We Do Business In Full Auto [EN]: Chapter 1

Full Auto Business 001

001

Black Magic (1)

Three months ago, my business went bankrupt.

Not just bankrupt, but spectacularly so.

The Korean restaurant ‘Gold Hand,’ which my family had been running for three generations in Seoul, flourished under my management, expanding to five locations nationwide. I was even in the process of expanding to ten restaurants.

Then, the global economy froze due to the aftermath of the British financial crisis, consumer sentiment shrank, and high-end restaurants, which are most affected by the economy, began to close one by one.

My business was no exception.

First, the construction of the expanding branches was halted, and all five restaurants, except for the Seoul headquarters, were closed. And a year ago, after closing the last branch, I was left with a mountain of debt.

After selling off all the stores, I was left with only 300 million won [approximately $225,000 USD] in debt.

Bank balance: 300,000 won [approximately $225 USD]. Family members to support: 3.

Moving from a luxury house to an apartment, then to a *jeonse* [a Korean lease system where a large sum of money is given instead of monthly rent], then to a monthly rent, and finally being pushed to a shantytown was a matter of moments.

Even my youngest daughter was born around the time the business went bankrupt.

It’s the worst situation.

“Wah!”

The baby screams and cries.

My beautiful British wife, Lisa, held the baby and soothed her, looking distressed.

“Honey, I think the baby is hungry. Could you buy some formula? She can have breast milk for one feeding.”

We ran out of formula yesterday.

How long can we last with the remaining 300,000 won? A month ago, I even took out a private loan for living expenses, but this month, it’s hard to even put food on the table, let alone pay the interest.

“I’ll go get it.”

“Please pick up Sujeong on your way back.”

“Okay.”

It’s only thanks to the childcare allowance and childbirth grant that we can at least feed the baby formula; otherwise, we would have starved long ago.

Where in the world is there such an incompetent father?

As I approached my mid-30s, I was experiencing the bitterness of life for the first time.

I come down from the shantytown and walk along the bleak street.

Seeing how deserted the street is, the economy must be tough.

People are saying that the economy is more severe than during the IMF crisis [the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis]. It’s not like there’s only been one or two international financial crises, but with a crisis comparable to Black Friday or the Lehman Brothers incident, the domestic economy itself was devastated.

It has been gradually improving recently, but South Korea is still not free from the aftermath of the financial crisis.

But can I openly complain at home?

That’s also not an option.

My wife, Lisa, is from a remote branch of the British royal family. The connection with the royal family has been severed now, but since the starting point of the current situation is Brexit, I can’t complain that the economy is difficult.

In my heyday, I approached her with all sorts of methods, succeeded in marrying her, and was the envy of those around me. Back then, I had a luxury house in Seoul, a good car, good clothes, and it was a great time.

Of course, it doesn’t mean that my wife married me for my money. If that were the case, wouldn’t she have presented me with divorce papers when the business went bankrupt?

Tick.

I pay for the formula.

“That’s 45,000 won.”

“45,000 won for a can of formula?”

“Didn’t you see the price tag?”

I handed the cashier cash, who was slightly annoyed.

I became a credit delinquent a while ago because I was several months behind on interest payments, so I can’t use credit cards or debit cards.

I wonder if I should file for bankruptcy. If I file for bankruptcy? I’ll lose the only property I inherited from my ancestors, the uninhabited island.

The only property left to me.

The reason it hasn’t been seized yet is partly because it hasn’t been several months since the interest was overdue, but the biggest reason is that there is no officially assessed land value.

Besides, even if it were put up for auction, it wouldn’t sell, and the government has been somewhat lenient with seizures since the economic crisis hit. Still, the location is good, but no owner has appeared.

If I sell the uninhabited island, I think I can pay off the debt… I put it up for sale, so I have no choice but to wait for it to be sold.

After spending 45,000 won out of 300,000 won, I arrived in front of the kindergarten where my eldest daughter attends.

I couldn’t help but hesitate in front of the kindergarten.

The children were surrounding a girl with long platinum blonde hair down to her waist.

“You monster! My mom says that if your eye color is different, you’re a demon!”

“We have to kill the demon!”

My heart aches.

Is this the group bullying I’ve only heard about?

An act called *wangdda*, or *ijime* [Korean and Japanese terms for ostracization or bullying], etc.

I don’t know how many times this has happened since I moved here. Still, when I was doing well, I used to cover it up with non-stimulating circle lenses and dress her in nice clothes, and this didn’t happen when my child was shining.

Rather, before moving here, the children played well with her, saying that heterochromia [different colored eyes] was a symbol of mystery.

But as the business failed and Sujeong’s clothes became shabby, the situation changed. They started looking at Sujeong with prejudiced eyes.

The lenses that the children use are so expensive that at some point, I couldn’t afford to buy them.

In the past, I would have just spent that 300,000 won, but now it’s my entire fortune, so I can’t use it carelessly.

Should I step in?

No. If I step in here?

I don’t know what will happen if an adult directly intervenes in children’s fights. If the child falls, the consequences then…

“I’m such an incompetent father.”

As I was trembling with self-reproach, Sujeong picked up a stone that looked three times the size of her fist.

“Go ahead and hit me. You pathetic bastards who only bully girls. You won’t come to your senses until your thick skulls are crushed and you die, right?”

“……”

I forgot for a moment.

I heard that there are many geniuses among those with heterochromia, so I wondered if Sujeong was one of those.

Sujeong, who has heterochromia, a rare gene, a type of mutation. She was so smart that I was sometimes amazed.

Her level of thinking was no different from that of an adult, and she could solve high school-level math problems without hesitation.

If she received proper education, a genius would be born again, but genius education would be too much for my situation.

Sujeong’s murderous aura is no joke.

I was surprised, so the children were speechless. They all fell on their butts and burst into tears.

Here’s the finishing touch.

When the parents who came to pick up their children were surprised and ran over to say something, Sujeong gave them a good blow.

“Hey! Where are your parents!? Where did this young brat learn to use violence?”

“Violence? I was being bullied, so I felt my life was threatened. Can you see this? This is a wound caused by your son’s group violence against me. Shall we get a medical certificate and go to court? For your information, I have already arranged a hospital that can issue a certificate for more than 3 weeks. My uncle is a successful lawyer, should I contact him?”

Whose daughter is that?

She never loses once against adults.

“Sujeong!”

“Dad~!”

Sujeong’s expression, which had been so fierce against the adults, changed in an instant, and she ran to me and hugged me.

She is still an infinitely young daughter to her father.

“Oh, my daughter. Did you have a good day today?”

“Yes! The kids were trying to beat me up, so I taught them a lesson with a rock!”

“Oh, is that so.”

Sujeong especially emphasized group beating.

She seems to know that if the item ‘group’ is added to any charge, the settlement money or sentence will be added.

Of course, she won’t be legally punished because she is a child, but if it goes to a fight between parents, it will be advantageous in many ways.

When I see Sujeong looking ahead several moves even when she does one thing, I feel proud.

Sujeong rubbed her face against my cheek.

“Dad! I did well today, so can I have some snacks?!”

“Uh… okay.”

“Yay!”

She goes back and forth between a child and an adult.

Come to think of it, I had a feeling that all of Sujeong’s actions were calculated.

On the way home.

Sujeong was munching on Jagalchi [a popular Korean snack] very deliciously.

I like Jagalchi too. But I can’t be so mean as to take it away from the kids.

Ah, I’m jealous. When did I get so old?

Sujeong, who was sucking on her fingers while eating snacks, looked up at me with her bright eyes.

“Dad, are you having a hard time these days?”

“Uh… yeah.”

I couldn’t lie to Sujeong.

Is a genius a genius for nothing? She is so precocious that except when she is being cute, it feels like I am talking to an adult. Still, there is still a baby buff left, so even that appearance was cute, but I’m worried about how she will change when she grows up a little more and enters elementary school. I just wish she would stay my child forever… But that would be a parent’s greed.

“Dad! I’ve been *gomin* [pondering/worrying] for a month whether I should say this or not.”

“What are you going to say that you’re being so hesitant about?”

“Because Dad might not believe it. Because he might feel a little absurd.”

“Tell me. I’ll decide whether to believe it or not after listening.”

“You know the *golbang* [room in the alleyway] grandfather in our neighborhood, right?”

“That *eumheom* [shady/morbid] old man? I told you not to play with that grandfather.”

“He passed away.”

“Oh, is that so.”

I feel a little embarrassed.

These days, I go out every day looking for a job, so there’s no way I would know what’s going on in the neighborhood.

That old man seemed to be unrelated, so I don’t know if he had a funeral after he died.

“But why that old man?”

“That grandfather taught me black magic… no, a kind of *gangsinsool* [spirit summoning]?”

“*Gangsinsool*?”

“It’s a kind of magic that can control the undead, and I thought it would help the store if Dad succeeded in magic.”

“Hahahaha!”

“Eeeeeet!”

I messed up Sujeong’s hair.

Is a child still a child?

I laughed really heartily for the first time in a long time.

*Gangsinsool*?

Is it talking about a zombie in a martial arts movie? If not, a skeleton in a fantasy movie?

It’s a very interesting idea.

If such an unpaid worker is born, it will be very easy to make money in this world where labor costs account for more than 80%.

However, this is something that can only be done in imagination, and there are many problems with seeing it as something that can happen in reality.

“Ah! I’m serious, why are you really doing this?”

“Oh, my stomach hurts. Sujeong. I’ll gratefully accept your heart.”

“Wow, have you ever seen me joke with such a serious face? I’m telling you it’s real. Hmph! I hate Dad!”

Sujeong runs away with *chongchonggeoreum* [pitter-patter steps].

I held back my laughter and chased after Sujeong.

“Sujeong, let’s go together!”

“I hate Dad! You still treat me like a child.”

“Hahahaha! Because you’re a child, right?”

I am poor.

I’m so poor that I’m thinking about bankruptcy.

But it wasn’t as hard as I thought.

Some people even think about suicide in this situation, but I don’t even dream of that.

I may have failed economically, but haven’t I successfully built a family?

Dawn labor market.

I got up at 5 a.m. today to do manual labor, but I failed again.

If I ask the labor office manager, he scolds me for not having any skills. It’s cheaper and easier to hire foreign workers for most manual labor. It’s a thing of the past to go bankrupt and do manual labor.

“Ah, the world is too harsh.”

I come home *neoteolneoteol* [dejectedly].

My wife was putting the youngest to sleep and doing housework.

“Did you come?”

“Honey, I’m sorry. I couldn’t find a job today either.”

My wife stops cleaning and comes over.

Lisa strokes my face once.

“It’s okay. Don’t be too heartbroken. You’re going through trials like this now, but you can get back on your feet. I know.”

“Honey… how did I marry such an angel?”

“I believed in your sincerity and goodness, so I chose to live in a foreign land. So don’t be sad about the trials that are passing by.”

I exchange glances with my wife.

Something electrifying passes through.

Lisa slowly smiles and takes her hand away.

“You know the third one is difficult, right?”

“Ah, that’s right.”

I awkwardly touch the back of my head and step back.

Then I should look through the *Gyocharo* [a local classifieds paper] to see if there are any jobs. Where did I put the *Gyocharo*?

While wandering around the house, I found a book rolled up in the *Gyocharo* on Sujeong’s desk.

*Kung!* [sound effect for a thud]

Electrifying electricity flowed through, and I dropped the book in an instant.

I feel a heavy shock from how thick it is.

A creepy feeling from the book.

“What the hell… is this?”