Chapter 339: The Seven Deadly Sins (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 339: The Seven Deadly Sins (6)
The Secret L Apartment, situated right in the center of Gangnam's residential district.
Home to the wealthy—famous celebrities, business tycoons, and politicians—it vies with the Pyeongchang-dong residential area for the number one spot on the list of "Places I want to live in at least once in my life."
The reason is simple.
A spectacular view overlooking all of Gangnam, a fantastic location in the heart of Korea's most bustling district, and impenetrable security that could catch a single ant.
It was a flawless, ultra-luxury apartment with no discernible drawbacks.
Ah, on second thought, it’s not entirely without flaws.
Even this near-perfect apartment has one single disadvantage.
It's expensive.
Extremely so.
The most recent sale price for an apartment here at the Secret L was around 35 billion won, I believe.
An insane price that would make even the considerably wealthy hesitate.
And do you know what's even funnier?
"Even with the money, you can't buy one because there are none for sale."
The Secret L Apartment has a total of 100 units.
For an apartment complex where units go for over 30 billion won, it’s not a small number, but you couldn't call it large either.
As I said before, this is the number one most desirable and convenient place to live in all of South Korea.
Units rarely go on the market unless there's an extreme reason, like a business failing and needing quick cash, emigration to another country, or death.
In other words, you can't buy one even if you want to.
The last unit that came up for sale was about three months ago, I think.
A businessman who went completely broke after overextending his business had to put his home up for sale because he desperately needed the money.
That unit sold in exactly five minutes.
The price was 35 billion won, well over the previous market price of 30 billion.
For that desperate businessman, it must have felt like rain in a drought.
By now, you must be curious.
How do I know the inside story of the sale and the exact price, even though I wasn't the one who bought it?
The reason is simple.
The person who bought it is an acquaintance of mine.
It’s obvious who, isn't it?
Among the people I know, who else could casually drop 35 billion won besides Han Ju-yeon?
"Hoo…"
In truth, she had been inviting me to her home for the past month.
I had just been making all sorts of excuses to turn her down.
You might ask why I’d refuse an invitation that was clearly a housewarming party, especially since she just moved in.
I was going to go, thinking it was just a simple housewarming… but it wasn't.
I was the only one she had invited.
And the way she blushed every time she asked me to come over was highly suspicious.
I could see her sly intentions and had managed to hold my ground, but… I can't do that anymore.
Because of the last thing she said before hanging up the phone.
-Shouldn't we discuss this in person? So come to my place by tomorrow♥
“……”
Sometimes, a person has to take a risk, even when they know there's a trap on the path ahead.
That's me, right now.
I know the danger that lurks in that apartment, but I have to face it.
"Well, the one who needs something has to make the first move…"
The time for a carefree, "whatever happens, happens" attitude is over.
Now that the outlines of the enemies I must face are slowly coming into focus, it's time to prepare countermeasures.
Those who gained their abilities before me have long since established their own factions.
So, what choice do I have?
I have to build my own faction to keep pace.
I've even laid out a decent plan for it.
If everything goes according to plan, my forces will be on the right track by the time the competition intensifies.
While these mid-to-long-term preparations for the future are proceeding steadily, there's just one thing I'm lacking.
The present.
"Sigh… The problem is, I'm short on assets I can use right now."
I lack people I can trust and assign tasks to immediately.
This isn't something that can be solved with a plan.
It's a problem that can only be solved by surrounding myself with capable people.
And Ju-yeon is just the talent I need.
She's perfect as an immediate asset, and her future value is limitless—a truly versatile, multi-talented individual.
If she's what's waiting at the end of the trap, well…
"It's worth crawling into."
Standing before the entrance, where a dense magical security system coexisted with the sharp gazes of high-rank Hunters, I entered the four-digit code she had given me.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
The four numbers I pressed in order were 6974.
“……”
Was it just a coincidence that she gave me a code with numbers that brought something suggestive to mind?
After entering the code into the terminal, a confirmation call is sent to the homeowner.
Only when the homeowner gives the okay…
Clank!
…does the gate finally open.
"The security here is no joke."
I might be able to get through the magical security somehow, but with high-rank Hunters stationed everywhere, a quiet entry seems nearly impossible.
If I were to sneak in, it wouldn't be through the entrance, but…
No, wait a minute.
"…Why is my first thought about how to sneak in?"
I think I'm developing an occupational hazard.
Whenever I see a security system made of magic, I get the urge to try and break through it.
At this rate, I might just change my profession to a thief.
Following the well-maintained path, I entered the apartment building and got on an elevator.
The 38th floor, was it?
Beep!
Shortly after I pressed the button, the elevator shot upwards.
Stepping out onto the 38th floor, which I reached in an instant, I looked for the apartment number Ju-yeon had told me.
"This must be it."
Found it.
Apartment 3802.
I pressed the doorbell with a tense hand, and I heard Ju-yeon's voice from beyond the door.
"Yes~ Coming!"
Not long after, the sound of the lock disengaging was followed by the door opening.
Click.
Ju-yeon was gradually revealed through the opening.
A white tank top and black dolphin shorts.
The outfit itself wasn't anything special.
The problem was that the body wearing it was special.
The tight fit of the tank top, which looked to be stretched to its absolute limit, made her already large chest stand out even more.
It was like seeing the face of that popular electric mouse character from a famous old anime stretched out.
Her smooth, exposed stomach and slender waist.
The line of her legs, tapering down from her wide hips.
There wasn't a single place I could look at ease.
The only place I could look with some peace of mind was her face.
Her lightly made-up face was truly beautiful, but… I'd seen it often enough.
Ju-yeon, who greeted me with an outfit—no, a body—that made it hard to know where to look, and a radiant face that made my eyes pop, opened her mouth.
"Welcome, darling♥"
“……”
Should I turn back now?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
After the awkward first greeting, I entered Ju-yeon's home.
"Ta-da! This is my first-ever apartment!"
“……”
I didn't know how to respond.
A woman whose first place of her own was a 35-billion-won apartment, the most expensive in South Korea.
It made my heart swell with awe.
No, but wait a minute.
"This is your first time living on your own…?"
"Yep, that's right!"
How is that possible?
When Ju-yeon was in Korea, she lived with her parents, and later she lived at my place, so that made sense.
"You didn't live by yourself when you were in the States?"
"Nope. I lived with my mom back then."
Ah, so she lived with my mother-in-law.
Thinking of my mother-in-law brought back old memories.
It was so hard getting her permission to marry back then.
Of course, after that, she treated me like a son.
Once the title "National Hunter" was attached to the name Son Si-woo, she would rush out to greet me with open arms, exclaiming, "Oh, my dear son-in-law~!"
Remembering that, I gave a bitter smile, and Ju-yeon tilted her head and asked me.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Ah… just some old memories."
At that, she declared with a smile.
"Okay, that's minus one point."
"…?"
What's that about?
"You need to be on my good side today~ You shouldn't be thinking about other things when you're with me~"
You've really got me cornered, haven't you?
If it had been anyone else, I would've just spat on the ground and walked away, but this was Han Ju-yeon.
I must always remember.
I'm the one who's thirsty.
And so, with one point deducted, the house tour began.
"This is the dressing room!"
Oh, it's spacious.
"This is the guest room!"
Oh, it's nice.
"And this is the home gym I set up for light workouts!"
Oh, I'm jealous.
"This is the bathroom! It's so big, it's spacious enough for two…?"
Oh, that's suggestive…
"And finally… this is our master bedroom."
Oh, wait a minute.
"…Ours?"
What do you mean by that, Ju-yeon?
When I asked back with a dubious expression, she made the same face as before.
Oh god, not another point deduction!
"Ahem… well, you never know what the future holds."
"Mhm, right?"
…I'm saved.
"Want to come in for a second?"
Led by her hand, I entered the master bedroom.
The first thing that caught my eye was none other than the bed.
There was nothing unusual about its appearance, but its size was enormous.
A monstrous size that surpassed a king.
What in the world would you even call a size like that?
"The bed's huge, right?"
"…It is."
There's a modern saying, geogeoikseon.
It literally means "the bigger, the better," and beds are one of those things.
As long as the room can handle it, sleeping on a large bed is more comfortable for many reasons.
But no matter how I looked at it, this seemed to go beyond the level of "the bigger, the better."
"Isn't it a bit too big for someone living alone?"
She replied with a peculiar expression.
"You never know, right…?"
"Ah, I see."
I felt that her words held many meanings, so I decided not to press further.
After a quick tour of the whole apartment, we returned to the spacious kitchen.
Ju-yeon handed me a black coffee cup as I sat in a dining chair.
"Here, coffee."
"Thanks, I'll enjoy it."
I was thirsty, so this was perfect.
As I took a sip of the cool, ice-filled coffee, Ju-yeon, who was watching me with her chin propped on her arm on the table, asked.
"How was the house?"
"It's great. I guess you could say there's a reason it's so expensive."
Given the exorbitant land prices, you couldn't say it was worth every penny, but it was certainly magnificent.
The fact that every single material used to build the apartment was top-of-the-line said it all.
"I'm glad you like it."
My hand holding the coffee cup trembled.
I'm not really going to be trapped here, am I…?
As I was growing more anxious with needless worry, she asked.
"Dinner should be here in about 30 minutes. Is that okay?"
"Yes, that's fine."
Apparently, the Secret L Apartment is equipped with all the amenities needed for daily life.
Food is no exception.
You just select a menu item and order it, and they cook it and bring it right up.
I was worried that Ju-yeon, being a poor cook, might skip meals, but I was relieved to hear that.
"Then for the remaining 30 minutes… we should get to it, right?"
Her sudden words made my body freeze.
"…Get to what?"
Get to what, all of a sudden?
Seeing me frozen stiff like a frog before a snake, Ju-yeon burst out laughing.
"Ahahaha! I meant we should finish our negotiations before dinner arrives."
“……”
"I wonder what my dear Do-jin thought I meant?"
She's really got me wrapped around her finger today…
After laughing her fill, Ju-yeon finally composed herself and spoke.
"You said you wanted to recruit me for the guild you're creating, right?"
"I did."
"Hmm~ Since it's you, Do-jin, I'll give you a special discount on the contract fee!"
Ooh… a friends and family discount.
After a moment of thought, Ju-yeon continued.
"Just give me 100 billion won for the signing bonus! Then I'll join your guild."
“……”
What did I just hear?
"100 billion won, even with a friends and family discount?"
She shook her head.
"Nuh-uh… no. It's 100 billion with the Kim Do-jin special discount, not the friends and family one."
Well, whatever the amount, the Kim Do-jin special discount certainly sounded bigger than the friends and family one.
And it was still 100 billion won.
"So… what's the percentage on the Kim Do-jin special discount?"
In response to my question, Ju-yeon held up five fingers.
"50%!"
Wow, half price?
And it's still 100 billion?
"So… um, how exactly was the original price determined…?"
"Based on the biggest contract offer I received from another guild, of course."
"Uh, um."
So, uh.
"You're saying someone offered you a 200 billion won signing bonus?"
"That's right."
"Wow."
An exclamation escaped my lips.
Seeing as someone was willing to casually offer a sum like 200 billion won, it probably wasn't a Korean guild.
"The US? Or China?"
"I got offers from both."
"Oh, I see."
Those bastards have some deep pockets.
Did you really have to take everything to be satisfied…!
My spirit broken by the absurd price, I offered Ju-yeon some advice.
"If you have to choose, you should go to the US. It'll be more convenient for you in terms of activities and daily life."
For the same price, the US was definitely better than China.
Plus, Ju-yeon already had experience living in the States, so she wouldn't even need time to adjust.
After considering it from every angle, I was about to say that the US was definitely the better choice, but…
Why does she look like that?
"What is it now?"
Her beaming smile was gone, replaced by an icy expression as she glared at me.
A cold question followed.
"Do-jin… are you giving up on me?"
I can say with certainty that the look on her face right now was more terrifying and bloodcurdling than any I had ever seen.
Even scarier than when Han Ju-hee was angry.