CH 487

“Why are there more people now?” Jo Gyu-Min scanned the living room in flabbergast.

He figured the odds of everyone remaining were pretty low, but not zero. Realistically speaking, though, he expected at least one person, maybe two, might leave. However...!

Maybe his eyes were malfunctioning, but the number of children in the living room seemed to have gone up!

“What is going on here...?” Jo Gyu-Min tilted his head.

Thankfully, Park Yu-Min came to his rescue right on time. “What the heck? You guys, you're from technical and vocational schools, so what are you doing here?”

One of the boys looked unhappy at that line of questioning and sourly muttered, "What's the matter, hyung? We are not supposed to go to universities or something?"

“N-no, not really... That's not what I'm...” Park Yu-Min faltered and began hesitating, but that opened more room for immediate counterattacks.

“If we are also eligible for tertiary education, please include us, too! It's discrimination to only help out those attending regular schools, you know!”

“Yeah, he's right, you know!”

Park Yu-Min could only chuckle in dismay. Since when did these brats care about studying like this? Didn't they pretend to not hear him whenever he nagged about taking education more seriously?! What was going on here?

Park Yu-Min wasn't the only one with complaints, however. The orphanage kids attending technical high schools also had lots of things to say.

“At least, you could've done a better job noise-proofing the building, you know? How can anyone stay still after listening to everything being said in the living room?”

“Someone was, like, busy hurling insults in our way, you know? Saying stuff like we're ungrateful parasites only here to suck you dry.”

Jo Mi-Hye blushed immediately. “I didn't say that!”

“You weren't too far off, though,” said one of the kids making bitter faces. “I don't mind enjoying a buffet at the expense of our kind government and not caring about the bills, but this isn't that, right? So, we gotta start pulling our weight, too.”

“But, how can we do anything when we don't know anything?”

“And that's why we're here, you see? So, let's get cracking, guys.”

Jo Gyu-Min couldn't help but chuckle helplessly at how cheeky these brats were.

'Well, they are kids, alright.'

Just how many of them here were serious about studying diligently to improve their grades? Most of them must've been swept up in the mob mentality or simply tagging along since everyone else was seemingly doing it.

This was not what Jo Gyu-Min wanted.

“There is something I want to say to you all...” Jo Gyu-Min addressed the crowd in a quiet but weighty voice. “A student's reason for existence is to study, yes. However, studying shouldn't become everything in your life.”

Something about Jo Gyu-Min's voice had this power to attract people's attention. One person stating something might not change listeners' minds, but someone else saying the same thing could easily do that. In that sense, Jo Gyu-Min was perhaps the most optimally-tuned individual to address a crowd.

To borrow Ju Yeong-Gi's evaluation of the man... If Jo Gyu-Min hadn't received a good education, he would've become an excellent con man.

“Your academic records will make your road to success a little smoother, but it won't guarantee whether you will make it or not. Actually, it can even make you see how unfair life can be. One day you'll end up questioning yourselves with, I've studied this hard and still only got this far, but why did that person succeed in life without even trying?”

Jo Gyu-Min stopped there and glanced around to check if everyone's gaze was chasing after him. He smirked softly before continuing from where he left off.

“Choosing to focus on studying might block off other paths in life for you. Other paths to success, that is. Even so, you still wish to improve your school grades? If so, please stay. Attempting to go down this route with halfhearted determination will get you nowhere, after all.”

A bout of silence descended in the living room. When a child expressed their wish to study and improve their school grades, the usual thing would be to praise them for their maturity. The orphanage kids expected something similar to that, so Jo Gyu-Min's announcement about focusing on studying potentially blocking other paths in life left them confused and uncertain. It seemed so pragmatic yet difficult to understand.

At their age, it was natural for them to seek an already-set answer from someone. Unfortunately, Jo Gyu-Min just implied that there was no correct answer here.

“Okay, so... You wish to study, eh?” Jo Gyu-Min's gaze landed on Han Jin-Seong next.

Unsurprisingly, Han Jin-Seong flinched grandly. “Why are you asking me that, Chief Jo?”

“Well, you look like the least interested in studying out of everyone here, you see?”

“Heol?” Han Jin-Seong blinked his eyes in disbelief.

Unfortunately for his self-esteem, though, others reacted rather differently.

“Ohh, look how sharp Chief Jo's eyes are!”

“I can definitely trust him.”

“Oho-ho~! Our Faith stat in you is improving, Chief Jo!”

“It feels like I can entrust him with just about anything!”

Han Jin-Seong gritted his teeth at this public execution. “You...! You dirty traitors!”

“Calm down, hyung. We were never on your side, to begin with.”

“Wow. What a perfect summary that was. Wonderfully factual, too!” Han Jin-Seong groaned loudly.

Who said this place was an orphanage full of love and warmth? No, this was a jungle. Actually, it was more like a savanna... A savanna full of cackling hyenas!

Han Jin-Seong shook his head. “You were asking me about... If I wanted to study and improve my grades, right?”

“Yeah.” Jo Gyu-Min leisurely nodded.

“If I'm being honest…” Han Jin-Seong scratched his head. “I'm not 100% sure, but you helped me understand something, Chief Jo. Listening to you made me realize it.”

“What do you mean?”

“To succeed, we gotta study.”

“Eh?” Jo Gyu-Min blinked his eyes in disbelief. “Wha? That's not what I said?”

“No, you did say this, right? There are some people who will succeed even without studying and stuff.”

“Well, yes. That I did.”

“Look around you. No one here will do that.”

Jo Gyu-Min's jaw slowly dropped. As it turned out, Han Jin-Seong was also an excellent hyena.

That hyena continued to explain himself. “That can only happen with uber-talented people, you know? Like, you have a natural talent in something or a killer instinct or even have a smart brain built just for making money... You know, the kind of people you can just chuck in the middle of a desert, and they'll still build a perfect sand castle to live happily ever after. Those kids can still become successful without studying too hard, you see? But, the way I see it? In my. Super. Objective. Opinion...! No one here fits that bill. Everyone here is just a bunch of pathetic losers.”

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The crowd started booing almost instantly. “What did you say?! You're the most pathetic of us!”

“Shut up, you idiots!” Han Jin-Seong yelled back at them before turning his attention back to Jo Gyu-Min. “You saying it like that made it easier for me to understand. Now I know that I'll never be a success in life without studying. In that case, I gotta do it, right? Imagine if I'm the only one who didn't study and ended up as human trash while everyone else is doing okay for themselves. I'll get a huuuge indigestion, you know what I mean?”

Jo Gyu-Min suddenly became depressed as he quietly muttered. “Listen here, Student Jin-Seong. Even if you study hard, there is no guarantee that you'll be as successful as everyone else...”

“...You still saying that even now?”

Jo Gyu-Min helplessly chuckled. “Honestly... I don't know where to start. A lot more than I expected have shown up here, you see. Maybe I gave you too little time to think about it. Okay, how about thinking it over until tomorrow? If you still want to study and improve your grades, we'll help you. Remember, though. We won't force you if you're not interested.”

The children slowly nodded in silence. Jo Gyu-Min then pointed at Kang Jin-Ho next. “Okay, now... We'll now hear from Educator Kang, the real heavyweight of this operation.”

“...Mm?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head only to realize the children were staring at him with some anticipation. Kang Jin-Ho faltered slightly and stuttered as if his mind was too tangled up. “No, hang on, uh... Mm... Fuu. Okay. Here it goes. I don't know much about studying, so I can't give you any sage advice. However…”

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at everyone, his eyes flickering ever so slightly.

“Doesn't matter which field of profession it is, you can't succeed without putting enough effort into it. Initially, you might coast along through sheer dumb luck... But you'll eventually be found out without putting in the requisite effort. Yes, effort alone can't solve everything. I know that. However, those who don't work hard toward something will never get a chance in the first place.”

Kang Jin-Ho smiled sheepishly as if all the attention was getting a bit too much.

“If I'm being honest, I lack understanding of what makes people good at studying. So I don't know what to tell you. Even so... Do your best, okay? Chief Jo will definitely help you out.”

Han Jin-Seong curtly asked Kang Jin-Ho. “Oho. I see, I see. By the way, which university do you attend, hyung?”

Kang Jin-Ho blinked his eyes. “Mm? Oh, uh, it's Jaegyeong.”

Han Jin-Seong tutted softly. “...Hypocrite.”

Other kids also chimed in. “Wow... Look at how he makes people feel so small.”

“A Jaegyeong attendee says he doesn't know how to study. What have you been doing, you bunch of pinheads? We gotta start reflecting on ourselves already.”

“Right, right. Trash like us don't deserve to live.”

Kang Jin-Ho clamped his mouth shut at the barrage of fact bombs. Not even the smartest man alive would have thought of an excuse to defend himself in this situation!

Clap!

Park Yu-Min loudly clapped his hands to quieten down the living room, then set out to wrap up the situation. “Okay, everyone! Let's go back to our rooms for the night. You don't have to discuss it with someone or worry about what others will think. The answer is up to you, after all. Let's talk again tomorrow, okay?”

Han Jin-Seong snarkily muttered to no one in particular. “Yup, it's someone like him who can succeed in life without studying. A natural talent, that's what he is.”

“...Kuh-hum,” Park Yu-Min awkwardly coughed.

That was when Jo Mi-Hye shot a scary glare at Han Jin-Seong. “Oppa! You're being rude!”

Han Jin-Seong grimaced. “...What now?”

“Did you forget that Yu-Min oppa is also a Jaegyeong uni student? He's good at studying, too!”

“Aigoo! I had no idea! What an unfair world we're living in!” Han Jin-Seong loudly grumbled as he walked back to his room.

Park Yu-Min watched as everyone else returned to their rooms while complaining away, then quietly asked Jo Gyu-Min. “Did... Did I say something wrong?”

Jo Gyu-Min smiled brightly and patted Park Yu-Min's shoulder. “Sometimes, a natural talent will have a hard time figuring out the trials and tribulations of common folk. So, don't worry about it.”

“...?”

***

Back in the orphanage's kitchen...

“Well, we're now finished with sorting out the kids...” Jo Gyu-Min muttered while receiving a cup of coffee from Park Yu-Min. “...Keuh-hup! Sniffle.”

“...Eh? What's the matter, Chief Jo?” Park Yu-Min panicked slightly when Jo Gyu-Min sneakily wiped the corners of his eyes after receiving the coffee.

“No, it's just that... How should I describe this feeling? For the first time in a decade, I'm finally in a situation where someone else will make me coffee, so I'm really happy about it?”

“...Oh.” Park Yu-Min's smile was cramped as he stared at Jo Gyu-Min in pity.

There was no doubt that Jo Gyu-Min was someone very capable. Unfortunately, he was surrounded by people like Chairman Hwang Jeong-Hu and Kang Jin-Ho, so he usually ended up doing—subjectively speaking—sundry chores all the time. At least that was the impression Park Yu-Min got.

If Jo Gyu-Min joined another company, wouldn't he have already reached a much-higher position by now?

'Well, he's already in a super-high position in Jaegyeong, so...'

Some random nobody could never get a job as a Chief Secretary in a large corporation like Jaegyeong. Especially when considering how powerful Jaegyeong's Office of Secretaries was compared to other corporations' similar departments.

The stronger a Chairman's Office was, the more influence the Office of Secretaries would wield. And in Jaegyeong, the level of authority and power the Chairman's Office exercised was so mighty that no other company in South Korea came even close.

It was no accident that some people even speculated that Jo Gyu-Min was Chairman Hwang's hidden illegitimate son!

Jo Gyu-Min sipped the coffee and nodded slightly. “At least they are motivated. Which is great.”

“Well, how long will that motivation last, I wonder...” Park Yu-Min sighed deeply.

Ju Yeong-Gi, staying silent until then, suddenly smirked. “Come on, man. You care about them the most, so how could you mistrust them the most, too?”

“It's because of my experience.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know I became a pro gamer because I enjoyed playing computer games.”

“Yeah, you told me that.”

“But... When I started playing as a pro, games... stopped being fun for me. Winning still felt sweet, but I could no longer enjoy playing like I used to when I didn't need to worry about anything.”

“Well, that sounds... about right, I guess?”

“What I'm saying is that even those things I enjoyed started losing their appeal. I used to think all the time about playing one more round during breaks but after a while... I didn't even want to stare at another computer.”

Ju Yeong-Gi slowly nodded in silence. This was how people's hearts usually worked.

“I became a pro gamer because of my love for gaming, but I still lost my passion. So... How bad will it be with the kids who never liked studying in the first place? Yeah, I'm sure they'll be full of passion and drive at the start. But, this problem can't be solved in one or two days, so…”

“Mm...”

Park Yu-Min was right. Studying was like a constant marathon. Being passionate for a moment wouldn't solve anything. One needed patience and endurance to tough it out for a long, long time.

“It's only the beginning, so no need to worry yourselves to death, gentlemen. Children can be more mature than you think, you see?” Jo Gyu-Min chuckled and addressed the duo. “Our job isn't to comfort or pester the children. All we have to do is show them the way and create the right kind of environment for them to flourish in.”

“Well, I know that, but...” Park Yu-Min fidgeted, still clearly worried.

Kang Jin-Ho asked on behalf of his friend. “I see. In that case, what are you planning to do?”

“I'm sorry?” Jo Gyu-Min tilted his head.

“Judging from what the children said, it sounds like they have already fallen behind their peers. So how will they…”

“Mister Jin-Ho, you’ve surprised me by saying that,” Jo Gyu-Min leaned back in his chair while crossing his legs. After assuming an arrogant posture, he proceeded to shut everyone up with his bold declaration. “Is there anything money can’t buy in this world?”

“...”

“Well, then. Allow me to demonstrate to you how to use money effectively.”

This was when Park Yu-Min decided to add 'contemptible' to his evaluation of 'Jo Gyu-Min is a successful man'.