Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Just Another Day ❯ Volume Fourteen, Chapter Seventy-Nine: Pension Net ( Chapter 79 )

Pension Net

Soon frowned over the bills on the table.

“How did this happen?” he asked. He tried to think back. Soon never really worked. He had some jobs in the past. Lately, he hasn't been working. Mai-Pai was close to retirement. The kids were almost gone. The documentary film was almost done.

So what was the problem? Well…

Soon sighed.

“What just happened?” he asked aloud. Then he remembered the answer.

“Oh,” Soon said. Suddenly, the phone rang.

“Hello?” Soon asked.

“Soon-san!” Hindeo shouted on the other line. The older man rolled his eyes.

“Yes?” he asked.

“Great news!” Hindeo said. “We have a premiere date!” Soon forced himself to smile.

“Oh, great,” he said. Soon wanted to scream at him to shut up.

“What's wrong?” Hindeo asked. The older man frowned.

“This documentary is eating up my finances,” he complained. “I'm about out of money!” The other line went quiet.

“Hello? Hello?” Soon asked.

“Oh…” Hindeo said.

“What do you mean oh?” Soon asked. The younger man nervously laughed.

“Hindeo…” Soon said. He narrowed his eyes.

“What happened?” he asked.

“What?” Soon asked.

“The documentary took most of the money,” the younger man said. “There's no money left.” Soon's jaw dropped. No words came out at first. Rage started to build up. Not right away, mind you. It took brick by brick.

“What do you mean?” the older man asked. There was another pause. Hindeo broke down and told him everything. From what Soon learned, production had been a nightmare. Soon didn't know what to say.

“All because of rewrites?” he asked.

“And other things,” Hindeo sheepishly added. Soon sat back in his chair. He sighed again.

“Now what?” the older man asked. “I don't have a pension.”

“You don't have a pension?” Hindeo asked. Soon rubbed his forehead.

“No,” he said. “Never really held down a job.”

“Oh…” the younger man said.

“And what about you?”

“Huh?”

“What about you? You're still in college. Don't you graduate soon?”

“I graduated soon?”

“I graduated early.”

“Did you?”

“Yeah. It was last winter.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I'm not lying.”

“Okay, okay. I believe you.”

“Thank you.”

Soon frowned to himself. This was going nowhere.

“I still need to pay my bills,” he said.

“I know,” Hindeo said. “I think I can help.” Soon froze with his eyes narrowed.

“How?” he asked. There was another pause on the other line.

“Hello?” Soon asked. The younger man nervously laughed.

“What?” Soon asked.

“You aren't going to like what I have to say,” Hindeo said.

“What?” the older man asked. The college sheepishly.

“Do you still use that summer house in the country?” Hindeo asked.

“Why?” Soon asked.

“Well… I was thinking that you could maybe sell that house?”

“No!”

“Don't you need the money?”

“But that's my father's house.”

“But you need the money.”

Soon closed his mouth. Hindeo had a point. But that was his father's house. How could he do such a thing?

“Are you still here? Hello? Hello?” Hindeo asked on the other line.

“I'm going to call you back,” the older man said. He hung up before Hindeo could say another word.

Tough Choice