Chapter 161 : Epilogue 1 [His Story] (2)

Hyun-woo was traveling around China with his father and a guide, looking into all kinds of investment opportunities and making various contracts, allowing him to meet quite a lot of connections.

‘Strangely, since coming back to life, learning foreign languages has become extremely easy.’

Of course, he had studied English intensively for employment during his university days in his previous life, but for Chinese and Japanese, which he had never learned before, it felt like he was absorbing things he had forgotten rather than learning anew.

Thus, Hyun-woo greatly benefited from the foreign languages he acquired during the time he was playing the role of a ‘genius investment boy’ and saving up a large sum of money. Though it was only for a few months, he newly realized how much being able to communicate between people can overcome great barriers.

‘There were many things I wouldn’t have known if the language didn’t work.’

Because he knew the Chinese cultural market would grow rapidly after the Olympics and had invested in advance in the Chinese cultural market. He became acquainted with people doing entertainment business in China. They were looking for investors to help traditional Chinese musicians perform overseas tours.

-If it’s such things, it would be better to request from large companies or experts rather than me…

-The people I brought are not such grand masters, but people who make a living while doing musical activities in small villages. After all, people without domestic connections find it difficult to get opportunities to obtain investors.

In short, they were looking for overseas investors because they lacked guanxi.

But among picky foreign capitalists, there was no one who would willingly open their pockets for a small group of musicians without official activity records even in their own country, and capitalists who had listened to them made them uncomfortable by making strange requests, they said.

-They seemed to confuse us with a circus troupe, asking us to join their performance group they’re investing in, or making dating requests to our daughter…

-Dating requests?

-That… haha.

The entertainment company president seemed uncomfortable explaining in detail to middle school student Hyun-woo, so he circumlocuted with words like giving pocket money or requesting special private performances, but. He could roughly guess what kind of requests were exchanged.

-Since that incident, we’ve even put out a condition of preferring female investors… but it’s not easy to find such a person among those interested in the cultural world.

What they finally chose was to rely on the boy with the title of ‘genius investment boy’. With hope that perhaps a boy called a genius, unlike investors so far, might see their true selves.

The meeting arranged like that.

While talking with the responsible band representative, Hyun-woo increasingly felt like investing.

Love for family.

Responsibility towards those who believe in them.

Desire to heal people with music.

Because the craftsmanship he possessed somehow reminded him of his father, and because the great cause of wanting to heal people’s hearts with music touched on the advice his father had given Hyun-woo in his past life.

-Become a person who walks a great path, Hyun-woo.

“…”

Hyun-woo still held his father’s words from the vanished time in his heart.

With the belief that perhaps that great path could lead Hyun-woo to greater happiness.

Hyun-woo shook hands with the band representative.

“I want to be with people who want to walk a great path.”

“Th-Thank you!”

Perhaps feeling great affinity for the young investor who respected their craftsmanship. The band representative finally arranged a meeting with his daughter, whom he considered his successor.

Hyun-woo met a girl named Li Meilin who had become a musician at the youngest age in the band.

Long black hair, white face, well-balanced body.

He was certain that if this girl went into the international film industry, she would always be cast in fixed roles as an Oriental beauty.

“Nice to meet you.”

“N-Nice to meet you.”

Hyun-woo was overwhelmed by Li Meilin who exuded an unapproachable atmosphere like a model on TV, even though she was the same age as him. Because he had memories up to his late 20s, he received a stronger impression of cuteness from girls similar to his current age, but…

‘This one really is on a different level alone.’

Li Meilin showed a glimpse of allure that even blew away the cute impression unique to girls.

His face burns hot every time he makes eye contact with her.

As if that wasn’t enough, his heart that beat uncontrollably every time he saw Saebyeok in casual clothes these days caused trouble here too. It felt like just yesterday that Saebyeok was walking around in military-like outfits asking to play army games, but as she gradually grew her hair and suddenly came in wearing so-called girlfriend looks, he naturally glanced at her.

‘Saebyeok has suddenly become interested in fashion these days…’

All kinds of stray thoughts come as his mind shakes as much as his heart beats indecently.

Hyun-woo pinched his leg to try to pull his mind back from going off on a tangent.

‘Get a grip, Hyun-woo… she’s almost young enough to be your niece. She’s a person who came for investment consultation.’

No, they’re the same age now.

Anyway.

What’s not allowed is not allowed.

But that was only for a moment.

Hyun-woo was surprised again by what Li Meilin showed.

Five-point prostration

She was kneeling on the floor and rubbing her palms together.

“Hiiiii… ple-please invest!! My father has been looking for a safe investor because of me…!! I can’t cause any more trouble!!”

“Ra-Raise your head please!! I’ve already decided to invest!!”

“Oh, really?”

Hehe

Li Meilin sucked in her tears and sat down scratching her head while sipping tea.

“You-You’re very skilled at controlling your emotions.”

“Kuhuhu, it’s one of the ways to survive with this beautiful face.”

Li Meilin winked one eye while pretending to poke the air with both fingers.

The frivolous gesture seemed to shout ‘What’s wrong? You know.’

“…”

Her face was beautiful, but somehow it felt like he’d lose if he acknowledged it.

“…I see.”

“Tch, you’re no fun.”

After a brief awkward time passed.

Li Meilin and Hyun-woo briefly talked about things like the reason for accepting investment in the band and future plans.

“By the way, I imagined an old man when they said an investor from abroad… you know how to respect others. And your boldness to travel abroad too…”

“Is that so?”

“Hmm, you said you’re the same age as me?”

“Ye-Yes.”

“Hmm, hmm.”

Li Meilin kept making nasal sounds as she looked Hyun-woo up and down from top to bottom, then nodded her head.

Because he had come for overseas business, Hyun-woo was neatly dressed in a custom-tailored suit that cost quite a lot of money. Though it was a suit for formality rather than a design to flaunt wealth to others, an undeniable luxury could be felt.

His cleanly maintained hair and nails showed a glimpse of his usual clean and regular living habits. And yet he also had the tolerance to not force formality or standards on others.

He didn’t have the immaturity of shouting at the top of his lungs and revealing an inflated ego like prodigies in adolescence usually do.

Calm

Neat

Luxurious

Moreover, his age was the same as Li Meilin’s.

“Hmmmm.”

Poke

Li Meilin lightly pressed Hyun-woo’s necktie with her slender finger.

Flinch

Hyun-woo was surprised by her suddenly pressing the necktie Saebyeok had chosen.

“A woman chose this for you, right?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. How did you know?”

“Usually men prefer solid colors in formal settings, but choosing a bold pattern over such a modest suit design, and choosing a color considering personality and skin tone…”

It seemed like a different choice from Hyun-woo’s calm and somewhat indifferent personality.

‘If this man had chosen himself, he would have hidden it inconspicuously in achromatic colors.’

The unexpectedness felt from the bold color of the necktie seemed to show a pure humanity Li Meilin couldn’t see under the suit.

Someone who knows this man’s identity.

Who has known this person for a long time.

Who decides this person’s personal color.

Li Meilin felt like some woman was glaring while shouting like that.

The fact that someone was already eyeing him was the surest guarantee above all.

“Interesting. Girlfriend?”

“Huh? No. Childhood friend.”

“Hmm, hmm, hmm.”

Li Meilin, who had been nodding her head repeatedly like that, looked at Hyun-woo once more with an expression full of interest, and finally left a word in Hyun-woo’s ear before finishing the meeting.

“Make sure to see me again when we perform. You can bring that person too.”

“…”

“I’ll definitely do our first performance in Korea.”

“I-Is that so.”

“Of course, we could do it earlier if you ‘personally’ call me!”

“Ah… that’s a bit…”

“Huhu, then.”

Let’s definitely meet again.

Us.

Clatter

For some reason I really don’t know why.

Hyun-woo felt like he heard the sound of a single shell casing falling.

Why did the image of a target rising at a 100-meter shooting range come to mind?

Why?

Click

The sound of the adjustment lever changing from single shot to automatic fire was also heard.

Hyun-woo headed to England with an unknown chill in his heart.