Chapter 1602. Standing Up (2)

“Then, the management of the orphanages will be the foundation’s primary focus. However, didn’t you say you’d like to establish a school as well? One where the orphans could attend without discrimination?” Jo Gyu-Min asked curiously.

“Yes, I did.”

“Are you no longer interested in doing that?”

Kang Jin-Ho pondered his answer for a little bit, then shook his head. “I think the right thing is not to do it.”

“Do you mind if I ask you why?”

He wanted to know why...?

Kang Jin-Ho replied in a slightly withdrawn voice. “Even though the era has changed, parents and their kids still hold unfavorable views of children growing up in orphanages.”

“Mm... Yes, that’s true.”

No one could deny this. The public awareness had undoubtedly improved, and the basic human rights were more respected in the current era, but people’s contempt and distrust toward orphans still lingered. That had been the story for Park Yu-Min, and even for Han Jin-Seong.

Did they even deserve such bullying from the rest of the world? Of course not. There was no reason to subject them to such treatment, yet some people still tried to hurt them.

It’s not all that surprising, really.

Even animals in nature bullied weaker members of the horde and chased them away. Considering that humans were also animals, such behavior might be an inevitable part of human existence.

Knowing this, Kang Jin-Ho thought long and hard about building a school for the orphans, too.

“If I increase the scale of the orphanage operation and establish an exclusive school for the orphans, they should be spared from such discrimination, at the very least,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

Jo Gyu-Min nodded. “Mm... Yes, that’s right.”

“However, that’s not in the best interest of the orphans.” Kang Jin-Ho shook his head. “It’s not possible for me to look after the orphans for the rest of my life. They need to learn how to live their own lives eventually, too. And the reality they’d face after joining society could be incomparably harsher than what they had to deal with in schools and orphanages.”

Jo Gyu-Min nodded in silence.

“The school idea is no better than turning a blind eye to the real issue, I think,” said Kang Jin-Ho contemplatively. “If I really want what’s best for the kids, I should ensure that they live a life no different from what their peers might go through. Even if that mindset makes my job so much harder and requires me to be more hands-on than before.”

A gentle grin floated up on Jo Gyu-Min’s lips just then. “I have to say... This is a strange feeling.”

“What do you mean?”

“You and I were in the same school, although you were a student and I was its director. So, as an educator, I feel truly proud of how far you’ve come, Chairman Kang. Look at you! You and your well-defined philosophy on education!”

Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow. “But you were only a proxy of the actual director, weren’t you? And I don’t recall you ever teaching anyone?”

“Let’s brush that aside for now, shall we?” Jo Gyu-Min chuckled softly. “Then... we’ll focus our efforts on the orphanage operation for the time being. How many orphanages are you thinking of opening initially?”

Kang Jin-Ho rubbed his chin. “That... I still need to think more about it, but how about ten?”

“Five sounds about right, don’t you agree?”

“...”

“Ten will be too much to handle, unfortunately. It’ll depend on the sizes of the individual orphanages, but still, trying to find enough people to work in those orphanages will be a challenge in itself.”

“Mm...!”

Kang Jin-Ho hadn’t considered that.

“Actually, I’d like to make a recommendation, if you don’t mind.”

“No, I don’t. Please.”

“How about... taking over other orphanages, not just Seongsim?”

“Taking over?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head in confusion. Why should he do that to other orphanages that were chugging along just fine?

“It’s a delicate matter, actually...” Jo Gyu-Min explained, his expression cramping up in bitterness. “To figure out the current situation, I’ve been investigating the state of various orphanages, and... I’ve discovered quite a few that were not being managed properly.”

Kang Jin-Ho subtly furrowed his brow. “Can you be more specific?”

“Quite frankly, the Seongsim kids can count themselves very lucky, Chairman, because they were cared for by a director who had devoted herself to their welfare. However, that hasn’t been the case with the majority of the orphanages I’ve come across so far.”

Kang Jin-Ho sat back, then mouthed a cigarette. Jo Gyu-Min lit it up for him with his lighter, then resumed his expression in a calm voice.

“There are various reasons for this. One, the problem is with the directors and managers who are tasked with looking after the children but aren’t interested in their welfare.”

“...If that’s the case, why are they even in charge of the orphanages?”

“That’s because being the chief director of a foundation that manages orphanages looks good on your resume, you see?”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly but deeply inhaled the cigarette smoke. This indescribable disgust welled up from somewhere deep in his gut.

Even if humans were prepared to do anything for wealth and benefits, there were certain lines that shouldn’t be crossed if one had some semblance of scruples left.

“I see. And?”

“Two, even though the administrators and directors are willing, they are simply too incompetent. I’ve found a lot of badly run orphanages stuck in this situation.”

“Mm, but that’s...”

“The budget for an orphanage’s operation primarily comes from the government’s financial assistance, donations from the general public, and the foundation chipping in. The government’s assistance is more or less the same for most of the orphanages, but many places just don’t have the ability to get the public to donate.

“Meanwhile, some are guilty of burning through the foundation’s money too quickly, leaving them in precarious positions. As you can imagine, the orphans in those places usually receive little to no support.”

“Mm...!”

“I’ve also discovered quite a few places with problematic caregivers. The job of caring for young children is one of the most stressful jobs you can think of. Trying to raise one kid is already crazy enough to give you a meltdown, so imagine how bad it might be when trying to look after dozens of kids.”

Kang Jin-Ho had no problem understanding that. After all, didn’t he also nearly lose his mind whenever the Seongsim kids crowded around him?

“But the problem is that being an orphanage caregiver is a poorly paid occupation. You’re supposed to rely on your sense of duty and dedication to the children to make up for the pitiful pay, but...”

“...But there’s a limit to that.”

“Yes, unfortunately.”

“Hmm...”

“Continuously changing the orphanage’s personnel will only worsen the quality of care. But the people who only go through the motions will also lead to various issues if they stick around for too long.”

“I see. I understand what you’re saying.”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly scratched his chin. When he thought about it, he remembered that the Seongsim Orphanage’s situation wasn’t any better back then. It was on the brink of closing down, and despite the orphans being happy, the general state of their environment could not be called great, either.

In other words, even an orphanage managed by Sister Yi, whose love and dedication toward the children had almost reached the level of a saint, still struggled mightily.

Of course, there must be many orphanages that were incomparably better-run than Seongsim in this country. But the reverse should be true, as well—as in, orphanages in much worse shape than Seongsim in those days.

Kang Jin-Ho frowned deeply. “Shouldn’t the government be looking after those places?”

“Of course, it does. But there’s one serious, decisive problem with this arrangement.”

“...? What problem?”

“The orphans don’t have the right to vote.”

“...?”

“They don’t have any families, and are too young to vote. In other words, the administration won’t run into a problem even if the orphans’ lives become a living hell. Since that’s the case, their welfare will tumble down the list of priorities. The people in our government will focus on dealing with the issues that are right in front of their eyes first.”

“Mm...”

“Building new orphanages is undoubtedly a great idea. However, that means the orphans stuck in struggling orphanages will continue to suffer.”

Kang Jin-Ho gravely nodded. “I see. I understand what you’re saying. But...”

“Yes?”

“I’ve never heard of a case of an orphanage taking over another one.”

“Oh, that. Yes, getting that done is difficult but not impossible. We can simply take over the foundation, after all. Or make it give up the management rights.”

Jo Gyu-Min shrugged casually.

“Those who started orphanages with good intentions but lacking in abilities can be persuaded with suitable compensation. However, those who have been using orphans as their stepping stone, well...”

Jo Gyu-Min smirked softly.

“Chairman, surely you don’t need me to explain that part, now do you?”

“No, you don’t.”

Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t help but chuckle wryly.

Was using violence justified if it was for a good cause? No, that didn’t sound right.

However, Kang Jin-Ho didn’t care. He never hesitated to do things that were sinful in nature, after all. If something stood in his way and dared to get on his nerves, all he had to do was trample on it.

Jo Gyu-Min smirked again and said, “There are other legal and administrative hurdles in the way, but I’m sure the government will handle that for us.”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled wryly again. “That sounds a little too irresponsible, though.”

“I think it’ll be fine. I went to this government department to get approval for something else not too long ago, you see? The officials grilled me on even the most useless things, but then, when they answered a phone call from someone, they suddenly transformed into demure little ladies willing to please me at any cost.”

“...” Kang Jin-Ho’s expression cramped up a little.

So, what happened was...

It wasn’t the case of Jo Gyu-Min relying on Kang Jin-Ho’s fame to get things done, but more like... A call from a senior member of the government came down like a thunderclap from the gods soon after the documents containing Kang Jin-Ho’s name were submitted to this department.

He wasn’t quite sure how such a thing could even happen so quickly, but...

Jo Gyu-Min smirked. “With how cooperative the government is, I think they will even grant you the permit to open an orphanage in North Korea. In short, you have the license to do whatever you want, Chairman.”

“Really? Is that even a good thing, though?”

“Yep. Definitely.”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled helplessly again. “Got it. I’ll keep that in mind, then.”

“Yes, sir~. Once we find the suitable land and select orphanages ripe for a takeover, I’ll give you a call right away.”

“Sounds good.” Kang Jin-Ho got up to leave, only to stop. “Ah... I wanted to treat you to a meal, though...”

“I’m sorry, but do you mind if I take a rain check? I’m swarmed with work at the moment, you see?” Jo Gyu-Min quickly responded before Kang Jin-Ho had a chance to apologize.

Kang Jin-Ho shook his head, his expression one of helplessness. “No, I don’t mind. Next time, then.”

“Of course. Actually, I was getting a bit miffed lately, Chairman, since it felt like you’ve been favoring Big Brother Hyeon-Su over me these days. So you better treat me next time.”

“I give you my word. Then, goodbye.”

“Take care, Chairman.”

Kang Jin-Ho smiled at Jo Gyu-Min and stepped outside the chairman’s office.

***

Kang Jin-Ho reached the foyer and leisurely headed toward the exit. The security guard manning the foyer discovered him and apologized profusely.

“Ah! My sincerest apologies, sir! Forgive me for not getting your vehicle ready. I’ll go and...”

Kang Jin-Ho shook his head. “No, it’s fine.”

“Your car is parked on the basement level three. Allow me to show you the...”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll collect my car tomorrow.”

“Ah, I see. Then...”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded briefly at the guard and emerged from the foyer. After reaching the street, he shoved his hands into his pockets and leisurely headed home.

I know it’ll take a while, but...

Even then, he wanted to walk home tonight.

Various thoughts flitted in and out of his mind as he walked.

Wasn’t it strange? It felt as if the world itself was telling him to go back to the beginning. As if... As if he had done enough, so he should go back to his starting point.

He was going back to the beginning of his swordsmanship. And then, he was reminded of what the foundation of the Martial Assembly was, too.

...And he even recalled what his motivation for living in the modern era was.

That’s right, my motivation.

He slightly raised his head and spotted the pitch-black night sky visible between the tall skyscrapers to his left and right.

Sister Yi... Kang Jin-Ho stopped and closed his eyes. I... I still haven’t become the type of person you wanted me to become.

A person who could extend a helping hand first—the concept itself sounded simple enough, yet the current Kang Jin-Ho still had a long way to go to reach that stage.

Maybe, he might never be able to say he was such a person with a straight face even after putting in a lifetime of effort.

Still, I’ve been trying, Sister Yi.

So that he could take another small step toward becoming a better person; so that he could learn how to extend a helping hand faster.

Yes, I am trying. And I’ll keep trying. That’s why... Please don’t be too disappointed with me.

Kang Jin-Ho opened his eyes again.

As the dark night sky was dyed ever so slightly in a grayish hue from all the bright light coming from the skyscrapers, he thought he could see Sister Yi smiling at him from above.

Kang Jin-Ho’s expression grew slightly withdrawn just then, and he lowered his head.

No, not yet.

I am still not qualified to face that smile.

However, one day...!

Kang Jin-Ho resumed walking again, his gaze glued to his front.

The night air, thick with a living city’s pollution, got sucked deeply into his lungs.