On the plane to Korea.
"There really has been a lot going on," Jo Soo-deok said, and I smiled softly.
'That's true.'
I had just planned to relax and spend money freely.
That was the original plan!
But things started to feel off from the moment I was gifted a Bugatti.
'Buying Mayo was still somewhat within the normal trajectory, wasn't it?'
Then suddenly, reminiscing about the past, I impulsively shifted gears to buy Manchester United… and signed a contract with Capsulemon to cover the lack of funds.
'I have no idea what's going on anymore.'
Of course, there were plenty of enjoyable memories.
I got to watch the legendary Michael Jordan play in person.
And I even saw Mike Tyson's match from the front row, of all places.
"How about you, professor?"
"As long as I'm with you, Boss, anywhere is fine…"
"Not like that."
"No, I'm serious."
"Come on."
"You may not realize it, but…"
"…?"
"Whenever I travel with you, unbelievable things just keep happening. It might be tough at the time, but when you look back, the memories are incredible. Truly."
Well, it's not exactly wrong.
I tend to wander wherever I please and spend billions on a whim wherever I go.
It's not the kind of experience you can easily come by.
I chuckled.
I soon turned my gaze outside.
Maybe because we were far from the runway now.
All I could see were clouds and the ocean.
We'd be arriving in about two hours.
'I should greet Grandpa first, right?'
It's been a while since I've seen him.
Maybe that's why his face came to mind.
A small smile played on my face, reflected in the window.
***
A few hours later, at the Hannam-dong residence.
"You're going to buy Hyungang FC?"
"Yes."
"After a nice trip, you're suddenly spouting nonsense?"
"…"
"Have you earned enough now that you're deliberately trying to lose money?"
"It doesn't make money?"
"All you do is pay the players' wages, and there are no spectators. How would you make money?"
At the time, I wasn't very interested in football.
There were quite a few baseball fans, though.
"So, would you just give it to me then?"
"What?"
"You said there are no spectators and only wages to pay. Are you planning to sell that for money?"
It was just a sudden thought.
Someday… will I get smacked by Grandpa?
'If he hits me, I'll just have to take it. Not much I can do.'
But until then, I'll keep playing this character!
"Why don't you focus on baseball from now on and leave football to JH? If you really feel bad about it, I'll even put the Hyungang logo in the center of the uniforms."
Instead of getting angry, Grandpa just stared at me intently.
His expression said, 'What scheme are you up to now?'
"Kid… what did you see in America to come back like this?"
"How did you know I went to the U.S.?"
"What?"
"I only told you about my trip to Japan so far."
At that very moment, as if perfectly timed, there was a knock.
As Grandpa turned his head with interest, the chief secretary peeked through the slightly open door.
"A few cars were just delivered out of the blue. Did the Chairman…?"
"What in the world is that about?"
But that question only lasted a moment.
The two of them naturally turned their gazes toward me.
"What is all this?"
Grandpa's reaction was indifferent.
He's a man who would be upset if anyone questioned his love for cars.
Especially his well-known passion for classic cars.
But to his eyes… no matter how amazing a Porsche might be, it just didn't seem to impress.
"I saw it in Japan, and it looked nice."
"So a middle schooler bought a car?"
"It gets more expensive over time, right? So I bought it in advance."
"Are you talking about Chairman Dazai from Japan?"
"Yes."
"That man wouldn't easily let go of a good car…"
Grandpa trailed off, seemingly lost in thought.
Hmm.
He glanced at the Alfa Romeo parked in the back, then turned to me with wide eyes in surprise.
"Is that an 8C?"
"They explained it to me, but I don't really remember…"
After thoroughly inspecting the car, Grandpa couldn't hide his admiration.
"A 1931 race car, and it's this pristine?"
"Is that so?"
"How much did you pay for this?"
"After everything, around 8 billion won…"
I hate to say it, but judging by Grandpa's expression, I could've named 10 billion, and he would've agreed without hesitation.
Unlike with the Porsche, there was a serious intensity in his demeanor.
If he's already this surprised… I wonder how he'll react to the last car, hmm.
My prediction was spot on.
In front of the 1938 Bugatti.
"…"
Grandpa stood silently for several minutes.
Somehow, it made sense that Chairman Dazai had a separate underground collection.
Even Grandpa seemed to think this was no ordinary car.
After staring at the vehicle for a long time, Grandpa finally broke the silence with these words.
"Did you really visit Chairman Dazai?"
"Yes."
"So that man sold you this?"
"Well, not exactly."
"…?"
"He just told me to take it."
"What did you say?"
"I offered to buy it, but he absolutely refused…"
He said it was like trying to buy something from a museum—it's just not possible.
"He insisted it could only be given as a gift, so after some hesitation, I just accepted it."
Grandpa's gaze remained fixed on the Bugatti.
It felt like he'd readily accept even if I asked for 15 billion won.
'Hmm.'
Should I pretend it's filial piety and get rid of it?
Just as I was indulging in pleasant daydreams, Grandpa said something completely unexpected.
"Ji-hoon, why don't you… take over our car business?"
***
A year and a half later, at Hyungang FC's youth stadium.
Every Sunday, I played in a soccer league game.
In my past life, I had no connection to ball sports.
Back in middle and high school, I'd spend gym class reading books in the shade of the stairs.
I was that much of an outcast… so why on earth was I part of a soccer team?
'As someone aiming to own Manchester United, of course!'
At the very least, I should know how to play the game.
And so, I started playing soccer, completing a full year and all four seasons.
"Ji-hoon! Left side!"
"Move farther out!"
The team I was part of was called 'FC National,' a group made up of retired national players who formed it as a social club.
I was the only non-professional player there.
So how did an ordinary person like me end up in such a group…
After a few meetings about renting the stadium, I somehow ended up joining… Hehe.
"Ji-hoon! Stay on him!"
"Come on, stay on him! You should be falling back!"
At first, the older men were a bit hesitant around me since I was a chaebol's third generation.
"What are you doing! Listen to me!"
"Don't listen to that guy!"
Maybe because I've been so friendly.
Now they treat me casually, like someone else's son.
Not that I mind.
Anyway.
"Ji-hoon!"
Calling my name.
Thwack!
A pass shot like a strike, as if they were aiming for a goal.
Am I really supposed to catch that?
"Sorry, it's too long!"
Not too long, just way too strong!
But still, I ran for it.
Head down, sprinting at full speed.
Breathing heavily right from the start.
It's a technique I learned from a professional coach.
Pat-pat-pat!
It was more useful than I thought.
Whoosh! Thud.
I barely managed to trap the ball with a tackle.
"Wow?"
"He's young, that's why."
I could hear the envious voices of the older guys.
If there's one thing I've realized after working out hard for the past year…
Tap. Tap.
It's that my body is surprisingly well-suited for sports.
My foot skills are nowhere near professional level, of course, but…
Zip!
My burst speed.
Whoosh.
And my sudden changes in direction are at least on par with a decent track athlete.
But still.
Thump!
"What's with that pass!"
"Keep it low!"
My footwork is still subpar… Oof!
As a result, I'm only used for "run and chase" in this team.
Beep! Beep! Beeeep!
Ugh.
I ran around for 90 minutes and didn't even get a single shot. Is this for real?
What can I do?
I've got to resort to some mental consolation at times like this.
'I have the best stamina!'
It's true, though. All the older guys are sprawled out on the ground.
I'm the only one still standing!
Being sixteen definitely helps, but still, I'm pretty confident in my stamina.
Soccer's just once a week for me, and the other six days are all about boxing. I end up running 10 kilometers a day, and thanks to that, my lung capacity is… Oh, wait, why boxing all of a sudden, you ask?
The reason's simple.
I couldn't get Tyson's match out of my head!
So now, I box six days a week and play soccer on the seventh. I'm living almost like an athlete (or like the singer Kim X-kook).
"Good job, everyone. I'll head out first."
"Have a meal before you go, man!"
"Sorry, I've got some things to take care of."
If I stay, I'll just end up serving drinks from broad daylight…
Having worked up a sweat, I hurried to shower and make my escape.
Hmm?
One of the secretary's staff was striding towards me.
"The chairman is asking for you."
"Why?"
"Judging by the fact that he's at the Hyungang Auto headquarters…"
"…?"
He had promised to listen to me if I made 100 billion won in sales through the game.
My brother is the heir.
I'm just his assistant.
But lately, that rule has been slowly crumbling.
Ever since my brother started high school, those kinds of things have been happening more frequently. Then, using his entrance exams as an excuse, he's now openly encouraging me to take part in the business!
Of course, I keep dodging by reminding everyone of our original agreement…
They just want me to take charge of one thing—a single car division—to ease my brother's burden.
But it's not so easy to keep refusing.
'Once you take over the car division, that's it!'
Just one more thing, it's not forever, just for a while… Oh, you're doing well.
'And then you're stuck with it for life.'
What can I do?
I can already see where this is headed, so I need to come up with my own plan.
I looked back at the staff member and said, "I've still got some work to finish."
"…?"
"If I'm going to see Grandpa, it's going to take a bit of time."
"You'll need to arrive by three at the latest…"
Plenty of time, then.
After showering, I headed to my office inside the stadium.
On my desk, a pile of documents awaited approval.
Usually, there isn't much to do for a football club.
But because I've been starting various projects, it felt like the number of things to approve kept increasing.
The first document was about selecting a grass maintenance company.
Normally, we'd just hand this off to a local company, but I had contracted the care of not only the professional team's field but also the youth stadium's field to a company from Spain.
The cost is quite high, but proper grass management is essential for playing technical football, after all.
I quickly signed that document and moved on to the second.
It was about transferring one of Hyungang's youth players to Belgium.
Since I own both clubs, one signature would complete the transfer.
If the player does well in Belgium, then maybe on to France. If he does well there, perhaps one day Manchester United?
Of course, I haven't bought United yet, but ahem!
Speaking of which, I wondered how things were going with Manchester United these days.
Since the topic had come up, I picked up the phone.
The recipient was Baker, who was currently in the UK.
Perhaps because he was busy with business, I couldn't get through.
As a result, I had to leave a message in his voicemail.
The message wasn't long.
I asked how things were going over there.
How the players were doing.
And specifically, whether Ronaldo was doing well.
As I was about to hang up, it hit me:
Once the call ended, I'd have to head straight to Hyungang Auto's headquarters.
Was that why?
After a brief hesitation, I added one more thing.
"Please look into some study abroad options for me. In the UK. Not for football, but for a regular student."