Whether it was thanks to the medicine Sun Ah bought, or due to the shock of Seung Joo’s enormous salary, either way, the cold symptoms completely disappeared.

In the evening, Sun Ah went home, and throughout the weekend Seung Joo persistently asked to the point of being annoying.

“Elder sister, is there anything you want?”

Each time, Eun Seo repeated the same answer.

“Well, there’s nothing.”

Eun Seo really didn’t particularly want anything. Even if she did, there was no reason to receive it from Seung Joo.

“Why don’t you want anything? Don’t women like pretty things like clothes or bags?”

“I used to be like that too.”

It seems she was like that until high school, no, until college. Like other friends, she wanted sparkly things, wanted cosmetics, pretty clothes, shoes…

But every time, the same old guilt held her back. Thoughts like ‘I don’t even know where Eun Ho is or what he’s doing’ made wearing pretty earrings or applying pretty colored lipstick feel sinful.

Of course, there was also the lack of financial means. For various reasons, after living with so much self-restraint for too long, she eventually lost the desire to want anything.

“Anyway, there’s nothing I want right now.”

When Eun Seo stubbornly insisted, Seung Joo became sulky.

“But I wanted to do something for you, elder sister…”

“You stopped the demolition, didn’t you? That’s enough.”

“But you said that was something I had ordered anyway.”

Seung Joo seemed genuinely disappointed. Since he kept insisting, Eun Seo also started to think if there was anything, within reason.

Then suddenly something came to mind.

“Then how about buying me a coat?”

“A coat?”

“Yes.”

On the way between the bus stop and home, there was a clothing store. The pure white coat hanging in its window had been catching her eye lately.

Not being financially well-off, she couldn’t just buy clothes whenever she wanted. Her only winter coat was one she’d been wearing since college. Forget the design, the material wasn’t good so it made little difference in very cold weather. Usually she wore a padded jacket, but she couldn’t go to work in a jacket.

That coat looks really warm.

They say this winter will be extremely cold, it would be nice to have that.

Though she thought that every time she passed by, she never actually dared to go in and buy it. The price tag said 500,000 won, but to Eun Seo it might as well have been 50 million won. Whether 500,000 or 50 million, it was too expensive to buy either way.

Of course, to a man with an annual salary over 500 million, 500,000 won probably wasn’t much money.

“It says 500,000 won, is that okay?”

“Of course!”

Seung Joo got even more excited when Eun Seo finally mentioned something she wanted. So Eun Seo decided to just close her eyes and accept the coat from Seung Joo. I bought him clothes too, so this much should be fine!

“Let’s go buy it together after going to the bank on Monday. We’ll buy your clothes first, then mine.”

“What are you going to buy?”

The answer came as if he’d been waiting for her to ask.

“A PlayBox 5.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a game console. When I was young, the PlayBox 3 had just come out, right? Originally, mom said she’d buy it for me if I ranked in the top 100 on the next exam…”

Eun Seo thought to herself, please add ‘nationwide’…

Seung Joo became gloomy for a moment at the mention of his mother, but his eyes quickly lit up again.

“But I saw a TV commercial recently, and the PlayBox 5 just came out!”

Eun Seo held back laughter seeing this perfectly handsome man get excited talking about a game console.

“The graphics are no joke. I watched gameplay videos on YouTube and the characters look totally real, and the movements are super natural.”

Not knowing what that meant, Eun Seo only thought, did only two come out in 15 years? But she was happy to see a side of Seung Joo that was appropriate for his age after a long time. Well, the excitement of encountering new technology after 15 years must be quite something.

“So how much is it?”

“Um, the digital version is about 500,000 won. There’s a subscription plan, so you don’t have to buy games separately, just pay about 10,000 won a month…”

She still didn’t understand what he was saying, but it was clear he really wanted it and had looked into various things. Yet he hadn’t said a word about wanting it. Eun Seo’s heart ached anew.

Anyway, seeing a man with an annual salary over 500 million get excited over a 500,000 won game console was cute and made her laugh.

The boy swollen with dreams of wealth clenched his fist.

“I’ll buy a laptop too, and a smartphone. And I’ll pay a ton for living expenses!”

Eun Seo’s heart fluttered along with him.

Though she had no intention of taking advantage, knowing Seung Joo wasn’t penniless made her feel like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

*

The long-awaited Monday.

Eun Seo, who had taken a half-day off work in the morning using a hospital visit as an excuse, headed to the nearby community center with Seung Joo.

They quickly succeeded in making an ID card with fingerprints, and came out with documents that could be used as a temporary resident registration card.

On the way to the bank, they passed by the clothing store. Eun Seo pointed to the window and said,

“That’s it.”

What Eun Seo pointed to was a snow-white coat. Thinking it would make him look like a cute baby polar bear when worn, Seung Joo got even more excited. He couldn’t wait to see how it looked on.

“I think it’ll suit you well. Let’s buy it right after we come out of the bank.”

Though Eun Seo only mentioned the coat, Seung Joo inwardly resolved. After buying the coat, use that as an excuse to buy matching shoes too. While we’re at it, a bag, a pretty dress, and cosmetics.

Even to Seung Joo, a man, none of the things Eun Seo had were pretty. They were all old or plain. He had never seen her wear even a single ring or earring. That had always saddened him.

Nothing was too much for Eun Seo. He wanted to do everything for her. He felt like he could give her his entire bank account if she asked. …Except for the money to buy the PlayBox 5.

The two headed to the bank with light steps. Just in case, Eun Seo waited outside while Seung Joo went in alone.

“I’d like to reset my account password.”

Seung Joo said as he handed over his temporary ID card at the counter.

“I’m trying to withdraw money from my account, but I forgot the password.”

Though they said it would be difficult, studying with video materials had paid off. Imitating ‘Kwon Seung Joo’ by lowering his voice and speaking in a clipped manner, it sounded quite plausible even to his own ears.

It seems he did have an account at this bank. The teller’s eyes widened slightly upon checking the balance.

“Yes, sir. I’ll first help you reset your password, then proceed with the withdrawal.”

The teller who had responded so kindly, froze for a moment shortly after.

“I’m sorry sir, but there’s a payment stop on your account.”

“What?”

Seung Joo was taken aback. I can’t withdraw my own money?

“What’s the reason?”

“Accounts are frozen when there are indications they’ve been used for criminal activity.”

“Is there a way to lift it?”

“First, you’ll need to submit a written objection with evidence that the account wasn’t used for criminal activity. Our review team will examine it and forward it to the Financial Supervisory Service. After that, there will be another review…”

Seung Joo shook his head halfway through the complicated explanation. There’s no use doing anything when the cause is obvious.

“Thank you.”

In the end, he had no choice but to trudge out empty-handed.

*

“…That’s what happened.”

Seung Joo said dejectedly as he came out of the bank empty-handed. His broad shoulders were slumped, a pitiful sight.

“I’m sorry, elder sister.”

“What are you sorry for?”

Eun Seo, who hadn’t intended to take advantage of Seung Joo from the start, wasn’t particularly disappointed. She was only saddened to see Seung Joo disappointed.

“By the way, that must have been the chairman’s doing, right?”

Seung Joo nodded.

“When things don’t go his way, the first thing father does is cut off the money.”

For a moment, a cold sneer appeared on his usually gentle face. In that instant, he looked exactly like the original CEO Kwon Seung Joo, making her heart chill.

“Seung Joo?”

Anxiously calling his name, Seung Joo turned his head towards her. As their eyes met, he quickly returned to a gentle expression.

“Yes, elder sister.”

Only then did Eun Seo breathe a sigh of relief. It is our Seung Joo after all.

Unlike on the way there when they had chattered about buying this and that, silence fell on the way back. Seeing Seung Joo so deflated, Eun Seo pondered. How should I console him?

Suddenly Seung Joo’s steps slowed. Seeing his gaze fixed on a ‘Help Wanted’ sign on a convenience store wall, Eun Seo preemptively blocked it.

“Don’t even dream of it.”

“But at this rate, I can’t even pay for living expenses…”

“No matter how incapable I am, I’m not so bad that I can’t feed one person.”

Eun Seo cut him off.

“So don’t have useless thoughts and just focus on studying hard to return to the company.”

At first it was just a transaction to stop the demolition, but now it was different. A sense of responsibility as a guardian, affection an elder sister feels for her younger brother, a sense of duty as an adult… It was a complex mix of emotions, but the goal they produced was clear.

A mature, kind, good, and pitiful child.

I’ll take proper care of you somehow, and make sure to return you to your place in one piece.

Such determination welled up inside her.

“And when you return to the company, you’ll give me a super-fast promotion!”

She deliberately disguised her sincerity as self-interest, not wanting to burden him.

“You can’t pretend not to know me later, okay?”

Seung Joo looked at Eun Seo holding out her pinky with a complex expression.

*

After his dreams of wealth crumbled, Seung Joo devoted himself even more to studying.

If his memories weren’t going to return anyway, quickly building up knowledge to return to the company was the way to avoid burdening Eun Seo any further. Now that was even more urgent than keeping his successor position.

Eun Seo had said to return quickly and promote her. Though he knew it was a joke, Seung Joo decided to take it seriously. And not just a promotion. He intended to do anything she wanted.

Another line was added to the notebook he was keeping, just in case for later.

− Please promote Elder Sister Eun Seo.

With his innate intelligence plus desperate effort, his studies progressed rapidly. He had already memorized all the published materials, and was now reviewing internal documents sent by email from Eun Seo and Sun Ah.

When tired of looking at documents, he would watch video materials.

− I deeply thank the distinguished guests who have come from afar to congratulate me on my inauguration.

Seung Joo, who had been blankly staring at himself in the CEO inauguration video, suddenly snapped to attention.

“Huh?”

He hurriedly reached out to pause the video. Then he rewound it a few seconds. In a scene where the camera panned across the seated guests, one familiar face caught his eye.

Though he looked much older than in his memory, there was no doubt.

Seung Joo’s heart began to race.

It was a connection to the past.