episode_0001

I had a special ability from a young age.

For example, it happened when I was in kindergarten.

There was a friend who grew up in a very wealthy family.

He always exuded an aura of nobility, and carried around the latest toys and smartphones that others couldn’t even dream of having.

One day, that kid brought some high-end candy that was impossible to get and showed it off.

He only gave the candy to kids who listened to him, instantly becoming the queen of the group.

When everyone else was jealously crying, begging, and groveling.

I unconsciously rummaged through my pocket and found the exact same candy.

I could eat the candy without submitting.

There’s more to this.

One time, I wanted to buy some cheap snacks and was hanging around a self-service stationery store.

I didn’t have any allowance, so I could only watch it like a pie in the sky.

Then, I unconsciously rummaged through my pocket and found a 500-won coin.

I could confidently buy some cheap snacks.

Of course, it would be strange to call this a special ability.

Actually, when I was young, I never thought of it as my ability.

I think I just passed it off as good luck.

I always had what I needed in my pocket in that way, and I realized the true value of my ability after my family went bankrupt.

Tear.

Crack.

Red seizure stickers being attached to the house.

The television, the sofa, the refrigerator, the computer.

It was our house, but it became as if our things didn’t exist.

My father, who was one step away from having his organs harvested after taking out private loans due to gambling debts.

He stayed holed up in the house every day, drinking more and more bottles of soju.

It was a daily occurrence for him to yell at me and my younger sister, and threaten us by throwing soju bottles.

My mother was having an affair with another man around this time.

Eventually, she left me and my younger sister behind and went far away.

The debt collectors, who came and went from our house like it was their own, licked their lips as they looked at my younger sister.

“That little thing looks pretty tasty. If we play our cards right, we could make a fortune.”

There wasn’t much I could do.

I just dropped out of high school and focused on part-time jobs, and my whole life was about groveling to the debt collectors.

My father kept urging me to buy him alcohol, and the light had long disappeared from my younger sister’s eyes.

Considering my younger sister’s strong and aloof personality, it was a wonder she hadn’t run away from home.

Actually, maybe she had, but she was caught by the debt collectors.

A precarious life that could fall apart at any moment.

A precarious life that might not last.

But.

Unexpectedly, these hellish moments passed quickly.

Midwinter, when white breath froze in the air.

I put my blistered hands in my pockets to escape the cold.

I stared blankly at the full moon floating alone in the sky.

A height I could never reach, no matter how hard I tried.

I unconsciously made a wish to that dim moon.

I wish this was all a dream…

I wish my mom and dad would go back to being the harmonious family we once were.

To cut to the chase, that didn’t happen.

Instead, I felt something in my pocket that had been empty.

There was a transparent plastic box and a piece of paper.

I unfolded the paper and looked at it.

[Mind Control Lenses]

[Instructions: After wearing the lenses and making eye contact with someone for more than 10 seconds, that person will have the kind of mind the wearer most desires.]

“…What?”

It’s strange that I suddenly have something like this in my pocket, but the words written in the instructions are also strange.

As I read it over and over because I didn’t understand, the ink engraved on the paper disappeared in real time.

The instructions were now blank.

I blankly opened the plastic box.

There were lenses inside.

The debt collector came to our house almost every day.

I had already reported him.

But I gave up when I happened to see the chief of the local police station bowing to the debt collector.

The debt collector was a much bigger shot than he looked.

It seemed that this big shot from the underworld was personally coming to our house to harvest my younger sister when she got a little older.

I had made a few plans to make eye contact with the debt collector while wearing the lenses, but it became easy enough to be pointless.

After staring at me for a few seconds, he grabbed my hair and slammed me to the floor.

Then he looked down at me intently, as if to show me the hierarchy.

What kind of wish did I make?

I definitely wished that my father would think he had paid off his debt.

So that we would no longer have a debtor-creditor relationship with the debt collector.

So that he would no longer harass our family.

Looking back now, it was a clumsy and meaningless wish.

Even if the debt was paid off, there was no guarantee that the debt collector would disappear.

Because he had his eye on my younger sister.

But it seems that the wish I desperately wanted in my heart was not that.

After that incident, the debt collector’s attitude towards me changed.

A rich young master? An only son? A younger brother he cherishes more than anyone else?

He became so devoted that he wouldn’t let a single drop of water touch my fingers.

I was able to realize.

My wish.

I wished that this person would be on my side. That was my wish.

The debt my father had created was naturally paid off, and he even gave my alcoholic father a mental makeover by beating him up.

I could feel my father getting healthier in real time.

He started a new business and was busy moving around.

The house brightened up in the blink of an eye.

I couldn’t meet my mother because I had lost contact with her, but my father, who was glowing with health, said he would bring a new mother.

I thought I would miss my mom more when my heart was at peace.

Is it because she eventually abandoned us and disappeared?

It seemed like neither me nor my younger sister cared.

After that, strange objects began to pop out of my pocket along with various instructions.

It’s not like I’m Doraemon.

Although most of them were disposable and only one came out a day.

A cloak that could make you invisible, a paper that could see the future.

There were a lot of ridiculous things.

It seemed to be basically random.

However, like the mind control lenses that came out at first, things that fit each situation also came out.

Maybe it’s reading my desperate heart.

Thanks to the debt collector who cherished me, I didn’t have to worry about money.

I could buy my younger sister everything she wanted, even if it spoiled her.

I played and ate all day at home.

I was able to live a life of unparalleled abundance.

I spent several years playing around without thinking about doing anything productive.

I was so bored that I got my GED and took the college entrance exam.

[Memory Gum]

[Instructions: While you taste the sweetness of the gum, your frontal lobe will be twice as active as usual. Your memory will be greatly improved.]

This gum came out every day during the six months I studied.

The duration was 30 minutes.

I made a routine of studying for 2 hours and organizing for 30 minutes.

The result of studying this much without any foundation was all 2nd grade.

I never thought about being in the top tier, so it was an unexpected result.

I was a little lucky with math.

It was a somewhat satisfactory grade, but I didn’t really want to go to college.

Instead, I started studying stocks in earnest.

I had suffered a big loss because I didn’t have money, so I couldn’t let that happen again.

It seemed like I didn’t have to worry about money anymore, but you never know what will happen in life.

The more I studied stocks, the more difficult parts there were.

But there was no reason to wander.

I couldn’t see which stocks were going up, but I could see the news of the future.

I bought theme stocks related to each event, and value chain stocks related to them.

It was like solving problems while looking at the commentary, so naturally the stock was doing well.

Now I can say that I’m a full-time investor.

I can introduce myself as a moderately wealthy person with hundreds of millions of dollars.

Now I’m leisurely spending my time in my room doing various hobbies.

Beep, beep, beep.

At the same time as the front door opened, I heard a thin voice saying, “I’m home.”

It’s my younger sister, who graduated from high school last year and is now a repeat student.

She doesn’t go to a cram school, but goes to a study room and listens to online lectures.

She’s determined to get into Korea University, but I don’t know if she’ll be able to.

It seems like she goes to clubs and drinks with her friends a lot.

Well, she’s an adult now, so she’ll figure it out.

I don’t want her to be stressed out about getting a job because we have a lot of money.

I’m going to make her a building owner so she can play and eat for the rest of her life.

When I opened the door and came out, I saw my younger sister carrying her schoolbag.

“You’re back? You’re early today…”

I’m not particularly close to my younger sister, but we’re not awkward or uncomfortable either.

We can exchange greetings in a friendly way.

But today, there was a guest next to my younger sister.

Dolphin pants that revealed her fair and smooth legs.

Her long legs drew a beautiful figure.

Even though she had a slender figure, my eyes were drawn to her full breasts.

Even though it was just a white t-shirt, it felt like an expensive luxury item.

As soon as I made eye contact with her, I awkwardly turned away.

She’s pretty. To the point of being overwhelming.

My younger sister said.

“This is my friend Park Seoa. She’s studying with me. That’s my older brother, Kim Jiwoo.”

“Hello, Jiwoo oppa! I’ve heard a lot about you from Chaeeun.”

I nodded my head and received her greeting.

And I smiled slightly and said.

“Oh, really? I didn’t think she would talk about me. I guess she’s been badmouthing me.”

“Not at all! Chaeeun always compliments you. She says you’re a good brother.”

I could see her personality in her smiling face and lively voice.

It’s the complete opposite of my aloof and cold younger sister.

A refreshing atmosphere that makes you feel energized just by being with her.

You could say it’s the complete opposite of me.

“I’m just in my room, so make yourself comfortable.”

I’ve seen a few of my younger sister’s friends so far, but they’ve all been beautiful.

Among them were idols, models, and million-dollar influencers who are currently popular.

I think my younger sister is pretty.

I remember she got a lot of confessions during her school days.

But when you compare her to her friends, I think she’s a little lacking.

Is she playing the role of a money bag or a mat?

As I was thinking of funny things and trying to close the door, Park Seoa said.

“Oh, we’re going to the study cafe right away. We’re repeat students, so we have to study. It’s okay if you stay out here.”

Park Seoa stared at me intently for some reason and smiled with her eyes.

I avoided her gaze without realizing it.

“Then I’ll be going, oppa.”

My younger sister gently waved her hand.

I wondered why she came home if she was leaving right away, but I quickly realized the reason.

“Wait a minute.”

I came into the room and grabbed a handful of 50,000-won bills from my wallet.

It looked like about 300,000 won.

I give my younger sister pocket money whenever I get the chance.

I think I developed this habit after being harassed by loan sharks.

Especially since my younger sister was bullied in middle school after my family went bankrupt.

I still remember her expression at that time vividly.

I hope she can live a wealthy life without worrying about money now.

I thought it would be better to just transfer the money to her account.

Since my younger sister’s friend is here, it seemed okay to show off.

I’m a brother who gives a lot of pocket money, so it’s okay to be a little cocky.

I came out to the living room and handed over the bills.

“Buy something delicious to eat. Don’t come home too late.”

I glanced at Park Seoa and said.

“I gave you a little more because Seoa is here.”

“Thank you, Jiwoo oppa! I’ll study hard! You’re handsome!”

“Yeah. Just study and come back.”

Unlike Park Seoa, who smiled brightly, my younger sister’s reaction was dry.

That’s all I need.

I hope she has a life where it’s natural to receive a lot of pocket money.

The two of them exchanged meaningful glances while putting on their shoes.

As they opened the front door and left, I heard a small conversation.

“What kind of… mind… did you put in?”

“Pretty good… Can I really… do it? Two days…”

Park Seoa suddenly turned around and made eye contact with me.

Thump.

And the door that had been opened closed, cutting off the space.

I live in the same house as my younger sister, but it feels like there’s an invisible wall between us.

Unlike me, she has a lot of friends and goes out a lot.

Even if she just walks around a little, everyone’s attention is drawn to her.

She’s currently repeating her studies, but for some reason, I feel like she’ll be an idol or an actress in the future.

She lives in a completely different world.

Like my younger sister’s other friends, Park Seoa is probably someone I’ll never see again.

* * *

The next morning, I brushed my teeth and looked at various news articles.

Spectacular things happen every day in our country.

I’ve made it a habit to watch it because of stocks, but even if that wasn’t the case, there are a lot of interesting news articles.

As I was about to finish brushing my teeth in the bathroom in my room, I heard a knock on the door.

My dad barely comes home these days, so it’s probably just my younger sister.

But my younger sister left for the study room at 7 a.m.

Why did she come back home?

When I opened the door, my younger sister was standing there, dressed in a stylish outfit that didn’t look like she was a repeat student.

“Oppa, I don’t know something while studying, so please teach me.”

I’ve taught my younger sister a few times.

I think I have a higher score now than when I took the college entrance exam, because I studied to teach my younger sister.

My mouth was full of foam, so I just nodded my head.

Then, brown bobbed hair fluttered behind my younger sister.

“Can you teach me too? Huh? Oppa?”

Park Seoa, who was smiling brightly, spoke in a coquettish voice.