Chapter 24

New York night. If the time of one month is short, it is short, but if it is long, it is long enough. I thought I’d become friends with Ellie while traveling around America, but I never thought she’d come to my room. “How is the night view of New York that you saw in person?” “It is very pretty. More than expected.” Single bed. Ellie and I lay down under the same blanket. She was wearing a thin slip. “More than Las Vegas?” “Tourist destinations and New York are different. In New York, it feels like people live hard in every light.” “Oh, I see.” There was a strange tension because it was a conversation taking place on the same bed. “But is it okay to just talk like this?” Ellie lay down on her side and said playfully. He didn’t know what her behavior meant when she came to the room. It was a giddy temptation that I didn’t want to refuse. You can touch it if you just hold out your hand. As long as they are both adults and have revealed their divorced past, there is nothing to hold back. ‘Myungwoo Oh… … I endure because of you.’ Because of Han Chae-won, I had no intention of dating someone and getting married. One night. The most reliable friend in the world is the sister of the girl you like. It’s only 30 minutes of pleasure, but I thought it couldn’t make Oh Myung-woo’s position difficult. “It’s a good night just to talk.” “Right. It is, but.” Ellie continued as she recalled the trip. “Camping in Texas was so much fun. Although the bag was very heavy because of the tent and cooking utensils. Rescuing a kitten is especially memorable.” Three kittens were found starving and scruffy at a camping site. I was looking for someone who would take me to a nearby city and raise her through Ellie’s social media. It was the first time I knew that there were celebrities with over 700,000 subscribers on social media. It’s not that there’s any special content; it’s just that he’s been posting pictures since high school. “The alligator meat I ate in New Orleans was delicious.” “Right. I didn’t expect it to taste like chicken.” It was fortunate that there were no crocodiles in Korea. It is a country that is more sincere than any other country in the world when it comes to chicken. “There are many places to visit in New York, right?” “Sure. From the Statue of Liberty… … .” Ellie stopped talking at length about the trip. Before I knew it, I could hear Kim Shin breathing evenly. “Sleep?” “… … .” “You are sleeping.” Ellie lay down on Kim Shin’s arm. I took a shower, but I still smell like a man. “I came here with a big heart.” I feel disappointed and regretful because the things I expected did not happen. Kim Shin was a very nice person. The decision to go on a trip together in San Francisco was more of an impromptu decision. As I rode the big bus around the city, I became interested in seeing how they were deeply impressed by even a small spectacle. Even then, it was only a slight interest. At the beginning of the trip, she was approached by many men at a hostel in Los Angeles. Ask for his contact information or social media, and ask him to go on a date with you, even for a day. It was a common situation, but Kim Shin just watched as she refused to contact her or ask her out for a date. When I saw that, I realized that I had no courage. But in Texas…. Aww! I was sleeping in a tent, but I heard howling wolves all night long. A severe fear came over me that the wolves could attack at any moment. Rustle rustle. Then I heard something outside the tent. “… … ?” He was curled up, holding his breath. When I woke up in the morning after sleeping like that, Kim Shin’s tent was blocking the entrance to my tent. Kim Shin was asleep with the thick wooden stick he had obtained somewhere next to him. ‘Did you protect me?’ Kim Shin did not say a word about what he had protected during the day. “Here, we’ll leave as soon as the car arrives tomorrow. I’ll pitch Ellie’s tent.” He pitches Ellie’s tent on a safe edge, and pitches his tent in front of it. From then on, it seems that something started to show. Whether riding a bus or a train. Small considerations that are taken care of without revealing them. Walking on an unfamiliar road, let yourself walk on the other side of the road where the cars are going. When the outsole of a shoe is torn, he sews it up, attaches it with glue, and repairs it. He put the heavy items in his backpack first without saying anything. He took care of her little by little and protected her silently, so I could feel the charm of a man. ‘At the hostel… It seems that you respected my wishes by letting the other men approach you.’ I just watched without interfering with them, saying that they were going on a trip together. To help whenever a dangerous situation arises with men. After the last trip to New York, he brought him home. She made a big decision and came to Kim Shin’s room because it was regrettable to break up like this. “I didn’t expect to see you leave me and fall asleep so comfortably.” The man’s arms were warm. And I felt like I was going to sleep well. “It would have been much better if I had slept in your arms like this earlier.” New York. When I woke up the next day, Ellie was sleeping on my arm pillow. ‘It’s pretty.’ I saw him sleeping nearby. I didn’t cover the duvet properly, so they covered me well. If I think about what happened last night, maybe the excitement doesn’t subside in the morning either. I was watching closely, but Ellie slightly opened her eyes. “Did you sleep well?” “Ugh.” Ellie woke up and hugged her body. It was a very difficult situation to bear from the morning. ‘Myungwoo, this baby. I endure because of you, really.’ Loyalty. Loyalty. Loyalty. I woke up in the morning and went to Times Square, a famous place. After watching a street performance, I went to a nearby restaurant. “Is this like a date?” Ellie walked around with her arms crossed. I felt how many people’s eyes gathered when I walked around with a beautiful woman. Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building. There are many buildings taller than that now, but I toured the super-large buildings with tradition and history. Big cities have the energy and charm that only big cities have. People of various races could walk around and see travelers without a break. ‘The reason why New York developed is that various people live together, but there must be wealth at the source.’ Money. The driving force that made industry, culture, and art blossom is money. It was something I felt while traveling, but I liked the noisy splendor of the big city rather than the countryside. ‘I want to make a lot of money.’ I got a lot of greed. I want to do more. I wanted to have a social impact. After visiting the sights of New York for two days, I said goodbye to Ellie. “Take care. Have a good interview.” “Call me anytime.” As Ellie said goodbye, she embraced her with both arms. After barely overcoming the last temptation, I boarded a plane from the New York airport and went to San Francisco. I arrived home in San Francisco, unpacked, and lay down on the sofa. It was fun while traveling in the US for a month, but the apartment with friends was the most comfortable. “Did you enjoy your trip?” “Okay.” It’s been a month since I’ve seen Oh Myung-woo, but it feels the same. “Something like this happened with Ellie during the trip.” Given Oh’s relationship with Lila, I had to talk about what happened with Ellie in New York. I suppressed my desire for this guy’s love. Can we expect a sincere thank you? “Crazy.” “Yes?” “Missing such a great opportunity? You don’t have the basic attitude to live in a harsh world.” “… … .” Oh Myung-woo regretted what happened with Eli, but he had a reasonable basis. The logic is that if I marry Ellie and he marries Lila, then he becomes the older brother. “Myungwoo. Also you… … .” “Yes? Are you too smart?” “not. What are you going to do?” I stayed at home in San Francisco and invested in stocks. While traveling, I constantly thought about how to manage my wealth of more than 1 trillion won and how to live in the future. You have to walk somewhere, but it was travel that you had to decide on a destination. The destination may change every moment, or you may end up in the wrong place, but I learned that those experiences are part of the journey. ‘Don’t be afraid. I can do what I want to do.’ Wouldn’t it be nice to buy stock in a company you like? I first encountered Netflix while touring various regions in the United States. The service was also available in Korea, but when I lived in a semi-basement room, I didn’t sign up for Netflix, which costs money. I can watch Korean dramas and movies. It’s also an advantage that you can watch it anytime, regardless of time.’ I was quite shocked to be able to watch the programs I wanted on TV and computers without advertisements, as long as there was an Internet connection. A service that I used quite well while traveling. “Myungwoo, what do you think of Netflix?” “Good. There wasn’t much to see at first, but Netflix is actively expanding its business.” “How?” Films, dramas, documentaries. Make a random contract and let the subscribers see it.” “Isn’t it fun to watch movies at the cinema?” “So, how many times do you go to the cinema a year?” “… … .” I got hit by a bone while being careless. To be honest, I haven’t been to a movie theater since I was dating my ex-wife. I understand that movie tickets are expensive, but how expensive is the popcorn? . ‘I’ve hardly experienced cultural life, but I’ve lived through it.’ I did see a few free shows in Las Vegas with Ellie. I received an offer to see a Broadway musical in New York, but I declined because my free time until I returned to work was reduced. To be honest, I had a bigger thought that I wouldn’t be able to overcome my desire while staying at Ellie’s house. “Even if I don’t go, people will.” “It’s not like that. But what if there is so much more to see at home?” “Is there much to see?” “I can’t say that the level is excellent. Because the standard plan is $8.99? It’s nice to be able to pay that money and watch a lot of movies and dramas. For me, it was better because Korean dramas and movies are hard to find.” It decided to invest in content companies, including Netflix. I also thought about investing in Korean companies. It would be nice to invest in bio-related companies in various ways. You can invest in Korea directly with an account in my name, but Han Chae-won was in my mind. Legally, a claim for division of property is possible up to two years after the divorce. At the time of the divorce, I finished the paperwork by handing over the villa. I chose to lose my property because I felt like I could only breathe if I left Han Chae-won. At that time, she did not know about the huge value of coins on overseas exchanges, and she did not know either. ‘Based on the point of divorce, would the value of the coin you had be about 10 billion? The marriage period is one year, and since it was originally owned, even if it were to be divided, it would be only a small fraction… … .’ It’s not a large amount by my standards, but I had no desire to give Han Chae-won a lump sum of money. If there is a trial for no reason, it will be noisy in many ways. “Myungwoo, do you know a financial expert?” “Well. If you cross a bridge, I can introduce you.” Startup founders decided to establish an investment company with financial experts who mainly deal with them. The name is Desire Investment. The company’s nationality was in Luxembourg, but it bypassed paper companies established in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Panama, Switzerland, and Monaco to disguise the source of funds. “The fee is $250,000.” “Pay right away. Please proceed as quickly as possible.” “It will take 10 days.” I thought of doing something grandiose, but having an investment company would be useful in many ways. ‘If I invest in Korea in the future, I will become a black-haired foreigner.’ Fully prepared, I went to the San Francisco airport and boarded a plane to Korea.