Chapter 34:Money and Talent Pour In

 Chapter 34: Donjjul (2)

Dressed neatly, I visited my alma mater, Daeguk High School.

I opened the door to the teachers’ office and stepped inside.

Since there were many teachers present, I naturally drew their attention.

“Hello.”

“Oh my, isn’t this Ryu Seong?”

I approached a few familiar teachers and greeted them. Among them, the Korean language teacher welcomed me the most warmly. Back in the day, she had always been full of playfulness.

Her classes were fun too.

Honestly, I hadn’t expected such a warm welcome.

“You still look so energetic.”

“Of course! Seeing you like this feels new again. You seemed really ordinary when you were in school, right?”

“Yeah, I was quiet.”

“Yet you still left an impression. You must have had something special about you.”

“I’m not sure.”

“It’s fascinating. Anyway, what brings you here?”

“Oh, I wanted to buy some snacks for the kids.”

“Oh dear, is that so?”

“Yes. By the way, is Mr. Kim Chang-ho in class right now?”

“He probably is.”

“Ah.”

“There’s about 10 minutes left, so just wait a little.”

“Alright, thank you.”

After chatting for quite a while, time had flown by.

“It looks like class is about to end soon.”

“Then I’ll wait in the hallway.”

“Sure, see you later.”

The Korean teacher nodded and began preparing for her class. Not wanting to disturb her, I decided to wait outside the teachers’ office for the remaining time.

Ding-dong-dang-dong—

Soon the bell rang, and students poured out into the hallway in a noisy rush. Among the lively chatter, one familiar word caught my ear first.

“Hey, let’s go to the canteen! Canteen!”

“Call!”

Just hearing the word “canteen” brought back many memories. Especially the canteen right after second period—that was the best. Back then, the break was not 10 minutes but a full 15 minutes. I’m not sure if other schools were like that, but Daeguk High School was.

Ah, I remember.

That guy Shin Woo would always shout “Just one bite!” whenever we met at the canteen.

Just thinking about it made me smile.

It was fun back then.

Meanwhile, some students passing by glanced at me curiously.

“Is he a senior?”

“Probably.”

“Or maybe a new teacher?”

“Doesn’t look like it.”

Well, their attention would fade soon enough.

I had rarely been the center of attention before.

I wasn’t particularly handsome.

I wasn’t extremely tall either.

Just… average in every way.

So it was only natural.

“Hmm.”

Surprisingly, the stares lingered longer than expected.

It felt awkward.

Every single one of them was filled with curiosity.

Ryu Seong himself might not realize it, but he was clearly different from before.

The fact that he now carried himself with confidence.

That single change made a bigger difference than he thought.

His previously hunched shoulders were now straight, there was strength in his eyes, and his expression was bright. The natural aura he gave off unconsciously captured the young students’ attention.

It was then.

The long-awaited Mr. Kim Chang-ho appeared, turning the corner of the hallway.

“Teacher! Teacher…!”

“Haha, yes, I got it.”

“Hehe, for real?”

“Yes, yes.”

He was surrounded by students. It seemed he was still just as popular.

Kids are the same as ever.

Because they could feel that he genuinely cared about them.

It was impossible not to like him.

Ryu Seong had actually received a lot of help from him too.

“Huh? Isn’t that Ryu Seong?”

“Hello, sir.”

“Wow, you even came to school. Has the sun started rising in the west?”

“I missed you, so I came to visit.”

“Hah, you rascal. You’ve really changed a lot. You can even say things like that now.”

“Have I?”

“Yeah. I felt it at the last alumni meeting too.”

“I guess I’ve gotten older.”

“Older? You’re still in your prime.”

The two naturally started walking together.

Toward the teachers’ office.

“Sir, it’s currently vacation, right?”

“That’s right.”

“So after 4th period, you’ll probably skip lunch and head home?”

“Correct.”

“That works out well. I was thinking of buying some snacks for the students. Would that be okay?”

“Snacks? You mean today?”

“Anytime is fine.”

At those words, the students who had been subtly listening in perked up, their eyes sparkling. Some of the girls even made it obvious by letting out excited sounds.

“Hmm?”

Mr. Kim Chang-ho looked around at the students and let out a small chuckle.

**Notes on translation:**

- “ (Donjjul) is left as is (a Korean slang term combining “money” + “jjul” meaning to treat/buy food for others).

- School terms and cultural nuances (canteen after class, break times, teacher-student dynamics) have been kept natural in English while preserving the original feel.

- The protagonist’s name is rendered as **Ryu Seong.

---

“Looks like the kids are really interested in you.”

“Nah, they’re just curious because I said I’d buy them food.”

“Haha.”

Mr. Kim Chang-ho let out a light chuckle.

“Shall we go inside for now?”

“Ah, yes!”

The two of them entered the teachers’ office to discuss the details.

*

The school’s reaction was, of course, very welcoming.

There was no reason to refuse.

After meeting the principal and receiving permission, I spoke privately with Mr. Kim Chang-ho again.

“It’s this Friday, so in three days.”

“Yes, that seems appropriate.”

“Are you really okay with this?”

“Of course.”

“If we include all first, second, and third years, it’ll be over 600 students.”

600? I quickly tried to gauge the number.

“Uh… 600 students?”

“Yeah, that’s a lot, right?”

“No, actually… it’s too few.”

“Hmm?”

“When I was here, I think there were easily over 1,000 students…”

“Haha, it’s not the same as back then.”

“Wow, it’s worse than I thought.”

“We have to accept it. What can we do?”

Ryu Seong nodded and muttered quietly.

“Well, at least the kids will be able to eat more generously. That’s fine.”

“You could look at it that way. Those kids really have big appetites.”

Seeing Mr. Kim Chang-ho smile warmly as he said that, I could clearly feel how much he cared for the students.

“They’re at that age. They need to eat a lot.”

“That’s true. So if we order for 600 people, it’ll still be nowhere near enough. We should order at least 1.5 times that amount.”

“At least that much?”

“Exactly.”

“Then I’ll order even more than that.”

Hearing that, the teacher nodded in approval.

“Goodness, you rascal. Alright. I’ll let the kids know. By the way, what kind of food are you planning to order?”

“Hmm, I was thinking of keeping it simple, but since I’m already here, maybe it’s better to ask the students directly?”

“Oh, that’s a good idea.”

It was about time for Mr. Kim Chang-ho to head to class.

“Let’s ask Class 7. Come with me.”

“Yes!”

I followed the teacher into the classroom.

It hadn’t changed much from before.

Pushing back the flood of memories, I looked at the students who were staring at me with curious eyes.

“Alright, this is a senior who graduated about ten years ago.”

“Wow…!”

“Sir, ten years is still…”

“It’ll be ten years the day after tomorrow, what are you talking about.”

“Ahem.”

“Anyway, this senior here wants to treat his juniors to something delicious. If there’s anything you want to eat, tell him now. We need to know what you like so he can buy it for you.”

The students immediately shot their hands up.

“Chicken! Chicken!”

“Me too, chicken!”

“I want pizza and sweet and sour pork!”

A few typical late-night snacks popped up right away.

“I want pizza!”

“Both chicken and pizza!”

“Then I want chicken, pizza, and sweet and sour pork!”

Some kids were getting greedy.

I nodded as I watched the students chatter excitedly.

“Seems like we’ve got the general idea?”

“Yes, that’s more than enough.”

“Good. Here, take this too.”

The teacher handed me a sheet of paper.

“It has the number of classes per grade and the number of students per class. It’ll be better if you check it and adjust the order accordingly.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. I’m doing this because I want to. Then I’ll see you on Friday.”

“Alright, take care. Okay everyone, say goodbye.”

The students shouted loudly.

“Senior! Goodbye!”

“Yeah, study hard.”

I replied and left the classroom.

As I slowly walked out of the school, I checked the document in my hand.

First year: 11 classes.

Second year: 9 classes.

Third year: 10 classes.

Total of 30 classes.

Each class had roughly 22 students, for a total of exactly 657 students.

After finishing my calculations, I called the pizza place I had already looked up earlier — the one with the “kind influence sticker.”

(Hello, this is Blue Black Pizza Shop.)

“Hello, I’d like to ask something.”

(Go ahead.)

“Is it possible to make a large bulk order for three days from now?”

(Three days from now?)

“Yes.”

(How many servings would you like to order?)

“How many different kinds of pizza do you have?”

(We have roughly 10 varieties.)

“Um, just a moment.”

At least 5 pizzas would be needed for 20 kids to each get two slices. To be generous, let’s say 6 pizzas per class. With 30 classes, that meant at least 180 pizzas. Considering the teachers as well, 200 pizzas should be enough.

Since I was planning to order other foods besides pizza, there definitely wouldn’t be a shortage.

“I’ll order 20 of each variety.”

(Ah, so you’re ordering a total of 20 pizzas?)

“No, 20 of each kind, so that would be 200 pizzas in total.”

(Excuse me…?)

“200 pizzas. Two hundred.”

(Uh… wait, just a moment. Boss! Come quickly!)

---

Here's the natural English translation of the final part:

---

A moment of hurried whispering could be heard on the other end.

(What is it?)

(He wants to make a bulk order reservation. The quantity is huge!)

(How much is it?)

(I don’t know! You should take the call yourself.)

(Alright, give it here.)

I waited with a smile, and soon the voice changed.

(Sorry about that. I’m the owner. Could you repeat that for me?)

“Yes. You mentioned there are about 10 main varieties of pizza. I’d like to order a variety of them — 20 of each kind, for a total of 200 pizzas. Oh, and I’ll need to order plenty of cola and cider as well.”

(So, 200 pizzas in total, correct?)

“Yes, that’s right. Is that possible?”

(I’m sorry. Ordering 200 pizzas is possible, but it would take a long time, and the ones made first would lose their freshness and taste.)

“Ah, I see. That makes sense.”

(The maximum we can handle while still delivering them delicious is around 50 pizzas.)

“Hmm, then please make five of each variety.”

(Understood! Also, would you be able to make a prepayment?)

“Of course.”

(Oh, thank you so much! When would you like us to prepare them by?)

“Please deliver them to Daeguk High School by 12 PM on Friday.”

(Understood!)

“Please send me the account number by text.”

(Yes! I’ll send it right away!)

“Great. Thank you for your help.”

After finishing the pizza order, I checked the message.

The account number had arrived.

I transferred the amount written in the message: 825,000 won.

[Quest ‘Have You Ever Given Someone a Proper Beating with Money?’ has been updated.]

[Goal: 2/5]

The quest updated as expected.

After that, I called another pizza shop and ordered another 50 pizzas.

(Understood. We’ll deliver on time!)

“Yes, please take good care of it.”

As written in the quest, ordering the same item from multiple places didn’t count toward the goal.

“Now it’s 100 pizzas.”

After calling two more places, the pizza orders were finally complete.

Next was the chicken order.

I called the chicken restaurant I had already found earlier — the one with the “kind influence sticker.”

(Hello, this is PPQ Chicken.)

“I’d like to place a chicken order.”

(Go ahead.)

Even with a simple calculation of 10 chickens per class, I would need 300 chickens.

I also had to account for the teachers.

After roughly finishing the calculations, I continued.

“Please prepare a variety — fried, seasoned, and soy sauce flavors. Can I reserve a total of 100 chickens?”

(Excuse me? Uh, could you say that again?)

I mentioned the order of 100 chickens once more.

(You want a total of 100 chickens, correct?)

“Yes. Is delivery by 12 PM on Friday possible?”

(Uh… ah, yes. It’s possible! Absolutely possible.)

“Will they be freshly made and delicious?”

(Of course!)

“Then please go ahead.”

(Understood. Thank you!)

Here too, I naturally completed the payment with a prepayment.

[Quest ‘Have You Ever Given Someone a Proper Beating with Money?’ has been updated.]

[Goal: 3/5]

I split the remaining 200 chickens between two other chicken shops. Finally, I called Chinese restaurants and placed large bulk orders for sweet and sour pork, chili sweet and sour pork, kkangpung chicken, chili shrimp, and other main dishes, dividing them among three different restaurants.

“Yes, by 12 PM on Friday, please.”

(Understood!)

After finishing all of this, the quest goal had been filled at four different places.

Only one more to go.

“That last one is the problem.”

Of course, my alma mater wasn’t just the high school.

There was also an elementary school and a middle school on the same campus.

The issue was that it was currently vacation period, so the elementary and middle school students weren’t coming to school.

“Hmm.”

Still, I wasn’t in a rush.

If nothing else worked, I could just treat the Daeguk High School juniors to another round of food.

Well, there was still plenty of time.

I decided to think about it a little more.

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