Park Oh-nam’s mind was a tangled mess.
Such was its complexity that, on his way back to the real estate office, he couldn’t even recall Choi Yeon-bi’s striking appearance or figure.
His agitation stemmed from a single, pressing concern.
‘Could she be the daughter of some chaebol family…?’
Choi Yeon-bi’s true identity felt far too suspicious.
Her youthful, student-like appearance.
The casual clothes she wore.
Yet, a figure and face more stunning than most celebrities.
And then there was her declaration that she would purchase the Allstate apartment outright.
Of course, it was possible she was lying.
But what if it wasn’t a lie, but the absolute truth?
He would be the man who had questioned if she was merely toying with him, who had openly judged her appearance, and who had blatantly ogled her figure—all directed at the daughter of a chaebol.
In short.
‘…I’m screwed.’
How must Choi Yeon-bi be judging him?
His mind clouded by these unsettling thoughts, Park Oh-nam silently gripped the steering wheel.
‘It must be a lie.’
‘She’s probably just being mischievous, intending only to look around.’
Fortified by these convictions, he arrived at the real estate office.
However, Choi Yeon-bi was entirely serious.
“Can we sign the contract today?”
****
There was something unusual about his demeanor.
Earlier, he had seemed somewhat nonchalant, but now his tone had become noticeably kinder.
On top of that, his movements were fidgety.
‘Did he eat something bad on the way back?’
Come to think of it, I hadn’t eaten anything myself.
Perhaps it was because all I’d had so far was popcorn, but I felt a little hungry.
I should finish this quickly and go eat.
“We can sign the contract today, right?”
In response to my question, the broker, now sporting a friendly smile I hadn’t seen before, brought over a stack of documents.
A smiling face was certainly more pleasant to behold.
It was the kind of smile that made him look like a monk in training if he shaved off the rest of his hair.
I barely managed to suppress a burst of laughter by bowing my head.
“Same-day contracts are possible. The seller requested that we finalize the agreement immediately if a buyer appeared, so most procedures can be expedited.”
‘Was there a reason they needed to sell the house so quickly?’
‘If it were a jeonse, I might worry, but since it’s a purchase, I suppose I don’t need to be too concerned.’
Pondering this, I nodded.
“Very well, please proceed with drafting the contract. You’ll need to sign the sections highlighted with a fluorescent pen, and I’ll mark any parts you should review with my pen.”
As he spoke, he took the pen he was holding and began drawing lines and circles on the documents.
It brought back memories of signing my first monthly rent contract, stirring a fresh wave of emotions.
Back then, I had spent days wandering, struggling to find even a single place to rent.
When I let out a small chuckle, the broker suddenly glanced at me, then began moving his hands even faster.
‘I wasn’t laughing at him specifically.’
‘Something is definitely off.’
‘I can’t fathom what he’s up to.’
‘He’s not trying to quickly offload an unsellable property, is he?’
‘Well, even if he were, I could always find another place.’
“Here is the contract. Let me explain. This section is the address, building, and unit number. These are the deposit and the purchase price. The deposit must be transferred today. Below here are the special conditions, so please read them once.”
As I took the contract to read, the broker suddenly gasped, as if remembering something, and called out to me.
“Ah, and could you please show me your ID? We’ll also need to make a copy; would that be alright?”
“Yes.”
I took my ID from my worn wallet and handed it to him.
Twenty-one years old, Choi Yeon-bi.
Upon seeing my ID, the broker’s expression stiffened once more.
‘Could he be misunderstanding something on his own?’
‘Even I was incredibly surprised when I saw it, so it’s understandable if he’s mistaken.’
If I, the owner of the ID, couldn’t quite believe it, how much more shocking must it be for others?
Leaving him in his state of astonishment, I slowly began to read through the contract.
“Hmm…”
There was a lot of text.
Still, I had to meticulously check everything I was asked to confirm.
There was no particular need to look at the deposit or the purchase price, so I just read through the special conditions.
It was complex, but all the clauses seemed standard, so I simply nodded.
Things like management fees, utility bill settlements, liability for defects, and options until the final payment date.
There was nothing written that seemed disadvantageous to me, so I looked at the broker with satisfaction.
“I sign here, right?”
“Yes.”
Observing the broker’s complex and subtle expression, I completed my signature. For a moment, I almost signed as Choi Min-hoo, but quickly managed to change it to Yeon-bi.
“Ah, when do you plan to make the final payment?”
‘Come to think of it, that’s true.’
The deposit was essentially money paid to reserve the building as mine before the sale, so to move in, the final payment had to be completed.
‘Couldn’t I just pay it now and take possession?’
It was said that the sooner one moved, the better.
Of course, that was my mother’s saying.
“Can I transfer the full balance right now?”
The broker stared at me with a startled expression, seemingly taken aback by my casual question.
His look was one of such bewilderment, as if all his cherished hair had suddenly fallen out.
“Uh… now, right now?”
“Yes. Now.”
He stood frozen, unable to move a muscle.
When I let out a small cough, he flinched in surprise at the sound and only then began to move again.
“Then… I will add a special condition for immediate transfer of possession upon final payment, and the date of possession. Just a moment, I need to contact the seller…”
The broker rose from his seat and bowed slightly, as if seeking my permission.
‘This feels strange.’
From the broker’s perspective, I was indeed the client with power in this situation, so it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.
‘Even so, bowing like that to someone almost young enough to be his daughter feels a bit much.’
Lost in thought, I waited briefly for him to finish his call.
“…Yes, I understand. Yes, yes.”
He seemed to have finished his call.
He took a deep breath in, then exhaled, and spoke.
“Once the final payment is confirmed, you can move in today. And as for the commission, please transfer it to this account…”
Just like that, I instantly became the owner of the Allstate apartment.
****
Choi Yeon-bi.
That was the name of the chaebol daughter who had climbed into the parked compact car.
Her age was 21.
Her birthday had passed, making her a full 20 years old.
‘A Choi chaebol, huh…’
Park Oh-nam frantically searched his memory for any Choi family chaebols.
Yet, no suitable figures came to mind.
‘Please, let there be no trouble.’
A woman who could casually transfer nearly a billion won without any loans.
And that woman was only 21 years old.
The moment Oh-nam saw that bizarre ID card, he gave up on thinking any further.
He simply began to focus on getting her out of his sight as quickly as possible.
Fortunately, her desire to acquire the house quickly meant he wouldn’t have to deal with her much longer, yet a corner of his mind remained uneasy.
‘If only I had kept my mouth shut when I didn’t know better…’
He was all too aware that he had treated Yeon-bi rudely from their very first meeting.
Moreover, he had blatantly admired her figure, so his current unease was, in a way, only natural.
“You really don’t have to come all the way out here.”
“Oh, no, not at all. I must see you off, customer.”
Oh-nam, bowing excessively, accompanied Yeon-bi all the way to the parking lot where her car was waiting.
Choi Yeon-bi’s expression clearly showed her discomfort, but Oh-nam had no intention of retreating.
‘Please, don’t say anything.’
He desperately needed to convey this unspoken plea.
Receiving Oh-nam’s burdensome farewell, Yeon-bi got into her car.
To escape the awkward situation, she drove away as quickly as possible.
Park Oh-nam watched her leisurely disappear, fervently praying that she wouldn’t mention today’s events to anyone.
“Hoo…”
Then, he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and put it to his lips.
****
“An apartment, huh…”
An apartment had materialized in a single day.
And not just any apartment, but the Allstate, known as a high-end brand.
Roughly ten years had passed since I had lived with the dream of owning my own home, not just renting, but truly owning it, diligently paying monthly rent all the while.
Throughout those ten years, I had painstakingly saved a meager sum, clinging to it as my sole hope.
Hoarding money like a miser, I had never dared to travel, let alone go abroad; the only time I had ever flown was to Jeju Island during high school.
“…”
That’s why my heart felt even emptier.
While I had been meticulously budgeting to keep my daily food expenses under ten thousand won, someone else was casually buying and selling homes, spending vast sums without a second thought.
Of course, I knew this well.
I had seen the posts by wealthy people in online communities and had clearly observed how celebrities lived.
Back then, I considered it a matter of an entirely different world and gave it little thought, but now…
‘…It leaves a rather bitter taste.’
For some reason, thoughts of cigarettes kept surfacing, so I exhaled deeply and headed towards the supermarket.
I was making good use of the compact car I’d bought today, driving around efficiently.
The supermarket I was heading to was a bit far, so I had never visited it in person, only ordered deliveries online.
Having a car truly made things convenient.
Thanks to the parking option, I parked with ease and then got out of the car.
When I was little, I used to come to the supermarket with my mom so often.
“Mom, I want this, this!”
“Are you a baby? How long do you plan to ride in that cart?”
Seeing a mother and daughter passing by, conversing like that, my lips slowly curved into an unconscious smile.
Watching the heartwarming scene, I made my way to the elevator.
The reason I had come to the supermarket was to visit the restaurant on the top floor.
I hadn’t come just to eat.
I thought it would be good to have a hearty meal and buy some necessary items, which was why I came here.
In any case, after a short walk, I arrived at the elevator.
After a brief wait, the elevator ascending from the underground parking lot chimed and stopped.
‘Ugh, it’s a weekday, why are there so many people?’
It was packed to the brim, with no room to spare.
I was about to wait for the next one when a man in front of me subtly made space.
“Ah… I’m meeting a friend here. You can go ahead.”
Receiving such consideration for the first time in my life, I awkwardly bowed my head in thanks.
Then, for some reason, he chuckled happily as he stepped out of the elevator.
‘All sorts of strange things are happening.’
The unfamiliar experience made me feel a bit awkward, so I just stood there self-consciously.
For some reason, it felt like everyone around me was staring.
‘It must be my imagination, right?’
Carrying this uncomfortable feeling, I exited on the top floor as the chime sounded again.
The moment I stepped out of the elevator, delicious aromas wafted from every direction.
‘It smells good.’
I quickly wiped away the saliva that had begun to pool at the corners of my mouth, then straightened my back and surveyed my surroundings.
I was now a chaebol who could eat anything I desired.
Therefore, I would eat everything I had ever wanted.
With excited steps, I first entered a steak restaurant.
Eating alone? I was past the age of worrying about what others thought.
Besides, they say many people eat alone these days.
Of course, I had never been to such a high-end restaurant alone, so I felt a little nervous as I walked.
Still, I held my shoulders confidently and my head high, determined not to appear intimidated.
“Welcome. Do you have a reservation?”
However, my resolve vanished in an instant, like dust in the wind, at the question of whether I had a reservation.
