Chapter 14
Things progressed at lightning speed.
Thanks to Mrs. Kim Bok-ja’s introduction, I was able to meet a realtor and a building owner and move into a vacant space in a suitable building.
The real estate bubble has worsened, and now even finding a decent place in Seoul requires a hefty sum of money.
Especially in areas with thriving businesses, it’s not uncommon for the premium alone to reach hundreds of millions of won.
But since I had made a contract with Mrs. Kim Bok-ja, using my one year of life as collateral, I didn’t need to worry about such things at all.
“Elder, why did you call for me?”
“You came at the right time. Have a seat.”
The realtor, quite successful in this field, and the building owner I was introduced to, sat facing Mrs. Kim Bok-ja.
“I’ll speak assuming you both know how I intend to dispose of my assets and ‘goods’ after my passing.”
“……”
“Gulp.”
Mrs. Kim Bok-ja’s assets, you say?
Rumors abound that even the most formidable loan shark would be crushed not by a slap of cash, but by an avalanche of it in front of Mrs. Kim Bok-ja.
The fact that she had summoned them and introduced an unknown young man, bringing up a cryptic topic, made it impossible for them not to be nervous.
“Don’t be so tense. I’m not going to eat you. I just have something I want to confirm before I go, so I had to call on you two for help.”
“Just tell me, Madam! If you need land, buildings, or redevelopment information, I’ll get you everything……!”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Why would I need such things when I’ve already earned more than I can take with me as a parting gift? This cheeky fellow has made a one-year contract with me, putting his life on the line. So, I called you because I needed help finding him a place and taking care of some legal matters.”
As soon as Mrs. Kim Bok-ja finished speaking, the two middle-aged men gasped and looked at me with astonished eyes.
“I don’t want to be disrespectful to the Elder, but are you out of your mind?”
“There are other things to offer Mrs. Kim Bok-ja, but why would you put your life as collateral……”
“Hehe, isn’t it amusing? A young man, not even thirty, stood before me with eyes that seemed to have seen the end of the world, confidently offering his life as collateral. It was so absurd and shocking.”
“Elder, he’s still young and probably spoke carelessly without knowing better. Please be lenient……”
“I’ll have to refuse that.”
Taking a sip of peach tea, I calmly met the gazes of the two men frowning at me.
“I have something I must do, and I need your help. There’s no option to go back on my choice and live a contradictory life.”
“You punk! You’re not some pawnbroker. Do you even understand what it means to offer your life as collateral to someone who built her family in this tough city with a pawnshop?!”
“I do. If I fail to repay the debt, I’ll go with you on the day you pass, won’t I?”
“!”
Chuckling, Mrs. Kim Bok-ja took a sip of the expensive red ginseng drink the two men had brought as a gift.
“I expected you’d have figured it out the moment you said you wanted to set foot in this business. Putting aside the disposal of assets, getting rid of all the ‘goods’ is too much for this old woman’s life alone. This young and lively fellow offered his life as collateral, so I thought it was a good opportunity. Do you regret it now?”
“Not at all. If I regretted it, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place. I’d probably be lying at the bottom of the Han River, waiting for the end of the world.”
“Did you hear that? He’s quite an interesting fellow, isn’t he?”
At Mrs. Kim Bok-ja’s question, the two men straightened their postures, wiping away their cold sweat.
“Since you’ve stepped in, Elder, this young man must be in an unusual situation. Is it safe to assume he’s effectively lost his social standing?”
“He came here with all his belongings in that large duffel bag. With no fixed address and no tax payments, he’ll soon be reported missing. Seems like that’s what he wants.”
“Then I can provide a building with a suitable fake identity and a legal figurehead. Adding a dummy bank account should do the trick.”
“I’ll do my best to cooperate, Madam.”
“Good, I trust you both. I owe you a personal favor for this, so I’ll compensate you generously. Set him up with a decent place to live. The contract period is one year. If he repays the debt within a year, give him everything. If he fails, I’ll handle it myself.”
“As you wish.”
“We’re grateful that you called upon us for such a matter.”
The two men repeatedly bowed to the petite Mrs. Kim Bok-ja and then began using their buildings, legal knowledge, and all sorts of connections to create my office.
They said once the cleaning and interior companies finished the renovation, I could move in tonight.
“You heard them, right? If you move in tonight, the contract will be considered to start at exactly midnight. Bring me 100,000 dollars next year, same day, same time.”
It’s incredibly difficult for someone with no foundation, no extraordinary knowledge or talent, to amass 100,000 dollars in a year without winning the lottery.
Frankly, it’s like trying to reach for the stars. Even working on a deep-sea fishing vessel in the Arctic Ocean, it would be a close call whether I could make it in time.
“The market price as of today is 130 million won. I hope there won’t be any issues later due to price fluctuations.”
“130 million won might seem like a lot, but you’ve been working for about ten years, so you should know. A sum like that is much harder to earn than you think.”
“I know.”
The money I saved in my late twenties, working tirelessly and being frugal, was a little over 30 million won.
I’ve only been working a regular job for three years, and before that, most of my money went to living expenses, rent, and tuition while I was in college.
Even though I received scholarships, it was inevitable that a considerable amount of money would be spent for a young person in their twenties to obtain a college degree.
Afterward, I finished my meaningless military service and spent some of my savings preparing for employment. So, it was natural that even after scraping together every penny, my total assets in my late twenties were a little over 30 million won.
‘Even that wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t been living in a youth rental housing near my workplace, which saved me a lot on rent and transportation costs.’
Even if I saved the 30 million won I have now without spending a penny, I still need to come up with a net 100 million won to repay in a year.
It might be pocket change for a select few, but it was an enormous sum for someone who had always been an ordinary person. Knowing that, I didn’t cancel the contract until the very end.
It wasn’t because I was fearless or stupid, and certainly not because I had given up.
It was a life-altering decision made by none other than ‘myself’. It couldn’t be wrong.
“Oh, and don’t forget to get business cards made and put up a sign.”
The two men looked at me with exasperation at my remark. Regardless, I continued to savor the fragrant and sweet peach tea.
If I fail to prepare 130 million won in a year, I’m buried alive.
If I prepare 130 million won in a year, I get a foundation all to myself for free.
It’s an offer I can’t refuse.
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As soon as I received the call that the move-in preparations were complete, I took the note with the address, thanked them for the tea, and left the pawnshop.
The realtor and building owner were once again appalled by my rude behavior, but Mrs. Kim Bok-ja waved her hand dismissively.
“Madam, if it’s not too much to ask, could you tell us why you made a contract with that good-for-nothing? There are plenty of people across the country who would be willing to cooperate for you……”
“Didn’t you feel anything, Mr. Kim?”
“Well… I’ve met many people in this business for a long time, but I’ve never seen anyone like him.”
“I understand. You must be thinking the same thing, Mr. Song.”
“… I’m sorry to say, but yes.”
“I understand your feelings. But being on my deathbed, I could see and feel everything you couldn’t. How could I not know when the Grim Reaper beside me is grinding his teeth?”
The two men almost simultaneously held their breaths. It wasn’t because they wanted to, but because the air around them suddenly became so heavy that they couldn’t move.
No matter how hard they tried to breathe with their human strength, the air, frozen solid like ice, wouldn’t budge.
“Grim Reaper, please calm your anger. There are people here who still have many days to live.”
As Mrs. Kim Bok-ja’s gentle words continued, the flow of air suddenly returned to normal.
“Cough! Hack! M-Madam… could it be that the reason you made a contract with him is…?”
“Yes, the Grim Reaper says he can’t find that boy’s name in the Book of the Dead, no matter how hard he searches. He’s a wretch who deserves to be thrown into boiling oil and torn to shreds by thousands of blades. So, if possible, I thought it would be best to take him with me when I go, to ease the Grim Reaper’s burden. And to lessen my karma a little, too.”
“Whew, whew… how about asking a shaman or a sorcerer you know, Elder? If he’s wicked enough to make the Grim Reaper grind his teeth, you’ll definitely need their help.”
“Can you catch something without form?”
“……Ah.”
“I don’t know where or how it happened, but he’s not someone a human body can handle. No matter how skilled a shaman or sorcerer you bring, they too are bound by the limitations of a mortal body. So, we need to bind his soul with a ‘curse’ and take him.”
“But… even if you contract him with a curse, wouldn’t it be a problem if he actually raises 130 million won?”
“Then that’s fate. It means he’s not meant to leave this world yet. How can a mere old woman reveal heavenly secrets and defy fate? And you two, don’t try anything foolish. Messing with something like that won’t just end with you getting hurt.”
The two men trembled, still feeling the lingering chill.
To think that the Grim Reaper, who captures any evil spirit on sight, had to grit his teeth and endure the presence of this guy right in front of him.
They felt they had gotten involved in something they shouldn’t have, but it didn’t matter anymore. It was too late to turn back.
