The Weight of Debt
Seo-ha stopped in front of the apartment door. She held the business card in her hand, turning it over and over. 'CEO Kang Do-yoon.' She had no idea what his proposal might be or why he'd said such a thing to her.
'I'll think about it later.'
Seo-ha slipped the card into her bag and opened the door. The scene before her stopped her cold.
"Please, just give me one more week. I'll have it ready, I promise."
Her father's trembling voice reached her ears. Two unfamiliar men stood in the living room, and her father bowed deeply before them. Her mother stood to the side, anxiety written across her face.
"Mr. Yoon, we can't wait any longer. We've already extended twice."
"Please, just one more week... I'll put up collateral if I have to..."
"Dad!" Seo-ha rushed into the living room.
All eyes turned to her. Her father's face was pale, and somehow he looked much older than the day before.
"Seo-ha, you're home." Her mother came over and gripped Seo-ha's arm. "These gentlemen were just leaving. Right?"
One of the men looked Seo-ha up and down and scoffed.
"Next Monday. If you can't pay by then..." He trailed off, but the implication was clear. "Remember, we can't afford to wait any longer."
The two men brushed past Seo-ha and headed for the door.
"Mr. Yoon, remember—next time we come, things might get rougher."
When the door closed, heavy silence settled over the living room.
"Dad..." Seo-ha called softly.
Her father slowly sank onto the sofa. His shoulders sagged, his eyes seemed lifeless. He looked more defeated than she'd ever seen him.
"It's okay, Seo-ha. Dad will... figure something out."
But there was no conviction left in his voice. Seo-ha's heart ached. Her father, always so strong, who'd never bent under any hardship—now he was completely crumbling.
"How much do you need?" Seo-ha asked.
Her mother quickly interjected. "Seo-ha, don't worry about it. We'll handle..."
"How much?" Seo-ha's voice grew firmer.
Her father let out a deep sigh. "Right now, fifty million won. But that's just the start. The total debt is... over three hundred million."
Seo-ha's breath caught. It was far more than she'd imagined.
"How did it get this bad?"
"I... Seo-ha, I made a mistake." Her father's voice shook. "I invested in a new project, brought in all the factory equipment, and then suddenly our main client canceled the contract. They moved their orders to an overseas supplier. Looking back, I think it was planned from the beginning."
Seo-ha couldn't find words. Her mind filled with tangled thoughts. The reality was far more horrible than she'd imagined.
"Come wash up and have dinner. I made kimchi stew, your favorite." Her mother forced a smile.
Seo-ha just nodded. Suddenly everything felt meaningless.
In her room, Seo-ha collapsed onto her bed. She pulled out her phone and checked her account balance. 2.5 million won. Until recently it had been travel savings, but now it seemed pathetically inadequate.
'Fifty million won... where can I get that?'
Seo-ha looked around her room. Were there things she could sell? Her laptop, tablet, the camera she'd bought last year... even selling everything wouldn't come close to three million won.
The door cracked open and her mother peeked in.
"Can I come in?"
Seo-ha sat up and made room on the bed. "Yes, come in."
Her mother carefully sat beside her. Worry and exhaustion filled her face.
"Seo-ha, your father's been... having trouble breathing at night lately. I keep telling him to go to the hospital, but he keeps putting it off, saying it costs too much..."
Seo-ha looked at her mother in alarm. "I didn't know it was that bad. Shouldn't he see a doctor right away?"
"That's what... I've been telling him, but he won't listen." Tears welled in her mother's eyes. "Seo-ha, honestly, I don't know what to do anymore either. Your father can't sleep at night..."
Seo-ha squeezed her mother's hand. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll figure something out."
"How can you... that much money..."
Her mother pulled something from her pocket. Seo-ha saw it was her mother's wedding ring.
"This is all I have. But maybe it'll help a little..."
Seo-ha felt her heart breaking. "Mom, no. Not your wedding ring..."
"It's fine. At least it might cover your father's hospital bills."
Finally Seo-ha took the ring. After her mother left, she stared at it for a long time. It wasn't just a ring. It held thirty years of her parents' memories.
'I have to get the money somehow.'
Seo-ha opened her laptop and started researching loan options. But with her salary, borrowing such a large amount would be difficult. As time passed, no solution appeared, and despair only grew.
Night deepened. Seo-ha lay in bed staring at the ceiling. She'd thought through every option, but nothing worked. She'd considered borrowing from friends, but none could lend such a large sum.
Suddenly she thought of her bag. Seo-ha got up and dug through it. Finally she found it—Kang Do-yoon's business card.
'An interesting proposal,' he'd said. What kind of proposal?
Seo-ha held the card, deliberating. She had no idea what he might propose. But right now, she had to grab any opportunity.
"Whatever it is... it might be our only chance."
Seo-ha muttered, looking at the card. She took a deep breath.
"For Dad's sake... I have to try."
Though she'd made up her mind, it was too late to call tonight. She'd contact him tomorrow. She tried to sleep but anxiety kept her awake.
"Seo-ha! Seo-ha! Wake up!"
Her mother's sharp scream jolted Seo-ha awake. As soon as she opened her door, she heard groaning from the living room.
"Dad!"
Seo-ha ran. Her father lay collapsed on the floor. His face was pale, and he seemed unable to breathe properly.
"My chest... hurts..." Her father barely managed to say.
Seo-ha immediately called 119. "Send an ambulance quickly! I think my father's having a heart attack!"
Ten minutes later, the ambulance arrived. Paramedics loaded her father onto a stretcher and headed for the hospital. Seo-ha and her mother rode along.
At the hospital emergency room, doctors quickly began treating him. Seo-ha and her mother waited anxiously in the waiting area.
"Family of Yoon Seo-ha?" An hour later, a doctor approached.
"Yes, that's us." Seo-ha jumped up. "How is my father?"
The doctor checked his chart. "There was strain on his heart. Fortunately, it's not a serious myocardial infarction, but it appears to be caused by stress and high blood pressure. He needs to be admitted immediately for tests and treatment."
"Admitted?" Seo-ha asked.
"Yes, he needs at least a week of observation. We'll need to run various tests during that time."
Seo-ha bit her lip. "How much will the hospitalization cost?"
The doctor looked at her for a moment. "You can get the exact amount from billing. But even with insurance, including tests, medication, and hospitalization, it won't be a small sum."
After the doctor left, Seo-ha squeezed her mother's hand. "Mom, don't worry. I'll take care of everything."
Her mother just nodded. Her eyes were already filled with resignation.
Seo-ha went to billing and asked about the approximate costs. As expected, the amount was substantial. Even with insurance, she needed about two million won immediately, and it could increase depending on test results.
Seo-ha sat on a bench in the hospital corridor and sighed deeply. Her father's medical bills, the money owed to creditors... everything weighed on her. She pulled out her wallet and checked the balance. Fifty thousand won. Money she'd withdrawn before going to the wedding yesterday.
'I really have no choice now.'
Seo-ha pulled out Kang Do-yoon's business card from her bag with resolve. Her hand trembled, but she took out her phone and dialed.
"Ring... ring..."
After several rings, someone answered.
"JK Hotel, CEO Kang Do-yoon's office."
A woman's voice. Probably his secretary.
"Hello. My name is Yoon Seo-ha. I met CEO Kang Do-yoon at a wedding yesterday, and..." Seo-ha's voice trembled slightly. "He told me to contact him..."
A moment of silence. Then an unexpected response.
"Yes, CEO Kang has been expecting your call. Please come to his office on the top floor of JK Hotel tomorrow at 2 PM."
Seo-ha couldn't hide her surprise. He'd really been waiting for her call.
"To... tomorrow at 2 PM? Yes, I understand. Thank you."
After hanging up, Seo-ha sat in a daze for a while. Tomorrow everything might change—she felt both hopeful anticipation and anxiety about the unknown proposal.
'What kind of proposal... am I making the right choice?'
But there was no turning back now. Seo-ha returned to the hospital room and held her father's hand tight. And she made a silent promise.
'Dad, I'll fix this. Whatever it takes.'
Outside the window, the evening sun was setting. She didn't know how tomorrow would change her life, but one thing was certain—Seo-ha was now ready to accept that 'interesting proposal,' whatever the cost, to save her family.