The Timing of a Benefactor
Saturday morning, nine o'clock.
The moment I opened my eyes, sunlight spilled through the window and spread along the wall.
The ability I had unleashed yesterday—Visit of a Benefactor—had already been used.
Who would come to visit?
It was only a two-star ability, so I figured it wouldn't be anything grand.
It might just be a fleeting acquaintance passing through my life, or it might turn out to be a whole day in which nothing happened at all.
I washed up and brewed a pot of coffee.
The warm aroma filled the living room.
Through the window, I could see the row of shops lining the street below, but thanks to the triple-paned windows, not a trace of the noise reached me.
It was quiet. Peaceful.
I wish a tenant would move into my building soon.
Just as I lifted my coffee cup with that thought—
"Hello, this is Kim Dong-su."
"Ah, good morning. This is Jinseong Real Estate. You're the owner who listed that commercial property in Macheon-dong, correct?"
"Yes, that's me. Could it be... that a prospective tenant wants to see it?"
"Yes, exactly. They've asked to come by sometime this morning."
For a moment, my mind went perfectly clear.
Visit of a Benefactor.
Could this be it?
I set my cup down slowly before answering.
"Of course. Tell them to come right over."
After hanging up, I glanced around the living room for a moment.
On the floor where the sunlight scattered, I had the quiet premonition that something was about to begin.
Ten minutes or so had passed when the phone rang again.
"Sir? There's something I left out. Don't be alarmed."
"What is it?"
"Well—Starbucks wants to sign the contract immediately. It'll be a corporate direct-lease location, under a seven-year long-term lease."
"...Are you serious?"
"I am. The contract can go through as early as today. You're a lucky man, sir. Cases like this don't come around often."
For a long moment, I couldn't say a word.
Starbucks. A world-class coffee franchise.
"There's no deposit required. Instead, they've set the monthly rent at twenty million won—double the market rate, just to match it to their terms."
My ears went numb.
The phone in my hand suddenly felt hot.
It didn't feel real.
The coffee's aroma thickened around me again.
Of all days—today. Of all moments—right now.
It was too strange a coincidence to call chance.
So the ability really did activate.
Expectation welled up inside me.
What kind of tenant could this be, that the word benefactor would be used?
After hanging up, I stood there in a daze for a while.
Until just moments ago, it had been an ordinary weekend morning—yet a single phone call had changed the entire mood of my life.
Eleven a.m.
A contract lay spread across a table in one corner of the Jinseong Real Estate office.
The Starbucks representative dispatched from headquarters—Manager Kim, dressed in a crisp suit.
So am I. Two Manager Kims in one room.
And then the broker himself, President Jeong.
The three of us talked, the conversation flowing smoothly.
"Now then, shall we keep the monthly rent exactly as written, with no adjustments? The internal approvals at headquarters are already finished."
When Manager Kim spoke, President Jeong nodded quickly.
"Yes, yes, of course—you've given us such favorable terms, we couldn't be more grateful. So the twenty million won in rent will be wired today, right?"
"Payment will go to the account listed here. Our accounting team is scheduled to send it in a single transfer this afternoon."
"So there's no separate down payment—it's handled entirely as an advance, then?"
Manager Kim smiled.
"Starbucks doesn't bother with all that red tape. What we do insist on is honoring the agreed terms without fail. A minimum of seven years—and with the extension option, up to ten."
President Jeong shot me a sidelong glance.
"Sir, tenants like this don't come around often. With a corporate direct lease, the rent will never be late, and they cover all the renovation costs out of their own pocket."
I nodded with a small smile.
It had all happened so fast that it still hadn't quite sunk in.
Manager Kim turned to the last page of the contract and said, "A location like this guarantees solid, stable sales. And built in 2018, the condition is excellent."
President Jeong chimed in eagerly.
"It's been well maintained—you kept the place spotless, sir. Thanks to this, I'm about to close a real standout deal myself."
The conversation moved quickly and naturally.
When the three-way signatures were finally complete, Manager Kim rose from his seat and offered his hand.
"A fine contract. Our headquarters is pleased to see it through."
Watching his back as he disappeared out the door, President Jeong spoke up.
"Sir, this kind of thing is truly rare. What a benefactor you've found."
A benefactor.
The word lingered in my ears for a long time.
Saturday afternoon.
The moment the ink dried on the contract, reality began to move at a remarkable pace.
President Jeong of Jinseong Real Estate gathered up his stack of documents, wearing a proud smile that kept resurfacing on his face.
"Truly, congratulations, sir. I haven't seen terms like these anywhere in the neighborhood in years."
I still felt dazed.
Starbucks.
A seven-year long-term lease. Double the market rate.
Twenty million won, paid in advance.
The coffee cup in my hand felt heavier now—somehow more substantial.
Twenty million won had landed cleanly in my account under the name Starbucks Korea, Inc.
One phone call, a few sheets of paper—and the world had shifted, just a little.
By the time I got home, a yellow safety line had been drawn in front of my building, and a construction crew dispatched from headquarters was already at work.
Mounted above the temporary fencing hung an enormous STA★BOX logo.
Neighborhood residents passing by murmured among themselves—"Oh, a Starbucks is coming in here?" "Someone leased it out?"—as they slowed to look.
I stood for a long while, gazing up at my own building.
A Starbucks Zone.
And at the very center of it stood my building.
Monday. Eight a.m. The rooftop.
I still hadn't used my Time Pass ability.
My mouth was itching to say it out loud.
Youngsoo took one look at my expression and asked, "What's got you in a good mood? Why are you grinning like that?"
"Did you hear a Starbucks opened up in Macheon-dong?"
"Out of nowhere, Starbucks? You move to Macheon-dong and now you're bragging that your neighborhood got one?"
"Yep."
"Well, la-di-da. Living in a Starbucks Zone must be nice for you, sir."
"It is. Come by my place sometime and I'll buy you a round."
"Starbucks coffee tastes the same no matter where you drink it. Getting all worked up over nothing."
"Maybe. But sometimes the world is at its best over things that amount to nothing."
After coming down from my smoke break and settling in at the office, Team Leader Jeong called me over.
"Manager Kim. All set for your report to the department head today?"
"No."
"What?"
"Haha. Just kidding, sir. Don't worry."
"........"
Team Leader Jeong couldn't quite wipe the look of bewilderment off his face for a long while.
So the first person I'd ever cracked a joke to since joining the company was Team Leader Jeong.
No wonder he was thrown off.
I returned to my desk and printed out the report.
Then I called it out.
"Time Pass."
The hands of the clock spun wildly forward, and a flawless day began.