Back To School (1)

Kim Gojin blinked as the first rays of dawn poured through the thin curtains of his bedroom. He sat up abruptly, his heart pounding, as he took in his surroundings with wide eyes.

Gone were the cramped one-bedroom apartment walls, the cluttered desk with mountains of unfinished paperwork, and the oppressive air of solitude that had marked his previous life.

Instead, he found himself in a room he hadn't seen in decades: the small, tidy bedroom of his teenage years. They weren't rich by any means, but still, his past was brighter than the future Gojin was used to.

"Is this a dream..?" Gojin mumbled.

He glanced down at his hands. The youthful smoothness of his skin was a stark contrast to the calloused fingers he had grown accustomed to.

Stumbling out of bed, he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror—wild, unkempt hair, clear skin, and a face free of the weariness that had become his constant companion.

"...I went back in time, just like the old man said I would," Gojin muttered, still in disbelief.

The next moment, Memories of his past life flooded back: the mundane routine of an office worker, the lonely nights, the countless missed opportunities, and the crushing regret of dreams unfulfilled.

He had no family, no significant achievements, and no legacy to speak of. Yet here he was, thrust back into his teenage body, with all the knowledge and experience of his previous life intact.

It was like the old man had said. He was given a second chance, a rare and precious gift to rewrite his life before everything went haywire. Suddenly, Gojin's eyes fell on the calendar hanging on the wall.

"14th June, 2014," he read aloud. "Wait a minute... I'm seventeen, so does that mean I have to attend school? Why is that even the first thing I thought about!?"

***

The smell of breakfast wafted from the kitchen, a nostalgic aroma tugging at his heartstrings. He hadn't smelled his mother's cooking in years. Taking a deep breath, Gojin quickly dressed in the long-forgotten school uniform hanging in his closet and hurried downstairs.

Gojin stopped before entering the kitchen. It had been years since he lost his parents. As such, he was filled with emotions like never before. Even standing there, he could feel the tears of joy forming in his eyes.

He opened the door slowly. There she was, his mother, busy as always in the kitchen. She was humming her favorite tune, a song he hadn't heard in what felt like forever.

Gojin must have stood there so awkwardly that even his mother noticed him. She looked up and smiled warmly as he entered.

"You're late as ever, Gojin," she replied, quickly putting together some pancakes on a plate. "Come on, sit. Breakfast is almost ready."

Instead, Gojin walked in and hugged his mother, which surprised her. Her son wasn't one to get emotional and rarely showed affection to them, so it was strange for him to hug her like that, but Kim Yeji didn't mind it and happily hugged Gojin back.

"Is everything alright?" Yeji asked.

"Yeah..." Gojin replied, wiping off his tears, and ate his favorite pancakes.

"Don't forget to chew the food!" Kim Yeji smiled, watching Gojin devour the food like he had been hungry for decades.

***

On his way to the local high school in the countryside, Gojin was lost in his thoughts. Having been given a second chance felt great, but it wouldn't mean anything if he couldn't change the past he remembered.

The first thing I need is money. In a couple of months, my stepfather would lose his family business to loan sharks. That's when things began to go down for us.

The loss of the business he had painstakingly built over the years would devastate his stepfather, plunging him into a downward spiral of heavy drinking in an attempt to dull the pain.

This self-destructive path would ultimately end in a tragic drunk-driving accident, robbing Gojin of both his mother and stepfather.

But how do I make so much money?

For a family with a monthly income of barely 1.7 million won ($1580), paying a debt of 50 million won ($47,000)¹ in three months with sky-high interest was impossible. And Gojin wanted to earn that much money in a couple of months before his stepfather lost everything.

Should I invest in stocks? No, even that requires capital, which I don't have.

Gojin will have to start with something small, build enough funds to invest in the stock markets, and then move forward. Since he already had knowledge of events from his past life, he could bank on those to make a fortune.

It was then an idea hit him. His biological father, someone he didn't even know the name of, had disappeared, but he had left a junk car behind. Although it was junk, it was drivable and under his name.

I'll be 18 in a week, I can sell it then. Once I have some money from the sale, I can think about my next steps!

***

Author's note: The exchange rate (USD - KRW) is based on 2014, not 2024.