Chapter 55:Money and Talent Pour In

                 Chapter 55: Paper Bag (1)

*[At the end of a weary day's journey*

*The reflection I see in the mirror*

*As if I am alone*

*No one is watching me]*

The lyrics matched perfectly not only with the drama's content but also with the feel of the guide track.

*[Even when darkness falls*

*Even when I can't see the path ahead*

*Beneath the hollow alleyway*

*You are still standing there]*

*[Even as dark clouds thicken*

*And light fades, stealing my sight*

*You, even today, watch over me*

*And I, even tomorrow, will look to you]*

The climax section was wonderful too.

He closed his eyes for a moment and hummed along with the song — goosebumps rose on his forearms.

"Wow."

He was immensely satisfied.

*Who is this?*

Curious, he looked up the profile, but no matter how he looked at it, this didn't seem to be an established lyricist.

*Ryu Seong? Could this be a rookie?*

If that were true, it would be remarkable. The goosebumps still hadn't settled. Wondering if he'd been mistaken, he hummed the lyrics to the guide track again.

"This is insane."

Even after double-checking, nothing had changed. No — there was a difference. He felt an even deeper emotional resonance than the first time. Without a doubt, this was advancing to the finals.

"Phew."

He barely managed to shake off the imagery the lyrics had conjured and returned to the judging. After that, no other entry worthy of advancing to the finals appeared by composer Jeon Eun-ah's standards.

---

*

Out of nowhere, it struck him that he had far too much idle money. Even after setting aside the film investment funds, there was still a staggering 1.8 billion won sitting around. It felt like a waste to leave it all in a bank account.

"Hmm."

He felt the need to put a portion of those funds toward long-term investments. He had already told his family he was pursuing the path of a full-time investor, and having nothing to show for it would look strange. It seemed like a good idea to resume the investments in major American companies he had started and then dropped before — though the holdings would be changing.

It was a sector that had been catching his attention lately.

More precisely, he had found an ETF that seemed well-suited for truly long-term investing.

He had known ETFs were popular, but he had never actually looked into them out of disinterest. Then, a little while back, he stumbled across a video and became hooked, diving deep into research afterward.

*[A product that lists index funds on an exchange so investors can trade them conveniently like stocks.]*

That was the ETF.

There were countless ETFs out there, but one stood out to him above all others.

"QQQ really is the best."

Apple, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Tesla, and more — QQQ ETF was a collection of all the most impressive tech companies. The top ten holdings made up 60% of its composition — essentially a basket of American Nasdaq tech stocks.

1,000% over the past ten years.

In other words, a tenfold increase. Believing that life would only grow more intertwined with ever-advancing technology as time went on, he decided not to hesitate.

Out of 1.8 billion won, he transferred 300 million to a brokerage account that supported U.S. stock trading.

Late that night.

The moment the U.S. markets opened, he bought 100 million won worth of QQQ ETF.

*[Purchase executed.]*

*[Purchase executed...]*

The remaining 200 million he planned to buy in gradually over time.

"Wow."

It felt like he'd gone on an extravagant shopping spree.

*I just blew 100 million like that.*

Even though he had simply bought stocks, a strange rush of excitement came over him at having spent such an enormous sum.

*Is this what they call a buying addiction?*

"There really is something satisfying about spending money."

He chuckled and closed the brokerage app.

---

*

On a weekend morning, Ryu Seong got into his BMW 135i.

That satisfying ride.

Smiling to himself, he started the engine and set off for Haneul Orphanage. He had promised, when he first became a sponsor, that he would visit often.

*Vroooom!*

The roads got a little rough as he approached, but it wasn't a problem. He parked near the entrance to the orphanage and walked the rest of the way up.

In the distance, he could see the director.

She greeted Ryu Seong with an expression far brighter than the last time.

"You're here?"

"Yes. You've been well, I hope?"

"Of course. I can't remember the last time I was this happy. The children talk about you all the time."

Ryu Seong's eyes widened slightly at that.

"They talk about me?"

"Yes. Nearly every day."

"Ahaha…"

He felt a little embarrassed.

"Shall we head inside?"

"Oh, yes."

When they walked in, the children came into view. Their gazes were noticeably warmer than last time. In particular, the older kids who had kept their distance before now approached first. Every face was bright and cheerful — just seeing them lifted his spirits.

"Hello!"

"Hey, hey. Hi there."

The interesting thing was that once the elementary and middle schoolers acted that way, the younger children's affection skyrocketed instantly. The kids who had been a little reserved upon seeing him again now swarmed around him nonstop.

"I need to go prepare the food, so please play with the children for a little while."

"Sure, I will."

The moment the director headed to the kitchen, a child ran up to him.

"Mister! Play with us!"

"Sure, sure. What should we play?"

"Airplane!"

"Airplane?"

"Yes, give us a ride!"

He had a feeling he knew what that meant.

Though the memory was faint, he could just barely recall playing airplane as a child himself.

"Alright, I'll give you an airplane ride."

He lay down flat on his back and looked up at the ceiling.

"Like this, right?"

"Yes! That's right!"

From that position, he pressed the soles of his feet against the child's stomach and lifted them high into the air, gently holding both of their hands so they wouldn't fall.

"Wheeeeeee!"

When he wobbled them a little, the child loved it even more.

And that was how it began.

He gave them piggyback rides and even let them see the "Seoul skyline" from up high.

"Give me a Seoul tour too!"

"Me too!"

He'd grab a child's head with both palms and lift them up into the air, and they would absolutely love it.

"Let's see the Seoul skyline — can you see well up there?"

"I can see great!"

"Wahahahaha!"

Of course, Ryu Seong himself was dying.

"Huff, huff."

Still, it was oddly fun.

How long had it been since he'd played like this? In the meantime, two kids who looked like high schoolers hovered awkwardly around him.

"He's worn out. Come play with me, come on."

"Play with your unnie, okay?"

They quietly stepped in to help him out.

*Good kids.*

Watching them, he suddenly realized he didn't even know the children's names properly. He figured that as their sponsor, he should at least memorize their names. He walked straight over to the two high schoolers.

"Hey, you two."

"Yes?"

"Could you tell me everyone's names here? I want to get closer with everyone, but not knowing their names feels a bit off."

"Oh, sure!"

The boy introduced himself first.

"I'm in 11th grade, and my name is Do Yu-jong."

"Do Yu-jong, 11th grade."

The girl beside him followed.

"I'm in 10th grade. I'm Ye Ji-eun! Um… th-thank you so much for sponsoring us!"

"Me too! Really… thank you so much!"

Both high schoolers bowed deeply.

"No, it's nothing…"

In his heart, he wanted to encourage them. To tell them not to worry and to pursue what they wanted. To not be bound by memories of what they hadn't been able to do. But even those words could wound someone, depending on who was hearing them.

He didn't know these children's lives.

Idle assumptions.

The pity born from them — none of it was needed.

"Alright. Study hard."

"Yes!"

And so he let the moment pass with the simplest words he could offer.

"Okay, can you tell me the other kids' names and ages too?"

"Sure! This mischievous one here is in 8th grade, and his name is Park Chan-min."

"Park Chan-min, that's me!"

"You look like you'd be good at soccer."

"Oh, I actually am really good at soccer!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes!"

"Maybe we can play soccer together next time."

"Hehe, sounds good!"

He suddenly grew curious.

Park Chan-min — did this kid truly have a talent for soccer?

*Talent Observer.*

If he used that, what would he see?

He looked around.

There were quite a few children gathered here. He thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to look at their talents and figure out the right way to support each of them accordingly.

Of course, only if they wanted that themselves.

"I'm in 7th grade, and my name is Kim I-na!"

For now, listening to their introductions came first. Each time he heard a child's name and age, he saved it in his notes app. That way it would be easier to remember them all.

"Thanks, everyone. Alright — shall we get back to playing?"

"Yes!"

While he was playing with the children, the food was finally ready.

"Come eat, everyone."

Even the smell alone was incredible.

Ryu Seong and all the children made a dash for the enormous dining table set up along one side of the spacious living room.

"Woooow!"

"Amazing!"

"Mom, you're the absolute best!"

"Come sit down, everyone."

Ryu Seong took a seat too.

It was a magnificent spread.

So many side dishes and a tempting main course that he wasn't sure where to start — and a spicy, hearty doenjang jjigae to top it all off.

"Please, eat plenty."

"Thank you so much, Director. I'll dig in."

"Let's all eat."

"Yes! Thank you for the meal!"

He tried the doenjang jjigae first — rich and savory with just the right kick, exactly to his taste.

"Wow, this is incredibly good!"

"Thank you."

The side dishes went without saying.

*Oh wow, this one too—!*

The cheerful meal continued.

After lunch, he sat and talked with the director.

"I'm glad to hear everyone's doing well."

"It's all thanks to you."

"No — money isn't everything. It's thanks to you, not me."

"Thank you for saying that."

"Not at all. Oh, and there was something I mentioned before — could you possibly recommend other orphanages as well?"

"Places that are struggling financially, you mean?"

"Right."

"There are about two places I know of. I actually meet up with the kids from those places sometimes to play."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes."

Thanks to her, he learned about two struggling orphanages without much difficulty.

Areumdeulli Orphanage.

Huimangchan Orphanage.

He decided he would begin sponsoring both of them soon.

"And, if I may."

"Yes."

"What do you think about drawing out more of what the children want to do? Each of them must have their own dreams and goals, and since those directions are all different, it might be good to tailor the way we support them accordingly."

"Tailor it?"

"Yes. Some of the kids might be aiming to become artists or athletes, after all."

The director's eyes widened at that.

"Oh… honestly, I hadn't thought about that."

"Is that so."

"Hmm. But that's a wonderful point. Up until now, I was just happy if the children ate well and grew up healthy. Or rather, even that was a struggle, I should say."

The director looked directly at Ryu Seong.

"As long as you're alright with it, it would be the greatest gift imaginable for these children."

"I think so too."

He nodded, and the director continued.

"That said, I'm sorry to say that right now, both the children and I probably haven't had the space to think about dreams or goals. They're focused simply on living day to day. I'll set aside time to have a proper conversation with them about what you've mentioned. I'll make sure to find out what they're hoping for."

"I'd be very grateful if you did."

It seemed the Talent Observer would have to wait until next time. For now, the director and the children needed time to talk and think about their dreams and goals.

There was no need to rush.

He had three uses of it, after all.

One he'd use to assess the orphanage children's talents, and another he planned to use on Ryu Hyeon-a. She had said she wanted to be an actress, and he was curious whether she truly had talent in that direction.

The last one…

One particular child came to mind.

"Thank you for the wonderful conversation."

The director's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, not at all. Well then, I'll be heading off for today."

"Of course. Take care."

He was quietly making his way out of the orphanage when —

"Excuse me…!"

"Hm?"

"This!"

"Me too!"

Do Yu-jong and Ye Ji-eun came running out, seemingly having anticipated this, and pressed something into Ryu Seong's hands. They were cute little paper bags — he wasn't sure what was inside.

"Please get home safely!"

"Come visit again, you have to…!"

"Yeah, yeah. Thank you."

He carefully tucked them away and left the orphanage. Once he got into his car parked nearby, he took out the paper bags.

*Rustle.*

With a somehow nostalgic texture, a letter emerged from inside the bag.

"Oh…!"

He hadn't expected letters.

He couldn't even remember the last time he'd received something like this.

Especially in this day and age.

"How strange."

What made it different from a text message? It was only a matter of whether you used a phone or wrote by hand. And yet the emotions it stirred were completely different. Something mysterious that had been hiding somewhere unknown kept tickling at his chest.

"A letter."

He carefully unfolded the neatly creased paper.

One character at a time.

Words written with great care formed sentences. The feelings they conveyed wriggled near his heart like something alive.

*[…I am truly, sincerely grateful. Honestly, I'm not sure how to express this. I'll just do my very best with what I can do. I'll study incredibly hard so that you'll never regret sponsoring us! And…]*

It was a parade of words with heartfelt sincerity pressed into every stroke.

He was grateful.

A feeling he couldn't quite put into words bloomed inside Ryu Seong.

…It had been a day in which he had received so very much.

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