Chapter 36:Money and Talent Pour In

 Chapter 36: Sponsorship Account (1)

On the way, just in case, he made a phone call.

(“Hello, this is Haneul Orphanage.”)

“Hello?”

(“Yes, who is this?”)

“I wanted to ask something. I’d like to sponsor a meal for the orphanage.”

(“Ah, you mean food?”)

“Yes, delivery food.”

(“Ahhh…”)

There was a brief moment of silence.

(“Thank you. But if it’s delivery food, it’s probably something like chicken or pizza… I’m worried it might be too greasy and heavy for the children.”)

At those words, a smile formed on Ryu Seong’s lips.

Wow, really.

He hadn’t expected her to worry about something like that.

That made him like her even more.

“There are plenty of other foods besides chicken and pizza.”

(“Really?”)

“Yes. Sushi and Korean course meals are all available for delivery these days. Grilled meat too.”

(“Hmm, in that case, we’d be very grateful.”)

“I’d like to visit in person first. Would that be okay?”

(“Of course.”)

“Then I’ll head over right now. I’m actually in the neighborhood.”

(“Alright, understood.”)

After hanging up, he checked the map and started moving.

Is this the right place…?

He walked along the narrow path behind the residential area, winding through the twists and turns. After walking uphill for a while, he began to wonder if he was actually hiking.

Around that time.

A building faintly appeared behind a massive tree.

“Wow…”

That was Haneul Orphanage.

After navigating the bumpy path, he finally reached the orphanage’s front gate. When he turned around, the entire neighborhood came into view at once.

“What a view.”

However, objectively speaking, the orphanage’s location wasn’t great.

There was a road, but it looked quite rough and difficult to access.

At that moment, he sensed someone’s presence.

He turned his head and saw a middle-aged woman, presumably the director, approaching.

“Are you the person who called?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“I’m Han Ae-ra, the director of Haneul Orphanage.”

“I’m Ryu Seong.”

“Shall we go inside first?”

“Yes.”

He glanced at her briefly. The atmosphere around her was peculiar.

She seemed kind and warm, yet at the same time, there was something tough and resilient about her.

“Please have a seat for a moment.”

She then brought him a glass of cold tea.

Even though the weather was hot, being in the mountains made the breeze cool. The tea had ice cubes floating in it, and after one sip, the remaining heat in his body disappeared in an instant.

“This is really refreshing.”

“I’m glad. By the way, you wanted to buy food for the children?”

“Yes.”

“Perfect timing. I was just wondering what to make for dinner tonight. Thank you so much.”

“So, you’re giving me permission?”

“Of course. But I’d appreciate it if you could avoid anything too greasy.”

“I’ll make sure of that. By the way, how many children are there in total?”

“There are two infants, three lower-grade elementary students, two upper-grade elementary students, three middle schoolers, and two high schoolers.”

The number was larger than he had expected.

Still, the house was quite spacious.

“Twelve in total.”

“Yes. The little ones don’t eat much, so please keep that in mind.”

“Understood. I’ll show you a few restaurants.”

“Let’s take a look.”

Ryu Seong checked the restaurants he had already looked up.

Among the places with the “Good Influence” sticker, there were three that served reasonably light and healthy food.

They were a bit far away, but if he paid enough for delivery, they would probably deliver even from that distance.

“There’s also samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup).”

“Yes, this place seems good too, right?”

“It’s more than enough. Actually…”

A look of apology crossed the director’s face.

“We can’t easily provide this kind of food for the children. We talk about caring for their health, but that’s often just an excuse. In most cases, we simply can’t afford it or it feels too burdensome. I feel sorry about that.”

“…”

What could he possibly say here?

That he understood?

That would have been far too obvious a lie.

So Ryu Seong kept his mouth shut.

The director smiled faintly and continued.

“Even this time, the children will probably want chicken or pizza more. I’m the one insisting on this for my own sake. Because they’re children, I want to give them even slightly better food. It might be an unnecessary greed on my part.”

“I think it’s a good thing.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

He meant it.

He could clearly feel how much she cared for the children.

Raising them healthily.

That was what the director of this orphanage wanted most.

“This one looks good too.”

“Then, shall we order from these two places? Oh, if delivery isn’t convenient, how about going to a restaurant you like and eating there in person?”

The director shook her head.

“The kids will be more comfortable eating here.”

“Understood. Then delivery would be better, as planned. It’s easier and more convenient when having a variety of dishes.”

“We’d really appreciate it.”

“Please choose the detailed menu as well.”

“Then… this one and this one…”

Ryu Seong noted down the director’s menu selections.

“Would this be enough?”

“It should be plenty. I’ll make a reservation so it arrives by 6 p.m.”

The actual ordering could be done after he left.

But one important matter still remained.

The more he talked with the director, the firmer his decision became, so he spoke without hesitation.

“Also…”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“I’d like to do regular sponsorship as well.”

“Regular sponsorship?”

He felt like he could trust this place.

Of course, he would visit often and check the statements, but still.

“Is that possible?”

“Of course it’s possible. I’m just… truly grateful.”

Even without hearing the method or the amount, the director smiled brightly. Seeing her genuine joy, Ryu Seong couldn’t help but smile too.

“Thank you for the sponsorship.”

However, the director soon erased her smile and looked directly at Ryu Seong. She had returned to her characteristic firm demeanor.

“If you provide financial support, we can send you detailed statements. But… can you really trust them?”

“Pardon?”

“No matter where you go, it’s the same, but in private orphanages like ours, it’s much easier to manipulate the records.”

“Ah… I see. I didn’t know that.”

“So, if possible, another method would be better.”

“Another method…?”

“May I suggest one?”

“Of course.”

The director then began to explain.

“How about creating individual bank accounts for each child and depositing sponsorship money into them?”

“Individual accounts…”

“Because bank statements can’t be easily manipulated. If you still feel uneasy, you can always go to the bank yourself to check.”

“That makes sense.”

“It would be even better if we restrict access to the accounts until the children graduate. Kids tend to spend money more easily than you’d think. Of course, that’s just from my perspective. Anyway, if you do it that way, it will be a great help for the children when they settle into society after graduation.”

The director’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

It was impossible to refuse.

How could he reject her sincere wish to support the children’s futures — not just while they were here, but even after they left?

“That sounds really good. I like it a lot.”

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Absolutely. I really like the idea. However… if I may add one more suggestion, I think it would be better to differentiate the sponsorship amounts for now.”

“Differentiate…?”

“Aren’t the high school students about to leave the orphanage soon?”

“That’s right.”

“So, I think we should significantly increase the ratio for the two high schoolers and then apply different amounts according to age groups below them. The differentiation might feel a bit uncomfortable, but realistically, it makes sense to give more help to the high schoolers who will be leaving soon. We can always adjust the shortfall later as we continue the sponsorship.”

It was a sponsorship that prioritized the high schoolers, who would be leaving in just a year or two.

As the director, she couldn’t possibly refuse.

“…Thank you. Really.”

There were 12 children in total.

Even if they split 2 million won among them, over time it would accumulate into a substantial amount. Ryu Seong spent about ten more minutes talking with the director, filling in the remaining details.

“This should be enough for now.”

“Then shall we go open the sponsorship accounts first?”

“Sure, let’s do that.”

“And…”

“Yes?”

“I’ll also make a separate donation to the orphanage itself.”

The director’s eyes widened at Ryu Seong’s words.

“As I mentioned earlier, that kind of…”

She had said that private orphanages could easily manipulate records, but even that depended on the person running it. Moreover, there was now a system that completely erased any doubt.

[The quest ‘Welcome, Is This Your First Time Doing Regular Sponsorship?’ is responding.]

[This individual operates the orphanage with not a single trace of shame. Although they receive support from the district office, it is at an insufficient level to maintain operations. They also receive some donations, but those are likewise far from enough. What she wants is solely the bright future of the children.]

The long-awaited quest message appeared.

“Not a single trace of shame.”

With this, his trust level toward her had risen to 100%. There was no longer any reason not to sponsor.

“I’ll trust you.”

“You shouldn’t trust people so easily…”

Ryu Seong simply smiled.

He couldn’t explain the system to her.

“For now, I’ll sponsor a total of 2 million won into the children’s individual accounts and 1 million won separately into the orphanage’s account. Of course, you’ll need to send me the statements at regular intervals.”

“…I will.”

“Are all the children here right now?”

“Yes, they are.”

“Then let’s all go to the bank together.”

The director nodded and stood up, gathering all the children in one place. They looked at the stranger, Ryu Seong, while maintaining a subtle wariness.

“Hi. I’m just someone who came for volunteer work.”

“Hello…”

“Please take care of us.”

Becoming close with them was something that could be done slowly over time. For now, the priority was opening the accounts before the bank closed.

“Let’s head out.”

“Alright, kids. Today we’re going to the bank with this gentleman. Okay?”

“Yes! Sounds good!”

“But why the bank?”

“I like the bank! Bank!”

“Are we all going?”

At the children’s questions, the director smiled.

“This gentleman said he wants to sponsor all of you. So we have to go make accounts for everyone.”

“S-Sponsorship?”

“Yes.”

“Directly for us?”

“That’s right. Directly for you. It’s in preparation for when you leave here one day.”

“Ah…”

The strongest reactions came from the two high schoolers.

A boy and a girl.

They glanced at each other before turning their heads back toward Ryu Seong.

“Th-Thank you.”

“Thank you.”

The rest of the children also bowed and greeted him.

They placed their hands on their stomachs and bowed 90 degrees.

“Thank you so much!”

Ryu Seong smiled and nodded.

“Alright, shall we get going? We might be late otherwise.”

“Ah, yes!”

“Let’s go quickly!”

He headed to the nearby bank together with them. They took a number ticket from the machine near the entrance, waited their turn, and opened sponsorship accounts for the children.

With several conditions attached.

The bank employee reacted accordingly.

“These are sponsorship accounts for the orphanage children?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Then how about opening this type of account?”

The employee recommended a specific product.

“This account allows you to set a period during which withdrawals are impossible. It’s like a housing subscription account — deposits only. When canceling…”

After listening, it was exactly what he wanted.

The best part was that withdrawals could be blocked.

It was a passing grade.

He set it up so that when the account was eventually closed, a notification would be sent to three people: himself, the director, and the account owner. After adding a few more conditions, he successfully opened sponsorship accounts for all the children.

“Then, we’ll proceed with the account openings.”

“Yes.”

Soon, the newly created accounts found their owners.

It was a clean finish.

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