The final semester of Jae-Min's MBA was approaching, and for the first time in his life, the days blurred together as he submerged himself completely in his studies. The man who had once skimmed by, whose university degree had been handed to him through connections and financial leverage, was now a different person. The hours of study, the sleepless nights, the countless hours spent dissecting case studies, financial models, and economic strategies—it was all paying off.

Every day, he found himself immersed in the complex world of business in a way he had never imagined possible. His professors, who had once written him off as another rich kid with an easy path, were now astonished by his growth. He wasn’t just participating in class discussions; he was leading them. His insights were sharp, his analyses precise. It was as if the entire body of knowledge he had ignored before was now second nature, ingrained into him through years of hard, painful work.

When grades were released at the end of the semester, Jae-Min sat at his desk, fingers crossed, silently praying. He had come a long way from the boy who couldn’t be bothered to attend his lectures. He opened the email with bated breath.

Summa Cum Laude.

The words flashed on the screen, and for a moment, Jae-Min couldn’t breathe. He stared at the screen, disbelief warring with pride. He had done it. Against all odds, he had finished his MBA with the highest honors. No one had handed this to him—not his family, not his wealth, not his connections. This was his own doing, his own effort, and the sense of accomplishment was so sweet, it nearly overwhelmed him.

He could feel the weight of his past—the lazy, entitled man he had been—begin to crumble away. It was as though every hour of hard work, every decision to sacrifice comfort, every painful step forward had finally coalesced into something undeniable.

But the journey was far from over.

As Jae-Min walked across the stage to accept his degree, his mind was already racing forward. The future had always been a nebulous thing to him, an afterthought. Now, it was a tangible goal. He was no longer just a chaebol heir, a playboy with a broken past. He was a man with a future—a man who had earned his place.

As he walked off the stage, a familiar face caught his eye. It was Professor Michael Thomas, the finance professor who had watched his transformation from the first day of his MBA program. The same professor who had once doubted his ability to thrive in the competitive world of business, the one who had expected him to follow in the footsteps of so many other rich students who never truly applied themselves.

Professor Thomas had taken a liking to Jae-Min over the course of the program, seeing not just a privileged student, but a determined individual. The professor’s voice broke his reverie.

“Jae-Min,” Professor Thomas called, his voice warm but serious. “I’ve been watching your progress these past few years. I’m impressed—truly. You’ve shown a work ethic that’s rare in students like you. It’s time for you to apply that to the real world.”

Jae-Min felt a sense of pride and apprehension wash over him.

“I’ve been in contact with some senior people at Goldman Sachs,” Professor Thomas continued, looking Jae-Min in the eye with a kind of quiet understanding. “They’re looking for someone who has the kind of drive and intellect you’ve demonstrated. I’ve recommended you for a position there. It’s not going to be easy, Jae-Min, but I think you’re ready for it. I want you to give it everything you’ve got. It’s a prestigious firm, and this could be your ticket to a new life.”

Goldman Sachs.

Jae-Min’s heart skipped a beat. The name of the firm was legendary in the world of finance—competitive, cutthroat, and full of the very kind of people who didn’t care about who his family was. He would have to prove himself here more than ever before. But this was what he wanted. This was his opportunity to escape the remnants of his past and to cement his place in a world that demanded excellence, not legacy.

“I won’t disappoint you, Professor,” Jae-Min said, the words feeling like a promise, like a vow he would keep no matter the cost.

True to the professor’s word, within weeks, Jae-Min received an offer from Goldman Sachs. The email, concise and professional, was more than just an invitation to work for one of the most prestigious investment banks in the world—it was the final validation of everything he had worked for. The months of grinding through internships, the countless hours spent pouring over business strategies, the pain of sacrificing every ounce of his former self to become something new—all of it had led to this moment.

But no one had seen the sacrifices. No one knew the sleepless nights, the quiet breakdowns, the fear that had threatened to overwhelm him at times. No one knew how much he had lost in the process—not just his old self, but pieces of his soul that he could never fully recover.

At Goldman Sachs, Jae-Min began working as an investment banker, diving into the heart of mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, and financial analysis. The work was intense—long hours, high stakes, and a level of pressure that pushed him further than he had ever been. He had no choice but to adapt. His survival depended on it.

Every day, he was surrounded by brilliant minds, people who had earned their positions through sheer merit. He was just another cog in the machine—no longer the son of a chaebol family, but just a man trying to prove himself. And that suited him just fine. He had no desire to rely on anything other than his own capabilities.

The work became his obsession.

His days started before dawn, reviewing market reports, preparing for client meetings, and analyzing financial data. He would stay late into the night, meticulously reviewing every deal, studying the intricacies of financial modeling, calculating risk, and devising strategies that could make or break millions of dollars. The stakes were higher than anything he had ever known, and for the first time in his life, Jae-Min welcomed the challenge.

His colleagues, who had once viewed him with skepticism, began to take notice. They saw the transformation—the formerly aloof, privileged heir was now a focused, disciplined banker with the sharpest mind in the room. He wasn’t just another rich kid in a suit. He was a force to be reckoned with.

But the cost of his transformation was becoming apparent. He had become a man consumed by his work, distant from the world he had once known. The nights of partying, of indulgence, of superficial relationships—all of it felt like a distant memory. He no longer recognized the man he had once been. And yet, as much as he had changed, he couldn’t help but feel a lingering emptiness, as though something important had been lost in the process.

Despite the success he had achieved, the guilt remained. It clung to him like a shadow, a reminder of the boy he used to be. The boy who had been left behind.