ve thought about this for a long time.”

Lawyer Kim paused.

His face was filled with concern.

“…?”

“If you accept this money… it could cost you your life.”

What kind of terrifying thing was that to say while handing someone money?

His calm voice only made the warning sound even more frightening.

Still…

I had a rough idea.

I’d served in the military and had enough experience in society to understand.

It wasn’t dirty money from crime.

Rather…

There were people who would rather die than let this money end up in my hands.

Memories from this period of my previous life came flooding back.

The events of that time…

They were crystal clear.

“Could it be… your injuries were caused by those animals?”

“…Perhaps. Or perhaps not. Haha.”

Lawyer Kim chuckled dryly as he drank the plain cold water I had offered.

But he couldn’t hide his eyes.

There was unmistakable anger burning within them.

“I’ll accept it.”

“You should discuss it with your parents first—”

“No. You can give it directly to me.”

My voice was firm—far firmer than one would expect from a high school student.

This was something Grandma had arranged personally.

And…

I had a strong feeling she was still protecting me.

Everything was unfolding differently from my previous life.

Back then, I’d never met the lawyer standing before me carrying this bankbook.

Things were different now.

The rules of fate themselves seemed to have changed.

“Can you handle the consequences?”

“Yes.”

Lawyer Kim was genuinely worried about me.

“You’re still just a high school student… Yet you remind me very much of your grandmother. It’s in your eyes.”

As a lawyer, he was probably skilled at reading people.

Just by looking into my eyes, he’d accurately judged that I possessed far more life experience than my age suggested.

“I… had to grow up early.”

“Have those people visited you yet?”

“Not… yet.”

In my previous life, my father’s death had made no sense.

He’d died for an utterly unbelievable reason.

And there was more than enough reason to suspect that those people had been involved.

“You’re a brave young man.”

“Well… isn’t it better to be a well-fed ghost than a starving one?”

“Hahahahaha! You’re quite something. You’re absolutely right. Exactly right.”

Lawyer Kim burst into hearty laughter.

For some reason, hearing him laugh made me feel better.

“Well then, take it.”

He held out the bankbook.

“This is the allowance your grandmother left for you.”

The very bankbook Grandma had handed me in my dream.

Now the real one was being placed into my hands by the lawyer.

Even the wooden name seal I’d seen in the dream matched perfectly.

My hand trembled slightly as I gripped it.

One billion won.

Pocket change to the truly wealthy.

But to me…

It was an unimaginable fortune I’d never once touched in my life.

“The late Madam did countless good deeds while she was alive. I myself am standing where I am today because of her kindness.”

There wasn’t a trace of falsehood in Lawyer Kim’s voice.

Grandma had told me exactly the same thing in my dream.

Live your life doing good for others.

“I’m… glad to hear she was such a wonderful person.”

The grandmother my father had desperately searched for.

At least now I knew…

She’d been a warm-hearted woman.

“If anything happens, call the number on my business card. I may have been caught off guard this time, but I’m not an easy man to deal with.”

His strong personality showed in his expression.

I could tell he was grinding his teeth with determination.

“Thank you for looking out for me.”

“No. I’m simply grateful that I can repay the Madam’s kindness, even in this small way.”

Whatever relationship the two of them had shared…

Only they knew.

The lawyer slowly stood up.

“When you lack power, lowering your head isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In the end… this world is fair.”

He turned back one last time to offer his advice.

There was genuine warmth in his words.

“I’ll remember that.”

“Hahaha. Tae-woong, you’re the most interesting student I’ve ever met.”

From the very beginning he’d spoken to me respectfully.

He never once switched to casual speech.

That alone told me what kind of person he was.

“I have a feeling we’ll meet again.”

“I think so too. Take care.”

Tap.

Tap.

Using his cane, he limped toward the stairs.

“Please travel safely.”

I bowed respectfully as he disappeared downstairs.

Now that I was once again a healthy high school student…

At least all those years of working life had taught me proper manners.

The unexpected messenger of fortune departed as suddenly as he had arrived.

“It’s like I’ve been possessed by a ghost…”

The bankbook clearly displayed ₩1,000,000,000.

I held it in my hands, checking it over and over.

Even holding the real thing, I couldn’t believe it.

I’d never even seen this much money in my entire life.

Throughout all my years of working, the highest balance I’d ever had was around ten million won.

Now…

There was over a hundred times that amount sitting in this account.

I was already legally an adult since my birthday had passed.

I didn’t need my parents’ permission.

My primary bank account was with Daehan Bank, the one linked to my student ID.

All the online authentication had already been completed.

I slowly reopened the bankbook.

No matter how many times I looked…

It was exactly the same one Grandma had given me in my dream.

It felt so real…

As though I had truly touched it back then.

“Live quietly…“

That had been Lawyer Kim’s final piece of advice as he handed me the bankbook.

I needed to keep a low profile.

I understood perfectly well what he had really meant.

Ring— Ring— Ring—

The simple ringtone of my now outdated smartphone echoed through the room.

The caller’s name appeared.

Someone I’d desperately missed.

How long had it been since I’d seen that name?

A smile spread across my lips.

I answered the call.

“Son?”

Just that single word…

It sounded like magic.

My heart tightened.

For a moment, no words would come.

My throat closed up.

“Son?”

She called for me again.

“Y-Yes… Mother.”

“Mother? What’s with the formal address all of a sudden?”

…

Up until I enlisted in the military…

I’d always called her Mom.

After finishing my service, finding a job, and entering society…

I’d changed.

As I struggled to survive the harsh realities of adulthood, “Mother” had naturally become my habit.

And with that change…

The emotional distance between us had quietly grown.

“M-Mom.”

My face suddenly grew hot.

It was strangely embarrassing.

“Hehe. That’s right. I’m your mom.”

Her familiar laugh returned.

I’d wandered aimlessly after failing to find work several times.

Yet she had always cheered me on without ever showing her worries.

She was like a great tree that never stopped sheltering me.

My eyes stung.

“Thank you.”

“Thank you? You’re acting strange today, son. You’re saying things you never normally say.”

Mom’s internal radar had started scanning.

She’d immediately noticed something was different.

“Thank you for giving birth to such an amazing son! I’ll be loyal forever! Yes, ma’am!”

Like I used to in high school, I quickly brushed it off with a joke.

Thinking back…

Before Dad’s accident, Mom and I had been very close.

She’d joked around with me like a friend.

She’d always kept her youthful spirit.

“Oh! Ha Tae-woong! Thank you, thank you!”

Her cheerful voice bounced with excitement.

A smile naturally returned to my own face.

“Where’s Dad?”

“He’s out on a business trip. He’ll probably be back tomorrow.”

He’s alive.

Thank goodness.

My fist tightened.

This truly was the exact point I’d returned to.

Thank you, Grandma.

“I miss you.”

My voice trembled on its own.

I meant it with all my heart.

After graduating from high school…

I had never seen both of my parents together again.

But now…

I could.

“We just saw each other the day before yesterday. You miss us already?”

“Yes! I really, really do!”

“When you have time, come to Sokcho. I’ll prepare some sashimi and soju for you.”

“Absolutely!”

My mouth watered.

Once I’d become an adult, drinking with my parents had become natural.

But in my previous life…

I’d grown distant from Mom.

No…

The truth was, I hardly had any time to visit her.

After Dad died the way he did…

I went through hell myself.

I became an unfilial son almost without realizing it.

Then someone claiming to be one of Dad’s creditors suddenly appeared.

Soon afterward, Dad’s company was hit with a lawsuit accusing him of breach of trust.

The house where the three of us had lived together was auctioned off almost overnight.

That’s why I’d continued living in this tiny rooftop room.

Somewhere along the way…

I’d become an adult.

I was too busy paying for university and my living expenses.

It wasn’t an excuse.

Even looking back now…

I genuinely had no time.

I juggled four online tutoring jobs every week.

I only saw Mom once or twice a year.

Even in college, I shut myself away in the club room, obsessively investing in cryptocurrency.

During military leave, I spent my time hanging out with friends instead.

If I was being honest…

I had deliberately avoided my mother.

Every day she looked out at the sea, missing my father.

Watching her like that…

It hurt too much.

Even after leaving the military, I poured every ounce of myself into job hunting and part-time work.

Studying required money.

After returning to university, I survived through student loans and part-time jobs.

Around then…

Mom had opened a small flower shop.

She barely had enough to support herself.

As for me…

I had become nothing more than a warrior struggling to survive.

And then…

I, who had lived without hope…

Had returned to the past.

A chance granted by heaven.

I bit my lip hard.

At that moment, through the rooftop window, my eyes landed on a giant electronic billboard across the street.

An elderly man with a kind face covered in age spots filled the screen.

Large bold letters flashed beneath him.

Haryun Group Donates 300 Billion Won to Support Low-Income Families’ Self-Reliance.

One of South Korea’s top ten conglomerates.

The current chairman—

Ha Cheol-gon.

I smirked.

“My grandpa… He’s got more money than he knows what to do with.”

The old man on that billboard…

Was my biological grandfather.

And I…

Was Ha Tae-woong, the youngest grandson of the Haryun conglomerate family.