Chapter 2

Looking at the date and time displayed on the smartphone screen, he doubted his eyes.

It was strange not only because it was a clunky old smartphone, not the model he usually used, but also because the time shown on the screen was even stranger.

The time, which should have been 2022, was pointing to 2017.

"... Is it broken?"

For a moment, he thought it was an error and tried to adjust the settings app, but the current time was still marked as 2017.

To double-check, he went online. The green search engine site he often used. But today, the site was tinged with red.

2017?

The drowsiness that had been weighing down his eyes suddenly vanished. In fact, it had already disappeared when he realized his ex-wife was sleeping beside him, and now he felt as if cold water had been poured over his head, making him fully awake.

At that moment, An Yeseul, who was lying beside him, stirred and sat up. Her sleepy eyes were filled with irritation, as if asking why she had been woken up.

The moment he saw her beautiful face, even with the irritation, his heart sank. Her taut skin looked even younger than the last time he saw her.

"... Why are you rustling so much on New Year's morning! I'm so sleepy!"

"......"

"Stop being noisy and get out!"

Her irritated words gave him a new sense of certainty.

'... Did I travel back in time?'

It might sound unbelievable, but he had indeed traveled back in time.

However, he needed more confirmation. Jung Woo shook the sleeping An Yeseul awake again.

"Really! What's wrong with you!"

"... What's the date today?"

"Are you kidding? Of course it's the first day of the New Year! 2017 New Year!"

She said 2017 as if it were obvious.

Could it be that he really traveled back in time?

"... This can't be."

"Since you suddenly woke up, you keep saying weird things? Is it because the wine from yesterday hasn't fully worn off? Why are you making me so angry!"

Her words reminded him of the memory of ringing in the New Year with his ex-wife, sipping wine while watching the New Year's bell ceremony.

That's right.

Jung Woo, he had traveled back to 2017.

His heart pounded wildly, and adrenaline surged through his body, making him jump to his feet.

At the same time, the conversations he had with his friends at the bar the previous night flashed through his mind.

'If I could go back in time, I'd go to 2009 and mine a lot of Bitcoin.'

'The Mapo apartment I tried to apply for before the coin craze is now worth 1.6 billion won. It was originally priced at 500 million won.'

'You don't know about GameStop or Tesla?'

Coins, stocks, real estate. Information that made his heart race.

If he had really regressed, he might be able to turn the fantasies he and his friends had joked about into reality.

And the first thing he needed to do at this moment was clear.

"... Coins!"

"What? What's that...!"

Ignoring her irritated reaction, he rushed out of the room.

Only then did the familiar living room greet him. The clean, white walls and modern appliances.

He hadn't woken up in a motel. This was definitely the newlywed home he had lived in around 2017.

Although it had been years since he last remembered, his body naturally found the laptop in one corner of the living room.

While booting up the laptop, he anxiously pondered.

'What was the coin price in 2017?'

He had to recall it.

He vaguely remembered that Bitcoin had skyrocketed at the end of 2017. So, if it was the beginning of 2017, it was likely before the sharp rise.

Jung Woo's hands moved quickly on the laptop. He accessed a cryptocurrency exchange, which he had never searched for during this period, and checked the chart.

He doubted his eyes at the price.

The current price of Bitcoin was $990. The conversation with Bong-soo at the bar the previous night flashed through his mind.

Bitcoin reached $19,000 by the end of 2017.

Since it was currently around $1,000, there was still a potential for nearly a 19-fold increase.

'... This is an opportunity!'

Even a 20-fold return might be too low to be satisfied with.

Other altcoins, besides Bitcoin, had reportedly risen by several dozen or even hundreds of times.

He recalled the conversation with Bong-soo and Kyung-do about Ripple, Ada, and Einsteinium.

Most of all, he remembered the chart Bong-soo had shown him.

A coin that had a 18,000% increase.

"... Ethereum."

He needed to invest in Ethereum right away.

* * *

Tap, tap, tap—

The sound of typing and the clatter of the mouse and keyboard were loud.

An Yeseul, hearing the bustling noise from outside, stirred and sat up.

"Damn it, really..."

She had been short on sleep after drinking wine with her husband and secretly messaging her secret friend late into the night.

But today was the first day of the New Year.

It was a public holiday, so she had planned to sleep in.

"But why the commotion so early in the morning? So annoying!"

She stepped into the living room and shouted with irritation, but her husband, without even glancing at her, was buried in his laptop.

"Just checking something."

"What are you checking... Oh?"

Approaching from behind, she saw the laptop screen filled with green and red bars.

"Are you playing games in the morning? You said you wouldn't play anymore!"

"It's not that."

"Then what is it!"

"Work."

"What kind of work? Are you watching something inappropriate?"

"No. By the way, Yeseul, are you managing the salary I gave you properly?"

"... Huh?"

An Yeseul's face stiffened at the sudden change of topic.

"Why are you suddenly talking about money!"

"I need to spend some money. I want to check the salary I've been transferring to you."

"... Where are you going to spend it! Not on something strange, right?"

"That's none of your business. Show me your bank account."

"Brother, didn't you forget that I manage the money after we got married?"

"I didn't forget. But I need the money urgently. How much have you saved so far?"

"That... Well..."

In fact, she had recently bought a bag with the combined salaries of Jung Woo and herself, leaving almost no money in the account.

An Yeseul's face turned pale as she was cornered.

Then, as if a thought struck her, she spoke.

"Actually, when I tried to log into the bank app a while ago, I entered the wrong password several times and it got locked. So I can't show it to you now..."

"Oh, I see. That's a shame. Can you at least tell me approximately how much you have?"

"... I really can't remember, brother."

"You don't know if it's ten million won or twenty million won?"

"I haven't checked recently... Sorry. Is it urgent?"

"Yeah. The bank won't be open today... I understand. Check it as soon as the holiday is over."

"Uh? Uh..."

An Yeseul, who had narrowly avoided the situation, returned to the bedroom. Her face was a mix of confusion, embarrassment, and anger at feeling belittled.

'Why is that bear suddenly asking to see my account?'

Just yesterday, her husband had shown only his loving side, but today he seemed like a completely different person, giving off a cold vibe.

Something felt strange and unsettling.

An Yeseul quickly got up and started preparing to go out.

After dressing up, she stepped back into the living room, and Jung Woo glanced at her and asked,

"Where are you going?"

"Uh, yeah. I actually planned to meet some friends today but forgot. I'll be back soon."

"Which friend?"

"Chae-yeon, you know. I'm going to see her."

"Chae-yeon? Wait... Isn't Chae-yeon the friend who was transferred to the Hong Kong branch? She should be in China now, right?"

"... Oh, I misspoke. I meant Hye-yeon."

"Oh, Hye-yeon. I see. Have a good time. Did you make New Year's calls to your elders?"

"... Did you?"

"I'm about to."

"I'll do it later."

"Okay."

"... I'll be back, brother. Take care of the house."

"Uh-huh."

The farewell from her husband was perfunctory.

Feeling annoyed, she wanted to pick a fight but decided to leave the uncomfortable atmosphere quickly.

Stepping out of the apartment, she sighed deeply.

"Damn it! Why is he acting like this all of a sudden."

In the early days of their marriage, when the honeymoon was in full swing, her husband would have called her "honey" affectionately.

But for him to call her "you" was shocking.

Moreover, every small thing felt strangely off. Even with her quick wit, she felt a chill.

Did she do something wrong?

Could he have found out about her secret messages yesterday?

'No, I checked so many times.'

Her husband was not a heavy drinker. After confirming he was deeply asleep after a few glasses of wine, she had whispered sweet nothings to her lover, so she was sure he hadn't found out.

Yet, the chill she felt was real.

She needed some comfort.

Opening her smartphone and pressing a shortcut, a name appeared on the screen.

It was her secret lover, Seong Jae-min. The call, which seemed about to disconnect, was finally connected.

- I told you to not contact me today because I'm with my family.

"... I don't care. Director, I'm bored."

- Your husband? Is he not with you?

"He's out."

- ... Is that so? I'll come there. It's cold, so go to a nearby café.

"But you said you have to be with your family today."

- I'll slip away for you, Yeseul. I'll be there in an hour.

"Hehe, I'll wait for you."

Ending the call,

The thought of meeting her lover calmed her anxious heart and made her feel excited.

The thrill of betraying her husband.

Looking at herself in a compact mirror, she still found herself beautiful. Her confidence and self-esteem soared, and she straightened her slumped shoulders.

"... Hmph! Do you think the world only has men?"

Jung Woo, you bear. I can have fun without you.

Adjusting her clothes, An Yeseul walked confidently to a nearby café.

* * *

An Yeseul, who had been talking on the phone at the apartment entrance, quickly decided on her destination and walked away.

Jung Woo, watching her from the balcony, smiled bitterly.

'She's probably going to meet Seong Jae-min.'

Oh.