I sat on my bed and stared at my bank balance on my phone. Thirty-three million, five hundred fifty-six thousand, two hundred six dollars and forty-two cents.

It had taken almost four weeks to arrive - less time than they estimated - but there it was, every last penny of it, sitting in my bank account.

I was still trying to catch my breath. My eyes scanned the numbers again. The phone felt slippery in my hand and I wiped my palms on my pajama bottoms.

Jimin had accused me of not knowing what it truly meant to right a wrong. I was pretty sure I knew more than most people. This moment was the ultimate righting. It covered any past or future wrong that would ever happen in my life.

Sangmoon poked his head in my room. "Hey, Mom made breakfast."

"Made breakfast?"

"I know. It's a miracle, so you better get out here."

I'd already stared at my phone too long. I really didn't have time this morning to add another unscheduled event without being late to school. But when my phone had alerted me of bank activity with a happy ding when I woke up, how could I not look? I pounded my feet on the ground and let out an excited squeal. Then I jumped up to follow Sangmoon.

I paused at my bedroom door and pulled up my bank account app again. There was no point in delaying. I could make everyone in this house feel the same giddiness I was feeling. I clicked a couple transfer buttons on my screen, then left my room with a smile.

"Good morning," Mom said when I joined them in the kitchen, adding a stack of pancakes to a plate in the center of the table. 

"What's the occasion?" I asked. Did my mom somehow have viewing access to my bank account?

"It's just been a while since we've had breakfast together."

"You mean since never?" Sangmoon said, pouring syrup on his pancakes.

My dad slid a pancake onto my plate. I cleared my throat. "This is perfect because today ..." I drummed on the table with my fingers. "We are all officially millionaires."

"What?" Mom asked from the stove, pausing in the middle of flipping another pancake.

"I transferred your money a second ago."

Sangmoon jumped out of his seat and gave me syrupy kiss on the cheek. "You are seriously the best sister in the universe."

"And all it took to earn that title was one million dollars?" I asked him. "I don't know how everyone doesn't win that title."

"I'm moving out," Sangmoon said.

"You found a place?" I asked.

"Yup, last week. It's amazing."

"That's great," my dad said.

"I want to quit my job," my mom blurted out before Sangmoon's news had even settled.

My dad shifted his gaze from my brother to my mom. "What?"

"I've been working double time for the last several years and I want a break."

He smiled. "Then take one. You definitely should."

"I should?" she asked.

"Absolutely," he said. "This money will more than tide us over until  find a job."

"For sure," I agreed. My parents were in a good place now and I couldn't be happier. "You deserve a break, Mom. You two should go somewhere fun with this time you'll have now."

Mom smiled at Dad. "Maybe we should. Because I'll probably get bored and need to go back to work in a few months. Preferably somewhere outside the health-care profession. Maybe I'll work in a greeting card shop."

"A  greeting card shop?" I asked, confused.

"I like the idea of only interacting with people who are about to celebrate something special and are picking out a card for the occasion."

"What about people buying cards because someone just died?" Sangmoon said.

"Or an I'm sorry I screwed up card," my dad said.

"Or an it's you have cancer card," I added.

My mom flung the pancake she held in our general direction with a laugh. It landed my brother's arm. "You just had to ruin it," she said.

Sangmoon tore the pancake in half and threw one at me and one at Dad. We shielded our faces and then devolved into a food fight.

☘ 𝔏𝔬𝔱𝔱𝔬 𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢 ☘

That's was how I ended up standing in the school office, forty-five minutes late to school and still smelling faintly of maple syrup. The administrative assistant was telling me about what should would buy if someone gave her a million dollars - a college fund for her two-year-old daughter, a house, and a charitable donation to the veterans because your grandfather was a veteran.

I nodded politely. "That would be a good way to spend it."

She smiled. "You are a lucky girl. One very lucky girl."

"Believe me, I know it." And I was beyond grateful.

She handed me a note that would get in first period, and I left before she was able to stretch her fictitious million even further than she already had.

As I walked down the cement stairs, a guy called out from fifty feet away. "Suzy! Wait up!"

I did not know this guy but slowed my pace, anyway.

"Hi," he said when he was by my side. His dark hair with blonde highlights was long in the middle and shorter on the sides.

"Hi."

"I'm Jae."

I almost said my name but realized he already knew it. "Good to meet you," I said instead.

"I'm in a band."

"Okay."

"Do you know what my band needs to take us to the next level?" He push his hair out of his eyes.

"No, what?"

"An investor."

"An investor?"

"Hear me out. We need studio time and better equipment and a really good gig."

"Jae, you seem really cool, but I don't know a thing about music so I am not your girl."

He held out his fist for a bump and I bumped against his. "That's cool," he said. "Thanks for listening. Good to know you, Suzy." With that he took off as fast as he had come.

The rest of the way to class I found myself wondering if his music was any good. Was that something rich people invested in? New artists? I'd heard the saying "making your money work for you." I probably did need to invest in things so the money could grow even more. I really needed to see a financial advisor.

In Math, my desk mate, Seulgi, kept interrupting the teacher's lecture to ask me how much money I'd have if it grew at certain rates of interest. Mr. Jung must've overheard because he said, "That's a great exercise, Suzy. Let's do some money math."

He then spent the rest of the class multiplying and dividing my money.

"How much would she have if she gave us each five thousand dollars?" Kim Yeri asked from the back.

Mr. Jung just laughed. I couldn't wait for the bell to ring.

Government class came next. I'd forgotten that Seulgi was in that class with me as well until she basically orchestrated a repeat of math class by asking Mrs. Shon what kind of government would have to be in place to force me to share all my winnings.

I glanced Seulgi's way. "Thanks a lot," I whispered.

She smiled. "It's saving us having to listen to real lecture. So thank you."

I couldn't help but laugh. She was right; the class seemed way more entertained by this topic.

After my class, I pulled out my phone. It had been buzzing in my phone the entire period. It showed forty-three notifications. I scrolled through my social media accounts. More congratulations. More tagged, candid pictures of me at school. More people talking about how they would spend fifty million dollars.

By the time lunch came around I was confused. I pulled the collar of my shirt to my nose wondering if I smelled like money today. It was like everyone knew what had arrived in my bank account that morning and they were eager to help me spend it.

I found my friends standing under a tree in the commons and draped my arm around Jisoo, leaning into her. "I need a hot tub and a pound of chocolate," I said.

"Are you going to buy a hot tub?" Irene asked.

"What? No. I was just saying it's been a crazy day."

Jisoo patted my cheek. "Ah, too much attention for our poor antisocial girl."

I smiled. "I've never been antisocial. Just under-appreciated."

Jisoo laughed. "It's amazing what money will do."

"Let's eat," Irene said, "I'm starving."

"Starving is an overused word that diminishes the importance of those in the world that actually are starving," Jisoo said.

Irene rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'm famished."

Jisoo gave up with an exaggerated sigh and we walked toward the food truck. We'd eaten there almost every day since my lottery win.

"So," Jisoo said as we fell in step with each other. "Are you any closer to deciding to go to Seoul with me?"

"What? No, nothing has changed," I said.

"What do you mean? Everything has changed."

She was right. The main reason I always gave for not wanting to cross the entire country with he was my family. They weren't in a stable place. My mind went back to that morning, eating breakfast with them, our smiles stretched around the entire table. Maybe alleviating the money stresses had solved all the major issues in our family. Everything else was normal day-to-day problems that they could handle without me. And Seoul really was a good school. One of the best. But I wasn't ready to make any commitments yet.

Jisoo swung her backpack around to the front of her body and ped it. "I brought something for you." She pulled out a stack of stapled pages. "This is the information on Seoul. This is more than me telling you why it's the best place to go if you want to go into veterinary studies/ This is research, Suzy. Facts. I know you like those." She put the papers in my hands. "Just think about it."

"Suzy!" a guy across campus called out.

I looked over. A tall kid, probably a freshman, was waving both hands at me. "Yeah?" I asked.

"Hi!"

"Hi," I said.

Irene waved. "What about me? Are you going to say hi to me, too?"

"Who are you?"

"Suzy's best friend, Irene."

"Hi, Irene!"

She laughed.

He ran over. "Can I take a selfie with you guys?"

"Of course," Irene said, right as I was about to say no. He held up his phone and snapped a pic with us, then ran off.

Jisoo rolled her eyes. "I hope everyone gets sick of you sooner rather than later because this is going to get old."

I pushed her arm. "Thanks a lot."

"You know what I mean."

☘ 𝔏𝔬𝔱𝔱𝔬 𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢 ☘

The comprehensive multi-source packet that Jisoo had put together for me was amazing. Seoul really was a good school. But still, Busan was closer to home. And it wasn't like it was a bad school. Location was more important. Did money really change all that?

I sent Jisoo a text: Thanks for the packet. It's impressive.

She texted back: Hmmm. That does not sound like I convinced you. Let's have a meeting.

A meeting?

Next Thursday at 7pm. We will discuss this further.

Okay, boss.

I entered the date into my phone calendar. She was giving me over a week to think about this. She wanted me to think hard.

There was a knock at my door. It swung open and Sangmoon's head appeared.

"You know, when you knock, you should actually wait for a response."

"Oh. Right." He shut the door and knocked again.

"Come in."

He came in with a smile. "I didn't know the routine, since you never wait for me to respond in your efforts to save me from my oversleeping."

"This is true. I've trained you poorly. The difference is that I'd have to wait for hours for a response. You will get one right away."

"And here I was coming to ask you what you wanted for dinner, but all I get is abuse."

"Mom isn't making dinner, too? I thought she was starting a trend this morning."

"Not yet," Sangmoon answered, laughing. "Though maybe if she really does quit her job, we can look forward to that."

"The thought of homemade dinners by Mom shouldn't scare me but it totally does," I said, getting up off my bed and stretching. "So ... dinner? Are you making or buying?"

"I was hoping you would buy. That's why I asked for your opinion at all."

I took one of my socks off and threw it at him, but then said, "Fine, I will. I don't have a preference. Whatever you want."

"Chinese food?"

"Sounds good."

He started to leave and I said, "Sangmoon, wait."

He turned, eyebrows raised.

"You're going back to school, right?"

"Yeah, sure. Next semester."

"That doesn't sound very convincing."

"You want me to sign something in blood? Declare it on my hands and knees? Shout it from the rooftops?"

I shoved his chest with a laugh. "Fine. Whatever. Get out of here."

If Jisoo really wanted me to go to Seoul with her, the only way it would happen would be if I knew things were good here at home. And I wasn't quite convinced yet.