Real Man

It was just as Cho Eun-ah had said.

When Yoo-hyun entered the department building, none of the students greeted him.

How quiet do you have to be just because you’re a junior in the same department?

He didn’t expect it, but it was even more baffling when he experienced it himself.

Inhyeon University had a famous engineering school, but the humanities school was not popular.

In addition, the school rankings fell because it was not even in Seoul.

Only a handful of students who joined Hansung came from their Business School.

Of course, there was no senior to help Yoo-hyun at that time.

However, since Yoo-hyun only focused on his studies, he wouldn’t even be able to take care of his juniors if he had any in Hansung.

He ran straight towards his goal without taking care of the people around him.

It’s like seeing Yoo-hyun at work.

‘It wasn’t the right direction.’

At that time, he may have thought it was the best direction, but in retrospect, it wasn’t.

He should have hung out with more people, not only with those related to his job.

And he should have learned to relate to other people in a natural way.

Also, he should have expanded his horizons.

‘So that I don’t just work.’

He wanted to change it right away, but it was now the exam period and he didn’t have the contact numbers of many people in the department.

He had no choice but to be content with greeting people a little more warmly.

Yoo-hyun came out of the department building and sat on the school bench.

Students with different clothes passed by in front of Yoo-hyun.

By sitting still and looking at people who pass by, he noticed a specific pattern.

The small movements and actions of different people gave Yoo-hyun information about them like a signboard.

Suddenly, he wondered what it would have been like to continue studying psychology.

He wasn’t the scholarly type, so maybe he wouldn’t have achieved much.

He also wasn’t the kind of person who took care of other people, so his role as a counselor probably wouldn’t have been that great.

“At least, the company seems to be suited to my aptitude.”

Smirk.

While sitting like that and thinking about random things, someone called Yoo-hyun.

“Hello, Steve.”

“…”

It was a tall foreigner with blue eyes.

“What are you doing here? Are you waiting for someone?”

He was definitely pointing at Yoo-hyun.

The name ‘Steve’ was Yoo-hyun’s English name in the company.

Did he start using the name ‘Steve’ from then on?

The face was familiar, but he was confused about who it was exactly.

He didn’t know.

Yoo-hyun naturally replied with a greeting in English.

“Hello. I’m just looking at people passing by. This is a great place to relax and pass the time.”

“Oh, how come your English has improved so much?”

“Ahh… I’ve improved since I’ve been working hard.”

“That’s amazing. If you consider the vocabulary and the pronunciation that you just displayed, it’s the same as a native’s. How can this happen?”

Yoo-hyun couldn’t help but laugh.

He completed the MBA course at Stanford University in the United States.

How could he not speak English?

That was funny.

After talking a little, he recalled who the person was.

His name is James.

As expected, he was an English instructor.

Even after taking the course, Yoo-hyun remembered persistently following him and trying to get close to him.

Thanks to that, they became close enough to chat with each other and play billiards together.

‘I didn’t even meet people in my department…’

The reason why he met James was clear.

It was because he was a useful person.

In other words, James was like the perfect textbook to help him study conversational English without spending any money.

Judging from the conversation with him, Yoo-hyun was capable of laughing and chatting along with other people.

It was just that he chose specific people.

‘Sigh.’

Yoo-hyun, who sighed inwardly, reached out his hand while finalizing his conversation with James.

“James, I had so much fun thanks to you.”

“You’re welcome, Steve. See you next time.”

James tilted his head as if even the handshake was unexpected and left with a smile.

They had a pleasant conversation, but Yoo-hyun was left with a bitter taste in his mouth.

This is because he remembered that time when he was struggling to move forward.

Then he drew a line and only allowed the necessary people through while keeping everything unnecessary outside his boundary.

These actions of his made his relationship with others not abundant but more fragmented.

In the end, there was no one left who was sincerely with him.

“How did you survive it?” Yoo-hyun muttered as he watched the sun set.

He didn’t want to take the same bus back to his place.

That’s because he felt like his past life will just repeat all over again.

Instead, Yoo-hyun decided to go on a different path.

This was an era when maps could not be checked with mobile phones or other electronic devices.

So he just walked as he pleased.

He was doing something inefficient, but it felt refreshing because he was doing something he’s never done before.

Tap. Tap.

Now, even after walking for a long time, his knees didn’t hurt.

Certainly, a young body is different.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

As he looked around due to the loud noises, he noticed that construction was underway everywhere. 

There was a large-scale apartment for sale that was being developed in a fairly large lot.

Information about the sale of apartments was posted along the road.

‘Woosang Construction? The name is somehow familiar…’

It’s definitely not a major construction company.

He had never seen this name in Seoul, so it might be ruined later.

“Ah… right. Woosang!”

What he thought about was right.

Due to a massive sales fraud, the company went bankrupt and the damages amounted to hundreds of billions of won.

Seeing that it still remained in his mind, it must have been quite the big news.

He heard that there were quite a few people who were harmed, even among the people he knew because it was near his hometown.

‘You should’ve looked into it properly. Stupid guys.’

At the time, he seemed to have had similar thoughts like this.

That’s because he was not directly related to it.

“Hold on.”

Come to think of it, knowing the future was certainly useful.

Because he could avoid land mines such as this.

This may be 20 years in the past, but even if his memory might be hazy, he did become the CEO of Hansung Electronics.

At least he knew about the trade relations with China, Japan, and the United States.

In addition, information on economic trends, exchange rates, movements of commodities, and future growth industries could become useful.

Even if he didn’t watch the rise and fall of stocks and real estate until his eyes bled, he could place a big bet on what he knows will succeed.

‘If I just invest in stocks right now…’

He remembered the part about stocks clearly because in his freshman year, he was still conscious of the people around him.

At that time, there were many seniors who shed tears for investing in the wrong funds or stocks.

One can aim for a fall now, or buy stocks just in case they rise later.

One way to earn is to buy real estate at an appropriate time with the money earned and to then build a building.

No. In fact, by using foreign stocks, it is possible to make a lot more money with more certainty.

The information about the best companies in the world in twenty years was all stored in his head.

In particular, if he invested in a venture investment company that becomes a unicorn, he could easily earn a hundred times more.

Buying cryptocurrency could be one way.

The more he tried to solve one issue, the more issues came up about money-making.

All of a sudden, he stopped looking at his surroundings and only thought about money.

He was not much different from the future Yoo-hyun.

With that sudden thought, Yoo-hyun shook his head vigorously.

“No. No.”

He must have already forgotten that he promised he was going to change the life that chased after success and money.

There’s a saying that it’s hard to change someone’s nature.

Money?

He had earned enough before.

He lived a decent life.

But in the end, he had nothing left.

Even if he had money, he didn’t know how to use it properly.

On the contrary, money made him more selective of people.

But he was given a second chance.

This time, he never wanted to live a life chasing after money.

Of course, if the time came when he really needed it, he could always make money.

But even then, the goal had to be centered on the people, not the money.

‘People over money.’

It was also something that his father had said before.

He decided to live a different life, and he also decided that he will change it.

Therefore, in order to do that, Yoo-hyun thought that he should start practicing with small actions.

‘Every day, talk to your loved ones and ask how they are doing.’

This was an act that had not been done before with the excuse of not having enough time.

He didn’t visit them because he was busy with work, and so he gradually forgot about them.

It was just one phone call, but he wasn’t even able to do that.

Yoo-hyun took a deep breath and grabbed his cell phone.

He first called his mother.

“Yes, mother. I just called. Yes. Mom’s side dishes were so delicious. Thank you so much. No. Haha.”

-That… yeah.

Is it because the young son’s voice was so unfamiliar?

His mother’s replies seemed awkward.

“…Yes. I’ll be home tomorrow, mother. I miss you. I’ll hang up.”

-I’ll be waiting.

However, as the conversation continued, the voice coming through the other line grew brighter.

He wasn’t talking to her face-to-face, but she must have been smiling.

Yoo-hyun laughed for no reason.

Then now it was his father’s turn.

It was obvious that he would be embarrassed upon answering the phone.

It was because they weren’t good at phone calls.

Yoo-hyun’s recollections were correct that there weren’t many calls listed with his father.

Ring.

A beep sounded and his father’s blunt greeting came.

The voice he didn’t want to face in the past felt warm.

-What’s the matter?

“Father, I’m coming home tomorrow.”

-Tomorrow?

“Oh, are you busy?”

At Yoo-hyun’s words, his father answered with a tremble.

-I’m busy, but… come at once.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow when I come home. I miss you…”

Click.

The call ended before Yoo-hyun’s tender voice faded away.

He didn’t think his father was deliberately avoiding him.

It must have been that he was not used to his son’s call yet.

Yoo-hyun was determined that if he went home this time, he would surely improve his relationship with his father.

After his sister, Yoo-hyun called his friends.

Kim Hyun-su, Kang Joon-ki, and Ha Jun-seok.

These three people have been close friends of his since elementary school. They were friends who helped Yoo-hyun when he was having a hard time.

They also had so many memories together.

He thought that when they grew up, they would always be together.

Yoo-hyun recalled his childhood memories and called them one by one.

The common answer from all three was, ‘What’s up with you?’

That was expected.

After being discharged from the military, Yoo-hyun concentrated on his studies and met them less frequently.

Seeing that there were no call logs between them, it seemed that he hardly called at all.

Still, a friend is a friend.

They made fun of Yoo-hyun’s awkward tone of voice and said that he was like an old man. Then they laughed out loud at the few jokes he intentionally made.

Random memories were woven into even the most trivial conversations.

Although the voices of the youth came out as awkward, Yoo-hyun deliberately tried to speak more comfortably.

“Yeah, I’m buying it. Just bring yourself. ”

-Really? You? Did you win the lottery?

It seemed strange that he called himself and would even buy them alcohol.

It would be funny to see them surprised even though he had promised.

Then the calls went down like that, he made an appointment to see them all and ended the phone call.

He couldn’t see them before because he was studying. But after joining the company, he lost time to see them at all.

The friends who parted and couldn’t see each other gradually separated like that.

After time passed, Yoo-hyun was very sad.

He didn’t realize at the time that there was nothing wrong with the old saying that life is already successful even if you only have three true friends.

“Now, I know.”

Yes, now he knew.

It meant that the relationships he took for granted, such as family and friends, were actually the most important relationships of all.

He now knows that the closer they are, the more he should appreciate and cherish them.

And now Yoo-hyun is officially done with his work.

Since his job as a part-time librarian was over, he didn’t have to go back to school unless it was to get his diploma.

In the past, he would have been busy preparing for the interview with Hansung Electronics, but now he doesn’t have to.

Wasn’t he already the boss?

He was confident that he knew more than the interviewer regarding his experience, age, and work at the company.

He also had a lot of experience as an interviewer, so he was confident that he could handle any situation well.

More importantly.

‘What will I do after joining Hansung?’

This was more of a concern.

Yoo-hyun got on the bus and remembered the funeral scene of his colleague Kwon Se-joong.