Chapter 83: Becoming the Older Brother of a Top Star

S Financial Group in Yeouido.

A towering building with a grand lobby.

Father chuckled and muttered to himself.

“This kid, it seems he has succeeded. To be working in a place like this.”

It’s said that financial companies, which deal with money, place great importance on their appearance.

That’s why expensive securities firms in the U.S. deliberately decorate their headquarters lavishly.

They say that such pretentious displays are necessary to psychologically reassure customers.

Of course, I only heard this secondhand, so I’m not entirely sure.

“Ah, you must be the people who have an appointment with the department head. Please follow us.”

The employees’ behavior changed as soon as they heard we were there to meet the department head.

We were treated like very important guests and led to an office on a high floor.

There, a middle-aged man with a kind face greeted us.

“Wow, Jung Young-hoon! How long has it been? It’s great to see you!”

Yang Jin-seok, the department head of S Financial Group, embraced Father warmly.

Father patted his back and said,

“Hey, you look well-fed. You’ve put on some weight since the last time I saw you.”

“Haha. I was in the U.S. for a while. The food there is so fattening. I missed Korean food, so I came back as soon as I could.”

S Financial Group is the top financial company in our country.

For someone to be recruited here and hold the title of department head, they must be very capable.

Father seems to have a truly remarkable friend.

“But you want to meet me at your company... Does this mean you’re seeing me as a client rather than a friend?”

“Half right, half wrong.”

“Huh?”

“The client here is not me, but this young man.”

“Oh~”

Department Head Yang Jin-seok extended his hand to me.

“Welcome. This is our first meeting, right? I’m your father’s friend, Yang Jin-seok. By the way, I’ve been keeping up with the TV programs featuring you and your sister. My wife really likes them.”

I shook his hand.

“Yes, thank you.”

“Indeed. But seeing you in person, you’re really handsome. It’s a good thing you didn’t take after your father. You should always thank your mother, got it?”

“This kid is talking nonsense...”

“Haha. So, you’re here to become my client today? Let’s sit down first.”

He ordered drinks from his secretary and then sat down in front of us.

“So, let me ask you casually. How much are you thinking of investing?”

“Ah, this is my son’s first time entrusting money to a securities firm, so we thought we’d start with a small amount...”

I quietly observed Department Head Yang Jin-seok as he spoke with Father.

As soon as the topic turned to money, a powerful aura emanated from him.

Just as I expected, he was indeed skilled in this field.

I slowly absorbed his aura.

Suddenly, a flood of complex financial knowledge poured into my mind, making my head spin.

“Let’s start with 500 million won.”

This person was definitely trustworthy.

It meant that there was no need to start with a small amount to test the waters.

His aura was proof of this.

“Hmm? Yun-seong, you’re putting in 500 million won? Shouldn’t we start with a smaller amount and gradually increase it?”

“It’s fine. There will be more settlement funds next year, and we can grow this money in the meantime, right?”

Department Head Yang Jin-seok burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! Your son’s mindset is amazing. That’s right. Money isn’t meant to be left idle in a bank. If you keep it idle, what’s the point? You need to plant seeds to grow it into a larger sum. But it’s also good to listen to your father, as even safe investments carry risks.”

While absorbing his aura, I learned that he wasn’t particularly greedy for money.

Although it’s unusual for someone in finance not to be greedy, he wasn’t the type to pressure others into making investments for his own benefit.

Still, Father seems to have a pretty good friend.

“No, if our son wants to do it, we should let him.”

“Hehe. You’re completely a doting father.”

“Our son has never been wrong in anything he’s done. When he says he’ll do something, he always follows through.”

“Is that so?”

He looked at me with interest.

“But you’re the department head here. At your level, don’t you handle client management like other employees?”

“Of course. I mainly deal with high-value VIPs, but 500 million won is a significant amount for someone of Yun-seong’s age, even if it’s not a huge sum in the financial world.”

“Then can you introduce us to someone who can take good care of Yun-seong?”

“No, since he’s my friend’s son, I should handle this myself. Besides, Yun-seong is a top singer in our country, which means he’s a future VIP. I can’t let such a valuable client slip away. Haha.”

It was better for me that a high-ranking person at the company would manage my account rather than a regular employee.

“Since we’re here, why don’t you show us the stocks we’re monitoring and which products would be good for our portfolio?”

“Hmm, Yun-seong is a good student, but will he understand all of this?”

“Well, I can explain it well, and if you get bored, you can take a nap.”

Department Head Yang Jin-seok was burning with enthusiasm, like a child who had found a new toy.

I could tell he truly enjoyed his work.

I opened my eyes, fully absorbing his aura.

His financial knowledge and the memories I had forgotten or merely brushed past in my previous life began to merge.

“...”

It was a fascinating phenomenon.

The memories buried in my subconscious were resurfacing, and I was calculating how future events would impact the stock market.

It was as if a bartender in my brain was mixing a cocktail and serving it to me.

“Let me see it.”

I smiled and took the portfolio that Department Head Yang Jin-seok handed me.

What seemed complex and incomprehensible to others felt as simple as a fairy tale to me.

* * *

“Phew...”

Department Head Yang Jin-seok loosened his tie and took a deep breath.

It felt like a storm had just passed.

“Department Head, here’s the drink you asked for.”

“Ah, thanks.”

Yang Jin-seok, who was sweating profusely, gulped down the cold water.

“You talked with those two for quite a while.”

“Yes, I almost missed my next appointment. I haven’t had such an engaging conversation in a long time. I lost track of time. Haha.”

At first, he intended to give some advice and take care of his friend’s son.

But when he saw the portfolio, his thoughts completely changed.

“Are students these days really interested in economics?”

“Huh?”

“Kim Secretary is much younger than me. I was just curious about what young people are like these days.”

“Well, I guess it varies from person to person, but at that age, they’re usually most interested in their appearance, games, or the opposite sex.”

Reflecting on his own school days, Yang Jin-seok realized he was no different.

But the person who was just here, Jung Yun-seong—

“Is he a special case?”

And not just any special case, but one with a genius-level sense.

“It seems you had a pleasant conversation.”

“Haha, indeed. I didn’t expect this. How could someone his age know so much about this field? He even gave me investment advice.”

“Really?”

“And I found it very convincing.”

“...?”

“It’s quite funny. The one who should have been giving investment advice ended up receiving advice. But it was so convincing. He had a deep understanding of international economic conditions and legal issues. I think I need to gather my team and discuss this seriously.”

“Really?”

Then Department Head Yang Jin-seok got up and left.

His steps were lighter than usual, and his face was beaming with a smile.

* * *

“Ugh...”

Yun-a has a habit of biting her nails when she’s anxious.

It’s usually a sign that someone who didn’t receive enough love from their parents has developed this habit, but I don’t understand why she does it, given how much love she’s received.

“Hmm, Yun-a.”

“Ah, right.”

Yun-a quickly removed her hand from her mouth and smiled sheepishly.

Seeing her smile, the nagging words that were about to come out of my mouth vanished.

“Phew, I fell for it again.”

I always fall for it, but for some reason, I never develop immunity.

“But, brother, it’s not just me.”

“Huh?”

“Look at Mom and Dad over there.”

Sitting on the opposite sofa, our parents were just as anxious as Yun-a.

Father was shaking his leg, and Mother couldn’t keep her hands still.

Finally, she couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“Hey! When is it going to start?”

“Dear, just a little longer. It will start after the commercial.”

“Phew. Why are the commercials so long? They said the investment funds weren’t properly collected, but there are so many ads.”

“Haha. With the news that our Yun-a is starring and Yun-seong is composing, the commercials have been pouring in. You should have seen the production team’s faces.”

Today is the premiere of the highly anticipated drama.

So, the whole family gathered in front of the TV.

“Ugh, I can’t watch it. What if the reaction is bad? It could be traumatic...”

“Why would you have a trauma?”

“No, I mean, what if the ratings are bad or people don’t like it, and the drama flops?”

If this were the previous life’s Yun-a, she might have developed a trauma.

But this life is different.

I’ve done my best to prevent any trauma or black history from forming, especially by composing the songs.

I even went to the filming site several times to ensure the scenes were perfect, despite the difficulties.

‘Of course, the final judgment is up to the audience.’

My job is done here.

The drama hasn’t ended yet, and there’s still a lot of filming to do, but the first episode must set the right tone.

The drama shouldn’t be interesting later; it needs to be engaging from the start to capture the audience.

“Oh, it’s starting!”

Father’s leg was shaking even more.

“Please, stop shaking your leg!”

“Ah, sorry.”

And so, our family fixed their gaze on the first drama featuring Yun-a.

As the drama began, I started to feel nervous too.

‘Please, just do well.’

I prayed silently as I watched the drama.