Chapter 12
The contract went through without a hitch.
“Let’s sign the papers today.”
The realtor immediately called the landlord. Since he lived in the same neighborhood, it wasn’t long before he arrived at the office.
He was an old man, his hair completely white. His thick magnifying glasses made his eyes look clouded, but his expression seemed kind.
“So, when’s the young lady planning to move in? I only give this house to someone who can move right away.”
At his words, Yeon-su perked up.
She had to vacate her current place within a month anyway, so the sooner she could move, the better.
“How about this weekend? If you move in then, I’ll knock off five hundred.”
It was Thursday. That left only two days. Normally, moving so soon wasn’t realistic.
But a five-million-won discount? For Yeon-su, who counted every penny, it was too tempting.
“Would you mind waiting just a moment? I’ll call my landlord.”
She quickly dialed her current landlord.
He, who had been impatiently waiting for her to leave, readily agreed to pay back the deposit that weekend.
“I’ll settle the balance this weekend. Let’s go ahead with the contract.”
The landlord’s confirmation solidified her decision. The old man and the realtor both smiled in satisfaction. Yeon-su’s chest swelled with excitement at having secured a new place and a moving date.
But in the middle of drafting the contract, a problem cropped up.
Because of recent real estate scams, landlords now had to provide extra documents such as tax clearance certificates and confirmation of whether the property had already been registered for fixed-date priority.
The old man had brought none of it.
“I don’t do that stuff.”
He flatly refused, and Yeon-su gave him an uneasy smile.
“What if you just printed them online? It would only take a moment, and the manager here could help.”
“No. Forget it. If that’s what you want, cancel the deal.”
His tone suddenly hardened, as if she had insulted him.
The kindly smile he’d worn before vanished.
“Just check the property registry and my ID, and sign the papers. That’s how it’s always been done. Never had a problem before. The government just keeps piling on useless paperwork, you know?”
The realtor pressed her to go through with it.
When she still hesitated, he clicked his tongue impatiently.
“That’s why it’s so cheap. A detached house, three rooms, with a yard, for just forty-five million in deposit. You’ll never find this anywhere else. But fine, let’s add this one document too. A lease deposit repayment guarantee. That should be enough.”
It was true that such documents hadn’t been required before. And since she had confirmed the registry, checked the landlord’s ID, and met him face-to-face, there didn’t seem to be a huge risk.
Taking the guarantee form, Yeon-su finally ended her doubts and stamped the contract.
When everything was done, she stepped out of the office.
With such a big problem solved, her stomach gave a loud growl.
It was long past mealtime.
She bought a pack of ramen at a corner shop and headed home, already savoring the thought of spicy broth and chewy noodles.
Her steps quickened at the thought, until she saw a group of people approaching from the other end of the street.
Sometimes investment study groups came to this neighborhood, so she thought nothing of it and kept walking.
But when she recognized one of the men, she froze in place.
The group drew closer.
“Ha Yeon-su, what brings you here?”
The man at the front asked. His tone was casual, his voice flat, but his sharp gaze fixed on her.
It was Do Jin-hyuk.
“My place is nearby.”
She averted her eyes as she answered. Jin-hyuk murmured something to the men beside him, and they soon left.
“I’ll take my leave. I’ll be in touch about the terms.”
As they walked away, Yeon-su quickly bowed her head, ready to slip off too.
No matter how she tried to avoid him, they kept crossing paths.
“Executive Director, I should also—”
She didn’t even finish before he cut her off.
“What’s that?”
His gaze landed on the black plastic bag in her hand.
“Oh, this? Just ramen.”
“You had ramen at lunch, and now ramen again?”
The sudden jab made her voice come out sharper.
“Lunch was ramen noodles, not ramen soup. They’re different. And for your information, I like ramen.”
Her firm tone made the corner of his mouth curve into a faint smile.
“I like ramen too.”
Her face twitched in confusion.
What was that supposed to mean?
Don’t tell me he’s planning to eat it at my place?
“Your house is this way?”
“Yes, but…”
Her heart started pounding wildly.
“Then let’s walk together.”
At that, her heart practically leapt out of her chest.
But Jin-hyuk simply turned and strode ahead, as if unaware of her turmoil.
The summer heat had him carrying his jacket over one arm and his tie loosened, yet even that looked like a magazine spread.
Yeon-su, dazed by his back view, hurried to stop him.
“Um, excuse me, wait… are you saying you’re coming over to my place to eat ramen?”
Her voice trembled awkwardly.
“Ha Yeon-su, are you trying to tempt me?”
His brows arched slightly as he stopped.
“What? No!”
She flailed her hands, panicking.
“If you wanted to, I could pretend not to notice.”
He chuckled smoothly, his words relaxed.
Her face burned crimson.
“I just meant we should walk together since my car’s parked in the same direction.”
His explanation left her wishing for a hole to crawl into.
The short distance to her home felt unbearably long.
And why was he walking so slowly?
She had been practically running home, but now, matching his pace, every step felt drawn out.
Meanwhile, her stomach growled noisily, ignoring her embarrassment.
“Have you found a place to live yet?”
He asked suddenly.
“Yes, I was lucky today. I signed a contract.”
“Where?”
“A house up there, near the top of this hill.”
She pointed in the direction. Jin-hyuk glanced that way and nodded.
“HaeNam Construction will be chosen as the primary contractor for Yong-a-dong’s redevelopment.”
Her eyes widened.
For two years, there had been nothing but rumors about a redevelopment union forming and selecting a builder.
So she hadn’t taken it seriously.
“The landlord said the redevelopment fell through, that’s why he finally decided to rent it out. It literally went on the market yesterday.”
The realtor’s words resurfaced in her mind.
I just signed. They’re not going to cancel it, are they?
The thought rattled her, but only for a moment.
Even if a contractor was chosen, there was still a long road ahead.
Realistically, residents wouldn’t be relocated for another two or three years.
“So today you were here for an inspection?”
“I had a meeting with city officials to secure construction permits. While I was at it, I also spoke with the union representatives about the terms.”
She nodded silently.
Her mind was spinning with thoughts, and she fell quiet.
Noticing, Jin-hyuk asked again.
“When’s your move-in date?”
“This weekend.”
They exchanged a few more words before arriving at her building.
“Well, I’ll be going in now.”
“Alright. See you at the office.”
Turning away, he quickly disappeared down the street with his long strides.
Under the lamplight, his broad shoulders and perfect proportions etched themselves into her memory.
She couldn’t stop a sigh of admiration from slipping out.
That was when a middle-aged woman suddenly bustled up beside her.
“My, my, is he a celebrity? How can anyone be that handsome? Yeon-su, who’s that man?”
It was a neighbor from her old three-story villa.
She was from Naju, so everyone called her “Naju-auntie.” Apparently her radar had locked onto Jin-hyuk.
“He’s the Executive Director at my company.”
Knowing how loose her tongue was, Yeon-su figured it was best to be honest.
The woman was close with her mother, Kyung-hee, after all.
If she tried to dodge the question, rumors would surely reach her mother in no time.
“Oh my, are you dating him then?”
“No, he was here for work. We just ran into each other on the way back.”
Even so, the woman’s eyes gleamed, her mouth twitching mischievously.
To be continued
Brought to you by Gourmet Scans
Translator: Maize
Editor: Maize
<To be continued>
Brought to you by Gourmet Scans
Translator: Maize
Editor: Maize
Did You Enjoy This Chapter?💡 Sending a tip helps us purchase raws and cover the expenses we need to pay each month to keep our site running.
Join the GS Discord to chat about series, report issues, and keep up with new chapter releases:
https://discord.gg/PRZEAJZE3J
