A Monday morning at 8 AM, no different from usual.
Today, for the first time in his life, Lee Heewoo slept in late, buried between his electric blanket and comforter. It was understandable, since as of today, Heewoo had quit his flyer distribution part-time job that required him to leave at 6 AM.
Of course, that didn’t mean he planned to live slackly doing only two part-time jobs. However, since he now had spare money on hand, instead of a part-time job with insufficient pay like flyer distribution, he intended to look for a proper job. If the opportunity arose, it would be good to quit all his current part-time jobs and look for a proper workplace like the kimchi factory he’d worked at before.
“To do that, first…”
There were a few things that needed to be done beforehand. First was stopping by the bank to check his account and verify the transfer limit. After that, he would visit the loan sharks to receive the promissory notes and settle his debts.
He had to go to his soup restaurant part-time job at twelve, so he needed to resolve everything before then. That’s why he set his alarm for 8 AM, before the bank opened, and woke up.
After organizing his bedding and getting up, Lee Heewoo washed himself thoroughly, then went to his closet and picked out the neatest clothes among those Heichi had bought him. Today was a momentous day, so Heewoo wanted to dress in what he considered his most handsome and neat outfit.
When Lee Heewoo arrived at his main bank, he pulled a number ticket fairly quickly, but perhaps because it was Monday morning, there were unusually many customers inside.
“Customer number 96?”
After waiting about forty minutes, it was finally Lee Heewoo’s turn. Heewoo, who sat down with only a transparent partition between him and the bank employee, held out his bankbook.
“I want to organize this account and increase the transfer limit.”
“Yes, sir. How much would you like to increase it?”
“To the… maximum, please.”
At the request from a customer who looked young even at a glance, the bank employee glanced at Lee Heewoo. However, the employee soon erased that expression and spoke normally.
“ID, please.”
The resident registration card he’d brought along was still so shiny it didn’t have a single worn spot. When Heewoo first made that ID, he’d trembled wondering if it originally cost this much money to make, so he’d brought it carefully today as well. After checking the ID, the bank employee soon picked up the bankbook and began processing the transaction.
While waiting for him, Heewoo felt his heart pounding for some reason. What if the 280 million that should be safely in his account suddenly disappeared? In fact, Heewoo had even had a nightmare in the middle of the night about all the money disappearing from his account.
“Sir, the maximum transfer limit is 100 million per transaction, and the daily transfer limit is 500 million—shall I set it to that?”
“Ah, yes!”
If he could transfer 100 million at a time, five times a day, he’d be able to settle his debts today. As Heewoo, who knew how much his interest accumulated each day, nodded enthusiastically, the bank employee asked with a suspicious face.
“This isn’t voice phishing, is it?”
“…Pardon?”
“Has anyone made any financial demands of you?”
“…”
Upon hearing the question, Lee Heewoo was at a loss for words for a moment. The bank employee had reason to be suspicious—some young man had come asking to increase his transfer limit to the maximum, which was certainly suspicious. Heewoo shook his head no and explained only that no one had made any financial demands and that he personally had a reason to transfer money.
“I understand. Sir, then your transfer limit has been increased to the maximum, and also, by any chance…”
What the bank employee said next was a question about whether he’d like to get a credit card. He said it was because there was a lot of money accumulated in the account so his credit rating had gone up, and Heewoo, who had never had money left in his account and was hearing this kind of product promotion for the first time, listened to the explanation all the way through with wide eyes. Then he declined with an apology and left the bank.
In any case, Lee Heewoo, who had even received a proposal he’d never received before from a bank employee, came out feeling a bit more triumphant than when he went in. He felt as if with just this reliable bankbook, he really could become a hero and accomplish anything. Heewoo’s lips curled up as he stretched out his arm and looked at the number 280 million printed in his bankbook.
“Phew.”
But this wasn’t the time to be happy. What remained now was the truly serious matter. Visiting the loan sharks’ office to receive the promissory notes and settle this protracted debt life completely. After that, the first digit would completely disappear from the 280 million in his account, but it didn’t matter. When he’d first heard about his father’s debt from his grandmother, it had been a mere 30 million, but over the past few years it had rapidly swelled to become 200 million.
Lee Heewoo visited the loan sharks’ office with a firmly resolved face. The name was ‘Gold Capital’. It was an office in a busy intersection, more respectable-looking than expected, but this was the first time Heewoo was visiting here of his own accord.
As soon as he entered, a young woman greeted Lee Heewoo. Seeing the young-looking Heewoo, the woman smiled kindly, apparently thinking something, and asked.
“What brings you here?”
“Ah, I…”
“Do you need quick cash? If that’s it, you came to the right place. We have really good student loans set up.”
She apparently saw Lee Heewoo as a college student in need of money. Heewoo shook his head and said to the woman.
“I came to pay off my debt.”
Lee Heewoo was rarely confident and also resolute. Until now, every time he faced the loan sharks, he’d felt pressured because he couldn’t pay off the debt and felt himself shrinking, but today, thinking it wasn’t like that, he could be endlessly bold.
“What? Oh my. Oh my, I see. Just a moment. I’ll call our director.”
Fortunately, the woman smiled broadly and lightly knocked on a door inside the office. She stuck her head in and said something, and after waiting briefly, a familiar-looking fat man walked out from inside. He was the guy who had come to Heewoo several times and threatened him to pay back the money.
“Huh, what. Is that Hiu?”
It’s Hee, not Hi.
The man with a heavy dialect often called Lee Heewoo “Ihiu” and addressed him however he pleased. Heewoo, who had been hit a few times by that fat man’s meaty fist before, rolled his lips inward and just nodded.
“What day is today? Hiu coming all the way to our office. You came to pay back money?”
“Yes, I…”
“Alright, how much are you gonna pay? A million won? Ten million won?”
The man who walked out naturally went to a water purifier in one corner of the office and quickly mixed and poured a cup of coffee. He didn’t seem to think Lee Heewoo had come to pay off all his debt. If he’d glimpsed even a bit of Heewoo’s life, that would be the natural reaction, so Heewoo didn’t mind.
That’s why he spoke even more firmly.
“I’m going to pay it all back. Give me the promissory note.”
“…What did that kid just say?”
The loan shark who was receiving hot water stopped his movement abruptly. Then he whipped around to look at Heewoo and said to the woman waiting beside him.
“Miss Kim, come make this coffee.”
“Yees.”
The woman who drew out her words disappeared inside. Once only Lee Heewoo and the loan shark remained in the office, Heewoo gulped. The man looked at Heewoo and asked again.
“You really came to pay back all the money?”
“Yes… So please prepare the promissory note.”
“Huh. Really.”
The man who let out an empty laugh briefly went into his room and came out with a file folder. He set it down on the green table in the center of the office, then called Heewoo over. Heewoo, who approached, faced his promissory note for the first time.
<Lee Seokwoo Kim Pilja Lee Heewoo>
One name written in place of his father’s and grandmother’s crossed-out names. Next to it was written the debt of 210 million won that had accumulated in a long line over several years. The man turned the file folder toward Heewoo and pushed it forward, saying.
“210 million won. You’re really gonna pay this all at once? You?”
An attitude full of contempt was pervasive. Nevertheless, Heewoo just nodded once silently. Heewoo rummaged through his crossbody bag and smoothly held out the bankbook he’d organized in front of the loan shark. 280 million and several hundred more. Seeing that number, the loan shark opened his mouth wide like a basin.
“What the hell. Did you win the lottery?”
“It’s not like that… If you give me the promissory note, I’ll go to the bank with you right now and transfer it. I-I already went and increased the limit too.”
“Wow. You’re really serious, huh?”
Lee Heewoo, who had even prepared to report to the police thinking things might go wrong and he could have all his money stolen, was slightly relieved to see the loan shark comply with his words more obediently than expected. After carefully putting the promissory note he handed over into his breast pocket, Heewoo returned to the bank and completed the transfer in a total of three transactions.
Lee Heewoo, who came out of the ATM, stood facing the loan shark who had followed him and watched the entire transfer process from beside him. Then he glanced around and bowed his head briefly.
“Then, goodbye…”
It was a way of saying the work was done so he should leave. The loan shark who sneered at that sight asked Heewoo.
“What, the job’s done so fuck off? Man, we’ve got some history together, you gonna be like that?”
“…”
“Alright, alright. I’m going. Come anytime if you need money again. Got it?”
The loan shark whirled around. The man who seemed like he was going to leave suddenly turned his head all the way back, then asked Heewoo with a subtle smile.
“But you, you’re really looking good? Man, you’re neat.”
The man’s two eyes swept over Heewoo from head to toe. He seemed to be saying that his outfit, which previously looked like something picked up from somewhere, had all changed to new things.
“Did you win the lottery or something. Or…”
“…”
“Ah, are you that? A Guide?”
