Home (2)

"Yujin, didn't I tell you I had a feeling? I said it was going to hit eight figures, didn't I?"

"How on earth did you know, unnie?"

I'd added up everything I'd charged today myself. It came to nearly ten million won. How did she even guess that? I hadn't had the faintest clue. How did she figure it out?

"Call it a woman's intuition?"

What even was that. Was she making fun of me right now?

"Ahh, that was fun, wasn't it?"

"Yes... it was fun."

Well... it had been a first, anyway. The first time in my life I'd bought something without a single worry hanging over me. I'd worried about the credit ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠limit, sure. But it wasn't my money.

"Shall we head back? Or should we grab something to eat here first?"

"Are the restaurants even open this late?"

"Not all of them, but a few places still look like they're serving."

Even so, this felt like overkill.

"Still, I don't think we should stay out too late. Let's just go, unnie."

"Alright. It's not that far anyway — we can eat once we get there. Come on."

The staff offered me the most courteous of farewells. The doors slid open, flooding the entrance with a wash of light.

"Alright. Let's go."

What was this? The world looked... different, somehow. Brighter. The colors, I don't know — richer, maybe. Something had changed. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"It's the same road we came in on, but going the other way... everything looks a little different, doesn't it? What do you think, Yujin?"

Was that it?

"Yeah. It looks different to me too."

"Right? So it wasn't just me."

Yeah. That had to be it.

"Oh, I can see the apartment from here. Living in a place where you've got everything right at your doorstep... I'm so jealous."

"Department store, subway, hospital — there's literally nothing missing. Nothing."

That's right. That was the one. Even from this far away, it filled my entire field of view.

"That's the apartment we were talking about, right?"

The kind you always heard about on the news — Castle this, Signiel that. The ones that made headlines every other week for costing tens of millions of dollars.

"Yeah. That's the one."

"Which unit?"

"Hmm? Oh. You don't know yet, do you?"

"What? Is there something special about it?"

Did he live in a penthouse or something? Or not? Of course he lived in a penthouse, right?

"See that building over there? The one where you can just make out the penthouse at the very top?"

"Yes."

Ah. So that was the one.

"Wh— what? That can't be right. What about the people who were already living there?"

"That's what I'm saying... I'm so jealous... which is why I'm jealous of you too, Yujin..."

"Why me? Our house isn't anything like that, unnie."

A house like that, my ass. Our place was just an old villa in a residential neighborhood.

"Huh? Yujin, you really don't know anything, do you?"

"Excuse me?"

What??

"Yujin. Even so, you can't just drop that — it'll break. I told you, if it's too heavy, just ask them to carry it for you."

What did she just say?

"Unnie. Say that one more time. What did you just say?"

"Huh? I said you're getting one of those apartments. Hey? Yujin, stay with me. You cannot pass out. Don't you dare, you hear me?! Breathe!"

Ah... the world was spinning.

So, to recap... I was going to be the owner of a luxury apartment in Seoul?

"Yujin, are you sure you're okay? You cannot pass out again, you hear me? I cannot carry you. Got it?"

"Yes, yes. I'm really fine now, unnie. I mean it."

Okay, so I'd briefly lost my grip on reality because the shock had been a bit much — but I was fine now, unnie. Really. She didn't need to worry anymore.

"Alright, alright. Unnie believes you. Let's go up."

"Okay!"

I followed the writer unnie inside, though I still wasn't sure this was real. How many times were they going to check us? There were dedicated security guards at every stage. Once at the front gate. Once at the entrance. Once in front of the elevator. Once more after transferring to another elevator. And once more after we'd finally reached the top. Five times. They were really something. Unbelievably thorough.

"I'm back! You guys all set for the shoot?"

"You're here, unnie? Um... Mr. Seonghun said he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had something to take care of and asked us to step out for a bit, so... we need to set up somewhere other than the master suite, but we haven't decided where yet."

"Why?"

"It's too big."

Fair enough. Even the shoe closet and the entryway had been about the size of a small studio apartment...

"Is that right? Yeah, I can see that... how many square meters is this place again?"

"The private floor area is a little over five hundred square meters, I think, but I don't know the exact number."

Five hundred square meters? How big was my own house again? How did anyone even clean a place like this?

"It's like a film set in here.... Yujin, why are you just standing there? Come in."

"Okay..."

I'd thought all the tension had drained out of me after we finished shopping at the department store. So why was I getting nervous all over again just because the place was huge? God. I couldn't calm down. Why was it this big?

"What's Mr. Seonghun doing, and how long is he going to take?"

"I don't know... his expression was so dark I didn't dare ask. But an hour should be enough, right?"

"Hah... hey, kid. Why does every single shoot with Mr. Seonghun turn into some kind of incident? Filming the Acting President herself would probably go smoother than this. There is genuinely never a quiet day."

She wasn't wrong. He wasn't even an onion, but the more you peeled, the more you found.

"I know, right. I don't really get it either...."

"Let's look around first and find a good spot. Just filming the house itself would give us a fifteen-minute video, easy."

"Yes! I'll get ready!"

Everyone else was working this hard, and what was that man even doing? If you're the homeowner, come out and give a tour or something. Honestly.

"Hello. I didn't expect you to get back to me this quickly."

"No, still — the fact that you could relay it so quickly and then call me about it... I'm truly grateful. Thank you again, sincerely."

I'd been worried it would drag on too long. And I honestly hadn't been sure Lee Yeeun would actually do what I told her to. Good thing she had. The pipeline had gone in cleaner than I'd expected. Working well.

Hmm... had it? That wasn't great news...

Look at this.

"I'm not in a position to share that. I'm sorry."

She was asking for something she had no chance of getting. Did she really think that would work?

"......."

Guess that's what you got from someone who'd been through the battlefield... Her mouth was a bit filthy.

"Even so, I can't tell you."

"If you don't already know, then it's classified to a degree I simply cannot discuss. I'm sorry."

Ha... this bitch was really getting on my nerves. Stay calm.... Seonghun. Stay calm.

"Then who the hell are you?"

I'm screwed.

"I said, who are you."

"You're telling me to talk because you can take responsibility for words that would upset the woman you call unnie?"

"The nobody here isn't me. It's you."

"A two-bit punk who can't even handle hearing something like this... don't get ahead of yourself."

"If this isn't a table a bitch like you belongs at, then take the hint and get lost, you moron. How did you even survive with instincts that bad?"

"Shut up and go tell Kim Eunjung I want a video call. You fucking bitch."

"Shut your damn mouth and answer me. Are you going to do it or not."

"Then get lost."

I cut the connection and hurled the headset I'd been wearing. Ha... this temper of mine. Couldn't hold it in again. I'd even wrecked the pipeline I'd just set up. Should've kept my mouth shut one more time. Life's a bitch.

I grabbed the water bottle and glass that had been sitting ready beside me, poured, and knocked it back in one go. Then I tipped back the chair I'd already grown fond of in the span of just a few days, lay down, and spun it slowly.

Now what. I still needed that pipeline. Or at the very least, I needed to sit down with her face to face, even if it was just over video. Should I go in person? Or try reaching her through the Acting President's office? Ask the Minister to go on my behalf? Palming it off on that bastard Hyeongcheol and sending him instead?

A buzz.

What, it didn't break?

Go ask your unnie, you bitch. If she won't tell you, take it out on her — why the hell are you coming at me. Fucking hell, is she on her period?

"Um... Mr. Seonghun? We're back!"

Ah. They were here.

"Yes, come in. I'm done."

"Okay. We overheard a bit from outside — it sounded like you were having some trouble? Would you be able to film right now?"

Ah.... I really fucking didn't want to do this. Thinking about it again, I genuinely wanted to flake on the whole thing. Should I just tell them all to get out?

"Could I rest for about thirty minutes first?"

"Of course. What's important is that you're ready, Mr. Seonghun."

Tsk.