Chapter 13

Sensing Naju-auntie’s misunderstanding, Yeon-su quickly explained.

“HaeNam Construction seems to have been chosen as the developer for this project. The Executive Director came here because of that.”

But instead of clearing up the misunderstanding, it only seemed to deepen.

“Come to think of it, you work at HaeNam Construction too, don’t you, Yeon-su? Must be nice timing.”

The meaning-laden smile that followed made Yeon-su let out a faint sigh.

“I’ll head in first.”

There was no point talking to someone who would twist her words anyway. She cut the conversation short and turned away.

Once inside her home, unease began creeping in.

But in just a few days, she would be moving out, so there would hardly be any more encounters with that woman. And with her mother having gone to the countryside, there was even less chance of getting tangled up.

Letting go of her worries, Yeon-su opened the window for some fresh air.

And there he was. Do Jin-hyuk.

She could’ve sworn she saw him walking away earlier, yet somehow he was standing right nearby.

His tall, well-proportioned figure, his features sculpted like a work of art, held her gaze as if casting a spell.

Frowning slightly as if deep in thought, he gazed up at the building. Then his eyes turned toward her.

Startled, Yeon-su ducked out of sight.

Her heart began pounding furiously.

Placing a hand on her chest, she exhaled a long breath.

This racing heartbeat had to be, as that auntie said, simply because he looked like a celebrity. Nothing more.

Convinced of her own conclusion, Yeon-su muttered to herself.

“This is just instinct, pure instinct.”

* * *

Moving day arrived.

It was Monday, one day later than originally planned, delayed for cleaning and repairs.

Before moving out, her landlord had returned the deposit, minus five million won as a damage holdback. With that money, she had been able to settle the balance on the new place over the weekend and clean it before moving in.

The house had been in poor condition, but after scrubbing it down and doing her own wallpapering, it looked reasonably livable.

Her body ached from a weekend of labor, but when morning came, excitement about moving into her new home left her feeling refreshed.

On her way to work, Yeon-su found herself humming.

“Yeon-su, something good must’ve happened.”

Manager Jin asked after hearing her tune.

“I’m moving into my new place today.”

“Ah, that’s right. You’re taking half a day off?”

“Yes. I’ll be leaving early.”

“Good. Best of luck with the move.”

He looked at her warmly.

“You know, Kang Yeon-su doesn’t seem like kids these days. She’s hardworking and polite.”

Unaware that he’d mixed up the names, he muttered to himself.

* * *

By lunchtime, Yeon-su was ready.

“I’ll be heading out now.”

She gave a bright farewell as she gathered her things.

Kang Yeon-su pouted at the sight.

Ever since that embarrassing encounter at the ramen shop, she blamed everything on Ha Yeon-su. Now, just seeing her made her blood boil.

“Really, using half a day off on such a busy Monday?”

The sharp comment reached Yeon-su’s ears.

But the joy of moving couldn’t be dampened. She simply brushed it aside, smiling warmly.

“Enjoy your lunch, Kang Yeon-su.”

Her steps home felt especially light.

At her old apartment, she packed quickly.

Her parents had already taken most of the household goods to the countryside, so there wasn’t much left. The only large items were a bed, desk, and fridge.

To save money, she hired just a one-ton truck and decided to move the rest herself.

Since the new place was in the same neighborhood, it was doable.

The mover soon arrived and loaded the big items. With so little furniture, it didn’t take long.

“Please just drop them inside the house.”

Yeon-su gave him the address.

Left alone, she stacked the smaller boxes onto a borrowed cart.

When all the belongings were gone, the empty apartment came into view.

She had lived there two years.

It hadn’t always been good times, but she had landed her job at HaeNam Construction and found a better home. Perhaps this place’s fortune had helped.

She locked the door and left the key where she had arranged with the landlord.

Then she began carefully pushing the cart of boxes uphill.

There wasn’t much, but the slope was steep, and one wrong move could send everything sliding.

Concentrating fully, she pulled the cart when her phone rang.

“I’ve arrived, but is this the right address?”

The mover’s puzzled voice came through.

“Yes, the red brick house with the green gate.”

“Then it’s right, but strange. There’s another moving truck here already.”

“What do you mean?”

Her voice shook uncontrollably.

A wave of dread surged inside her.

“Well, I can’t unload here if someone else’s truck is in the way. I’ll just drop your stuff outside—”

“Wait, please! Don’t. Let me call the realtor and get back to you.”

Yeon-su cut him off and immediately dialed the realtor’s number.

“The number you have dialed is not in service. Please check and try again…”

Her heart plummeted.

No way.

Just this past weekend, when she paid the balance and got the key, the number had worked fine.

Hands trembling, she grabbed the contract from the cart.

She tried calling the landlord’s number written there.

“The number you have dialed is not in service. Please check and try again…”

It was the same.

Her face drained of color.

She parked the cart at the neighborhood store and sprinted uphill to the red brick house.

A sense of doom drove her faster, her legs trembling so badly she nearly tripped several times.

By the time she reached the slope’s top, she was out of breath.

And there it was, a large moving truck.

The mover who had called her spotted her and came over.

He tossed his cigarette and crushed it underfoot, then spoke impatiently.

“Miss, I don’t have time to waste.”

“Sorry, there must’ve been a mistake. Let me just check inside.”

Apologizing, Yeon-su rushed in.

“Excuse me, who’s moving in here?”

She asked the middle-aged man directing the movers.

“Ah, just the person I needed. I thought something was off, so I was going to check.”

He spoke quickly, as if already informed by her mover.

“I signed a lease here. Here’s my contract. Let me see yours.”

Yeon-su showed her papers as calmly as she could, but the dread gnawing at her only grew.

Just then, someone else entered. It was the realtor who had handled the man’s contract.

“This is fraud.”

He inspected Yeon-su’s contract carefully before speaking.

“That can’t be. I met the landlord in person at the realtor’s office when we signed.”

“See this realtor registration number? That number doesn’t exist.”

Her last bit of composure crumbled, her face going pale.

“What about the landlord?”

“The information matches, but the contact number doesn’t. Let’s try a video call.”

He dialed.

The real landlord’s face appeared on screen.

At that moment, Yeon-su realized she’d been scammed.

The man she had met was completely different.

The ID he had shown must’ve been an old one, from decades ago. She hadn’t thought to doubt it, since IDs weren’t usually reissued unless lost. And the thick glasses had hidden much of his face.

“Someone used my ID? Who the hell was it? Who!”

The landlord’s furious voice thundered through the speaker.

Yeon-su’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.

Her worst fears had come true.

Her premonitions were never wrong.
 

To be continued

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