Taejin looked confused.
[Why are you doing this? What's the reason?]
His reaction made sense. I suddenly told him to sell everything—of course he'd ask why. Even I didn't fully know. I had no logical reason, no concrete evidence. Just a conviction in my gut, one that drowned out all rational thought.
If I hadn't acted on it, I wouldn't be where I am today.
"Just listen to me."
[So, why?]
"Do you trust me?"
[What kind of question is that? You want a warranty now?]
I snapped.
"Shut up and sell it! You don't lose money just by cashing out. Do it. Now."
[You still haven't told me why. I'm not pressing a button until I know.]
Damn it.
I took a breath and tried a different angle.
"Remember when you dinged Minseo's car during driving practice? You begged me to take the blame. Said you'd be dead if your sister found out. I lied for you. I said I was behind the wheel. I begged her not to tell your dad."
Taejin paused.
[Why the hell are you bringing that up now?]
"You promised me one wish. You swore you'd pay it back someday."
[You're a piece of work…]
"Well, this is that wish. I'm cashing it in. Sell your ByteReserve Coin. All of it. Right now."
There was silence.
I hoped he wouldn't dig deeper, wouldn't question it. Just do it.
Then finally:
[Okay. I told my sister I'd sell anyway, and I've got a dollar account set up. I was going to wait a bit, but fine—I'll dump it now. That good enough for you?]
Relief washed over me.
"Thanks."
[When are we meeting?]
"Tomorrow. I'll come by your place."
[Alright.]
I ended the call. The floating hologram interface dissolved in the air. I stared at where it had been.
Had I imagined it?
"No way…"
Even if nothing happened, selling now wasn't a loss. If BRC shot up later, sure, it'd sting a little—but this wasn't just a hunch. Something deeper pushed me.
"13.5 billion won…"
How many lottery wins was that? Five? Six?
Stuff like this doesn't happen to guys like Taejin Rowe.
Then I remembered something from high school. He once claimed he'd hit the jackpot. Dragged me across town to the bank. We even took a taxi. Turned out it was a prank. He laughed his ass off at me in front of the bank.
Could this be another setup?
By sunset, I was lying down at home when I heard the front door open.
My mom came in and smiled.
"You're home, son."
"Yeah. Just got here."
We hadn't seen each other in a week. She set her bag down.
"Let's go eat to celebrate your discharge."
"Sure."
We walked to a local pork ribs place. She took the tongs and scissors and started grilling. Her hand trembled.
I looked closer. She had more wrinkles than I remembered. Her cheeks were sunken.
Ever since Dad passed, Mom became the breadwinner. While I had my time in uniform, she worked whatever jobs she could. A middle-aged woman with no prior work experience. It was obvious how tough it must've been.
"What are you staring at? Eat."
"Oh, yeah. Sorry."
My throat tightened. I bowed my head and chewed slowly.
"Your job… isn't too hard, right?"
"It's fine. I just sit and talk to customers."
"Not any creeps bothering you?"
"It's a decent neighborhood. Everyone's kind. You wouldn't believe how easy it is to land a comfy job like this."
"That's good…"
She stacked more overcooked meat in front of me.
"Don't just stare. Eat."
"You should eat more than me."
"I had something at the department store already."
I chewed the dry meat and forced it down.
"So… what about school?"
"I'm thinking about it. I've got time."
"I've saved up tuition. Don't worry."
K university—now just a vague national university—was cheaper than private schools, but still expensive for a family like ours. She must've scraped and saved every penny.
"I know. Thanks."
That night, we lay on the floor together. The room was tiny. She fell asleep almost instantly. I couldn't.
Her cough echoed in the dark, soft and dry.
At 3 a.m., I gave up on sleep and grabbed my phone.
Maybe a beer from the convenience store?
I slipped out quietly, not wanting to wake her. Cold air slapped my face.
I thought finishing my service would give me direction. Instead, everything felt heavier.
I needed to make money. Fast. Mom couldn't keep carrying this alone.
As I walked, my phone rang.
Tirling.
Taejin?
"Dude, why are you calling at—"
[Big, big trouble!]
"You better not be joking."
[Pinnacle Vault just shut down!]
"What?"
[You think I'd joke about this!?]
"Wait, seriously?"
[Get over here. Now. See for yourself.]
He hung up.
"…what?"
I bolted to the main road and flagged a taxi.
"To Yeoksam-dong. Step on it."
Taejin lived in a cramped studio near Gangnam. The place was a mess—comics, cables, old ramen cups. His monitor glowed in the dark.
He didn't even greet me. Just pointed.
Forum posts flew across the screen.
All my BRC is gone.
Same here. 150.387BRC, vanished.
What is happening?!
I can't reach customer support.
Pinnacle Vault was hacked. It's on CNN now.
Everything's gone. No refunds.
This is robbery!!!
It was chaos. Despair. Rage. Panic.
I stared at the screen, numb.
"Taejin. What the hell happened?"
"The exchange is done. Gone."
Everything. Just—wiped.
BRC balances drained. Every user. Just like a massive phishing scam. No warning. No recourse.
I thought about his 11,000 BRC.
"Did you lose it all?"
He didn't respond. Just sat there, glassy-eyed.
A chill ran down my back. I shook him.
"Hey! Taejin!"
He blinked. Then muttered.
"…I sold it. At midnight. Like you said."
"Holy shit."
Relief collapsed me. He made it.
Then, he grabbed my shoulders.
"Wait. Did you know this would happen?"
"What?"
"That Pinnacle Vault would get hacked! Did you know!?"
"No! Of course not!"
"Then why tell me to sell right then? It doesn't make sense."
"I—I can't explain it."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Did you do this? Did you hack them? Is that how you knew?"
"What? No! Are you insane?"
He stared at me. Hard. Then softened.
"You don't have to hide it from me. I won't tell anyone. Just say it."
"It wasn't me."
Honestly, I was more shocked than he was.
"Look, just calm down."
We both sat on the floor. He took deep breaths.
"Okay," he said. "So explain it."
I hesitated.
Should I tell him about the hologram? That moment that felt like reality tore open for a second?
He's the only one I trust, outside of Mom. And no one else would believe me anyway.
I nodded.
"This isn't the first time it's happened."
He raised an eyebrow.
"When was the first?"
I looked him dead in the eye.
"The military. That's when I first saw it."