However, I couldn’t act as if I were meeting this person for the first time.
Judging by her attitude, it seemed like she had been dealing with Ye Sara for a long time.
She appeared younger than Yang Hye-in, but maybe she just looked young.
“…I couldn’t contact you for a while due to some circumstances.”
“…Oh.”
As soon as I said that, the other person looked at me with a dazed expression.
“…What’s wrong?”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing really.”
She looked around nervously before speaking.
“This is the first time I’ve heard your voice.”
“…”
So, does that mean she communicates with other customers using sign language?
“To be honest, I was worried you might have aphasia. You always passed on your requests through written notes.”
I almost smacked my forehead right there.
That’s right.
Ye Sara had a personality that barely spoke to people around her.
In the main game, she was a character who screamed and cursed, but at least until middle school, she was someone who was isolated from society.
So… it wasn’t that there was a problem with other customers, but Ye Sara herself was the problem.
“…I just changed my mind. A lot has happened recently.”
“I see, it seems like a lot has indeed happened.”
The employee smiled bitterly and nodded.
It seemed she thought my change was a positive one.
“But thankfully, you didn’t make any extreme choices. Well done. After all, people have much more of a future when they’re alive. I really thought you had given up when you asked for sleeping pills.”
“…”
To hear such alarming words so casually, it seemed this person wasn’t exactly normal either.
I looked around.
No matter how you looked at it, it was just an ordinary… well, not exactly, since it was a park inside the school, but under the concept of a ‘park’, it was fairly normal.
There were trees, walking paths, and places to sit and relax.
But why did she insist on waiting here?
“How did you get in here?”
“Pardon?”
At my question, the employee tilted her head.
“Well, I just walked in through the main gate. Ah, of course, I didn’t drive. Cars aren’t allowed inside the school, and the parking fees in front of the school are incredibly expensive unless you’re a student’s family.”
“No one stopped you when you walked in so openly?”
When I asked in surprise, the employee tilted her head again.
“Well, I’m a bank employee. Schools like this often have a lot of banking business, and many students inside need banking services.”
…A banker?
Not someone from a delivery service or something like that?
“…You are Ye Sara, correct?”
Seeing my blank expression, the employee asked seriously again.
But even after saying that, she muttered to herself, “No, you are the customer, aren’t you?”
“Oh.”
She suddenly let out a sound as if she had just remembered something.
“…Did you… attempt something?”
“What do you mean?”
I frowned slightly and asked again, and the employee asked cautiously.
“The sleeping pills.”
“Ah.”
Right, that did happen.
If this person was the one who provided the sleeping pills, she might know what Ye Sara intended to do with them.
So, it wasn’t strange for her to be worried.
“Yes, I did. That’s why I ended up at the hospital.”
“Did you… lose some memory afterward?”
“Yes, I might have suffered some damage… I’m not sure.”
Since things had come this far, I decided to lie boldly.
It would be better to pretend I had some memory confusion and gather information.
“Oh… this is problematic.”
The banker scratched the back of her head.
“So, do you not remember which bank I’m from?”
“…That’s right.”
My vague answer seemed to be a convincing reason.
The banker pressed her forehead and made a face as if suppressing a sigh.
“Oh dear… It looks like this will take a while.”
“I have time. Shall we sit and talk?”
When I pointed to the chairs, the banker eventually nodded.
*
“Well, then let me introduce myself again. I’m Han Garam, the team leader of the Will Substitute Trust Team at Chang-eon Savings Bank.”
She handed me a business card and bowed slightly while sitting.
“A will substitute trust?”
When I asked, she nodded.
“Yes, many people wish to settle their estate cleanly before they pass away. Particularly, those who want to leave their wealth to one specific child or donate it to society, but worry their other children might claim their compulsory portion.”
“…Is there a way to not give the compulsory portion?”
“Hmm…”
Han Garam thought for a moment.
“Would you like me to explain about wills and inheritance first?”
“Yes, please do.”
At my request, Han Garam nodded again and continued her explanation.
“If a person who has wealth to pass on dies without a will, the estate is divided between the spouse, who receives 1.5 shares, and the children, who receive 1 share each. You’re familiar with this, right?”
I nodded.
“But if there’s a will, things change. What if the will states that all the assets should go to one child? Of course, the law tries to respect the deceased’s wishes as much as possible, but society sees it as unfair if no wealth is left for family members. After all, while it’s possible the child isn’t deserving of the inheritance, it’s equally possible that the deceased parent was unfairly discriminatory. So, the law has established a minimum inheritance share for close relatives, known as the ‘compulsory portion’.”
This was something I had also read about on TV or the internet.
“The compulsory portion is set at half of what the child would have received if there was no will, and one-third for siblings. This means children who didn’t receive an inheritance can file a compulsory portion lawsuit to claim their share of the estate. Though, it’s less than what they would’ve received without a will.”
After explaining that much, Han Garam smiled at me.
“But of course, some people don’t even want to give that compulsory portion.”
“So, that’s where the will substitute trust comes in?”
“Exactly. To explain a bit more about inheritance, it refers to the property left behind after someone dies. Naturally, people with families want to leave as much of their estate to their children as possible. So, some think of ways around it. For example, what if they transferred their assets to their children before dying?”
“To conclude, the law has already closed that loophole. If a person transfers their assets and dies within 10 years, that property is still considered part of the estate. So, inheritance tax and compulsory portions apply.”
“Unfortunately, Ye Sara’s father, the former chairman, passed away before you turned 10. No matter how early the assets were gifted, they still fall within the 10-year period, which means they are subject to inheritance rules and compulsory portions.”
In other words, some of the assets Ye Sara had received were included in the inheritance distribution.
“But the former chairman seemed to have loved you very much, Ms. Ye Sara. He entrusted a large amount of property to our company under a trust. The contract period ends three years after you become an adult. It includes a significant amount of real estate.”
“…So, that property is exempt from the compulsory portion?”
“That’s right. Trust assets are not subject to the compulsory portion.”
“…”
I was left dumbfounded and asked.
“How much is the property exactly?”
“I’m not sure of the exact amount either. We have a confidentiality agreement not to disclose the specifics. In fact, the existence of this trust itself was kept secret. You wouldn’t have known if we hadn’t contacted you.”
“But I can tell you one thing for sure: many of the properties are in areas slated for redevelopment. I’m sure you know what that means. Oh, and there’s also a large theme park included.”
Han Garam smiled proudly after explaining this much.
“So, once I become an adult—”
“Your future is wide open.”
“…”
But why did Ye Sara try to kill herself?
My expression must have looked strange as I thought that.
“…So, you’re saying you’re unsure of your memories before you were hospitalized?”
“Yes.”
At my answer, Han Garam thought for a long time before speaking.
“Do you remember why you thought that way?”
“No.”
Han Garam stayed silent for a long time before finally speaking.
“Well, in that case, perhaps it’s a relief. Isn’t it better to focus on what you can achieve in the future than dwell on the things you couldn’t attain in the past? Since things have turned out like this, it would be best to forget the past and only look toward the future.”
…
Even hearing such words, I still didn’t understand.
Because I wasn’t Ye Sara.
All I could see was the future prepared for Ye Sara, so naturally, I couldn’t help but think positively.
But what had Ye Sara seen that made her give up on her future?
Was it really just to hurt the chairwoman, as written in the will?
Was that truly the only reason?
“…”
I remained silent for a long time.
“Ah.”
Then, something suddenly came to mind.
“Could you answer one more question?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
Han Garam answered brightly.
“Why did you insist on waiting here?”
At my question, Han Garam smiled and answered.
“I’m a Hwayoung High School graduate. I know where there are no CCTV cameras. Schools with the name ‘Hwayoung’ have strict security, but there are intentionally unsecured spots for ‘student privacy protection’. For example, if students knew there weren’t cameras in such places, wouldn’t it be great for ‘exchanging gifts’ or ‘having private conversations’?”
And the gifts and conversations would be things parents asked their children to pass on, wouldn’t they?
Through one student to the parents of another, passing on items or messages.
…What an utterly insane school.