Chapter 44: Unexpected News

“A computer is going to fit inside a cellphone,”

Steve’s eyes widened at my words.

He paused, lost in thought for a moment, then burst out laughing.

“Hahaha, Charlie!”

“Why is that hard to believe?”

“No, I can imagine it. Just think about the world that would unfold if a computer fit inside that tiny phone!”

I smiled in agreement.

“It might be far off, but I truly believe that world will come. If it does, you’d know better than I would, Steve.”

“Of course! Hah… that was a nice thought.”

A look of joy lingered on his face, as if he were savoring the moment.

With that, we left the restaurant.

“I had a lot of fun today. Let’s meet up and chat more often!”

“I’m investing in Steve Jobs! Don’t forget me!”

* * *

“You said this time you just need to give up, right? Why are you being so stubborn?”

The coach’s voice grew louder as he watched Park Hyeonseong standing silently.

Angry, the coach finally slapped Park Hyeonseong across the face.

“You need to learn how to yield to your seniors! What makes you think you’re so great? Is it hard to just let someone win?”

“I’m sorry,”

Park Hyeonseong apologized, but he never said he would concede.

“Fine. Then I’ll make sure you can’t compete at all! Hey! Lock the gym door!”

As the coach glared at the athletes training, one of them ran to lock the door.

“Get down!”

Noticing the coach picking up a wooden plank, all the training athletes exchanged nervous glances.

Park Hyeonseong silently obeyed and lay down.

“Park Hyeonseong, how arrogant are you to ignore your coach and your seniors? Do you think I’m joking? You think you can compete in judo without knowing your place?”

Whack!

The judo coach struck his thigh with the plank while cursing.

Crack!

When the plank broke, he tossed it aside and picked up another one to continue the beating.

“Coach, please stop! He might really get hurt!”

Song Min-guk, the judo captain, rushed in to intervene, but the coach shrugged him off and glared.

“You think I’m a joke too?”

“No, not at all!”

The coach shouted, looking around at the other athletes.

“Wow! Kids these days have no sense at all! Back in my day, when a coach spoke, we could only say ‘Yes!’ But now? ‘I’m sorry’? Damn, they wouldn’t even say they’d do whatever it takes!”

The athletes avoided the coach’s gaze.

Seeing this, the coach snorted and yelled at Song Min-guk.

“Hey! Captain, tell me what I did wrong! I just asked him to yield this time! That kid can be on the national team whenever! So why is he throwing a fit?”

“But… there’s a huge skill gap between Chan-seong and Hyeonseong. Honestly, do you think Chan-seong could win a medal if he becomes the national representative? And you know what being on the national team means to us…”

“Oh, so you’re ignoring me now, Song Min-guk?”

“No, I would never disrespect you, Coach. I’m just worried this could cause problems…”

Song Min-guk glanced at Park Hyeonseong, who was lying down without a sound, and then looked at the coach.

“If he gets seriously hurt and has to go to the hospital, he won’t be able to compete, right? You need to convince him!”

The coach, faced with persistent objections, threw down the plank.

“Huh… Park Hyeonseong, is your mind set in stone?”

“…”

“You stubborn fool! You could quietly disappear without anyone knowing. Do you even know who Chan-seong’s father is? Why are you being so stubborn? If you just give up this time, it would be good for you and our school! Get up!”

At the coach’s words, Park Hyeonseong jumped up and got into position.

“Hyeonseong, just so you know, I’m not doing this because I hate you. Keep that in mind!”

“I’m sorry, Coach.”

The coach shook his head and left the gym.

Everyone sighed in relief. Song Min-guk approached Park Hyeonseong and patted him on the shoulder.

“You need to be more flexible. You’re only twenty; why are you being so stubborn?”

“I’m sorry, Captain.”

“Huh… what’s there to apologize for? Still, I don’t think this is over. Are you okay where you got hit?”

Song Min-guk glanced at Park Hyeonseong’s thigh with a worried look.

“I’m fine.”

“Just to be safe, go to the hospital.”

“No, I’m good.”

“I’m ordering you as your captain! You’re not thinking of ignoring my command, are you?”

“No, I’ll go right now.”

Song Min-guk relaxed at the reply.

“After you go to the hospital, don’t come back to the dorm. Go home, rest, and come back tomorrow. I’ll talk to the coach for you.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

Park Hyeonseong bowed and left the gym. Once he disappeared from view, Song Min-guk sighed and muttered to himself.

“Damn, Chan-seong, what’s your deal? You don’t even train properly, yet you’re eyeing the national team? Judo isn’t a joke!”

Later that day, while receiving treatment at the hospital and heading to Myeong-su’s house, Park Hyeonseong was involved in a hit-and-run accident and was rushed to the emergency room in a state of unconsciousness.

* * *

The next day.

I returned to Fixie for the investment contract.

The employee who first looked at me like I was crazy now greeted our group politely and led us to the chairman’s office.

“Steve!”

“Oh! Charlie!”

Steve, who had been talking to a lawyer, stood up when he saw me and embraced me warmly.

“Welcome! This is my lawyer, Harriet.”

After exchanging pleasantries with Steve’s lawyer and introducing our lawyer, we took our seats.

“For $50 million, I’ll transfer half of my shares in NeXT Fixie, and I’ll hold all voting rights and authority from Charlie. Is that right?”

“Okay.”

The previously discussed terms were drafted into a contract and placed in front of us.

After about an hour of discussions between the lawyers, we signed the contract and shook hands.

“Now we’re in this together; let’s see each other often!”

“If I come to America, I’ll run to you first. You’re my most valuable partner!”

“Hahaha, look at you! You have great taste for a young person!”

After laughing for a while, Steve suddenly stopped and said seriously,

“You’ll probably need to reinvest most of the money you put in back into the company.”

“Do whatever you want; I’m not concerned.”

“I like that.”

After parting with Steve, I returned to New York late at night.

As I sat down to have a beer after showering, there was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Ma Seok-dae, young master.”

When I opened the door, Ma Seok-dae bowed and entered.

I tilted the beer can I was holding as I let him in.

“What’s going on?”

“I received a call from Seoul.”

But my moment of relaxation shattered in an instant.

“Young master, one of your friends, Park Hyeonseong, has been in a hit-and-run accident and is currently unconscious.”

I dropped the beer can I was holding.

“What?”

“He’s hospitalized at Korea University Hospital. I don’t know the details, but a Lee Myeong-su contacted Chief Ha about it.”

“…Please check for the earliest flight to Korea tomorrow. Make it as fast as possible.”

At my command, Ma Seok-dae immediately left.

I felt my hands tremble slightly.

‘Damn, what in the world is going on?’

My mind was racing.

After a while, I called Han Gyeong-yeong.

When he arrived at my room, he looked shocked at my condition.

“What happened? You look terrible!”

“I need to go back to Korea urgently. Can you handle the rest? I need you to contact the people I asked about and verify their locations. I’ll scout them personally. And just leave the rest in the account. Just manage the $50 million for me.”

“You’re going back to Korea? What’s going on?”

“My friend is unconscious. I need to get back quickly.”

“Understood. Call me if you need anything right away.”

After sending Han Gyeong-yeong away, I lay on my bed, unable to sleep, worrying about Hyeonseong.

‘He’ll be okay, right? He’s strong enough to get back on his feet soon… right?’

Fortunately, Manager Ma managed to secure a flight ticket.

I boarded a plane to Seoul early the next morning.

Maybe I hadn’t slept well, but I dozed off on the plane. By the time I arrived at Gimpo Airport via Hong Kong, it was already night.

Without a moment’s rest, I headed straight to Korea University Hospital where Hyeonseong was admitted.

Hyeonseong’s parents were already sitting in front of the ICU, having come up from Busan.

When Hyeonseong’s mother saw me, she suddenly broke down in tears.

“Mu-hyeok! What are we going to do about our Hyeonseong? What is happening?”

“Please calm down, ma’am.”

“Why are you bringing my son, who suffered to come from America?”

Hyeonseong’s father wore a troubled expression as well.

I gently comforted his mother and looked into the ICU. Hyeonseong was surrounded by unknown machines.

I helped her sit down in a chair and stepped outside with Hyeonseong’s father.

“Did you find out anything?”

Hyeonseong’s father sighed and took a drag from his cigarette.

In the dark, only the glow of the cigarette tip faintly illuminated his face.

“Sigh~ The witnesses didn’t see the car number. They don’t even know the model… All they remember is it was a white sedan. But in this vast Seoul, how are we supposed to find it?”

I could sense his frustration as he bit down on the cigarette filter.

“What did the hospital say?”

“Luckily, the broken bones are healing well, but they don’t know why he’s unconscious. They said to wait a few days.”

After finishing his cigarette, Hyeonseong’s father re-entered the hospital. While I sat alone, lost in thought, Myeong-su approached.

“Mu-hyeok! What on earth happened?”

“You said it happened on the way home?”

“It’s the weekend, and I get a call saying to come home for a drink. I was just shopping, and suddenly, I don’t know what’s going on. I only found out about it when Dad called. I was thinking, why isn’t this guy coming? I just kept staring at my pager like a fool.”

“Was there anything else?”

Myeong-su glanced around cautiously before speaking up.

“Don’t tell Dad, but… I heard he got beaten up by the coach at school. He was on his way home from the hospital after getting treated.”

“What? It’s not like getting hit by the sports club in high school was anything new. Why is this a big deal?”

“If Hyeon-seong went to the hospital, it must have been pretty serious. Other than that, I don’t know anything else.”

Back then, physical punishment was just part of the game. Even decades later, it wasn’t uncommon, so it’s easy to imagine how bad it is now.

I let out a deep sigh.

“Alright, I’ll go home, change, and be back tomorrow morning.”

“Okay, I’ll stay here with Dad and Mom. Hurry back!”

Leaving Myeong-su in charge, I headed back to the house in Pyeongchang-dong.

“You need to give me an answer now, right?”

Hyeon-seong was busy, but it was time to hear his decision.

As Ma Seok-dae was about to leave the room, he turned to me after hearing my words.

“I’ll follow your lead.”

I cheered inwardly but kept a serious face as I asked,

“What did I do that caught Manager Ma’s interest? Was it my work style?”

“I did like how you worked in the U.S., but…”

Ma Seok-dae paused for a moment before giving an unusually lengthy response.

“When I heard your friend was hurt, you dropped everything to come back to Korea. It made me think you wouldn’t abandon me first.”

“I promise, I will never abandon my people first.”

“Thank you, Boss.”

The title changed from ‘Young Master’ to ‘Boss.’

I looked at him with a soft smile.

“What about what I asked you to find out?”

“I’ll report back tomorrow.”

“Got it. You’ve worked hard coming all the way from the U.S.; take a break now.”

Manager Ma bowed his head and stepped outside.

Maybe it was the exhaustion piling up since yesterday, but I fell asleep without realizing it.

The next day, Manager Ma reported on the events at the Korea National Sport University judo department.

“Jo Chan-seong…”