Vol 1 Ch 5

Kim Jinkyung was depressed.

 

He didn’t want to die, but he was still depressed. Mok Seongha, who had said they should continue their conversation, called the secretary. Then he told him to name every university in Seoul that he had ever heard of.

 

‘Seoul National University?’

 

Secretary Kang started singing the praises of Seoul National University again without hesitation.

 

…Are they all crazy?

 

‘Seoul National University is great, of course. It’s really hard to get in.’

 

Kim Jinkyung tried to gently guide him to other university names as much as possible.

 

‘Yonsei and Korea University?’

 

‘Where are Yonsei and Korea University?’

 

Mok Seongha asked. Kim Jinkyung really wanted to throw up blood.

 

‘Yonsei University is in Sinchon, and Korea University is in Anam. Haha. Of course, they also have campuses, and they’re all good universities.’

 

‘Give me the names of universities in Seoul.’

 

‘Yes, I understand.’

 

Secretary Kang then listed several university names. They were mostly excellent universities that had universities in their station names and were ridiculously difficult to get into.

 

Kim Jinkyung sweated profusely and gave a briefing on the university entrance exam as simply as possible.

 

‘Um, if you want to go to the universities you mentioned, you’ll need to get at least this grade on the college entrance exam.’

 

Kim Jinkyung wrote down the numbers for each subject. He thought that intuitive numbers would be better than abstract explanations like “you need to study well.”

 

‘What is this? First place, second place, are you telling me to get first place?’

 

‘No, it’s not that, it’s a grade. Ugh…’

 

Kim Jinkyung sighed and continued honestly.

 

‘I don’t think you can get into the universities you mentioned by getting tutoring once a week. It would be better to go to a cram school every day or enroll in a boarding school.’

 

‘That’s absolutely not allowed.’

 

It wasn’t Mok Seongha who answered that, but the secretary. Mok Seongha asked, a little puzzled, ‘Then?’

 

‘Yes?’

 

‘Then how many times do I have to study?’

 

‘You have to study every day. Just like eating.’

 

‘How many times do I have to get tutoring?’

 

‘As much as possible…’

 

Kim Jinkyung realized that he had made a huge mistake.

 

‘Ahaha. So, what I mean is, of course, it’s good to get tutoring, but self-study is also very important. So…’

 

Bite it, bite it. Bite your tongue and die.

 

‘How many times a week can you come?’

 

Mok Seongha cut off Kim Jinkyung’s nonsense decisively. Kim Jinkyung answered in a barely audible voice, ‘Twice.’ It was a grave he had dug himself, but he only wanted to go down to the second basement level.

 

‘Make it five times.’

 

It’s not like it’s a company, it’s a five-day work week…

 

‘I can’t. I have to go to school too…’

 

‘Then three times.’

 

‘Twice.’

 

‘Then four times.’

 

‘…I’ll do three times.’

 

Kim Jinkyung answered with a tearful face. The secretary left the room to prepare the contract.

 

In the end, Kim Jinkyung lightly made a lesson plan and slung his bag over his shoulder. Before leaving the room, an idea flashed through his mind, and Kim Jinkyung took out the chocolate he had put in the front pocket of his bag and handed it to Mok Seongha.

 

‘Um, this…’

 

‘What is it?’

 

‘Please have it.’

 

Mok Seongha’s expression as he looked down at the chocolate was the epitome of “Why are you giving me this?” Kim Jinkyung said, “Please have it,” and came out.

 

‘I’m not eating it.’

 

The chocolate, which had been thrown back, hit Kim Jinkyung’s shoulder and fell to the ground. That’s a relief. He really doesn’t like it.

 

Kim Jinkyung put the chocolate back in his pocket, bowed his head, and came out. Then the secretary chased after him and handed him an envelope.

 

‘What is this?’

 

‘It’s the tutoring fee.’

 

‘I got it last time.’

 

‘Yes. That was for last week’s tutoring, and this is for today’s.’

 

The tutoring fee he had received last week was a generous amount, even if he thought of it as a month’s worth. Kim Jinkyung took the envelope and checked the amount inside. It was exactly the same amount he had received last week.

 

Could it be that that was the amount per session?

 

‘Um, this is too…’

 

He was about to say it was too much, but the secretary handed him a revised tutoring contract with the tutoring schedule modified. Kim Jinkyung checked the number of sessions per week written on it and quietly put the envelope back in his pocket.

 

Well, I need this at least.

 

Kim Jinkyung walked home, comforted by his bulging pocket. The next tutoring session was this Wednesday. He thought he should prepare in advance, so after class the next day, he went to the bookstore and picked out the textbooks himself. He also bought chocolate. This time, it was a chocolate bar with almonds. Since he was going to throw it away anyway, he chose it according to his taste.

 

On the way home with a pile of textbooks, he heard a voice calling him happily.

 

“Kim Jinkyung!”

 

“Oh, Jinyeong sunbae.”

 

It was Go Jinyeong. Kim Jinkyung stopped in his tracks and immediately greeted him.

 

“Hello. What brings you here?”

 

“Oh, I had some business nearby. What about you?”

 

“Ah, I was just going to stop by the bookstore.”

 

“Bookstore? Why?”

 

“Because of the tutoring you introduced me to.”

 

“Ah, tutoring. That’s right. I did.”

 

It was a tutoring job that had been arranged at a drinking party. It was a position introduced by the older cousin of a senior of someone Go Jinyeong knew.

 

Kim Jinkyung vowed never to be introduced to anyone while drunk again.

 

“How is it? I heard it’s a family with a lot of money.”

 

“Ahaha. …Yes.”

 

Kim Jinkyung smiled awkwardly.

 

“You’re getting a good tutoring fee, aren’t you?”

 

Go Jinyeong, noticing that Kim Jinkyung’s reaction was lukewarm, said, glancing at him.

 

“Yes. They pay a lot.”

 

“Then why do you look like that? Is the kid a pain? Oh, right. I heard he’s a GED graduate? Is he a loner or a shut-in or something?”

 

“No. Not at all. He’s not like that.”

 

He seemed to have been raised pampered, judging by the title of Young Master, but he didn’t seem like a loner or a shut-in. …He’s rich, tall, and handsome, so people must follow him around. …Except for the part where he turns into a black panther.

 

“Right. He’s a rich kid, so he’s a bit of an ass? That’s how rich kids are. They think they’re the center of the world.”

 

Go Jinyoung rambled on as if he were talking about someone else. Go Jinyoung’s nickname was Jinyoung Antoinette. It was a nickname he earned after saying something outrageous to a classmate looking for a studio apartment during their freshman year: ‘Just ask your parents to buy you an apartment nearby. A place in the 30s pyeong should be enough for you to live alone, even if it’s a bit small.’

 

Kim Jinkyung gave an awkward smile.

 

“But why is he taking the GED? Did he get kicked out of school?”

 

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask him about that.”

 

“Can’t you tell just by looking at him?”

 

“…Haha….”

 

Kim Jinkyung recalled Mok Seongha standing over the bloodied man. He could tell so much that he felt like he was going to get stabbed by that sharp angle.

 

“Anyway, do a good job. I’ve heard that family is really rich. They say there’s no one in Korea who does business who hasn’t borrowed money from them. Who knows? Maybe they’ll buy you a car if you get him into college.”

 

…And they might take my organs if I mess up.

 

Kim Jinkyung swallowed the words he couldn’t say with an awkward smile.

 

“Anyway, do a good job.”

 

“Yes. Thank you.”

 

“Treat me when you get a car later. And don’t forget to introduce me to a pretty younger or older sister in that family, if they have one.”

 

“Haha. …Yes.”

 

Kim Jinkyung said goodbye and parted ways with Go Jinyoung.

 

He felt depressed. Go Jinyoung was Kim Jinkyung’s first love in college. The reason he was suddenly called to the drinking party that day was because he found it particularly difficult to refuse him.

 

Go Jinyoung asked Kim Jinkyung to introduce him to women every time he saw him. It was like a greeting to him. He was a woman-crazed bastard, a so-called ‘yeomisae,’ the likes of which he had never seen in his twenty-odd years of life.

 

Therefore, his unrequited love ended early. He wasn’t particularly sad or upset about the unrequited love. After all, it was someone he had no expectation of ending up with.

 

…Still, his taste in men was still depressing.

 

Kim Jinkyung deposited the money left over from buying the textbooks into his account. Then he called his parents to check on them.

 

「Jinkyung?」

 

“Yes, dad. Have you eaten? How’s mom?”

 

「Don’t worry about us, just make sure you eat well.」

 

“Yes. Don’t worry. I’m eating well.”

 

「But how do you have money to send again? You have to pay tuition.」

 

“I got a scholarship, so I don’t have to pay tuition. It’s okay.”

 

Kim Jinkyung was a late child born to parents who ran an apple farm. His parents unreservedly gave everything they had to their only child. Kim Jinkyung realized early on that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t give his parents what they wanted, so he did his best to repay them in other ways.

 

He worked hard on his own to get into a good university, and after going to university, he paid for all his tuition, as well as his living expenses. He covered his tuition with scholarships and sent the money he earned from tutoring and part-time jobs to his parents. He knew that he couldn’t repay everything he had received materially, but he wanted to do everything he could.

 

「Thank you, Jinkyung. I don’t know what good deed we did to have a child like you.」

 

“It’s nothing. Go inside. I’ll hang up.”

 

After the short call, Kim Jinkyung felt uneasy, as if he had swallowed a stone. He could vividly picture his parents smiling brightly after receiving a flower gift from a stranger a few days ago.

 

Kim Jinkyung transferred all the money he had deposited into his account to his parents and sent a message. He told them that he had received a special scholarship. His parents invariably sent back messages of apology and gratitude. He knew that they couldn’t use the money he sent them and would only save it.

 

Still, they’ll use it someday.

 

Kim Jinkyung put his phone in his pocket. His wallet was empty, which made him feel empty, but he was comforted by the thought that he would get paid again after Wednesday.

 

…This is depressing too.

 

Kim Jinkyung slowly walked down the street, ruminating on his life, which had been easily bought with money.