After 12 Hours

End and Start

“Here you go. ”

My father lifted up the bottle of soju. I took out my cup and got drunk. The glass is full and the rich man quickly smashes the cup, then takes a sip of soju at the same time. Smells of cheap soju pierces the end of the nose.

“Khh...”

Tonight, I had a drink with my father in the living room. He said, chewing the thistle with a piece of hot pepper in Norgarria.

“How hard can it be? ”

What can I say? I opened my mouth for a moment, then closed it, then barely opened.

“Hard. But I can endure hardships... and meaningless ones. I keep repeating the same thing all the time, and all I have to do is tell my boss about it... and I've been born once, and I've suffered so much being a salaryman...”

I subconsciously

‘I was in pain.'

I tried to say, but I corrected it in a hurry.

“I'm in pain.”

“Well...”

My father looked down at the empty cup without a word. I'm sorry to see you whimpering so much. Moreover, my father did the same thing for decades, and I only did this after a year. I said, refilling the glass once more.

“Father.”

“What's the matter? ”

“How long have you been working on your father's stamp? ”

“Well... since your mom started in your van year... it's only been 30 years. ”

“What about when you worked as a criminal? ”

“Considering the length of time you worked as a criminal, 35 years? ”

35 years is a long time. Longer than I've ever lived. He taught others by sweating on the stamp for a long time. I asked my father, with pure curiosity.

“How did you do the same thing for so long? Aren't you bored?”

My father looked at the soju cup filled to the brim and said,

You can't work when you think, “I'm bored..." I'm just saying, this is my life's work. You do it. ”

This life. My business. I thought about the company for a while. That's my life. It's my business. If I think about it, the answer will be quick. No, the company is right. Even if I didn't get the gig 12 hours later, I'd probably leave the company. Of course, you had to go for a few more years because of the debt. I asked my father.

“Dad, did you ever want to quit your job? ”

My father pours a full glass into my mouth at once. Perhaps that act speaks more than words.

“Why didn't you? I wanted to quit dozens and hundreds of times. When elementary school kids were fighting over their noses, when their parents came and grabbed them by the neck, or when the thugs came and laid their hands on them... why do you remember that? When I was a child...”

I nodded and replied.

“... Yes. ”

Since I was a kid, I remember some of the thick events because I went to my father's stamp. The scene where the parents came and yelled at him, and the gangsters with tattoos came and begged him. That's all I've seen, but there must have been a lot of other things. My father kept the word.

“No, gangsters are cuter. One phone call to the police and we're out of here. It's the building owner who's scarier than the thugs. If you want more people, you ask me to raise the rent... and when I do, I'm not the only one who wants to knock the building owner down and then triangulate him like that... and then do it twice. Haha”

I laughed alongside my father for a moment. At that time, he continued to say one more word.

“But every time, whenever I wanted to hit it cool, it reminded me of you and the crystal. Then... I lost the urge to hit him. ”

Hearing that makes me frown. I filled my father's cup without a word and took my shot again. Suddenly I think of a question I had with Customer Service when I was drunk.

"Why are you only sending me this? ’

‘Think for yourself. ’

I have never committed a great sin, but I have not lived a life of great good deeds. If there's a reason I got the gig, it's because of my parents' honesty and integrity. It was supposed to have been two candidacy parties, but it looks like my son did it for me. If I make money, I will be even more obedient. I once again filled my father's cup and said,

“Well done. Father, now me and Crystal...”

But it was then.

“Brother!"

Suddenly, Crystal opens her door and shouts. I was so moved by my father's words that I got drunk. Why is there a commotion?

“Why?”

However, Crystal couldn't say anything right in front of me.

“Brother!"

He just called me over and over again. My drinking father, my garlic mother in the kitchen.

"What's wrong with him? ’

I looked at the crystal with my eyes. That's how I look at crystals. Suddenly I saw a wall clock hanging in a corner of the living room. The time was just past 9 p.m.

“Brother! Brother!"

I think I know what he wants to say.

Did you get a rough look at the number on this guy? ’

But I frowned and said, pretending not to know.

“Come on, all of a sudden. Like a crazy bitch.”

Crystal said what she wanted to say.

“The lottery! ”

“What lottery? ”

I took the lottery out of my purse and put it on the statue as if it were honey. Crystal looks at it and says with a slightly trembling lips.

“2 6 15 22 36 41… oh my… really… right…”

I acted clumsily drunk.

“Really? ”

My father, who was so solemnly telling the old story, also said with his eyes closed.

“Really?"

*

Two days later, Monday. I opened the door to the bank. And as soon as I left, I called my father.

“Tiri ~ Tiri ~ Tiri”

As soon as the call is lost, my father asks me.

“Did you get it? ”

“Yes, the bank is nice to me. I don't even ask about that. ”

“Yes, thank God. But just don't go around talking. If you have a lot of money, you'll attract strange people. Me and your mom are gonna keep our mouths shut. We take care of the crystals. ”

“Yes, don't worry. ”

“Well, I hope you get the job done. ”

“Yes.”

“Okay, then I'll hang up. ”

I just stopped my father trying to get off the phone.

“Oh, Father. ”

“Yes, why? ”

“Let me know if your landlord tries to raise the rent again. That building, I'm going to buy it. ”

“Haha, okay. ”

After the call, I opened my winning account via the mobile app. The total of lottery number 1 and 5 winnings is approximately 4.7 billion KRW 32.7 million. There was 315,160,000 KRW after 33% tax in my account.

3.1 billion...

I've touched billions of units often these days, but I've never been paid this much in one lump sum. As the soccer player who scored with his fist in the road, I did a big uppercut, like a ceremony.

“Khh!”

Score again. The money in the equity account is one billion 56.73 million won. Together, the two become approximately 4.4 billion. 4.4 billion is my net worth. I think there's nothing I can do about it.

“Whew...”

I whistled and looked up at the sky. I think the blue sky will be caught right away. I've become really rich. As I was walking along the road, I gestured to the cab in plain sight.

Taxi!

A taxi will soon be standing next to me. I got in the back seat and told him where I was going.

“Please go to the station. ”

*

I walked into the company office. A colourful polo shirt in jeans. Everyone else is surprised to see me. Everyone was surprised and frozen, but the best temple approached and asked.

“What's this, Han Sang-hoon? It's your anniversary? What did you leave behind? ”

Oddly enough, he's right. I left something at work.

“Oh... I left something behind. ”

I passed him by and approached my place. Then I took out the resignation I had put in my drawer. White envelopes come out of the drawer and the Choi Temple is surprised.

“Oh… you… that… really? ”

I made it past the frozen Shrine to where the chief is.

“Who are you? All of a sudden, you get stabbed in the heart? So, what's with the outfit? What the hell?”

“I have something to tell you. ”

“What do you mean? ”

I put the resignation in front of him and said,

“I'm quitting the company as a rich man today. ”

“What?”

I feel that my eyes are drawn to me in the office. The chief looks at me slightly surprised.

“Are you... serious? You hit the bathroom wall all of a sudden? You've been out of your mind lately... and suddenly you're quitting? Are you kidding me? You don't have that in mind for long. Huh?”

Terrible, even for a man who says he's leaving.

“When I see you quit here, you're done, okay? I can't stand it here anymore, so I don't know where I'm going to work...”

I don't want to hear anymore

“Young-sik! ”

When I call his name, he looks at me in surprise.

“Tell me the truth, I'm not from this company anymore. I'm not one of yours. Now that we don't know each other, where are you half-assed? ”

The chief is surprised and can't say anything more.

“We'll see. Maybe... next time you see me, you'll say something nice to me. Please repair your resignation. ”

I left that behind and turned my back. The people in the office are slightly gazing at me. I'm sure a lot of people have been hurt by the blunder other than me, but I think they're still looking at him. It's just that the prankster Choi showed me with a little thumbs up.

"Funny guy..."

I came to my seat with a big smile and just took my personal belongings and kicked myself out of the company door. I walked out again, and again, I saw the crosswalk where it all started. Unlike when I was staring at the earth while I was late, I looked up at the sky this time. Under the skies of Gangnam are countless buildings. I looked at those buildings and muttered.

How much do you think that'll cost? ’

Hundreds to hundreds of billions. But somehow, even those buildings will soon be in my hands. Just now, bluffing. I remember what Heo Young-sik said.

You're done.

But he was wrong. You've been wrong this whole time, and you're still there. I shaken my head as if he were in front of me.

“No, I'm starting now. ”