I watched the scene from her past and lost my words for a moment.
― Jinwoo, why's your face like that?
― Did he see something weird?
― What kind of mess did she make?
― Judging by the nickname, she's a thug, isn't she?
"Hold on. Let me organize my thoughts."
......They refused to organize.
Let me start over and examine the situation from the beginning.
So — age, early to mid-twenties, maybe?
A young woman was standing in front of a villa's front door, holding documents.
She was dressed in a suit, with a fresh-out-of-college vibe.
Ding-dong.
She rang the bell, and shortly after, the door cracked open with a rattle. A little girl peeked her face out.
"Who are you?"
"Are you the daughter of this house? You don't really look like your parents' photos."
"Wh-what?!"
Maybe it was her expressionless face and manner of speaking.
The child stared at her with a terrified look.
"I'm here because I have business with your parents. Are they home?"
"They're not here......"
"Really? Then let me try calling."
She pulled her phone from her jacket and called the child's parents, but the call didn't go through.
To make matters worse, her phone battery died — meaning she couldn't even send a text.
"What do I do...... I came for debt collection, so I need to leave a record of the visit......"
She thought for a moment, then extended her hand to the child.
"Hey, do you have a phone by any chance?"
"Y-yes!"
"Could you lend it to me just once? I'll just send one text."
"Here!"
Taking the phone from the wide-eyed child, she typed a message.
[Visited your home but you were not present. Sending this text via your daughter's phone. Please be home for the next visit. By the way, your daughter is quite pretty.]
About five seconds after sending the message.
An incoming call from [My Beloved Mom].
Without a second thought, she pressed answer.
"Hello."
"Is my daughter safe?!"
"......? She is for now."
"I'm so sorry...... I'm truly sorry......! I'll get the money together somehow and pay it back right away......!"
"Understood."
"Please, just my daughter......"
"Don't worry. Nothing is going to happen."
The scene vanished after the words "As long as you pay," and I could only shake my head.
Who talks like that?
It was absurd, but I spoke calmly.
"You work in debt collection?"
"How did you know?"
"I just see it. Was today your first field visit?"
"Yes, that's right."
Was that why?
Or was there another reason?
"Do you remember the first thing you said to the child when the door opened?"
"......"
"'Are you the daughter of this house? You don't really look like your parents' photos.'"
― She said that to a child?
― Why would you say that?
― Is she sane?
― Must be a maniac
"I'm sorry. I have this thing where weird stuff comes out of my mouth when I'm nervous......"
― Anonymous donated 1,000 won! ―
[If she's nervous twice she'll start dropping F-bombs?]
"I'm sorry......"
Her voice shrank — she sounded genuine.
That's when I finally understood what kind of mess she'd made today.
This was it!
"You really made a spectacular mess."
"Yes...... I have to write a report, but I have no idea what to put in it......"
The reason for the report was something else entirely.
She'd collected all the overdue fees in one lump payment, and her team leader told her to write up a report.
Explaining how she did it.
"What do I even write...?"
― Seriously, what do you write?
― Just write that you intimidated them like Kang Haesang
― You collected the money, didn't you? lol
― Do I look like a kidnapper to you?
― Apparently you do, and that's why they paid lol
― Anonymous donated 1,000 won! ―
[What do you even put in that report? lol]
― Anonymous donated 1,000 won! ―
[Imagine the team leader's face reading it lol]
― Anonymous donated 1,000 won! ―
[No matter what she writes she's getting reamed lol]
The chat was flooded with laughter, and I looked into her future.
An office?
A man who appeared to be her boss was reading the report she'd submitted, and his expression was gradually hardening.
"Mina, is this true?"
"Yes."
"That......"
One line.
Two lines.
Three lines.
The boss's expression changed in real time, until finally he covered his mouth and started shaking.
"Ngh......"
He was holding in laughter. Just how absurd must the situation have been for him to be laughing while reading that?
"Mina. This isn't something we can just let slide, but if we frame it as training material, we can probably work it out."
"Th-then......"
"Yes. But please, never do this again."
"Understood."
The next scene was a conference room full of employees.
"Everyone, today's training is very important, so please pay attention."
CLICK — and a title appeared on the screen.
[Field Case Study in Debt Collection — Successful Voluntary Repayment Through Non-verbal Pressure]
The employees stared at the screen and, one by one, began fighting to keep straight faces.
"Ahem......"
"Hurk......"
"Keh......"
One of them finally cracked.
"Bahahaha! Mina, is this for real?"
"......"
The contributor was listed as Han OO, but there are no secrets in a workplace.
Three days, and everyone would know.
Starting with that one person, the conference room dissolved into laughter, while the boss who'd agreed to make it training material was the only one maintaining a serious face.
"Everyone, please do not do this in the field."
'It became training material.'
Watching the scene fade, I opened my mouth.
"Write it honestly."
"Honestly...?"
"Yes."
"'I told her the child would be fine as long as they paid, and they wired over all the overdue fees.' Like that?"
"Yes."
"How can I write that......"
"Don't worry too much. It'll make an excellent piece of training material."
"Training material?!"
― Lol, training material?
― This actually becomes training material?
― What would the title even be?
― "Fists Before the Law" — how's that?
― A bit too on the nose
To her horror, I said with a smile:
"You'll actually get converted to permanent employment because of this."
"Really?!"
"Yes. As the outstanding specimen who provided the training material and the team's mood-maker, apparently your bosses love it."
"......"
Nobody could have predicted that this incident would lead to her getting permanent status.
"And one more thing."
"Yes?"
"Apologize to the child."
"Understood......"
She seemed to be a good person at heart.
Her way of speaking was just, well...... how should I put it, Kang Haesang-esque...?
Ugh, what even is the word for that?
"And Mina."
"How do you know my name......"
"You're going to do great going forward. But just one thing."
"Yes."
"Don't try to fix the thing where weird stuff comes out when you're nervous."
"What?"
"It'll become a strength."
At my words, she fell silent for a moment — as if mulling something over.
"Now that I think about it, I guess it kind of is."
"Right?"
"Thank you. I think it'll all work out somehow."
"Then write that report well."
"I will."
Click — she left, and the chat was still flooded with laughter.
― Lol, what even was today's stream?
― The weird-talk thing becoming a strength? Lol
― Mina, good luck with the report
― I'm dying to know the title of the training material
[Viewers: 235]
I glanced at the viewer count and let out a small grin.
"I'm really done for today this time."
― Lol, he says "really" this time
― He'll take it if more donations come
― You'd take a million won, wouldn't you?
"Ahem, even if a million-won donation came, I'd leave this time."
― Anonymous donated 1,000 won! ―
[For real?]
"If you're curious, go ahead and try."
― Anonymous donated 1,000 won! ―
[Not that curious]
― Later
― See you tomorrow
― Today was fun
― At least post what time you'll stream!
"I'll be here in the morning again tomorrow. Thank you."
With that, I pressed [End Stream].
"Phew."
I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes.
The faces of everyone I'd counseled today flickered through my mind.
Jihye in her hospital room. Minsu, the startup CEO.
Hajin with his father at the hospital, and Mr. Han Munsu out for dinner with his daughter and granddaughter.
And finally Mina — I hoped they'd all turn out alright.
"As my child wills."
"Huh?"
I snapped my eyes open at the sudden voice and looked around, but there was nobody.
"What?"
Was I hearing things?
Or was it Myutube?
No way — I'd just turned off the computer, and I hadn't even picked up my phone!
A chill ran down my spine and I shot to my feet, scanning the room and even checking the bathroom, but there was no one.
Of course there wasn't — this was a studio apartment where I lived alone.
A place so small that two people could fill it.
Just in case, I grabbed my phone and checked the Myutube app — it hadn't even been opened.
Then what was that voice?
As my child wills.
I replayed the voice in my head — it had been a woman's voice.
Low and quiet, but not cold. Warm, if anything.
In that moment.
The shaman grandmother's words came flooding back.
A parent's gaze upon their child.
The beginning and end of the universe.
The Great Mother.
I slowly looked around the room again and spoke.
"Was that...... for me?"
Naturally, there was no answer. But if a deity was speaking to me, shouldn't they at least reply?
Thanks to that, I'd be sleeping with the lights on tonight.
Grrrumble.
......Maybe I should eat first.
There was a banking app notification on my phone — I checked it, and an incoming deposit alert was waiting.
[Korea Bank]
Deposit: 482,000 won — Convenience store wages
Balance: 485,151 won
04/18 20:12 786-********-00000
It was the last month's pay from the convenience store.
If I added today's donations on top of that?
......On a day like this, I couldn't survive on just pasta.
That's right — today was a day for the Chicken Kingdom Pizza Prince combo!
I grinned to myself and opened the delivery app.
"I'm getting the large cola too."
***
The next morning.
Maybe it was the overeating last night.
My stomach was a bit off, but on days like these, you just push through with the leftover chicken and pizza from the night before.
I popped the food in the microwave, checked my phone — even more missed calls and texts, most of them from reporters.
Ding!
I pulled the pizza from the microwave, munched on it, and zoned out for a moment.
'What was that voice last night?'
I thought about the previous night's incident, shook my head, sat in the computer chair, powered it on, and pressed [Start Stream].
Being around people was less scary than being alone.
......And I could make money while I was at it.
"Welcome, everyone."
― Jinwoo's here
― Hi hi
― Please, PLEASE, give me a consultation today!
― If you donate 500,000 won it's a free pass
[Viewers: 255]
Three digits the second I went live.
Is this what a successful life is?
"This is superstar Kim Jinwoo."
― This guy doesn't have a single grain of humility
― Look at him getting cocky just because he got a few more viewers
― So when's the counseling today?
― PLEASE do me!
"Starting right away. First come, first served — three spots!"
Click.
Three donations rolled in simultaneously, and the IDs were all something else.
― MountainIsMountainWaterIsSelfServe donated 10,000 won! ―
[Am I first?]
― TodayIsNotFriday donated 10,000 won! ―
[Finally getting one]
― NirvanaVibes donated 10,000 won! ―
[Looking forward to it]
"MountainIsMountainWaterIsSelfServe, you're up first. Come into Daincode. Password is 1004."
― NirvanaVibes donated 100,000 won! ―
[It's urgent — can I go first?]
"I'm sorry. It's first come, first served."
― Our Jinwoo's changed
― Principles! Our Jinwoo is protecting his principles, how cool!
― That's how our streamer should be!
― NirvanaVibes donated 500,000 won! ―
[Is it really not possible?]
"Oh my! How urgent must it be for a 500,000-won donation...... come right in!"
― Anonymous donated 1,000 won! ―
[So much for principles]
Click — a viewer entered, and the speech was unusual from the start.
"A pleasure."
"Yes, hello. What's troubling you?"
"It seems my son has been embezzling company funds."