Short story) The Great Investment Caper

<The Great Investment Caper>

 

 

"Hey, dude, check this out!" Max shouted, nearly knocking me off my skateboard as he shoved his phone in my face.

 

"Whoa, chill!" I steadied myself, grabbing his phone. "What's so urgent?"

 

"There's this new crypto coin called 'MoonCheese.' Everyone's saying it's gonna skyrocket tonight!"

 

I rolled my eyes. "MoonCheese? Seriously? That sounds like something my little sister would make up."

 

Max grinned. "Laugh all you want, Ethan, but I'm putting all my birthday money into it. By tomorrow, I'll be rolling in cash!"

 

I handed his phone back. "Good luck with that. I'm sticking to my plan."

 

He scoffed. "What plan? You're seventeen! The only plan you should have is beating the next level in Zombie Attack III."

 

I smirked. "Maybe I have bigger goals than virtual zombie slaying."

 

We parted ways as I headed home, the California sun casting long shadows on the suburban streets. At home, I found my mom juggling a pot of spaghetti and a phone call.

 

"Hey, honey! Dinner in ten!" she called out.

 

"Got it!" I dashed upstairs to my room, which doubled as a shrine to all things Marvel and a makeshift investment hub. I plopped onto my bed and opened "Thoughts on Investing: Confronting Negative Influences" a book I'd borrowed from the library after my disastrous attempt at day trading last month.

 

"Why do mistakes happen?" I read aloud. "Because investing is a human endeavor, and most people can't help but follow their emotions and psychology."

 

"No kidding, " I muttered, recalling how I bought stocks in FizzFizz Cola just because their Super Bowl ad had a catchy jingle.

 

I continued reading. "To increase your chances of success, you must truly understand intrinsic value. Stick to your principles when prices stray far from value."

 

Just then, my phone buzzed with a text from Max: "Dude, it's happening! MoonCheese is up 50%! Get in now!"

 

I felt a pang of FOMO. Maybe I was being too cautious. But then I remembered another line from the book: "Situations that seem 'too good to be true' usually are. Don't trust them."

 

I typed back: "I'll pass. Be careful, man."

 

At dinner, Mom noticed my furrowed brow. "Everything okay, Ethan?"

 

"Yeah, just thinking about investments" I sighed.

 

She raised an eyebrow. "Ah, planning for your retirement already?"

 

I chuckled. "Very funny. I just want to make smart choices, you know?"

 

She smiled warmly. "Proud of you for that. Just remember, not everything that glitters is gold."

 

The next morning, the school was abuzz. Max was nowhere to be found. I finally spotted him slumped on a bench.

 

"Hey, what happened?"

 

He looked up, eyes weary. "MoonCheese tanked. It's worthless now. I lost everything."

 

I sat beside him. "I'm sorry, man."

 

He shook his head. "Should've listened to you. Why didn't you jump in?"

 

I hesitated, then said, "I guess I learned that it's important to understand the real value of things, not just the hype."

 

He sighed. "Easy to say, hard to do."

 

"Tell me about it. Remember when I invested in FizzFizz Cola? Lost my summer job savings."

 

He gave a small smile. "Yeah, that was rough."

 

"Look" I said, "why don't we learn more about this stuff together? We can support each other, avoid the hype."

 

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, maybe that's a good idea."

 

That afternoon, we went to see Mr. Thompson, our economics teacher and notorious for his bad puns but great advice.

 

"Ah, young investors!" he greeted us. "Heard about the MoonCheese mishap."

 

Max groaned. "News travels fast."

 

Mr. Thompson chuckled. "In the world of finance, even faster. So, what brings you here?"

 

I explained our situation. "We want to understand how to make better investment choices, avoid mistakes driven by emotion."

 

He leaned back in his chair. "Well, you've taken the first step: recognizing the problem. Investing isn't just numbers and trends; it's about psychology and discipline."

 

He pulled out a chart. "See this? It's the emotional cycle of investing. People buy when they feel euphoric and sell when they're panicking. The trick is to do the opposite."

 

Max and I exchanged glances. "Easier said than done" Max muttered.

 

"Precisely why you need a solid foundation, " Mr. Thompson said. "Understand intrinsic value, learn from past cycles, and most importantly, support each other to stay grounded."

 

As we left his office, Max seemed lighter. "You know, this might actually be interesting."

 

I grinned. "Who knew Mr. Thompson could be so... not boring?"

 

Over the next few weeks, we dove into learning. We researched companies, studied market trends, and even started a small investment club at school. We called it "The Stock Jocks" combining our love for finance and, well, Max's love for sports.

 

One day, Max burst into the library where I was studying. "Ethan! Check this out!"

 

He held up an article about an up-and-coming tech company developing eco-friendly gadgets.

 

"They've got solid financials, a great mission, and they're undervalued, " he said excitedly.

 

I raised an eyebrow. "You did all this research?"

 

He nodded proudly. "Yep! No more MoonCheese mistakes."

 

We decided to invest a small amount together. Over time, the company's value steadily increased. It wasn't an overnight jackpot, but it was rewarding.

 

At our next club meeting, we shared our success story. Others began sharing their ideas, too. We debated, discussed, and learned from each other.

 

One afternoon, as we were leaving school, Max turned to me. "You know, I never thought I'd say this, but investing is kinda fun when you're not losing all your money."

 

I laughed. "Who would've thought responsible decisions could be enjoyable?"

 

He smirked. "Don't get all smug on me now."

 

As senior year progressed, we continued to grow—not just our portfolios, but as friends and individuals. We faced temptations, like the sudden craze over "CryptoKitties" but we approached each situation with newfound wisdom.

 

On graduation day, Mom snapped photos as I adjusted my cap and gown. "So, what's next for the young investor?"

 

I smiled. "College, maybe a finance degree. Who knows?"

 

Max joined us, throwing an arm around my shoulder. "As long as we avoid any more cheesy investments."

 

We all groaned at the pun.

 

Mom laughed. "Sounds like you boys have learned a lot."

 

"Yeah, " I agreed. "We learned that mistakes happen when we let emotions take over. But if we understand the true value of things and support each other, we can make better choices."

 

As we tossed our caps into the air, I felt a surge of excitement. Not just for the future, but for the journey we'd taken to get here. Who knew that confronting negative influences could lead to something so positive?

 

Walking away from the ceremony, Max nudged me. "So, Ethan, any hot tips?"

 

I grinned. "Actually, I heard about this new company making organic pizza rolls."

 

He laughed. "Now that's an investment I can get behind!"

 

---

 

And so, with humor and heart, we stepped into the next chapter of our lives—wiser, but still ready to make a joke out of just about anything.

 

 

Calculated Risks in Bench

 

 

 

#ref.:

https://sosohantry.tistory.com/entry/Book-투자에-대한-생각-부정적-영향과-맞서라