The Famous Millionaire

Gyungsu made less than 500,000 won from manual labor on weekends. How could he decide between that and teaching the animation club kids if it was the same pay?

If Hyunwoo were in his shoes, he would definitely say yes.

First, teaching the kids would be beneficial to Gyungsu in terms of saving time since manual labor required him to go out to the contracting company early in the morning and come back home very late in the evening and teaching the kids would take him about half a day.

Second, teaching the kids would conserve his physical energy. Manual labor was so hard on him that it affected him into the next day, but teaching the kids would not have the same effect because could take a break in between.

Third, and above all, he would feel a sense of reward from how happy he will feel when he watches these kids that he has taught grow well!

Hyunwoo didn’t act hastily. As it was not an urgent thing, he controlled his impulsive inclination and gave it a little more thought, but Hyunwoo didn’t waiver at all. The more time that passed, the more desperate he felt to help the kids, and he felt Gyunsu also would be happy about his offer. Hyunwoo had no reason to hesitate if everybody would be happy about it.

Finally, Hyunwoo offered a proposal to him, “Brother, would you be willing to do tutoring instead of doing manual labor?”

“Tutoring?”

“I told you once about the Anifan, the animation club at the orphanage. Please teach them twice a week, on Sat and Sun, and I’ll pay you 500,000 won per month. How about that?

Gyungsu had a blank expression on his face instantly, but his agony didn’t last.

“500,000 won? From what time till what time?”

“You can decide.”

“When do I start?”

“It’s up to you, brother. You can start as early as this coming Sat.”

“Okay. Let me start this Sat. What should I teach them?”

“You decide, brother.”

Hyunwoo handled the matter quickly without unnecessary formality and called the House of Happiness, “The teacher has decided to start this week to teach the kids. I gave him your contact number, so he will call you after fixing his teaching schedule.”

“Thanks! Our kids will like it very much.”

Hyunwoo visited the House of Happiness on weekends. His mother went with him to meet Hyunmin. Contrary to his tough image, Hyunmin was a gentle boy. When she asked this and that, he spoke in a tiny voice.

“Do you like cooking?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Well, I have no other reason. I just like cooking.”

“What kind of food can you cook?”

“Not any particular food. Just about everything…”

Hyunwoo’s mother liked the way Hyunmin answered. Above all, she was satisfied that he was not greedy for money. When she mentioned 1.5 million won per month for his work, he just kept saying “Thank you” and lowered his head.

“There is a small room inside the side dish store. You can eat and sleep there if you need it, and when you find a good job, feel free to tell me anytime.”

“Thank you. I’ll never forget your help.”

“Don’t say that. I also thank you.”

Everybody watched them with a satisfactory expression on their faces, but Hyunwoo did not see them because he was with the Anifan club kids.

There was a brand new computer with a 3D animation program inside the club room, and the kids were gathered around it. Hyunwoo and the Anifan’s oldest member, Kang Jihun, chose the computer and the 3D program.

Kang and the Anifan kids kept bowing to Hyunwoo saying, “Thanks, thanks a million, sir.”

“If you are that thankful to me, you have to pay me back with your own success later, okay?”

“Of course. We’ll study hard to achieve success.”

Hyunwoo felt excited to see their enthusiasm.

Even Gyunsu seemed to have gotten excited to see them. From then on, he would spend all his energy to teach the kids and realize later that helping the kids would bring him an incomparable happiness.

Hyunmin went to the side dish store the next day. Though he had a few more days until he was discharged from the orphanage, he decided to take the small room in the store as his own room. Of course, he sometimes stopped by the orphanage, but his main home was the small room.

When he came home after work several days later, Hyunwoo started talking with his mother about Hyunmin the way he always did.

“The more I see him, the more I feel he is a genuine guy.”

“You mean, he is kind-hearted?”

“Of course, he is. I was worried he might have a crooked character because he was raised without parents, but he is far from it.”

In fact, Hyunwoo had also been a bit concerned about it.

The staff at the House of Happiness would only say good things about Hyunmin because he was a graduate of the orphanage. That’s why Hyunwoo took what they said about him with a grain of salt.

Hyunwoo still believed that one never knew others’ characters unless one really experienced them.

Though Hyunwoo was still young, he exposed himself to various worldly experiences since he was in middle school. He met a variety of people, and he felt that he should not doubt or trust anyone too easily. He had seen someone like Hyunmin, who he had never expected and was new to the workforce, change suddenly once.

People new to the workforce were supposed to feel tense which made them hide their true color, so when they ran into something difficult, they revealed their true colors. If they were good, it couldn’t be better, but most of the time, their hidden colors were bad.

Hyunwoo thought Hyunmin might have such a tendency, so he didn’t trust his mother’s description of Hyunmin completely.

He earnestly requested her to keep a saying mind, “Seeing is wanting. Everybody has greed, so don’t create any situations in which that Hyunmin might feel greedy for his own sake.”

“Got it. You’re better than me, my son.”

Meanwhile,Gyungsu seemed satisfied with teaching the kids.

“You’re right. They’re geniuses. Seoim especially.”

Hyunwoo tilted his head because that name is unfamiliar to him.

“Who is Seoim?”

“Don’t you know her? A small girl with white skin and thick glasses.”

When he described her, Hyunwoo recalled her. She looked sick, weak, and spoke very few words. When he saw her first, he thought she was a middle school girl, but he was surprised to find out that she was a high school student.

“Ah, Seoim Yu. What about her?”

“She is a story genius with brilliant ideas coming out of her mind. Actually, the story of Garbage World was based on her idea.”

Garbage World was a story about the trash heap. Given Gyungsu’s extraordinary praise of her, she had to be a very smart girl.

“Jihun also has a good sense for animation. Since he never learned formal drawing, his pictures are not refined, but he’s very good at creating the characters’ features. The two them are the core duo of Anifan Club.”

Hyunwoo was satisfied. Though he felt good about Gyungsu’s praise of the kids, he also felt good about Gyungsu’s positive response because obviously he was already feeling the joy of teaching them, but they differed in teaching philosophies.

“I think I have to spend more time teaching Seoim and Jihun and support them fully.”

Gyungsu’s thinking was not necessarily wrong, but it was not what Hyunwoo expected.

It was important to fully support the most promising kids, but it was also important to find and nurture those who had not yet developed their talent.

When Hyunwoo pointed that out, Gyungsu nodded his head and agreed with him, “Got it, got it. As you know, I don’t know anything like that since my speciality is animation.”

***

“Mr. President, you’ve got a call from the director of the House of Happiness,” said Daebong Park’s assistant.

Daebong tilted his head. He sometimes helped the orphanage, but he rarely got a call from its director.

“What’s the matter? Let me pick up the phone.”

He heard the voice of the director on the other end.

As soon as he said hello to the director, the latter began to say something he could not understand, “Thanks so much, President Park. We are very grateful for your year-end volunteer service. Today, we’re calling to thank you for your large donation.”

Daebong tilted his head again, “Donation? I don’t get it…”

“Haha, you’re as magnanimous as a president of a middle-sized company should be. As I hear, the program alone cost more than 4 million won, and you purchased the latest computer model, too.”

Daebong chuckled and understood. The director had confused some other company’s large donation to the orphanage for a donation from Aurum. Suddenly, Daebong felt guilty. The director’s call felt like a gentle reminder that other companies were offering financial support while Aurum’s donation was only in time.

On the other hand, Daebong was curious. What company donated the program worth more than 4 million won and the latest computer model and also hired an animation teacher for the kids?

I wonder which company made such a big donation.

It had to be some other company’s donation, so he had to clear up the director’s misunderstanding on this. There was nothing more embarrassing than receiving thanks for what someone else had done.

“Wait a minute, Director. You called Aurum. Did you call the wrong place by any chance?”

“No, I called the right place. I know you’re Daebong Park, president of Aurum.”

Daebong chuckled, “I think you confused the company name. I’ve never given such a donation. I’m actually feeling a bit guilty about that…”

“Uh? I couldn’t be wrong. How can forget you? You visited here only a few days ago. Aurum is the correct company.”

Daebong was embarrassed. He felt all the more so because the director insisted that it was his company when he didn’t donate to the orphanage this time. It made his guilt worse as he wished that he had donated that much.

The director was as embarrassed as Daebong was and just kept whispering to himself, “Obviously it was an Aurum employee.”

Then, Daebong someone telling the director the name of the Aurum employee in the background.

The director raised his voice again, “Right. Assistant Manager Hyunwoo Jang stopped by here last Saturday. I thought of calling you right away but put it off because it’s weekend. Then, it slipped out of my mind, and now, I’m calling you like this.”

“You said Assistant Manager Hyunwoo Jang?”

“Yes, he came here with his mother. My boy, Hyunmin here, got a good job thanks to him. Anyway, we thank you so much.”

Daebong just felt confused. He never gave such a direction only to Hyunwoo or anyone else. And what was that about a job?

“Sorry, but can you explain to me in more detail? I’ve never given an order like that, and I haven’t been briefed on that.”

“Really? Then, how did all of this happen?” asked the director confused.

This time the director of the House of Happiness found himself in a difficult situation. The size of the donation was several million won, and it was donated without the president’s direction or his approval according to Daebong.

Someone at Aurum might be in big trouble, the director thought. He suddenly got nervous and said, “I think I said some idle words.”

“Oh, no. Don’t worry. I’m asking as I just don’t know anything about this. What happened?”

The director didn’t replied with much reluctance because he felt it was like he was telling on the donator to Daebong, “I’m so sorry, but I can’t tell you about the donator with my own mouth. Please understand me.”

Daebong understood his feelings. Actually, he had no reason to ask the director because the man gave him Hyunwoo’s name.