The next morning…
Kang Joon-Ho stood in front of his school bathroom mirror, staring at himself like he was in a drama.
He wore his uniform. His tie was slightly crooked. His hair still looked like it had fought with a pillow and lost. But none of that mattered.
Because there was 1 kilogram of pure gold in his backpack.
Under his math notes.
Wrapped in a Hello Kitty towel he borrowed from his sister's drawer.
"…I can't believe this is real," he muttered.
His reflection did not respond. Probably judging him.
He looked at the gold again.
It sparkled in his hand like it knew how valuable it was.
"₩98 million… That's more zeroes than my test score last week."
His plan was simple:
Step 1: Sell the gold.
Step 2: Get money.
Step 3: Buy mom a new fridge.
Step 4: Eat fried chicken.
Step 5: Never work a mop again.
Flawless.
Except for one tiny problem.
Where do you sell a brick of gold without getting arrested or kidnapped by gangsters?
---
1 Hour Later: The Secret Gold Buyer
After school, Joon-Ho stood in a shady back alley behind an old building, holding a small gym bag.
"Are you sure this is safe?" he asked himself.
He'd found the gold buyer on a forum called RichUncles.kr.
Definitely legit.
The man finally appeared. He wore sunglasses indoors, a thick gold chain, and a shirt that screamed "tax evasion."
"You Joon-Ho?" the man grunted.
"Uh… I never said my name," Joon-Ho replied, clutching the bag tighter.
"…Never mind that," the man said. "You brought the goods?"
Joon-Ho slowly unzipped the bag.
Inside, the gold brick sat awkwardly next to a banana and a deodorant stick. Because he didn't want it to look too suspicious.
The man stared at it.
"Kid. Do you know how illegal this looks right now?"
"I-It's a school project," Joon-Ho blurted.
"A school project?! What is this, 'Build Your Own Fortune 101'?!"
"I mean… it's for science class. We're learning about… uh… atomic weight."
"…Of gold?!"
"…Yes?"
There was a long pause.
Then the man chuckled.
"You're lucky I like weird kids."
---
Inside the Office (It's Definitely a Room, Not an Office)
The man pulled out a magnifying glass and eyed the gold.
He even bit it.
"Yup. It's real. Good quality too. Not melted jewelry or fake crap."
Joon-Ho grinned nervously. "S-So how much…?"
"Hmm. Let's say ₩92 million. Cash. But if I pay that to a high schooler, I'll end up in jail. So…"
The man handed him a thick white envelope.
"…₩5 million. Clean. No questions."
"Five?!" Joon-Ho squeaked.
"Or I can call the police and say a minor tried to sell stolen gold behind a ramen shop."
Joon-Ho looked at the man.
Then at the gold.
Then at the bag.
Then back at the man.
"…I'll take it."
---
Later That Night: Home Sweet Chaos
He came home quietly, like a money ninja.
His father was watching soccer with the volume at earthquake level.
His mother was yelling at the rice cooker for "burning the bottom again."
His sister was on the floor drawing something that looked like a cat with six legs and abs.
"Hey, Joon-Ho," Soo-Min said, without looking up. "Did you bring me the chips?"
"…No, but I got ₩5 million in cash."
"Lame."
He slipped the envelope into his drawer, locked it, and sat at the dinner table.
"Son," his father said, chewing loudly. "You look different today. You win a lottery?"
"No."
"You get a girlfriend?"
"…Worse."
His mom raised an eyebrow. "You didn't eat outside again, right? I told you outside food is dirty!"
"No! I didn't eat anything weird—just sold a… banana."
"A banana?"
"Yes. A very… shiny banana."
Everyone stared at him.
Then his mom patted his head.
"Poor thing. All that studying made him weird."
---
Later That Night: Alone With the System
> [Teleport ready. Countdown reset.]
Lying in bed, Joon-Ho stared at the ceiling.
He had just made ₩5 million. Technically, he was a criminal. Or a genius.
Hard to tell.
But he knew one thing.
He had a planet full of infinite gold and a part-time job where his boss yelled if the sausage display looked "too lonely."
The future looked shiny.
And hilarious.
He whispered to the air:
"System… teleport me. I need more bananas."
---
To Be Continued…