A few days later.

Sung-hyun went out to the job center at the crack of dawn.

“Hey, Sung-hyun.”

Shin Sung-hyun, already known for being young and polite. A foreman looking for a laborer recognized him right away and picked him up on the spot.

They arrived at an officetel construction site in an old, beat-up Starex van.

Sung-hyun’s job was miscellaneous labor. Carrying things needed by the skilled workers or hauling sacks—odd jobs like that.

How much time had passed since he had started working without rest?

“Alright, alright... Let’s all take a smoke break!”

The foreman shouted from afar, and people scattered in small groups, sitting down on the ground.

Sung-hyun was no different. The only difference was that, unlike the others who were resting, he seemed deeply lost in thought.

“Big water...”

Yesterday, Seojun had given him a hint: “Big water.”

Big water.

“What could it be, ‘big water’?”

Sung-hyun really wanted to repay the man who had bought his dream.

Thanks to him, his mother was able to get surgery.

To Sung-hyun, his mother’s kidney failure was like a burden.

He didn’t particularly blame his mother or their different family circumstances, but for a 23-year-old like him, it was a heavy load to bear.

Now that the burden had lightened, he had the mental space to look around. Things he hadn’t seen before became visible.

And that was—the lost dream.

After informing his mother of the surgery and heading home, Sung-hyun happened to see firefighters rushing by with sirens wailing.

He didn’t know why, at that particular moment, the firefighters caught his eye. Fire trucks were a common sight multiple times a day.

But one thing was certain: it was different from the fire trucks he saw every day. His whole body tingled with excitement.

Yeah, that’s right... I wanted to be a firefighter like Uncle. A cool firefighter who puts out fires, saves people, and dives into blazes head-on.

I thought I didn’t have a dream, but it turns out I did...

In the end, that boss didn’t just buy his dream. He helped him find his lost dream again.

That’s why he really wanted to say it. That he’d definitely repay the favor someday...

Just then—

“Hey, Sung-hyun.”

“Oh, hello.”

The person was a middle-aged man with a hawk-like nose. He was someone Sung-hyun had exchanged greetings with several times on site.

“I’m doing fine, but you don’t look so good.”

“Huh?”

“You look like someone possessed by a ghost. Something on your mind?”

“Not really. I was just thinking.”

“About a girl, maybe?”

“Oh, come on... I don’t have a girlfriend. Come on, mister.”

“Why not? Someone like you—with decent looks and tall—girls would be lining up.”

When Sung-hyun shyly scratched his head, the hawk-nose chuckled and said,

“Youth passes by quickly. Meet as many people as you can while you’re still young.”

“I will.”

“So, what were you thinking about?”

“You probably won’t believe me even if I tell you...”

“I might not believe that damn foreman, but I trust you. Go ahead.”

“Well, it’s like this...”

Sung-hyun explained everything he had experienced, without exaggeration or omission. The hawk-nose listened and then gaped.

“There’s still people like that in the world these days?”

“You believe me?”

“Didn’t I say I trust you even if I don’t trust the foreman? You’re not the kind of guy to spin lies like that.”

“...”

“Phew... thirty million won, without asking for anything in return. Could he be terminally ill?”

“Terminally ill?”

“You know, like in novels or movies. Stories where terminal patients or elderly folks offer kindness to complete strangers.”

“That’s just movies.”

“Hmm... True enough.”

“If I at least knew his name, I’d find a way to reach out and thank him properly, but I don’t even know that. It’s frustrating.”

“Didn’t you say someone gave you a hint about him?”

“Yeah. ‘Big water.’ Does anything come to mind?”

“Big water... Hmm. All I can think of is a nightclub.”

“Come on, I said it’s a person.”

“Big water, big water... still nothing—”

Then, the hawk-nose paused.

“What is it? Did something come to mind?”

“Did the person who gave you the hint say anything else?”

“He also said something like, ‘It’s darkest under the lamp.’”

“Well, that fits perfectly then...”

“Huh?”

“Hwang Tae-su.”

“...You mean President Hwang Tae-su of the Hwang Tae-su syndicate?”

“Yeah. The ‘Tae’ in his name means ‘great,’ and ‘Su’ means ‘water.’ Literally, ‘big water.’ And if we go by the ‘darkest under the lamp’ thing, he practically rules District 12.”

“Now that you say it, it makes sense... but doesn’t he have a bad reputation?”

“That’s in the past.”

“Not anymore?”

“He’s doing a lot of charity work lately. This officetel too—TS Industries is building it, and they’re offering 50 out of 300 units rent-free to low-income households.”

“Rent-free?”

“Yeah. He’s not the same President Hwang from the past.”

“Huh.”

Sung-hyun let out a chuckle. The one who extended a helping hand to him was Hwang Tae-su...

Of course, that didn’t suddenly erase the gratitude he felt. He was just surprised. And...

“I feel sorry.”

“Sorry?”

“To President Hwang. I only ever heard bad things about him and assumed he must be a terrible person.”

“Who knows what got into him to start doing charity and all that, but... well, he did deserve the hate back in the day.”

“I’m sure there are still lots of people who think like I used to, right?”

“That won’t change anytime soon.”

“That’s not good...”

“Why, do you feel bad for him?”

“He’s no different from a benefactor to me.”

As he let out a sigh of pity, an idea suddenly flashed through Sung-hyun’s mind.

-……We can finally introduce the number one on the trending chart. The top spot on this week's issue chart that heated up the internet goes to a video posted by a young man on social media. Let's watch this heartwarming clip together.

“Oh, yeah. Of course I know. In the evening? I can’t do evening... Hmm, I’ll come see President Kwak at lunchtime tomorrow. How’s that? Yeah. Ah, President Kwak. Hold on a sec.”

While on the phone, Hwang Tae-su glanced at Go Hyung-geon.

“It’s noisy. Turn off the TV, huh? No, the TV’s too loud. Right. Got it. Then I’ll head to President Kwak’s place tomorrow at lunch. Yeah. That…”

Hwang Tae-su turned his head. The news anchor was still chattering away on the TV in a high-pitched voice, introducing something.

“Ha… President Kwak, I’ll call you later.”

After ending the call, Hwang Tae-su shouted out.

“Go Hyung-geon!”

“……”

“Where the hell is your head at?”

Smack!

“Aagh!”

“‘Aak,’ huh? That’s traditional court music, and I told you to turn off the damn TV! Do you know how important this business talk with President Kwak is, and you’re spacing out like this.”

“No, sir. It’s not that…”

Smack!

“‘Not that’ my ass!”

“No, just… take a look at that.”

Go Hyung-geon pointed at the TV. Hwang Tae-su glanced at it and then slapped the back of his head again.

“Yeah, yeah. Kim Mi-jung is freaking pretty. Happy now?”

“……Please, take a proper look.”

“What’s there to properly…”

Hwang Tae-su glanced back at the TV again.

What he hadn’t noticed before now caught his eye.

The subtitle at the bottom of the screen.

And alongside it, the face of a familiar young man appeared on screen.

-……I’m sorry I can only express my gratitude online like this. Next time, I’ll definitely… I don’t know when, but I’ll definitely repay the kindness the President showed me many times over. Thank you, President. Really, thank you.

-And just one more thing. I know President Hwang Tae-su has a bad reputation. I think it’s inevitable, but…

-President Hwang has been doing a lot of good deeds recently. Isn’t it possible he’s trying to make up for his past wrongs? I hope people will see him with warm eyes rather than cold ones.

Blub, blub.

Hwang Tae-su was hit by cognitive dissonance.

It was like a Talmud quote.

But why the hell is that punk showing up there?

“Sir, I mean no disrespect, but why are you on that screen?”

“……”

“What’s this about thirty million won and surgery?”

“Did that punk get some kind of dirt on you, sir?”

“If that’s the case, please tell us. We’ll find him right now and twist his neck.”

Go Hyung-geon took the lead as the rest of the muscle-bound underlings clenched their teeth. They assumed Hwang Tae-su had been blackmailed.

Otherwise, this was something that simply defied their understanding of the world.

That the mighty Hwang Tae-su gave thirty million won to a struggling youth?

‘That’s bullshit a stray dog wouldn’t believe.’

‘I’d sooner believe he’s a monster or something.’

‘Maybe he loaned it out at a crazy interest rate? Wait… did he actually lend it out at interest?’

For the subordinates who’d known him anywhere from a month to over ten years, it was just too hard to swallow.

“Um… It’s not blackmail.”

“If it’s not blackmail, then is it some kind of debt you owe him?”

“Sir, please tell us!”

“That punk’s saying your name on TV like it’s nothing!”

“If he didn’t get dirt on you, are you just going to let this slide?”

Rapid-fire questioning from his subordinates.

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

…It’s chilly. A dagger just flew into my chest. But don’t worry.

Interpretation is more important than the dream itself.

“Ah!”

It was an exclamation from Kim Si-hyun, the dream interpreter.

“As expected of the boss!”

Everyone’s eyes turned to him.

He looked genuinely moved.

“You ignorant bastards… How can the boss trust you to handle business at this rate?”

“What?”

Go Hyung-geon asked, but Kim Si-hyun ignored him and gave a respectful bow to Hwang Tae-su.

“Boss! On behalf of these idiots, I sincerely apologize! Please forgive us!”

“Huh? Oh… right. As expected, the college-educated Si-hyun understands my intentions.”

Having finished his bow, Kim Si-hyun looked back at the muscle-heads with disgust.

“You dumbasses, are your heads just for decoration? Why don’t you toss those decorations out while you’re at it?”

“……”

“Don’t you get it? The boss is laying out the big picture, dumbasses!”

“Big picture?”

“Think about it logically. Would the boss really give that brat thirty million won?”

“Of course not.”

“Then there’s your answer! The boss slipped him some cash and kicked off a full-on image makeover!”

Only then did Go Hyung-geon grasp the meaning of the big picture and let out a cry of realization.

“Oooh… such a grand strategy!”

“The boss, working with dumbasses like us, I truly respect him!”

“We failed to understand the boss’s deep intentions! We’re sorry!”

“We’re sorry!”

“……Right, that’s it. To be honest, I was waiting to see when you’d realize the picture I’d painted. Bit late, but better late than never.”(TL/N: Overlord anyone?)

…Hwang Tae-su said this as he glanced sidelong at Si-hyun, who still had his head bowed.

Guess I ought to give that guy a raise sometime soon.