After leaving the president's office, Seok-won entered the elevator, pressed the button for the 5th floor, and leaned against the left wall, watching the numbers on the floor display change. As the elevator slowly descended, it stopped on the 7th floor, and a young boy, who looked fresh out of high school, stepped in. The boy wore an old baseball cap pulled low over his face and carried a wooden carrier in one hand. Inside the carrier were several pairs of men's dress shoes, and as soon as Seok-won saw them, a sense of familiarity washed over him.
'He must be a shoeshine boy,' Seok-won thought.
The boy was likely collecting shoes from offices to shine, a task Seok-won was all too familiar with from his own past life. There had been a time when he himself had gone around to offices, gathering shoes in the same manner.
Lost in his memories, Seok-won almost missed his stop when the elevator arrived on the 5th floor.
"Aren't you getting off?" the boy asked, noticing that Seok-won wasn't moving even though the doors had opened.
"Oh," Seok-won quickly pressed the close button. "Sorry, wrong floor."
"Okay," the boy responded, turning his attention back to the front.
A few moments later, the elevator reached the 1st floor, and the boy, with a slight nod of his head, stepped out. Seok-won watched him for a moment before following, feeling inexplicably drawn to the boy's destination. As he walked through the lobby and out of the building, he saw the boy heading into a shoeshine shop—one that looked all too familiar.
It was the very shoeshine shop where Seok-won had worked before his strange return to the past. "How is this possible?" Seok-won muttered to himself, his expression one of surprise.
When he first returned to Korea and started his new job, he had visited the spot where the shoeshine shop used to be, but there had been nothing there. Yet now, in just a matter of days, it had reappeared.
Almost as if drawn by an unseen force, Seok-won found himself walking toward the shop. As he approached, the boy he had seen in the elevator was inside, organizing the shoes he had collected. The boy noticed Seok-won and looked at him with slight surprise.
"Oh?" the boy said, his tone questioning.
Seok-won reflexively spoke up, "I need my shoes shined. Can you do it now?"
"Uh, sure. There's no one else here right now, but…" The boy glanced down at Seok-won's shoes and tilted his head. "But your shoes look really clean. Are you sure you want them shined?"
Looking down at his own shoes, Seok-won realized they were spotless, a result of his old habit of meticulously maintaining them whenever he had a moment. The shoes gleamed without a speck of dust.
"I misspoke. I actually need to get the heels replaced," Seok-won explained.
The boy still looked at him with a hint of suspicion but suddenly waved toward the back of the shop. "Mister!" the boy called out.
As Seok-won turned around, a middle-aged man with black work sleeves and a smudged apron approached. His hands were stained with shoe polish.
"Did you bring all the shoes?" the man asked.
"Yes, I left them over there," the boy replied.
The middle-aged man patted the boy's head affectionately before turning to Seok-won with a kind smile. "Who's this?"
"He says he needs the heels on his shoes replaced," the boy answered.
The middle-aged man glanced at Seok-won and then down at his shoes. "I'll have to check the condition first. Can I take a look?"
As the man stepped inside the narrow shoeshine shop, the boy quickly brought over a plastic chair for Seok-won. "Please have a seat."
"Thank you," Seok-won said, feeling a strange sense of nostalgia as he watched the boy's polite and quick movements, which reminded him of his own younger self.
While Seok-won changed into some rubber slippers and sat down, the middle-aged man examined the shoes, turning them over in his hands. "These shoes are very well taken care of. You must cherish them a lot."
Years of experience allowed the man to assess the condition of the shoes at a glance. To him, the shoes appeared to be of high quality, with both the leather and the soles meticulously maintained, almost as if they were brand new.
When Seok-won merely smiled in response, the man placed the shoes on the floor and said, "They don't seem to be worn enough to need replacing just yet."
Most people in his line of work might have pretended not to notice and done as the customer asked to make money. But the man's honesty in pointing this out suggested he was a straightforward and sincere businessman.
"I just thought of it and wanted to get it done," Seok-won said.
"Well, if that's what you want, I can do it. It'll take about 20 minutes. Is that alright?"
"Yes, I'll wait here."
The man nodded and skillfully removed the worn heels with pliers. As he worked, the boy, who had reappeared with a paper cup of coffee, handed it to Seok-won. "Here's some coffee while you wait."
"You're quite thoughtful," Seok-won remarked.
"Heh," the boy replied, wiping his nose and then taking a seat in the corner of the shop to assist the middle-aged man.
"Just recently, this place was empty. Did you just open this shop?" Seok-won asked, watching the man work.
"I used to work in a back alley nearby, but I've moved to this spot now," the man replied, gently hammering a new heel into place.
"So, you've been in this area for a while then?"
"I've been in this line of work since I was about this boy's age, and I've been in Yeouido for around ten years."
The man gestured with the hammer towards the boy, who was now cleaning other customers' shoes with a brush. Considering the Yeouido financial district hadn't been around that long, ten years made him quite a veteran in the area.
As the man finished replacing the heels and began brushing off the dust as a service, Seok-won asked cautiously, "Have you ever heard of someone named Kim Kwang-seop who used to shine shoes around here?"
The man tilted his head in thought. "Hmm, I don't think I've heard that name before."
He then turned to the boy and asked, "Have you?"
The boy, who had been brushing off other shoes, shook his head. "Nope, never heard of him."
"I see," Seok-won said, suppressing a mix of relief and disappointment.
"All done," the man said, placing the newly heeled shoes neatly in front of Seok-won.
Seok-won stood up and tried on the shoes, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "They're perfect. How much do I owe you?"
"Two thousand won," the man replied.
Seok-won took out a ten-thousand-won bill from his wallet and handed it over.
As the man fumbled for change in his apron pocket, Seok-won waved him off. "Keep the change."
"Wait, sir!" the man called out as Seok-won turned to leave, but Seok-won pretended not to hear and headed back into the building.
As he entered the lobby, Seok-won looked down at the polished tips of his shoes and muttered bitterly to himself, "It seems that the person I was before I came back no longer exists."
Neither the boy nor the shoeshine shop owner were people he remembered, and since they didn't recognize the name he had given, it was likely that the person he had been didn't exist in this timeline.
"Then again, the very fact that I've returned to the past and taken over someone else's body is like something out of a lie."
Moreover, having two identical versions of the same person in one timeline could have caused significant problems.
"Maybe it's for the best," Seok-won concluded, realizing that while he might never see his beloved wife and daughter again, the lingering attachment and sadness he felt for his past life were now completely gone, leaving him feeling surprisingly free.
"Alright, it's time to forget the past and keep moving forward," he resolved, stepping into the waiting elevator.
***
That evening, a sleek black Mercedes-Benz glided to a stop in front of a mansion surrounded by high walls. As soon as the car halted, the chauffeur jumped out and opened the back door, and Chairman Park Tae-hong stepped out.
"Even though the sun's gone down, it's still so hot," he remarked, wiping away sweat. The humidity was so intense that it made him sweat even while standing still.
He crossed the garden, filled with the scent of grass, and entered the main house, where his wife, Mrs. Jo Deok-rye, and the housekeeper, Mrs. Gunsan, were waiting to greet him.
"Welcome home," Mrs. Jo said. "Where's Seok-won?"
At that moment, Seok-won, who had been descending the stairs, approached and bowed his head. "Welcome home, Father."
Seeing that his second son was also at home, Chairman Park turned to his chauffeur and said, "You can go now."
"Yes, sir. I'll see you tomorrow," the chauffeur replied, bowing deeply to Chairman Park before also giving a polite nod to Mrs. Jo and Seok-won. He handed the briefcase he was carrying to Mrs. Gunsan before departing.
"Have you eaten?" Mrs. Jo asked.
"I had dinner with Assemblyman Do."
"Did you drink any alcohol?" she asked.
"I just had a bottle of sake with dinner. It's so hot these days that I'm sweating a lot."
Chairman Park said he would take a shower first and headed to the bathroom. After cleaning himself and changing into comfortable clothes, he sat down at his desk in the study, as he usually did.
Just as he was about to open the briefcase and start reading a report, Mrs. Jo knocked and entered, carrying a tray.
"Aren't you going to rest? You're working again?" she asked.
"There's some work I need to finish," Chairman Park replied.
Even after coming home, he had the habit of spending an hour or two finishing up his work before going to bed. Mrs. Jo, expecting this, had already prepared some cold tea, which she placed on the desk.
"I added some honey to the ginseng tea. Since you were sweating outside, you need to replenish your sugar," she said.
"Thank you."
"And try not to overwork yourself," she added.
"Yes, yes," Chairman Park replied, giving her a look that said she was nagging.
Just then, there was another knock, and Seok-won entered, noticing that his mother was still in the room.
"Oh, both of you are here," he said.
"What's going on?" his father asked.
"I just wanted to talk to Father for a moment," Seok-won replied.
"I'll leave you two alone, then. Have a good talk, father and son," Mrs. Jo said, motioning for Seok-won to come in as she picked up the tray and left the study.
"Sit down," Chairman Park said, gesturing to the sofa.
"Yes, Father."
Once Chairman Park sat down in the center seat, Seok-won took a seat on the sofa to his left.
"So, you have something to discuss?" Chairman Park asked.
"Yes," Seok-won replied, placing a thin folder on the table in front of his father.
"What's this?" Chairman Park asked.
"It's the settlement report for the funds you entrusted me with," Seok-won replied.
Chairman Park's eyes narrowed slightly. "I gave you the money less than a month ago, and you've already completed the settlement?"
"I believe in realizing profits when they're available rather than holding on for too long," Seok-won said nonchalantly.
"Well, that's true," Chairman Park nodded slightly as he picked up the folder.
"You seem pretty confident. Let's see how much you've made," he said, flipping open the folder.
As he reviewed the contents, Chairman Park's eyebrows rose in surprise. The return rate had exceeded 12%, and he couldn't help but be impressed.
"As it states in the report, I made 19 billion won in profits by selling the stocks I bought at the low point," Seok-won explained.
"..."
"After deducting the agreed-upon bonus, the final profit you'll take home is 13.3 billion won," Seok-won concluded.
Chairman Park looked up, trying to hide his astonishment as he asked, "You made 19 billion won in a week?"
"When the British pound crashed, I made even more than that," Seok-won replied, his voice brimming with confidence.
Chairman Park was taken aback by his son's seemingly arrogant attitude but couldn't deny that he was impressed with Seok-won's abilities. Still, he tried to keep his expression neutral as he spoke.
"You've got a knack for making money, I'll give you that. But don't get too cocky. Even a monkey falls from a tree sometimes."
"Yes, Father," Seok-won replied, smiling.
Seeing that his son wasn't showing signs of arrogance despite his success, Chairman Park felt a sense of relief.
"I'll combine the profit with the principal and return it to you tomorrow," Seok-won said.
Chairman Park, however, paused for a moment before responding, "There's no need."
"Huh?"
"I'll leave the money with you. Continue to manage it."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes. Unless you lack confidence."
"Of course not. I'm happy to manage it for you."
"Then do so."
Seeing Chairman Park's response, Seok-won decided to push a little further. "This time, in addition to the profit bonus, I expect to receive a management fee as well."
"What are you talking about? That wasn't part of the deal before," Chairman Park replied, slightly frowning.
But Seok-won remained composed. "That was when you temporarily entrusted me with the funds. This time, you're formally entrusting me with the management of your assets. Naturally, the terms should be different."
Chairman Park looked at his son incredulously. "Are you showing guts in front of me now?"
"Of course not, 'sir'. I'm simply asking for fair compensation," Seok-won replied, his tone firm.
"You cheeky little…," Chairman Park muttered, slapping his knee. "Fine! But you'd better be prepared if the results aren't good."
"That won't happen, so don't worry," Seok-won said confidently.
Chairman Park couldn't help but feel both exasperated and amused by his son's self-assuredness.
"Send a contract to Director Gil tomorrow," Chairman Park ordered.
"Yes, sir."
As Chairman Park finished the ginseng tea his wife had prepared, he looked at Seok-won with a raised eyebrow. "Do you have anything else to say?"
"No, that's all. I'll take my leave now."
"Good night, Father," Seok-won said, bowing slightly before exiting the study.
Now alone, Chairman Park let out a chuckle, his stern expression finally softening.
"That kid…He's something else."
As he reopened the folder and meticulously reviewed the details, a satisfied smile spread across Chairman Park's face.