Chapter 509: Want to Come to My Place? (2)

Han Min-ah, who had seemed to be having a rather serious conversation over the phone.

Following her as she rushed out of the semi-basement villa, I arrived in front of a real estate agency.

Because Han Min-ah, who had entered the real estate agency building with a somewhat anxious expression, seemed to be discussing various things with the agent.

My two younger sisters and I, who had chased after her belatedly, quietly waited outside the real estate agency for her to come out.

While wishing in my heart that she would return with good news instead of the ominous imaginings that had already begun to take shape in my mind.

-Ttiriring.

“…….”

Soon, the real estate agency door opened, and Han Min-ah walked out.

And from her face, a gloomy emotion was palpable, one that could be understood without needing to ask.

From that bitter expression, unlike Han Min-ah, I could guess that the situation had not gone well.

As the gazes of Han Jin-ah, Han Seon-ah, and I were focused on her, Han Min-ah’s mouth quietly opened.

“Uh, sorry, everyone….”

“……”

“……”

“Moving in seems difficult for now….”

…Haa.

Just why do such unlucky things keep piling up only for Han Min-ah?

If she’s been the sole breadwinner of the household in that semi-basement villa for over five years, shouldn’t she be allowed to be happy now?

Just as February was almost over, I thought she could make a fresh start in a new house with the arrival of March.

In the end, all that returned to her was the result of real estate fraud, and anger naturally surged within my heart too.

“I should have checked more carefully before signing the contract…. I’m sorry, everyone….”

“Oh, no, Unnie! I, I don’t mind at all! B-Besides, it’s not like I particularly hated that semi-basement room!”

“If we can share the same space in one room with Unnies for a bit longer, that’s also a joy in its own way. It’s not like we absolutely needed a new house, right?”

“W-We can move later! Now that both Jin-ah and I have started working, we just have to work harder than before!”

The younger sisters, who, like their older sister Han Min-ah, still gave quite positive answers.

However, Han Min-ah’s expression did not improve at all, even with their answers.

The reason her expression didn’t soften, even with Jin-ah’s and Seon-ah’s words trying to lighten the mood, could be confirmed in her next answer.

“Sorry, everyone… We can’t go back to the villa we originally lived in anymore….”

“……Huh?”

“That place was already sold via a sales contract, so we have to vacate by tomorrow…. Actually, the original amount of money was barely enough even after including the sale of that semi-basement villa….”

“I-I see….”

“Haa, damn it…. If I had known it would be like this, I should have secured a new house first before selling…. I was really stupid….”

“It-It’s not your fault, Big Unnie! The person who was supposed to be the landlord is the one who did wrong!”

“R-Right, that’s right! B-Besides, Unnie doesn’t need to apologize… sob….”

Jin-ah, trying to say something comforting, couldn’t hold back her emotions and burst into tears.

Starting with her reaction, Jin-ah and Seon-ah also began to pour out their overwhelming emotions.

Watching the three sisters like that, I felt pity and simultaneously agonized over the practical problems they would face right now.

Such as the compensation procedures for the multiple sales contract fraud they suffered, or where the three sisters would stay starting tonight.

Problems that were so obvious and pressing that I couldn’t just turn away because my heart felt heavy.

“Let’s report it first. Usually, these things are much easier with a lawyer, so let’s go to Yeouido or Seocho and get a lawyer’s consultation first….”

“…Sniff, Oh, no…. I’m not going to report it.”

“Hey, no matter how shocked you are about being scammed…!”

“Th-That’s not it…! Uh, it’s because I haven’t made the deposit yet…. I just got the down payment back from the real estate agent….”

“…R-Really?”

“I-I thought it would be best to be cautious until the very end…. I delayed the deposit as much as possible…. And instead of depositing it directly, I entrusted it to the real estate agency…. The fees and such are unavoidable, but considering we almost lost over 200 million won, just this is something….”

…Should I call this a blessing in disguise?

Still, it was truly fortunate that it didn’t lead to any significant financial loss thanks to her extreme caution even in this situation.

I knew how much she had struggled alone, and how determined she was when she said she would sell the semi-basement villa to move into a new house, having watched the whole process from the side.

Even if she couldn’t find a house, she managed to protect the money, so she could definitely get back on her feet.

However, even if there was no immediate financial loss, considering her future actions, the fact that she couldn’t move wasn’t the entirety of the problem.

The immediate issue of accommodation for the three sisters, and the urgent need to find a new place to sign a contract for, would once again weigh Han Min-ah down.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“…For now, I guess I have to look for another place. I don’t know if there are any available properties right away. If it really doesn’t work out, we might have no choice but to find another villa…”

“……”

“Ah, but I’m not going back to a tiny semi-basement room! Even if we have to find something quickly with the money we saved, it won’t be that bad…”

Of course. If she was going to move after all this effort only to end up somewhere similar, I would have offered my money to stop her.

I couldn’t accept the outcome being the same after all the hardships she went through.

“You said you have to vacate the villa you lived in by tomorrow. So, where are you and your sisters going to sleep tonight?”

“…Well, uh….”

“……”

“I’ll get a room for two at a motel or inn for the kids, and I’ll wander around and sleep in the company conference room…. It’ll work out somehow…?”

Han Min-ah’s plan sounded incredibly daunting just hearing it.

Given the circumstances, it was unlikely that any proper solution would come out of her mouth.

After all, with the original plan of moving out of the semi-basement villa and into a new house overturned, it wouldn’t be easy to come up with a new plan on the spot.

Naturally, it was hard to call this a good solution, as it was hastily proposed.

While living in the house she already bought wouldn’t cost money, staying at a motel and searching for a property would naturally incur costs.

As the period extended, even just sleeping would cost a significant amount of money, and if the period unexpectedly dragged on, the losses from that aspect couldn’t be ignored.

‘Even if it’s just 40,000-50,000 won per night, the amount will surely pile up.’

Even if she managed to find another place quickly, the process of signing a real estate contract isn’t something that happens overnight.

If things went wrong, there was a high chance that motel fees alone could amount to several million won.

While that amount might seem small compared to the house price, it was still by no means a negligible sum.

Especially for someone like Min-ah, who lived frugally, saving every penny.

Moreover, if such losses started to accumulate, she would become desperate and might not be able to properly find a truly good property, likely focusing only on places she could move into quickly.

In other words, she would go through hardship, spend money, and end up in a place she wasn’t very satisfied with.

Of course, that was only if things didn’t go well; there was always a possibility that things might work out unexpectedly easily.

…But somehow, my intuition told me otherwise.

It told me the consequences that Han Min-ah, who seemed destined to live with misfortune, would bring upon herself when she rushed things.

Even though she almost got scammed this time, she managed to minimize financial losses thanks to her careful and cautious judgment.

But that was only possible because she had a base in the semi-basement villa and had ample time.

Now, with the daily cost of her sisters’ accommodation weighing on her mind, and Min-ah herself having to stay in places like the company conference room or a public bath without a proper place to sleep,

I couldn’t imagine her being able to make another proper contract in such a mental state.

‘If only Min-ah could find a place to move into without worrying about time and cost… Ah.’

The moment that thought crossed my mind, a rather good idea struck me.

Before I knew it, my mouth was already naturally offering a solution to the three sisters for their current situation.

“S-Sung Taekyung…. This is a really difficult request, but…. Since it’s like this, could you possibly hold onto our furniture for a while…? We have nowhere to put it right now…”

“…Instead of just leaving the furniture with me, why don’t you all just come over to my place?”

“Huh?”

“Stay at my place until you find a new house. Don’t go around saying you’ll sleep in the company conference room or motels.”

“…W-What?!”

What are friends for?

It’s precisely during tough times like these that we should help each other out.