Chapter 1

March 2016

“Congratulations to Batch 2016 of Seoul University. I hope that you follow your dreams and aim more towards the future ahead. The road may be bumpy, muddy, and scary, there will be times that darkness will arise, but always remember to seek guidance to person up there and to the people around you, because they will be the ones to pull you towards the light. Happy Graduation Day my students”

As the university president ended his speech, we simultaneously clapped our hand and a few moments later, threw our mortarboards up in the air with smiles painting our faces. I can’t believe it, 5 years of chasing professors, doing late night projects and assignments, dealing with professors that handle minor subjects but think they’re the major ones, hardships, tears, laughter and memories end today.

I look around and found my classmates, Minji, Dojin, and Xui, all looking for me. “jinyoung-ah come here fast! We’re taking our graduation pictures” I looked and saw then waving their hands, urging me to go to them faster, “Yah! Wait for me”

By the way, I am Park Jinyoung, born in Changwon but then moves to Seoul at the age of 10. Now I’m 26 years old and five minutes ago, I just graduated with a major of Business and Finance at Seoul University, Laude. You see this 3 people beside me, well, these are the people I consider my friends

After taking our class photo and a whole lot of pictures with each other and with our classmates, it was finally time to say good bye to one another

I looked at them and said “I guess it’s finally time to say goodbye, I’ll miss you all”

“hey-ah I’m having a party after jinyoung, would you like to come”

“I can’t minji ah, sorry, I have fetch my brother after this, we’ll be having a simple dinner”

“same old, same old, well nothing beats jinyoung’s brother; So where are you guys applying for a job?” dojin asked curiously

“Xui and I are planning to go to China and find some vacant spot there” Minji said while hugging Xui. Minji’s family basically own a firm in China and she’s planning to bring Xui with her too. She already invited me and dojin to join them, but I nicely refused

Dojin replied “mom said she wants me to apply for SM Investments. What about you jinyoung”

“Well I’m planning for Arengur Prime” I said with a little smile and they all cheered

"Someone wants to be with Mr. Right, right jinyoung"

“That’s a high goal but nothing’s impossible for our Laude”

I look up the sky and whispered “I wish”

Seoul Kindergarten

“Hyungggie… hyung… hyung”

I looked up from my phone and saw Minjun. He’s my 4 year old brother, if I describe him to you physically well... he’s short, has chubby legs and cheeks, we have the same eyes, nose and mouth... he’s biologically my brother so we kind of look the same

“hyung congratulations on your graduation” I look at him and laughed as he finished speaking while looking at his palm

“yah you little… where did you learn that, you’re so smart” while ruffling his hair

“I asked my teacher what to say to you because I said that you will finish school today but she said it too fast and I cannot keep up with her… so I asked her to write it on my hand” he said while showing his hand at me

“well thank you minjin ah. How about we go get ice cream and visit mom and dad okay?”

“wahh arraseo hyung” he said as he happily skipped while holding my hand

When I said we visit mom and dad, what I meant was go to the cemetery and visit them. Our mom was junior high professor and dad was a court judge in our district. It’s been 3 years since they left after a tragic accident that end their life. I was devastated that time, I didn’t know what to do, I was only at my second year in college and minjun was only a year old. Minjun would cry endlessly, and that was a call for me to start living not only for my own good but also minjun’s. Maybe it was also God’s help that due to the nature of our parent’s work they had pensions, and to cover all other expenses that I need for my own, I had to employ myself, working part time in a coffee shop from afternoon till midnight as a cashier boy.

And that was where I saw him my role model, the person I look up to, the one who had my heart beat lub-dub, the reason why I wanted to work for Arengur, Ma—

We have arrived at Seoul Memorial Garden, please exit through the back door

My though was interrupted by the voice over of the bus. I looked down at my sleeping brother in my lap, what’s with those cute cheeks, I carried him and got out of the bus. As we passed through the gates, I saw an old lady selling flowers beside the pillar of the entrance and asked her “excuse me how much is this flower”

“5,000 won for that, young boy” she said, I paid for the flowers and held then in my left hand. My other arm was supporting minjun

I then went to the seventh row, column two, is where my parents are buried. I cleaned their plaque where the names Park Daemun – Park Jaemi were written. I knelt down and placed the flowers

Hey mom dad... I graduated today, can’t believe it though. I was able to study and work at the same time and take care of minjun, don’t worry aunt is still visiting us once a month… oh! by the way minjun is now entering kindergarten the teacher said he’s very energetic... I’m sorry we only got to visit today mom dad, I was really busy at school, it took a toll at me but it was not enough to pull me down…well mom dad, we got to go, minjun is really heavy and its getting dark already…  bye mom dad we’ll visit soon

“Minjun ah... are you ready already?” I was busy tying my tie, I looked at the comfort room that was inside our room. Our house has two rooms, one room has a comfort room inside of it, the other comfort room was beside our kitchen, and we have a small but spacious living room and I saw minjun drying himself already.

“wahh minjun ah you know how to dry yourself already. How about you come here and let hyung dry your hair” I said while getting the towel out of his hand

“hyung why are you wearing that” he pointed at my necktie. I am currently wearing by black slacks, white under shirt, black coat and tie, my hair was styled to show my forehead

“hyung has an appointment today okay? If hyung got this job, we can play and watch movies in the evening. Hyung won’t have to work till midnight and we can go sleep together”

“arraseo hyung… good luck popo hyung” I let him kiss my cheeks, then got him all dressed up and get ready to drop him at school.

As I dropped minjun to school, I quickly catch another bus to take me at the capital of the city

“Arengur here I come”

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