A Chairman Who Has No Regrets - Chapter 16



Only Krnovel

The Chairman Who Has No Regrets Episode 16 – Breakwater.

Click.

I turned on the light switch in my room, which was also the living room. I looked at the clock and saw that it was just before 5 AM. The ticking second hand told me that it was dawn, or morning.

“Okay.”

It happened.

A dream I wasn’t sure about.

No, a new life.

Wrong choices, bad choices.

I will correct them and not repeat my past life filled with regret.

No matter how hard the waves of life crash down on me, I will overcome them.

Success is confident.

However, I know that it is important to know how to succeed, so I cannot repeat the same mistakes. I cannot live a life where there is nothing left around me.

Thud, thud.

Someone has been knocking on the door since dawn.

I raised the corners of my mouth at the sound of a cautious knock, fearing that it might wake up the people who were sleeping. That too was evidence that morning had come to me.

Squeak.

My mother, who carefully opened the wooden door and came out, was surprised to see me awake.

“Oh my, you’re up already?”

“Oh, I just happened to notice it.”

My mother’s face looks like she hasn’t even sighed all night.

“Who’s outside?”

I nodded.

I think I know who knocked.

“Yes, Kim Gyu-il.”

“Ok-kyung’s son?”

“huh.”

“What brings you here so early in the morning?”

“I had a promise.”

“The river and you?”

I nodded and hurriedly put on my clothes. It was still a winter morning and the darkness had not yet lifted, so I had to dress warmly.

“What’s going on?”

My mother asks with a worried face. Actually, I didn’t know either.

What would a high school student be doing at this hour of the morning?

“I don’t know, he really asked me to come out.”

“Really? Don’t do anything too dangerous.”

“Yeah, I understand.”

I had already put on all my clothes and greeted my mother, who yawned slightly.

“I’ll be back.”

“Yeah- always be careful-”

“yes-”

The corners of my mouth go up automatically.

I can’t help but feel good now that I’m sure I can come back to this house.

Crunch.

As the rattling brown iron door opens, Kim Gyu-il, who had been crouching on the stairs, stands up.

“Oh, it really came out?”

The guy’s unexpected reaction made me burst out laughing.

“What, if you knew I wasn’t going to come out, why did you call me?”

“No, let’s go.”

“Where are you going?”

“Follow me and you’ll know.”

The guy takes the lead with a pleased expression on his face.

Fortunately, it didn’t snow overnight. The snow that had piled up yesterday has disappeared. My mother’s way to work today won’t be slippery. Thank goodness.

For some reason, I feel like even the weather is blessing me.

Squeak.

I opened the front door with a loud hinge sound and went outside to find Hwang Dong-su and Kim Seong-hak leaning against the wall.

“Huh? The whole thing really came out?”

The guys also react with surprise.

“See, I told you I was coming out.”

Kim Seong-hak and Hwang Dong-su take the lead, smiling at Kim Gyu-il’s answer.

I followed the guys and walked in the opposite direction of the school, toward the shantytown of Sanggye-dong. The place I live in is not a shantytown, but ironically, the neighborhood where the houses are in worse condition than the one where I live is Sanggye-dong.

If you divide the social classes in Sanggye-dong, I’m just above the lowest level.

The evidence of this is that the further you go down the hill, the more houses you see made of wood rather than Western-style houses or houses made of cement.

Although the Republic of Korea is an advanced and developing country, there is definitely a transitional period, and the current Sanggye-dong is one such place.

“female-”

As you walk down the hill, the children of Sanggye-dong gather one by one.

Most of the kids who used to play soccer together are now lined up in a row, led by me, Kim Gyu-il, Hwang Dong-su, and Kim Seong-hak.

‘If anyone saw me, they’d think I was a gangster.’

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I pondered over things like how to quickly escape the stench of poverty and how to dissuade families from making choices that would lead to even more poverty.

As I was coming all the way down the hill, I saw Cho Sang-geun, the son of the supermarket, sitting on a table in front of the supermarket, eating bread.

“Are you here?”

“Are you eating again?”

The children laugh and giggle at the conversation between Kim Seong-hak and Jo Sang-geun.

“You too, get used to it now.”

Kim Seong-hak does not back down from Jo Sang-geun’s nagging and fights back.

“You should stop eating now.”

“Kekekeke.”

The kids laugh and say it’s good.

“Okay, let’s stop arguing and divide up the tasks.”

I focused on Kim Kyu-il, wondering what great work he was doing that required dividing up the tasks.

“We don’t have much time, and we’re both slow, so it’ll be faster if we split up the work evenly.”

“Okay, what are you going to do?”

“First of all, let’s get more people to the newspaper section rather than the milk section. Sanggye-dong will have more newspapers than expensive milk.”

“Okay, what about the briquette side?”

“You just need to send a strong Sang-geun and a few others. After all, you’ll have to pull the cart.”

“Okay then.”

Milk, newspaper, briquettes.

All things related to delivery.

Do those guys need money too?

How much could such simple things, such a small amount of money, help? I thought the guys were one step closer to making the wrong choice.

It’s a shame that poverty always forces us to make poorer choices.

Well, I guess all the part-time jobs that high school students do these days are the same. I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t pick up empty bottles. Anyway, it’s amazing that all the kids in the neighborhood are mobilized to do that kind of work.

I am lost in a double-edged sword of admiration and regret. Should I tell them, should I tell them? Should I tell them that studying during this time will help them more in their lives, like any old man would say?

“Jeonggang, what do you want to do?”

I pondered Kim Gyu-il’s question for a moment. I wondered if it was really necessary to do delivery work, but since I’ve already left, I also wanted to have some friends around me in this life. Plus, it’s good because I can exercise.

“I guess the newspaper is the hardest?”

Kim Gyu-il chuckles at my words.

“Oh, the briquette one will be easier, since Sanggeun will be using all the strength.”

Dude, you misunderstood what I said.

I didn’t ask you to do something easy.

“Then I’ll do the newspaper.”

The guy tilts his head.

“Huh? I told you briquettes would be the easiest? Oh, are you worried about getting black? Then milk would be a bit easier. There aren’t many people who drink milk in Sanggye-dong.”

“No, I thought the newspaper would be a good exercise.”

The boy stares at me as if he’s surprised, and the other kids’ expressions aren’t much different.

“It’s been really weird since yesterday.”

The children nod their heads loudly at Kim Gyu-il’s monologue-like words.

“therefore.”

It’s not like I don’t understand.

It’s natural for them to find me awkward and strange because I look different from usual.

“Okay, then Seonghak, take care of the milk. Don’t sneak out and eat it! If you do, you’ll be in big trouble.”

Kim Seong-hak nodded and left first with some of the children.

“Sanggeun, please give me some briquettes.”

“Oh, let’s just go together.”

Jo Sang-geun also disappeared along a different path with his two children. I naturally followed Kim Gyu-il to the newspaper distribution center.

“Oh my gosh – those guys are really here?”

A man in his 40s, who appeared to be the owner of the supply depot, greeted us with a happy face.

“Yes, you promised.”

The owner, who nodded with a smile, began to stack newspapers on his chin.

“Taesu has good friends. I need to return to Junggye-dong as well, but since you guys don’t have any experience yet, it’ll be hard. I only prepared for Sanggye-dong.”

Kim Kyu-il was embarrassed by his words.

“Huh? Then doesn’t that mean you don’t have enough money?”

The owner chuckles.

“I decided to go around Junggye-dong myself. So, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Really?”

“okay-”

“thank you!”

The other kids followed Kim Gyu-il’s lead and said thank you. I almost followed them and said thank you too, but I decided to hold back because there were still people I needed to thank first.

By the way, I didn’t understand the owner of the distribution center. He gave the impression that he would personally move the relay station and give the money as is. Was he originally connected to Kim Gyu-il?

The kid named Taesu that came out of the owner’s mouth. I don’t know what he looks like, but I clearly remember that guy not showing up for the soccer game during lunch yesterday.

“All the way.”

I turned my head at the sound of Kim Gyu-il calling me. He was standing in front of a fairly large map.

“So, this is your house?”

I approached the guy and looked at the map. He pointed to my house, and the map came into my mind. Even in the days before navigation, I was used to looking at maps of the countries I drove through.

“uh.”

“Do you see blue dots all over here?”

“uh.”

“These are the houses where people read newspapers.”

“aha.”

“You take care of everything from Sanggeun’s supermarket to the top of the hill to your house.”

I nodded and tried to put the map in my head. I was only supposed to hand out newspapers to houses with blue dots.

“okay.”

“Since this is the last stop at Dongsu’s house, you can stop here and rest.”

“okay?”

Kim Gyu-il turns his head and looks at the owner of the supply depot.

The owner of the distribution center nods his head as if to say so. Perhaps, originally, he should have stopped by the distribution center and received confirmation that everything had been distributed. There was no need to refuse since he was offering convenience.

“Okay, part 41. We have to get it all back by 6:30.”

The owner handed me a newspaper and I turned my head to look at my watch.

The current time is 5:20.

There was about 1 hour and 10 minutes left, and when I glanced at the map again, it seemed like this supply depot covered the entire Nowon-gu. It seemed like the other kids, except me, would have to run around very busy. Perhaps Kim Gyu-il and the kids were being considerate of me.

“Come on, let’s hurry up! You go quickly.”

When I nodded at the owner’s words, Kim Gyu-il turned around and took the newspaper.

“See you at school later.”

“Okay, see you later.”

See you later.

I’ll be back soon.

Why do those greetings feel so welcome and pleasant? I never thought that being able to look forward to the next time would be such a happy thing.

He glances down at the newspapers in his hands and lets out a sly laugh. If he turns over all these newspapers, he can see his sisters and mother again.

I always thought that the same thing, repeated, was always unfortunate, but it seems that’s not necessarily the case.

Papak.

I decided to run a bit to get the newspaper out a bit faster and hurry up with the work that would have been finished in an hour.

I wanted to go home as soon as possible, because I had something I really wanted to say to my little sister.

Knock, knock.

In some places, under the gate, in some places, over the gate, in some places, over the fence. Sometimes, as if wedged into the gate.

As I continued to hand out copies of the newspaper, before I knew it, all 40 copies of the newspaper I had in my hands were gone. Now, the last remaining newspaper was The House Where Hwang Dong-soo Lives.

Squeak.

Just as he was about to put the newspaper under the door, the door to the guy’s house opened and Mr. Choi, Hwang Dong-su’s uncle and the old bachelor who had given him milk yesterday, opened the door and came out.

“Huh? Oh my- Kang, you were going with me too?”

“Yes, it just so happened.”

“Oh my, guys, are you and Kang-i the same as my guys? Kang-i needs to study.”

“Haha, it’s okay. It’s good exercise, isn’t it?”

“Hey dude, you’re crazy!”

The man hands me milk.

This must also have been done by the children of Sanggye-dong.

“ah.”

“Hey, you did a good job, so I’m giving you a reward.”

He quickly sticks out the back of his hand and goes back inside with the newspaper.

Why is handing out newspapers a good thing? I tilted my head at the incomprehensible words, then quickly turned away in a good mood.

Luckily, I got a carton of milk today. My little sister will love it.

I was quite thirsty after running up the hill, but I looked at the milk for a moment and then turned around and went back home.

As soon as you open the front door and enter, you see our house’s brown front door.

“Hehehe.”

I can’t help but laugh.

Now, every time I open that door, I will see my family, and I will be able to open and close that door dozens, hundreds, thousands of times in the future.

Thump thump.

Without hastening my steps, I walked slowly and opened the brown iron door with a click.

“Whoa!”

puck.

“100 million!”

I got hit square in the forehead by a bucket of water that came flying with the smoky steam, and I quickly closed the door as if I was being watched.

“What! What’s going on!”

I hear my mother’s urgent voice.

“No, the whole class suddenly came in!”

“Oh my- I’m surprised! So you’re causing a fuss by taking a bath at dawn?”

“Oh, I wanted to try hot water too!”

“Okay, okay, do whatever you want today, do it all.”

“Hey! If you open the door, I’ll kill you!”

I answered loudly because I knew that was what my little sister said to me.

“uh!”

And then he just chuckled.

Soon, my smile turns bitter.

In a house without a separate bathroom, with three women in it, it’s hard to even take a bath comfortably.

Tsk, I click my tongue and turn my head to see the shabby outside bathroom door rattling in the wind.

There are so many things that need to be changed.

I thought this house was great even though it was shabby, but it feels like there’s one more reason to move sooner.

“One by one, slowly.”

It’s okay, I’ll change it.

In the midst of making firm decisions.

Crunch.

When she finished bathing, my little sister peeked out with a towel tied tightly around her head.

“Hey! You went out on purpose!”

Pick, a laugh comes out.

I love the sound of different things.

“hey.”

“Hey, you again, sister? Hey? Are you really going to die?”

“You, sister.”

“Oh my.”

“Go to college.”

“what?”

“Go to college, you won’t regret it. Just like me.”

I hope we don’t do the stupid thing of choosing greater poverty.

Now I want to block them, like my family who blocked the angry waves that came towards me like a breakwater.