Chapter 46: A New Beginning

Daesik’s family moved into the new villa that Dad had prepared. 

All the household items had already been moved in by Dad—refrigerator, washing machine, rice cooker, bedding and furniture, even the curtains. 

All Daesik’s family brought was themselves.

When Daesik’s family arrived in front of their new home and opened the front door, they fell silent for a while. 

As soon as she stepped in, Daesik’s mother sat down on the floor of the entryway and silently shed tears.

Daesik’s father bowed his head deeply and gripped Dad’s hand tightly. 

Daesik wrapped his arms around his mother’s slumped shoulders from behind.

It was a scene that needed no words.

The days spent sleeping in cars, the times spent living under someone else’s roof and gaze—those days were finally over.

Daesik wandered around the house, placing his hand on the wall. 

Smooth wallpaper, warm floors.

He stopped in the middle of the living room and muttered to himself.



“I’ll repay the kindness, even on Dad’s behalf.”



Daesik’s voice was so small that no one but me could hear it.

I walked over and patted Daesik’s shoulder. 

Without a word, Daesik nodded and covered his face with both hands. 

His shoulders trembled.

Perhaps he didn’t want to cry in front of the adults, so only after they disappeared from sight did he allow his tears to fall.

I have a feeling the events of that day will remain in my memory for a long time.



Now, Daesik’s family, Little Uncle’s family, and Aunt’s family were all going to live together in the new villa. 

Dad didn’t attach any conditions. 

He only left a single message.



【I’ll give each of you 200 million won. Start anew here and try to get settled.】



Dad gave Little Uncle and Aunt the huge sum of 200 million won each.

Of course, they were both shocked and asked where such money had come from, but Dad just smiled and said nothing more.

Today, Dad’s back looked especially broad to me.

Maybe Dad had always wanted to take care of his siblings like this.



The trees standing outside had grown bare before I noticed. 

As cold air wrapped the city on the dark evening just before the first snow, I sat at my desk, staring at the monitor.



[Hello, Unreal Oppa. This is Joosun Oh, Assistant Manager from Mideum Publishing.

This email is to inform you that discussions about adapting your work ‘Living on Rent at the Chairman’s House’ into a drama are starting in earnest. 

I’ve attached a draft contract for your review. 

Please take a look and let us know if you have any questions. 

The contract clauses and rates are close to standard, but there’s room for discussion.]



On the screen was the email from Joosun Oh at Mideum Publishing.

I immediately moved the mouse cursor and clicked on ‘Draft Drama Contract - Living on Rent at the Chairman’s House’.



[Draft Drama Adaptation Rights Contract]

Contract Date: November XX, 2000

Contract Title: 『Living on Rent at the Chairman’s House』 Drama Production and Broadcasting Rights Contract

Original Author: Unreal Oppa (Yoo Seunghyun)

Publisher: Mideum Publishing (hereafter ‘Party A’)

Drama Production Company: To be decided (hereafter ‘Party B’)

Contract Manager: Joosun Oh, Assistant Manager.

Article 1 (Purpose of Contract)

The purpose of this contract is to grant, via ‘Party A’, the necessary rights for ‘Party B’ to produce, broadcast, distribute, and create derivative works based on the original novel 『Living on Rent at the Chairman’s House』 (hereafter ‘the Original Work’) by Unreal Oppa.

Article 2 (Scope of Contract)

Includes TV drama, DVD, theater screenings, and all narrative elements based on the story, characters, and settings of the Original Work.

Adaptation is at the discretion of the production company, but major character or setting changes require prior consultation with ‘Party A’ and the author.

Article 3 (Contract Amount and Payment Conditions)

Contract Fee: 10,000,000 won (excluding VAT) – Lump sum upon signing.

Total Revenue Share:

3% of broadcasting and secondary work revenue to be distributed to the author through ‘Party A’.

If production company remains undecided within six months after signing, the contract may be automatically terminated......]



“Article 6, Miscellaneous, in case of disputes... Seoul Central District Court shall have jurisdiction in the first instance. 

Any matters not specified herein will be supplemented in writing through mutual agreement.”



Since it was my first time with a video contract, I wasn’t sure if the contract was properly drafted. 

At a glance, though, nothing seemed off.

There was nothing disadvantageous to me as the author, and considering that webtoon royalties are usually below 10%, 3% of the proceeds didn’t look bad.

Of course, a portion would go to taxes, but even so, these terms seemed pretty good.



“The contract percentage is probably determined by the author’s name value. In this industry, I’m still a rookie. It doesn’t seem bad.”



Even the contract fee seemed pretty high to me.

I’d heard that in the 2020s, rookie authors received only a few million to a few tens of millions won.

But now it was the 2000s.

A contract fee of ten million won seemed generous enough.

Legal disputes and contract periods seemed standard.

This looked good to go.

I hit reply and started writing a new message in the blank email.



[Hello, this is Unreal Oppa.

I have finished reviewing the draft contract, so I am sending this email......]



Today, the sound of typing felt especially cheerful.

With anticipation, I hit send.

It was already past mid-November, 2000.



***



2001 arrived.

It was now my second year since I started this life over again.



[Original genre novel to become a drama—full-scale production begins!!]

[‘Living on Rent at the Chairman’s House’—lead roles Hyunmin and Chaerin confirmed.]



My novel being adapted into a drama became a hot topic on the internet, TV, and newspapers. 

On top of that, the leading roles—Hyunmin, the top flower boy, and Chaerin, known for her cute looks—were confirmed.



“Wow... seriously. This is huge.”



Even the Chairman’s role was going to be played by Lee Jaesoon.

He made his mark as an OB/GYN head doctor, and the thought of him playing the Chairman in my novel made my heart pound.



“Wow, Yoo Seunghyun... you’ve really come a long way.”



I couldn’t believe that famous actors were appearing in a drama based on my novel.

Things like this really do happen to me.



“Son, is this for real? Can I see Hyunmin?”

“Oppa, get me Hyunmin’s autograph!”

“Son, Dad wants Chaerin’s, please.”



Of course, my parents and younger sister were in a frenzy.

The problem was, their excitement wasn’t about congratulating me, but about getting autographs from their favorite actors.



“If Dad produced a movie with his money, we’d get to meet even cooler people.”



I made a slightly sulky remark.

My novel was being made into a drama, yet all they cared about was getting actors’ signatures!

Even Da-hye was getting in on it.



“Heh, I have no money.”



It wasn’t the sort of thing someone with over 20 billion won in assets and no loans should say.

With the way things were going, reaching a trillion didn’t even seem like a dream, so how could he say he had no money?

I wanted to correct him, but a good son holds his tongue.

I am a saint.



“Right, right. Only I have money.”



Still, I couldn’t stop my rebellious spirit.



“That’s right, our son will support Mom, Dad, and Da-hye.”



Mom chimed in to back up Dad.



If you counted Da-hye’s assets too, our family would be worth hundreds of billions.



“Yes, yes. I’ll take responsibility.”



I, with assets in the hundreds of billions, must endure.



‘At this rate, my bank account won’t just show trillions, but hundreds of trillions, won’t it?’



During the COVID years in the 2020s.

At that time, a single bitcoin was worth 85 million won.

Suppose I bought 10 million won worth of bitcoin when it was only 1,000 won apiece.

That would be 8.5 billion won.

With 100 million won, that’s 850 billion; with a billion, that’s 8.5 trillion; and with 10 billion, 85 trillion.

Throw in a few shares of famous American companies, and my wealth would far exceed even the Saudi royal family.

I’d be a man in his thirties with assets in the hundreds of trillions.



‘Just thinking about it makes me dizzy.’



Copyright income would be nothing but pocket money by then.

The more I thought about it, the more it made my head spin.



“Haha, that’s my son.”



Dad laughed happily.

Mom and Da-hye were delighted, too.

If my family was smiling, I was ready to devote myself for them.

I blended into my family’s laughter and enjoyed the moment.



Time sped up as I got older.

In the blink of an eye, I became a high school sophomore, and Da-hye graduated elementary school.

The February morning was especially cold.

I gathered with my parents at the elementary school field for Da-hye’s graduation ceremony.

The graduation banner fluttered in the wind above the schoolyard. 

Beneath it, the children, all dressed neatly, clustered in small groups, facing the platform.

Friends and family who had come to celebrate graduation watched from below the stands, smiling at their children, nieces, or siblings.

Mom, Dad, and I waited with flower bouquets in hand for the ceremony to end.

Spotting us, Da-hye bashfully waved, checking her surroundings first.



─ We will conclude the graduation ceremony by singing the graduation song.



The ceremony ended fairly quickly. 

After the principal’s words and the diploma presentation, the choir began.



“To the sister who receives the shining diploma.”



As the graduation song began, I felt a strange tightness in my nose.

I, too, had graduated elementary school singing that song.

It felt like just yesterday, but time truly flies.

The children’s chorus filled the playground. 

Their voices were still unbroken but pure, letting me reminisce about that day.



“Farewell, juniors, farewell, dear classroom......”



Before I knew it, I was humming along with Da-hye as she sang the graduation song.

Suddenly, emotion surged up, and my eyes welled with tears.

A breeze blew, making our hair flutter.

The children’s song, the click of camera shutters in the distance, the applause from behind the stands—all these sounds followed one after another.

Someday, Da-hye would probably feel the same way I did when she was older.

All of this was seared into my memory like a single landscape.

I quietly wiped my eyes with the back of my hand.

My parents watched the scene in silence, smiling gently.



“Da-hye, congratulations on your graduation.”



As the graduation song ended, the children dispersed to meet their families.

I smiled and handed the bouquet to Da-hye.



“These flowers are way too big.”



Da-hye complained about the size of the bouquet, but hugged it tightly with a beaming smile.

I wanted to tell her how proud I was of all her hard work, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

After all, graduating elementary school was just the opening chapter of Da-hye’s story.

There would be tougher days ahead, but I hoped she’d make it through them well.



“Oppa, since I’m a middle schooler now, my allowance is 100,000 won, right? No, make it 150,000.”



Just then, a voice shattered my sentimentality.

I burst out laughing.



“What do you mean, negotiation? For graduation, it stays at 100,000. Negotiations failed.”

“Ugh, so mean!! Seriously!!!”



Da-hye puffed out her cheeks in mock annoyance, but a smile never left her lips.

Seeing her like that made me laugh again.

Graduation isn’t the end, but a beginning.

There is no such thing as an end in this world until we close our eyes—there is only ever a beginning.

We boarded a new ship for a new journey.

Let’s charge ahead in 2001 as well.