Is it time?
No. Not yet. Not yet.
I sat in front of the computer, staring blankly at the screen.
[Hey. Jinho. Just click it already.]
[Damn, you might as well set up a shrine and pray or something.]
“Ugh, hyung-nims, I told you to wait just a sec!”
The guild members who were on voice chat with me started nagging again.
[Just click it!!]
Their yelling nearly made my ears bleed, so I gave in and clicked the mouse.
Poof~
It was red. That meant trash loot.
“See? I told you, this kind of thing is all about timing!”
[Timing, my ass.]
[It’s just your fate, man. That box was never meant to give you anything. You think you are gonna pull an S-rank weapon outta that thing?]
“I have still got one left. And this time, I’m doing it my way.”
[Heh, yeah right. Let’s see it.]
[If you pull it, I’ll give you a million gold. For real.]
“For real? I’m writing this down.”
[I’m in too. A million gold from me.]
[Count me in. Let’s see what you’ve got, youngest.]
“I’m definitely getting it this time, so you all go hunting or something.”
After sending off the guild hyungs, I turned back to the screen, completely focused.
One click, and the last remaining loot box would open.
Another piece of crap might pop out…
Or, with an incredibly low probability, an S-rank item could drop
But it still wasn’t time to open it.
Just a little more… just a bit longer.
I sat there endlessly, watching and waiting.
[Wait… he’s still just sitting there?]
[This dude’s nuts.]
[You’re jinxing it by dragging it out like that.]
“Can you guys just be quiet for a second?”
Just as the guild was about to start backseat gaming again…
I felt it.
That electric tingle at my fingertips spreading through my entire body.
Now!
Before the sensation disappeared, I clicked.
[Whoa, wait! Wasn’t his whole body glowing gold just now?]
[N-no way… did it drop? Did it actually drop?!]
As I stared at the golden weapon that burst out of the box, I let out a shaky breath.
This joy…
Anyone who hasn’t experienced it simply wouldn’t understand.
“I got itttttt!!”
[Kyaaaaahh!!]
[You crazy bastard!! You actually pulled it!?]
[No way! Are you serious? Don’t mess with us. The odds are hellishly low!]
“Heh. Didn’t I tell you? I am Jung Jinho. If I say I’ll do it, I’ll do it.”
The guild members stared, utterly speechless, at the radiant golden weapon I held up.
“Oh, right. And those of you who bet a million gold earlier, pay up.”
[Ugh. He remembered that, huh.]
[Welp, there goes my entire stash.]
“No discounts. Hand it over.”
The guild members each sent me the promised million gold as a congratulatory gift.
It was a huge sum for me, but it didn’t seem like much to them.
[Damn, Jinho. You’re raking it in today.]
[You could probably sell that weapon for a few million gold too, right?]
[How much are you making today, you little rascal?]
“It’s all thanks to you guys. I’ll happily cash in and feast.”
[Feast, my ass.]
[You’ll just blow it all on leveling and more gear again.]
[Still, thanks to our youngest, we got one last dopamine rush today.]
[Hey, did you record the pull?]
“Of course. I’ll upload it to our group chat.”
[Nice. I’m heading off for the night.]
[Same here~ Good work today, everyone.]
“Oh, good night, hyung-nims.”
After the others logged off, I leaned back in my chair, still gazing at the golden weapon gleaming on screen.
“All thanks to this ability.”
It’s kind of weird to call it a superpower, but…
Whenever I do stuff like randomized pulls or low-probability upgrades, I wait until I get “the feeling.”
It’s hard to explain in words.
That tingly, electrifying rush that shoots through your whole body…
When it hits, and I click right then, I usually get something crazy.
“Of course, the problem is waiting for that feeling.”
Sometimes it takes a ridiculous amount of time for the sensation to come.
There were times I gave up before it did.
But today, I got lucky.
It’s like a secret power only I know about.
“If only it worked for lotto numbers too…”
Sadly, the ability flashes by in just an instant, so guessing lottery numbers was out of the question.
But who knows,
Maybe I just haven’t figured out how to fully use it yet.
Or maybe I’m just delusional and think I have powers when I don’t.
“Ah… so satisfying.”
Whatever the case, I did it today. I couldn’t stop smiling.
“You proud? God, I wish I could look at you and feel that way too.”
That chilling voice from behind made me jump out of my seat.
“Wha—Mom? Wh-when did you get home?”
“You were so deep in that game you didn’t even notice your mom and dad got back from work?”
“S-Sorry. You guys worked hard today…”
Behind my mom, my dad came in, looking furious.
“How long are you going to keep wasting your life on games, huh?! Are you not going to get a job?! All the other kids are working and living on their own!”
“……”
“Even your younger sibling is working at a good job. How long are you planning to live like this?”
My parents finally let out everything they’d been holding back.
And… well, it was all true. I didn’t argue. Not once.
“Haaah. Jinho, we’re only saying this because we care. If you want to play games forever, I’d love to make that possible for you. But it’s just not realistic. We can’t be around forever, you know?”
“……I get it.”
“Jung Jinho. Get your act together. Before you get even older.”
“Honey, that’s enough. I think he got the message.”
My dad looked like he had more to say but held back at Mom’s urging.
“This is the last time I’m going to trust you. Show us you’ve changed. Got it?”
And with that implied threat of being kicked out of the house, the scolding came to an end.
“…Haah.”
Everything they said was right. Not a single word was wrong.
I’m twenty-seven. I can’t stay jobless and freeloading at home forever.
To be fair, it’s not like I didn’t try.
I didn’t graduate from a top-tier university, but I finished school in Seoul and sent out applications to various places.
But after getting rejected a hundred out of a hundred times, my motivation slowly died.
That’s when I picked up gaming again, the thing I’d quit for job hunting.
“I really have wasted too much time.”
At this rate, I’d become a total shut-in, never stepping foot outside.
Maybe I was finally being forced to face the reality I’d been avoiding for so long.
[What? You’re quitting the game?]
“Yeah. I even thought about selling my items for cash, but it’s not that much money. And I owe you guys a lot, so I’ll just give everything away and call it.”
[Why all of a sudden? You were doing so well.]
[Seriously, kid. Did we do something wrong?]
“No, it’s not that. It’s just…”
I explained everything.
That I needed to quit to focus on job hunting.
[Damn…]
[Sigh. I mean, your parents aren’t wrong.]
[What a shame, though. Without our youngest, this old man guild’s gonna be even duller than before.]
Yeah, I felt the same way. But what choice did I have? Until I landed a stable job, I couldn’t afford to spend time on anything else.
– Jinho.
Suddenly, the guild leader whispered me privately. We were already in the same chatroom. Why DM me separately?
– Where did you say you went to college again?
– Jinseon University.
– Hmm. So still in Seoul, huh? Your major?
– Business Administration.
Then he suddenly started asking about my academic background.
– Then you learned basic stuff like accounting, yeah?
– Yeah, a little.
– Good. Then instead of looking elsewhere, how about coming to work at my company?
I couldn’t believe my eyes.
– Huh?
– I’m serious. Why waste time on job hunting? Just join us. That way, you don’t have to quit the game either, right?
This hyung had always been generous at meetups and drove a nice car. I figured he was well off. But he was the CEO of a company?!
He always seemed like just a friendly neighbourhood hyung…
– Send your resume to this email.
– Hyung… you serious?
– You’ve always been a solid guy in the guild. Responsible, polite. You even helped manage raids in my place. I just want to repay you somehow. And honestly, I’d miss gaming without you.
Hearing that almost made my eyes tear up. So he had noticed all the things I’d done.
He was usually a quiet type. I never imagined he’d feel this way.
‘But… what if the company sucks?’
No, get a grip. This isn’t the time to be picky.
Even if it’s a small company, what matters is getting a job.
“Let’s see…”
I looked at the email address he sent.
Out of curiosity, I checked the domain to see what kind of company it was.
And the moment I saw it, my eyes widened.
“…Wait, what?”
He was really the CEO of this place?
Gwangwoon Securities, one of Korea’s top 10 securities firms.
With over 10 trillion won in assets under management and a solid financial structure, it was classified as a mid-tier financial company.
While it couldn’t compete with the giants just yet, being top 10 came with pride, and more importantly, the firm was still growing.
That’s why it was a dream job for many young people hoping to enter finance.
The HR team was always busy, trying to find the best talent.
“Who even is this guy?”
– Name: Jung Jinho
– Age: 27
Graduated from an average Seoul-based university. Only had the most basic certifications.
“No CFA, no investment analyst certs, nothing?”
Nobody expected CFA or FRM, the so-called MBAs of the investment world, but this applicant didn’t even have the basic finance certifications most people brought.
Normally, this resume would’ve been shredded on sight.
But there was a problem.
“Team leader. This one came from upstairs.”
“Upstairs? Where exactly?”
“The CEO’s office.”
“…What?”
Directly from the CEO?
That meant this applicant was a parachute, a referral from the very top.
“Does the CEO even do that? Drop in referrals?”
The CEO was known for only hiring solid people for the company’s sake.
Not only was he highly competent, he also had an incredible eye for talent, which helped him grow the firm from the ground up.
“But this guy’s resume really looks like nothing special…”
This was the first time HR had received just a single resume from the CEO’s office.
It was a silent order that meant hire this person.
“Maybe he’s family?”
“Different last name, but who knows. They don’t have to share a surname to be related.”
Team leader Kim Moon-sik rubbed his chin.
“They didn’t tell us where to place him, right?”
“Nope.”
Then they were to figure that part out on their own.
But seriously, what were they supposed to do with someone like this?
“Put him in the trading department.”
It was the least demanding spot, with the least work. Perfect for keeping someone out of the way.
“The trading desk? He’ll hate it there.”
“What else can we do? He’s probably related to the CEO. Junior traders barely do anything, run a few paper trades, organize files. Just put him there.”
A parachute… in our company?
(TL : Parachute member meaning someone being placed in a grp or org without going through the usual process or doesn’t has proper qualification to be there. )
Well, the firm had grown big enough that it was probably time for the boss to start slotting family into spots.
“Jung Jinho…”
He made sure to remember the name.
You never know.
That guy might be his boss someday.
They say in the corporate world, bloodlines matter more than performance.
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